happy Pesach everyone cooking almost done..gotta make a kugel i think but everything else is done...so happy pesach enjoy your seders everyone...and by the way paula I expect a full remake of your seder food when I get back...I can tell im missing out on a lot there.
so HAPPY PESACH EVERYONE.
and ps NO FISH HEADS GARY
Monday, March 29, 2010
Saturday, March 27, 2010
offenbach
SO there isnt much to write about..I am getting slightly annoyed that I am doing most of the work. Oh well..There have been many hurdles and bumps on the road and I have made due..I have really lived up to the challenge so far...of course there is a but here...but I there are somethings which continue to bother me.
They brought in some guys from NY to conduct seders here in cities near Offenbach..Anyways I can understand that I will be in the kitchen alone most of the time since the wife has to take care of the kids as well..but I really would appreciate some help. One guy has helped...hes my sister in laws brother...but the rest dont help..they talk the talk but cant walk the walk...so after a shabbos of relaxing I was back in the kitchen right away baking, and everyone else sat down to eat and relax some more...I was a bit shocked so I put stuff on and then started peeling potatoes...then the rabbis wife comes upstairs and sees me and asks me why?? I said everyone is downstairs..shes like they will come and help...I told her experience has shown me unfortunately not to rely on people in the kitchen unfortunately...so eventually they all came upstairs, but a few offered to help and they peeled some potatoes but then left the kitchen...I was kinda hurt...but then I am also trying to make mirangues but they arent working out...I know they need cream of tartare but I am trying to make it without and the damn oven doesnt work the way its supposed to and its really pissing me off...I am trying to work this out...oh well...now two fo the boys say they have strict laws so they wont eat the stuff I make so I have to give them the kitchen for some time tomorrow as well..oh dear...wish me luck...anyways thats that...
yehuda
They brought in some guys from NY to conduct seders here in cities near Offenbach..Anyways I can understand that I will be in the kitchen alone most of the time since the wife has to take care of the kids as well..but I really would appreciate some help. One guy has helped...hes my sister in laws brother...but the rest dont help..they talk the talk but cant walk the walk...so after a shabbos of relaxing I was back in the kitchen right away baking, and everyone else sat down to eat and relax some more...I was a bit shocked so I put stuff on and then started peeling potatoes...then the rabbis wife comes upstairs and sees me and asks me why?? I said everyone is downstairs..shes like they will come and help...I told her experience has shown me unfortunately not to rely on people in the kitchen unfortunately...so eventually they all came upstairs, but a few offered to help and they peeled some potatoes but then left the kitchen...I was kinda hurt...but then I am also trying to make mirangues but they arent working out...I know they need cream of tartare but I am trying to make it without and the damn oven doesnt work the way its supposed to and its really pissing me off...I am trying to work this out...oh well...now two fo the boys say they have strict laws so they wont eat the stuff I make so I have to give them the kitchen for some time tomorrow as well..oh dear...wish me luck...anyways thats that...
yehuda
Thursday, March 25, 2010
offenbach
Sorry for the few and far between blogs, but im working alot mostly alone since the rabbi is never home and his wife has to take care of the kids..so how they thought they were going to do it alone is truly beyond me ..lol
Nothing really to talk about..just cooking away getting things done..thats all I can think of...sorry for no blogs though.
yehuda
Nothing really to talk about..just cooking away getting things done..thats all I can think of...sorry for no blogs though.
yehuda
Thursday, March 18, 2010
a few days in
So two days in and im trudging through my prep all the while gently going over the speed bumps in my way.
Yesterday when I went to the store to buy stuff there were three people cleaning the kitchen for passover...it is a small kitchen adn all they had to do was wash out 3 fridges and a freezer adn line them all with foil. That was it..when I came back more than 3 hours later it wasnt finished yet...!!!OMG WHAT WAS TAKING SOO FREAGIN LONG?? and then I got questioned for everything I was doing...so I kindly told them I was a professional and I dotn have time for games, I know what needs to get done and its going to get done now...anywyas they didnt listen adn someone cut his finger really badly and ended up going to the hospital to get stitches...hes ok but still, it pissed me off that they werent listening and then they got hurt...anyways two of the three people that were supposed to help me left early..as I expected unfortunately.
