sörenberg bahnen

We'll assume you have all the main courses figured out for your 4th of July cookout (if not, we can help), but just in case you're still looking for some side dishes, here are a few out of the ordinary ideas that should work beautifully. Just click the caption link to see the post and video. Enjoy! Cold Broccoli Salad Peach and Escarole Salad Apple Jicama Coleslaw Boston Baked Beans Succotash Salad Pickled Grilled Vegetables

I’ve been avoiding doing a no-bake cheesecake recipe, despite the many food wishes for it, simply because I love the dense, rich texture of the traditional baked version so much that it seems almost a crime to do something like this instead. That’s a silly attitude, as these are two entirely different desserts, and since I needed a white canvas on which to demo the fruity, 4th of July flag design seen herein, I decided to go for it. The fact that we just had our first real heat wave of the summer didn’t hurt either. That you can make this lovely, sweet treat without turning on the oven is probably enough of a reason to give this serious consideration. Besides the taste and texture, I think your guests will enjoy the iconic stars and stripes design provided by the fresh blueberries and strawberries. Everyone knows that if you eat enough fresh fruit with a dessert, it cancels out the negative effects from the sugar and the fat, or at least that’s what I’ve always assumed. Anyway, there

I know Platt 99 is really a bar with little plates of food, more than a restaurant (I don’t think there is even a full kitchen associated with the place) but this is sort of an ideal place for me, because I love eating small lots of little things, and who doesn’t love a drink? The cocktails I have had have been good—the wine list is kind of limited by the glass, but it purports to be a cocktail place so I guess I can’t get too uppity about it. I love the interior of the bar—it is modern and has what are probably the most photographed lighting in all of Indy Instagram world (that glassed in part in the picture is the bar).  But the hotel is artsy, with some beautiful pieces of art scattered about, and Platt 99 follows the creative lead of the hotel. Anyway, I am just focusing on the food here and there were certainly some ups and downs.  I appreciate the complimentary truffle popcorn.  You can’t really go wrong there. It’s good to have a little something to munch on that has a hint of t

I’m showing this quick and easy white bean and herb salad for several reasons, not the least of which is to give you a perfectly delicious way to use up the end of that already used once bunch of parsley or cilantro.  You told yourself you were going to add them to your next stock, forgetting you don’t make stock, and the sheared remains end up in the back of the vegetable crisper where they die a slow, slimy death. Well, this may be the answer. Both cilantro and Italian parsley have tender stems that pretty much taste exactly like the leaves. By slicing the last half of the bunch thinly, across the stems, you have a perfect addition to any simple, cold bean salad. Besides herb stem recover and utilization, this recipe deserves to be in the rotation for two other very good reasons. It only takes like five minutes to makes, and goes beautifully with any and all of the traditional grilled or barbecued summer meats. This video also reminds me that you wannabe food snobs need to stop maki

I have been trying to get to Asaka since one of you guys recommended it as a favorite sushi place. We tried to go for lunch once but apparently they aren’t open for lunch.  It’s also kind of hidden in the depths of Castleton (it’s next to Hooters, if that helps you) and it took us awhile to find it. The day we went, we were with my son and got there around 7:00 after his last baseball game of the season. Apparently, they have some kind of sushi happy hour until 7:00 on certain weeknights, and the place was packed when we got there.  We got the only empty table and it had to be cleaned.  The servers were a little crazed and the service a bit slow, but eventually we got settled in and made our order (I think this maybe the largest list of sushi rolls I have seen yet).  It took us a bit because there are A LOT of rolls with cream cheese on them and that is not our fave. We went for the Asaka roll ($9.95)--I mean, you figure the namesake roll would be worth ordering right? It was good; the

