Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas everyone! It's the evening of December, 25th and that means, Christmas is over for 2/3! Tommorrow is the 2nd Christmas Day and that's it for 2011.
Oh wait!! If we've got really bad luck, this was the very last Christmas EVER, because ... you know ... next year... 2012... oh my. I think I should drink some more Kahlua Milk...

So far, Christmas was quite nice. No one was crying, everybody liked their present and my grandma is as grumpy as always. Christmas in my family...

The 24th was really relaxing! Most years, usually almost one of us is freaking out, because he (yeah ... it's always my dad) forgot to buy presents. But this year he got them on the 22nd! Wow!

So yeah, my mum and I were cooking ... because for Christmas Eve we always make some special dinner, that's different every year. Last year we had Shabu Shabu, this year we had different things.

Nikuman, Saté-Picks, Potatoesalad, Filled Mushrooms and Crabcroquette! It was really delicious! The potatoesalad was made by my granny. I've told her like A WEEK ago, she shouldn't make too much, because we had lot of other things. She promised me, to make only a bit. Yesterday at lunch time, I've remembered her again und she said once again, yes she only made little bit.
Then she presented us with this big bowl of potatoe salad and I've asked her:
"Granny, why did you make that much?? I've told you, there'd be plenty of other things!"
And she said:
"Well, if I'm taking the time to make it, I'm also making a whole bowl!"
Like we've never had the conversation before! It's so typical of her and so annoying!!!! What's wrong with you old lady?!
Anyway, food was oishii.

By the way, this is our Christmas tree.
 

Isn't it beautiful!! The top is a bit leaning, but apart from that, it's perfect! Lots of the Christmas tree balls, I've brought from Japan, but some are really old and still made from glass. They're quite expensive and my mum won't let me handle them ... I don't know why, but she thinks, I'm a bit clumsy...

And this is the tree with it's lights on:

And these are the presents. Next year we need to get some fake big ones, to give the tree a more appealing look.

Today was the 25th! The actual CHRISTMAS!!! In Germany, we open our presents on Christmas Eve, so actually 25th, is not that special to us ... well, anyway, here's what I wore!

A little bit Lolita, but not perfect ... I'm only wearing Bodyline (gotta mix the "brands" more) and I was too lazy to actually make my hair, so I've just made a bun. I also don't have a white petticoat, although it should have arrived here ages ago! Damn it! 

And today we also had the real Christmas Dinner (well, lunch here), which is so complicated. I really hate rosting poultry, it never works the way I want it to. This year was duck... Next year we gotta get a goose again.

It's a Julia Child recipe for the duck, grandma's recipe for the cabbage, commercial dumblings and American cranberry sauce. It wasn't perfect, but really delicious.

Tomorrow, we're going for Chinese, what we do every year since I remember. It's a weird tradition, that I think, a lot German families are sharing with us.

I've also forgot to make pictures of the presents, I'll do that tomorrow!

But you can see one... a new camera! I'm SO HAPPY!!!!!

By the way, I've finished my book report a week early. I'm so proud of myself. T_T

Casserole roasted Pork / Schweinefleisch aus dem Ofen

I know it's been quite some time now but due to budget problems, I can't try out many new recipes.

Two weeks ago, I made Julia's casserole roasted pork with braised Sauerkraut or

"Rôti de Porc Poêlé avec Choucroute Braisée à L'Alsacienne"

As usually it was very delicious and the pork was soft enough, you could cut it with the fork.

All you need is some roast of pork, that you marinate für a few hours in lemon juice, salt, pepper and sage.
Then you put everything in a fireproof casserole with sliced, shortly cooked yellow onions, carrot and optional herbs and cook it inside the oven at 325°F.
You see, it's actually very easy!


