hans sussers food

” Smörgåsbord “

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Where else than in my house can you find a Smörgåsbord for one ?
Smörgåsbord is a scandinavian buffet, usually consisting of seafood,
meats, starches, preserves, bread’s; sometimes using both hot and cold dishes,
sometimes, for a more simple version, cold dishes only.
Here is the version I enjoyed for dinner last night :
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: Smörgåsbord

: Matjes Herring, Potatoes, Mayo, Yoghurt, & Chives

: Mussels & Chili Oil Vinaigrette

: Pickled Herring, Red Beets, Mayo, Yoghurt & Dill

: Smoked Salmon, Onions & Capers

: Mushrooms & Bell Pepper Vinaigrette

: Pickled Sardines & Onions

: Pickled Herring, Mustard, Mayo, Yoghurt & Dill

: Jarlsberg Cheese

: Pickled Herring & Onions

: Spicy Crab Dip & Eggs

: Pickled Red Beets, Onion & Chives

: Potato Salad, Peppers, Onion & Chives

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Smaklig Måltid ! Bon Appetit !

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” Spaghetti With Beef, Veggies & Brie “

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Today’s lunch combined, amongst other goodies, two of my favorite food items :
Pasta and brie cheese 🙂
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Ingredients :

Spaghetti, cooked al dente, some cooking water reserved
Beef, finely julienned
Bell peppers, finely julienned
Onion, finely julienned
Tomatoes, thin wedges
Garlic, paste
Brie cheese, sliced
Butter, substitute with olive oil if prefered
Salt & cayenne pepper to taste

Method :

Saute beef in very hot fat for a few seconds, remove and reserve.
Saute veggies and garlic until garlic is opaque but still light in color.
Add pasta, half of the brie and a bit of the cooking water, salt and pepper.
Mix well until the cheese is melted.

Plate and garnish with more brie and some herbs.

Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !

” Fish Dumpling & Shrimp Ball Soup With Poached Egg “

What the heck !?
Soup with fish dumplings, shrimp ball’s, shrimp, vegetables, chili and poached egg ?
Well, it might sound’s a bit much but it is absolutely delicious, the flavors and textures
go very well together to form a wonderful, multi-facetted dish.
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Ingredients:

Shrimp, pre cooked, peeled, deveined, half of them tail removed
White fish, such as haddock, tilapia, cod
Peas, frozen
Corn, frozen
Won ton wrappers,
Red chili, sliced
Scallion, sliced
Cilantro, coarsely chopped
Whole egg for poaching
Egg white for fish dumplings and shrimp balls
Fish stock substitute with chicken stock if preferred
Ketchup
Maggi
Salt, cayenne pepper, lemon juice to taste

Method :

Dumplings :
Chop the fish coarsely, add a bit of egg white, salt, cayenne pepper, mix.
Add half a teaspoon to a wrapper, moisten the edges with water.
Top with another wrapper, flatten and cut with a crinkle wheel cutter or a raviolini stamp.

Shrimp balls :
Chop the tailless shrimp to a fine paste. Add sriracha, salt and a bit of ketchup,
Mix and form into small ball’s.

Cook fish dumplings and schrimp balls in salted water until floating,
transfer to salted ice water.

Egg :
Poach in lightly salted water for 3 1/2 minutes, transfer to salted ice water.

Soup :

Bring stock to simmer, add corn and simmer for two minutes.
season with salt, sriracha soy sauce and maggi seasoning.
Add fish dumplings and shrimp balls’, shrimp balls, chilis, green peas and poached egg.
When heated through, plate and sprinkle with scallion and cilantro

Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !

” Why would anyone EVER EVER EVER use those crappy pre packaged corn taco shells ???? Yeesh !!! “

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Dear Friend’s
In response to my post : ” Tacos Al Camaron ” ,
the following esteemed comment was posted by a young lady who obviously knows and loves her food and with whom I basically wholeheartedly agree :

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” Why would anyone EVER EVER EVER use those crappy pre packaged corn taco shells???? Yeesh! “

Dear Friend’s
In response to my post : ” Tacos Al Camaron ” ,
the following esteemed comment was posted by a young lady who obviously knows and loves her food and with whom I basically wholeheartedly agree :
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” Why would anyone EVER EVER EVER use those crappy pre-packaged corn taco shells???? Yeesh! “

Whilst I agree with the reader that freshly made tacos are (usually) a tremendous improvement over ready-made products, my reply below should help to clarify a bit about how and why I enjoy food the way I do and most of all, how and why I choose the content I put on my Blog :

Dear disgusted reader of ChefsOpinion. First, let me assure you that I agree with you inasmuch that ” freshly made anything” is usually better than crappy ” store bought anything “.

