European Cooking Secrets
Nov 17th, 2016, 11:33 PM
#222
Just to clarify I am a committed Europhile, speak, at best 
two continental languages, holiday twice a year on the continent and have family and friends who live all over the continent. My vote was to remain.
This thread has been very good traveller and you should be commended for it.
Do I believe animal/human transactions are absolutely better in the UK than in everywhere in Europe? No, of course not. Do I think we could all do better? Oh yes. Do I believe Brussels has helped resolve some of this, well, a tiny bit, but not enough.
While not especially an Americanphile, the work of Mary Temple Grandin is startling, she (despite autism) developed the idea of abattoirs having curved walls and forced air movements so that animals do not see or smell the death/blood that awaits them, so leading to reduced stress, while the actual killing methods used is these units have similar low fear elements. Not all, by any means, USA abattoirs use these methods. None of these practises exist anywhere in europe. Even the Black Forest
USA use of anti-biotics within the animal growth industry is plain dumb and Brussels is right to stand out against it.
There is of course a spread of practices that tend towards the cheap/industrial for cheap food for the poor. The UK horse meat scandal (a few years ago) highlighted that the quality of the meat movement industry of Europe is pitiful, this is the food of the poor.
I absolutely believe that the freshness of fruit and vegetables is vital to cooking, but more to the point we need variety and flavour and here in the UK we get loads of the former and SFA of the latter. This is more to do with the structure of the UK logisitics system and the power of the UK supermarkets which, including Waitrose, is S@@t. Putting it basically our fruit and veg is as bad as that in the USA and nothing like the full-quality I would expect to get in France/Italy/Spain, I suspect that the Netherlands and Germany are moving in our direction.
I eat meat. I'd like to eat it knowing that pain and fear has been minimised if not removed.
I eat fruit and vegetables. I'd like to eat it knowing the flavour is as interesting as possible and the earth has not been damaged to make it.
Finally I do believe in Climate Change, mainly because I have researched it as part of a degree, I have seen the climate change in the UK and I have seen the affects around the world. While I have no children I cannot understand how anyone with children want to give a ruined planet to their kids.
Seems like fair principles to me.
two continental languages, holiday twice a year on the continent and have family and friends who live all over the continent. My vote was to remain.This thread has been very good traveller and you should be commended for it.
Do I believe animal/human transactions are absolutely better in the UK than in everywhere in Europe? No, of course not. Do I think we could all do better? Oh yes. Do I believe Brussels has helped resolve some of this, well, a tiny bit, but not enough.
While not especially an Americanphile, the work of Mary Temple Grandin is startling, she (despite autism) developed the idea of abattoirs having curved walls and forced air movements so that animals do not see or smell the death/blood that awaits them, so leading to reduced stress, while the actual killing methods used is these units have similar low fear elements. Not all, by any means, USA abattoirs use these methods. None of these practises exist anywhere in europe. Even the Black Forest
USA use of anti-biotics within the animal growth industry is plain dumb and Brussels is right to stand out against it.
There is of course a spread of practices that tend towards the cheap/industrial for cheap food for the poor. The UK horse meat scandal (a few years ago) highlighted that the quality of the meat movement industry of Europe is pitiful, this is the food of the poor.
I absolutely believe that the freshness of fruit and vegetables is vital to cooking, but more to the point we need variety and flavour and here in the UK we get loads of the former and SFA of the latter. This is more to do with the structure of the UK logisitics system and the power of the UK supermarkets which, including Waitrose, is S@@t. Putting it basically our fruit and veg is as bad as that in the USA and nothing like the full-quality I would expect to get in France/Italy/Spain, I suspect that the Netherlands and Germany are moving in our direction.
I eat meat. I'd like to eat it knowing that pain and fear has been minimised if not removed.
I eat fruit and vegetables. I'd like to eat it knowing the flavour is as interesting as possible and the earth has not been damaged to make it.
Finally I do believe in Climate Change, mainly because I have researched it as part of a degree, I have seen the climate change in the UK and I have seen the affects around the world. While I have no children I cannot understand how anyone with children want to give a ruined planet to their kids.
Seems like fair principles to me.
Nov 18th, 2016, 07:43 AM
#223
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I have cooked Zürcher Geschnetzeltes (Zurich veal stew, traveller's recipe). It's great! I ate it with bread but I'm sure it would be better with Rosti. You put the sauce over the meat, you don't cook the veal in the sauce, right?
Next time I'll try adding mustard into the sauce.
Here is a photo of my Geschnetzeltes:
https://moveablefeastofamess.files.w..._4132small.jpg
Next time I'll try adding mustard into the sauce.
Here is a photo of my Geschnetzeltes:
https://moveablefeastofamess.files.w..._4132small.jpg
Nov 19th, 2016, 06:29 AM
#226
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Cooked the Königsberger Klopse (traveller's recipe above), since I have some minced meat and anchovies left. Another tasty German dish, though I'm not sure I followed your steps 100% (my eyes might have accidentally skipped some line).
