Delicious Adventures

Not quite a Margarita.........

2012-01-28T17:06:00.000-05:00

The otherday my wife/best friend

brought home a container of

white bean basil hummus

fromTrader Joes and you guessed it…..

A pie was born……

Scallions,Pearlini Mozzarella,

Pureed Roasted Tomatoes,

White Bean Basil Hummus,

ChoppedTomatoes, Parsley....

Topped with pureed tomatoes,
pearlini mozzarella,
chopped tomatoes, scallions.....

Baked......

Garnished with parsley and hummus.....

Nice.....

The Elements of Sake.......

2012-01-27T11:07:00.001-05:00

A few days ago I attended a class

The Elements of Sake

at the Astor Center

located in the East Village

NYC

http://www.astorcenternyc.com/about.ac?rel=nav

Astor Center is located

at the corner of Lafayette Street and East 4th Street,

directly above Astor Wines and Spirits.
http://www.astorcenternyc.com/directions.aspx?rel=nav

The class was held on
the second floor

"The Study"

Also on the second floor is a banquet room

and a teaching kitchen

It is a world class teaching and tasting facility

The class was taught by Timothy Sullivan
http://www.urbansake.com/

Imust say……..

Thiswas possibly the best organized and

researched presentation I have everattended.

Timis an interesting instructor.

In 2007 hewas awarded the title "Saké Samurai"

by the Japan Saké Brewer's Association

inrecognition of his efforts to promote saké outside of Japan .

The title isawarded to five individuals each year.

He also interned at a sake brewery.

His depth of knowledge is astounding.

The study is rather astounding also.....

Nice....

First we

discussed the various sake ingredients

Milling of the rice

Sake types.......

Andlearned sake is not a rice wine……

Butbrewed similar to beer……

Discussed terms.....

And how to taste and rate sake...

As we tasted seven premier sakes.....

I am glad I am registered for his next class

The Elements of Saké: Pairing Saké with Food

In this class

"We will discover the wild side of saké

by tasting bold Kimoto and Yamahai styles
(made using yeast starters),

as well as some sweet and delightful Sparkling sakés,

and rich and decadent aged sakés."

and "begin to explore the theories behind
sake and food pairings

by sampling some dishes made

specifically to compliment our saké."

Night Shots.......

2012-01-25T20:04:00.001-05:00

The other night I was in NYC

and

took a few shoots with my point

and shoot camera

The Astor Center in the rain....

Where I attended aclass…

Just up the street....

Roof mural.....

Inside.....

Bar Grill Cafe...

Bleecker Street Triangle......

The beginning of my ride home....

I love the subway....

Part two of my ride home......

Ok.....

A 9:38 Bayhead Train....

Home by...

Midnight....

A good day....

Swiss Chard Rainbow Chanterelle Bacon Pizza........

2012-01-19T14:13:00.000-05:00

Theother day I noticed a bag of rainbow swiss chard at my local market.

I like cooking swiss chard not only for the tastebut the fun colors.

But I had never seensuch a rainbow of colors before.

Well apizza was born.

Thechanterelles/giroles also looked good…..

Nextingredient

bacon

Firststep……..

Sautéthe mushrooms with the bacon…..

Next
Toss the mixture with the chard…….

Top the crust with dry shredded mozzarella…..

Add the chard mixture and topped it with mozzarella

I bakedthe pie on a cast iron pizza pan……

Ithad a wonderful smoky flavor as if the chard were grilled…..

Nice....

Agrilled veggie pie might be next

Chicken Tikka Masala Potato Pizza........

2012-01-16T16:51:00.001-05:00

Much to my surprisechicken tikka masala is

the most popular restaurant dish in the United Kingdom

and may have been “invented” in Glasgow.

At one point there was a movement inthe British Parliament

to give Glasgow European Union DOP status for the dish.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicken_tikka_masala

My pie is a long way from the originaldish

but uses many of the “original” ingredients.

