savory

Braised Beef Neck In Merlot/Mushroom Sauce With Bread Dumpling (Geschmorter Rindernacken In Merlot/Champignon-Soße Und Semmelknödel)

Braised Beef Neck In Merlot/Mushroom Sauce With Bread Dumpling (Geschmorter Rindernacken In Merlot/Champignon -Soße Und Semmelknödel)

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The texture of beef neck is absolutely stunning. I wish I’d be able to buy just a slab of the meat, without the bones. That would make the perfect goulash or braised roast. In the meantime, I’ll just have to make do with the neck bones and the meat on them. They are of course the same wonderful texture and flavor as a large boneless slab would be, but naturally, the presentation suffers a bit. 😦
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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P.S.
These bread dumplings are a typical example of the fact that most savory recipe measurements are at best guidelines. In this case, there are too many possible variables for the ingredients to use ANY measurements. Rather, the measurements are loose guidelines. For dumplings especially, experience is the key to a successful dumpling. As I mentioned in previous posts, most young (or old) cooks and chefs have never perfected the art/craft of proper dumplings for that particular reasons – one needs experience and “feeling” to get the ratios of the ingredients just right. Dumplings of any type (fish, meat, liver, potato, bread, lobster and so forth must be very light without falling apart while cooking. By just following measurements, because of the many and large variables, this is impossible to achieve. One needs practice, practice and practice – THEN one needs feeling, feeling and feeling. I believe the reason why we hardly see dumplings on menus anymore is the same as the reason why most cooks embraced the idiotic habit of eating fish, pork vegetables and other food items “seared on the outside, raw on the inside”, – any moron can achieve that without any skills, knowledge or experience 😦
Anyway, don’t be discouraged if by the first try you don’t succeed, – just put in lots of practice, lots of love and lots of feeling, and soon you too will be able to enjoy homemade dumplings (and properly cooked protein) as often as you crave it 🙂

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Braised Beef Neck In Merlot/Mushroom Sauce With Bread Dumpling (Geschmorter Rindernacken In Merlot/Champignon -Soße Und Semmelknödel)

Semmelknödel – Bread Dumpling

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Preparation :
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: saute 20 oz beef neck bones (weight without bones) per person (this was 3.5 lbs total) until golden brown

: remove neck bones, reserve

: in the same pot, saute 2 cup carrot pieces and 2 ea onions until lightly caramelized

: add 2 cup diced tomatoes and 2 cup Merlot

: add 1 qt beef stock

: return the beef to the pot, season with kosher salt and cayenne pepper to taste, simmer until meat is very tender, but NOT falling apart (2-3 hours)

: 2 hours later; check/adjust seasoning

: remove the meat to another pot, strain enough of the sauce for one portion, safe the rest of the sauce WITH the vegetables for another dish (these veggies are too delicious to discard)

: add one cup button mushrooms to the beef, cover, bring to a simmer, remove from heat, set aside

: saute 14 oz of bacon (2 oz per large dumpling)

: saute until crisp

: add 2 ea sliced onions

: saute until onions are opaque

: slice 14 kaiser rolls into quarters, then slice the quarters into 1/2 ” slices

: add 2 cups milk

: lightly mix, make sure all the bread can soak up some of the milk, let rest for 15 minutes

: after 15 minutes, squeeze out all the milk, discard

: return the bread to the bowl, add the bacon and onions, 1 cup chopped curly parsley, 4 egg yolks, 2 whole eggs, kosher salt, grated nutmeg and grd white pepper to taste

: form tennis-ball size dumplings, cook 1 ea half-size dumpling first to check on taste and texture; if falling apart. add panko bread crumbs; if to dense, add milk

: simmer in salted water until cooked through, about 25 minutes

: while the dumplings are cooking, remove the bones from the meat,, discard the bones, return the meat to the mushroom sauce

: place one dumpling into a deep plate, surround the dumpling with the meat, mushrooms and sauce (serves one)

: Braised Beef Neck In Merlot/Mushroom Sauce With Bread Dumpling (Geschmorter Rindernacken In Merlot/Champignon -Soße Und Semmelknödel)