You know I always feel a little uneasy when I use a cut of meat that you may not be able to easily find, but in this case I’m posting guilt free, since this will work beautifully on whichever animal’s ribs you happen to use. I’ve never actually had this on anything other than lamb, but I’m going out on a limb. There’s just no way this isn’t going to be great on a rack of baby back ribs. The root beer and sesame combination really works beautifully here, which is no surprise since we used that same one-two punch in a braised lamb shoulder recipe a few years ago. I’d just returned from foodie nirvana known as the Aspen Food & Wine Classic, and was anxious to share a recipe adapted from one I learned from chef Richard Blais. He originally used lamb ribs, and as great as my shoulder chops were, I remember promising myself that I’d try it on ribs someday. It took a while, but it was worth the wait. The subtle gaminess of the fatty rib meat is a perfect foil for the sweet and spicy gl

I’ll probably never write a book on healthy eating (I know, you’re shocked), but if I did, I’d like to think it would be similar to “ Foodist ,” the new book by my friend, and favorite neuroscientist, Darya Pino Rose. I’ve never been able to articulate it as well as Ms. Summer Tomato , but have always believed that delicious food is the solution, not the problem; and that relying solely on willpower to change behavior never works, for anything. Genetically predisposed appearances to the contrary, I live a relatively healthy lifestyle (or “healthstyle” as it’s referred to in the book). I’m quite active, eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, and generally stay away from processed foods. At this advanced age, I know what makes my body and mind feel good, and I try to eat as many of those foods as possible. Of course, I’ve based most of my personal eating theories on intuition and anecdotal evidence, so it was nice having someone who actually understands all this stuff explain the scie

This spectacularly simple green sauce may be the perfect summer condiment. It requires no cooking, only takes minutes, looks gorgeous, and tastes amazing with anything grilled, and most things not.  It’s also great for treating a bad sunburn. That’s right, just serve this and chips along with three or four margaritas, and the victim will feel significantly better in no time. I will admit this is a sauce I take for granted. I’m lucky enough to live near San Francisco’s Mission District, and there are hundreds of taquerias and restaurants, all of which feature some type of fresh, green salsa. Each place uses a slightly unique combination of ingredients, but I’ve never had one I didn’t enjoy.   Not all contain avocado, but I really like the addition since it adds a wonderful richness, and the extra fat helps carry the other flavors around. As you’ll see next week, this was delicious on some pork tacos, but there are so many other amazing options. Try it on scrambled eggs, use it as a re

I was patiently waiting for a decent amount of time to pass before I went into Rook, but my friend @Indyfoodswap convinced me to go just a teeny bit earlier (it wasn’t hard).  I am always excited to go to a new place and I am particularly intrigued when someone is trying something new like they are at Rook. It’s a small menu, just sandwiches (all $8), a couple of “snacks” (both $2.50), and 4 flavors of macaroons ($1.75 each, 3/$5 or 5 for $8).  The sandwiches are various non-traditional Banh Mi sandwiches inspired by various Asian flavors.  A Banh Mi is a Vietnamese sandwich that can be filled with various things, as the term “banh mi” refers to the bread itself.  This is exactly what Rook is doing—it’s the same basic sandwich (they all come with pickled Korean radish and carrots, mayo, cilantro, and jalapenos) and they change up the meat (or protein).   Suzanne and I tried the “Rook” (we had to get the namesake right?) and the “Raven.”  The rook has the setup mentioned as well as por

When it is hot in Alaska, like it has been this week (85° today, broke an 87 year record) , I start thinking about my slow cooker. I certainly do not want to turn on the oven when it gets this hot.  Heat makes me lazy, which is another reason I love my slow cooker..... I just put the meat and veggies in the crock pot, early in the day, and forget about it. Not only does my house smell wonderful, but meal time is a snap; a stack of burger buns next to the crock pot and a bowl of potato salad and I have a meal fit for company (well, MY kind of company any way).   A browned chuck roast cooks low and slow with veggies and seasonings until it is fall-apart-tender. Thicken the sauce a little (right in the crock pot), then put the shredded beef back in and you have a heavenly sandwich. Personally, I like a swirl of yellow mustard on mine, how do you like yours? CHUCK ROAST SLOPPY JOE'S 2 pounds lean beef chuck roast (trim any large fatty areas) 1 cup chopped onion 2/3 cup chopped celery 2

