It’s about 25 degrees in Prague today. I spent yesterday chopping wood and wrestling rabid Grizzly Bears so today, I did what any self-respecting bachelor stuck inside with nothing important to do would – I made cookies. I’ve never made cookies before. Well, at least not cookies that weren’t slice and bake. But I had been eyeing this recipe for months, subtly dropping hints to my wife to execute it. She didn’t. So, I took the bull by the horns and did it myself. Well, I’m glad I did. The recipe was easy and the finished product was a crispy-on-the-outside, pillowy-on-the-inside cookie marvel as good as any I have eaten. Of course, the recipe came from one of the best food blogs on the web – “Crepes of Wrath.” Compounding the greatness of the recipe was the fact that I was all mixed, baked and cleaned up in under an hour.
Now I have three dozen awesome chocolate chip cookies sitting in the kitchen. A bunch will go into the freezer but a bunch more will go right where they belong – into my big bachelor belly.
Last night I tried a recipe that I had been wanting to try for quite a while. I first read about Panko Onion Rings on the “Crepes of Wrath” site. As it turns out, the author of that site was inspired by a recipe on this site. Well, after seeing the pictures on both pages, I got hungry enough to try them myself!
One thing to keep in mind with this recipe. Czech onions are infamously stinky. There are no “sweet” onions that I have ever come across in this country and the thought of finding a “Vidalia” is delusional. Still, something about baking the onions in this recipe brings out the sweetness of the onion – even a Czech onion.
After trying this recipe, I’ve decided that panko is one of the best ingredients out there. It puts the crunch into any item you like. Plus, I never would have thought of frying onion rings at home before. Too much mess. But baking these dudes is healthier and much easier to clean up.
Here’s the recipe. I modified it slightly from both sites.
2 medium onions sliced into 1/2 inch rings
1 1/2 cup flour
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 cup panko
Salt and pepper
Mix egg and milk in a bowl. On one plate, put flour. On another plate mix panko and S&P. Dredge onion rings in flour, then egg/milk, then panko/S&P. Place on a greased cookie sheet and into a 450 degree F oven for 10-12 minutes.
Serves 2 reasonable adults or 1 hungry bachelor. Oh, and there are no pictures because the NH girls left and took the cameras with them. Somehow, though, I think I might be making these for them when we meet up soon in Texas.
Perhaps the greatest measure of Obama’s declining support is that just 50% of voters now say they prefer having him as President to George W. Bush, with 44% saying they’d rather have his predecessor.
The above comes from Politico. How far the mighty fall. Bush/Cheney 2012? Heh.
In other Presidential news, I read that during his Nobel Prize acceptance tour, Obama snubbed the Swedish (ahem) Norwegian King. Really? I can’t believe he’d miss the chance to bow to someone.
There is a point about halfway through the documentary, Anvil: The Story of Anvil, where all of the dreams I have ever had of becoming a rock star just seem to vanish in a “poof”-like moment. It’s when the club owner of an unnamed Prague nightclub is shaking his head in disgust as a lady tries to guide the band, hopelessly lost in the strangely named streets of this town, into the vicinity of the club over the phone. It’s the simplest depiction of the reality of being in a rock band. Twenty-two hours of hell for two hours of bliss.
As a movie, Anvil: The Story of Anvil is loads of fun. I’m sure it has been written a million times already but it truly is the real life Spinal Tap. It would be the perfect movie for the whole family if it wasn’t for the language and, ahem, Anvil’s use of stage props at the beginning of the movie. The rest is a testament to the impact and influence that music has on so many lives. In this case, the biggest impact is on Anvil’s Steve “Lips” Kudlow and Rob Reiner, two 50-something-almost-made-it-in-the-80’s musicians that never stopped chasing their dream.
The first 1/3 of the movie, I found myself not knowing if I should pity them or laugh at them (so I did both); however, by the time the credits rolled I was rooting for them and could hardly wait to get to a computer and check out their web site. Well, I still haven’t been to their web site. I decided to write a review instead.
Put the kids to bed and prepare to rock out. Put on Anvil: The Story of Anvil and turn it up to 11.
Yep, this is my excuse. This is why I haven’t blogged in almost two weeks. I was in Germany, France and Austria with the family and eating and drinking my way through Christmas markets in each country. What you see above are Churros with Nutella at the Christmas Market in Colmar, France. We discovered that they served churros in France while we were there last year. I had no idea that the French did churros but I’m glad that they do. They’re delicious. And, the addition of Nutella actually gives them a little more of an everyman angle. No fancy chocolate needed here, just a tub of Nutella about the size of bowling ball.
More on this trip in the coming days. As you can imagine, we ate more than one Flammkuchen. Stay tuned!