: Braised Beef Neck In Merlot/Mushroom Sauce With Bread Dumpling (Geschmorter Rindernacken In Merlot/Champignon -Soße Und Semmelknödel)

: Braised Beef Neck In Merlot/Mushroom Sauce With Bread Dumpling (Geschmorter Rindernacken In Merlot/Champignon -Soße Und Semmelknödel)

: Braised Beef Neck In Merlot/Mushroom Sauce With Bread Dumpling (Geschmorter Rindernacken In Merlot/Champignon -Soße Und Semmelknödel)

: Braised Beef Neck In Merlot/Mushroom Sauce With Bread Dumpling (Geschmorter Rindernacken In Merlot/Champignon -Soße Und Semmelknödel)

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Piri Piri Chicken With Portuguese Fried Rice

Piri Piri Chicken

Here we have two beloved Portuguese dishes which are not typically recognized as Portuguese staples (rice) and chicken (piri piri chicken).
Piri piri chicken is a favorite way of preparing chicken/poultry in most parts of Portugal, especially in Lisbon. I remember eating grilled chicken brushed with a spicy sauce in Lisbon way back in the seventies and then twenty five years later again, when I lived on Madeira with Maria, although I did not recall the “piri piri” part until I came across this video on my Portuguese friend’s Peter a few weeks ago (see link below) .
As for “Portuguese fried rice”, any cuisine in which rice features as a staple also has at least a few fried rice recipes, since everybody is used to reheat the leftover rice in a pan and adding “stuff” to it, usually in the form of other leftovers and/or veggies, seasoning, eggs, protein etc.
Grilling over an open fire is, of course, one of the best ways to cook chicken (or most other protein, no matter the country, style of cuisine or occasion. Brushing the meat when it almost ready to be served with a savory, spicy sauce and a squirt of fresh lemon or lime is all one needs to lift said protein (or vegetables) one more step up to reach culinary heaven 🙂
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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Click here for more info about Piri Piri Sauce
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Click here for a short video about Piri Piri Chicken
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Click here for more info about Food , Dining & Drinks In Portugal
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Pls note :
Piri piri sauce is prepared in a myriad of different ways, depending on the country, region, family preference, etc. The one essential common ingredient is the use of piri piri peppers. Also, the amount of piri piri you brush onto your food depends on your own preference. As you can see in the picture, I love to be generous with my thicker than usual piri piri 🙂
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Hans’ Piri Piri Sauce Recipe :
4 tablespoons lemon juice, 5 tablespoons olive oil, ¹⁄₄cup vinegar, 1/4 cup sweet chili sauce (optional), 1 tablespoon garlic, minced, 1 tablespoon paprika, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon piri piri peppers ;
Blend all ingredients in a blender until smooth.

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Piri Piri Chicken And Portuguese Fried Rice

Portuguese Fried Rice

Piri Piri Chicken And Portuguese Fried Rice

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Preparation :
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: wash and pat dry 1 ea cornish hen per person (or half a chicken)

: cut through back of the hen (or chicken), season with kosher salt; for a formal dinner, remove back bone and wing tips

: grill poultry on both sides, finish by roasting in a 375F oven until about 3/4 cooked, about 20 to 25 minutes for a small hen, longer for a chicken, depending on size

: saute 4 oz diced onions and 4 oz diced linguiça (or other hard sausage such as chorizo or salami) in 2 tblsp olive oil

: when the onions are translucent, add 1 cup diced bell peppers, saute 1 minute

: add 4 cups of day-old rice and 1 tblsp garlic paste, season with kosher salt and cayenne pepper

: saute until the rice “pops”, move the rice to one side of the pan, add two more tblsp olive oil, scramble 4 whisked eggs until set

: mix the eggs with the other ingredients, saute until the eggs are dry

: check/adjust seasoning; to serve, top with black olives; serves 4

: Portuguese Fried Rice

: Portuguese Fried Rice

: when the poultry is about 3/4 cooked, brush generously with piri piri sauce and 1 tblsp fresh lemon juice, return to oven; repeat this step every 5 minutes until poultry is cooked through

: hello beauty !