Although I am in no way an expert on Mexican food, I’d like to tell you that I lived for a year in Mexico while I was married for the first time, back in the seventies.
Then In the early 2000’s, I went back to Mexico, where I was in charge of the food operation’s (at the same time) of three high-class boutique hotels, as well as one five-star Westin hotel and one four-star Sheraton hotel, all in the Yukatan, Mexico.
I am a huge fan of Mexican food and have certainly had my share of the good, the bad and the ugly.
I have had the finest tacos in the best restaurants and in the grimmest joints and at any place in between.
I have taught hundreds of cooks and thousands of culinary students about tacos, tortillas, flautas, burritos, you name it, I’ve done it.
However, when it comes to ChefsOpinion, I try to have a good time with like-minded folks who “GET IT”.
Good food is what we enjoy to eat; What is practical at the moment, what makes economic sense and what’s the best you can do whilst your time is extremely limited.
What I try to do on my blog is to share and discuss food and food-related issues with a broad range of folk’s, from culinary students to hobby cooks to perfectionists.
Also with old warrior’s like myself, who have seen it all and done it all, who are maybe just a bit more tolerant to situations where we must substitute with a lesser ingredient for some reason, or when we are just too damn exhausted to move another finger.
If I had a choice I would eat and drink only the best, freshest, most refined, most exquisite food and drinks available.
While I was privileged to live in that ideal world for most of my professional life, there were and there are situations when a sudden lust for a specific food or drink can sometimes require a quick fix just to take care of that overwhelming craving.
I have been immersed in this wonderful world of food service for 45 years. I have been in charge of meals for kings and queens, heads of states, the famous and not so famous. I am certainly aware of quality and perfection for which we should strife whenever possible. However, at this point in my life, I have just started a new job which keeps me away from my home for 11 hours. I live alone with my dear dog Bella, so before I take off for work at 5.00 am, there are already two solid hours of me getting ready for work, taking care of Bella for an hour, walking her, playing with her, trying to keep her from chasing the neighbors cat’s, etc.
When I come home at 5.00pm, my first priority is to take Bella for a long walk.
Then on to take care of the blog, usually for about three hours. Then cooking dinner, taking pic’s of the food for the next post, enjoying dinner, cleaning the kitchen, walking Bella for another hour. By the time I finally get to rest it is usually 12.30 am.

So then, please, forgive me for using pre-made tacos (They were actually very good, all things considered). The folks who will use the pre-made stuff will enjoy a quick and easy to follow food inspiration. The folks who are a bit more dedicated to only the best will no doubt spent the extra time and effort to produce awesome fresh tacos.
Hopefully, in the end, “Life is Good” for everybody. 🙂

So then :
Why would anyone EVER EVER EVER use those crappy pre-packaged corn taco shells???? Yeesh!

Because sometimes………

P.S.
Have you noted the store bought! mayo in the picture ? Yeesh! 🙂
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” Paillard of Beef & Peperonata “

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Paillard of Beef & Peperonata, MY WAY !!!

Please note that in my house instead of seasoning the beef with Mustard,
I like to add more by drizzling a good amount over the top while plating.
Also, traditionally, we try to have a perfectly round Paillard for a better presentation 🙂
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Paillard :

Beef, very thinly pounded
Cornstarch, to dust beef
Salt Pepper to taste
Oil, to sauté
Sautee beef in VERY hot oil on both sides for one minute, remove to absorbent paper.

Peperonata :

Saute onions and garlic until translucent, add peppers, sauté until heated through.
Remove from heat,, carefully mix in cherry tomatoes, seasoning and half of your herbs.
(Oregano, basil, cilantro, scallion or whatever tickles
your fancy and will provide the taste you crave that day).
When serving, sprinkle with rest of herbs and, if you desire, parmesan cheese .

Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Below a Paillard I prepared for one of my books about 8 years ago.

Paillard of Veal, served with marsala sauce, sauteed enoki mushrooms
and fried spinach with curry cream. Image: H.D.Susser.

