German Currywurst Bavarian style

German Currywurst Bavarian Style

Here is a little story about the Currywurst. In Germany there is a little war between whom invented the Currywurst. It's North against South. The people in the North are using Bratwurst, the people in the South are using Bockwurst or smoked Bratwurst. There is no right or wrong, better or worse. I personally think, whatever you prefer will work for you. You can use either or and still can call it german Currywurst. Since I am from Bavaria, the South, I am using Bockwurst or smoked Bratwurst. Here in the States you can not find Bockwurst all the time. Bockwurst is basically like a big Wiener. Smoked Bratwurst you can find regulary. Both taste good. Ok, here we go with the recipe for the Sauce.

What you need for the Curry Sauce:

- 1 Cup Coca Cola 

         - 200 ml regular Ketchup

                               -  2 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce

                                                                 - 1 Tablespoon Tabasco (or less if you don't want it to spicy)

              - 1/2 Tablespoon Curry mild

                                           - 1/2 Tablespoon Curry spicy (or mild as well)

- Salt                       

                 - 3-4 Tablespoons Applesauce 

Put the Coca Cola in a stainless steel pot and let it reduce 1/3. Then add the other ingredients. Depends on how spicy you want, be careful with the Tobasco and the spicy Curry. You can always add more spice to your plate. Now that the Sauce is prepared, you can fry the Wurst (whichever you picked) so it's nice brown from all sides. When you transfer it to the plate, slice it up. Traditionally we serve French Fries with it. I make fresh from scratch because that's what we like most. Now Drizzle the Sauce over the Wurst and for the eye put a bit Curry over the Wurst and the Sauce. 

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Project dry ham

Making smoked dry ham:

I tried for the first time to make ham myself. It still needs some improving but for the first time I am actually pretty content. For this recipe, you can lean on mine but of course you can add or change it for your own desire.

For this specific Ham I used just a little piece of lean pork meat. I can't remember what kind of 
meat it was but I found it at a hispanic store and paid less then $3 for it. 

Back home I used a pot to mix the ingredients together. For this one here I used Kosher Mediterranean sea salt, 2 small teaspoons of sugar, handful of Juniper berries and Peppercorn. The last two I smashed a bit in a mortar. Then I rubbed everything into the meat very thoroughly. Putting it in a ziplog bag and tried to get all air out. I used a big bag so I could fold it and leave a big corner hanging down so the juice can drain in there. 

After 1 1/2 weeks I took the meat out and watered it
in a big bowl of Water for 3 hrs. (next time def. longer since it was still very salty).

 After the 3 hrs I dried it and put a S hook thru the meat and hang it outside to let it dry over night. (I am in central Florida, we still have it warm enough). Next day we started smoking it. 

We have an electric smoker and we used Hickory wood on 200 degrees Fahrenheit for 6 hrs.. After the 6 hrs we hang it in the fridge for allowing it to rest for 3 days. After the 3 days we smoked it again for 3 hrs.. After that we couldn't wait for it to try though. 

It was quiet salty so I put it in a wet cheese cloth for a day and now it is a lot better. It is very delicious and I can use it for cooking or eating just like that.

For my next Ham I want to get additional seasons:
Curing salt
Coriander seed
Bay leave 
Garlic Powder
and smoking in Pine wood chips

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Buttermilk - what you can do with it

 

Buttermilk - and what you can do with it

Today I want to talk about Buttermilk and what you can do with it. Buttermilk is more useful then
just for making pancakes or Buttermilk Biscuits. Buttermilk can do  much more. Especially
the cultured one. 

The two things I like to do the most with it are Creme Fraiche and Quark. Quark is something
similar to Ricotta or Greek Yogurt. But it contains more fat. And as a Chef we all know, that 
fat is a transporter of flavor. And the cultured used in the Buttermilk are the "good" cultures
what helps with the digestive system. Also, when you produce it yourself, you know there ain't
be any preservatives in it you can't pronounce. 

