Grab Bag

” 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 !

” Late Night Snack – Rotellini With Mushrooms & Creamy Tomato Sauce “

Got hungry at midnight last night.

Here is a simple, quick, delicious meal that takes only a few minutes to cook 🙂

Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !

” Currywurst “

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Here is my reply to a fellow chef who asked ( jokingly, I assume ) for a ” secret ” sausage recipe :

Only if you don’t laugh at this Jeff. 🙂
I will not give you a recipe for any sausage because i have never made one following a recipe. You give me the meat, I get the seasoning and method,and off we go. Sausage making is, as i am sure you know, not about recipes, but about understanding the chemical reactions of the ingredients, temperature and time and the result you want to achieve.
However, I am sure you have heard of the German “Curry Wurst”. There are many variations, but the main ” secret ” is the “Curry Sauce”. I have surprised many a fellow chef who was not familiar with curry wurst ( mainly americans , since curry wurst is not usually served in this country ), by serving them a variety of different sausages as curry wurst, The sausages were usually pretty good, so nothing earth shaking here. However, the reaction to my ” Curry Sauce ” was usually and, surprisingly to me, very positive.
I alway’s give up my recipes if somebody is mercyfully interested in them, but this one is so tremendously simple I don’t even consider it to be a recipe :
Simmer a bit of water, add curry powder, a bit of worcester sauce and ketchup. Simmer for a few minutes, cool down. Done.
Anything off the grill or pan or fryer you dip into this sauce – excellent !
As I said, don’t laugh – as with all food, sometimes the simple stuff gives the most satisfaction.