snack

Suppli al Telefono

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Many fans of Italian fried rice balls are a bit unclear about the difference between Arancino and Suppli.
I found this explanation online which seems to be very accurate to me and should help to calm down future hot-blooded discussions 🙂
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Excerpt from La Piccola Fontana :
“The Sicilian people will be having some stern words with us for combining their beloved arancino with it’s Roman cousins, supplì, and vice versa but the fact remains that when in Italy you should try at least one type of freshly fried rice ball.

These starch bombs appear in bars, restaurants, and market stalls all over Italy, but if you are going to order one, it helps to know the difference. The Sicilian arancino is often larger, and either conical or circular in shape. In fact, its name means “small orange.” It is typically filled with ragu and some sort of cheese, with optional veggies like peas, mushrooms, or eggplant.

You will also find specialty arancini like carbonara, though purists tend to turn up their noses at these newfangled inventions.

Supplì, on the other hand, are a Roman specialty usually found in pizzerias and as antipasti. They are often oblong in shape and traditionally contain only rice, tomato sauce, and a large piece of mozzarella in the middle.”
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And there you have it. Clear, once and for all 🙂
As for me, I love both equally, the only difference being that I can eat a bunch of Arancini as a main course, while two Suppli are usually enough and therefore more suited (for me) as an appetizer or snack.
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PS:
There are many different variations of both arancini and suppli, different fillings, different types of rice, tomato sauce added to the rice, etc.
In my opinion, when made and served with love, they are all equally delicious and satisfying 🙂
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P.P.S.
Supposedly, the name Suppli al Telefono stems from the mozzarella cheese which forms into long thin strands (Telephone Lines) when one pulls the supply apart 🙂
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P.P.P.S.
Usually fried rice balls are served with tomato sauce. However, I prefer to eat them with Tonkatsu Sauce
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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Suppli al Telefono

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Suppli al Telefono

Arancina

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

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: to 2 cups cooked rice add 1 ea whole egg, 1 tblsp tomato sauce, 1 dash hot sauce, kosher salt to taste and grated parmigiano reggiano as needed (to keep the rice balls from falling apart)

: form into 4-8 patties, press each into one hand, add a cube or piece of mozzarella, close the disk and roll between two hands to form even balls; bread in standard breading

: fry suppli in 365F fat until golden on the outside and the cheese in the center has melted; serve with spicy tomato sauce or dip of your choice (I use tonkatsu sauce)

: Suppli al Telefono

: Suppli al Telefono

: Suppli al Telefono

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Black Pepper & Soy Chicken Wings

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If you think one more post about chicken wings is redundant, I do understand you 🙂
Just move on, don’t get upset, bored or annoyed. I will see you at my next post…….
However, realize this: You’ll miss a chance to look at one of the prettiest, tastiest, no-fuss to prepare chicken wings you will ever come across 🙂
So, if you decided to read on and look on – enjoy, take the time to replicate these babes and be the master of your own future-favorite chicken wings 🙂 Cheers !
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Bon Appétit !   Life is Good !
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Click here for more  Chicken Wings on ChefsOpinion
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Click here for more  Chicken  on ChefsOpinion
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P.S.
If you can not obtain anatto powder (Annatto/Achiote/Roucou ), you can substitute red food coloring (In my humble opinion, this is more of a “pride-issue”, rather than a quality-issue) 🙂
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P.P.S.
I did no include measurements in this recipe because I believe they are not necessary.
If you want to add any more or any less of any seasoning, just do so according to your own taste.
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Black Pepper & Soy Chicken Wings

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures
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: season chicken wings with peanut oil, freshly-cracked black pepper, soy sauce, kosher salt, lemon juice, chili oil, granulated garilc, hoisin sauce and annatto powder to taste, cook on a rack in a pre-heated oven at 400F until cooked through, about 45 minutes, depending on the size of the wings

