eG Foodblog: Boris_A - A life in a week, a week in a life

[Boris_A]

Just started with preparing dinner.

It's going to be boiled beef, a very versatile dish. It's an Viennese signature dish. The French think its barbaric to eat boiled beef, and the last emperor of Austria loved it more than anything else. As we have strong connections to Austria and Vienna, it's an absolute standard for us.

We like it hot, with vegetables and cooked potatoes, cold in slices for the office sandwich for lunch, and cut to stripes for salad or for smilar garniture. The broth is always welcome of course.

The piece was frozen and is about 3 pounds, and when studying American beef cut, it's from the outer top of the round (does that make sense?).

I should have had some crunched bones (preferably with red mesh structures inside the hull), but I was too timid to go to the butcher and ask the butcher just for some bones. I should have boiled them shortly, replaced the water and boiled again.

Now I have a casserole with boiling water (about 1/2 gallone for evey 2 pounds), then I let the piece slide in and add a garlic clove and some pepper grains and a bit of salt.

From now on, it should never, never boil again, but just simmer for on hour, almost covered. After that time, we add some celery, celery root, a small parsley root, and an unpeeled ognion cut in half and slightly roasted at the cut sides. Add more salt. All will simmer for another hour, and afterwards left wihtout heat for another hour. The color of the meat should be a dark brownish red and never grey. It should be not salty, as we like to add some fleur de sel later.

For dessert, I try to get some strawberries (preferrably Wädenswil Nr. 600, but these are very delicate for pressure damage and in general not suited for supermarket/groceries logistics and thus rare to find.. Their taste is that of the tiny "forrest strawberries". Just wonderful). We have some Crême de Gruyère left (like Crême frèche) for the strawberries, and thats' it.

Wine will be a local Pinot Noir.

BTW, for breakfast, we had the almots invariably coffee with croissant or a brioche. We love Italian style breakfast, you see.

For lunch, there was a leftover from the banitsa of yesterday and some boiled veggie salad.

[hathor]

[

Basically, it imitates a wood burner cook top as they have been in use from 1800-1950. Here, under the the rings, there's a gas burner, avoiding ash and smoke in the kitchen. After some minutes, the whole dark rectangle becomes warm. Pretty hot over the rings, much less at the left edge. So you regulate heat by just shifting your pans. It's an incredible device for low temp, slow cooking. I think partially this kind of cuisine was invented when such cook tops got available.

It's an insane piece of a stove, an we bought it out of different reasons than usability. Most of the time, we use the two open burnes at the right, one convection oven and if needed one aditional large static oven.

When cooking large style with more dishes (somtimes just a lot of different vegetables, mushrooms, small pieces of different meat etc.), the whole cook top is in use with a lot of pans.

Last year, we had for 4 days a small open air restaurant in front of our home (village festivities), and we cranked out about 100-120 dishes every evening.

BTW, when I was searching for useful stove-top copper cookware (almost a must here), I found slkinseys great culinary-institute course. And after reading Chad's knife course, I was convinced having made an outstanding find with eGullet. So everything started here for us in front of this stove.

Sorry to be so inquisitive..but, I can't help myself. I need to do some work on my kitchen in Italy and this could be just what I need. How big is this cook top?? Is it wood fired? Only wood fired? How many pots can you comfortably fit? Is it mainly useful for low temp cooking?

I currently have a stove top that has 2 settings: hot and really, really hot. And as an extra bonus when the oven gets really warm, the knobs fly off and across the kitchen. Oh, we are so easily amused!

[Boris_A]

Sorry to be so inquisitive..but, I can't help myself.

Oh please!

How big is this cook top?? Is it wood fired? Only wood fired? How many pots can you comfortably fit? Is it mainly useful for low temp cooking?

The whole stove (metric, ok?) is 140cm large and 70cm deep. And about 420 kg.

Obviuously, I was not clear about the heating source. The two open burners and the (hidden) burner under the dark cast iron cook top are gas burners. The oven is electric (optional, instead of gas). So no wood at all.

