hans sussers comments

Eat Well On $ 4.00 A Day

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I am  not in the business of promoting cookbooks, but when I saw this today I thought sharing it would make a few folks happy, either by using some of the recipe’s themself or by re-sharing the book with other, less fortunate people 🙂
When I saw the first promo for this book I expected a crappy, “green”, self-help booklet of the forgettable type. Boy was I wrong !  The recipes, pictures and comments in this book are all first class. My chef’s hat off to  Leanne Brown  , for creating this jewel of a cook book with great, economically priced, attractive and yummy  food. It is a tour de force of a smart and loving approach to unpretentious good food, which shows nothing but passion and great professionalism of the author. Needless to say, the recipes are all yummy enough even if you are not on a budget 🙂

For a FREE PDF download click here

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good-and-cheap
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Have a happy weekend y’all :-)

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I thought this to be funny enough to share with you all 🙂
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Cheers !   Life is Good !
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Cheers Frau Merkel :-)

Prost !


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Eat or be eaten……..

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Watch Mike Monahan explore the belly of a bluefish

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FishBigMouthTeeth

Picture by Dean Robert Blog

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Watch Barbara Lynch & Other Female Industry Leaders Talk About Women in the Food World

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Image Source: Boston Globe Sunday Magazine

Image Source: Boston Globe Sunday Magazine

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Click here to watch interview

 

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ChefsOpinion :

Has there been any point made during this “discussion” ? 
I love a good chef / cook in the kitchen and respect any gender if you are good at what you are doing. Our industry is not “male dominated” besides the fact that the majority of cooks and chefs ARE male. The vast majority of cooks / chefs are male because until fairly recently, our job required 14/16 hour workdays, 6 or seven days a week, you sweat like an animal, no time to eat, the pay sucked, after work you stink like a pig because of all the sweat, smoke, steam and stuff splattered  all over you. Those are just a few of the negatives we had to deal with on a daily basis. Being a chef was never a dream profession, almost everybody became a cook apprentice because of practical reasons (maybe the family owned a restaurant, maybe there was nothing else in the region so the kid had to go somewhere with room and board provided, etc. Most woman were lucky enough to be able to avoid these circumstances. It seems everybody has forgotten the “good old times. These day’s, all workers, male or female, are protected by labor laws and (most of the time) by the good manners of their male colleagues. Don’t forget, MOST young cooks gave up their profession at an early stage back in the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s because they could not handle it for a life time. It’s all in the numbers ladies and gentlemen – have the majority of professional chefs and cooks be female and THEY will dominate the business 🙂 Some of the greatest chefs were and are women but there are just not enough numbers ( yet? ) for you all to project anything else but a minority status, YOU need to change that !
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Life is Good !   Don’t waste it with crap !
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The Well Travelled Hot Dog

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Tonight’s  hot dog took a long, imaginary jouney from being a simple German veal bratwurst (kalbsbratwurst)  to “The Well Travelled Hot Dog”.
Born in Germany, it went to  France where it was joined by garlic aioli. On to Mexico for some ensalada de repollo con chipotle and from there to India to pick up freshly baked naan. From there to it’s final stop in the USA, where it became “The Well Travelled Hot Dog” 🙂

Bon Appetit !   Life is Good !
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For  Garlic Aioli  recipe click here
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For  Chipotle Coleslaw recipe click here
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For  Naan  recipe click here
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For more about  German Bratwurst  click here
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The Well Travelled Hot Dog & Chipotle Cole Slaw

The Well Travelled Hot Dog & Chipotle Cole Slaw

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The Well Travelled Hot Dog

The Well Travelled Hot Dog

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PREPARATION :
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saute bratwurst

saute bratwurst

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prepare chipotle cole slaw

prepare chipotle cole slaw

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chipotle cole slaw

chipotle cole slaw

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top naan with bratwurst

top naan with bratwurst

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add cole slaw, sprinkle with pickled jalapenos, drizzle with garlic aioli

add cole slaw, drizzle with garlic aioli, sprinkle with pickled jalapenos

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The Well Travelled Hot Dog & Chipotle Cole Slaw

The Well Travelled Hot Dog & Chipotle Cole Slaw

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The Well Travelled Hot Dog

The Well Travelled Hot Dog

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The Well Travelled Hot Dog

The Well Travelled Hot Dog

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The Well Travelled Hot Dog

The Well Travelled Hot Dog

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Dear Friend’s, to help support this blog,
please be so kind and click on the video on the bottom of this page.  Thank you 🙂
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Kaninchenbraten Mit Hausgemachten Spätzle (Rabbit With Pasta)