Eben ist mir aufgefallen, dass es Julia's Rezepte nur auf Englisch gibt. Nicht jeder spricht diese Fremdsprache gut genug, um gleich ein 50 Jahre altes Kochbuch zu verstehen, aber jeder sollte Julia's Küche kennen! Deswegen hier das Rezept auf Deutsch! Es kann sein, dass euch einige Formulierungen wunderlich vorkommen, aber ich habe Schwierigkeiten in den Sprachen hin und her zu springen. Entweder ich spreche Deutsch oder ich spreche Englisch ... beides gleichzeit ist schwer.
Wenn ich das Rezept an einigen Stellen leicht abgeändert habe, hab ich das kursiv in Klammern erwähnt.

Schweinefleisch, im Ofen gebraten

Für 6 Leute

1 große, feuerfeste Kasserole (Schmorpfanne)

1,5kg knochenfreier Schweinebraten, mariniert (ich hatte aus Geizgründen Koteletts genommen und die Knochen entfernt ... es hat wunderbar funktioniert!)
4TL Schweinefett, Schmalz oder Öl (ich habe Sonnenblumenöl benutzt)
2 TL Butter, falls nötig
1 gewürfelte Zwiebel (Größe nach Wunsch)
1 gewürfelte Karotte (Größe nach Wunsch)
Optional: 2 Knoblauchzehen
1 mittleres Kräutersträußchen: 4 Zweige Petersilie, 1/2 Lorbeerblat (ich habe das ganze genommen), 1/4 TL Tyhmian oder Salbei
Flüssigkeit: 1/2 Tasse trockener Weißwein, Brühe, Bouillon oder Wasser

Den Ofen auf 162° (na ja, so gut wie es bei dem Wert geht) vorheizen.
Das Fleisch mit Papiertüchern komplett abtrocknen! Das ist wichtig, damit es nachher schön braun wird! (Am fettigen Rand, einige 1cm tiefe Schnitte machen, damit es sich beim Braten nicht wölbt!)
Das Fett in der Kasserole auf dem Herd auf moderate Hitze bringen. (bei mir Stufe 4 von 6) Wenn das Fett fast raucht, das Schweinefleisch von allen Seiten anbraten. Das dauert ungefähr 10 Minuten. Dann das Fleisch aus der Pfanne nehmen.

Alles Fett aus der Pfanne gießen bis auf 2 TL. Wenn das Fett angebrannt ist, alles entfernen und die Butter zufügen. Das Gemüse, den optionalen Knoblauch und die Kräuter einrühren und ungefähr 5 Minuten zugedeckt kochen lassen.

Das Fleisch wieder in die Pfanne geben, die fettigste Seite nach oben. Falls es nicht mariniert wurde, mit Salz und Pfeffer würzen und einem TL Salbei oder Tyhmian.
Die Kasserole abdecken und im unteren Drittel des Ofens platzieren und für zwei Stunden braten. (Da ich bereits geschnitte Koteletts hatte und keinen Braten, hat bei mir 1 Stunde gereicht!)

Danach das Fleisch auf einem heißen Teller anrichten. Die Flüssigkeit in die Kasserole gießen und langsam für 2-3 Minuten köcheln. Dann das Gemüse zerdrücken und anschließend bei sehr hoher Hitze kochen, bis nur noch ca. 1 Tasse übrig ist. In einer erwärmten Sauciere servieren.

Den Braten auf einem Teller anrichten, garniert mit welcher Gemüsebeilage auch immer.

Bon appetit. :)

Sagt mir Bescheid, falls ihr es ausprobiert!

Für das Sauerkraut habe ich kein Rezept, da ich es stark abgewandelt hatte. Lasst euch nur eins sagen! Auch wenn das Sauerkraut aus dem Glas kommt, verbessert es unheimlich den Geschmack, es vorher für einige Minuten in klarem Wasser einzuweichen!

Casserole-sautéed Pork Chops

Yesterday was another dish from "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" - quelle surprise. It's just so delicious, I want to have lunch out of this cook book every week!

I made Côtes de Porc Poêlées.

Pork chops and steaks are best, we think, when they are cut thick, browned on each side, then cooked in a covered casserole or skillet like the preceding casserole roasts of pork.