: Black Pepper & Soy Chicken Wings

: Black Pepper & Soy Chicken Wings

: Black Pepper & Soy Chicken Wings

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P.S.
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This dish is part of my upcoming meal plan # 2 –
“HANS’ LIGHTER, HEALTHIER COMFORT FOOD” – MONTH TWO
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Click here for
“HANS’ LIGHTER, HEALTHIER COMFORT FOOD” – MONTH ONE
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Curried Shrimp With Potatoes & Garbanzos

Curried Shrimp With Potatoes & Garbanzos

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Today, I like to share a dish with you that I have prepared in its basic version hundreds of times over the years. It is a “a la minute” dish, so it requires no prolonged cooking and can be prepared on short notice (a la minute) and in just a few minutes of prepping and cooking.
The ingredients for the sauce are always the same – clarified butter, curry powder, turmeric powder, cumin, garlic paste, grated ginger, kosher salt, chicken, beef or vegetable stock, and heavy cream.
On the other hand, besides the sauce, anything goes. You can replace the potatoes, chick peas and shrimp with anything your heart desires and your belly craves – any poultry, any seafood, beef, veggies-only to make the dish vegetarian, even potatoes and tomatoes only (one of my favorites), and so forth…..
The sauce is what makes this dish so delicious and unique and I usually make more than the dish actually needs, so I can use the leftover sauce to flavor some rice or pasta, usually for a simple breakfast or a tasty midnight snack 🙂
The ratio of the ingredients for the sauce is also flexible and depends on the main ingredient you use.
While the basic sauce for two portions requires 1/2 cup stock, 1/2 cup heavy cream, 1 pinch of cumin, 1 tblsp curry powder, 1/4 tsp garlic paste, 1/4 tsp grated ginger and kosher salt to taste, I like to use more curry powder for beef and chicken dishes, more cumin for lamb, more liquid for starchy dishes, less liquid for vegetable variations, etc.
As usual, please let the recipe I give you here serve as a guideline, which you can/should adjust according to your own preferences 🙂
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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Click here for my opinion on “Authentic Recipes” on ChefsOpinion
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Click here for “Easy Does It Curry Sauce ” on ChefsOpinion
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Curried Shrimp With Potatoes & Garbanzos

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Curried Shrimp With Potatoes & Garbanzos

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Curried Shrimp With Potatoes & Garbanzos

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures
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: blanch, peel and slice 1 lb of small potatoes, pat dry, fry in 2 cup 375F peanut oil until lightly browned

: remove from oil with a slotted spoon, reserve

: season 1 1/2 lbs 21/32 shrimp with 1 tblsp lime juice, 1 tblsp corn starch and kosher salt to taste

: fry in 375F peanut oil for 1 minute, remove with a slotted spoon, reserve

: season the chickpeas with a pinch of curry powder, a pinch of cumin and kosher salt to taste

: saute in the remaining 275F peanut oil for one minute, remove with a slotted spoon, reserve

: slice 1 ea large jalapeno into thin slices, dust lightly with corn starch, saute in 275F peanut oil for one minute, remove with a slotted spoon, reserve, discard the peanut oil

: add 1 ea tblsp clarified butter to the pan, saute all spices and aromatics until fragrant (see the ingredients on this page)

: add the stock and heavy cream (see the ingredients on this page), simmer 2 minutes, remove from heat, check/adjust the seasoning, add all the previously sauteed ingredients except the jalapenos, mix well,

: place the curry on a deep serving bowl, top with the fried jalapenos, basil leaves, sliced chives and pickled chilies (optional); serves 4

: Curried Shrimp With Potatoes & Garbanzos

: Curried Shrimp With Potatoes & Garbanzos

: Curried Shrimp With Potatoes & Garbanzos

: Curried Shrimp With Potatoes & Garbanzos

: Curried Shrimp With Potatoes & Garbanzos

: Curried Shrimp With Potatoes & Garbanzos

: Curried Shrimp With Potatoes & Garbanzos

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Falscher Hase (Fake Rabbit)

