hans sussers opinion

# 1000 !!! (ChefsOpinion’s Post # One-Thousand)

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Dear Friends,
I would like to thank all my readers for being loyal followers of ChefsOpinion for the past four years.
When I started this blog, I was a very different, happier man. My wife Maria was still alive, I was still active and successful in the profession I had chosen more than four decades earlier, and I was still living the good life 🙂
But alas, in 2013 my life took a turn for the worse and all I had to keep me going was my dear Bella and my love for cooking. (And eating).
From that point of view, Bella and ChefsOpinion was what kept me alive and kicking 🙂
Originally, (before the downward spiral of my life), the idea was to build this blog into a professional website and make a living doing so. But I found out soon enough that I did not have the motivation, nor the drive, to build another business from scratch again.
So, after a bit of adjusting, ChefsOpinion became my Culinary Diary.
The reward for spending lot’s of $, time and effort to produce my “Diary” is in my knowledge that I am able to entertain and inspire so many people with my food. Between my direct subscribers, the web-search results and mostly by my fellow linkedin hospitality-professionals, ChefsOpinion has now anywhere from 200 to 2000 hits a day. This is even more remarkable when you realize that most of the dishes I publish are down to earth, “real food” items, which are prepared for the purpose of being enjoyed as good-tasting, enjoyable and easy to re-create meals, not some fancy, over-styled concoction which solely exists to look pretty, as do so many (if not most) of the food-pics you’ll find nowadays on the internet, in books and in magazines.
My pictures are taken free-hand (no tripod or special lighting), with a $100 point and shoot camera. As for my writing, I usually do it at around 3.00 am when it’s quiet and Bella is asleep. No fancy proof readers, no quest to write in a never before seen witty style. If professional photography and professional essays are what you are looking for, ChefsOpinion is not it.
If, however, you are interested and maybe even passionate about food that comes from the heart and can be re-created and enjoyed day after day by you and your loved ones – welcome again to my humble publication.
I am also happy to report that my private life has started to normalize and I am enjoying life as much as possible, even without Maria by my side; but Maria is in my daily thoughts and prayers forever and I will never cease to love her 🙂
So, dear friends, I hope that I can entertain you with my blog for years to come and I hope to see you down the road when it is time to celebrate Post # 2000 🙂
Hans.
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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P.S.
If you have not subscribed yet, today is a great day to do so – and to tell your friends to do the same 🙂 Thanks !
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Gnocchi Alla Via Candia

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Gnocchi with corn, peas, ham, mushrooms, cream and Camoscio d’Oro.
(Camoscio d’Oro is an Italian cheese similar to camembert or brie, sometimes available in Italian markets around here ).
So, can you guess where I ate this dish the first time? Yep, at Via Candia 17, Torino, Italy.
I was about 20 years of age at the time and to this day, when I close my eyes, I can see the dish and the people I shared it with in front of me as if it was just a little while ago.
Happy memories, may they never fade…….. 🙂
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Bon Appetit ! Live is Good !
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Gnocchi Recipe
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More Gnocchi on ChefsOpinion
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Gnocchi Alla Via Candia

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures
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: saute mushrooms in olive oil until golden

: add whole butter, diced ham and diced onions, saute until onions are translucent

: add garlic paste, heavy cream, kosher salt and cayenne pepper, simmer until lightly thickened

: add green peas and kernel corn, check / adjust seasoning

: add freshly cooked gnocchi

: add diced Camoscio d’Oro (substitute with brie if not available), stir carefully until cheese has melted; to plate, sprinkle with thinly sliced scallions

: Gnocchi Alla Via Candia

: Gnocchi Alla Via Candia

: Gnocchi Alla Via Candia

: Gnocchi Alla Via Candia

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Best Snack – Ever !?

