hans sussers food

Can A Classical Dish Be Altered If The Name Clearly Indicates That The Dish Is ” In The Style Of… “

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Dear Friend’s,

Below find a few recent comment’s by passionate and no doubt competent chef’s.
Some apparently look at thing’s more flexible then others, some might understand the context of a specific situation better than others (in this case, a lighthearted, food loving Blog by a chef who has probably seen it all and understands that different situations sometimes call for different measures. Because I am so passionate about food, I’d like to hear other folk’s opinion about this, because it comes up quite often across the food world. At this point, it is not important to me if I am right or wrong, I just want to take this opportunity to hear other’s opinions about this important, sometimes so hotly discussed matter. And what about fusion cooking………?
Please share your opinion in the Poll at the bottom of this page.
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Picture source: dreamstime.com

In our LinkedIn group “Master Chefs” ,

esteemed chef George Hill commented on a name I have given to a dish:

” Vegetarian Spaghetti Bolognese “

“Chefs please keep to the original intent and interpretation of a classical culinary name of a preparation. This is important to all and the profession in a global sense. Bolognaise is meat – I believe Spaghetti Bolognaise needs to be meat based to ensure clients understand this globally no matter where they are. We need to be careful with contradictions in terms.

This is more of a version of a Napolitana but even more accurate would be to name
Spaghetti: Minestra – Verdura – Ortaggio – Olegumi etc or others?”

My response :

Dear George,

I agree with you 100% in the principle of keeping originals original .
However, in light of the many millions of vegetarians who grace our restaurants on a daily basis, they will no doubt ( as I have experienced around the world for decades) understand exactly what is offered :
A meatless ragout of vegetables in the Bolognese style.

I believe sometimes we have to serve our guest’s by keeping things simple.

Nowadays, unfortunately, most guests (and many so called chef’s) are not as educated in classic cuisine as we wish they were. I believe to simplify is to help them start their education.

Other examples:

Macadamia nut “pesto”,

Lobster “sausage”

Cauliflower “risotto”

Deconstructed “hummus”

I am not a fan of these names but I can accept them, as well as many others, as long as their stray from the original is clearly expressed in the dish’s name. (Back to ” VEGETARIAN bolognese “)

In the group American Culinary Federation,
esteemed chef Larry Dann commented on the same dish dish:

Hey Hans,
Bolognese is by definition a hearty sauce with meat. Either Italian (ragu) or French (ragout). Just messin’ with ya. LOL. Sounds good!
Larry

My response:

Thank’s Larry.

I think just about everybody interested in food knows that.
I just did a little word game, did not expect this to get all that flag for it
(I published this in 20 groups, found only a few folk’s without humor or tolerance 🙂
Life is to short to be uptight 🙂
Cheers !

Larry wrote:

That is true. If we can’t have a little fun with it why do it….?

My response :

There you have it 🙂

On another dish, “ Coq au Vin “
esteemed chef Patrick Asfaux commented :

bonjour
Que d’erreurs !!!!!!!!!
le coq au vin se fait avec du coq de 3 a 4kg et non avec un poulet la chair doit être ferme regardez ma recette mise sur votre blog tous les présidents l’ont testé dans notre restaurant parisien
translate please
best regards
Chef Patrick Asfaux 30 ansétoilé Michelin

My response :

Hi Patrick,

I am sure that most chef’s around the world are educated enough to be aware that Coq in French means rooster, therefore classically coq au vin – rooster in wine.

(Literal translation : Coq au vin – Rooster of the wine)

Most chefs around the world use chicken for two reasons :
“Coq au vin” is a very popular dish because of the cooking method, the sauce and the garnish. It is being served at some venues for hundreds and even thousands of guests at the same time. To source this amount of roosters would simply be impractical if not outright impossible.
I have worked in many countries around the world, mostly in five star operations. While at some places it is easy to source roosters, at others it is just too impractical or cost prohibitive. I try to keep my Blog light and practical, so that professional chefs can smile about some of the things I do and suggest, while less experienced cooks, hobby cooks and housewives will be able to easily re-create the recipes, maybe even applying their own twist.
I have been teaching at le cordon bleu for nearly eight years, classical French and international cuisine and when I was teaching about classical French dishes I made always sure that I teach these with the revered respect and quality they deserve. I have always tried to make sure the students understand the difference between a classic dish and one that is prepared ” in the style of ”
And I too have cooked for a # of presidents and royalty over the years, no biggie there.
Anyway, I do appreciate every single comment and critique,
so thank you and please stay with us.
Your input is highly appreciated.

Happy Bastille Day ! (Try 🙂
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“ Quer durch den Garten “ ( Across the Garden)

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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.The starch 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 vegetables, starch or protein to expect. Traditionally, most folk’s don’t put egg into the stew, but I like the added richness when you mix it with the broth. However, there was always an abundance of fresh vegetables and herbs. I believe this is the dish which has installed my livelong love for stew’s of any kind in me .

