Bella

TODAY AT “CHEZ BELLA” – Scrambled Eggs & Bread

Bellas Scrambled Eggs & Bread

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Aaahhhhh, never judge a book by its cover, nor a dish by it´s name ! 🙂
If you do, you might have just past by this wonderful little dish, never to know what culinary gem is lurking behind its unassuming name.
Which cook in the World would sink so low and be proud and happy about “scrambled eggs & bread”, to actually publish a post about this ? –
Well, I actually am, and I must say, when I plated this dish for Bella and myself, I was smiling and feeling happy about the food we were about to eat (or, in Bellas case, about to devour.) 🙂
The Turkish flatbread came out of our neighborhoods Turkish bakers oven just about 30 minutes earlier (he delivers) ; the eggs are fresh from my neighbor’s hens, and the tomatoes, green chilies, cucumbers and scallions come from the farms in the immediate area.
So everything was as fresh as can be, and with a simple dish like this, the difference to supermarket food is apparent in every bite.
Nothing against supermarket food, I have eaten it and enjoyed most it most of my life, just that when possible, I like to eat the fresh and less processed stuff 🙂
So there you have it – a great, fresh, affordable, quick and easy to prepare dish I love ( so does Bella) and of which I can be proud of, five stars or not. 🙂
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !

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Click here for more Eggs on ChefsOpinion
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Why “Chez Bella” ??? Because……….click here.
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Toast 1/4 of a large Turkish flatbread or any other bread of your choice.
Whisk 6 fresh eggs, season with kosher salt, sriracha and garlic paste to taste.
In 3 oz of whole butter or 2 tblsp EVO saute 1 cut scallion, 1 green chili and 2 ea diced tomatoes until heated through, add the eggs, cook until done to your liking.
To serve, top the bread with the eggs, serve with salad of your choice.
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Scrambled Eggs & Bread

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Grilled Cevapcici & Beluga Salad

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A few years after I was born, the German “Wirtschaftswunder” (Economic Miracle) was in full swing (I wonder if my existence helped?), and Germany was in need of a new, different kind of army – an army of workers, to fill all the open labor-positions. It was the time (1955) when Germany invited millions of “Gastarbeiter” (Guest Workers) to come and make their luck and life in Germany. Mostly poor, working class people from Italy, Spain, Greece, Turkey, Portugal and eventually, in 1968, Yugoslavia, took a chance and started a new life in this new promised land, first alone, working very hard, saving money, learning the language and customs and then, usually a couple of years later, having their family join them and slowly but surely integrating themselves and their families, and most of them eventually becoming Germans. (Passport, language, customs, and all) 🙂
I don’t want to go into the political, economic and social results of this enormous “Völkerwanderung” (Human Migration), but rather talk about the effect it had on the culinary landscape.
Up until then, there were basically three culinary styles in Germany –
“Deutsche Hausmanskost”, which translates into plain home cooking
“Deutsche Koch Kunst”, or German Culinary Arts, meals that are as pleasing to the eye as to the palate, primarily available in upper-class restaurants, hotels, and delicatessens.
“Traditional French Cuisine”, also mainly available in upper-class restaurants, hotels, and delicatessens.
Of course, this all changed rapidly with the influx of millions of people cooking the traditional food of their countries of origin, and within a few short years one could easily find a Turkish doner shop, Italian pizzeria, Greek taverna, Spanish tapa restaurant, Portuguese cervejaria or Yugoslavian restaurant serving food from all over Europe, first in the big cities, but eventually even in the smallest of villages.
(Incidentally, nowadays you are more likely to find an ethnic restaurant than a typical “German Gasthaus” (German Tavern) in most places 😦
Securely wedged in my memory are the Cevapcici of that time. Up ’til then, we did not know “Burgers”. We had either buletten or meatloaf, typically served hot with mashed potatoes or pasta and mushroom sauce, or served cold with bread and mustard.
So when Cevapcici came along, they were pretty special and exotic to our palette and view.
Spiced with plenty of garlic, oregano and cumin among other seasonings, they tasted and looked very different to anything made with ground lamb (or any other ground meat) we’d seen up to then.
They were usually served with rice and salad or with some type of flatbread and salad, often accompanied by a yogurt sauce and raw onion rings.
Again, at the time, this was pretty new and exotic for most of us 🙂
So when I got this ground lamb yesterday, I was looking forward to preparing and eating, for the first time in many years, this wonderful dish.
I am happy I did because I enjoyed every morsel of it (and so did Bella) 🙂
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good ! (And full of memories) 🙂
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Pls note:
Replace the lamb with beef, or pork or a mixture of both if you prefer. (Shrimp, anybody ? 🙂
Cevapcici can be grilled, sauteed, baked (roast) or fried. However, do NOT overcook them or you are left with a dry stick of coal-like substance 😦
See the pic of the close-up of the meat – well done, but VERY juicy and tender 🙂
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Grilled Cevapcici & Beluga Salad