Shredded grilled chicken tikka masala in extra sauce,

tomatoes, pine nuts, scallion,peas.........

Yukon Gold potatoes soaking to remove the starch.....

Simmer sauce and curry powder.....

The dough is topped with

sauce, potatoes and curry powder......

Baked......

Next the grilled chicken and tomatoes.....

Pine nuts

(they toasted on the pie)

scallions and peas....

And broiled.....

Done......

Topped with yogurt....

5 Mushroom Soup.....

2012-01-08T19:36:00.001-05:00

A few days ago I made a 5 mushroom pizza…..

http://amusebouche1.blogspot.com/2012/01/5-mushroom-pizza.html

Today the balance of the mushrooms were sautéed……..

Added to stock with a small diced potato and sherry……

Heated and pureed in a blender with cream……

Served topped with toasted

Ciabatta, olive oil and freshthyme….

Nice.....

Most Holy Trinity-Saint Mary Church Brooklyn....

2012-01-08T16:52:00.000-05:00

Most Holy TrinityChurch has been on Montrose Avenue in what is now known as East Williamsburg,Brooklyn since 1841; that year, the renowned Father John Stephen Raffeinerfounded the parish, built the first church, and began his ministry among theGerman immigrants of Williamsburg. Sixblocks away, on the corner of Maujer and Leonard Streets, the Church of theImmaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary (commonly called "St.Mary's") was founded in May of 1853; the first pastor of St. Mary's, theRev. Peter McLoughlin, heroically served the Irish immigrants under hiscare. Both parishes, two of the oldestin the Diocese of Brooklyn, had long and very proud histories. On September 1, 2007, the two merged formingthe new parish of Most Holy Trinity – St. Mary.

Today a large segment of the Parish are

Hispanic addingdiversity and new customs to each service…..

All are welcome and celebrated.....

http://www.mhtbrooklyn.org/

I have visited this wonderfully
restored church on three occasions.

The first two times were with Urban Oyster’s
BrewedIn Brooklyn Tour.

http://www.urbanoyster.com/tours.html

The third time waslast Saturday for a Urban Oyster Tour
dedicated to just the church.

It was fun interesting and informative.

I only wish I couldhave climbed
the steps/many without risers up the the seven storie

bell tower to view the area.

Our visit coincidedwith Three Kings Day

“Francie thought it was the most beautiful church in Brooklyn.

It was made of old gray stone and had twin spires that rose cleanly into the sky,

high above the tallest tenements.

Inside, the high vaulted ceilings, narrow deepset stained-glass windows

and elaborately carved altars

made it a miniature cathedral.”

Betty Smith, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

http://www.mhtbrooklyn.org/en_virtualtour.htm

5 Mushroom Pizza....................

2012-01-06T20:02:00.000-05:00

Theother day walking through my local market

Inoticed they had chanterelle mushrooms……

Plusa “Gourmet Blend”

of interesting colored mushrooms…..

They also had enoki mushrooms

Wella pie was born……

Nextstop

Thedeli for Prosciutto San Daniele…..

Onemy favorites…..

Lowerin salt….

I also had porcini oil

and

scallions and mozzarella...

Aquick sauté of the mushrooms...

I tossed the mushroomswith

prosciutto and porcini oil…

topped the pie......
with a little mozzarella
and the mushroom mixture...

Baked it....

Done....

Topped with enoki mushrooms

and scallions...
Oh my....

Yarn Bombing.......

2012-01-05T16:51:00.003-05:00

Ona recent trip to NYC’s Lower East Side

I noticed what looked like a classic AgataOleksiak

(known solely as Olek)

yarn bomb.

http://nymag.com/homedesign/spring2011/agata-oleksiak-2011-5/ http://amusebouche1.blogspot.com/2011/05/agata-oleksiak.html

I believe this was on Orchard Street below Allen…..

