Duvel

I have posted my „go to“ bread here several times (e.g. this one). It is usually a high hydration wheat base for structure with rye, spelt or whole wheat added for flavour. To be honest, I have never counted the bread varieties in Germany, though a regular bakery might carry around 10 plus the same amount of bread rolls ...

I think that if you are after a braise-like SV preparation, you will be aiming for the 24-48h timeframe. In that case at least I need to plan ahead anyway ...

You can also freeze the sauce and bag your protein with an icecube of frozen sauce ...

In my experience time beats mechanical manipulation. Nowadays, I briefly mix my dough, do some stretch & folds with time inbetween (e.g. 30 min apart) and some ling cold rise in the fridge. None of my initial kitchen machine doughs ever had the strenghs of the batches I produce now by hand ...

Something quick tonight (after having a lot of guests over the weekend a bit of “me”-time was needed ..): Potato pancakes - salmon & sour cream version for my wife ... And Kümmelbauch with herb butter for me. Now relaxed & full !

Drop by anytime you like 🤗

Nope, it is „Kümmelbauch“. Cured pork belly, heavily scented with caraway and slowly baked.

Family breakfast, birthday boy edition ... The full spread ... Assorted breads ... Cold cuts ... Cheeses ... „Others“ For the sweet tooth ... Birthday boy & banana ...

Yup. @JoNorvelleWalker will need to wait for my next trip ... I once transported 2kg of curing salt in my hand luggage to HK (not dyed pink in Germany). Very, very interesting and time consuming discussions with airport security ...

My problem is that I eat often in general. And yes, it applies to drink as well ☺️

Not quite. Is was a pre-lunch experiment to test the consistency of the bar staff ... alas, the second Old Fashioned was presented in a slightly different manner (and with!teo cherries). They get full points anyway, as each rendition got bigger ...

Thanks ... but am on my way out already, enjoying the perks of the United Polaris lounge - impressive !

Yup ... 1.5 days Houston 😉 Nice place !

The first breakfast burrito of my life. With chorizo. Not bad at all ...

I do like shrimp and/or squid versions as well. Steamed and then grilled on a skewer. And usually made a but seeeter than the fish ones ... As they dont absorb the broth so well, I usually dont put them in oden, though. In many prefectures in Japan they use fatty fish (mackarel, even sardines) for the paste ... excellent products as well. Very good with hot mustard.

It definitely deserves its own thread! I do miss surimi products a lot since coming back from Asia to Germany. Technically, surimi in Japanese refers to the groud paste of fish with seasoning (salt, sugar, mirin, sake, MSG) and binder (potato starch). It is then formed and cooked, either boiled (hanpen and others), steamed (kamaboko and others) or fried (satsuma age and others). Now, with the winter coming I am craving hot oden soup with satsuma age, daikon and eggs ... I prepared some satsuma age varieties two weeks ago and will use them up in the next weeks in homemade oden 🤗

Yup. Just had it last sunday on FRA-EWR ... yummy !

What happened to that zucchini ?

Thanks & well notes. I will arrive tonight (Sunday, 17th) at ~17.00h and depart Monday at 7.00h in the morning. So some hours, and I will take a nap in one of the airport hotels (will need to check which one) ...

I am travelling to Houston soon, but due to short notice was unable to secure a direct flight from Frankfurt. So, I was “blessed” with a layover at Newark. As I am arriving around 17.00h there is little I can do ... except gaving a decent dinner. Any recommendations around the airport ?

My first impulse would have been to eat them ...

Home. Tired. Lazy. Fresh bread roll, kewpie, north sea shrimps. Happy. (disclaimer: a whiskey highball was consumed as well ...)

I am always impressed by your breakfasts - first and foremost by your cooking (of course) and getting up so early to provide them. But secondly, by Moe‘s ability to metabolize all this glorious food (yes, I know ehat he gets for dinner, too). I always imagining him happily marching off to the depths of the famous coal mines of British Colombia for a double-shift to compensate for your great meals ...

Pizza al taglio with caramelized pears, balsamico onions, rosemary and pecorino sardo (and some sausage/tomato/rosemary area, just in case). Eaten on the sofa, yet very well received 😉

Yes, sourcing food grade lye can be tricky. If you want to upgrade, you can try to bake your baking soda (the solid), producing sodium carbonate, which is far more alkaline. It will allow you to shorten your boiling time, thus creating smoother surfaces and gives a better coloration ...