I can proudly say, this was NOT the first time I made pork chops! I really like cooking pork, because it's inexpensive, everywhere available and it usually tastes good with only a tiny effort. Too bad it's actually a disguised very tasty killer, that comes with cholesterol instead of bullets.
Since my dad has too high cholesterol, which makes us all drink meadow flavoured soymilk now ... everyday ... I can't cook a lot meat anymore, so I'm REALLY enjoying the thursdays.
The chops were really good. I used dry vermouth for the sauce, which was so delicious, I want to bath in it ... I want my future children to bath in it! Best sauce ever!!

As always, the meal did not look very appealing, but it was very good and easy! Only thing is ... Julia says, you can cook the potatoes with the meat. Maybe I just didn't get it right, but it didn't work out! Potatoes were still a little too hard inside. The red cabbage came out of a jar, because I forgot to buy sauerkraut!

Roast Chicken With Whole Baked Tomatoes And Chicken Breast With Paprika

Poulet Rôti With Tomates Grillées Au Four And Suprêmes de Volaille Archiduc

Last week had three recipes from "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" but none from 1000 recipes. Actually I've had the idea to make scalloped chicory on Saturday, but my mum decided it was her time to cook. So I only had Thursday and Sunday.

Thursday was 'roast chicken with whole baked tomatoes' and potatoes. I know, I'm saying this quite a lot, but I've never made a whole chicken! Chicken breast and thighs ... but a whole chicken?! They look like babies!
I really had some problems with handling the looks of this chicken. First of all, I bought it for like maybe 3.50 Dollars (2,99 Euro) and everything was fine, because it looked not scary at all, very well packaged and frozen as it was. But then it's defrosting, you remove the plastic wrap and there it is ... a little creature, with human like skin and arms and legs and I felt very terrible.
Now that I think about it, I've made a whole chicken once with a former friend. We even called Bob back then... what were we thinking?!
So I was thinking all about little Bob while rubbing the chicken from the outside AND the inside with salt and butter. Then came the sewing. Julia shows several simple pictures of how to truss a chicken and everything looks so easy. Well, it's not. Or maybe it was just me, handling a way to small needle and white twine, which got bloody in an instant.

Julia says: "While it does not require years of training to produce a juicy, brown, buttery, crisp-skinned, heavenly bird, it does entail such a greed for perfection that one is under compulsion to hover over the bird, listen to it, above all see that it is continually basted, and that it is done just to the proper turn."
What can I say? I mean anything else but "HELLOOOO-HO?!" It might not need years of training to make a good chicken, but maybe at least one year?! My chicken wasn't brown or juicy or crisp-skinned or anything else but sad!

The tomatoes in contrast were great and I'll be having them again, soon! The sauce was great, too. The pictures sucks...

Sunday was "Chicken Breat With Paprika and Onions". At least sort of...
We had lunch at my grandma's and she had turkey escalopes, which usually turn out really dry. Perfect grandchild, that I am, I offered her help and decided to make Suprêmes de Volaille Archiduc with turkey instead. I have to say, it didn't look very nicely, but the taste was great! Sadly I have no pictures of it, because I forget to bring my camera.

This week I'll be making Côtes de Porc Poêlées!

Moules-Frites

French Fries with sautéed clams and selfmade mayonnaise.

Today saw three completely novelties. For the first time I've made my own fries, my own mayonnaise and cooked clams!
Clams and fries were from 1000 recipes and are usually eaten together as Moules-Frites in Belgium and Northern France. I guess it's their fish'n'chips or our currysausauge.

Mayonnaise was from "Mastering The Art Of French Cooking."
Mayonnaise like hollandaise is a process of forcing egg yolks to absorb a fatty substance, oil in this case, and to hold it in thick and creamy suspension.

Mayonnaise is a really easy thing to make, when your arm muscles are fit and healthy! I was surprised how easy it went, but I think my upper arm will have twice its size tomorrow. Seems like I gotta work out or start buying my mayonnaise ... well, luckily I don't like it at all and usually have ketchup. But this time we were out of ketchup and the idea popped into my mind.