We had just had lunch at acasa fox.

http://acasafox.com/

We were exploring the area

on our way to Economy Candy.

http://economycandy.com/

I was glad to seeher work not on the sidewalk.

Usuallythe carts are used as trash collectors…..

Merguez Sausage Potato Pizza.....

2012-01-02T20:28:00.000-05:00

The other day I found a recipe for lamb stew,

I thought I would turn it upsidedown on a pizza...

Yukon gold potatoes dusted with madras curry powder,

cumin and lamb sausage.

Cooked and topped with feta,

bacon, onions,roasted carrots,

broiled and finished with scallions and tzatziki …….

Thin sliced potatoes tossed in evo

on a cracker thin pizza crust

dusted of cumin and curry

with Merguez Sausage

Baked....

Topped with

bacon, feta,caramelized onions, carrots

and broiled...

Nice.....

Garnished with

scallions and tzatziki

Oh my......

Happy New Year.........

2012-01-01T18:23:00.002-05:00

Most years we stay at home on new year’s eve.....

I make

a smoked salmon pizza served at room temperature
on a precooked crust....

This year’s version is made with

sour cream mixed with crème fraiche and dill as a base

next the sliced salmon topped with

tzatziki, dill, cucumber, scallions and capers

Servedwith a salad and a sparkling wine......

Experience the Rainbow.........

2011-12-26T17:21:00.001-05:00

Meyer Lemon Tarte with Skittles and Dark Chocolate

Ho, Ho, Ho…

2011-12-20T16:44:00.001-05:00

Sorry this is notreally a pizza,

but I reverted to my French training.

Pate sucree, baked and topped with

vanillacrème patisserie, fresh strawberries,

dark chocolate ganache drizzle and

chopped Hershey’s white chocolate candy cane kisses.

Did not last long……

Oh my………

Oh my...........

2011-12-19T21:42:00.002-05:00

The comments are endless......

from showers to.....

on you....

on me...

but it is a registered trade mark....

Marcel Duchamp

would understand

Potato, Bacon, Cheddar, Sour Cream, Scallion Pizza.....

2011-12-13T21:14:00.000-05:00

This is an adaptation of Jim Lahey’s potato pizza……

http://smittenkitchen.com/2008/06/jim-laheys-potato-pizza/

I was skeptical at first……….

But his bread and pizza are legendary…..

I followed his recipe…

But I finished the pie with cheddar,

bacon, sour cream andscallions…..

As if it were a baked potato….

Nice………

Ingredients....

Bacon, cheddar, scallions,

sour cream, potato

Red Bliss in a brine to remove starch...

Pizza crust topped with potatoes
tossed in EVO and ready to bake…..
Toppings ready....

Baked.....

Topped with bacon and cheese....

Broiled and topped with scallions...

Cut and done....

With sour cream......

I had fun....

My wife commented…

Best pie ever

"company"

I do not disagree
What about the others I have made?

White Pizza With Spinach Salad.....

2011-12-07T19:38:00.001-05:00

I have arecent addiction to white pizza......

No surpriseI do not like cooked tomatoes....

I wasthinking about a Greek pizza…..

But my paldoes not like feta…..

Ok, whitepizza with a classic spinach salad…….

Spinach, sautéedmushrooms, pistachios, Meyer lemon,

onion and garlic, chopped egg, Kalamata olives,

shredded mozzarella....

Crisp bacon.....

Cooked pietopped with shredded mozzarella

with sautéed onions and

garlic infused white sauce......

Toppedwith spinach, bacon, egg,

mushrooms, pistachios, olives and a little Meyer lemon......

My pal’s wonderfulspinach salad.....

with....

bacon,egg, spinach, tomatoes,

red cabbage and carrots.....

White Pizza with Leeks and Arugula.....

2011-12-03T17:05:00.001-05:00

Eruca sativa....

rocket,roquette, rucola or arugula......
as you may have noticed

I always have rocket arugula onhand.