Then the meat deliver came...FROZEN!!! and they didnt ship everything or even some of the right stuff.I told my boss that, and he got mad and called them and they were like whats the problem you have chef paul bocuse in your kitchen that hes being so anal about the quality? that kinda pissed the guy off and he gave them a piece of his mind..
anyways I got back a bit on track today but there still is a lot that needs to get done, but still behind thanks to the schmuks from yesterday...but its good that I planned everything to be done in 3-4 days so that way I would have the extra day for just in case something came up and changed...so hopefully everything still works out...Although tomorrow I have to debone 30 chickens make a kugel and some other stuff...hopefully things will work out...I madegefilte fish using paulas recipe, but cooking it my mothers way, and it was absolutely amazing..came out really good and amazed everyone by not using carp!! they really enjoyed it so thanks paula. I made a very big batch of ratatouille, as well as braised 25 kg so more than 50 lbs of brisket...its really good adn when im done with the sauce it should be perfect...so as thigns continue hopefully they will get better..
Thats that..They are paying for everything for me here including my food (which I didnt ask for, but hey ill take it...lol) and otherwise everythign si working out...but going back tothe rabbis house it will beinteresting because they have 4 small burners and 2 very small ovens so that will be a challenge as well..Here I cant really complain though becuase someone is doing the peeling for me as well as cleaning up...awesome...should be interesting though going back to Offenbach...anyways I am staying ina apartment where a holocaust survivor used to live..used to because he died recently...but they never cleaned his stuff out so the apartment is still full with all his stuff..kinda creepy if you ask me...but hey...ok going to go call jessica...
yehuda
Yesterday when I went to the store to buy stuff there were three people cleaning the kitchen for passover...it is a small kitchen adn all they had to do was wash out 3 fridges and a freezer adn line them all with foil. That was it..when I came back more than 3 hours later it wasnt finished yet...!!!OMG WHAT WAS TAKING SOO FREAGIN LONG?? and then I got questioned for everything I was doing...so I kindly told them I was a professional and I dotn have time for games, I know what needs to get done and its going to get done now...anywyas they didnt listen adn someone cut his finger really badly and ended up going to the hospital to get stitches...hes ok but still, it pissed me off that they werent listening and then they got hurt...anyways two of the three people that were supposed to help me left early..as I expected unfortunately.
Then the meat deliver came...FROZEN!!! and they didnt ship everything or even some of the right stuff.I told my boss that, and he got mad and called them and they were like whats the problem you have chef paul bocuse in your kitchen that hes being so anal about the quality? that kinda pissed the guy off and he gave them a piece of his mind..
anyways I got back a bit on track today but there still is a lot that needs to get done, but still behind thanks to the schmuks from yesterday...but its good that I planned everything to be done in 3-4 days so that way I would have the extra day for just in case something came up and changed...so hopefully everything still works out...Although tomorrow I have to debone 30 chickens make a kugel and some other stuff...hopefully things will work out...I madegefilte fish using paulas recipe, but cooking it my mothers way, and it was absolutely amazing..came out really good and amazed everyone by not using carp!! they really enjoyed it so thanks paula. I made a very big batch of ratatouille, as well as braised 25 kg so more than 50 lbs of brisket...its really good adn when im done with the sauce it should be perfect...so as thigns continue hopefully they will get better..
