hans sussers food

Gebratene Schweinehaxe, Saure Linsen & Schnittlauchkartoffeln (Roast Pork Hock & Sour Lentils)

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This was the third and final Dish I made from the leftovers of the Roast Pork Ham I prepared on 25th December.
(I’ll post # 1 next week) 🙂
It brought back memories of spit-roasted pork and veal hocks on food , beer and song filled evenings with friends, spend in “gemuetliche” (cozy) rustic restaurants in Swabia and Bavaria 40 years ago when food like this could be had in most of the simple restaurants (Gaststätte, Gasthaus, Gasthof, Wirtshaus) in the South of Germany and in Austria, any day of the week, usually accompanied by potato dumplings or bread dumplings and sauerkraut.
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Link to original dish – ROAST FRESH HAM WITH CARAWAY JUS
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Link to the first leftover dish – RÔTI DE PORC AVEC SAUCE AU CÈPE PORCINI
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Link to the second leftover dish – THE GERMAN DIP
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Gebratene Schweinehaxe, Saure Linsen & Schnittlauchkartoffeln (Roast Pork Hock)

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Preparation:
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To read instructions, hover over pictures
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: saute chopped smoked hamehocks and diced onions in porkfat, add washed lentils and chickenstock, simmer slowly until tender but not falling apart

: season with rice vinegar, kosher salt and cayenne pepper, simmer another 2 minutes, check/adjust the taste

: add fully cooked pork hock to the lentils, brush generously with melted butter, cover and bake in oven until pork is heated on it’s thickest part to 165F

: saute cooked small potatoes in olive oil , add sliced chives, season with kosher salt. To serve, add potatoes to lentils, brush pork with olive oil

: Gebratene Schweinehaxe, Saure Linsen & Schnittlauchkartoffeln (Roast Pork Hock)

: Gebratene Schweinehaxe, Saure Linsen & Schnittlauchkartoffeln (Roast Pork Hock)

: Bella – Iron Will 🙂 Look but don’t touch……

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Pollo En Escabeche (Fried Chicken In Vinegar And White Wine)

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Like so many other “classical / original dishes, there is a million and one ways to prepare “en escabeche”, which in Spanish simply means marinated or pickled.
As usual, I have picked my favorite one to be featured on ChefsOpinion.
Of course you can also do vegetables, seafood, and other proteins “en escabeche”. (For my German-speaking friends, how about “Brathering 🙂
But today we are going to savor one of the goodies which I used to serve many times in our house to my family and friends in times past.
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Click here for more on Escabeche
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Pollo En Escabeche

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Preparation:
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To read instructions, hover over pictures
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: season chicken parts with kosher salt, cayenne pepper and granulated garlic, dust in flour and fry until internal temperature reaches 165F

: when chicken is fully cooked, remove to absorbent paper

: meanwhile, mix 1/3 water, 1’3 white vinegar and 1/3 white wine, olive oil, kosher salt, cayenne pepper, garlic paste, bay leaves, sliced peppers and onions, bring to a boil, add chicken, remove from heat and let cool to room temperature

: Pollo En Escabeche

: Pollo En Escabeche

: Pollo En Escabeche

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“The German Dip”

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This is the second dish I prepared with the leftovers from the roast pork ham I prepared on the 25th. It turned out to become a masterstroke of a sandwich, and since I have not heard of a national German sandwich, I hereby declare this sandwich the “Official German Sandwich”, also known as “The German Dip”.
(Without the dipping jus, it shall simply be known as “The German”).
You are welcome Germany, glad to help 🙂
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Guten Appetit ! Das Leben Ist Wunderbar !
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“The German Dip”

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Preparation :
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To read instructions, hover over pictures
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Link : Löwensenf
Link : Allgäuer Bergkäse
Link : Rotkohlsalat
Link : Schweinebraten

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: brush halved rye sub liberally with melted garlic butter, toast on both sides