I like the bitter taste inconjunction with other greens.

But in manyways I view it as a garnish.

When a pizzaneeds a splash of color....

arugula fills a convenient void……

Forthis pizza I used the leftover leek from a previous pie……

I topped the pie with shreddedwhole milk mozzarella

and made a leek infused white sauce………

Rocketfor color

but I should have turned the leaves

over to make pretty…..

Goat Cheese, Leek, Chanterelle, Pear Pizza.....

2011-11-29T11:18:00.001-05:00

The other day I wasreviewing a few blogs on my favorites.

The toast, picturedbelow, looked wonderful and

I thought it would adapt well to a pizza.

It did, sort of….

I thought the combination of

strong earthy,sweet, sour flavors would be fun.

Unfortunately, the earthinessof the mushrooms

and the sweetness of the leeks

were overshadowed by the pear

(I added it raw)

and the goat cheese.

Plus I think itneeded more salt.

http://www.happyolks.com/leek-pear-chanterelle-toasts/

Ingredients….

Leeks, pear, goatcheese, cipollini onions …

Chanterelle/ girolle mushrooms

sautéingwith cipollini onions

Leeks.....

Topped with goat cheese

followed by

mushroom leek mix and fresh pears…

I think the toasts look better.......

Oh well, the best ……

a casa fox........"a rustic refuge from the busy city streets with a Latin twist"........

2011-11-25T21:34:00.001-05:00

On Black Friday mywife and I with two friends took the train to NYC
to have lunch at a young hip smalltrendy restaurant
on the Lower East Side.

Fortunately, LES is not a Black Friday mecca.

But at hip and trendy there was an hour and a half
wait forseats at communal tables.

Sorry hip or not……

We left and noticed what turned out to be a charming
Latin American restaurant around the corner.
The chef/owner/waitress also turned out to be charming andlots of fun….
But it was nearly empty.

Well, rather than walking and walking we saidok……..
Theyhad sangria, beer and empanadas...
Not a bad start
It is located at

173 Orchard Street
Between Houston and Stanton

http://acasafox.com/
The next five pictures are from Facebook...

The pictures below I shot.......

They sell thier own brand of...

chipotle mayonnaise and spicy picante sauce

I should have purchased some...

Next time.....

I ordered the empanada sampler....
One each of....
Pulled pork + caramelized onion

Chorizo + aged Manchego

Queso blanco

Herb chicken + olive

Spiced beef + tomato

Portobello + smoked Gouda

with

Chipotle mayonnaise

I liked the pork and the chorizo best....

My friend and my wife/best friend....

Tostones (FriedPlantains) with chipotle mayo,

avocado and heart of palm salad with lemon,

portabella and smoked Gouda empanada,

pastel de carne (kind of a ground beef shepherd’spie)…….

All were very good…..

A beer from Barcelona Spain….

with tostones

A Costa Rican beer…..

Guess we liked the

sangria, chunky guacamole,
pico de gallo,

black bean molido
and

plantainchips....

And the chocolate bananafilled empanadas

with dulce de leche (caramel)…..

2011-11-17T17:57:00.001-05:00

For Ken..........

My best friend/twin/soul mate/partner in food adventures/
pizza buddy past away recently.….
He is a friend who will always make me smile…….

I miss him and his pizza night....

An open house for any friend/child/lost soul/

his kids friends-minus his kids sometimes /anyone,who needed a home

and his wonderful thin crusts…..

In the memory of our fun times.....

This is an adaptation of his tomato briepizza...

Roasted tomatoes, brie, speck, yellow grape tomatoes and arugula.

Squash me..............

2011-11-15T19:29:00.010-05:00

Sage, Vermont maple syrup roasted squash, glazed pecans,

apple chicken sausage (sorry no turkey),

craisins, mozzarella, parsley....

Caramelized onions…..

Ready to Bake.....