I think 6 pots should be possible. You can try on a piece of newspaper: the cast iron top is 85 x 50 cm.

The open burners have enormous output, but you can lower the flame to simmer heat as well. They have a pilot flame just performant enough to keep a pot of soup hot.

You can heat the cook top to very high temperatures and then go fortissimo: you can sear your steaks in no time if desired. Of course, then you need to adjust the pots at the edge.

And you need a performant ventilation, because when running at full power, splattering fat from the pans is burning on the top.

There are smaller models as well with smaller cooktops and from different manufacturers, but you need to think of the price of 2-3000 dollars upwards, I guess.

I'm driving a crappy old second hand utility car now for 5 years. I invested the difference in our stove.

[hathor]

[i'm driving a crappy old second hand utility car now for 5 years. I invested the difference in our stove.

Many thanks! I will do some investigating in Italy and see what I come up with.

Totally agree and understand your priorities!!

[Carolyn Tillie]

So, I need a little explanation... How is Banitsa different from Spanikopita? Both cheese, filo, and spinach, n'est pas? Banitsa recipe needed 'cuz it looks so damned good!

[Boris_A]

Spanikopita?

That's Greece, I guess?. Probably very similar. There's a Turkish variant also: "Börök".

It's all from the time of the Osmanian imperium in the Balkan region.

You find my detailed recipe at the end of page 1 of my blog. If you take pyhlo, a lot of butter to "paint" the foils and if you create several layers, you've got the original.

Be careful when using Feta only. It can be too salty, so need to place it in bowl of water for several ours.

I always had sensational succes with that simple dish. Really.

A a side note, it is difficult to give a precise recipe when critical products (feta, phylo, puff pastry) vary from continent to continent. I suggest you do an aditional google with "Banitsa". All I remember when I visited Bulgaria some 40 years ago that the process was simple and the result great. And I was around 6 years old then.

[Rebel Rose]

And as an extra bonus when the oven gets really warm, the knobs fly off and across the kitchen. Oh, we are so easily amused!

:giggle:

But seriously, Boris, that stove is awesome. Beautiful as well as functional. Is the weather there warm now? How high is your elevation (unless that's already been answered). Do you eat different dishes now than in winter?

[Boris_A]

Beautiful as well as functional.

  Is the weather there warm now?  How high is your elevation (unless that's already been answered).  Do you eat different dishes now than in winter?

If I could afford cleaning staff, it would be much more functional Cleaning can be a pain. We knew that. So no complaints.

In June, weather is usually rather wet and cool for summer time. Around 70 F right now (nicely converted, eh?) But it could easliy be 85-88 F now.

The elevation is an impressing 1200 (in ft., however ). 410 m. Lowland

Yes. Less meat, more vegetables, less of "thick" red wine. Cold dinners, sometimes just "Bircher-Müesli" (Swiss Müesli?) on hot days. Visiting garden restaurant and "Beer-gardens". And grilled sausages with salad, of course and sitting outside with friends and neighbours.

[Carolyn Tillie]

Spanikopita?

That's Greece, I guess?. Probably very similar. There's a Turkish variant also: "Börök".

It's all from the time of the Osmanian imperium in the Balkan region.

You find my detailed recipe at the end of page 1 of my blog. If you take pyhlo, a lot of butter to "paint" the foils and if you create several layers, you've got the original.

Be careful when using Feta only. It can be too salty, so need to place it in bowl of water for several ours.

I always had sensational succes with that simple dish. Really.

A a side note, it is difficult to give a precise recipe when critical products (feta, phylo, puff pastry) vary from continent to continent. I suggest you do an aditional google with "Banitsa". All I remember when I visited Bulgaria some 40 years ago that the process was simple and the result great. And I was around 6 years old then.

Sorry I missed the recipe on the earlier page -- and, yep, Spanikopita is Greek.

[Toliver]

If you take pyhlo, a lot of butter to "paint" the foils...

Ah, now I understand what you mean by "foils"....sheets of the dough. I have never heard that term before.