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Pork Rinds, Pork Skins, Pork Scratchings, Pork Crackling, Chicharrones, Scrunchions, Oreilles de Christ, Chicharrón, chicharrón con Gordo, Gratons, Khaep Mu, Tóp Mỡ, škvarky, Grieben, Griaba, Torresmos, Couratos, Knabbelspek, Flæskesvæ, etc, etc, etc.
Fried pork skin is eaten in most if not all areas around the world where pork is consumed. (Many other animal skins, ears and intestines are also used to make cracklings, but today I just want to talk about pork skins, most widely known as Chicharrones, but also by the many other names listed at the beginning of this post.
I sometimes buy them ready-made in bags and have found a few very good brands in the supermarkets around here, especially in the Latin-Markets. But nothing comes close to the freshly made homemade stuff, still warm and with a texture, flavor and aroma which you just don’t get from a bag. I happened to have some pork skin in the fridge which I removed from a pork butt I cooked yesterday, anticipating the chicharrones I wanted to prepare today. (I usually cook the butt skin-on).
However, pork skin is widely available from butchers and markets so you should have no problem sourcing it.
The process is very simple :
To fry the skins, use duck fat, pork fat or peanut oil. Simmer the skin in salted water until very tender, drain, let dry for a couple of hours. Cut into strips or cubes and fry at low temperature until very crisp. Remove to absorbent paper and season to your liking. Just plain kosher salt will do, but you can experiment with additional seasoning, such as cayenne pepper, smoked paprika, curry powder, za-atar, old bay seasoning, or my favorite, five spice powder, which I have used in today’s dish. I also like to sprinkle finely sliced scallions and chili flakes over the cracklings and use a dipping sauce of chili oil and hoi sin sauce.
WARNING !!!!
I recommend to cook the chicharrones outside in the open air; splattering of fat WILL occur !
In any case, no matter if you cook the chicharrones inside or outside, cover the fryer 3/4 with a lid while frying to minimize the fat going all over the place and possibly ignite on the hot stove.

To sum it up – making chicharrones at home is like making love :
– if you know what you are doing, the rewards can be wonderful 🙂
– if you don’t know what you’re doing, you might get burned 😦
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Chicharrones

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: Chicharrones

: Chicharrones

: Chicharrones

: Chicharrones

: Chicharrones

: Chicharrones

: Chicharrones

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Salmon In Beurre Noisette With Beans & Carrots In Honey-Mustard Dressing

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I pity the folks who’ll never taste a properly cooked salmon 😦
What a shame to miss-out on he texture of salmon (as well as most other fish and seafood) which has been cooked the old-fashioned way:
“Au Pointe” – to the point (of being done) , perfect doneness.
I have written about this a hundred times and I don’t get tired to repeat myself again – just because you are being served by a lousy cook who does not know the finer points of cooking should not mean that you get denied the best of the best. If, on the other hand, you have really had a chance to compare the texture and taste of a half-cooked piece of fish to that of a properly cooked piece and you still prefer the “seared only” version, than I’ll back off and say thank’s God most of us have a choice to eat what we like, and how we like it, no matter what 🙂

(I will also leave it to you to take the enormous risk of consuming certain under-cooked proteins in a less than perfectly controlled environment (from source to preparing and handling); after all, what can a few extra worms in your body do to you…….. 😦

But on to happier thoughts and this wonderful dish which features a great salad, properly cooked salmon and that magic taste & texture-enhancer – brown butter (Beurre Noisette).
While hot brown butter is not a typical addition to salad, in the case of this beans and carrot salad in honey-mustard dressing it provides the perfect final touch.
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Bon Appetit ! Life is good !
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P.S.
This salmon has been cooked slowly in whole butter, resulting in a soft skin, not recommended for human enjoyment. However, if you have a dog or cat living with you, they will most likely be ecstatic about this treat (Bella always is) 🙂
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Click here for : Honey-Mustard Dressing
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Pls read : The Hidden Dangers Of Uncooked Salmon
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Pls read : The Dangers Of Eating Raw Or Under-Cooked Fish And Mammals
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Salmon In Brown Butter With Bean & Carrots In Honey-Mustard Dressing

Salmon In Brown Butter With Beans & Carrots In Honey-Mustard Dressing

notice how juicy the inside of the fish, even minutes after plating

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures
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: trim, blanche, shock and drain fresh green beans, add shredded carrots and honey-mustard dressing

: green bean & carrot salad in honey-mustard dressing

: season salmon filets with cayenne pepper, granulated garlic, kosher salt and lemon juice

: saute salmon slowly in whole butter until about half-way cooked (at this point, butter will be lightly browned )

: add chopped parsley and more whole butter to the pan

: while the salmon finishes cooking, continuously ladle the parsley and brown butter over the fish

: keep going until salmon has reached 161F to 162F, let rest in a warm place until temperature has reached but NEVER EXCEEDED 165F

: after salmon has rested and reached safe temperature, place on top of salad, drizzle a few drops of lemonjuice over salmon and top with remaining brown butter and parsley, serve with fresh-squeezed lemon juice