Baked and ready for more herbs......

Topped with fresh parsley, craisins, glazed pecans and sage....

Clam Bake ...........Pizza.......

2011-11-09T08:10:00.005-05:00

Sautéed corn and garlic in bacon fat

Chopped clams, bacon, parsley and scallions

Baked.........
topped with scallions, parsley and dusted
with chipotle chili pepper

Cut.......

Lindengracht Market, Amsterdam.........

2011-11-07T19:16:00.006-05:00

Each Saturday, 232 market stands are built along the whole street.

Lindenmarkt - originally just a Jordaan neighborhood market, existing since 1895 and since 1922 it is so called day market – it is open up into the late afternoon hours.

Today, together with the nearby Farmer’s Market on the Nordermarkt, (both open on Saturday);
Lindenmarkt is probably the best food market in Amsterdam.

Taken in front of a used record store

between the two markets.....

Amsterdam.......The Farmers Market on the Noordermarkt ..........

2011-11-06T20:29:00.009-05:00

The most trendy of the Amsterdam markets,
began in 1987 when Adri Vallentin, then owner of the popular café called Winkel (English: Shop) on the Noordermarkt, setup nine biological food stalls,
hoping to draw more clients on Saturday morning to his café.

The idea of biological food quickly picked up with the public,

and today The Farmers Market on the Noordermarkt is so popular,

that it draws crowds not only from the nearby Jordaan,

but also from the whole city.

The clients come here from distant cities in the Netherlands,

guided by the increasingly difficult task of buying healthy food.

The Farmers Market became a real social phenomena and recently a book (in Dutch) has been published about it.

It is the most popular Amsterdam market at the moment.

The market was across the street...

A wonderful stop......

On the edge of a canal.....

In the Jordan District...

A lovely area.....

Amsterdam....Albert Cuyp Market.

2011-11-05T20:53:00.029-04:00

The Albert Cuyp Market is a street market on the Albert Cuypstraat between Ferdinand Bolstraat and Van Woustraat, in the De Pijp area of the Oud-Zuid district of Amsterdam.

The street and market are named for Albert Cuyp, a 17th century painter.

The market began as an ad hoc collection of street traders and pushcarts.

By the beginning of the 20th century, this had become so chaotic that in 1905, the city government decided to set up a market, at first only held on Saturday evenings.

In 1912, the market became a daytime market open six days a week.

Originally, the street was accessible while the market was taking place, but for years now the street has been completely closed off to traffic during market hours.

The market is the busiest in all of the Netherlands and it is allegedly the largest daytime market in Europe.

see Albert Cuyp note at the end

Note:.........

Aelbert Jacobsz Cuyp was one of the leading

Dutch landscape painters of the Dutch Golden Age in the 17th century.

He is especially known for his large views of the

Dutch countryside in early morning or late afternoon light.

Two hundred years ago,

you would not have been considered a serious art lover if you didn't own a work by

Aelbert Cuyp.

A Herdsman with Five Cows by a River,
(National Gallery, London)

The Maas at Dordrecht
(National Gallery of Art, Washington DC)

River Sunset
(The Hermitage, St.Petersburg)

The Maas at Dordrecht in a storm

(National Gallery in London)

Amsterdam.........Bloemenmarkt - Flower Market ........

2011-11-04T17:52:00.004-04:00

This is the only floating flower market in the world.

The flower stalls stand on the houseboats.

Located on the Singel canal between

the Koningsplein and the Muntplein.

Amsterdam.......Views.....

2011-11-03T20:13:00.000-04:00

Amsterdam........NY Pizza .....

2011-11-03T17:58:00.001-04:00

I thought Ray's was the original NYC pizza....

Amsterdam........Pizza

2011-11-02T20:42:00.004-04:00

Quattro Stagioni......
Another version....

Ok char but chewy.....

As before....

Not open.......
A missed opportunity....