You mentioned you cooked food to serve in front of your home during your village festival. What was that festival and do many villagers open a small outdoor restaurant during the festival like you did?

And are there any other festivals that your village celebrates?

[ludja]

Just started with preparing dinner.

It's going to be boiled beef, a very versatile dish. It's an Viennese signature dish. The French think its barbaric to eat boiled beef, and the last emperor of Austria loved it more than anything else. As we have strong connections to Austria and Vienna, it's an absolute standard for us.

We like it hot, with vegetables and cooked potatoes, cold in slices for the office sandwich for lunch, and cut to stripes for salad or for smilar garniture. The broth is always welcome of course.

The piece was frozen and is about 3 pounds, and when studying American beef cut, it's from the outer top of the round (does that make sense?).

Thank you for the nice description in preparing your Tafelspitz. And also including the meat cut--the cuts do differ from those in the US so it is helpful to have 'the translation".

For those that have not eaten it; the sum taste of it is much greater than the description may lead one to believe. I love it with new boiled potatoes w/parsely and butter and also with apfelkren (apple-horseradish sauce)

I recently read the Time-Life series book on "The Cookiing of Vienna's

Empire" and they have a great page-long discussion on the history/variations of Tafelspitz--especially in more tradition-lade times prior to WWII:

Here is a short quote:

"Before Allied bombs were dropped on Meissl and Schadn's in March 1945, this most famous of Vienna's beef restaruants had been a place where the whole ritual of cooking and eating boiled beef could be seen. The restaurant's two floors catered to two pocketbooks of sharply contrasted size... But it was the formalities of eating that were so interesting. These were many and they were never questioned. Only those who didn't know better ordered "boiled beef" pure and simple. To do so was to invite contempt of waiters and any habitues who might be within earshot, as there were 24 varieties of beef to choose from, all for boililng yet all different. One was expected to be precise in one's order. Each of Meissl and Schadn's famous customers from Gustav Mahler to Richard Strausss had his own particular cut and every waiter knew what it was."

quoted from: The Cooking of Vienna's Empire by Joseph Wechsberg, Time-Life Books, NY 1968

[Boris_A]

sheets of the dough.  I have never heard that term before.

You mentioned you cooked food to serve in front of your home during your village festival.  What was that festival and do many villagers open a small outdoor restaurant during the festival like you did? 

And are there any other festivals that your village celebrates?

So did I. It was a literal translation.

Could be funfair the right expression? When there are food stands, scooters, outdoor resturants and tents to accomoddate people?

Here. every political community has such a fair once a year. And it's really the festival for the whole population. 3-4 days and nights over weekend, and no school for the kids.

The "restauants" are usually managed by local clubs (local sport clubs like soccer club, basketball club) or the local fire department.

Years ago, we founded a boat club in our quarter (some 30 houses), because mooring lots are very scarce. So we wanted to give a possibilty to every family to enjoy the pleasures of the lake and boating. We bought an old rowing boat, of typical shape for this lake, where you row while standing. I remember forever one summer night, we've been out on the lake with moonshine and clouds and we had a Sauternes Château Guiraud 1990. It was the best Sauternes of my life.

Because we live inmidst of that very noisy festival (until 4 in the morning), we choose the "If you can't beat them, then join them" strategy and opened a restaurant as well.

We have been about a dozen of neighbours doing this and I was the cook. We served roasted polenta, tomato sauce, braised mushrooms, cut Italian meat (finest Bresaola), local and Italian wine. It looked very improvised and romantic, but our guests had very happy faces. We 've been the buzz of the village and we have been crowded all the time. Many times since then, people ask us to repeat it. And we will.

[Boris_A]

Thank you for the nice description in preparing your Tafelspitz.  And also including the meat cut--the cuts do differ from those in the US so it is helpful to have 'the translation".

For those that have not eaten it; the sum taste of it is much greater than the description may lead one to believe.  I love it with new boiled potatoes w/parsely and butter and also with apfelkren (apple-horseradish sauce)

Tafelspitz! You guessed it.