Thats that..They are paying for everything for me here including my food (which I didnt ask for, but hey ill take it...lol) and otherwise everythign si working out...but going back tothe rabbis house it will beinteresting because they have 4 small burners and 2 very small ovens so that will be a challenge as well..Here I cant really complain though becuase someone is doing the peeling for me as well as cleaning up...awesome...should be interesting though going back to Offenbach...anyways I am staying ina apartment where a holocaust survivor used to live..used to because he died recently...but they never cleaned his stuff out so the apartment is still full with all his stuff..kinda creepy if you ask me...but hey...ok going to go call jessica...
yehuda
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
getting ready
I am getting ready for cooking for pesach. I went yesterday to Wiesbaden yesterday to meet with the community, to discuss the menu, and go through the logistics. Well I was in the meeting for 4 and a half hours!! yeppers 4.5 hours! I was pretty hungry when we were done so I went for subway sandwiches, I was craving it since I smelled it in the train station, so I knew what I wanted to eat for lunch.
Long day thats forsure, and I went to sleep late just doing random things and watching NCIS, my new favourite show. Anyways today I am typing everything out putting them into charts and lists so we are organized. That is about it there isnt much to say. I will be in Wiesbaden for the next week staying there.
Long day thats forsure, and I went to sleep late just doing random things and watching NCIS, my new favourite show. Anyways today I am typing everything out putting them into charts and lists so we are organized. That is about it there isnt much to say. I will be in Wiesbaden for the next week staying there.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Overnight train and Dachau concentration camp
I took the over night train from Venice last night, and it wasnt too bad. My roommates were three german train ticket sales clerks and a korean girl. The korean girl was quiet and stayed to herself, whileme and the others laughed a bit and joked. But when the train left the venice train station we pretty much all went to sleep. I woke up several times during the night since the bed was way too small and Im a bit big for it, but i guess it beats sitting in a seat for 8 hours trying to sleep.
I arrived in Munich on time this morning, and knowing I had a few hours to kill, I could either takea tour of the city or visit Dachau Concentration camp. I chose the concentration camp. I left my bags at the station, and took a train to the city of Dachau. From there I took a bus to the outside of the camp, or as they call it now a memorial. All that is left is a few buildings, the barbed wire, the guard towers, the front gate, and the cremetoriam/gas chanber. Most of the bunk houses are demolished, there really isnt much besides for lots of plaques saying what was there. And the only thing that you can see is a fraction of what went on, the SS area is entirely changed into Police headquarters, as well as condos and houses. I was highly dissapointed and hurt. Also there were lots of germans there just walkign around or running around lke it was a play ground and that hurt as well...not only for teh jewish lives that were lost, but the ground is soaked in human blood and the new genration couldnt care less. But I got some good pictures, and its still difficult to imagine the brutality that went on in Germanys first concentration camp. It was actually the one that every other one is modeled after. It has a small bit of every other concentration camp. Oh well I experienced it and said a prayer for all the souls that were cut short by the nazis.
I then came back to Munich to take the 3 hour train to Frankfurt, where I am now. I have a cell phone, internet and a sound proof room in the basement so im good. Tomorrow Ill speak with the other people about the paying job in the other city as well, but now im still nautious from teh train rides so I am going to relax and take a short nap.
So as they say in this wretched country wilkomen! which means welcome.
Anyways I hope to have more tomorrow.
yehuda
I arrived in Munich on time this morning, and knowing I had a few hours to kill, I could either takea tour of the city or visit Dachau Concentration camp. I chose the concentration camp. I left my bags at the station, and took a train to the city of Dachau. From there I took a bus to the outside of the camp, or as they call it now a memorial. All that is left is a few buildings, the barbed wire, the guard towers, the front gate, and the cremetoriam/gas chanber. Most of the bunk houses are demolished, there really isnt much besides for lots of plaques saying what was there. And the only thing that you can see is a fraction of what went on, the SS area is entirely changed into Police headquarters, as well as condos and houses. I was highly dissapointed and hurt. Also there were lots of germans there just walkign around or running around lke it was a play ground and that hurt as well...not only for teh jewish lives that were lost, but the ground is soaked in human blood and the new genration couldnt care less. But I got some good pictures, and its still difficult to imagine the brutality that went on in Germanys first concentration camp. It was actually the one that every other one is modeled after. It has a small bit of every other concentration camp. Oh well I experienced it and said a prayer for all the souls that were cut short by the nazis.
