Grab Bag

” 10 Festivals that Celebrate Local Produce “

Excerpt from “www.bootsnall.com” :

Whether you’re looking to support local communities, broaden your cultural horizons,
or simply soak up the party atmosphere, there are hundreds of local festivals that offer
an entertaining insight into your travel destination.

From sampling witchetty grubs at New Zealand’s Wildfood Festival to mud sliding in
South Korea or munching on oyster tacos to celebrate the Californian oyster harvest,
these 10 festivals are some of the world’s most unique celebrations of local produce.

1. Wildfoods Festival, New Zealand

Fancy munching on worm truffles or slurping some chocolate-coated Huhu beetles?
Hokitika’s world-famous Wildfoods Festival is not just about forcing the weird and
wonderful onto camera-wielding tourists, it’s an important celebration of New Zealand
culture and pays homage to some of the historic foodstuffs once consumed by the island’s
inhabitants (with a creative twist, of course). There are few things not on offer here,
and culinary adventurers can line their guts with all number of bizarre delicacies from
lamb’s testicles and sheep’s brains to roasted earthworms or wasp larvae ice cream.
Wash it all down with a cup of Gorse Flower wine or Stallion’s Semen (yes, really).
For the less daring, try a whitebait patty – a regional favorite – or opt for more appealing
offerings like wild pork or whiskey sausages.

Held in March each year on the South Island’s west coast, the Wildfoods Festival draws in
some 15,000 visitors to the small town, offering an unbeatable opportunity for local
businesses to present their creations to an international audience. For best results bring
your camera, a few try-anything mates, and an empty stomach.

For 9 more festivals, click HERE

” Weisskraut Salat ” ( White Cabbage Slaw )


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” Weisskraut Salat ” ( White Cabbage Slaw ) 

This is so much better than the limp, tasteless coleslaw offered most of the time.
This is crispy, tangy, refreshing. In Germany (and many other european countries)
we use this for different occasions, as snack, side dish or appetizer. The ingredients
are cabbage, onions, salt, pepper, oil, vinegar,caraway seeds. Some folks (me) like to
add a few drops of maggi seasoning, others a dash of sugar (not me) and/or garlic (me).
Try it on your next BBQ. You will be happy you did 🙂Bon Appetit !   Life is Good !
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” A Bit Of A Thunderstorm “

I was going to have a drink and a snack in the garden last night.

Click here to see what happened.


” Rotkohl Salat ” ( Red Cabbage Slaw )

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Rotkohl Salat

This is so much better than the limp, tasteless coleslaw offered most of the time.
This is crispy, tangy, refreshing. In Germany (and many other european countries)
we use this for different occasions, as snack, side dish or appetizer. The ingredients
are cabbage, onions, salt, pepper, oil, vinegar, some folks (me) like to add a few drops
of maggi seasoning, others a dash of sugar (not me), and/or garlic (me).
Try it on your next BBQ. You will be happy you did 🙂
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Bon Appetit !   Life is Good !
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” Naan, Brie & Vegetable Pizza “

Indian, Italian, French, “CON-fusion”    :- )

This was soo delicious !
Light, tasty, crispy; fun, easy and quick !

Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !

” Roast Pork Butt, Braised Veggies, Pork Jus & Applesauce “


Roast Pork Butt, Braised Veggies, Pork Jus & Applesauce

One of my beloved, hearty standby’s for a rainy day, spent at home with a good movie,
glass of wine or beer and a bunch of friend’s.
( And in case we are looking for Bella, we know to find her waiting in front
of the oven, enjoying the smell of good things to come.)      🙂

Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !

” Sharpsville, Pennsylvania, Cafeteria Workers Win Right To Eat Free Expired Food “

Excerpt from an article in the Huff Post :

“Under the agreement, food items that are past their expiration date
or reheated in a way that they can no longer be served to students
may still be eaten for free by the cafeteria workers.”

This raises so many questions for me ! How about you ?
What’s wrong in a country where this can even be considered an issue ?

To read the full article, click HERE

 

 

” Useless – Or Worth The Trouble ? “

Useless – or worth the trouble?  
– trying to keep the “flame of excellence” going
for the next generation of cooks!
By Chef Hans Susser, CEC . CHE

Lately that’s a question that pops up, both in my head and during conversations with other experienced chefs, more and more frequently. Why do we do it and for what? Obviously the general impression of many old timer’s is that the younger generations “just don’t give a hood” anymore. While this might be increasingly true due to circumstances, I am happy to report that when we really look, we still see the diamonds in the rough being there, right under our eyes. Yes, they might be harder to spot because of the circumstances surrounding them (and sometimes us), but they are certainly out there. Maybe their numbers have been dwindling, but maybe this happened partially because we have stopped looking? If you need an expert about frustration, you found him right here. But then again, who are we to judge others when we fall into the same category. So, colleagues, both educators and especially professionals out there in the “real world” – keep on searching. We are getting paid to do so, but we should really be doing more because that is what set’s us apart from the mediocre rest that we so wholeheartedly criticize. The flame is still burning under our guard, so let’s keep it going, never to give up. Let the fuel be our knowledge, skills and care for our beloved profession. No flame can burn on hot air alone as so many wannabe “chefs” out there believe. One of the many sources of joy and satisfaction in our culinary profession is to discover that there are enough kids out there to carry on the flame in the future.
But for now, dear fellow chefs, don’t let the flame of excellence of culinary standards extinguish.

We, the REAL CHEFS, who possess the experience, knowledge and care, are still in charge to keep the flame burning – while we still can and care !

” Quer durch den Garten ” ( across the garden )

Tonights dinner : ” Quer durch den Garten ” .

When I was a kid, during the summer and the harvest season my  mother, usually at least twice a month on a saturday, made a stew she called “quer durch den garten”, which literally translates into “across the garden”. It was never the exact same stew because she used whatever fresh vegetables were available that day and usually a stew cut of beef, sometimes sausages or chicken. As starch it was either potatoes, pasta or rice, depending on what was leftover in the fridge or readily available from the cupboard. when we sat down to the table we never knew which starch or protein to expect. However, there was always an abundance of fresh vegetables and herbs. I believe this is the dish which has installed in me my live long love for stew’s of any kind.

Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !

” Leo’s Flank Steak “

So I am standing in my kitchen cooking dinner ( “Quer durch den Garten)
when my friend Leo rings the door bell. I open and there he is with this
wonderful steak for me. Normally he would have called me over for BBQ
and drinks, but today he did not want to drink but still wanted to share his
steak’s with me. Good to have a few precious, real friend’s left 🙂

P.S.
Added some mustard and fried onion, put it on some italian bread to soak
up all the juices and, voila !

Life is Good !