Wonderful food court.....

Amsterdam.....Bier.......

2011-11-02T16:20:00.002-04:00

A Few More Clock Towers..........

2011-10-28T21:37:00.002-04:00

Heidelberg.......Signs, Windows and Religion.....

2011-10-28T20:13:00.000-04:00

Note the hops and barley....

These are plastic......

Wish I had purchased a few....

Vinegar?......

Heidelberg Castle..........

2011-10-26T18:16:00.005-04:00

The castle ruins are among the most important Renaissance structures north of the Alps.

The earliest castle structure was built before AD 1214 and later expanded into 2 castles circa 1294; however, in 1537, a lightning-bolt destroyed the upper castle.

The present structures had been expanded by 1650, before damage by later wars and fires.

In 1764, another lightning-bolt destroyed some rebuilt sections.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heidelberg_Castle

The city view.....

The castle is located 80 metres (260 ft) up the northern part of the Königstuhl hillside, and thereby dominates the view of the old downtown.

This is actually a vent for the castles jumbo wine vat room....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heidelberg_Tun

The Hortus Palatinus, or Garden of the Palatinate, was a Baroque garden in the Italian Renaissance style attached to Heidelberg Castle, Germany. The garden was commissioned by Frederick V, Elector Palatine in 1614 for his new wife, Elizabeth Stuart, and became famous across Europe during the 17th century for the landscaping and horticultural techniques involved in its design. At the time it was known as the 'Eighth Wonder of the World', and has since been termed 'Germany's greatest Renaissance garden.'Their life is a lovely story with a tragic ending.......
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hortus_Palatinus

Rüdesheim am Rhein.....Pizza........

2011-10-26T10:36:00.001-04:00

Again we order a

Capricciosa

(Eier, Artischocken, Pilze, Schinken) ……

(eggs, artichokes, mushrooms, ham)

The crust was lightly charred and chewy....

Seems to be the trend....

Rüdesheim am Rhein.....More Signs and Stuff............

2011-10-25T18:49:00.005-04:00

Kodachrome........

Trimmed London Plane Trees......

The annual pruning......
The result is a wonderful canopy.......
Think Aix en Provence......

Cassis, France.....

Trinity Church, Windows, a Wheel and The Door........Worms

2011-10-25T17:41:00.003-04:00

Have not found a history of the Chagall like windows.....

The doors depict one of two fires......

Note the bottom of this door...

The first in 1689………

The second caused by allied bombing during WWII……..
Worms was destroyed…….
No other history found......

And it turns........

But have not found the history......

Just fun........

Pizza Part 2...........

2011-10-25T16:41:00.002-04:00

Signs and Stuff........Strasbourg

2011-10-25T16:16:00.004-04:00

Clocks and Clock Towers...........

2011-10-25T09:26:00.000-04:00

I never gave it much thought but…….

Clock towers were important…..

They were developed before Mr. Timex

developed inexpensive portable time pieces……

But they have one problem……..

They were developed when most people were illiterate…..

Thus the use of church bells…..

Colmar........Signs and Other Stuff ......

2011-10-24T21:57:00.005-04:00

Signs........Zurich, Luzern, Basel......

2011-10-24T20:23:00.002-04:00

To Marke, To Market.........Basel

2011-10-24T19:44:00.001-04:00

This market is small but fun......

It is in the square in front of the town hall.....

Many of my very early blog posts are of

European markets....

and one in Seattle....

Ramazzotti Bar & Restaurant Basel.............

2011-10-23T20:00:00.002-04:00

I stumbled upon this restaurant on a side street off the main square.....

I was in a rush, they had a pizza special, beer and a WC….

Perfect…..

http://www.ramazzotti-basel.ch/index.php

I quickly ordered the pizza special……

A salad,and my choice of pizza …..

tomato, cheese, speck and maize pizza…

and a beer…...

Nice....

Interesting char.......