“Meatloaf With Sautéed Cabbage, Horseradish Potatoes And Mushroom Cream”
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Falscher Hase (Fake Rabbit) (Meatloaf)

There is a little story about the origin of the name Falscher Hase.
(Also: Hackbraten, Faschierter Braten, Heuchelhase)
(It might be funny now, but back then it was not funny at all, since it tried to cover-up the poverty and embarrassment of ordinary folks who were too poor to put a meal on the table of which they could be proud of)
You see, not too long ago there was a time in Germany, Baden-Wuerttemberg in particular, when ground meat was not considered a proper entrée. It was ok for burgers (buletten), which were mostly consumed as a vesper (snack), served cold with bread and mustard.
But meatloaf was perceived as nothing to be proud of, an inferior dish only served when there was no money for a real cut of protein. Usually, it contained hard-boiled eggs in the center and sometimes blanched carrots, celery and bell peppers, not to make the meatloaf prettier but to further stretch the budget, since eggs and veggies were even cheaper than ground meat.
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So, in order to trick casual visitors or passersby to think there is a more prestigious piece of roast in the oven or on the table, “Hase” (Rabbit) was the usual answer to the question what smells so great at lunch or dinner time. This was a time before A/C and long notices before one went to visit one’s neighbor for a chat. Kitchen windows were always open, especially while cooking, everybody stopped by for a quick chat, either the passerby talking to the person inside or the person inside talking to the passerby. After all, before TV came along, leaning on the window and seeing the world go by was some of the choice entertainment as well as the main local news source – who walks with whom, who has new clothes, whose clothes are not properly ironed, how does this or that look……. 🙂
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Of course, everything has changed considerably since then (at least in our “advanced, modern” part of the world, what with tv, the internet, and so forth, a/c which requires closed windows and therefore less personal contact with our neighbors. etc…….. 😦
However, to get back to the dish at hand, if one is able to prepare a good meatloaf, one can and should be proud if this once “inferior” dish. Unfortunately, it is not easy to find a good meatloaf around here, neither in restaurants or in many homes.
Therefore, I give you this recipe which has been in my repertoire for 50 years. It was one of the very first things I learned to cook as an apprentice when I was 14 years old and I have done it with minor variations ever since. 🙂
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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Falscher Hase (Fake Rabbit) (Meatloaf)

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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 julienne of 2 onions in 2 oz whole butter until translucent

: add 8 oz sliced button mushroom, saute until lightly browned

: add 2 cups heavy cream, simmer until reduced by half

: add 2 cup demi glace, simmer one minute

: season with kosher salt and cayenne pepper to taste, reserve

: saute 6 once coarsely diced chorizo and 1 ea coarsly diced onion in 4 oz EVO until onions are translucent

: add 2 lbs large diced white cabbage, season with kosher salt and fresh-cracked black pepper to taste

: saute until cabbage starts to soften, add 4 stalks 1 inch cut scallions, check/adjust seasoning, reserve

: peel, cut and cook 2 lbs potatoes until soft, drain, add 6 oz whole butter, 2 oz grated horseradish, kosher salt to taste and 4 tblsp heavy cream, mash until purre texture is achived (add more cream if needed)

: check/adjust taste, reserve

: soak 4 cups of panko crumbs in enough cold milk to cover until bread is soft, squeeze bread dry

: saute 3 diced onion in 2 oz butter until lightly caramelized, place in refrigerator until cold

: mix 3 lbs ground porkm 3 lbs ground beef or veal, 6 whole eggs, 1/4 cup chopped parsley with stems, 1/4 cup ketchup, 1/4 cup dijon mustard, 1/4 cup sweet paprika pwd, the soaked bread and the onions, cayenne pepper and kosher salt to taste

: mix well so everything is distributed evenly

: make a small sample-patty to check the taste and texture

: shape into two logs, bake at 375 until center has reached 160F, remove from oven and let rest, tented loosely with alu-foil for 15 minutes before cutting/serving

