kosher salt

Tortilla Española (Tortilla De Patatas) (Spanish Omelette)

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While a Spanish tortilla is steeped in tradition and has it’s long-standing recipes (usually just thinly sliced potatoes and eggs,) I like to make my own, more elaborate versions by adding “stuff”, such as ham, bacon, vegetables, mushrooms, shrimp, or any other ingredient I find suitable to a dish I love but would find boring after a while had it only the two original ingredients. I justify calling these versions “Tortilla Española” because of the fact that while I was traveling in Spain, I encountered many such versions with different ingredients, all the same called “Tortilla Española”. As for browning the potatoes in the version containing diced potatoes instead of thinly sliced potatoes, this just seems to result in a different texture (better, in my opinion) than if using potatoes without a crispy crust.
I hope the Tortilla Española Purist’s out there will forgive me and everybody else will experiment until they find their own favorite version of this great dish 🙂
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Tortilla Española (Tortilla De Patatas) (Spanish Omelette)

Tortilla Espagnola

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Preparation :
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: whisk whole eggs with kosher salt, granulated garlic and hot sauce

: saute diced potatoes in olive oil, season with kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper

: when potatoes are lightly browned, add diced onions, saute until onions are translucent

: add diced chorizo and sliced scallions ( I also added a bit of leftover mortadela I had in the fridge), saute until sausages start to brown

: add egg mixture, put into 350F oven until set

: slide on a plate, flip onto other side and continue to cook in oven until set and golden brown but still moist on the inside

: to serve, sprinkle with freshly grated manchego cheese and chopped cilantro, serve hot or at room temperature

: Tortilla Española (Tortilla De Patatas) (Spanish Omelette)

: Tortilla Española (Tortilla De Patatas) (Spanish Omelette)

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Ahlbecker Meeresfrüchte Suppe (Ahlbeck-Style Seafood Soup)

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Back when my wife Maria and I were owners of Restaurant Gildenkeller in Neubrandenburg, (in the former East Germany), one of our short weekend trips took us to the island of Usedom, which is about an hours drive by car from Neubrandenburg, where our restaurant was located.
I remember the quaint little Inn’s and the few stately, but outdated and mostly dilapidated grand hotels of better times past (before the communists took over). However, there were also a number of small, new restaurants, run with much enthusiasm and love by their newly capitalist owners, which excelled in their standards of food and service. In one such gem in the town of Ahlbeck (I forgot the name of the restaurant but not the food we ate) Maria and I had a most wonderful lunch, consisting of an delightful appetizer of “Matjes Herring” with “Pumpernickel“, a superb main course of “Ahlbecker Meeresfrüchte Suppe” and a great dessert of “Rote Grütze“.
Today I prepared the soup as I remembered it from so many years ago and it did not disappoint 🙂
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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P.S.
Check the bottom of this page for “Bella’s Salmon Stew” 🙂
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Ahlbecker Meeresfrüchte Suppe

: fresh salmon, fresh cod fillet, shrimp, chopped smoked salmon, squid (replace with mussels for more authenticity)

: simmer cut fish in water seasoned with salt, white pepper and lemon juice

: when fish is almost done, add squid (or mussels) and shrimp, remove from heat, let steep another minute

: drain seafood, save the stock

: saute onions, anchovy paste and garlic paste

: add smoked salmon, saute another minute

: add a bit of a/p flour, saute another minute

: add clam juice (there is not enough flavor from the small amount of seafood in the stock)

: add the stock, simmer for 15 minutes

: add heavy cream, check / adjust seasoning

: plate the warm seafood, sprinkle with chopped parsley or dill

: ladle the hot soup over the seafood

: Ahlbecker Meeresfrüchte Suppe

: Ahlbecker Meeresfrüchte Suppe

: Ahlbecker Meeresfrüchte Suppe

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Bellas Fish Stew
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: for your four-legged friend (dog or cat), simmer the salmon trimmings in a bit of water