But like other European crusts.....

not really crisp…….

good,

nice chew.....

again more sauce than I like…..

Basel........Doors,Town Hall and Other Stuff......

2011-10-23T17:50:00.000-04:00

Murals, Posters, A Fountian and a Building.......Luzern......

2011-10-23T17:25:00.002-04:00

Dinner In A Train Station...........Luzern......

2011-10-21T20:05:00.004-04:00

An Amuse Bouche....

Bacon Wrapped Tomato...

Duck Foie Gras Mousse Salad.....

Mixed Green Salad......

Champignon/Cepe Salad With Lardons.....

Just love the cocktail onions...

Squash Soup......

-------------------

They did everything correctly.....

White table cloth service…..

The appropriate flatware with each course.....

decanted wine…...

Were not flustered by our lack of a second language......

Our appearance after a day of travel....

My pal getting grumpy from travel and a sinus infection……

Me getting grumpy after looking for a spot for a casual dinner…..

And just wanting to order something light....

One our best meals……

In a train station…..

Perfect.....

The price forgotten.....

----------------------

Next day my pal's/wife’s sinus infection was full blown....

She spent the morning in bed……

I went on a walking tour…..

On the advice of our tour guide...….

That afternoon….

We went to the walk in clinic in……

The train station…..

Perfect....

Killer Bikes.......

2011-10-21T17:21:00.000-04:00

Pizza .............Luzern......

2011-10-20T17:20:00.008-04:00

Mamma Leone-Luzern......

2011-10-20T16:47:00.003-04:00

Well the quest continues..........

Next pizza beer stop Luzern.....

Mamma Leone,

my next pizza find....

is located on the Muhlenplatz

Luzern’s largest square....

It is a small square but interesting……

Located at the end of a macabre covered bridge……

The square is also home to the "Mint" Building....

My first course....

Carpaccio di Filetto di Manzo All Albese

They also served an interesting chili oil....

My second course.....

Capriccpriosa

Tomato, cheese, artichokes, olives, ham, with a beer....

Nice pie.....

But, like most, not crisp but with a good char.....

Vetter Alt Heidelberger Brauhaus

2011-10-20T15:45:00.001-04:00

If you are a beer drinker.........

a stop at Vetter in Heidelberg is a must.

First,they are a brew pub/a Brauhaus,

they brew their own.

They are most famous for their VETTER33,

with an original gravity between 33.19 and 37.91 weight percent by volume

and was recorded in the 1994 Guinness Book of Records

as the strongest beer wort in the world.

Not the strongest beer but I do not understand the relationship.....

http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=de&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.brauhaus-vetter.de%2F

I ordered a "33".....
It is listed with 11.5% ABV....
High but not out of line....

Interesting bar.....

It is not a large brauhaus....

R.I.P........

2011-10-20T11:10:00.003-04:00

Our recent European adventure brought us to the
Federal Horticultural Show Koblenz 2011.

http://www.garden-show.org/index.htm

This year’s show was held in Koblenz,

a 2000 year old German town at the confluence of the Rhine and Moselle Rivers.

Part was staged in Koblenz but the main part was staged across the Rhine in the Ehrenbreitstein Fortress.

From here the views of Koblenz, the Rhine and the Moselle Rivers are breathtaking.

As are the views from the cable car over the river that joins the two locations.

http://www.buga2011.de/web/en/gartenschau/seilbahn/seilbahn.php

Most of the displays are lovely and somewhat standard except for the

Grave Plot Landscape Competition....

Gardeners compete for the best grave plot design for each

of the 3 seasons of the show……

spring- summer- fall

Gold, silver and bronze medals are awarded each season

Note the dates.....

Santa Lucia......

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While in Zurich Switzerland a few weeks ago I was on a quest....

Sample European pizza and beer………..

The beer part was easy but much to my surprise so was the pizza……

It was everywhere……

I had been is Zurich a few decades ago and had traveled to Lugano on the Italian border, but never but the two together…..