“Cracker heads and angels in your heart come together, yeah.” – The Cult
I guess I’m a cracker head. I love making these things. All I have to do is open up a box of something Nabisco and I am inspired to make these crackers. They taste like a cracker should taste. All crackers in boxes taste like breakfast cereal or cardboard to me these days. My daughter asks for Wheat Thins at breakfast for goodness sake. Is there any disputing my claim that they taste like cereal?
So, I decided to have about my third go at making these crackers. They’re incredibly easy and the recipe will mold to just about any liquid added to the right amount of flour. The original recipe has an olive oil and water mixture. I modified it and added 100% cream as my liquid and they came out perfectly – again. They do take some time and a bit of persistence to make, however.
In a quest to find a weekend father-daughter project in the kitchen, I tried to make these with Little NH. Unfortunately, by the time we got started, she was in the middle of an intense post Fruit Loop sugar crash and she flailed out of the room yelling, “No, no, NOOOOOO!” as soon as I added the cream to the flour in batch number one. No matter. I persevered, adding copious amounts of grated Parmesan and rolling them onto the jelly roll pan with a pint glass. I scored them with a pastry scraper, topped them with a little extra grated cheese and baked the heck out of them. Batch number two, I used ground up fresh rosemary and cracked pepper – chimp simple.
I have to imagine these are better for you than crackers in a box. There are no artificial ingredients and what’s a cup of whipping cream compared to a list of things on the side of a Nabisco box that I don’t have in my kitchen? Because, you know, cream is good for you. Well, much better than a belly full of Fruit Loops.
About a year ago, my folks came to Prague. They carried with them a small Ziploc of tapioca pearls – to be used in bubble tea. At the time I had no real idea what bubble tea was except for the fact that whenever it got brought in conversation with my folks, they seemed visibly excited. I mean, really excited.
Fast forward about a year and there I was, boiling the tapioca pearls and then storing them in simple syrup just like the directions I found online said I should. I looked for an online recipe that would include tea and some sort of booze. I figured, if the tapioca and the tea didn’t do it for me and Mrs. NH, a little shot of something would. For the purpose of this maiden batch of bubble tea, our poison of choice was Kahlua. We mixed that up with some tea of some sort from my wife’s “cupboard of too many teabags” and added the pearls and a bit of the simple syrup.
It was interesting. I think that’s what I said, “Hmmm, interesting.” My brow was surely furrowed. Maybe bubble tea is one of those “you had to be there” things.
You know the kinds of things that only a personal experience can elevate to legend? Take for example my obsession with truffles. I’m sure many of my readers roll their eyes when they see me writing another post on this fungus. However, the first time I ever had them was in a hill town in Italy and the mixture of the foreign flavor and beautiful surroundings is something that I’m transported to every time I take a bite of anything with truffle. The same may be true with bubble tea as well. If I recall correctly, my folks first tasted it while vacationing in Thailand. I have no doubt it was a part of the experience and something they think back to every time they bite down on one of those pleasantly chewy tapioca nuggets.
Or, maybe I just made it wrong.
Was Kahlua a bad thing to mix with it? Maybe the coffee flavor interfered too much with the tea? Maybe I should have stuck to rum?
Time will tell. I’m definitely going to try it again. Maybe I’ll wait until I’m back home in TX, in the folks’ kitchen. Maybe they’ll show me how to make it the right way.
Or, maybe I’ll just hop a plane to Thailand. If it makes this stuff taste good, I can only imagine the Pad Thai.
“I think I’m in love but it makes me kinda nervous to say so…” – Beck
That’s the way I feel after just 24 hours of Windows 7 on my computer. After a long period of hemming and hawing, I decided to take the plunge and install the new OS last night contrary to the wishes of my wife given her facial expressions when I told her what I was about to do. It’s not that she doesn’t believe in my technical skill, it’s just that she knows how I get when something doesn’t work. In a word: Obsessed.
Luckily, most of the Windows 7 64-bit install worked like a charm on my dual core, 4GB HP. I credit this smooth transition mostly to MS’s “Windows Easy Transfer” software. This software installs on your old setup, ferrets out most of the stuff you’ll probably want to keep, and shepherds it safely to an external drive. Once you’ve done the (25 minute for me) Windows 7 install, Easy Transfer puts all of stuff back where it needs to be. Stuff you didn’t even know you needed ends up safe and sound in the loving arms of Windows 7.
I had only one problem with the install and that was a Creative sound card whose drivers remained incredibly elusive. After a few lucky breaks this evening, I found the drivers and Creative update did the rest. Now, I’m sitting here with a sweet, new-feeling machine.
