Kitchenware Marketplace

Beer is often used, similar to wine, in a variety of recipes, especially during Oktoberfest, When its an important ingredient for Wiener Schnitzel ( a veal scaloppini dish) bratwurst in sauerkraut, German potato salad or a German beer cheese soup. I like to add a can of beer to the cooking water , when making a corned beef and cabbage meal as it seems to tenderize the meat and add flavor to the meal. It can be added to most braised dishes like chicken thighs, pulled pork for sandwiches, and even in a sauce for braised meatballs. Beer can be used to cook some seafood dishes like beer battered fish, and shrimp or as a added liquid to simmer mussels. Today I used it for the classic dancing whole chicken dish, which is a chicken perched on a half can of beer while it is baking. Besides flavor the steam from the beer keeps the chicken nice and moist.. Whenever a recipe requires a liquid maybe you could substitute beer for that unique taste that is so desirable.

A very familiar phrase in the Culinary Arts field is " Mise en place". Literally it means to "Put in place", but refers to keeping things in order, being organized, ready and working clean. All of which saves a lot of time. When I was teaching teens restaurant cooking , I think it was a phrase that I uttered daily. ( sometimes maybe too loudly) If you have ever watched a cooking show on TV, you would notice that the cooks already have everything measured, all the tools, dishes, and equipment ready, the produce has been pre-washed, and they can quickly proceed in the food preparation. This means some items are already at room temperature, some has been previously diced or sliced and the ovens and , (grills are heated and ready to use. The more you are organized m, the quicker the clean-up process will go and the more you will enjoy cooking.

The finished product will be a delicious turkey gravy.

A good trick, when making meatballs, is to use equal amounts of three different ground meats. For these I used Hamburg, pork, and turkey. As I wanted them to be like a Swedish meatball, I did no incorporate any grated cheese into the mixture. Besides bread crumbs and eggs to bind them , I added finely chopped onion, peppers, mushrooms and carrots and a few splashes of Worcestershire and A-1 sauce, plus seasonings. For a sauce, I used beef broth, burgundy wine, a chicken fat roux and sour cream. If I wanted to eat them as a grinder, I would have used a tomato based sauce that was topped with mozzarella cheese. Before any sauce is added these meat balls freeze well and by reheating them in a sauce , they make a quick and easy meal or sandwich.