The clams ... yes ... I'm still not sure how I got them in first place. 1,5kg of mussels cooked in 1l of white wine and seasoned with 150g butter. It was just too much wine for me. I prefer drinking it to pouring it over some poor clams, who are too dead to actually get drunk.
It tasted just sour and alcoholical.

Fries didn't work out as well. They didn't get crunchy ... or at least a little tasty. Plus I put on way too much salt.

I'm still not decided, what comes next. :)

Julia Child: Bifteck Sauté Au Beurre With Petits Pois á l'Anglaise

Pan-Broiled Steak With Buttered Peas

Pan-broiled steak is very French and also a very nice method for cooking small steaks.

This might be true but in addition to its Frenchyness and easyness, it was also the very first time I made steak. In fact I've had never eaten a steak until last year's summer, when I went to the Dominician Republic for vacation. They had 3 speciality restaurants and one was a steak house. I used to not like beef at all, but I've learned it's very delicious when medium.
Unfortunately beef is very expensive in Germany, so I only bought two steaks for 4 people which doesn't make me cheap but economical! The steaks were quite big, too so it was absolutely enough.
The weird thing is, you have to broil them in oil AND butter and the same time. Now I already know about Julia's affection for butter but having it when already using oil is blocking my arteries just by looking at it.
But since I've never made steak before I stuck to the recipes. I have to admit, it's SO GOOD. And it got perfectly medium! Ever heard the trick, that medium meat has to feel like your thenar? Well I have no idea what that means, but after Julia you can just look at the red juice, pouring out. It totally works!
The sauce was redwine and butter .... lots of butter ... tons of butter and I only took half!

Anyone who has eaten a plateful of small, tender, fresh, green peas in Italy or France in the springtime is not likely to forget the experience.

I never had peas in France or Italy although I've been to both countries. The peas were very simple and really delicious! All you add is some seasoning and -guessed right- butter.

And yeah, I know I promised garlic mashed potatoes ... but to recipes seemed enough and I wasn't sure how to time everything, so I made normal mashed potatoes. It was still very good.

The good thing is, when you have Julia's meals for lunch, you're stuffed like a turkye and don't need dinner. I've already lost 4 pounds!

Tomorrow I'll be cooking clams for the very first time!

Salade Liègoise and Kempen Powerbroth

Saturday, I've made the first meals from 1000 recipes and it started with Belgian Salade Liègoise and Kempen Powerbroth ... well I'm sure bouillon is the proper term, but powerbroth is the literal translation from German.
So, what gives you the power from the broth ... I have no idea! It consists of like 1 ton of white beans ... and mainly that. You put in some extra leek, bacon (you need Ardennes bacon, but try to find that), Croûtons and that's it. Simple, fast and quite dull. I couldn't eat it up...

The salat was very interesting, I've never had cold potatoes in one. Well of course, I'm German and we love potatoe salat, but there needs to be some mayonnaise or yoghurt or vinegar and oil in it. I actually think for Germans having cold potatoes is like running someone over...

It wasn't that bad actually, but I also couldn't eat it up, too. Well, I was also quite ill and happy to just eat something!

Beans, potatoes and yeah ... bacon.

Tomorrow "Bifteck Sauté Au Beurre" with "Petits Pois Frais à l'Anglaise" and "Purée De Pommes De Terre à l'Ail".

Potage Parmentier à la Julia Child

I know I've been quiet for some days now altough I've promised to started cooking. Well I did, but I got sick on Friday, so I've decided to stay in bed and not to blog.
Today I'm still a little dizzy, but way better so I can tell you about my recipes.

Last week, I made Potage Parmentier from Julia Child's book and Salade Liègeoise & Kempener Soup with White Beans from 1000 recipes. I've just started to translate all the 1000 recipes titles into their real names, but it's just impossible, so you gotta live with my own translations!

