garlic

TODAY AT “CHEZ BELLA” – Sauteed Seabass & Potato Salat

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Ma´ Girl……….

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Today, I satisfied my craving for fresh fish by sharing 2 lbs of fillet with Bella.
Normally, this amount of fish fillet would easily serve four, but since we only had a small amount of potato salad with it, and we both only have one meal per day, the portion was not really that excessive…….. and of course, Bella agreed 🙂
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Why “Chez Bella”  ???  Because……….     click here.
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Remove skin and bones from 2,5 lbs sea bass.
That should leave you with 2 lbs of clean fillet, wich serves four generous portions.
Season the fillets with kosher salt, sriracha, lemon juice and garlic paste to taste.
Dredge in a a/p flour and bread crumb mixture of 50/50 %, shake off excess flour.
Saute in 2 tblsp olive oil until golden on both sides, discard oil, add 2 oz of butter, saute another minute.
To serve, plate the fish, sprinkle with chopped cilantro, drizzle with the hot butter.
Serve with potato salad or side dish of your choice.
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TODAY AT “CHEZ BELLA” – Breaded Chicken Breast Cutlet (Paniertes Hühner Schnitzel)

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Breaded Chicken Breast Cutlet (Paniertes Hühner Schnitzel)

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Any “Schnitzel”,  – Breaded Schnitzel, Paprika Schnitzel, Jäger Schnitzel, Rahm Schnitzel, Holsteiner Schnitzel, or which-ever Schnitzel comes to mind, served with Dumplings, Rustic Bread, Pasta, Potato Salad or Roast Potatoes, is pure comfort food for most Germans and Austrians. While it is super easy to prepare, it is also (like most simple food) super easy to screw-up.
But, with just a tiny amount of practice and a huge amount of love, this versatile dish is easy, quick and suitable for any time of day, for a late breakfast or late snack (breaded, served cold with a bit of lemon and mustard), or for lunch or dinner with any of the aforementioned sides. 🙂
As for me, being a  Swabian  AND an  German  (as well as  American ), 🙂 I can eat schnitzel as often and with as much gusto as any full blooded American can eat a burger with fries, which is basically once a day. 🙂
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Bon Appétit !   Life is Good !
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Why “Chez Bella”  ???  Because……….click here.
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PERFECT Cacio e Pepe

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PERFECT Cacio e Pepe

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“Cacio e Pepe” is undoubtedly the most minimalist among Roman pasta.
It´s secret lies in its wonderful creaminess, which is achieved by the perfect balance between its four main ingredients: pasta, water, Pecorino Romano and black pepper. (Because of the saltiness of the Pecorino, no additional salt is needed)
(A similarly simplistic, yet very different flavor and texture are present in “Spaghetti Aglio e Olio”, which, in its most basic form, contains only spaghetti, water, olive oil, garlic, and grated hard cheese. This is usually enriched with pepperoncini and/or arugula).
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When preparing Cacio e Peppe, there are a few RULES one MUST follow to achieve the creamy texture for which Cacio e Peppe is priced, otherwise there will be just “Pasta with Cheese and Pepper”, which is not too bad either, but comes in no way close to the magic of Cacio e Peppe.
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First, – grate the cheese as fine as possible.
Second, – take the pasta straight from the water to the pan with the cheese and pepper.
Third, – quickly and thoroughly lift the pasta with two forks or a tongue from the bottom of the plate to blend and achieve a creamy sauce when the moisture and starch of the pasta and the cheese combine to form a heavenly, creamy, delicious “sauce”.
Fourth, – use warm plates to mix and serve the pasta at once.
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And there you have it !   One of Rome’s and  Italy´s most iconic, simple, delicious and wonderful dishes ! 🙂
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PERFECT Cacio e Pepe

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PERFECT Cacio e Pepe

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PERFECT Cacio e Pepe

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PERFECT Cacio e Pepe

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PERFECT Cacio e Pepe

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PERFECT Cacio e Pepe

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Preparation: 
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Escargot Catalan