I then came back to Munich to take the 3 hour train to Frankfurt, where I am now. I have a cell phone, internet and a sound proof room in the basement so im good. Tomorrow Ill speak with the other people about the paying job in the other city as well, but now im still nautious from teh train rides so I am going to relax and take a short nap.
So as they say in this wretched country wilkomen! which means welcome.
Anyways I hope to have more tomorrow.
yehuda
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
venice
Venice is a beautiful city, I'll admit but after walking in the bitter cold here im exausted from going up and down the stairs for the bridges. I saw all the major sightss, lots of churches, walked many alleyways, and even for fleetign moment thought that if I went to Venice MEstre (on the land) there might be somethign interesting but there wasnt so I came back to venice...
I am extreamly tired, and slightly sick but ok. I will buy water for my train ride since I need it. I am right now soemwhere in venice...not sure at all where I am, but somewhere on the lagoon. Some of the churches charge anexuberant amount of money to see it, and its not worth it at all.
I posted almost all the pictures on facebook from the last place i was at. I dont know what to write about, since there isnt really much happening, I am going to germany tonight for a month, then heading back to france until jessica gets here. I kinda want a job but im not sure if ill look for one in france or not...maybe its my boredom talking..lol
anyways ciao from italy..for the last time i guess
I am extreamly tired, and slightly sick but ok. I will buy water for my train ride since I need it. I am right now soemwhere in venice...not sure at all where I am, but somewhere on the lagoon. Some of the churches charge anexuberant amount of money to see it, and its not worth it at all.
I posted almost all the pictures on facebook from the last place i was at. I dont know what to write about, since there isnt really much happening, I am going to germany tonight for a month, then heading back to france until jessica gets here. I kinda want a job but im not sure if ill look for one in france or not...maybe its my boredom talking..lol
anyways ciao from italy..for the last time i guess
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Sadly leaving Perugia
So just to start off we appearently had an earthquake today..ha wouldnt you know it, didnt feel a thing.
Anyways to the task at hand. These past two weeks flew by so fast, and to be honest with you, I have truly enjoyed my time in Perugia so much. I was literally part of the family. I remember the first day I was there the kids were so shy, now at teh end we were playing basketball, and I was literally one of the clan.
I cooked dinner every night sometimes, was a difficult task, since there wasnt much in the firdge, but I always managed something. They took me out not as a guest in tehir home but as a friend of theirs. I learned how to speak Frenglishian (french english italian) with Michele, since he barely spoke english and i barely spoke italian, but somehow we made it work. We did the driveway, built a new bathroom, emptied teh wood shed and reorganized it so this week Michele can renovate the third bathroom in their B&B.
To be honest at first, I dont know why I came here, but it not only ended up being a culinary experience, I ended up havign the best social experience of all the time I have been here in Europe.
Michele and Claudia taught me about pastas and risotto, and Italian culture and Italian cuisine, while I taught them about french cooking and somehow making a meal from stuff in an empty fridge...Although we have a deal now they email me what they have in their fridge and I give them a recipe..hehe
They took me on a family trip to Norcia the Truffle Capital of Italy, and although I didnt get to go hunting for truffles, Michele and Claudia were quick to buy truffles for me to cook with,so at least I got to taste Italian truffles.
Michele and Claudia relly were the best hosts I could hope for, we had so much fun together, I cant remember laughing so much here in Europe, besides when jessica was here of course.
It really will be sad leaving.
But they promised they wont cry. I bet they will though..hehehe..
Last night though I cookd a french dinner for them and some friends and claudias sister.