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Last  week I bought myself a rabbit at my neighborhood supermarket. As I was about to prepare it, I started to think about the animal in my hand’s and about how we humans love and respect some animals, while we disregard the majority of most species as soulless, feelingless Beings, which have no other purpose in life as to serve us in any which way we want.
We humans like to think of ourself as getting tougher as we get older. For the first 50 years of my life this was mostly true for me. However, for the past few year’s I have realized that the process has started to reverse itself, at least when it comes to being tough to other beings. Truth is, I have gotten very tough to myself as life and circumstances have hardened me over the years, but when it comes to the way I treat and feel towards others, I’ve become a soft pussycat. To illustrate my point, here is a little story from my past, triggered by this little rabbit:

When I was about nine years old, I begged my dad to allow me to breed rabbit’s in our back yard, so I could sell them to our neighbors as sunday roast for 10 german marks a pop. My dad gave me permission under the condition that once he build the cages for me, the rest of the operation was to be my complete responsibility. This meant purchasing the first pair, gathering the food (cutting clover from behind our house) and feeding them, keeping the cages clean and –  butchering the animals. In these day’s, the way to do this was to hold the animal by it’s ear’s and whacking them in the neck with a honing steel to break the neck. Growing up in the country side, we kid’s saw animals being butchered up close all the time, so there was nothing unusual about it, no second thought’s. So I had this little business going for about a year, after which I became interested in other stuff and had no more time for my rabbit’s, which by that time had grown to a population of about 40, as they multiplied faster than I could sell them :-).
Later in life as a professional cook, butchering animals was a common task while I was younger, so again, not many second thought’s about it. However, during the past few year’s I have become a different person, with different feelings and opinions. Although I am still an advocate of the practice of eating meat and seafood, I am horrified of the way the livestock industry has developed. The way animals are raised, kept and butchered is for the most part a shameful, horrifying, mind boggling heartless, soul-less affair, for which everybody involved should be deeply ashamed.
So here is my point: While I had no problem as a kid to slaughter an animal with my bare hand’s, this would be completely out of the question now. I would sooner cry my eyes out before I could harm a helpless animal for my own gain. I have no illusions that I will give up meat and seafood consumption at this time in my life, but I pray everyday that the circumstances of breeding and butchering animals will improve to a level where we as humans don’t have to be ashamed anymore of the way we treat livestock, from it’s birth and trough it’s life until it’s (hopefully) merciful death.
I would appreciate some of your comments and opinions about this. If you do comment, please do so directly on the comment part of my blog, not trough Linkedin, FB or other links, so we can all share our thought’s in this important matter.
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Click here for “Hausgemachte Spätzle” recipe
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Braised Rabbit In Merlot/Sour Cream Sauce With Homemade Schwäbische Spätzle

Braised Rabbit In Merlot/Sour Cream Sauce With Homemade Schwäbische Spätzle

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Dear Friend’s, to help support this blog, please be so kind and click on the video below.  ( You don’t have to watch it, just click once )   Thank you 🙂
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Panko Breaded Skirt Steak & Tonkatsu Sauce ( Gyū katsu (牛カツ

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Last  night I went to sleep at 4.30 am, knowing I can sleep-in this morning for as long as I want. At 6.00am sharp the door bell rang, Bella went berserk and I run downstairs to open the front door, expecting the worst of emergencies. An elderly lady stood there with the sweetest of smiles, asking if we need a nurse in this house. I mustered all my manners to tell her in the friendliest way that no, not at this time, thank you. After that, I debated with myself if I should go back to bed or just get on with the day. In order to stay up, I had to get a decent breakfast and this is what I came up with :

“Panko Breaded Skirt Steak & Tonkatsu Sauce with romaine and tomato salad in strawberry vinegar vinaigrette”
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Link To Tonkatsu Sauce Recipe Here
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Bon Appetit !   Life is Good !
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Panko Breaded Skirt Steak & Tonkatsu Sauce

Panko Breaded Skirt Steak & Tonkatsu Sauce

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Dear Friend’s, to help support this blog, please be so kind and click on the video on the bottom of this page. (You don’t have to watch it, just click once)   Thank you 🙂
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Lunch At The China Pavillion

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One  should think that living in a city like Miami will offer the opportunity for endless good food. Unfortunately, this is far from the truth. Good restaurants are hard to come by around here, especially on a down to earth budget. ( Say $50 Per person for lunch, food only). While some  (few) great restaurants and a bunch of acceptable joints do exist, sadly, most folks around here still think seared mahi mahi with mango salsa or a breaded fish sandwich with coleslaw and fries is on the forefront of culinary innovation. Therefore, I usually stick to the handful of great ethnic restaurants I have grown to love and enjoy over the years. I know where to find great portuguese, italian, korean, vietnamese, russian and chinese food.
Last sunday I went to my favorite dim sum place, “China Pavillion ” in Pembroke Pines.
On weekends during lunch time the place is frequented by mostly chinese customers, which is usually an indicator of authentic food. Maria and I have been going there for many years, sometimes three times a week. The decor is your standard crappy shabbiness and most of the waitresses would not win awards for friendliness. But here is where “the bad” ends.
The food is extremely reasonable and very good, the service usually is fast and efficient. All in all a great lunch experience when the craving for authentic dim sum at a reasonable price level wins out on your lunch choice. I usually order ten to twelve portions for me, but that will then be my only meal for the day.
Great place to meat with friends and share the menu up and down again until somebody finally moans “enough” 🙂