: Bellas Salmon Stew 🙂

: spoil her to smithereens, 🙂

: Happy Bella 🙂

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Carlo’s Veal & Leek Soup

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Soup……….
(Excerpt from “FoodTimeline”)
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Food historians tell us the history of soup is probably as old as the history of cooking. The act of combining various ingredients in a large pot to create a nutritious, filling, easily digested, simple to make/serve food was inevitable. This made it the perfect choice for both sedentary and travelling cultures, rich and poor, healthy people and invalids. Soup (and stews, pottages, porridges, gruels, etc.) evolved according to local ingredients and tastes. New England chowder, Spanish gazpacho, Russian borscht, Italian minestrone, French onion, Chinese won ton and Campbell’s tomato…are all variations on the same theme.
Soups were easily digested and were prescribed for invalids since ancient times. The modern restaurant industry is said to be based on soup. Restoratifs (wheron the word “restaurant” comes) were the first items served in public restaurants in 18th century Paris. Broth [Pot-au-feu], bouillion, and consomme entered here. Classic French cuisine generated many of the soups we……read more about Soup here
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Many years ago when Maria and I visited one of my friends in Germany, Carlo (better known in Germany’s food community as “Kräuter-Carlo” aus Trebenow), served us this great soup which has stayed in my repertoire for home cooked comfort food ever since. It is so tasty and the texture so pleasant that every time I prepare a large pot full in order to be able to re-heat it in batches in the next few days, I usually end up finishing most of the whole pot right then and there :-).
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Carlo’s Veal & Leek Soup

Carlo’s Pork & Leek Soup

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Preparation :
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: saute onions and garlic paste in butter

: add ground veal, season with kosher salt and cayenne pepper

: saute until all meat is crumbled

: add finely sliced leek

: saute another minute

: add a small amount of a/p flour

: add chicken/or vegetable stock, simmer for twenty minutes, add small pre-cooked potatoes, simmer another ten minutes

: add heavy cream and grated nutmeg, check / adjust seasoning

: to serve, sprinkle with grated asiago cheese and Italian parsley

: Carlo’s Veal & Leek Soup

: Carlo’s Veal & Leek Soup

: Carlo’s Veal & Leek Soup

: Carlo’s Veal & Leek Soup

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Rösti With Mushrooms In Cream

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Life is all about the crispy bits………….. 🙂
Most folks would probably agree with this statement, especially when we’re talking food, and of course especially when we are talking fried, baked or sautéed potatoes. And, in my own, humble opinion, of all the great potato dishes, the undisputed king is “Rösti”. Crispy on the outside, soft and buttery on the inside, it is a most versatile dish which can be enjoyed as a main course with just a fried egg on top and a green side salad, or as a side dish for such dishes as Zürcher Geschnetzeltes, Gulasch or Creamed Mushrooms, as shown below.
There are Rösti which are enhanced with such mixed-in goodies as cheese, herbs, grated onions, bacon and so forth. Yet for me, at least in the case of Rösti, simple is best, so I prefer the basic version – grated potatoes, seasoned with kosher salt and cayenne pepper and sautéed in duck fat – voilà . There is also the divide between advocates of using raw shredded potatoes versus the Rösti enthusiasts who insist on parboiled potatoes. While both versions have the potential to be wonderful, I myself prefer the parboiled potato version, which has a less starchy taste.
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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More on Rösti
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Rösti With Creamy Mushrooms

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Preparation :
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: Simmer potatoes until HALF- way cooked, drain, let cool, preferably overnight

: grate potatoes coarsely

: season with kosher salt and cayenne pepper, saute in duck fat (substitute with clarified butter if duck fat is not available)

: shape into patty

: cook until crispy on one side, turn, cook on other side until crispy

: done…….

: Rösti

: button mushrooms

: saute diced onions and garlic paste until fragrant

: add mushrooms, saute until starting to lightly brown

: add heavy cream, kosher salt and cayenne pepper

: simmer until reduced and creamy, add sliced scallions

: Creamy Mushroom

: Rösti With Creamy Mushrooms

: Rösti With Creamy Mushrooms

: Rösti With Creamy Mushrooms

: Rösti With Creamy Mushrooms

: Rösti With Creamy Mushrooms

: Baby Arugula & Vine-Ripened Tomatoes

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Choucroute Garnie (Kleine Schlachtplatte)

