Hans Susser

It is Time to Change “ChefsOpinion”……………..

Dear Friends,
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The time has finally come to change the format/content of ChefsOpinion.
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For many years, Chefsopinion was a reflection of my priorities in life (outside of family and friends, of course)
It reflected the love of my profession as a cook, and the lifestyle which resulted from the career I was lucky to have, which provided me with a tremendous amount of experience in cooking, teaching, mentoring, and life in general.
After starting out as an apprentice and a few short years as cook at the bottom of the food chain (pun intended), there was worldwide travel, living and working in the most beautiful spots on Earth, great financial rewards, incredible hands-on education in all aspects of life, languages, meeting wonderful people and peers, and, rather early in my life, slowly but surely moving up in the worldwide hospitality industry.
Among other venues, I was involved in :
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Cruise Lines (Worldwide), -executive chef, senior executive chef, food & beverage manager,
Higher Education (US College) – manager and instructor,
Hotels and Restaurants (Worldwide) ALL brigade positions, including executive chef, as well as area-executive chef, food & beverage manager, owner.
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It was during my time as chef instructor and program chair at Le Cordon Bleu that, together with my beloved wife Maria, we decided to start a food-related web site (www.chefcook.us), which, after the passing of Maria in May of 2013, I simplified into this blog in its present format/content.
Throughout the years, I tremendously enjoyed publishing Chefsopinion, even when taking into account all the work, time and money I invested. In contrast to our previous commercial website, this blog was never intended to generate income. Therefore, I was happy that the cost of running it was covered by the (single) advertising and a few donations.
During the first few years, there were not as many food blogs out there, and during the first four years, there were about 100.000 clicks a year just from the subscribers to the blog alone, without any outside links. This showed me how much people enjoyed my photography, stories and recipes.
Then, I started to post links to LinkedIn, Instagram, Pinterest, FB, and a few more of these types of sites. At present, the vast majority of clicks come from links to LinkedIn (up to sometimes nearly 1000 clicks a day for an interesting dish), while clicks from direct-subscribers have dwindled to about 3.000 to 6.000 a month.
Unfortunately, the changing culture of the web has lead us to the point where most people do not give a rat´s ass about the folks who´s labor they enjoy on an almost daily basis.
Case in point:
Nowadays, I get an average of 200 to 300 clicks from direct-subscribers to the blog a day, mostly from the same folks who have subscribed for years. Yet, sadly, nearly all of these fine people can not even bother to click on the ads (EVERYBODY knows that this gives the only revenue to my blog, just about enough to cover the cost), or, same easy task, click on the “like” button to give a little thanks. Yet, hundreds of folks re-visit every single day, for years, – but a tiny sign of appreciation is too much to ask? 😦
I have never been angry or bitter about this lack of support by subscribers who have taken pleasure in visiting ChefsOpinion over and over again over the years, and it still makes me happy to think that my cooking is able to bring a smile to the majority of people who subscribed. 🙂
However, lately, my health and energy is not what it once was, I have to prioritize my time, effort and financial outlays, and I have to adjust my food and ChefsOpinion accordingly.
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The Bad News : I have decided that, just for the sake of ChefsOpinion alone, I will not prepare elaborate food for Bella and myself at home anymore.
The Good News : I still have hundreds of unpublished dishes with their recipes and photos in my files, which I will continue to publish on ChefsOpinion in the usual, original format.
More Good News : Of course, Bella and I will still eat great food every day (God willing). Up until now, I posted these simple and less decorated, but nevertheless yummy dishes on FB, where folks seem to be a lot more generous with their appreciation. The big difference between my posts on FB and on ChefsOpinion is that there are fewer pictures and no recipes, but of course, as always, I will provide the recipes if requested.
On FB, I post these dishes under the heading “Chez Bella” , and in the future, I will use the same sub-header on ChefsOpinion.
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So, to clarify (I hope) 🙂 :
In the future, food posts will alternate under the sub-header “From Chez Bella”, with the sub-header ” From my Archives”, which are the dishes I previously prepared and which are in my archives, about 450 of them, enough material to last for years to come.
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Basically, the changes you can expect (assuming you have continued interest in ChefsOpinion) is a more personalized blog that reflects more personal aspects of my life with Bella, not only the food we eat but also (occasionally), other, non-food related stuff we´d like to share with our friends. 🙂
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Dear Friends,
please let me give a heartfelt thank you to all the subscribers who supported ChefsOpinion, Bella and myself throughout the years. You know who you are, and I know who you are. 🙂
To all the newbies here, (there are actually quite a few who signed up during the past few months), welcome to this special blog, where food is the star of the show, and the show must go on……………
I hope that we can continue together for many years to come on this wonderful path of good food and good vibes.
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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Below are but a few pictures of the 1500+ recipes/dishes you can find on Chefsopinion. Enjoy !
(To find the recipe and all pictures of a particular dish, go to ARCHIVE on the top of this page and select by name or picture. If you select by picture, copy the name of the dish, paste into the search box on the top-right, go ahead and click and have fun. If you select by name, clicking on it will take you straight to the page of the dish.) 🙂
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P.S.
Sometimes ! there are traces of ChefCook.US to be found at the Web Archive (Timemachine)
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Happy Holidays To All Friends Of ChefsOpinion, Bella And Hans