Bon Appetit !   Life is Good !
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Steamed Honey Comb Tripe , Ginger, Scallions

Steamed Honey Comb Tripe , Ginger, Scallions

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Braised Veal Ribs, Fermented Black Beans

Braised Veal Ribs, Fermented Black Beans

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Fried Crab Balls

Fried Crab Balls

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Steamed Crab Dumplings

Steamed Crab Dumplings

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Roast Pork "Paste"

Roast Pork “Paste”

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Steamed Buns With BBQ'd Pork

Steamed Buns With BBQ’d Pork

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Steamed Buns With BBQ’d Pork

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So I Threw A Coconut In He’s Face…….

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My  drinking buddy is always right.
He said onion is the only food that makes you cry.
So I threw a coconut in he’s face.

coconut

Question:

Do cannibals get hungry one hour after eating a china man?
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Three cooks, one from Kentucky, one from California and one from Oregon, were sitting on a park bench passing the time. Suddenly, the cook from Kentucky reaches under the bench and drags out a new bottle of bourbon, takes a big swig, tosses the bottle into the air and shoots it with a pistol.
“Why the heck did you do that ?” asked the cook from California.
“We got lot’s of bourbon in Kentucky” was the reply.
Next the cook from California takes out a bottle of fine wine, takes a huge swig, throws the bottle into the air and shoots it with a pistol.
“Why the heck did you do that ?” asked the cook from Oregon.
“We got lot’s of wine in California” was the reply.
The cook from Oregon takes out a bottle of Henry’s Private Reserve beer, takes a humongous swig and shoots the cook from California.
“Why the heck did you do that ?” asked the cook from Kentucky.
“We’ve got lot’s of Californians in Oregon” was the reply.
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How to reach inner peace:

 I am passing this on to you because it was passed on to me and it has definitely worked for me like a charm. By following the simple advice I read in an article, I have finally found inner peace. It read: “The way to achieve inner peace is to finish all the things you’ve started.” I looked around to see all the things I started and hadn’t finished… So far today I have finished one bottle of vodka, a bottle of red wine, a bottle of Scotch, some Valium, a small box of chocolates and 9 beers. You have no idea how good I feel. You may pass this on to those you feel are in need of Inner Peace.
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Strawberry toppings:

Young Hans lives across from a horse farm. The farmer was driving out unto the road with a load of horse “fertilizer”.
Hans saw him and called, “What’ve you got in your truck?”
“Horse Manure,” the farmer replied.
“It stinks! What are you going to do with it?” asked Hans.
“Put it on my strawberries,” answered the farmer.
“You ought to  come to our house,” Hans advised him.
“We put sugar and cream on ours.”
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Life is Good !  
It’s even better when you’re having fun !
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To All My Readers

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Dear Friend’s
on LinkedIn, Facebook and other social networks.

I post in 50 different LinkedIn groups and a bunch of different social networks. The reason in the beginning was to expose my blog to fellow professionals and food lovers and gain an audience. To my dismay, I realize now that having spread out so much has helped the popularity of the blog tremendously, but has undermined one of the main goals of mine, which is to keep an ongoing conversation with food lovers about all things culinary. You see, most folks read and comment on  ChefsOpinion  on the linkedIn page or social network page where they receive it, which is of course a separate page for each separate group and network. So, while anywhere from none to a hundred people might comment or critique on a specific article or recipe, that comment or critique in turn will only be seen by members of this particular group or network. This of course drastically limits the scope of the conversation and exchange of ideas and opinion which would be so much more entertaining, educational and interesting if it would all happen on the same place of origin, ”  www.ChefsOpinion.org  ”
So, dear friends, since chefsopinion is a free and extremely secure blog (hosted by wordpress), I would like to ask all of you to please subscribe directly to  Chefsopinion  instead of receiving it through secondary sites. This not only makes it safer for you, it would also bring us closer together as a group of food lovers and cooking enthusiast’s and let us share all comments, ideas, critiques and criticism on the one place it was meant to be shared, “ChefsOpinion”

With best regards and many thank’s for your ongoing support,
Hans
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Below find a few of the hundreds of comments I received on the  “Am I Obsolete ?” post.
The comments below are excerpts from the comments I received on  the “American Culinary Federation Group” on “LinkedIn”