: Piri Piri Chicken And Portuguese Fried Rice

: Piri Piri Chicken And Portuguese Fried Rice

: Piri Piri Chicken And Portuguese Fried Rice

: Piri Piri Chicken And Portuguese Fried Rice

: Piri Piri Chicken And Portuguese Fried Rice

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Red Velvet Waffles (The Good Ones)

Good Red Velvet Waffles

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Ever since I bought a new waffle iron about a year ago, waffles have become one of my favorite “Quickies” (Get your mind out of the gutter) 🙂
I prep them usually about once a week, sweet or savory, with whatever I dream up that could go well with or within waffles. The one thing I stayed away from were red velvet waffles. Whenever I looked up a recipe, it contained red food coloring, usually about 2 tablespoons of the stuff for 2 cups of flour. Now I admit that I have used food coloring on occasions to enhance a color, but I abhor to use coloring as the only means to create color in food.
Of corse, the simple solution is to add red fruit puree for sweet waffles or red vegetable puree for savory waffles. This will give the waffles both flavor and color and eliminates the need for food coloring.
The results are beautiful waffles with a shiny, golden outside and a bright, pleasant and appetizing pink interior with full, satisfying fruit- and chocolate flavor.
And there you have it…….. “Good” Red Velvet Waffles 🙂
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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Waffle Batter :
Ingredients :
1. 1/3 cup flour, 4 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp sugar, salt to taste, 1/2 cup melted butter, 1 cup strawberry coulis, 1 tblsp chocolate powder, two egg yolks (whisk the two egg whites to stiff peaks)
Method :
Mix dry ingredients well, add strawberry coulis, egg yolks and melted butter, fold in whisked egg whites
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Good Red Velvet Waffles

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
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: clean 1 ea medium size pineapple and two pints of strawberries

: to the strawberries, add 3 tblsp organic honey

: puree the strawberry/honey to a smooth coulis, remove 1 cup, set aside, reserve the rest for the sauteed pineapples

: cut the pineapples into 1/2 ” cubes

: saute the pineapple cubes in 3 oz butter until lightly caramelized

: add the reserved strawberry coulis to the pineapples simmer until thickened

: simmer until thickenedand most of the liquid has evaporated and the color has become dark-orange

: prepare batter according to recipe on this page

: bake on medium heat until golden and cooked through; serve with the sauteed pineapples and fresh whipped heavy cream

: Good Red Velvet Waffles

: Good Red Velvet Waffles

: Good Red Velvet Waffles

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Mongolian Beef

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Fact: Mongolian Beef is not Chinese food.
Fact: Mongolian Beef is not Mongolian food.
Fact: Mongolian Beef is an American creation from the 40’s.
Fact: Mongolian Beef can be pretty awful.
Fact: Mongolian Beef can be pretty good.
Fact: Mongolian Beef has a million and one recipes – different beef cuts, different vegetables, different sauce, etc.
Fact: Mongolian Beef should contain beef strips and scallions stir fried in peanut oil and finished in a savory, spicy brown sauce.
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Fact: THIS Mongolian Beef recipe is super delicious 🙂
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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Click here for Chinese Steamed Rice ( 飯 Fan) on ChefsOpinion
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Mongolian Beef

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures
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: make a sauce by mixing 1/3 cup soy sauce, 1/3 cup oyster sauce, 1/3 cup hoi sin sauce, 1 tsp garlic paste, grated ginger and chili flakes to taste

: slice 5 stalks of scallions on the bias

: cut 16 oz flank steak into 1/4 inch thick slices

: season beef with 2 tblsp cornstarch, 2 tblsp soy sauce, white pepper to taste

: mix well and let rest for at least 30 minutes (this cooking method is called velveting)

: add garlic oil to a very hot pan or wok

: stirfry the beef until well browned but still rare

: add scallions

: add the sauce

: bring to a simmer once, remove from heat, check/adjust seasoning, serve with rice or noodles; serves 2

: Mongolian Beef

: Mongolian Beef

: Mongolian Beef

: Mongolian Beef

: Mongolian Beef

: Mongolian Beef

: 飯 – Fan (Chinese Steamed Rice)

: garlic confit for garlic confit paste in progress……unrelated to the mongolian beef, except that I used some of the oil for stirfrying…..