JUICY……….. 🙂

Beluga Salad

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures:
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: beluga lentils, 1 mediom onion, diced, 192 bellpepper, diced

: mix with 1/4 cup honey/mustard vinaigrette

: 2 lb grd lamb, 2 ea whole eggs, 1 tblsp garlic paste, 1 tsp dried oregano, 1 pinch grd cumin, kosher salt and cayenne pepper to taste

: mix well but DO NOT overmix, or the meat becomes dense

: shape into round sausage shapes ((or shape with two wet knifes into edged sausages, as done here

: grill to medium-well or your own preference

: to serve, place some beluga salad on a leaf of lettuce, top with cevapcici

: Grilled Cevapcici & Beluga Salad

: Grilled Cevapcici & Beluga Salad

: Grilled Cevapcici & Beluga Salad

: Grilled Cevapcici & Beluga Salad

: Beluga Salad

: JUICY……….. 🙂

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Kalbs Haxe, Semmelknödel, Und Rosenkohl Mit Speck… (Whole-Roast Veal Shank, Brussels Sprouts And Bread Dumplings)

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While Bella and I eat pork shank/knuckle/trotter quite often, veal shank, because of it´s price, is more of a “once in a while” treat.
As I mentioned before one these pages, veal named “Milk Veal” in Germany can only be from an up to 6 months old calf, therefore it carries a hefty price tag.
Nevertheless, at my age, there are not that many treats left to enjoy or afford, so this one seemed well worth the price. (Bella agrees fully.) 🙂
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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Click here for more Veal on ChefsOpinion
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Click here for Bread Dumpling Recipe on ChefsOpinion
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Kalbs Haxe, Semmelknödel, Und Rosenkohl Mit Speck… (Whole-Roast Veal Shank, Brussels Sprouts And Bread Dumplings)

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures

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: 4 lb veal shank

: season with kosher salt, sriracha and granulated garlic to taste

: roast at 320 F for 4 hours, baste every 20 minutes with beer of your choice

: deglaze the roasting dish/pan with red wine, strain the jus, check7&adjust the flavor

: saute 4 oz of sliced bacon in 2 oz garlic/herb butter

: when the bacon is crisp, add 8 oz cooked brusseel sprouts, saute until heated through, check/;adjust seasoning

: Veal Shank and Veal Jus

: ready to carve

: Kalbs Haxe, Semmelknödel, Und Rosenkohl Mit Speck… (Whole-Roast Veal Shank, Brussels Sprouts And Bread Dumplings)

: Kalbs Haxe, Semmelknödel, Und Rosenkohl Mit Speck… (Whole-Roast Veal Shank, Brussels Sprouts And Bread Dumplings)

: Kalbs Haxe, Semmelknödel, Und Rosenkohl Mit Speck… (Whole-Roast Veal Shank, Brussels Sprouts And Bread Dumplings)

: Kalbs Haxe, Semmelknödel, Und Rosenkohl Mit Speck… (Whole-Roast Veal Shank, Brussels Sprouts And Bread Dumplings)