The Austrians have about 15 named ways (once about 30!) to cut beef for boiling. And every gourmet has his preferred piece. Tafelspitz is the crown.

Boiled beef is popular in Switzerland as well, but with cuts of lesser quality.

Whoever is visting Vienna and is curious about this should visit the "Hitzingerbräu". It's called the "temple of beef". But that's Vienna and a different story ...

[bleudauvergne]

It's an incredible device for low temp, slow cooking. I think partially this kind of cuisine was invented when such cook tops got available.

When you said this I thought of a recipe for pot au feu from a cookbook dating back to the 1920s. Gives s new meaning to "pot au feu".

click for images

It does mention in the recipe associated to the pot au feu image that "dans les grandes cuisines la cuisson du pot au feu s'opere au gaz".

So Boris, do you have a rotisserie and a grill attached?

Edited June 23, 2004 by bleudauvergne (log)

[bleudauvergne]

Years ago, we founded a boat club in our quarter (some 30 houses), because mooring lots are very scarce.... Many times since then, people ask us to repeat it. And we will.

Wow what a wonderful story.

[Daddy-A]

Really enjoying this, especially the conversation regarding the range.

I'm a kitchen designer, so before everyone calls me an "appliance geek" ... no, wait, I AM an appliance geek! The range looks very similar to a line out of France called LaCanche. I know the round portion of the flat cooking surface as a "French Top" ... it varies heat depending on how close to the centre you are (if I see it correctly).

Is your refigerator as impressive? My experiences in Europe are that the refrigerator is much smaller than our North American versions, simply because of the way people in Europe shop. Perhaps an over generalization, but it sounds like this would be true for you as well.

Do you have a dishwasher? Microwave oven? Any other appliances we might find interesting?

DA

p.s. Sorry about the Italian/Bulgarian elimination ... I suppose I shouldn't tell you I'm part Danish

[MobyP]

There are smaller models as well with smaller cooktops and from different manufacturers, but you need to think of the price of 2-3000 dollars upwards, I guess.

That cooker is gorgeous.

I think what Boris has is a molteni. Didn't you say you bought it from a restaurant closing down sale? What was the story?

I'd be very surprised if you could find one new for 5 times 2 or 3 thousand. I was fantasizing about ECaumartins and La Cornues for a while, but the prices don't get started until the 12-14,000 pound stirling range. I'd imagine it's the same with such a prestigious manufacturer as Molteni (which I think makes the Ducasse stoves, among others).

BTW - La Canche is a subsidury (I think) of E Caumartin. They certainly share a distributor.

Edited June 23, 2004 by MobyP (log)

[Boris_A]

So Boris, do you have a rotisserie and a grill attached?

Nope. After installing the ventilation, all our money was up in smoke.

But what my friends have (we live in a two family house) is a an old Berkel "fetatrice" (slicer) These are the huge, manual powered slicers you find in Italian salumerie:

a newer variant: Berkel slicer

My friend found it - in a garbage container. And fully functionl! So buying all kind of cured meat (Prosciutto di Parma, Culatello, etc) in large pieces is no problem anymore.

One reason we bought this stove is that our kitchen is our living room. It's one large, informal room, not unlike the homes of the early Americans and pioneers. We studied the architectural history of "kitchen as space", an found that after centuries of imitating the aristocracy, (separating kitchen and house), it would make sense to get back to the initial primitive concept. When entertaining guests, I always hated the hassle with à la minuute cooking, guests hanging round in a too small kitchen and constantly trying to have a conversation with you. (there's a thread around about that issue).

We shifted attention towards rewarmed food. Which is mostly slow cooked food.

Now the cook top and the ovens are great devices to rewarm our dishes. Of course, we like to sautée something and to prepare an uncomplicated sauce right in front of our guests. Maybe preparing a risotto or cooking pasta al dente. But as little as possible and only one critical dish. This all was a rewarding decision.

Now we cook in the evening before or at midday. We have not much trouble with the worst of all cooking problems: synchronisation of the cooking process, the timing. We cook one by one, with uncritical time overlaps.