American Culinary Federation Discussion|Poll DiscussionsMembersPromotionsJobsSearchMore…

Am I Obsolete ? chefsopinion.org . . I love food.
I love food for the sake of food. Does that make me obsolete? Out of touch? Old fashioned? Removed? Aged? Antiquated? Archaic,? Bygone? A fossil? Moth-eaten? Out-of-date? Outm… 7 days ago Like CommentUnfollow Flag More Charles Huffman-Speech-Ai-Wed-Afternoon, Melinda Brown and 2 others like this 13 comments Giovanni

Giovanni Leopardi • Absolutely NOT…sometime i feel the same way, but then when I look in to the operations I am at the Helm of…I realize the importance of seasoned professionals in the field..you never will find a EXPERT…SEASONED YOUNG CHEF…sure we are able to find interesting and dedicated personnel but they always will need guidance support and direction to the way forward…it is the circle of life…

Larry Dann, C.F.B.E. • Good morning Hans, I could have not said it more eloquently. And absolutely NOT are you obsolete etc. I am 51 and with the exception of one cook and one dishwasher that I have working for me am the oldest person in my kitchens. I have four properties that I am responsible for and have several cooks, sous chefs, and chefs that are all younger than me. Like you I read incessantly and am always looking for great new ideas and trends but Food is Food, and Crap is Crap. When this whole Molecular Gastronomic revolution began I felt that it was a fad (and still feel that way). Although there are certainly a few pretty cool ideas that have come from it I feel a lot of it is just a waste of valuable time and effort. Mini plates are fine too but I don’t get the fascination with them. Thomas Kellar has surely done well with them. But then there is that congress of chefs who are very talented fine culinary artists who perhaps wouldn’t know what to do with a brisket of beef, a head of cabbage, and potatoes. I love all of my guys and gals. I treat them with respect and try to teach everyone at least one or two things every week. It is always great to see that light bulb go off when they realize they are learning something new and have that “Ah Hah” moment. Although you and I may have already been doing it for 30 years. In this field experience can not be underestimated or taken for granted. I also think that an very important thing is to surround yourself with young people and really watch what they are doing and what is important to them. Not only at work but in their private life. A genuine interest is so important. I also try to keep in shape so I can keep up with them…..lol. Okay, I’m out of breath here…LOL Have a great day!

Laura Anderson • As a young professional just starting off in the culinary world I don’t believe any seasoned, professional chef could be considered obsolete. If a chef must rely on molecular science to make food then they are not, in my mind, a chef. As you said on occasion sure I like to go outside the box and try something that looks fancier than it taste but for the most part I enjoy good home cooking. Real food for people with a real appetite for something delicious!! Any chef who doesn’t think they can and have learned from the generations before us are pretentious, it all comes down to learning the basics. I believe you learn from everyone you work with, even if you are learning how not to do things you have still taken away from that experience. I want to absorb every bit of knowledge I can from the “seasoned professionals” and then take that information and make it my own. I want to make food that will take people on journeys and the only way for a young professional to become a chef is to learn from those who have gone before us. Therefore you are never obsolete, your ability to pass on knowledge should always be held in high regards!

Beautifully said Laura 🙂 Wise and smart and surely on the right path. Cheers ! Life is Good !

James Filaroski • I love food as well. The world is moving to robotic food and service and theres a lost art of doing things well, with passion. My deal with the new world of culinary profesional is they dont want to put the time we did into learning the right way. There needs to be more decipline when it comes to the younger generation. You cannot teach passion that has to be in ones sole. We are not fossils, well made quality food will always compete in the market place. I know one one to re-create fads suck as gastronomic, big plates small plates etc. Like theme restaurants they have a 3-5 year shelf life until the next one comes along. Great fresh quality food with value will always come out on top. Keep the dream alive my friends.

Kim Bisk • I also love Food… And Good Food is Good Food… No matter what the concept is… Small Plate, Traditional, Gourmet, Family Style, etc. etc… When you find the right combination of Flavors… It is Good!!! There is nothing Obsolete when the flavors are there!!!

Gerard Campione • We have finally found the true cuisine…and it is in honor of your style of dedication to good food. It is a cuisine of natural ingredients from locally sourced producers. Local farmers, ranchers, artisans using raw ingredients without preservatives, artificial colors and flavorings. To eliminate processed foods with more chemicals than essence. Your many years of using fresh, nutrient rich vegetables and animals with the knowledge of using all the parts without waste. What a unique quality in cooks that only recently has become fashionable…again. Your gifts of knowlege are much appreciated now that we finally know what you were talking about. Never stop teaching. We will eventually learn from your true cuisine.
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