: Kalbs Haxe, Semmelknödel, Und Rosenkohl Mit Speck… (Whole-Roast Veal Shank, Brussels Sprouts And Bread Dumplings)

: Kalbs Haxe, Semmelknödel, Und Rosenkohl Mit Speck… (Whole-Roast Veal Shank, Brussels Sprouts And Bread Dumplings)

: Kalbs Haxe, Semmelknödel, Und Rosenkohl Mit Speck… (Whole-Roast Veal Shank, Brussels Sprouts And Bread Dumplings)

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How Bella And I Celebrated Valentines Day 2019 – “Teriyaki Ribeye With White Asparagus Mornay”

Teriyaki Ribeye With White Asparagus Mornay

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: my half of the steak, all the asparagus

: Bellas half of the steak, none of the asparagus

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Although it is a bit late in the year to use in 2019, this might serve as an inspiration for next years Valentine’s celebration 🙂
When I saw this heartshaped 3 lbs steak at the supermarket, I just knew I had to have it for Bella and myself. She loved it a lot, but somehow I assume it was because of the steaks delicious meat, not because of its heart shape 🙂
Either way, it was a great dinner. You might want to share a heart-shaped steak with your loved one next year on Valentine’s day (or any other occasion when you celebrate your love), even if you only have an ordinary Human instead of a special Dog to celebrate with 🙂
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Life is Good ! Woof !
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Click here for Sauce Mornay Recipe
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Click here to learn how to prepare White Asparagus

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Teriyaki Ribeye With White Asparagus Mornay

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: full portion

: start……

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: 7 seconds in…….

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My Happy Valentine 🙂

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures

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: 3 lbs butterfly ´d ribeye

: cook the Mornay Sauce and the asparagus according to the recipes at the links on this page, then saute the asparagus in warm butter, set aside while the steak cooks and rest´s

: season with kosher salt and cayenne pepper, grill to your desired doneness

: terriyaki sauce

: during the last minute of cooking, brush the steak on both sides and cook for a few seconds more, turning the steak a few times to avoid burning of the sugar in the sauce ; plate the steak, top with the asparagus, then nappé with Mornay

: Teriyaki Ribeye With White Asparagus Mornay

: Teriyaki Ribeye With White Asparagus Mornay

: Teriyaki Ribeye With White Asparagus Mornay

: Bellas half of the steak, no asparagus

: my half of the steak, all the asparagus

: Terriyaki Ribeye With White Asparagus Mornay

: Teriyaki Ribeye With White Asparagus Mornay

: Teriyaki Ribeye With White Asparagus Mornay

: Teriyaki Ribeye With White Asparagus Mornay

: full portion

: start……

: 3 seconds in…..

: 7 seconds in…….

: My Happy Valentine 🙂

From our new Home………

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Dear Friends,
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After nearly two years of planning, Bella and I have finally arrived in our new, ( permanent? ) home, Germany.
Of course, America is my home as much as Germany, so I hope I can travel between the two countries often. I still maintain a small place in Miami, but for now, my base will be Germany, until…………..?
As of now, we stay at a small apartment near Cologne, but I am actively searching for a much larger place up North, hopefully near the coast.
Until we have settled in, which I estimate will take at least another couple of months, I won´t be able to post at my usual pace, pls forgive me.
My pots and pans, cameras, china, utensils, etc., are still in a container on the High Seas.
But, when all the dust has settled, I hope we can proceed at our regular, about two posts a week, speed. After all, we´ve got to eat ! 🙂
Until then, most of the dishes I´ll post will be food I have prepared, written the recipes for, taken pictures and stored them, during the past few months.
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Until soon,
Bella and Hans
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So here is Miami, Florida, which we left behind.
Below that is Cologne, Germany, where we moved to (happily, I might add) 🙂
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Happy Holidays !

