Start with.... Happy new year from Cappadocia(not Italy, in Turkey), readers! 2015.... wow, has been 15yrs already since 2000, damn crazy, son! CMV blog'15-wise, I hope this year I find my 'right' place and less traveling, more working and posting about my foods!! And I want to update much more consistent..... know it's hard but consistency is the key to be successful (by chef LG), let's do this! I Always x3 appreciate for swinging by this blog u readers, wish you all the best on 2015!! K, first post of 2015.... start with Austria & Hungary!!
11/3/14-11/5/14:Vienna, Austria
11/5/14-11/10/14:Budapest, Hungary
Kay.... first off.... to tell the truth I made this post once before Christmas, BUT somehow the post(draft) was all gone right before uploading the pics! So.... I lost all the usual restaurant/culinary web links. Please look up previous links for the web references. Urgh, this makes me angry and so frustrated!
http://culinarymetalvagabond.blogspot.com.tr/2013/07/cjwdt-hungary.html http://culinarymetalvagabond.blogspot.com.tr/2013/06/cjwdt-austria.html
I spent only a day in Vienna and hold my butt off in Budapest for 5 nights. I sent out several resumes in Budapest, but no stage. The idea was I waiting for possible feedback form western Europe/Scandinavia for my CV I sent couple wks ago. But after all nothing really happened. Although few restaurants in London contacted me/a bitter smile //// The Bull shit hate me!!!!! Eh..... let's go on M n' I!
Munch N' Inspiration:
wiener schnitzel
pounded meat thinly ,breaded and deep fry, I guess that's the definition of schnitzel. As long as I can make thin(around 1 cm, I guess) planks, I could play around with vegetable , fruit, seafood and also setting gel such as agar/gellan. I say pretty much anything tempura could transform into schnitzel as long as can be shaping into thin planks. Planks could be made over layer of sheets > sheets could be made by pounder, roller, Japanese sealer(Tsuma-taro, one of my favorite kitchen gadget) and others. So thinking over new schnitzel idea is infinitive, I say. And I see tempura on the menu everywhere these days, but not schnitzel. Say: WHY? Let me think Temura vs Schnitzel!
1. 'Shape' Tempura could be any shapes and can be keep the shape natural and organic. Shishito pepper, shrimp, baby squid... can be presented as natural 'form' and giving 'character', 'height' and structure' into the dishes. I mean of course it cloud cut into quarter, rectangle, farci and all other random shapes. Schnitzel could be layer different sheets to combine flavor and also farci, I mean like cordon bleu action, but usually it's FLAT. It could be cut into triangle after deep fried and giving some dimension on the plate, but generally schnitzel is served as the shape uncut. I say cutting schnitzel could give 'edgy' and sort of 'mechanical' looking rather than 'natural' and 'organic'. So I say these two method giving different 'texture' and 'vibe' into presentation, I say almost opposite impression I say It would be good idea to mix n' match depending on each and every different dish visions.
2. 'Flavor' Have you ever making 'tonkatus'(Japanese cutlet) / Schnitzel, there's extra work more than tempura which usually just dip into batter once(or just flour up once before soak it up). I used to work deep-frying station back in Japan, it's PAIN IN THE ASS to crumble!! Dip in AP flour, put in eggy mixture and crumble up with DRY hand(the key to crumble nice n' evenly)... messy and pain in the ass! But this dry crumble mix could be seasoned with lots of different dry goodies. We cam flavor wet tempura batter as well but I think dry crumble have much more options. I mean good thing, Schnitzels could be wet flavoring(marinaded) first and could be crumbled with additional flavor (herbal, nutty, spiced, e.t.c....), double ur pleasure, treasure pleasure action!(although you can sprinkle dry goodies on fried tempura...._) So I say painny crumbling action may worth for getting the hands dirty......
3. 'Crunch' Kitchen rule 66: More crunchier, More better!!! Schnitzel beat the crap out of tempura!!! Nnn.. I mean I have tried so many different tempura batter, but I say schnitzel crust have more crunch out potential. Throw some nuts in crumb mix, extra crunch action is always delightful!! But I also say crunchiness over deep frying is up to what to fly and the percentage of moist. All I can say is anything I touch, I can make it crunchier by the title of Crubchy king. I hate soggy deep fry product which just soaked up fry oil, urrgh.... HELL NO!!!
Verdict: Nnnn... I really think schnitzel containing really big potential. May 2015 give some light on Schnitztel.....
Kay... no luck in North/Western Europe & UK hate me.... PLAN B: heading South to .... Athens, Greece! CJWDT'15 "Balkan bomber bound" European tour, first stop Lviv, Ukraine......... CJWDT #50th countries!!!!