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While “Escargots à la Bourguignonne” (Snails in Garlic–Herb Butter) is my favorite snail-dish, “Escargot Catalan” is a close second. (As long as there is enough garlic, herbs and a proper red wine in the sauce).
This dish not only serves as a perfect appetizer or snack, but it can also stand on its own feet as a main course, accompanied by sauteed potatoes, rice, or hearty, crusty bread to mop up the wonderful sauce. 🙂
It also serves perfectly as a family/friends meal, in a large bowl in the center of the table, from where everybody can help themselves to seconds (or thirds), the wonderful meal enriched with good wine and lively conversation. 🙂
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Escargot Catalan

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Escargot Catalan

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Escargot Catalan

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Escargot Catalan

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Preparation :
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Easy Does it # 39 – “Tuna Salad”

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Pls don´t miss the link at the bottom of this page for a truly “different” cooking tutorial ……
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Easy Does it # 39 – “Tuna Salad”

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This salad is probably ? the first “Main Course Salad” that ever hit a restaurant table, way back then.
In the meantime, it has been re-invented/improved a million times, with the ingredients changing from year to year, season to season, cook to cook, household to household, country to country, and restaurant to restaurant.
Probably, the only constant were always salad greens, onions, and tuna, otherwise, the imagination for tuna salad knows no bounds 🙂 Other typical ingredients are (among a million others), anchovies, potatoes, eggs, artichokes, herbs, asparagus, etc, etc.
While I have to admit that my desire to create a “new” version of tuna salad has occasionally got the better of me, my favorite version is still this simple one featured here on this page. 🙂
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Easy Does it # 39 – “Tuna Salad”

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Easy Does it # 39 – “Tuna Salad”

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mix everything with 1/3 cup herb vinaigrette

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check/adjust seasoning

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Preparation :
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And now, one for the road, not to be missed :
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Paris Hilton cooks Lasagna at her own “Cooking Show”
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I am torn between being sad, amused, disgusted and/or outraged about the fact that some folks (many ? !!!) find this to be an actual tutorial to learn cooking.
It is without a doubt a tutorial for various bad traits – but cooking is definitely not one of them 🙂 😦
This episode is one of the worst examples of how bad “cooking shows” have actually become. Most are shameful, ridiculous, bad, stupid and, flat-out, pure garbage.
My only hope is that this particular one is supposed to be satire and not to be taken seriously, but, judging from the ladies behavior and the general state of mind of the kind of people who watch crap like this, chances are that it is meant to be taken seriously:-(
God help us all !
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Capon Tacos

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Capon Tacos

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I believe, nowadays most everybody is familiar with chicken tacos.
These here beauties are essentially the same, except that the chicken has been replaced with the much more succulent and tasty capon.
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What Is a Capon ?
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Excerpt of an article by Danilo Alfaro on “thespruceEats”
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“A capon is a special type of chicken created to make the meat more tender and less gamy. It is a rooster that has been castrated before reaching sexual maturity, which improves the quality of the meat; after that, it is fed a rich diet of milk or porridge. The lack of testosterone makes for a more tender, flavorful meat that is a delight compared to regular chicken. Unfortunately, in the United States today, it may be rare to see capon on a dinner menu or in the grocery store.

This poultry was once considered a luxury and during the early part of the twentieth century, the capon was the chosen bird for Christmas feasts, especially for the wealthy. Working-class families saw capon as a rare treat because it was quite expensive. Compared to rooster meat, which can be quite gamy, capon meat is tender and flavorful. It is also relatively fatty and has a high proportion of white meat. The absence of sex hormones causes the difference in taste and texture between capon meat and rooster meat. The lack of the hormone also allows more fat to form on the bird’s muscles making them tender and buttery. Due to the nature of sex hormones, the rooster must be castrated before it reaches the age of maturity, otherwise, the changes in muscle density will have already occurred.
Castration makes the male chickens less aggressive too, which means less fighting among the birds. While roosters typically need to be separated, capons can usually be penned together without fear of feathers flying. They are also less energetic than other poultry, which helps their meat stay tender. While the lack of testosterone does mean that capons are smaller than the average rooster, a capon is still larger than an average chicken.