I often eat meatball with bell pepper, that is, put the meatball on a quarter of a bell pepper, press the meat down a little bit so that it fits in, then eat them together like that. The fresh crunchy flavor of the bell pepper compliment the meat very well. I learnt it from a Japanese drama
I often eat meatball with bell pepper, that is, put the meatball on a quarter of a bell pepper, press the meat down a little bit so that it fits in, then eat them together like that. The fresh crunchy flavor of the bell pepper compliment the meat very well. I learnt it from a Japanese drama
Nov 19th, 2016, 10:43 AM
#227
you have been busy, FF.
Are you saying that you eat cooked meatballs with raw peppers? I don't think that my digestion would cope with that as it seems to object to raw peppers. I can see how they might work together though if you don't have that problem.
Are you saying that you eat cooked meatballs with raw peppers? I don't think that my digestion would cope with that as it seems to object to raw peppers. I can see how they might work together though if you don't have that problem.
Nov 19th, 2016, 12:18 PM
#228
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Yes, annhig, I ate it with raw "bell pepper", but it's not the spicy pepper, I mean the big cubic pepper fruit that is used in European salads and grills, it's not hot at all. It's good with all kind of meatball (chicken, veal, beef,...) but the best would be with fried/grilled meatballs.
Nov 19th, 2016, 03:00 PM
#230
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Oh me too. We call them bell peppers here, and I never, ever tooth down on a green one, even though they are popular in the USA, because they are, well...green, meaning UNripe. They cause all kinds of digestive disorders, chief among them really bad flatulence (TMI, sorry). I don't even cook the green ones because I can't stand the taste of their unripeness. I'll take a yellow or orange or red bell pepper, well cooked, but never, ever raw.
And the thought of crushing a bunch of beef or other meat (assuming it's cooked and seasoned) down onto a quarter of a bell pepper simply doesn't resonate with me at all. I admit to having a "thing" about German/Austrian food just not being up my alley, but the thought of biting down on a bunch of seasoned meat crushed into a quarter of a crunchy bell pepper seems to be to be just a horrid idea. I just passed it by my husband and he also said YUCK!
I hate raw peppers of all kinds, but to fill them with ground meat -and then eat them, what, as appetizers? - seems a bit unreal. Sorry, I'll pass on this one.
SORRY, I can't always love the stuff you post here. That's probably a good thing, no? Food is pretty intense and subjective, like the people you choose to share your intimate lives with.
And the thought of crushing a bunch of beef or other meat (assuming it's cooked and seasoned) down onto a quarter of a bell pepper simply doesn't resonate with me at all. I admit to having a "thing" about German/Austrian food just not being up my alley, but the thought of biting down on a bunch of seasoned meat crushed into a quarter of a crunchy bell pepper seems to be to be just a horrid idea. I just passed it by my husband and he also said YUCK!
I hate raw peppers of all kinds, but to fill them with ground meat -and then eat them, what, as appetizers? - seems a bit unreal. Sorry, I'll pass on this one.
SORRY, I can't always love the stuff you post here. That's probably a good thing, no? Food is pretty intense and subjective, like the people you choose to share your intimate lives with.
Nov 20th, 2016, 06:56 AM
#231
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You're welcome to not like it ^^
My brother doesn't like bell pepper either.
When you peel off its skin, it becomes much better (though there's not much left after the peeling). I have friends who don't like bell pepper but when I peeled it fresh and made a huge salad bowl, they finished it all.
Enough with bell pepper.
I think you can put raw meat over an emptied zucchini and cook it too, it should be more digestive than... uhm, the other fruit.
My brother doesn't like bell pepper either.
When you peel off its skin, it becomes much better (though there's not much left after the peeling). I have friends who don't like bell pepper but when I peeled it fresh and made a huge salad bowl, they finished it all.
Enough with bell pepper.
I think you can put raw meat over an emptied zucchini and cook it too, it should be more digestive than... uhm, the other fruit.
Nov 22nd, 2016, 10:17 AM
#233
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Bought a piece of rabbit today, so I try 2 recipes here: bvlenci's coniglio in potacchio and traveller's oven rabbit leg. I don't have habits of cooking rabbit (seems really like an European dish), but you guys encourage me.
Oven leg for dinner tonight. It was marvelous. I don't have baked apple, I replaced it with baked potatoes and it went well. I added a LOT of pepper powder.
Coniglio in potacchio will be tomorrow - I must make use of the rosemary in the garden before it freezes. I will use anise in place of wild fennel.
Oven leg for dinner tonight. It was marvelous. I don't have baked apple, I replaced it with baked potatoes and it went well. I added a LOT of pepper powder.
Coniglio in potacchio will be tomorrow - I must make use of the rosemary in the garden before it freezes. I will use anise in place of wild fennel.
May 15th, 2017, 08:35 PM
#235
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Cooking octopus and calamari at home can be quite challenging and interesting too. This dish is inspired by the classic Greek dish macaronatha. One should definitely give a try to this interesting creation.