: Falscher Hase (Fake Rabbit) (Meatloaf)

: Falscher Hase (Fake Rabbit) (Meatloaf)

: Falscher Hase (Fake Rabbit) (Meatloaf)

: Falscher Hase (Fake Rabbit) (Meatloaf)

: Falscher Hase (Fake Rabbit) (Meatloaf)

: Falscher Hase (Fake Rabbit) (Meatloaf)

: Falscher Hase (Fake Rabbit) (Meatloaf)

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P.S.
Each meatloaf serves 10-12.
Potatoes and cabbage – 5 servings each
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Shrimp And Black Beans Taco Bowl

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I do realize that taco bowls are sooo 80’s, but I feel they still look great today, and this piece of once “in” popular food culture deserves a place within the classics we should re-visit once in a while so as not to forget them 🙂
In order to be a bit more colorful, instead of the usual flour tortilla, I have used a brightly colored spinach wrap here. Wraps come in all kinds of colors, so this opens up the visual spectrum to be a bit more varied.
As far as the filling is concerned, today I felt like bean salad, avocado, greens, and shrimp, but of course, the sky is the limit, as long as it is not liquid and you serve it right after preparation in order to avoid the shells to become soft.
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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Click here for more Shrimp on ChefsOpinion
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Click here for Salsa Mexicana Recipe on ChefsOpinion

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Shrimp And Black Beans Taco Bowl

ready to go……………serves 2

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

: lightly oil two molds of your choice with olive oil, drape wraps over them, bake at 350F until crisp

: cool bowls before removing from molds

: saeson 16 oz of med size, tail-on peeled shrimp with kosher salt, cayenne pepper and garlic paste, saute in 1 tblsp whole butter until cooked through, remove to cool to room tempereture

: mix one 10 oz can of drained black beans or other beans of your choice with 1 cup salsa Mexicana

: dress a small amount of frisee salad or other greens of your choice with honey/lime dressing

: ready to go……………serves 2

: Shrimp And Black Beans Taco Bowl

: Shrimp And Black Beans Taco Bowl

: Shrimp And Black Beans Taco Bowl

: Shrimp And Black Beans Taco Bowl

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Black Pudding And Potato Salad Turnovers…..(Schwäbishe Teigtaschen Mit Blutwurst, Kartoffelsalat Und Röstzwiebeln)

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These pretty babies are a happy concoction of some of my beloved food items :
Blutwurst ( black pudding/blood pudding/morcilla), Swabian potato salad (schwäbisher kartoffel salad), röstzwiebeln (smothered or fried onions), good quality mustard, fiery chilies, and thin sheets of dough to wrap it all and bake to crispy goodness. 🙂
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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Click here for Schwäbischer Kartoffelsalat (Swabian Potato Salad)
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Click here for a very different kind of Potato Salad on ChefsOpinion
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P.S.
For this dish I have used Argentinian style morcilla, which is widely available here in South Florida. A better fit would be Schwäbishe blutwurst, which melts when heated and spreads out better within the crispy wrap. But taste-wise, the morcilla I used is about the same.
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P.P.S.
I love to serve this with hot chilies to cut through the richness of the filling. If this is too spicy for you, serve the turnovers with a side of green salad.
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Blood Pudding And Potato Salad Turnovers…..(Schwäbishe Teigtaschen Mit Blutwurst, Kartoffelsalat Und Röstzwiebeln)

> stard, fiery chilies, and th

Blood Pudding And Potato Salad Turnovers…..(Schwäbishe Teigtaschen Mit Blutwurst, Kartoffelsalat Und Röstzwiebeln)

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures
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: potato salad, scallions, whole egg, onion, pre-made turnover dough sheets

: 4 ea small morcilla, to be peeled, skin discarded

: 2 whole eggs, whisked with sriracha and kosher salt to taste

: brush 1 dough sheet generously with egg wash

: spread-out 3 oz of potato salad, top with 1/2 ea morcilla, 2 tblsp smotthered or fried onions, 1 tsp mustard and 2 tblsp sliced scallions