Every once in a while I get a food wish that instantly takes me back to culinary school. Things like aspic (not happening), larding a tenderloin (not happening), and pulled sugar ( sort of already happened ) always transport me back to those demos where the instructors fully admitted that we’d probably never use these skills, but since they were considered “classic techniques,” we’d have to spend time covering them anyway. Sure, makes perfect sense. This fabulous fondant potato technique is a prime example. Made them a few times in school and loved them. Made them a few times at a hotel early in my career and loved them. Haven’t made them since, and not exactly sure why. They taste amazing, and as I try to make clear in the video, the texture this method provides is unlike anything you get by just roasting. The way the crusty, crunchy edges outside, works with the uniquely rich and creamy inside is truly a magical thing.   I just think that we’re so used to the usual rotation of potat

I hope you all enjoyed as nice a Father’s Day weekend as I did. I got to take in a baseball game, fireworks, and golf with my father-in-law, Al, who shot a masterful 78 at the Wildhorse Golf Club .  It was a lot of fun to watch, and I came in a very close second…with a score of 97. If you had any fears that I might quit doing this blog to compete on the senior golf tour, you can relax. Anyway, I wish I could think of a clever way to segue from golf on Father’s Day to the next video, but I can’t (if we’d played “skins” during the round I would have had a better chance).  So, I’ll simply say, our new video features a very old recipe, Fondant Potatoes. Stay tuned!

A friend of mine has been recommending this place to me for a while. Another friend overheard us talking about it and several weeks’ worth of planning later; we finally all met up for dinner. I laughed when I pulled up and saw that it was in a building that must of at one time been a Long John Silver or something along those lines. I loved the giant prawn hanging outside too.  Inside, I was pleasantly surprised; it was a bright cute little restaurant. There were TVs with Mexican TV playing as well as various parts of a mariachi band walking around.   The menu is huge, and seafood heavy (it is a seafood place).  Luckily, I was with all people who like to eat and are willing to try lots of stuff, so we got a bunch of different things (way too much ultimately).  As soon as you are seated they give you homemade chips and salsa (very spicy green salsa) as well as a bowl of fish ceviche with fine shreds of fish, cilantro, carrots, red onions and lime. I thought it was pretty tasty, and was i

If you thought beer was just a refreshing adult beverage that made your friends seem more interesting and better looking, well think again. I was simply stunned at how a glass of beer poured into a homemade barbecue sauce created one of the most delicious grilled flank steaks I’ve ever had. If you’re looking for something different for your Father’s Day cookout, consider this super simple preparation. I’m not sure if it’s the bitterness from the hops, or the malty notes, or just the alcohol, but something happens to produce a tender, juicy, and very flavorful steak. Of course, half the battle is cutting this correctly, so pay special attention to that portion of the video. Cutting in half lengthwise will make life easier, and then straight down across the grain will yield tender slices of the smoky, aromatic meat. Drizzle on a little of the leftover sauce, and you’re in for a real treat. Any beer will do, but try to use something on the more aggressive side if you can. Don’t forget, y

Once we got to Hilton Head, I had only mapped out a few of the meals. It seemed harder to find solid trustworthy recommendations for restaurants. We were here for several days though so we ended up eating at quite a few places.  There are a ton of restaurants; it’s just hard to wade through which are worth going to. Probably the top two highlights of the trip for me were Robert Irvine’s Eat! and Lowcountry Backyard Restaurant.  We left the kids at the kids’ club for Eat! and had a nice adult meal. We focused on the tapas part of the menu. We both really liked the chicken pate ($7) with the most amazing crispy, garlicky, salty pieces of toasts.  The fried green tomatoes were good as well, and a bit different with feta cheese and a brown butter vinaigrette ($8). The tomatoes were a little thick cut for me, but still good.  One of our favorite things was the salmon salad ($10) which was poached salmon tossed with a spicy aioli (and there was a LOT of salmon there), and served o top of a s