A Heimgemacht Oktoberfest

 October means one thing- Octoberfest. It;'s a big deal in the major cities like New York and Chicago. Some smaller towns and restaurants have their own version. However what do you do when there's not one celebration in your area? Make your own  heimgemacht as the Germans would say.

German food is heavy and it does vary from region to region. However there's one thing they can agree on and that's beer and wurst.  The most popular is Pilsner, a hoppy smelling brew popular all over the German republic. Your local liquor store should sell such top quality ones as Bohemia and Hacker PSchorr Weisse.As for wursts, the Schaller and Weber brand is the best Try to pick up a variety of them. Bratwurst is about the best because of its;' flavor and the way it grills up nicely. Hot dogs or frankfurters for the kids can also work.If you want more fancier fare then think rouladen which is beef rolls stuffed with spinach. Some add bacon and pickles to it but the spinach inside is very tasty and doesn't need anything else. Schnitzel and spaetzel is also very good.  Schnitzel is  any pounded piece of meat that's then dipped in beaten egg and breadcrumbs. Most Germans opt for pork because of the intense flavor and because it is traditional. Spaetzels can be bought or homemade. The ingredients are simple - flour eggs and water. You will need a spaetzel board which looks like a giant cheese grater to cut them into bite size drops. From the grater, they're plopped into the water and boiled like pasta.

One of the biggest dishes in Deutchland is sauerkraut. Yes , you can buy a big jar or can of it at your grocery store. However nothing beats the homemade kind. Keep in mind that it does have to be fermented for one to four weeks.You will need a large head of cabbage and salt. The cabbage has to be shredded, then salted and then massaged. Keep kneading it as it's poured into a very clean glass jar. (any impurities can cause bacteria to grow).Tightly screw on a plastic lid and let it ferment at room temperature. After the fermentation process you can then store it in the fridge. Oktoberfests are known for their pretzels too. These are the large soft, chewy kind that can also be used for bread or dipped in mustard or melted cheddar. They can be home made , with a yeast based dough. They do have to be boiled in either a baking soda or lye. Lye is the better bet here because its' the reason pretzels are golden brown and crisp on the outside. Plus it gives them that unique flavor too. after a quick lye bath, brush them with beaten egg and sprinkle on coarse salt. They're baked for  ten to fifteen minutes.

A heimgemacht Oktoberfest is the best thing in the world You can celebrate with wurst and homemade sauerkraut or schnitzel mit spaetzels.. Try a pretzel with mustard or have a plate of rouladen. Enjoy this month with good food from the heart.

Shaved Beef, Delicious And Easy

Shaved beef is one of the easiest ingredients out there. You can make whatever you want with it and it will still be tender and tasty. Best of all any novice cook can take it and turn it into a masterpiece. It's hard to screw up - no matter how you prepare it.

The cut was feature din yesterday's New York Times Dining section in an article written by Jane Sigal. She not only explains what it is but gives some excellent recipes with it. The cut is basically the chewy top round from the leg. it should be tough however thanks to precision butchering it comes off perfect for any kind of dish. The Germans make rouladen out of it where it's rolled around pickles, onions and bacon while the Italians create bracciole which has the slices stuffed with a spinach and cheese mix or tomato and breadcrumbs mix. Shaved beef can also be used in bulgoki, the Korea's national dish.

The recipes include d in the article were good too. There was glazed beef and scallion rolls, which would be the perfect small dinner party treat. This involves asparagus and scallions wrapped around marinated shaved beef and then grilled in canola oil. There's also a saucy Mexican twist on peppers and steak involving jalpeno or habenro peppers along with beef involtini ( a smaller version of bracciole) that;s great topping fettuccine. Shave beef allows you to be as creative as you want to be. It's even good just served plain on toasted Italian bread.

Shaved beef is any novice or creative cook's dream. it is simple to make and serves as the base for any number of recipes. You can make traditional like bracciole or exotic like bulgoki. It can be turned into a Sunday rouladen served with sauerkraut or a Saturday night party dish filled with fiery peppers. Shaved beef is really a great canvas for any cook.