For the Creme Fraiche (Sour Cream) you need:
- ca 200 ml Heavy Whipping Cream (a little less then a cup)
- 3 Tablespoons of cultured Buttermilk

Use a glass container you heated up in boiling water first to kill all other germs. Let it slightly cool. Then add both ingredients and stir. Now you just put a coffee Filter over it and fix it with an elastic band. Let it sit outside in the warmth for 24 hrs. After the 24 hrs, stir and you will see that it already started to set and get slightly thicker. Then cover it again with the coffee Filter (that helps it to breath but prevents of dirt falling in) and put it in the fridge for another 24 hrs. After that time, stir and you will notice its a thick, creamy mass. Now you can just close it and store in the fridge. You can use creme fraiche instead of Sour cream (but its not that "sour"), you can use it for cooking (it melts nicer), you can use it instead of butter on your Toast with Marmelade or on Pancakes. 

For the Quark you will need:
- Buttermilk. (1 Bottle of 500 ml/ 2 cups will make around 500 gr of Quark)
- Slow cooker (or a regular pot if you don't have a slow cooker)

Add the Buttermilk in the slow cooker. Put it on LOW and let it sit for around 1 hrs. (you will notice that the curds seperating from the Whey. Then it's done) When you make it in a regular pot on the stove, make sure that the heat is not to high. You don't want it to boil. It should just slightly heat up. Once the seperation is complete, drain it in a strainer with a cheesecloth inside. You can now put it on a pot so you catch the Whey. The Whey can be used to bake bread or even to give it to pets for drinking. Wait til the Quark is all drained (you might want to put a plate on top to help the process) and then you can transfer it to a container and store it in the fridge. 

Quark can be used for so many things. You can eat it sweet with Marmelade or fruits and sugar/honey. You can add whipped cream and make it a creamy yogurt. You can add herbs/garlic/onions and eat it with boiled Potatoes. You can bake with it - for example our famous german Cheesecake. 

Or Kaese-Sahne Torte (cheese-whipping cream Tort) 

Or maybe you are creating your own dishes with it. Have fun and Guten Appetit

Mussels in Tomato Sauce

                              Mussels in Tomato Sauce

You need fresh Mussels of course. You might want to clean them first a little bit under running water.
the once what are open, close. If they don't close, throw them away. You will need at least 1 lbs per Person. My 8 year old is killing almost 2 lbs though. ;-) 

For the Sauce you need:

- 2 Parsnip, coarse chopped
- 1 Celery, coarse chopped
- 2 Carrots, coarse chopped
- 1 Can of strained Tomatoes (Pomi or Organic)
- 6 Garlic cloves, fine chopped
- little bit of Salt and sugar
- 1/4 - 1/2 bottle of good white wine
- Fresh Parsley

Fry the  vegetables in Oil a bit, then add the tomatoes and white wine and garlic. Salt just a little bit so its slightly untersalted. Add 1 tsp of sugar. The mussels once they open, will release some of the salty ocean water. 
Let the Tomato Sauce simmer for at least 30 min. 45 min is even better. I like to remove the Vegetables after its cooked because my daughter doesn't like the junks. But you can also just leave them in and eat with the Mussels. You may also just strain in thru a strainer. The Sauce would get even creamier. Once your sauce is done, you can add the fresh Mussels. Cooking time til they are all open is usually just a couple of min to like 5 min. Cover your pot so they can steam. Once their open, their done. Remove the ones whom didn't open. Their bad. 
We like to eat just plain Baguette Bread (French Bread) with it. It is so yummy to dip the bread in the Sauce. 