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Dear Friends around the World,
Bella and I wish you all a wonderful Holiday Season,
and a Happy, Prosperous, Healthy and Peaceful New Year,
full of Love and Good Food !
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Cancer Free !!! (For Now)

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Got the good news this afternoon – for now, C-free 🙂
However, this needs to be checked every three months for 5 years, only then will I be declared 100% cured. But, I’ll take this for now 🙂
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On my way home from the Cancer clinic, I bought a bottle of wine to celebrate.
However, it’s not fun to drink alone, so I prepared and enjoyed this soup with Bella instead.
The wine will be used to prepare sauerbraten next week
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Life is Good !
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Pork Dumplings, Ramen Noodles And Nappa Cabbage in Garlicky Pork Broth

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A Sad And Unfortunate Temporary Break For Bella, Myself And ChefsOpinion – (Slowly Getting Better)……

Bella

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Dear Friends,

I am happy to be back, able to post and enjoying to cook, eat and share my humble cuisine with you.
From 9/13th to 10/13th I spent a wonderful month in Germany and Spain, visiting friends and family and having a great time eating and drinking in the company of much-missed friends, most of which I had not seen for many years, as well as making new friends along the way 🙂 .
I also put time to good use to facilitate my return to Germany, where I plan to spend the remainder of my life with good food, good friends and (occassionally) good booze 🙂
I bought a car, started looking for a house, registrered my new address in Germany, etc, etc.
I also spend a long weekend in Spain, where my friends Gaby and Ralf own a Beautiful Spanish villa near the beach.
I had taken many notes and pictures to share my trip with y’all as soon as I’d be back in Miami.
However, the night before I got back, my beloved Bella was attacked and badly mauled by two loose-running rottweilers.
This caused both Bella and I to suffer tremendously, her physically, me psychologically, which eventually morphed into a full-blown breakdown of my well-being.
I was bed-ridden for a week, while trying my best to care for Bella (with the help of two great vet’s 🙂
Well, it has been 10 days now and I am happy to report that both Bella and I are on the way to recovery.
I assume that I am able to start posting my European experience starting this coming week, and that the unfortunate episode of Bellas attack will be but a bad memory soon.
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Hans.
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For those of you who are skirmish DON”T scroll down to the bottom of this page !!!
There are pictures of Bellas wound’s there, to let those of you who can handle this kind of stuff see how badly she had to suffer.
Again, she is (slowly) on her way to recovery, and things should be back to normal soon 🙂
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And, on a lighter note:
When I was sick I did not have the strenght nor the will to cook every day. The first two day’s, I lived off apples and dry knäckebröd .
However, that did not provide me with the nutrition I needed to get back on my feet, so, during a spell of light improvement of my strength, I prepared a big pot of what must be the oldest, best-working and best-tasting remedy in the word:
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“Chicken Noodle Soup With Veggies And Egg”.
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After five days of this for both lunch and dinner (apples for breakfast), I am now feeling better and blessed with enough strength to take on my daily chores, including driving Bella to the vet daily, preparing my usual food, and keeping “ChefsOpinion” up to date.
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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Chicken Noodle Soup With Veggies And Egg

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Chicken Noodle Soup With Veggies And Egg

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures
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rinse 10 ea chicken tighs under cold running water

add 4 qt of water with kosher salt and cayenne pepper to taste, bring to a simmer and cook until the chicken is cooked through.

meanwhile, cook 1 lb dry pasta of your choice, drain

cut 1 medium sixe white cabbage and 8 ea med size carrots into bite size pieces, add to the soup together with 1 tblsp garlic paste and 1/2 tsp dry oregano, simmer until carrots are tender, check/adjust seasoning

add 1 raw eggyolk, 1/4 cup frozen peas and 1 1/2 cup pasta to a soup bowl

top the pasta with 1 ea chicken tigh and enough soup to cover the pasta, sprinkle with chopped cilantro and grated parmesan (optional)

