This light, crispy savory sour-dough thin rice and lentil based crêpe, filled with unlimited types of fillings is a staple food and native to India. My favorite - 'masala deluxe' (spiced indian potatoes, spinach, roasted tomatoes & jack cheese) with grilled chicken! Most think of dosas as being a vegetarian or healthy food. They can be. There are many different ways to make the batter, especially gluten free. There are also now instant batters available in specialty markets to make dosas quick and easy to prepare. Dosas are usually served with a variety of chutneys; like peanut, curry, tomato and mango. I recently enjoyed dosas with a few friends at the Hampton Chutney Co. in Amagansett, NY. Yes, they are as good as they look!
Oh My Schweinhaxe
ode to Germany.
No, that's not a song. It's German culinary delight, aka pork ham hock. Just how did I find the best place to get it in Germany? My best kept secret (well not really, but close) came from a lovely member of an American Airline flight crew. This may have been one of my best inflight location tips yet.
So here's where to go. For a little Weinerschnitz or Schweinhaxe go straight to Gaststätte Baseler Eck (the corner) on Baseler Platz 7, Frankfurt. It is well worth the detour or ideal if you have a long layover at the airport. It's approximately 20 minutes by tram from airport.
Baseler Eck is a family place that fills up every night. You are guaranteed a great meal and a good time. Whenever I’ve brought anyone there, they wanted to return the next night. I admit to being the American who returns for consecutive dining, happily. So repeat business must be their marketing campaign, because they don't have a website. The food is traditional home-cooked German fare. You may have to wait for a table, but it’s fine; wait at the bar and enjoy a perfect Pils. By the way, as with much of Germany, one of the owners does speak English.
Gaststätte Baseler Eck
Baseler Platz 7
60329 Gutleutviertel, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
069 252439
images: Schweinhaxe, Baseler Eck
Good Times Never End
Autumn begins this Friday—the day when daytime and nighttime are equal in duration. There may be a chill in the air but there's so much more outside activity to inspire us to cook-up some real winning dishes.
Here's some inspiration from my summer beach picnics to keep you inspired for your next tailgate or family picnic gathering.
Rise'n Roll
Fall spread for you morning toast? Try an old fashioned favorite - apple butter aka bread spread; made by the Rise'n Roll Amish Roll Bakery, Indiana. This is just one of the many authentic Amish handmade food products they make. Their apple butter is made without sugar, relying on local honey for the sweetness. The bakery also makes seasonal flavors like pumpkin & peach butter. This is a good pantry staple.
see more good stuff picks
Faux Pressure Cooked Tailgate
Top Ten College Tailgating Experiences
Should your favorite team not make our top ten, drop us an email with a good reason why it should make our top ten tailgate list.
❿ Auburn- Fans show up early in the morning - three days before kickoff.
❾ Ohio State- Might be the 100,000-plus passionate surrounding the Horseshoe in one of college football's most spirited gatherings.
❽ Army- If you want to tell soldiers with rifles that they don't belong in the top 10, go right ahead.
❼ Wisconsin- Fans don't notice the cold because their cheese wedges restrict the flow of oxygen to the brain.
❻ UCLA- What could be better than tailgating outside the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1?
❺ Penn State- In ‘Happy Valley’, State College’s 100,000+ turns into Pennsylvania's third-largest city on game day.
❹ Washington- Nibbling Dungeness crab and wild salmon along with sipping Red Hook or a glass of Chateau St. Michelle is college football's finest experience.
❸ Tennessee- There's the great BBQ. . .
❷ Ole Miss- On the Mississippi campus speed limit is 18, in recognition of the jersey number worn by Archie Manning, enough said.
❶ LSU- Nobody cooks like the Cajuns which gives you all day to to make the jambalaya as LSU plays most games at night
We have made the move from picnics to tailgates. Now that the season is in full swing, here’s a great do ahead chili. The flavors only get better the next day.
Chili is such a crowd pleaser. I've used whole meat rather than chopped meat in my Faux Pressure-Cooked Chili recipe. You will taste the difference in the flavor and in the texture of this dish. I use a combo beef and pork version for the ultimate flavor.
This recipe cooks quicker in the oven than just simmering on the stove. If you do not have a pressure cooker or slow cooker, don't worry—just use a cast iron pot, like Le Creuset.
Faux Pressure Cooked Chili
Makes 8-10 servings | Recipe by Chef George Hirsch
2 pounds chuck roast
2 pounds boneless country-style pork ribs
Olive oil as need to sear meat
4 Tablespoons ground cumin
4 dried chilis, seeded and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 onion, quartered
6 cloves garlic, halved
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
2 1/2 cups chicken or beef broth
Heat the olive oil in a large cast iron pan over medium-high heat. Sear the pork in the hot oil until browned on all sides, about 10 minutes. Repeat by searing the beef.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
Add pork back into pan with beef, along with the 4 Tablespoons cumin, dried chilis, quartered onion, garlic halves, and jalapeno pepper. Add broth, cover with a tight lid, and cook on high for 1 1/2 hours. (If you do not have a very tight lid, cover with foil and then place the lid over foil.) Do not open oven or peek inside the pan for 1 1/2 hours.
Remove meat from oven, Do Not remove cover. Allow to cool for another 30 minutes.
Prepare sauce to add to meat.
For the Sauce & Finishing:
1 Tablespoon each oregano, cumin, chili powder
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
6 cloves garlic, chopped
4 cups crushed tomatoes
2 can pinto beans, rinsed
2 ounces Bittersweet Chocolate, melted
In a sauce pan heat olive oil, onions, garlic and cook until tender but do not brown. Add toasted spices and add tomatoes, chocolate and beans. Lower temperature and simmer for thirty minutes while meat is resting.
After thirty minutes, remove cover from meat and pour juices into sauce. Shred meat finely with two forks. Pour sauce into meat and cook an additional 1 to 1 1/2 hours to allow sauce and meat to blend.
TIPS:
Bring out the flavor by slow-toasting spices.
Slowly toasting powdered spices in a dry skillet over low heat before adding them to the chili.