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P.S.
The combination of beef, vegetables, spaetzle, herbs and fried onion is called “ Geisburger Marsch”

Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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” Breakfast Of Champions ” # 3

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” Congee With Spicy Sausage “
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I just love any type of congee,
be it with seafood, meat, vegetables or any combination thereof.
Although is is traditionally eaten for breakfast, I usually make
a big pot so I can snack on it a few times during the day.
Today I used spicy, non-smoked chinese sausage,
which is not only very spicy but also sweet.
If you dont like raw egg, use cooked egg or omit the egg altogether.
Good eat’n 🙂
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Basic Congee recipe
In a large pot, bring water or stock and rice to a boil.
When the rice is boiling, turn the heat down to a slow simmer.
Place cover the pot, allowing steam to escape
Simmer until the rice has the thick, creamy texture of porridge.
Add the salt, taste and other seasonings as desired.
Serve with garnishes such as crushed peanuts, scallions, fried onions, etc.
You can also make this a sweet dish by adding
rock candy, brown sugar, fresh and/ or dried fruits.

Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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” Bibimbap “

Tonight’s wonderful. simple dinner,
shared with my friend Leo and my baby Bella 🙂
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Korean mixed rice bowl / mixed meal.

Koreans love bibimbap, and this simple rice dish is often used as a tasty way of
using up leftovers.
A generous helping of steamed rice is placed in serving bowls, topped with a
variety of meat and vegetables and topped with a strong fermented soybean paste
called gochujang.
Just prior to eating, you mix everything together —
bibimbap means roughly “mixed up rice” or ” mixes meal”, and the whole,
wonderful mess is eaten with gusto. Gochujang paste can be found online
and in Korean and other Asian markets.
Season with soy sauce if you can’t find gochujang.

Ingredients:

Steamed sticky rice
Prepared meat, beef,seafood or poultry
Seasoned vegetables
Eggs, cooked sunny-side up
Gochujang paste (optional)

Condiments:

Kimchi
Sesame oil
Tangy chili sauce

Bon Appettit ! Life is Good !
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” No Frikadelle Tonight – It’s Beef Burger Time ! “

Tonight I will hopefully convince everybody that you can love
both, a good frikadelle and a good beef burger.
As usual, I will put my own twist on it.
Here we go :
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“ Cheeseburger My Way “
As you know, in order to get all the benefits of good quality ground beef, you must choose the best quality meat and handle it as little as possible. In this case I took two 14 oz striploin and grinded them at home with my cuisine art. In order to keep the meat from drying out, I made a pepper jack cheese and butter sandwich, which I then encased with the meat and shaped it loosely, avoiding to press it too much as to keep the texture of the meat loose and tender. The flavor added by the melting butter and cheese to the beef while it cooks takes the whole thing up three notches.

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Cut hoagie rolls or bun of your choice in half, spread generously with Butter and broil cut side until golden. Set aside.
Carefully spread the beef out on a cutting board in a ¾ # layer without squeezing it.
Sprinkle with kosher salt, black pepper and a dash of garlic powder.
Lightly mix without squeezing it.
Divide into four parts.
Put one part of the beef on a cutting board, top with the cheese / butter sandwich,
cover with another part of beef and form a loose patty.
Repeat with rest of ingredient’s.
Sautee in olive oil until it almost reaches the required doneness.
Discard oil, add two tablespoon of butter and sautee until butter starts to brown.
Let rest on absorbent paper for five minutes before serving.
Use garnish of your choice. For dipping I use ketchup, dijon and sriracha.

Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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” Sauteed Whiting Filets, Shrimps, Grits & Mango / Caper Butter “

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Grits and lot’s of butter.
NOT a slimming day.
But a GOOD day 🙂
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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” Conchiglie A La Mode Du Hans “

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Last night’s midnight snack.
I guess that was one pound straight to the rib’s 😦
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Boil pasta shell’s until al dente, drain, reserve some of the cooking water.
Sautee steak cubes in very hot oil until still rare in center. Remove from pot, reserve.
Sautee vegetables in olive oil very briefly. Remove from pot, reserve.
Deglaze pot with red wine and let it slightly reduce.
Add pasta, beef, veggies, all the accumulated juices from the beef and veggies, a good amount of soft (not melted) butter, plenty of grated parmesan cheese and some of the cooking water from the pasta. Mix all until the sauce coats the pasta lightly.
If consistency seems too thin, add more cheese. If consistency seems too thick, add more pasta water.
To serve, sprinkle with crumbled gorgonzola and scallions.
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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” Healthy Food: 50 Of The Best In The World “

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Originally posted by:
The Huffington Post
By The Healthy Living Editors
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Each month at HuffPost Healthy Living, we compile lists of the most in-season, fresh superfoods — this June, for instance, we celebrated figs, zucchini and apricots, among others. But these monthly articles got us thinking — what are some of the healthiest foods generally, despite the season?

And so we turned to some of our favorite medical and nutritional experts to come up with this list of 50 of the healthiest foods, presented alphabetically. Pad your grocery list with these and you’ll be on your way to a healthier, more vibrant diet. Of course, even as we editors finished the list, we started thinking of more (“How could carrots not be on the list?” “What about black pepper?”). So we plan to follow up with a second list of healthy foods. Let us know in the comments which of your favorites we skipped and they could appear soon.

Read more and see a slideshow of all 50 food’s HERE
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