The Kitchen Tour

I recently went back to Claridges but this time to dine rather than to cook. It was the best meal I have had in ages. Thank yous Ronnie and the rest of the kitchen for letting Britt and I invade them during lunch service!!!
Garnish Ready? Garnish up!!!!Fingers (Jamsie Payne) running sauce and Sr. Sous Chef Ronnie running the main pass @ Gordon Ramsay @ Claridges

I Miss London!

After almost a year, I finally went back to London.. This is just a slight indication of the weekend that ensued.... Miss my kitchen boys dearly xxxx

Swiss Cheese: Emmentaler

Swiss Cheese- we all know it. Holey cheese that you use to catch those little pesky mice running around the house. In the land of Cheese, Emmentaler is possibly the most boring cheese I now know in my repetoire of Swiss cheeses. I don't mean to diss the cheese but it really is well.. bland and boring.
Alright, so now that I've disclosed how I REALLY feel about the cheese let's get it over with Qui?
Fun Facts on Emmentaler Cheese:
Origin: 180 cheese makers in the Emme valley (around bern)
Made from: Cow milk exclusively fed on natural feed
Special Distinctions: AOC only if given 18 out of 20 rating points
Special Visual Characteristics: Holes!
Aging Period: 120 days
Fat Content: 31g per 100g
Production : Pressed in cheese wheels for about 20 hours then immersed in brine for 2 days. Kept in brine cellar at 12-16C for 20 days then into the fermentation celler at 19-24C for 6-8 weeks. Warmth of cellar starts the fermentation process. Carbon dioxide gas is created and when unable to escape, makes the holes.
Served with: blended with gruyere cheese for fondue, fruit and cheese

Yup, that's all I got for you..Sorry!

Swiss Cheese: Gruyère

Ok ok ok. I know that I have been procrastinating on this post for ages. Yes, I live in the Canton de Fribourg. Yes, I see the Gruyères Castle everyday on my morning jaunts through the forest. Why have I not blogged about Le Gruyères fromage? I have to admit, I am beginning to take it for granted.. BIG TIME. Having said that, let's get this done and over with shall we?
Gruyères Fromage is the only cheese in the world to win the best cheese in the world distinction 3 times. It was given the distinction of AOC or Appelation D'origine Controlee in 2001. History first recorded the cheese in 1655 but dates back as far as 1249. For my first Gruyère cheese purchase, I opted to go polar opposites with an Alpage and a Doux to really taste the difference between the two. I am a stinky cheese girl so yes, the Alpage is much better with a creamier more pungent flavor then the bland Doux version.
Here are some more bits and bobs about the cheese:
Origin: Canton de Fribourg,Neuchatel, Jury
Made from: Cow milk
Special Distinctions: AOC
Special Visual Characteristics: Hard cheese, shape of a millstone and brushed, grainy, uniformly brownish. Heel is slightly convex. Usually about 25-40kg
Aging Period: 5-12 months, 5 months is milk, 8 months for semi salty, 10 months for salthy and 12 months for prime quality.
Fat Content: 32%
Production: heated for 35-40 minutes until curdling at 55 C. pressed for 20 hours and immersed in a 20% salt bath. Kept in a climatized celler at 13-14 C. Turned and rubbed with salt water daily for the first 10 days then twice a week for 3 months and again once a week.
Taste profile: sale, mi sale, doux or alpage smooth, creamy, slightly damp to touch. Firm but not crumbly.
Served with: Fondue , used to make gourgères or croque monsieurs, on top of French onion soup, good melting cheese and good with figs and dates.

It is a great cheese but in my opinion, does not have the same pizzaz and creaminess that Tête de Moine posses. It is still a staple in my dorm fridge especiallz since fig season just commenced for those late night cheeky snacks...

Bratwurst!

On a quest for authentic Swiss hole-in-the-wall food, Gie suggested that we go to
Vordere Sternen for some Bratwurst. Something that I have discovered here in Suisse is that there are rarely hole-in-the-walls. So maybe I am spoiled by my Santanas and my Lu Bien Tans in Taiwan.. but seriously- all countries need have to have a quick tasty bite to eat place. Vordere Sternen is exactly that. The Swiss really do make things so simple- A Bratwurst, a piece of bread in the other hand, some spicy mustard and violà street food!
The grill is clean, menu is simple and the guys behind the counter churns the line at lightning speed.
Pre-measured mustards lie off to the side, a hug bin of bread next to that. You order, the guy grabs a Bratwurst off the grill and off you go to one of the standing tables.
I am a big fan of texture and the crispy burnt outside of the sausage but still succulent and well seasoned interior of the sausage made for an enjoyable lunchtime treat- that and the fact that I will drench anything in spicy mustard and think it is delicious..
Why don't they just stick the sausage and bread together? I guess there is something fun about getting crusty bread crumbs everywhere- except for those of us who are OCD and feel the compulsion to wipe the bread crumbs off the tables every 5 seconds...

Vordere Sternen Grill
Theaterstrasse 22
Bellevueplatz
8001 Zurich
Tel:044.251.4949
Horaires: Dimanche- Vendredi: 10:30- 24:00
Vendredi et Samedi: 10:30- 1:00

Is There Anything Better Then Chocolate and Hazelnut?

Anyone who knows me knows that J'adore les pâtisseries. Just around the corner from Gie's place is an adorable bakery called Freytag. On our way to pick up lunch, we stopped into to indulge ourselves on some Schoko Gipfel- literal translation being " Chocolate Bread".
Gie's promise for an amazingly delicious pâtisserie did not fail.
The chopped nuts on the top added a layer of texture to the crisp flakiness of the bread combined with the creamy chocolate hazelnut filling- pas trop sucre was undoubtedly délicieux.

I had to remind myself to CHEW the thing and enjoy it. Before we knew it, we had both devoured our little sin for the morning- Schoko Gipfel.. It's no Stan's Donut but pretty darn good!

Café Freytag
Seefeldstrasse 144
8008 Zurich
Tel: 41-44-383-6267
Horaires: Lundi- Mardi 6:#0- 18:30
Samedi: 6:30- 16:00
Dimanche: Fermé

La Ville Oû J'habite

On the way to Doug's wedding in New York... Waiting for my train. and yes, I live in the ghetto part of town. You know its bad when the police men pull over to your street to check out the guy that they just picked up in the better part of town...