: Salmon In Brown Butter With Beans & Carrots In Honey-Mustard Dressing

: notice how juicy the inside of the fish, even minutes after plating

: Bella patiently waiting for her salmon skin…. 🙂

: Madam looking scary…. 🙂

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Strawberry And Chocolate Pizza

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Strawberry And Chocolate Pizza

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Some years back I run a few hotels as Executive Chef in Mexico. One of our hotels had three beach restaurants, one of them a sandwich shop which I converted into a pizza restaurant. Pizzas right on the beach were of course a great hit, especially at night. Two of the menu-options consisted of “Fruit Pizza”, which turned out to be bestsellers, despite their novelty. (See the pic’s below). When you think about it, many simple pies originally used a yeast dough similar to pizza dough, so why not. The texture is of course totally different from the crumbly shells we are now used to, but I always have been a fan of the less sweet, more sturdy yeast dough shells or bottoms. Besides, if you have a frozen pizza shell as a standby in your freezer, the whole affair takes only a few minutes to prepare which makes it a great solution for the munchies that sometimes attack late at night 🙂
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Many years ago in Mexico……..
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: Banana And Strawberry Jam Pizza

: Strawberry And Pastry Cream Pizza

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A few days ago at my house……….
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: Strawberry And Chocolate Pizza

: Strawberry And Chocolate Pizza

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

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: wash strawberries, cut tops

: pat the strawberries dry

: spread strawberry preserve on pre-baked pizza dough

: mix sour cream with honey and a dash of vanilla extract, spread on dough

: top with girardelli milk chocolate chips

: top with strawberries

: add more chocolate chips

: bake at 400F until chocolate starts to melt

: let cool to room temperature, brush with melted strawberry preserve

: to serve, dust with castor sugar, cut into slices and add a dollop of the sour cream mixture to each slice

: Strawberry And Chocolate Pizza

: Strawberry And Chocolate Pizza

: Strawberry and Chocolate Pizza

: Strawberry and Chocolate Pizza

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St Patrick’s Day Goodies

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ÉIRINN GO BRÁCH * Lá Fhéile Pádraig

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St.Patrick

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Believe it or not – it’s not all about the green beer, although having some fun while honoring a Saint might not be so bad…… 🙂
But besides the traditional free flow of booze for some, here are a few great culinary suggestions on how to treat yourself and your loved-ones on this special day:
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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All about St Patrick’s Day
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SAINT PATRICK’S DAY “BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS” # 19

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CORNED BEEF – GETTING READY FOR ST PATRICK’S DAY

CORNED BEEF AND CABBAGE
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CÁL CEANNANN (COLCANNON)

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MATZOBALL & CORNED BEEF SOUP

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Gulyásleves (Hungarian Goulash Soup) (Hungarische Gulaschsuppe)

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As I get older, I sadly realize that many of the dishes I took for granted and did not appreciate in my younger years only continue to exist in my memory and are forever gone in my daily life. Many dishes I remember from my years growing-up in Germany have vanished from my surroundings. Especially here in the USA, where food tradition is not something widely honored, especially when it comes to labor-intensive food. Too many cooks have never been introduced to the classics, and if they have, they have not been able nor interested to master them.
When was the last time you have seen a menu featuring “Potage Tortue Lady Curzon”, “Escargot Bourguignonne”, “Filet Café de Paris”, “Truite Au Bleu”, “Quenelles De Poisson Nantua”, “Consomme Royal”, etc, etc. Or Hungarian Goulash Soup, for that matter.
This is a dish which at one point in time was omnipresent in Germany and Austria, being featured in any type of restaurant. Usually it was served as an “in-between meal”, or during a break while hiking or skiing, or as a snack late mornings or late nights. Usually you could choose between regular or spicy. The spicy version usually differed from the regular one only by the addition of a few dashes of Tabasco, although some cooks took pride in preparing a spicy version from scratch by adding hot paprika powder to the sweet paprika powder which gives Hungarian Goulash Soup its signature reddish color. Like many other “original” dishes, ingredients such as vegetables, the type of meat as well as the seasoning can vary significantly, yet the final product should always be full of flavor, chuck-full of meat and vegetables and pleasantly red hued from a generous amount of good quality paprika.
If you want to make your Hungarian Goulash Soup into a more substantial meal, it is perfectly acceptable (and yummy) to add some hearty pasta to the soup.
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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All about Goulash
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Gulyásleves (Hungarian Goulash Soup) (Gulaschsuppe)

Gulyásleves (Hungarian Goulash Soup) (Ungarische Gulaschsuppe)