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Dear Friends,

As 2017 draws to a close I would like to thank you all for the
time you have spent with me on ChefsOpinion during this eventful 2017.
I wish everyone the most Happy Holidays,
and a healthy, wonderful and prosperous 2018,
filled with love and blessings.
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The best wishes from Bella and me to all of you,

Hans Susser
(Soupi)
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God Bless
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BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS # 60 – “Fruit, Milk And Some Interesting Reading”

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Dear Friends,
while today’s featured breakfast might not warrant a post of its own, I think the accompanying article by Jeremy Taylor, which appeared in THEFW, will make some interesting reading for my non-professional readers, as well as for my many young cooks and chef- colleagues, who are lucky enough to have entered our beloved profession decades after most of the practices described in this article have been abandoned (at least some of them, in some places).
I don’t want to go into the details and the opinion I nurture about these practices, but those who know me will understand that I believe in most of them to this day 🙂 😦
As for the breakfast on this page, it might not be an example of culinary craft and/or art, but it certainly is an example of the beauty of some of the culinary bounty that is easily available to most of us in its original, God-given state, it’s richness, beauty, and simple awesomeness 🙂
(I know, that was a bit of an awkward sentence, but it just felt good to express the joy that comes to my mind when looking at these pics).
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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Click here for more Breakfast Of Champions on ChefsOpinion
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“Ridiculously Demanding Craigslist Ad For Line Cook Goes Viral

Thanks to Bloomington, Indiana and America’s desire to stuff their faces like these are the last days of the Roman Empire the job title of chef has grown in stature and prestige.

But before you become a chef, you have to work your way through the kitchen. Farm Bloomington, a restaurant in Bloomington, Indiana, figured there would be so many applicants with culinary stars in their eyes for their line cook position that they posted a Craigslist ad with 44 intricately detailed job requirements.

They include “Only answer ‘yes, chef’ or ‘oui, chef’ and “Always show up to work, even if you are sick as a dog. Let the chef see that you’re really sick and send you home.”

If taken separately, the requirements are overbearing but not necessarily unreasonable. But when you read them all together it offers a horrifying peak inside the id of the restaurant industry.

Harry Shaffer, the general manager of Farm Bloomington, has admitted the ad was posted in haste by a sous chef and the restaurant quickly took it down.

However you can’t really ever erase something from the internet. You can see the entire list that should make any wannabe Food Network star reconsider their path below.

COMMENTS:
Ridiculously Demanding Craigslist Ad For Line Cook Goes Viral | http://thefw.com/ridiculously-demanding-craigslist-ad-for-line-cook-goes-viral/?trackback=tsmclip
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To enjoy the full impact of this article, click on the link to the original post just above this line and scroll to the bottom of the article to read 120 comments, of which the majority is quite entertaining and not a few are very funny 🙂
Cheers !
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And The Oscar Goes To …………This Salad

Salade Oscar

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No – I did not watch the Oscars tonight.
In fact, although I am a huge movie fan who watches at least one movie per day, often two and sometimes three, I stopped watching the once glamorous and exciting Oscars years ago, when it had become a boring, extremely drawn-out and pointless parody of its former glory.
So, in order to have my own little oscar celebration, I created my personal version in form of a great dinner, replacing the little statue with the best dish of the night.
While avocados, nectarines, red onions and pears in a dressing of lemon juice and sweet Thai chili sauce might not seem to be nominees that fit into the same (salad) category, here they share the top honors for my new favorite salad 🙂
For obvious reasons, I’ll call this salad “Salade Oscar”
Best supporting actor – bone-in rib eye steak 🙂
In the end, a great (show) dinner, lots of applause (Bella, for the steak) and I walking away with yet another trophy (salad) 🙂
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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Click here for last years “Oscar” on ChefsOpinion
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Salade Oscar . Bone-In Rib Eye Steak