: top with another sheet of dough, brush generously with egg wash, crimp the edges, place on buttered baking sheet

: bake turnovers at 375F until dough is cooked through and crisp; serve with a side of marinated chilies or a green salad; serves 8 snacks or appetizers (to enjoy as main course, double the amount of filling; serves 4)

: Blood Pudding And Potato Salad Turnovers…..(Schwäbishe Teigtaschen Mit Blutwurst, Kartoffelsalat Und Röstzwiebeln)

: Blood Pudding And Potato Salad Turnovers…..(Schwäbishe Teigtaschen Mit Blutwurst, Kartoffelsalat Und Röstzwiebeln)

: Blood Pudding And Potato Salad Turnovers…..(Schwäbishe Teigtaschen Mit Blutwurst, Kartoffelsalat Und Röstzwiebeln)

: Blood Pudding And Potato Salad Turnovers…..(Schwäbishe Teigtaschen Mit Blutwurst, Kartoffelsalat Und Röstzwiebeln)

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Pearl Burgers

Pearl Balls

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Pearl ~~Balls~~ Burgers :
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DON’T PLAY WITH YOUR FOOD !
When we were kids, most of us had to be told not to play with our food in order to install respect and gratitude towards our daily nourishment, which in my case, immediately after WWII in Germany, was not nearly as guaranteed and abundant as is now for most of us.
But, decades later, like any professional chef, I love to “play” with food, either to improve a dish’s taste, appearance, profitability, or just for the heck of it. 🙂
“Just for the heck of it” happened today.
I was well on my way to prepare traditional “Chinese Pearl Balls”, which I love dearly and I prepare quite often for myself at home. They are easy and quick to prepare, look wonderful and they serve perfect as snack, appetizer or main course in a multi-course meal.
However, today I had the urge to “play with my food” a bit and the following was the result. Both versions of the burgers were outstanding in taste and especially in texture, and I will definitely prepare them again 🙂
Because of their size and the additional liquid added to the ground meat, the pearl burgers were much more juicy than regular pearl balls, which tend to dry-out quickly when removed from the steam. The burgers without the rice coating were very juicy as well, with the additional bonus of the taste/texture-enhancement resulting from the maillard reaction.
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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P.S.
As mentioned above and as you can see in the prep-pictures below, I added much more water to the ground meat as one would to regular pearl balls, since holding their shape was not an issue for the patties as it would have been shaping the pork into spherical shapes. The added moisture made a huge difference in the final product.
P.P.S.
Serve with Kecap Manis or other dipping sauce of your choice.
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Click here to read about Maillard Reaction
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Click here for Kecap Manis Recipe on ChefsOpinion
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Pearl Burger

Asian Flavored Pork Burger

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures
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: mix 2 lbs ground pork, 4 ea stalks sliced scallions, 1 tblsp sesame oil, 1 tblsp soy sauce, 1 tsp garlic paste, 1/2 tsp grated ginger, 1 tsp chili paste, kosher salt to taste and 1 cup water or unsalted chicken broth

: soak 1 cup long grain rice overnight in water; next day, drain rice and pat dry

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: divide pork into 4 patties, dip 2 ea on both sides in the soaked rice

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: saute the 2 plain patties on both sides in peanut oil until golden and cooked medium-well – (the carry-over heat will finish the cooking process) ; serves 2

: place one ea of the pearl patties on a lightly oiled plate or parchment paper, steam in 2 steamer baskets (one above each other) until medium well – (the carry-over heat will finish the cooking process) ; serves 2

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: Asian Flavored Pork Burger

: Steamed Pearl Burger

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: Asian Flavored Pork Burger

: Pearl Balls Burger

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Steak Salad “Saigon”