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Today’s late lunch / early dinner has send me way back to my day’s of gluttony. I will have to live on apples for the next few days to make up for today’s culinary excess, but it was well worth it 🙂
After a few days of eating mostly fruits and vegetables, my cravings for some hearty soul food got the best of me and I gave in to my innermost desires of preparing and enjoying a beautiful “Choucroute Garnie”, also known in some parts of Swabia as “Kleine Schlachtplatte”.
(A “Kleine Schlachtplatte” consists of sauerkraut, boiled pig such as belly, loin, or knuckles, sausage such as blood pudding, fresh liverwurst or knackwurst and bread or potatoes – as opposed to a real “Schlachtplatte”, which is eaten only on the day of butchering and processing a Hog and usually consists of sauerkraut, boiled pigs head or belly, fresh liverwurst and fresh blood pudding. Obviously, I had to make do with a “Kleine Schlachtplatte” today, which nevertheless was divine and deeply satisfying.
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Bon Appetit ! Live is Good ! (And sometimes fattening) 😦 🙂
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More on Choucroute Garnie
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More on Schlachtplatte
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Choucroute Garnie (Kleine Schlachtplatte)

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Preparation :
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: select a good quality sauerkraut for this dish

: cover fresh ham hocks with salted water, bring to a boil

: turn down to a simmer, cook until tender but NOT falling apart

: meanwhile, saute onions in bacon fat, when onions are translucent, add sauerkraut

: add stock from the ham hocks, season with cayenne pepper, garlic paste and a dash of sugar

: simmer sauerkraut until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 30 minutes

: add a bit of corn starch slurry to bind the juices

: check / adjust the seasoning

: add smoked pork chops, blood sausages (morcilla) and the knuckles, cover and simmer for another 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to make sure the sauerkraut does not burn at the bottom

: meanwhile, saute small cooked potatoes in bacon fat with caraway seeds, season with kosher salt and cayenne pepper

: Choucroute Garnie (Kleine Schlachtplatte)

: Choucroute Garnie (Kleine Schlachtplatte)

: Choucroute Garnie (Kleine Schlachtplatte)

: Choucroute Garnie (Kleine Schlachtplatte)

: Choucroute Garnie (Kleine Schlachtplatte)

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Hungarian Beef Goulash

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Today I combined breakfast, lunch and dinner all into one fabulous meal.
(I did however have a few fruits throughout the day).
Goulash is one of the dishes which were a staple in the South of Germany when I grew up and it was enjoyed in most homes and simple and even fine restaurants frequently. Goulash is quite different from other beef stews. There is now flour to thicken the sauce as in most other stews (the collagen in the beef will take care of that) and there are much more onions and sweet paprika to give the goulash its characteristic taste and color. Goulash is usually reddish in color and it’s heat level can be high, depending on the amount of hot chili or chili powder added (if any). To obtain the original flavor of good goulash, season with equal parts of finely chopped lemon peel, thyme and caraway seeds.
I usually prefer my goulash to be accompanied by Knödel (dumplings) or Spätzle, but frankly, today this was too much effort for me and I substituted the Knödel or Spätzle with pasta 🙂
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Bon Appetit ! Life Is Good !
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All about Goulash
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All about Knödel
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More ChefsOpinion on Spätzle
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Hungarian Beef Goulash

Hungarian Beef Goulash With Pasta And Schmelze, Romaine In Vinaigrette

Hungarian Beef Goulash With Pasta And Schmelze, Romaine Salad In Vinaigrette

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Preparation :
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: diced beef brisket

: saute diced onions in olive oil (covered and simmered slowly until onions are broken down and very soft)

: add beef, cover again, saute until liquid is evaporated and meet starts to brown

: add garlic paste and water

: add paprika and chopped tomatoes

: add salt and cayenne pepper

: cover and simmer slowly until meat is tender but NOT falling apart, about 1.5 – 2 hours

: almost…..

: when meat is tender, check / adjust seasoning

: while the meat simmers, cook, drain and strain the pasta, add a bit of butter, keep warm, start the schmelze

: to make the schmelze for the pasta, melt butter, add bread crumbs, season with salt and pepper

: saute until crumbs are browned

: Hungarian Beef Goulash With Pasta And Schmelze, Romaine In Vinaigrette

: Hungarian Beef Goulash With Pasta And Schmelze, Romaine In Vinaigrette

: Hungarian Beef Goulash With Pasta And Schmelze, Romaine In Vinaigrette

: Hungarian Beef Goulash With Pasta And Schmelze, Romaine In Vinaigrette

: Hungarian Beef Goulash With Pasta And Schmelze, Romaine In Vinaigrette

: Hungarian Beef Goulash With Pasta And Schmelze, Romaine In Vinaigrette

: Romaine In Vinaigrette

: Pasta With Schmelze

: Hungarian Beef Goulash

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Open Faced Octopus Salad Sandwich