: smear one half with “Löwensenf”, the other half with horseradish

: add sliced cooked ham, sliced cucumber, sprinkle cucumber with kosher salt

: add sliced roast pork (schweinebraten), sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper

: top with red cabbage salad (rotkraut salat)

: top with sliced bavarian cheese (allgäuer bergkäse)

: top with German salami

: heat in 400F oven until outside of sandwich is hot and crispy

: “The German Dip”

: “The German”

: “The German Dip”

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Pork Soup With Pork & Leek Dumplings, Baby Bok Choy And Scallions

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This will be my last meal in 2014. It fit’s the occasion of a New Years Eve Diner well for me, since I adore pork dumplings in soup and it is the perfect dish to devour while watching TV . Bella and I are spending the evening watching movies and every hour on the hour the fireworks from around the world. It started of with Sidney a couple of hours ago, which, as usual, had one of the most spectacular displays. Later when the clock strikes midnight here in Florida, we’ll go outside and watch the fireworks at the nearby airport live from our backyard. Not as glamorous as the one in Sidney, but………..
After that we will enjoy a night cup of hot chocolate and doughnut holes with caramelized pineapple and banana.
Boy, how things have changed for me from just a few years back :-).
Nowadays, I leave the wild partying to the kid’s and the kid’s at heart. Strangely enough, I don’t miss the partying a bit. (Yet?)
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Happy New Year ! God Bless !

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Pork Soup With Pork & Leek Dumplings, Baby Bok Choy And Scallions

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Preparation :
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To read instructions, hover over picture
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: for dumpling filling, mix ground pork, grated ginger, garlic paste, finely diced water chestnuts, salt, cayenne pepper and sesame oil, wrap with dumpling wrappers, simmer in pork broth until done, about 4 minutes

: season broth with kosher salt, chili oil, sesame oil, grated ginger and garlic paste, ass bok choy

: simmer bok choy for no more than 2 minutes, to serve, add sliced scallions

: Pork Soup With Pork & Leek Dumplings, Baby Bok Choy And Scallions

: Pork Soup With Pork & Leek Dumplings, Baby Bok Choy And Scallions

: Pork Soup With Pork & Leek Dumplings, Baby Bok Choy And Scallions

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Roast Fresh Ham With Caraway Jus (Gebratene Schweinekeule Mit Kümmelsoße)

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Like last year, this year again I celebrated Christmas eve with my dear friends Dieter and Chacha, who were gracious enough to invite me to their family celebration. As usual, the food was out of this world. This years star of the dinner was a wonderful, tasty and succulent standing rib roast with all the trimmings and for dessert we all enjoyed Dieters traditional, perfect soufflé.
After everybody ate, there was one leftover soufflé, which I bravely volunteered to put out of it’s lonely misery.
(All this great food plus two soufflé’s on one evening – no wonder my belly looks so muscular). 😦
Earlier, just before I left my home to go to dinner, my friend Curtis showed up with Christmas gifts. Among the goodies was a fresh ham of generous size, about enough to feed 7 people with a healthy appetite. In other words, enough for Bella and I to pig-out for two days 🙂 So, before I took off to Chacha’s and Dieter’s dinner, I scored the skin of the ham, salted it very generously with kosher salt and put it in the fridge to be cooked the next day. (This helps to draw the moisture from the skin and gives you a superior crackling). The next day, Thursday, I cooked the ham by starting it off at 420F for 20 minutes, then turning down the temperature to 325F for 4 hours and finishing the last twenty minutes at 420F again to crisp up the cracklings.
On this occasion I have forgone more traditional sidings such as vegetables, beans, rice, pasta or potatoes in favor of a simple guacamole, seeded rye bread, the pork jus, the onions which cooked together with the ham, grey poupon mustard and horseradish.
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Bon Appetit ! Life Is Good !
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Click here for Guacamole Recipe
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P.S.
I will post a follow-up on the dishes I prepared with the leftovers.
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P.P.S.
I believe it is time to live a bit more “light” for at least the next few months, so starting January, I will change my food (and therefore my post’s) to a bit of a lighter fare 5 days a week, while the weekend will feature the same type of food as usual, just smaller portions – and, sad to say, a drastic cutback on sweets.
Look for ” Hans’ Lighter Comfort Food “ in upcoming post’s. See you there 🙂