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The foundation of this steak salad is a refreshing rice stick salad, which I usually make at least twice a month. I normally make about four to six portions and eat it as part of a meal, as breakfast or as a late night snack. The noodles keep their texture for a few days without getting mushy, so this is ideal to prep in advance and then serve it when a quick bite is needed, especially on a workday as breakfast or as a snack late at night when I get home and just want to rest and more cooking is as far from my mind as possible. If I have it as part of a meal, I usually combine it with seafood, such as teriyaki- glazed salmon or sautéed shrimp. For breakfast, I usually add a couple of hard-boiled eggs and for a midnight snack some canned seafood. When Maria was still with me, she liked to serve it at bbq -parties, when it was a welcome alternative to the usual suspects of coleslaw and potato salad.
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Click here for more Pasta Salad
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Click here for more Steak Salad
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Steak Salad “Saigon”

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures
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: season new york strip with kosher salt, cayenne pepper and granulated garlic, saute or grill to your desired temperature, set steak aside and let rest at least 10 minutes before slicing

: cook, shock in icewater and drain rice sticks

: make a dressing of peanut oil, sesame oil, kosher salt, garlic paste, grated ginger, chili paste, fish sauce and rice vinegar

: fresh basil

: sliced basil, red peppers, iceberg lettuce, red onions, shredded carrots (if you plan to keep this for more than a few hours, replace the iceberg with cabbage)

: slice the steak

: mix half of the steak, the noodles and the vegetables with the dressing

: tell your dog to be patient 🙂

: almost……….

: spread some lettuce leaves on a serving dish, drizzle with a bit of the dressing

: top lettuce with the noodle salad

: top with the other half of the steak, sprinkle with toasted garlic

: Steak Salad “Saigon”

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Salmon Rillette

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One of my favorite spreads are rillettes, especially pork rillette and salmon rillette. While I have not prepared pork rillette for some time, you can often find salmon rillette in my fridge.
It’s effortless to prepare, yet if properly stored, it will give you many days of enjoyment. (Pork will last for weeks or even months if properly stored). I usually spread it on a slice of rustic bread at breakfast, lunch, dinner or as a snack. Although perfectly delicious by itself on bread, rillette can be even more enjoyable when spruced-up with a wide range of additions, such as capers, raw or pickled onions, cornichons and even topped with eggs for breakfast. Rillette also pairs nicely with steamed or sautéed potatoes and for the adventurous, try incorporating it into a pasta dish. (I have done this with pork rillette and the result was delicious. 🙂
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Bon Appetit ! Live is Good !
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All about Rilettes
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Salmon Rilette

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures
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: skin salmon filets, remove all bones

: cover salmon filets with melted butter, add kosher salt, cayenne pepper and garlic paste, simmer on very low heat until salmon is just done

: break salmon into chunks

: add fresh dill leaves

: fill rillette into serving dish, place in refrigerator overnight

: let rilette reach room-temperature before serving

: spread a generous amount of rillette on bread of your choice

: Salmon Rilettes

: Salmon Rilettes

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Salade Lyonnaise

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Here we have another classic that shows and proofs why the classics don’t die: They are simply the best !
When all the pretty (and sometimes not so pretty) newfangled high flyers have simply faded away because of lack of substance, practicality and being too heavy on looks and too light on taste and texture, out come the classics again to remind us why they were our favorites in the first place : Taste, texture and simple, appetizing presentation, free from superficial nonsense. What better dish to proof my point than with this wonderful salad which will be equally good as appetizer, side dish, snack or even main course (See below )
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P.S.
Usually the poached egg is served liquid in the center, but, while I love eggs prepared this way, for my salad I prefer them a bit more waxy (depending on the size of the egg, add about 1 to 1,5 minutes to the cooking time of soft-poached egg)
P.P.S.
Although smoked bacon is widely used, I prefer the taste and texture of fresh bacon for this dish. If you choose to use smoked bacon, you can forgo the step of simmering the bacon before sauteing.
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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