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Schälrippchen Mit Sauerkraut Und Bratkartoffeln- Spareribs With Sauerkraut And Sauteed Potatoes

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I will not tell you how wonderful, tasty, scrumptious, delicious, ambrosial, appetizing, dainty, delectable, delish, flavorful, flavorsome, luscious, lush, mouth-watering, palatable, savory , sumptuous, succulent, tasteful, tasty, toothsome, toothy, yummy and just far-out super this dish is 🙂
Why not, you ask? Because, if you look at the pictures below and you don’t see it, words can’t help, and convincing won’t work 😦
For the ones who see, enjoy the pics and find the time to prepare this dish and you will find yourself superbly rewarded 🙂
Schälrippchen mit sauerkraut und bratkartoffeln is a typical dish from Swabia, the area in Southern Germany where I grew up. Typically eaten on a Saturday, it was looked upon as a very simple, down to earth dish, enjoyed only with family and not fancy enough to share with guests.
Schälrippchen mit sauerkraut und bratkartoffeln is one of those dishes which turn back the time for me, stimulating me to vividly remember times more simple and happy…….
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Guten Appetit ! Das Leben Ist Schön !
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All about Spare Ribs
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More Bratkartoffeln
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All about Sauerkraut

Pictures of Swabia
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P.S.
Traditionally, the brine for the ribs contains “Pökelsalz” which contains Nitrite and turns the ribs pinkish.
At home I use regular kosher salt instead, which will result in the same taste without the pink coloring of the meat.
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P.P.S.
This is food which tastes even better when re-heated 🙂
If you can manage, eat just a bit after just finished cooking, then bury the ribs in the sauerkraut, top with the potatoes and keep in the fridge overnight. The next day, gently reheat.
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Schälrippchen Mit Sauerkraut Und Bratkartoffeln

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

: cut ribs into one-rib pieces

: make a brine of 2.5 qt water and 1 lb kosher salt, 5 cloves, 2 bay leaves, 1 tblsp crashed black pepper, cover ribs with brine, store in fridge for 4-6 days

: after brining, remove ribs from brine, rinse, discard brine, simmer in lightly salted water until tender but NOT falling apart

: use good quality sauerkraut, this one is one of my favorites

: rinse the kraut , squeeze dry

: saute onions in generous amount of pork or duck fat until translucent

: add the kraut, one tblsp sugar and enough cooking-liquid from the ribs to cover the kraut, cover with a lid and very slowly simmer for at least 45 minutes. ( stir often, if too dry, add a bit more stock)

: bind the sauerkraut with a bit of potato-or cornstarch slurry

: meanwhile, cut, blanche, schock and drain potatoes

: saute potatoes in pork- or duck fat until golden, season with kosher salt and fresh-ground black pepper

: sauerkraut and bratkartoffeln

: top with the ribs

: serve with dijon or other good quality mustard

: Schälrippchen Mit Sauerkraut Und Bratkartoffeln

: Schälrippchen Mit Sauerkraut Und Bratkartoffeln

: Schälrippchen Mit Sauerkraut Und Bratkartoffeln

: Bella’s get’s the first bite, as usual 🙂

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Latkes With Caramelized Nectarines

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Latkes, kartoffelpuffer, reibekuchen, potato pancakes, bramborák, draniki – a hundred different countries, a hundred different names for the same amazing potato dish. Jewish in origin, it has found its way into a myriad of other cuisines were it has become a beloved dish of longstanding tradition.
Potato pancakes are very popular in Europe and particularly in Germany, where you can find “Puffer Kiosk”s on many streets, at fairs and festivals and of course in many restaurants and in many homes, were they will be served by themself as snack, or accompanied by fruits, or part of savory dishes, with bacon, fish or other proteins.
I have eaten and loved “Kartoffelpuffer ” ever since I had the first ones at our home, lovingly prepared by my mom. At our home they were always served with apple sauce, no exception.
Tilly was not the world’s greatest cook, but she made the best potato pancakes – period. Memories…….. 🙂
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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More about ” Latkes ”
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Latkes Recipe
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