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures
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: season bone-in rib eye with kosher salt and cayenne pepper, grill to your preferred internal temperature

: 1 ea Florida avocado, 2 ea bosc pears, 1 ea nectarine, 1/2 ea red onion

: cut fruit and onion, dress with 3 tblsp fresh-squeezed lemon juice, a pinch of kosher salt, 4 tblsp extra virgin olive oil and 4 tblsp Thai sweet chili sauce; serves 4

: Salade Oscar

: Salade Oscar . Bone-In Rib Eye Steak

: Salade Oscar . Bone-In Rib Eye Steak

: Salade Oscar . Bone-In Rib Eye Steak

: Salade Oscar . Bone-In Rib Eye Steak

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MERRY CHRISTMAS, HAPPY HOLIDAYS AND A WONDERFUL NEW YEAR

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Dear Friends,

As 2016 draws to a close I would like to thank you all to have spend
time with me on ChefsOpinion during this eventful 2016.
I wish you all the most happy holidays and a healthy, wonderful and prosperous 2017,
filled with love and blessings.
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The best from me to all of you,

Hans Susser
(Soupi)
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God Bless
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PORK AND NOODLES IN TWO PARTS – “PART TWO”

: Crisp Yi Mein Noodle Pillow With Fiery Chile Pork

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Click here for “Pork And Noodles In Two Parts – Part One” on ChefsOpinion
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Well dear friends, here now is part two of “Pork And Noodles In Two Parts”.
As I’ve explained in part one, “Crisp Yi Mein Noodle Pillow With Fiery Chile Pork” was not planned to exist in its final form, but I was glad it came about, because it was truly a beautiful, delicious dish I would not want to have missed.
It just goes to show that great food can be had by using simple leftovers, as long as one adds a bit of creativity and lot’s of love 🙂
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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P.S.
I like some of my chili dishes’ heat level to the point when the first few bites actually almost hurt, only to then morph into bliss full near-numbness and delightful tingling of the taste bud’s.
If you are less hard-core in the spice-department, adjust the heat level of this dish (or any other) by adding less chili paste.
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Crisp Chinese Noodle Pillow With Chile Pork

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
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: VERY slowly saute 0.5 lb yi mein noodles in 2 tblsp peanut oil without stirring until bottom is golden and crisp, turn, saute the other side until golden and crisp

: meanwhile, saute 1 lb of chopped pork leftovers with one large, diced onion in 1 tblsp peanut oil until onion and pork start to caramelize

: add 1/2 cut pok stock, chicken stock or water, 2 tblsp hoisin sauce, 2 tblsp soy sauce, 1 tblsp garlic paste, 1 tblsp grated ginger, 2 tblsp chopped cilantro, 4 tblsp ( !!! or to taste !!! ) chili paste, kosher salt to taste, 1 tsp sugar

: simmer for 2 minutes, check/adjust seasoning

: place the noodle pillow on a serving platter, top with the pork, sprinkle with more chopped cilantro

: Crisp Chinese Noodle Pillow With Chile Pork

: Crisp Chinese Noodle Pillow With Chile Pork

: Crisp Chinese Noodle Pillow With Chile Pork

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Beef Paillard And Chili Cheese Fries (Boss Level)

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Beef Paillard – when was the last time (if ever) you have seen that on a restaurant menu? (Or chicken paillard or veal paillard ???)
Chili cheese fries, on the other hand, can be found everywhere, at least here in America, although mostly and sadly in less than stellar variations of that beloved junk-food. Starting out with crappy fries, covered with an even crappier mountain of questionable “cheese” just does not do it for me.
On the other hand, if you follow this recipe, you will be spoiled forever and any less marvelous version of chili cheese fries will fail to accomplish the nearly impossible task to measure-up to these delicious beauties.
Here now a dish which combines both a great beef paillard and the best chili cheese fries ever 🙂
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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Click here for more Paillard on ChefsOpinionon
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Click here for more Tonkatsu and Donkatsu on ChefsOpinion
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Hans’Special Fries Recipe :
What makes these fries “special” is the fact that I fry them only once instead of the usual required two times. I start them in cold duck fat or goose fat (if you must, substitute with peanut oil) and let the temperature slowly rise to 385 F. By the time the oil is hot and the fries are golden brown, they will be creamy on the inside and very crisp on the outside. Season them with both fine salt and sea salt. The fine salt adheres better to the fries while the sea salt add’s the superb taste and crunchiness associated with sea salt.
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P.S.
Please make the effort to serve this dish with tonkatsu sauce instead of ketchup – I promise the effort will be worth the extra few minutes prep-time 🙂
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Tonkatsu sauce (my way) :
Mix 1/2 cup ketchup, 2 tblsp soy sauce, 1 tsp garlic paste, 1 tsp mustard, 1 tblsp white wine (or sherry), 1 tsp sriracha and a few drops of maggi seasoning.
Note: I love this dipping sauce and use it for lot’s of other fried, grilled and sautéed dishes.
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Beef Paillard And Chili-Cheese Fries (Boss Level)