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures
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: cut beef brisket int 1/2 inch cubes

: saute beef in vegetable oil until browned, add finely diced onions, saute until onions are caramelized

: chop caraway seeds, oregano and cumin, add to meat, saute until fragrant

: meat and onions should be dark-brown but not burned

: add garlic paste, a tiny amount of flour, some tomato puree and sweet paprika (about 1 cup for 2 qt of soup)

: saute another minute, season with kosher salt and cayenne pepper or hot paprika powder

: add chicken or beef stock

: simmer until meat is very tender but not falling apart

: cut potatoes and peppers into dice

: add to soup, simmer slowly until patatoes are cooked, check / adjust seasoning

: Gulyásleves (Hungarian Goulash Soup) (Ungarische Gulaschsuppe)

: Gulyásleves (Hungarian Goulash Soup) (Ungarische Gulaschsuppe)

: Gulyásleves (Hungarian Goulash Soup) (Ungarische Gulaschsuppe)

: Gulyásleves (Hungarian Goulash Soup) (Ungarische Gulaschsuppe)

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Pork Medallions Teriyaki With Rainbow-Carrots In Honeybutter

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This is a typical meal as I prepare it at least twice a week lately – lot’s of veggies and fruits, some protein and as little starch and refined sugar as possible. It is all in the balance, so some days a small amount of sugar and starch versus some days with none of it……
It took me a bit to get used to it, but trying to live a healthier (and hopefully longer) life takes some effort 🙂
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Pork Medaillons Teriyaki With Rainbow-Carrots In Honeybutter

Pork Medallions Teriyaki With Rainbow-Carrots In Honeybutter

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures
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: whole pork tenderloin

: cut off head and tip, reserve for another dish, remove silver-skin, discard

: cut into medallions, flatten slightly, season with kosher salt, cayenne pepper and granulated garlick

: grill on both sides until 3/4 done

: while Medallions are cooking, simmer covered baby-rainbow carrots with kosher salt, butter, water, and honey

: slowly simmer until carrots are cooked and water has evaporated

: saute one minute in the honey-butter; to serve, add finely chopped parsley

: when medallions are 3/4 done, brush with teriyaki sauce, keep on cooking and brushing on both sides until meat is almost done, remove from grill, (carry-over heat will take it to 165) let meat rest at least 5 minutes before serving

: serve medallions with the carrots, Thai chili sauce and grilled lemon wedges

: Pork Medallions Teriyaki With Rainbow-Carrots In Honeybutter

: Pork Medallions Teriyaki With Rainbow-Carrots In Honeybutter

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Spinach, Potato & Garlic Cream Soup

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Here now is a top-candidate for easiest to prepare comfort food of the month 🙂
– Actual prep time – less than 5 minutes.
– Total time from start to finish – 25 minutes max.
– Gratification – immense 🙂
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Spinach, Potato & Garlic Cream Soup

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures
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: saute onions and lot’s of chopped garlic in butter

: add diced potatoes, cover with chicken- or vegetable-stock, season with kosher salt, nutmeg and cayenne pepper, simmer until potatoes are soft

: in a blender (or use a stick-blender) blend the stock/potatoes with fresh spinach and heavy cream

: check / adjust seasoning, to serve, top soup with a dollop of Greek yogurt, sprinkle with chili flakes

: Spinach, Potato & Garlic Cream Soup

: Spinach, Potato & Garlic Cream Soup

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Gnocchi Gorgonzola Gratinati

Dear Friends,

If you enjoy my posts, I would like you all to be so kind and help me spread the word –
please re-post some of my post’s on your FB timeline.
And if you feel especially nice today, forward this link:
www.ChefsOpinion.org
to your e-mail contacts and ask all your friends who enjoy good, real food and real opinions to subscribe to ChefsOpinion for FREE.
For even more support, consider a small contribution into my:
Tip Jar
I know some of you will be kind and considerate, so to all of you – a heartfelt thank you 🙂

Best Regards,
Hans

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Lusting for something creamy, cheesy and light, yet packing a hefty flavor-punch ? Well, you have arrived 🙂
This great concoction satisfies on so many levels. The lightness of the gnocchi, creaminess of the sauce, freshness of the spinach, the sharp punch of the ripe gorgonzola and the slightly acidic burst of the tomatoes…….
What else can I say about this lovely dish ? Simply put – Yummy taste and great looking to boost 🙂
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Click here for Gnocchi Recipe
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