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Roast Fresh Ham

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

: score skin, salt generously with kosher salt, rest overnight in fridge

: onions, caraway seed, granulated garlic, chili flakes

: place ham on rack over onions, place in 420F oven, add water to baking pan, roast at 420F for 20 minutes, then 4 hurs at 320F, then another 20 minutes at 420F

: remove ham from oven, let rest for 15 minutes in a warm place before cutting

: Roast Fresh Ham

: Roast Fresh Ham

: Roast Fresh Ham + MY knife 🙂

: remove shank, reserve for another meal

: meanwhile, remove and reserve onions, strain jus, remove most fat, check / adjust seasoning

: Roast Fresh Ham

: Roast Fresh Ham

: pork jus, guacamole, braised onions, horseradish, grey poupon mustard

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Pear Crumble

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If you have not yet decided on a stunning dessert for your holiday party, you might want to strongly consider this one. It is easy to make, can be made in advance and looks and tastes like a million bucks. Otherwise, promise yourself that you’ll prepare this as soon as sanity has returned to your kitchen after the holidays. I am sure it’s ease of preparation, as well as it’s deliciousness, will make it one of your standby’s, just as it has become one of mine. When you prepare this, make sure you let the crumble rest at least 30 minutes in a warm place to let it set. If you want to re-heat it, give it enough time to get warm in low heat (about 20 minutes at 300F), then a bit under the broiler to re-crisp the crust. – You’re welcome 🙂 >
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Pear Crumble

Pear Crumble (My kind of food porn – no tweezers required)

Pear Crumble

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Preparation :
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To read instructions, hover over picture
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures
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: use very ripe pears (but not mushy) for best result

: peel, core and dice pears

: simmer pears briefly in simple syrup with a good dash of rum or brandy, thicken with cornstarch slurry

: mix 1/3 a/p flour, 1/3 castor sugar, 1/3 stoneground oats, fill pears into buttered baking dish, top with crumble mixture, add a generous amount of butter, bake at 400F until brown

: when crumble top is brown and bubbly, sprinkle with crashed walnuts, let cook for another few minutes until walnuts start to be lightly toasted

: remove crumble from oven, let set in a warm place for 30 minutes before serving

: serve with whipped cream, dust with cinnamon

: Pear Crumble

: Pear Crumble

: Pear Crumble

: Pear Crumble

: Pear Crumble

: Pear Crumble

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Downloadable Monthly Calendar, US Edition and International Edition – January 2015

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To display calendar on your computer screen :
> download the calendar of your choice to your desktop,
> right-click on the image,
> choose the option that says, “Set as Desktop Background”, (exact wording will depend on the browser you use).

If the image does not fit your desktop background neatly, you may have to go to your preference panel:
> Control Panel
> Display
> Desktop) and choose “Fit to screen” as the display mode of your background image. (Mac users will have to use different commands to the same effect).
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January 2015 :

ChefsOpinion January Calendar. International Edition

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I Wish It Was Summer………
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ChefsOpinion January Calendar. US Edition

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Chili-Kissed Chicken Cutlets With Couscous

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Chili-kissed you ask ?
Well, who wouldn’t like to be kissed by something hot and spicy once in a while (or maybe often). Certainly these chicken cutlets, which are transformed from ordinary to divine by the addition of fresh chili and plenty of garlic-confit paste. Tasty couscous with lots of bell peppers and sriracha add more flavor and a good quality olive oil, drizzled over the finished dish, rounds out this light and flavorful dinner, which I enjoyed after an extensive walk around the lake with madam, marveling at all the beautiful Christmas and Holiday decorations.
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Chile-Kissed Chicken Cutlet With Couscous