And oh, what a feeling. The new taskbar is really intuitive and is almost impossible to explain in a blog post. The speed of the system is faster than I have ever witnessed on a computer. I was downloading and installing programs like a madman last night (using Ninite, another recommended program) and there wasn’t one hiccup. Even the sound card that gave me fits did so politely.
Now, at nearly 11:00 on a Monday night, I sit satisfied with my new OS. However, I’ve had these kinds of love affairs with technology before and I know that you’re only one software update away from falling out of love.
I was going to write a post about this but I can’t bear to waste any of my time on this self-aggrandizing dud. Besides Power Line probably says it best.
If he constantly feels the need to remind the world how great he is, why doesn’t he just start a blog? Sheesh.
Summer is long past here in the breadbasket of Central Europe. It has been cold and damp for what seems like months. It’s actually only been a couple weeks but the mood has changed around the NH household. My wife and I are observing the change by taking a little more time to crawl out from under the sheets in the morning and by spending much more time planning and preparing dinners. For those reasons alone, I accept the cold weather. It allows me the chance to get really down and dirty – in the kitchen.
As proof of this, here’s a sampling of what we’ve cooked over the past couple of weeks: Duck Empanadas, Tortilla Soup, Coconut Shrimp, Flammkuchen, Seared Foie Gras, French Onion soup, Mongolian Beef and Baked Ziti. Add on top of this the fact that we’ve been to a couple of really good restaurants on nights out of the kitchen and you end up with a really good reason to love the season.
The changes are also visible in my 2 and ½ year-old daughter. You can see her take note of the difference in the weather and surroundings outside. She’s interested in the leaves, is mastering putting on her gloves and upon my arrival after a trek from the metro, she grasps my chilly fingertips and asks, “Was it cold, Daddy?” (She’s less excited about the food, though. Duck empanadas and French Onion Soup for a 2-year-old? As she puts it, “No thank you, Daddy; I’m having pizza right now.”)
Winter often gets a bad rap from the NH side of the gene pool – and for good reason. In my book it pretty much ceases to be fun after December, save for the prospect of good snow for sledding and the opportunities to enjoy hot toddies in some cave-like Prague cellar bar. However, the lead-up to the full winter letdown is something to enjoy and savor.
Christmas is coming and with that, there are the Christmas markets in Europe. We’ll be hitting them with family this year and whenever those markets are concerned, the more the merrier. Then, there will be Christmas with the whole family – our first in five years (though, not everybody at once).
Inevitably, the January to February doldrums will hit. Of course, I hope to chase those blues away with the help of some new living room technology. Nothing like a fresh Windows 7 install to warm the spirit.
Last week there was a midweek Czech holiday and the Mrs., Little NH and I decided to make a brunch/lunch of it at Prague’s Cafe Savoy. If you’ve never been, Savoy is worth a visit. It hardly feels like you’re in Prague. It feels more like Paris or Vienna. The service is great, the food is very refined and the atmosphere laid back yet, neat as a pin. The cafe itself seems to have a sense of sophistication that manages to avoid out-and-out snobbery. It turned out to be the perfect setting for an early afternoon epicurean adventure.
Mrs. NH started out with the Fresh Pea Soup. I had tasted hers the last time we ate there and I recalled being pretty impressed. It was just as good this time. Little dollops of mashed potatoes arrive in the bowl and the creamy, bright green soup was poured in afterward. Fresh and tasty.
I decided to go a little heavier with my starter. The Escargots à la Bourguignonne was my selection and provided excellent flavor and brunch conversation with my 2-year-old.
“What’s that daddy?” she asked.
“Snails.”
“Oooh, yum!”
“Want some?” I queried.
“Uh, no thanks. I’m eating French fries right now.”
And that was that. But I can’t blame her too much. The fries were good. Shoestring, golden and really crispy with just the right touch of greasiness to add a layer of decadence. But back to the Escargots – I was amazed how good they were. They were as good as any I’ve had anywhere – including France. This fact just helped to add a layer of authenticity and otherworldliness to Savoy.
Next, there was the main course. Mrs. NH decided to treat this as more of a brunch with a Mimosa and a Savoy Omlette with Gruyére. It was one of the prettier omlettes I have ever seen. The eggs were bright yellow and contrasted nicely with delicately dressed pile of greens on the side. It was rich and full of flavor.
Again, I decide eschew any brunch protocol and go in heavy with my main course. I ordered up a dark, heady Kozel beer with a rustic Veal entrecôte á la Périgourdine which included truffle sauce and fresh spinach leaves on butter. I told you I went in heavy. It was a rich, bold, yet balanced meal that was the perfect complement to a cool fall day. It certainly made the outing feel like a special occasion and gave me the same sort of pleasant lethargy that I used to get at Sunday brunch at the country club after church.