Chicken Noodle Soup With Veggies And Egg

Chicken Noodle Soup With Veggies And Egg

Chicken Noodle Soup With Veggies And Egg

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LEFT SIDE

RIGHT SIDE

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Faux Chicken Biryani

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It looks like biryani.
It tastes like biryani.
It smells like biryani.
Alas, it’s not biryani.
As usual when I cook for Bella and myself, a few days ago I cooked too much jasmin rice. The next day, my usual train of thought at first led me to either one of two leftover dishes – fried rice or congee. But I did not really feel like either one of those, so my next choice was this very easy to prepare “faux biryani”.
While a “real biryani is easy enough to prepare, this one was even easier and of course, with the pre-cooked rice at hand, this was the perfect way to utilize the rice and at the same time get a dish that is wonderful, flavorful and beautiful. Naturally, the texture of the rice was different from the real deal, (not inferior, just different), but nevertheless, the dish was a great success, fully enjoyed by Bella and myself 🙂
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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Click here for more Faux Dishes on ChefsOpinion
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Click here for more Chicken on ChefsOpinion
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P.S.
Usually, one would steep the saffron in ghee, but because of the relatively high-fat content of the chicken skin which will render into the dish, I replaced the ghee with milk.
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Faux Chicken Biryani

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures
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: marinade 8 ea chicken thighs in 1 cup yogurt, 1 tblsp garam masala and 1 tsp turmeric overnight

: steep 1 gram of “superior Spanish saffron” treads in 1/4 cup warm milk

: marinade julienne of 1/4 large red onion and slices of 1/2 medium size cucumber in 1 tblsp cider vinegar and kosher salt and cayenne pepper to taste

: saute julienne of 1 large white onion in 2 tblsp ghee or peanut oil

: add 8 oz diced tomatoes, 1/2 cinnamon stick, 3 ea chilies, 1 ea bay leaf, 1 tblsp grd cumin, 1 tblsp grd coriander, saute until fragrant

: add the chicken, season with kosher salt to taste

: cover and cook SLOWLY for 15 minutes

: turn the chicken

: cover, cook SLOWLY for another 15 minutes

: at this point, check the chicken for doneness, the temperature should be at 155F on the bone

: top with 2 cups cooked rice

: drizzle with half the saffron milk, sprinkle with 1/2 tsp garam masala, 1 tblsp chopped cilantro and 1/2 tsp chopped mint leaves, repeat with another 2 cups of cooked rice, the other half of the saffron milk, sprinkle with 1/2 tsp garam masala, 1 tblsp chopped cilantro and 1/2 tsp chopped mint leaves

: cover and cook SLOWLY for another 5 minutes or until the rice is heated to proper temperature, let the dish rest, covered, for another 5 minutes before serving

: plate the rice on a serving platter

: top the rice with the chicken, garnish with the cucumber and red onions, lemon wedges (optional) and more chillies (optional)

: Faux Chicken Biryani

: Faux Chicken Biryani

: Faux Chicken Biryani

: Faux Chicken Biryani

: Faux Chicken Biryani

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Grilled Tuna Steak, Garlic Confit With Black Olives And Greens In Raspberry Vinaigrette

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Fresh grilled tuna steak might seem a tad old-fashioned these day’s, but when it is so yummy, who cares ? 🙂
This dish, and the memories it evoked, mentally transported me back to the shores of the Mediterranean, where this would be a traditional, light lunch – a few, simple but fresh and fragrantly seasoned ingredients, enjoyed with good company and a few glasses of wine, then, a short Siesta and on to a wild night about town 🙂
Well, in my case it was iced tea instead of wine, then a walk with Bella instead of a siesta and afterward a good movie instead of a wild night about town. 🙂
But, nevertheless, great food and a wonderfully relaxing evening.
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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Grilled Tuna Steak, Garlic Confit With Black Olives And Greens In Raspberry Vinaigrette

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Mediterranean Fish Seasoning:

3tablespoons dried rosemary
2tablespoons ground cumin
2tablespoons ground coriander
1tablespoon dried oregano
2teaspoons ground cinnamon
¹⁄₂teaspoon salt

Mix ingredients well. This mix seasons 4 to 6 steaks.
Brush tuna with olive oil, season liberally with the spice mix, grill until temperature reaches your preference.
Saute confit and black olives in EVO, add to steak.
Serve with a salad of your choice.
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Click here for Garlic Confit on ChefsOpinion
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