Chili-Kissed Chicken Cutlets With Couscous

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Preparation :
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To read instructions, hover over picture
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures
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: bring salted water, butter, garlic paste and sriracha to a simmer

: add diced bell peppers and couscous, stir, cover, remove from heat, set aside, after 10 minutes, fluff with a fork

: meanwhile, season chicken cutlets with kosher salt, cayenne pepper and garlic paste, dredge in half panko breadcrumbs and half corn starch, saute in butter l with chilis

: plate couscous

: top couscous with chicken cutlets and chilis, drizzle with good quality olive oil and a few spritz of fresh lime

: Chili-Kissed Chicken Cutlets With Couscous

: Chili-Kissed Chicken Cutlets With Couscous

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Breakfast Of Champions # 45 – Pan Perdu (Arme Ritter) (French Toast)

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If there is one dish made of stale bread that is served just about anywhere in the world it is Pan Perdu, also known as:
Germany (arme ritter), England (poor knights of windsor), USA and Kanada (french toast), France (pain perdu), Russia (grenki), Spain (torrijas), Finnland (köyhät ritarit), Hungary (bundás kenyér), Turkey (ekmek balığı) Holland (wentelteefje), Austria(pavesen), Portugal (rabanadas). This is but a small part of a large number of countries which serve pan perdu in one form or another.
The most basic form of preparation is stale bread or cake soaked in a mixture of milk, egg and sugar, then sauteed. From there on, many variations exist, with a few or many other ingredients added -white wine, honey, brandy, cinnamon, fruits, cream cheese, maple syrup and countless other variations, even savory ones. My own version this morning was pretty basic, I did however use chocolate pound cake instead of bread and dusted the sauteed pan perdu with castor sugar and cinnamon. You can imagine the improvement. The hot, very sweet pineapple also added to the enjoyment of this oh so simple leftover dish. Truly a champion of a breakfast, worthy to be served to a champion 🙂

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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !

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Breakfast Of Champions # 45 – Pan Perdu (Arme Ritter)

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Preparation :
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To read instructions, hover over picture
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures
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: peel and carve fresh pineapple

: grill pineapple very slowly so it will caramelize but not burn

: beautiful 🙂

: cut chocolate poundcake into thick slices

: mix milk egg, castor sugar and a dash of vanilla extract, soak cake for a few minutes in mixture

: saute at low heat

: almost……

: Breakfast Of Champions # 45 – Pan Perdu (Arme Ritter)

: Breakfast Of Champions # 45 – Pan Perdu (Arme Ritter)

: Breakfast Of Champions # 45 – Pan Perdu (Arme Ritter)

: Breakfast Of Champions # 45 – Pan Perdu (Arme Ritter)

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Surf & Turf

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For most folks with ordinary disposable income, it used to be that “Surf & Turf ” was a “special occasion dish”, something you ordered on your anniversary or birthday at that special place you went to once or maybe twice a year. As for myself, ditto, – plus I would not normally think of cooking meat and seafood at home for one dish, it is usually Either – Or .
It just so happened tonight that I had a craving for shrimp and steak. Since I live alone with Bella, it felt okay to just serve everything at once, instead of eating it divided into three courses, as would be more traditional and “proper”.
So, instead of the menu being:

“Sautéed Shrimp In Garlic Butter”
“Hearts of Romaine Lettuce In Raspberry Vinaigrette”
“Aged Rib Eye Steak With Spicy Herb Butter And Toasted Sour Dough Bread”

It was rather simply :

“Surf & Turf”

What a feast, all prepared quickly, served quickly and devoured even more quickly 🙂
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Click here for Garlic/Herb Butter Recipe
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Surf & Turf

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Preparation :
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To read instructions, hover over picture
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures
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: season rib eye and shrimp with kosher salt and fresh grated black pepper, saute in garlic oil, meanwhile dress romaine with raspberry vinaigrette