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one pot meal - Ground Meat with Potatoes

One-pot-meal..... Ground meat with Potatoes: 

- 1 lbs Ground meat (beef or mix of beef and pork)
- 1 lbs Potatoes - cubed
- 1 Bell Pepper - cubed
- 1 can of diced tomatoes
- 1 1/2 Onions - diced
- 1 cup of beef broth
- Salt, Paprika, Herbs the Provonce (for this see my Recipe of the Mushrooms in Yogurtsauce) 


Fry the ground meat with the onions til meat is nice crumbly. Then add the diced Bell Pepper and season it good with salt, Paprika and the herbs the Provonce. Then add the can of diced Tomatoes and then the Potatoes. Then add the broth and cover it for like 15 min and cook it on low flame. Then cook it another 15 min with open lid, stir occasionally. At the very end, use some of the liquid and add 2 tablespoons of corn starch and mix it together that its smooth without clumps. Then add the mix to the rest and let it cook for 1 min so it can get nice and creamy. 
I served a salad with it.
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Chicken Paprikasch

Chicken Paprikasch

Short Story to this dish. I had it for the very first time in Romania. I loved it from the beginning. Then I have had it a few times at some friends houses.
I never really got the recipe but I watched my former mother in law over her shoulders
and, now cooking it for years, developed my own little touch to it. What I love about this recipe is the simplicity of the ingredients and the amazing out turn of the flavor. Beside that its actually pretty healthy. My daughter loves it so much, she is wishing for it regulary.

So, here is what you need:

- 1 Box of chicken drums (you can also use a whole chicken. just not only breast since you      don't want to use any chicken broth and therefor you need a little bit of bone)
- 1 big onion coarsley chopped
- 3-4 bell peppers (any color, doesn't matter)
- 2-3 Teaspoons of Tomatopaste
- Salt
- Pepper
- Paprika
- Water

That is how its done:

I like to remove the skin of the chicken drums first. They get slobby when you cook them. Then I chop the onion and bell peppers in not to fine cubes (you blend everything later anyways)
Fry the chicken drums from each side light brown. In the meantime you can add the Onion and Peppers in a bigger pot and start frying them a bit too. Once the chickens are brown, add them to the veggies. Now add salt, pepper and Paprika. Amount just eyeball. You can add more salt later so better be a bit careful. If you don't have sweet Paprika like me, you might be careful with the Paprika also. You don't want it to spicy. Then add the Tomatopaste and Water till the chicken, after stirred with the veggies, are slightly covered. Bring it back to a boil, reduce the heat, cover and let simmer for 30 min.. In the meantime you can cook the rice for the side. Or mashed potatoes. They both go good with it. Once the chickens are done, remove them and blend the sauce to a creamy consistence. Now you may add more salt if needed. At the very last add 2 Tablespoons of sour cream and combine it thouroghly. Serve the Sauce with the Chicken and the Rice


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Greek Meatloaf (Bifteki) in Metaxa Sauce

Greek Meatloaf (Bifteki) in Metaxa Sauce:

Today I am cooking Greek Meatloaf. It's a nice change to the regular Meatloaf. I started to prepare
it for dinner at noon. So I am not in a huzzle.

For the meatloaf you will need this:

- 1 lbs ground Beef
- 1/2 to 1 red onion, chopped
- 2 Tablespoons mustard
- 1 Tablespoon Tomatopaste
- 1 Egg
- 2 Teaspoons Oregano
- 1 Teaspoon (Archer Farms) Mediterranean Seasoning (Target) or Gyros Seasoning
- Salt, Pepper
- 2 Tablespoons plain Breadcrumbs 

Mix all ingredients in a Bowl together. Separate them in 2 pieces, add Feta cheese in the middle
of the meatloafs. (Here I also used my preserved Feta cheese in Garlic Oil) 

For the Metaxa Sauce you will need:

- 1/2 - 1 red Onion
- 1 Cup Heavy Whip (250 ml)
- a little bit more then 1/2 cup Metaxa (150 ml)
- 1 Teaspoon beef stock crumbled
- 1/2 cup Water (125 ml)
- cornstarch (optional) 

Fry the Onions in a pan til their smooth. Then add all the liquids and season it with salt. 

Fry the Meatloafs for 5 min on each side in a pan. Then add the Metaxa Sauce to the Meatloafs and put scrumbled Feta cheese and scrumbled Goat cheese on top of it and put them for 15 min in the oven at 400 degrees.
This time I was serving my filled Tomatos with it, Rice (you can add Paprika and Tomatopaste to the Rice) and Lettuce. 
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