We took our time through the meal and the attentive but not overbearing service was perfect. I was a little worried when the bill came that all of this pleasure might come at a very high cost. My fears were unfounded, however. When I looked at the bill, it seemed just about right. Not to mention, with all of the money we had saved in not actually driving to France for lunch, we’ll certainly be back to do it again.
I missed ‘em. I tried to get tickets last week but my connection was hosed to the German ticket site. Oh, well. Can’t win ‘em all. I’ve got Tickets for Vienna next summer. At any rate, here’s “Moment of Surrender” (apparently their next single) from Berlin during the MTV Video Music Awards. 20 years from the fall of the wall and almost 20 years since Achtung Baby. Wow, I’m getting old.
After a ridiculously delicious Saturday night, I found myself in the house on a rainy, cold Sunday. I also found myself with two duck leg/thigh combos in the fridge and a wife that blew me away by saying, “Let’s make duck empanadas. I’ll make the dough.” Giddyup!
A few hours later, I was cradling a puffy, golden sherried duck empanada in my hand marveling at the result of husband and wife teamwork. In the other hand I was holding a glass of la Gitana Manzanilla. On my face was a big, fat grin.
Here’s how it all went down…
For the Filling:
2 leg/thighs of duck (skin on)
salt and pepper
1/2 can of beer
1 diced red pepper
1 diced onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 cup dry sherry (Not La Gitana Manzanilla! But an oloroso would also be good in this recipe.)
1/2 cube beef bullion
1 tablespoon cumin
1/2 tablespoon chili powder
Season the duck with salt and pepper and pour the beer in the bottom of a casserole. Bake covered for 2 hours on 350°F. Bone and shred the cooked duck and discard the skin. Reserve the beer and duck fat juice from the casserole. Place the shredded duck meat aside.
Sauté the pepper, garlic and onions in the oil and gradually add spices, bullion and sherry. Let the sherry cook off and then add some more. Add a few spoonfuls of the beer/duck fat juice for flavor. Add shredded duck and cook until moisture is an empanada filling consistency.
For the Dough:
Have your wife find a good empanada dough recipe and then say, “Thanks for doing this!” a lot while she rolls the dough and fills the empanadas. Oh, be helpful and turn on the oven and chill the Manzanilla. She’ll be grateful.
Everybody that has ever visited this site knows that Mrs. NH and I are absolutely bonkers about Flammkuchen. Well, last Saturday we had some foie gras that needed a home and a boatload of Flammkuchen toppings (recently purchased in Munich) that also needed to be used. That, combined with friends that like to eat almost as much as we do, made the perfect impromptu party. It also helped that the friends in question came with a nice Swiss Pinot Noir.
So, there we were. A Saturday night after trick-or-treating, with a new recipe in hand and people in the house. We had to get it right. As far as I can tell we did. It takes some work but was worth every second. We made four pizzas for five adults and they disappeared – even with foie gras and other appetizers. I guess we worked up quite an appetite (and thirst!) keeping up with the kids on their quest for candy.
The dough is a staple, introduced to me by Scampwalker. However, we came up with the method for perfection on the spot. We made the dough, flattened it and then grilled it lightly on both sides. After that, we brought it in the house, put it on a heavily cornmealed pizza paddle, dressed it and then popped it on a pizza stone in a very hot oven. The results were nothing short of awe-inspiring. Awe inspiring because the turned out perfectly and awe-inspiring because we had never done them before. In fact, I was so awe-struck that I didn’t remember to take any pictures. Use your imagination. [UPDATE: That's a photo from batch a couple weeks later...]
For the Dough:
1 pkg dry yeast (or about a teaspoon of active cake yeast)
1 tsp sugar
2/3 cup warm water
1 2/3 cups flour (all-purpose or half and half with whole wheat)
3/4 tsp salt
2 tsp olive oil
Mix yeast & water to proof for 10 minutes.
Put metal blade in food processor, pour in flour and salt, and turn on machine. Pour yeast through tube and process for 45 seconds. Add oil and process another minute. Dough should ball up… if not, add a bit of flour until it does.
Let it rise for an hour in a ball (covered in a greased bowl), then cut in two to make two 10-inch pizzas, and let rise again (15 minutes or so is usually enough. Grill the crust until golden with grill marks on each side. Then, take of the grill and bring it in to be topped and finished in the oven.
For the Topping:
2 cups crème fraiche
2 cups chopped ham
2 medium onions, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
ground black pepper
Sauté your onions in olive oil until translucent. Then add the ham and pepper. Spread the crème fraiche on the crust, then sprinkle it with the cooked onion and ham mixture all the way out to the edges. Put on a pizza stone in a 500 degree oven until crème fraiche begins to bubble. Slice in wedges and enjoy!