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” Butterflied Breaded Pork Chop “

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Sometimes a very simple dish does very satisfying things to you.

Last night that’s exactly what happened to me when I had this dish of simple comfort food :
Instant happyness and warmt in the belly that said : Life is Good !
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Butterflied Breaded Pork Chop with Lettuce and crispy bacon in Dijon vinaigrette.
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” Tacos Al Camaron “

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These tacos are in no way authentic Mexican 😦

But they are are in every way delicious 🙂
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” Tacos Al Camaron “

Shrimp salad:

Cooked schrimp’s, tail removed, diced, except one for each taco for decoration
Avocado, diced
Red onions, julienne
Tomatoes, de-seeded, diced
Chilis, julienne
Yellow peppers julienne
Cilantro chopped
Lime juice,
Olive oil,
Salt,
Scotch bonnet hot sauce,
Salt,

Blend all ingredients, season to taste.

Lettuce salad :

Lettuce, julienne
Red onion, julienne
Yellow peppers julienne
Chilis, julienne
Cilantro chopped
Mayo
Greek yoghurt
Salt,
Scotch bonnet hot sauce

Blend all ingredients, season to taste.

Assembly :

Fill tacos ¾ with lettuce salad. Top with shrimp salad.
Garnish each taco with one whole shrimp.
Drizzle with yoghurt / mayo / hot sauce mix, Sprinkle with Cilantro.

Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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” Mafaldine Primavera “

Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, the true “parmesan” (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

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Whenever I come across fresh mini veggies I tend to buy them and use them in a simple pasta dish such as this one.
No need for heavy sauce or other distraction from the freshness of the vegetables and the goodness of the pasta.
Pasta, vegetables, butter and / or olive oil, garlic, cheese and herbs all come together to be enjoyed in this simple yet most delicious dish.
Replace vegetables with any fresh vegetables you find at the market or whichever ones you might prefer.

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Mafaldine Primavera:

Ingredients:

Mafaldine, cooked al dente, strained, some of the cooking water reserved
Rainbow carrots, simmered until done but still crispy
Pearl onions, simmered until done but still crispy
Cherry tomatoes,
Butter, can be substituted with 50 or 100% olive oil
Parmigiano reggiano, grated
Fresh herbs, parsley / cilantro / basil / oregano, all or your preference only
Garlic, paste
Salt, pepper, to taste

Method:

Cook Mafaldine in boiling water until al dente, strain, reserve some of the water.
Saute garlic, carrots and pearl onions and garlic in butter or olive oil until garlic becomes fragrant but without changing color.
Add pasta, tomatoes, more butter or olive oil, most of your cheese, half of the herbs, some of the pasta water and salt and pepper.
Toss carefully so not to break up the vegetables or Mafaldine.
If consistency is to watery, add more cheese and toss again. If consistency is to heavy, add more of the pasta water.
Plate and sprinkle with more herbs and cheese.

Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !

” Sadza ne Nyama ye Huku ” Zimbabwean Porridge with Chicken Stew

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Last night’s Zimbabwean style dinner.

If you don’t read the name of the dish but only the recipe, you might think I was dining on portuguese food. That’s because portugal had a large influence on shaping the traditional Zimbabwean cuisine. I don’t want to go into the political/ historical aspect of that time, so let’s just stick to the food. Chicken stew with tomatoes has been cooked in many countries around the world for centuries,and so has corn, which was introduced to Zimbabwe ( formerlySouthern Rhodesia), by the Portuguese way back then. Fried cornmeal is still a very popular side dish in Portugal and so is chicken stew with tomatoes. Since I did not have white corn meal in my pantry, I used yellow corn meal. Different color, same texture, taste and pleasure 🙂
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Excerpts from ifood.tv :
Sadza

” Sadza or sadza re chibage is an African version of porridge produced from cornmeal, mielie meal or maize meal and water. It forms the essential carbohydrate portion of African meals and is consumed in different forms in almost every African region. Due to the large variety of cultures and languages in the African subcontinent, the dish has a variety of names. For example, the local shona name for the porridge is Sadza in Zimbabwe while the local tribal Ndebele name for the same dish is isitshwala. In South Africa, the same dish is referred to as Mielie Pap while the Zambians refer to it as Nshima. The dish is given another name in Eastern Africa including the states of Kenya and Tanzania where it is named Ugali. In the tiny state of Malawai, it is referred to as Sima. Furthermore, a large variety of cooking techniques are used along with different recipes to make the same dish.