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Beef Paillard And Chili-Cheese Fries (Boss Level)

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
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: mix 1/3 cup grated parmesan, 1/3 cup grated cheddar, 1/3 cup grated mozzarella with 2 stalk finely sliced scallions and 1 tsp chili flakes

: chili/cheese mixture

: 3 large baking potatoes

: peel potatoes

: cut potatoes into lardons, pat dry

: fry potatoes in fat of your choice

: meanwhile, trim a 10 oz tenderloin of all silver-skin

: place fillet between twoo sheets of plastic, pound to a thin scallop

: season beef scallop with kosher salt and cayenne pepper, dredge in corn starch and saute in garlic oil to desired doneness

: cut paillard in half, place on serving dish

: remove crisp-fried potatoes to absorbent paper

: season with salt of your choice (see recipe)

: add 1/2 of cheese mixture, mix well

: top paillard with the fries

: sprinkle second-half of cheese-mixture and 1 tblsp of sliced scallions on top, put under broiler until cheese has melted, about 2 minutes, serve with lime and tonkatsu sauce

: Beef Paillard And Chili-Cheese Fries (Boss Level)

: Beef Paillard And Chili-Cheese Fries (Boss Level)

: Beef Paillard And Chili-Cheese Fries (Boss Level)

: Beef Paillard And Chili-Cheese Fries (Boss Level)

: Beef Paillard And Chili-Cheese Fries (Boss Level)

: Beef Paillard And Chili-Cheese Fries (Boss Level)

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Pork, Cabbage & Chili Noodles

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Ahhh, the refreshing, liberating, exciting, sinus-clearing effect of eating a dish as spicy as one can handle.
The key here is –
“as spicy as one can handle” ! (Hot as hell in my case)
To season something beyond a level of spiciness which is comfortable and enjoyable would not make sense – but to stay just below, on a level that hurts but feels good at the same time can be very addictive. While not all the food I eat at home is spicy, once in a while I need the rush which comes from a healthy dose of chili.
If you plan to re-create this dish, simply and sensibly adjust the amount of chili you use to your personal preference.
Like I said on other occasions concerning spicy food –
“It should kick like a lady, not like a mule” 🙂
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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Click here for more Spicy Food on ChefsOpinion
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Click here for more Noodles on ChefsOpinion
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Pork, Cabbage & Chili Noodles

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures
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: prepare a sauce of 1/2 cup soy sauce, 1/4 cup bean sauce, 1/4 cup hoi sin sauce and 1 tblsp sesame oil

: season 1 lb ground pork with chili paste, kosher salt and granulated garlic to taste, add 2 tblsp peanut oil

: mix well

: stir fry in 2 tblsp peanut oil until pork starts to brown, add 1 medium sliced red onion

: stir fry until onion is translucent

: add 1 lb diced white cabbage

: add the sauce and 1 cup water

: simmer until cabbage starts to wilt, check/adjust seasoning

: meanwhile, cook and drain 1 lb Chinese egg noodles, add 2 tblsp sesame oil and 3 tblsp peanut oil, mix

: plate noodles on serving dish

: top with the pork / cabbage stew, sprinkle with scallions and pickled chilies

: Pork, Cabbage & Chili Noodles

: Pork, Cabbage & Chili Noodles

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Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays And A Wonderful New Year

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Dear Friends,

As 2015 draws to a close I would like to thank you all to have spend
time with me on ChefsOpinion during this eventful 2015.
I wish you all the most happy holidays and a healthy, happy and prosperous 2016,
filled with love and goodness.
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The Best from me to all of you,
Hans Susser
(Soupi)
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HOSPITALITY21’S TOP 10 CHEF BLOGS

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Dear Friends,
It is with pride and happiness that I can announce another inclusion of “ChefsOpinion” into a ” Best Of ” list by a prestigious hospitality publication, “Hospitality 21”
To read the article and to find out more about the other inductees, click the link below:
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HOSPITALITY21’S TOP 10 CHEF BLOGS
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Thank you Hospitality 21 and all friends, readers and subscribers of ChefsOpinion .
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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