I made a consomme margerite, Beef bourgingon with tien legume and mousse au chocolat.
The food turned out really well and we partied and drank until 4:30 am....let me clarify though, I didnt drink until 4:30, becase the drink of choice was rum adn coke and brandy adn coke...now called me modern, but I really dislike the taste of rum and brandy, im even loosing my taste for beer, choosing only wine...so I barely drank, but the italians can drink...and boy did they drink..it was actually pretty funny.
So tomorrow (monday) I am off to Venice for two days, and Tuesday night I am takign the overnight train to Frankfurt. I think I might take a quick break in Munich since I am stopping there anyways and spend part of the day there. not sure yet though.
Ciao...I'll miss Italy, well at least the people I met not necessarily the big cities, they didnt do much for me..hehe
ciao
Anyways to the task at hand. These past two weeks flew by so fast, and to be honest with you, I have truly enjoyed my time in Perugia so much. I was literally part of the family. I remember the first day I was there the kids were so shy, now at teh end we were playing basketball, and I was literally one of the clan.
I cooked dinner every night sometimes, was a difficult task, since there wasnt much in the firdge, but I always managed something. They took me out not as a guest in tehir home but as a friend of theirs. I learned how to speak Frenglishian (french english italian) with Michele, since he barely spoke english and i barely spoke italian, but somehow we made it work. We did the driveway, built a new bathroom, emptied teh wood shed and reorganized it so this week Michele can renovate the third bathroom in their B&B.
To be honest at first, I dont know why I came here, but it not only ended up being a culinary experience, I ended up havign the best social experience of all the time I have been here in Europe.
Michele and Claudia taught me about pastas and risotto, and Italian culture and Italian cuisine, while I taught them about french cooking and somehow making a meal from stuff in an empty fridge...Although we have a deal now they email me what they have in their fridge and I give them a recipe..hehe
They took me on a family trip to Norcia the Truffle Capital of Italy, and although I didnt get to go hunting for truffles, Michele and Claudia were quick to buy truffles for me to cook with,so at least I got to taste Italian truffles.
Michele and Claudia relly were the best hosts I could hope for, we had so much fun together, I cant remember laughing so much here in Europe, besides when jessica was here of course.
It really will be sad leaving.
But they promised they wont cry. I bet they will though..hehehe..
Last night though I cookd a french dinner for them and some friends and claudias sister.
I made a consomme margerite, Beef bourgingon with tien legume and mousse au chocolat.
The food turned out really well and we partied and drank until 4:30 am....let me clarify though, I didnt drink until 4:30, becase the drink of choice was rum adn coke and brandy adn coke...now called me modern, but I really dislike the taste of rum and brandy, im even loosing my taste for beer, choosing only wine...so I barely drank, but the italians can drink...and boy did they drink..it was actually pretty funny.
So tomorrow (monday) I am off to Venice for two days, and Tuesday night I am takign the overnight train to Frankfurt. I think I might take a quick break in Munich since I am stopping there anyways and spend part of the day there. not sure yet though.
Ciao...I'll miss Italy, well at least the people I met not necessarily the big cities, they didnt do much for me..hehe
ciao
Monday, March 1, 2010
Nero Norcia...and italian truffles
I typed up a blog yesterday but the internet blocked out as I was posting it so it got deleted..and i figured i would write more today to make up for yesterday...
So here we go!!!