History

Originally, a porridge made from millet formed the essential carbohydrate component of every African meal. Millet was a staple crop in the continent and it was easy to grind to produce millet flour. However, Kenya started actively growing corn which was exported to every state in the African continent. The grain was then ground to produce cornmeal and used to make a thick porridge which slowly replaced millet porridges in meals.

Ingredients and Preparation

White corn meal or mielie meal is now commonly used to produce the sadza but a few versions do use yellow cornmeal too. Yellow cornmeal is commonly referred to as KENYA as it was originally imported from Kenya. If mealie meal cannot be found, cream of wheat, or Pillsbury Farina flour can be used. The actual method of preparation varies considerably but modern methods add the mielie meal to the water to mix it well. This paste is then poured into boiling water and cooked on a high heat continuously. As the sadza thickens, more mealie meal may be added. The sadza is done when the mixture pulls away from the pot and forms a ball. Traditionally, salt is not used to season the dish.

Serving

Sadza is prepared and served in a communal bowl from which each diner can serve himself. It can also be served in separate individual bowls from where diners pinch up small amounts, roll them into balls and then dip them into meat sauces, gravies, soya chunks, pumpkin leaves, sugar beans, spring beans or vegetable stews for consumption.

Popular Variations

Krummelpap is a South African version of Sadza prepared by ” ………. Read more HERE
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Sadza:

4 cups water

1 teaspoon kosher salt

2 1/2 cups white cornmeal

1. Pour three cups water and the salt into a large pot and bring to a boil. Combine 1 1/2 cups of cornmeal with the water, stir well and set aside.

2. Reduce heat of boiling water to medium low and add the cornmeal and water mixture, stirring constantly. Cook for two to three minutes.

3. Slowly shake in the remaining cornmeal, mixing all the while. Stir constantly as the mixture begins to thicken and pull away from the pot, approximately one minute. Immediately transfer to a separate bowl and use a wooden spoon to shape it into a round shape. Allow the sadza to cool slightly, then carefully use your hands (wet them if necessary) to pull off bits of the sadza, shape if desired, and serve with the stew.

Chicken Stew:

2 yellow onions, diced, divided

2 tablespoons fresh minced ginger, divided

3 cloves garlic, minced

3 pounds vine tomatoes, seeded and chopped

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon black pepper, plus 1/4 teaspoon to season the chicken

1 1/2 teaspoons chili powder, plus 1/4 teaspoon to season the chicken

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus 1/2 teaspoon to season the chicken

2 pounds chicken thighs, boneless and skinless, cut into 1″ pieces

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1 bunch scallions, chopped

Vegetable oil

1. Coat a large, shallow pan with about two tablespoons of oil over medium high heat. Once hot, add two-thirds of the garlic to the pan and cook for about one minute. Toss in three-quarters of the onions and two-thirds of the ginger, cooking until the onions turn translucent, approximately 3-5 minutes.

2. Turn the heat up to a high flame and stir in the cayenne, black pepper, chili powder and salt. Cook another 2-3 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook for 10-15 minutes, mashing them down every once in a while. Reduce the heat to low and simmer another 10-15 minutes, continuing the mash the tomatoes.

3. While the tomatoes cook down, pull out a separate, heavy pot. Coat the bottom with another two tablespoons of oil. Once hot, toss in the remaining onions, ginger and garlic and cook until the onions have turned translucent, approximately 2-3 minutes. As the onions and seasonings cook, season the chicken with the extra black pepper, chili powder and salt. Add the chicken to the pan and brown for approximately 3-4 minutes. Turn off the heat and set aside.

4. After the tomatoes have stewed, carefully scrape them into the cooked chicken. Add one cup of water, turn the heat to low and cover. Simmer for 20-25 minutes. Stir in the parsley and scallions and cook another 5 minutes.
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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” Whole Roast Oxen. The Holy Grail Of Real BBQ Found ? “

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” What Is A Real BBQ ? ” Part 2
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But is it BBQ ? Call it spit roasting, call it grilling, call it BBQ
At this point I just want to share with you these mouth watering traditions from Germany and other places where food, beverage and good times are taken more serious then the label given to the cooking method. So just lighten up for a moment and enjoy.

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WHOLE spit roast Oxen and Hog !
Germany, where else 🙂

These videos make my mouth water .