You can prepare capon like any other poultry dish. Typically, capons are roasted and the procedure for doing so is similar to roasting a chicken; due to its larger size, however, the cooking time will be longer.
Traditionally, roosters are braised. For instance, the classic French dish coq au vin involves braising a rooster in red wine. That is because their meat is tougher than chicken meat and they are usually slaughtered at an older age, which toughens the meat as well. As such, braising is also a good cooking technique for preparing capon.
A capon is more flavorful than a chicken as well as a turkey, with tender and juicy meat that is is void of any gamey taste. It is full-breasted and has a high-fat content, keeping what could become dry white meat nice and moist as it cools.
If you do manage to find capon meat in your local grocery store, you can follow a braised chicken recipe to prepare it. A whole, cut-up capon combines with bacon, leeks, onion, garlic, rosemary, tomato paste, chicken stock, and white wine and cooks slowly until bubbling and cooked through.

A roasted capon is a perfect centerpiece for a dinner party or holiday table. Keep it somewhat simple or try something a little more exotic.
Depending on where you live and how specialized your local supermarket is, you may be able to find a capon in the poultry section. Since capon is not an item that is bought often and therefore restocked regularly, it is important to look at the “sell-by” date, as well as the quality of the meat and make sure it’s fresh.
If you don’t see a capon in the poultry case, it is worth asking the butcher if he can get one for you. Otherwise, specialty groceries and online meat purveyors are your best bet.
If you don’t plan to cook the capon immediately, you can store it in the refrigerator for two to three days. To be sure that no liquids escape into your fridge, place the packaged capon in a plastic bag first. For longer storage, you can freeze the capon for three to four months, although it will begin to lose its flavor after two months. If the capon came with giblets, remove them before freezing and store separately.
In a 4-ounce serving of roasted capon (including the skin), there are 259 calories and 13.2 grams of fat, as well as 97 milligrams of cholesterol (which is 32 percent of the daily recommended value). Capon also has 32.7 grams of protein, making it a good source of this nutrient.”
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End of excerpt
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Read here all about   Capon
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Capon Tacos

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Capon Tacos

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Capon Tacos

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Capon Tacos

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Capon Tacos

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

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

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

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

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

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

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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 :
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“The Ultimate Mushroom Sandwich” – Sauteed Rock Oyster Mushrooms With Grape-Tomatoes & Peppers, Goat Cheese Spread With Sun-Dried Tomatoes, And Fried Onions, Tsatsiki, Cilantro, And Arugula On Greek Bread

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“The Ultimate Mushroom Sandwich” – Sauteed Rock Oyster Mushrooms With Grape-Tomatoes & Peppers, Goat Cheese Spread With Sun-Dried Tomatoes, And Fried Onions, Tzatziki, Cilantro, And Lettuce On Greek Bread

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Since I have moved from the US back to Germany a few months ago, I have re-discovered many food-items from my youth in Germany, which I had not seen for many decades. One of them is this Greek bread (Prosimi), which, way back then, our neighbor in Gechingen offered to us kids often. My Dad preferred “Black Forest Black Bread” (Which therefore automatically made that the bread of choice for the whole family), but we kids loved the white, mild and fluffy Greek bread, which was much more suited to a child´s palette. 🙂
Now, there is this great Greek vendor with a food truck outside my favorite supermarket, so whenever I go shopping there, I make sure I get a bunch of Goodies from his supplies. Besides the bread, he as a huge selection of cheese spreads and pickled veggies, which I also adore. Unfortunately, most of his offerings are the traditional Greek meze, namely feta cheese and various types of olives, both of which cause me to experience culinary horror 🙂 (I can´t stand neither, never have, never will) 😦
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“The Ultimate Mushroom Sandwich” – Sauteed Rock Oyster Mushrooms With Grape-Tomatoes & Peppers, Goat Cheese Spread With Sun-Dried Tomatoes, And Fried Onions, Tzatziki, Cilantro, And Lettuce On Greek Bread

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“The Ultimate Mushroom Sandwich” – Sauteed Rock Oyster Mushrooms With Grape-Tomatoes & Peppers, Goat Cheese Spread With Sun-Dried Tomatoes, And Fried Onions, Tzatziki, Cilantro, And Lettuce On Greek Bread

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“The Ultimate Mushroom Sandwich” – Sauteed Rock Oyster Mushrooms With Grape-Tomatoes & Peppers, Goat Cheese Spread With Sun-Dried Tomatoes, And Fried Onions, Tsatsiki, Cilantro, And Lettuce On Greek Bread