Oh by the way, I've looked through the whole 1000 recipes (which actually more than 2000 pages) and I've realized, that I yes! already made 21 out of it... so I only have 979 to go which is going to be so easy, I'm not feeling like I have to cry right now kick that damn book in the next corner of my aparment, where I'll find it in another 10 years.
And just one thing .... there is one recipe I WON'T DO! Tripe. I'm sorry, they're disgusting, they look exactley like what they are and after cooking it smells like a tannery. I can't, I won't, I'm sorry.

So, let me try to remember the Potage Parmentier, which is just a show off word for potatoe soup with leek.

Leek and potato soup smells good, tastes good, and is simplicity itself to make.

That said I had no doubt I would totally rock this dish. Everything went really smooth, I cut tons of potatoes and leek and I had 2 carrots left, they went to carrot heaven as well. Then the recipe told me I needed a 3- to 4-quart saucepan or pressure cooker. You know, I'm German, we don't calculate in quarts. So I took my biggest pot and thought it was alright. It was ... stirring was a no-no and moving the pot would made a mess, that would have send me to carrot heaven, but the soup was cooking!
Luckily that was all to do and after I've mashed the whole thing with a wooden hammer (that I, clever I am, stuck in a plastic bag before) it was ready to go.

I have to say, it's really delicious, but maybe, just maybe ... it's more of an entrée than an whole meal. Just my idea, everyone else loved it!

The 1000 recipes meals will be tomorrow. :)

Cookbook Mix

After thinking and thinking, I've decided to try recipes out of both books, since I couldn't pick the best one.

I think I'll still go with cooking myself throught "1000 recipes to try before you die" although "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" sounds better and more classic. But no way, it has a whole chapter on brains ... in times before BSE reached the world it might have been just disgusting but no I can't think of eating brain with out thinking "Damn it, NO!" Zombies can have my share.
So I'm skipping the brains, livers, kidneys and whatever they had ... I can live with eating liver and anything but I don't need to cook several recipes with it.

"1000 recipes to try before you die" has just a few disgusting dishes I might wanna try when really spicy or I'm terribly drunk. Snails, anyone?
Plus, it's not ordered by type, but country, which might come in handy!

So, tomorrow I'll start cooking with the very first recipe from Julia Child's cookbook: Potage Parmentier and I'm going to make a picutre of the result!

Saturday, I'll be making the first dish from 1000 recipes ... the book starts off with Belgique. I've checked some recipes and not everything is really typical ... so I might change some ingredients from time to time.

The Art of Cooking ... and Cookbooks

Being a cooking genius is not easy. It's actually not the cooking itself, it's everything that's involved. You gotta be charmin, relaxed, fast, clean and good looking. You have to be the Greta Garbo of filleting, the Audrey Hepburn of poaching and a roux queen. Then you're a real genius and I'm respectfully tipping my hat to you.

I'm not a genius. I've learned to cook, because basically I like to eat. And I'm really good at it! Eating ... Only one woman in my family cooks, which is my grandmother, and with my mom never really interested in anything stove related, I had to do the work myself. My granny likes German cuisine and she's passed 80 a few years ago, so she's not interested in trying new stuff. I love new stuff! I don't care if it turns out to be a desaster, at least I've tried! Despite the fact I'm German and quite satisfied with it, I don't like our food. When it comes to knuckles, I'm the one, who rather takes to my heels.

So I've decided, I need a project. A cooking project, something, that keeps my mind off the clouds. I've bought two cookbooks:
Julia Child - Mastering the Art of French Cooking, which would be a challenge, since it is in English only and has no pictures (oh come on!) in it:

But it has been done. Most of you know about, read the blog, the book or watched the movie. So I guess it's not the one, but I still want to try something out ... that boeuf bourginon seems to be it!

And 1000 Recipes To Try Before You Die

It's big, it's international, I think it might be the book. Too bad, it's not classy and fancy and glamorous or anything special to the world! Plus it's actually a 1000 recipes! With one each day, it would take like 3 years and yeah, I'm honest, I'd be loosing track very quickly.

I don't know a lot of older, international famous cookbooks ... I wish I would. Google just tells me about books from the 18th century, which is ...with all necessary respect ... just TOO old.