Yesterday my hosts took me on a family trip to Norcia, the capital of the prized, and best black italian truffle. So we went on the one hour trip 5 of us in a small 2 door ford fiesta..just to remind everyone im a pretty big build of a guy, and I was sitting in the back seat of a small ford fiesta with two kids...hehehe..it was only bad because i was stuffed and it was hot in the car..and micheles son matteo is car sick as well...so we stopped a few times...but ti was worth it because when we got to Norcia, there started to be signs of places that grow the truffles, and pronounce it as private property which means no one cant hunt for truffles on that property...anyways when we got to town we walked around this small citty, going from stall to stall checking out what the region of Umbria has to offer. Basically lots of truffles, about 4-5 varieties ranging from just ok that cost about 85 euro a kg...dont smell like anything bu tjust a mushroom...and then there are ones that cost 800 euros a kilo, which is what my hosts baught 2 and we'll have it with pasta...mmmm pasta and truffles... ok back on track adn then there were ones (white truffle the most expensive prized truffles in the world) that cost thousands of euros a kilo....I smelled a bunch of them blindly and got tested on it by my hosts...who are trufflewizards since it grows here in the region they live in and have lived in all their lives...and i passed. Although in some of the stands, I was stumped because they didnt smell fresh which meant they might have not been taken care of properly...all in all it was fun to learn about truffles....which might I add brought out a bit of my host michele..see michele used to go truffle hunting every year, but hes been busy working on the house and therefore not been able to hunt, but it must have lit a fire in him because he said we would go today...but today the weather was so nice and dry like yesterday, that he said lets wait one more day since tomorrow should be nice again...which means the truffles grow even larger...the ideal growing conditions for truffles is a very dry enviroment on the hilltop...so instead we went to the store to buy a shower for the bathroom we built..and then i came upstairs to cook dinner...I made Orzo with pecchorino cheese ina butter olive oil sauce, and then we had veal steaks with ratatouille and then tiramisu for dessert..thats my day...although I am really looking forward to truffle hunting tomorrow...not many people let alone chefs get that chance...depending on how many and if we find any...I would like to make truffle oil, since that is all I can really do with it if I want to bring it home in 5 months...but we'll see...anyways ciao
yehuda
So here we go!!!
Yesterday my hosts took me on a family trip to Norcia, the capital of the prized, and best black italian truffle. So we went on the one hour trip 5 of us in a small 2 door ford fiesta..just to remind everyone im a pretty big build of a guy, and I was sitting in the back seat of a small ford fiesta with two kids...hehehe..it was only bad because i was stuffed and it was hot in the car..and micheles son matteo is car sick as well...so we stopped a few times...but ti was worth it because when we got to Norcia, there started to be signs of places that grow the truffles, and pronounce it as private property which means no one cant hunt for truffles on that property...anyways when we got to town we walked around this small citty, going from stall to stall checking out what the region of Umbria has to offer. Basically lots of truffles, about 4-5 varieties ranging from just ok that cost about 85 euro a kg...dont smell like anything bu tjust a mushroom...and then there are ones that cost 800 euros a kilo, which is what my hosts baught 2 and we'll have it with pasta...mmmm pasta and truffles... ok back on track adn then there were ones (white truffle the most expensive prized truffles in the world) that cost thousands of euros a kilo....I smelled a bunch of them blindly and got tested on it by my hosts...who are trufflewizards since it grows here in the region they live in and have lived in all their lives...and i passed. Although in some of the stands, I was stumped because they didnt smell fresh which meant they might have not been taken care of properly...all in all it was fun to learn about truffles....which might I add brought out a bit of my host michele..see michele used to go truffle hunting every year, but hes been busy working on the house and therefore not been able to hunt, but it must have lit a fire in him because he said we would go today...but today the weather was so nice and dry like yesterday, that he said lets wait one more day since tomorrow should be nice again...which means the truffles grow even larger...the ideal growing conditions for truffles is a very dry enviroment on the hilltop...so instead we went to the store to buy a shower for the bathroom we built..and then i came upstairs to cook dinner...I made Orzo with pecchorino cheese ina butter olive oil sauce, and then we had veal steaks with ratatouille and then tiramisu for dessert..thats my day...although I am really looking forward to truffle hunting tomorrow...not many people let alone chefs get that chance...depending on how many and if we find any...I would like to make truffle oil, since that is all I can really do with it if I want to bring it home in 5 months...but we'll see...anyways ciao
yehuda
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