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“The Ultimate Mushroom Sandwich” – Sauteed Rock Oyster Mushrooms With Grape-Tomatoes & Peppers, Goat Cheese Spread With Sun-Dried Tomatoes, And Fried Onions, Tsatsiki, Cilantro, And Lettuce On Greek Bread

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Preparation :
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Salmon Fried Rice – 鮭チャーハン

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stylish………. 🙂

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If you ever had a Japanese breakfast, you probably have enjoyed a slice of salted salmon.
With it´s great texture and wonderful, mild flavor, it provides the perfect protein for a healthy breakfast. And, as you can see from the pictures on this page, it is the perfect protein for a light, tasty and healthy Japanese fried rice.
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P.S.
Lately, I have fallen in love with all kinds of different Asian bowls for rice, soup and noodles. But, at 40.00 to 100.00 bucks a pop, I have to slow down a bit with my Amazon late-night ordering.  🙂  Nevertheless, the collection keeps growing……… 🙂
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Salmon Fried Rice – 鮭チャーハン

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Salmon Fried Rice – 鮭チャーハン

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Salmon Fried Rice – 鮭チャーハン

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Preparation :
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A Rare Occasion – “Entrecôte Saignant, Avec Salade Verte À La Française” (Rare Strip Steak With French Style Green Salad)

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A Rare Occasion – “Entrecôte Saignant, Avec Salade Verte À La Française” (Rare Strip Steak With French Style Green Salad)

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Usually, I don´t fancy my red meat cooked rare. Medium rare is more to my liking.
However, today I woke up with a craving for a rare steak. This craving stayed with me until noon, and when it was time to prepare lunch, I decided to give-in and have a rare steak. To my dismay, there was no steak in the fridge, so I had to walk to my neighborhood butcher to get the fine steak pictured here. Its only a 10 minute walk each way, so normally that´s not a problem, but the longer I had to wait to dig in, the bigger the craving grew 🙂
Since the steak was big enough, I thought the only side I needed was a green salad, so that was it. A few slices of bread below the steak to soak up the juices and there it was – the perfect solution to satisfy my hours-long craving 🙂
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As for the salad – “Salade Verte À La Française” sounds rather fancy, but it is really just a green salad with a dijon/garlic dressing. This is the classic French salad, the one that invariably appeared whenever you wandered into a bistro and ordered une salade. It consists simply of lettuce and dressing – no cucumbers, tomatoes, radishes or other embellishments. It doesn’t need them. For it is perfection in its simplicity – light and packed with flavor. The lettuce most often used in France is what Americans call Boston lettuce, and what the French call simply salade . Another favorite is escarole (Scarole in French). Rarely were other types of lettuce used in the old days, but now one may encounter innovations like feuille de chêne, literally oak-leaf, a variety of lettuce with scalloped leaves. As for the dressing, in previous times salade verte was almost always served with vinaigrette à la moutarde – a vinaigrette of Dijon mustard, red wine vinegar, sunflower or peanut oil, salt, pepper and shallot or garlic. In Paris, at least. In southern France, olive oil was used, sometimes with lemon instead of vinegar. Now there are variations throughout the country, with balsamic vinegar and other upstarts making an occasional appearance.
The tragedy today is that it’s next to impossible to find a classic salade verte in a French bistro, much less anywhere else in the restaurant World. The lettuce may be the same, but bottled dressings have largely replaced the homemade vinaigrettes that gave this salad such distinction. The newfangled sauce is runny, white and – perish the thought – can be sweet.
(Part of this description of french salad is an excerpt from “The Everyday French Chef”)
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A Rare Occasion – “Entrecôte Saignant, Avec Salade Verte À La Française” (Rare Strip Steak With French Style Green Salad)

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A Rare Occasion – “Entrecôte Saignant, Avec Salade Verte À La Française” (Rare Strip Steak With French Style Green Salad)

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A Rare Occasion – “Entrecôte Saignant, Avec Salade Verte À La Française” (Rare Strip Steak With French Style Green Salad)

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Salade verte à la française

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grilled sour dough bread

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Preparation :
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