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The question might be, was this a salad or was it a sandwich? I am not so sure, probably it was both, rolled into one blissful lunch. One thing however I am sure of – it was absolutely delicious.
While devouring it I was reminded of the old custom of soaking up the salad dressing with a good, hearty bread. Most folks don’t do this anymore because it’s not very elegant or cool.
However, it is a great custom if you put enjoying good food first and appearances second 🙂
Just make sure that you cut your bread into thick slices and toast it so it will stand up to the moisture of the salad. And if you are not a great fan of octopus, replace it with shrimp or even chicken and you will be just as happy as I was with the octopus version.
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Open Faced Octopus Salad Sandwich

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Preparation :
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: Toast THICK CUT sour dough bread

: cut octopus into bite size pieces

: add tomatoes, onions, scallions, cucumbers, garlic paste, raspberry vinegar, kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper and a spritz of maggi seasoning

: plate bread on serving dish

: top with lettuce

: top with octopus salad

: Open Faced Octopus Salad Sandwich

: Open Faced Octopus Salad Sandwich

: Open Faced Octopus Salad Sandwich

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Pied De Cochon

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ANYTHING sounds better in french ?! 🙂
I used to call my wife “Mon Petit Chou”, which sounds perfectly sweet and romantic in french. Translated, it’s “My Little Cabbage” :-(. Not as sweet and romantic, no doubt.
Same with my dinner today : “Pied De Cochon – which translates into “Pig’s Trotters”, one of my all time favorite second cuts.
Pigs trotters are very versatile, they are great fried, steamed, braised, and pickled.
The following dish was created today in my kitchen and, I must say, it was absolutely delicious (and pretty to look at, to boost).
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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More “Pig’s Goodies” on ChefsOpinion
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Wiki on Pigs Trotters
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More about Pigs Trotters
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Pied De Cochon

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Preparation :
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: poach pigs feet in salted water, drain, rinse, cover with salted water, simmer until very tender but NOT falling apart (about two hours)

: meanwhile, blanch baby bok choy

: shock in ice water

: drain

: after 1 1/2 hours, add kosher salt, chili paste, garlic paste, grated ginger, sliced onions to the soup

: after 2 hours, add fresh shiitake mushrooms

: also add blanched, rinsed sliced rice cakes and blanched, sliced lotus roots

: simmer slowly until pigs feed are done,, check / adjust seasoning

: add bok choy and chili paste (optional) to serving plate

: add pigs feet, rice cake and lotus roots

: ladle soup over all ingredients

: Pied De Cochon

: Pied De Cochon

: Pied De Cochon

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Jamaican Jerk Chicken

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While there are a million and one jerk chicken recipes out there, the basic seasoning is usually brown sugar or molasses, all spice, garlic, cinnamon, scotch bonnets (as much as you can handle), ginger, thyme, nutmeg and salt. Most folks I know also add soy sauce and scallions (I do).
Then, if you have a wood burning grill, grill very slowly, covered until the chicken is charred on the outside and juicy on the inside. Since I don’t presently have a proper grill, I started my jerk chicken in a cast iron grill pan and after a light char developed, covered it and finished cooking it in the oven. The result was a very tasty, very juicy, close to perfection jerk chicken 🙂
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Bon Appetit ! Life is good !
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P.S.
As I was cooking this inside the house, I used all dry herbs and spices.
However, for a more authentic experience, if cooking outside on a wood grill, you want to use fresh spices and herbs, minced and mixed with the soy sauce to a paste and rubbed into the chicken and its cuts. Cooking this on a covered grill will develop the flavorful smoky taste associated with authentic jerk chicken.
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Jamaican Jerk Chicken

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Preparation :
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: cut a fresh chicken in half

: make a few incisions all the way to the bones

: grill chicken on both sides, set on a few chopped scallions, cover

: bake in oven at 350 F until cooked through but still juicy

: Jamaican Jerk Chicken

: Jamaican Jerk Chicken

: Jamaican Jerk Chicken

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Shrimp Sliders

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After having a monstrous burger with all the trimmings at Fuddrucker for lunch, dinner was a bit more quaint.
The attraction of these sliders is the flavorful butter in which the shrimps are sauteed. Lots of garlic paste, horseradish and sriracha make these sliders exceptional and extraordinary.
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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