When the guests arrive, I had a shower and my first sip of wine. I'm sitting there relaxed, just stirring from time to time in one of the pots and shaking a casserole.

Passé the time when I was stting there at the table, sweating, stressed because of the alignment of conversation and timing and many times without real hunger to eat my food.

And until now, no complaints. We serve good food (we think it's good at least), good wine and have all the time for conversation.

[Boris_A]

Didn't you say you bought it from a restaurant closing down sale? What was the story?

I learned about the Moltenis, we travelled there to the departement of Drôme. We saw the thing and we have been perdus. (head over heeels)

There was no Swiss importer, so I ordered it there, paid it in advance and arranged transport and installation by myself. The hassle with the crane to lift this baby was horrible. I almost ruined my balcony door. In the end, I got it brand new for the price of a new motorbike.

( I didn't need a new one since 25 years. I'm still riding my 1976 BMW R 100 S. Old man's old bike)

[Boris_A]

Sorry about the Italian/Bulgarian elimination ...

I suppose I shouldn't tell you I'm part Danish 

And the Swiss, man, the Swiss?

We visited Denmark in February the first time. Now we love the Danish. Cool people. Really cool. And we love their furniture. Almost cooler.

"Vi er röde, vi er hvide, vi er Danish Dynamide". Or so, yes?

(BTW, the Swiss and the Danish are abaout the same size in population . And share about the same flag. You've got some coasts. We've got some mountains.)

The range looks very similar to a line out of France called LaCanche.  I know the round portion of the flat cooking surface as a "French Top" ... it varies heat depending on how close to the centre you are (if I see it correctly).

Correct.

And the style is smilar among all those French stoves. The pro brands are Bonnet, Molteni and Morice.

Is your refigerator as impressive?  My experiences in Europe are that the refrigerator is much smaller than our North American versions, simply because of the way people in Europe shop.  Perhaps an over generalization, but it sounds like this would be true for you as well.

Bingo again. We dreamed of a Traulsen. But in an open living room, noisy like a Mack truck? The best solution would have been two remote compressors (Dual-Temp) on the roof. Another motorbike in price. That was too much. Now we have a nice, little, cute fridge. Americans would believe it's a bedroom fridge, I guess.

Do you have a dishwasher? 

What's that here? Candid camera?

We have a Viking. We loved the two knobs. (No joke!) In reality, it's OEM from Sweden I was told.

Microwave oven?  Any other appliances we might find interesting?

No Microwave. We never liked those devices.

We dreamed of a pro combi-steamer (Eloma Joker), but decided that within several years, there will be really good houshold devices. Blind supply lines (water, sewage) are already installed.

And we bought American faucets by mail order. Chicago Fauctes. Great quality at fair prices. Our plumber couldn't believe it. Living in the land of Franke and KWC and buying that ancient stuff. But we like it immensly. Simple, sturdy, beautiful. A great find. I wouldn't be astonished if we were the only household in Switzerland having installed Chicagos.

Edited June 23, 2004 by Boris_A (log)

[bloviatrix]

Now that you've described your appliances, would you be willing to post a photo of your kitchen?

[zilla369]

Boris, thank you, thank you. Your blog is great and although the food is spectacular, the insight into your appliances and shopping methods is even more compelling. More pictures, please!

[arbuclo]

But seriously, Boris, that stove is awesome. Beautiful as well as functional. Is the weather there warm now? How high is your elevation (unless that's already been answered). Do you eat different dishes now than in winter?

Oh, I SO agree. That's one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen! I want one!

Very interesting blog, Boris.

[MobyP]

Last year, we had for 4 days a small open air restaurant in front of our home (village festivities), and we cranked out about 100-120 dishes every evening.

What dishes did you prepare? Were many others cooking for the festival, or just you?

[balex]

Great blog, Boris. Just catching up because I just got back from Switzerland -- Martigny in fact just on the other side of the rosti boundary. A lot of excitement the other night after the Swiss goal.