I also did not realize for 8% of the Swiss population Italian is their first language.

Also in the past few decades pizza has become international……

Our new friends at the front desk of our hotel recommended.......

Santa Lucia on Niederdorf Strasse....

Niederdorf Strasse is a cobble stone street lined with cafes,

upscale and not so upscale shops.

It is amazing at night,

located just around the corner from the funicular to and from University of Zurich.

It is also overshadowed by one of Zurich’s most famous churches,

Grossmünster ("great minster") .

It is a lovely spot.....

The first is Zurich with a wood fired oven....

It opened in 1965 and now has 10 locations...

A lovely Misto Insalada......

Merlot del Piave DOC and Pellegriano.....

Our pizza.....

Quattro Stagioni

Tomato, Mozzarella, Artichokes, Sweet Roasted Peppers,

Mushrooms, Shoulder Ham, Olives, Oregano
The char was good but the crust was not crisp.....

Began using the NY fold......

but quickly switched to a knife and fork like everyone else....

A nice find.....

Sur Schtund.........

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This year’s major adventure took us to Europe.

Our start point was Zurich Switzerland.

It is a lovely clean small city with lovely cafes
and one of the busiest train stations in Europe.

On our second day we found ourselves walking down Augustiner-Gasse.

It is a lovely cobble stone street just off Bahnhofstrasse, one of the busiest and best known shopping streets in the world.

Augustiner-Gasse, named for Saint Augustine is charming, in the shadow of a church steeple/clock tower and many of the buildings have decorated “box” windows.

It is also home to Sur Schtund.

They serve tarte flambée/une flammekueche the Alsatian classic.

The classis recipe is: a very thin tart with a cream and cheese base,

covered with onions and bacon.

But Sur Schtund not only serves the classic but 4 variations.....

All looked fabulous......

http://www.widderhotel.ch/restaurant/schtund/index.html?seo=1

We ordered a light and amber colored
Eichhof biere from Luzern …….

and the smoked salmon tarte with crème fraiche, quark, onions, chives and dill……

Oh my…….

It tasted better than it looked and it looked fabulous ……..
As other great looking tartes came out.....

i wish I could have ordered one of each……

It was also cut in an interesting way…….

Not in traditional tarte/pizza triangles but in to horizontal random triangle strips……

Easy to pick up and eat…..

No NY fold required…..

Espresso served with a sweet cookie and cream…..

The only place I have ever had espresso served with cream……

Was it because we are American tourists?

I actually liked it…..

And normal if I drink coffee I drink it black……

Zürich Hauptbahnhof.....

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Zürich Hauptbahnhof ( Zürich HB)
is the largest and most traveled railway station in
Switzerland serving up to 2'915 trains a day.

In many ways it is "mall" like......

Great food is available.....

One of the best take away is.....

NORDSEE...

a German fast-food restaurant chain specializing in seafood founded in 1896

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nordsee

Plus a shopping level, a super market, banks, money exchange machines,

fast food and a great beer bar........

Brasserie Federal .......

a beer hall with Swiss-style, hearty and served fast:

pasta with minced meat, bratwurst or rösti with bacon and raclette cheese.

More than 100 different Swiss beers on tap?
http://www.inyourpocket.com/Switzerland/Zurich/Restaurants-and-Cafes/Beer-Halls/Brasserie-Federal_65018v

Dunkel biere.....

Fake hops outside Federal.....

Swiss National Museum is across the way.......

Also near by.....

And bikes are everywhere....

Three Mushroom Sausage Pizza with Porcini Oil and Truffle Salt........

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Crust brushed with porcini oil and topped with sautéed crimini, shitake and oyster mushrooms with onion and garlic. Plus mild sausage and a sprinkling of low moisture mozzarella then baked.

Finished with scallion slices and a dusting of truffle salt.

Hat Hair...........

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