"Put up or shut up!" with the Kitchen Guerilla // "Butter bei die Fische!" mit der Kitchen Guerilla

The Kitchen Guerillas called Olaf Deharde and the brothers Onur and Koral Elci are a so-called "mobile kitchen unit" with roots in Istanbul and Hamburg. Since 2009, they have "hijacked and seized hold off" ships, restaurants, beer gardens, deserted premises, construction sites and the likes - all being rather unusual and unique spaces for a dining experience of a different kind. Just like they did last Thursday at the Gare du Neuss, a former railroad station. The unparalleled success story of the Kitchen Guerilla began with meetings and dinners that the founders organized for family and friends in their own homes and kitchens. Today, the self-taught cooks have managed to turn their passion into their profession (don´t we all want to do just that?!). They share a common passion for delicious and high-quality food and ingredients with their guests and it is an important part of their philosophy to cook with local ingredients from producers and merchants that they personally know and appreciate.

Die Kitchen Guerillas Olaf Deharde und die Brüder Koral und Onur Elci sind ein "mobiles Kochteam" mit Wurzeln in Istanbul und Hamburg. Seit Oktober 2009 kapern sie fremde Restaurants, Biergärten, leerstehende Hallen, Schiffe, Baustellen und andere ungewöhnliche Locations, wie den Gare du Neuss am letzten Donnerstag für ein "Butter bei die Fische" Dinner. Der erstaunliche Werdegang der Kitchen Guerilla nahm ihren Anfang mit Treffen in den eigenen vier Wänden und Küchen mit Freunden. Heute veranstalten die Autodidakten zahlreiche Kochevents und haben es erfolgreich geschafft, ihre Leidenschaft zum Beruf gemacht. Mit ihren Gästen teilen sie ein Faible für leckeres und qualitativ hochwertiges Essen in geselliger Runde. Ihnen ist es ein Anliegen ein Bewusstsein für gutes Essen und ehrliche Produkte zu schaffen. Daher kochen sie auch am liebsten mit Produkten aus der Region und von Händlern, die sie kennen und mögen.

The menu for the evening consisted of the following: a starter of rustic sourdough bread served with salmon, herb butter and fresh cress; followed by mini trout fish cakes with Frankfurt herb-mayo and a colorful salad; then salmon and mackerel ceviche with a side of panzanella;  then organic prawn burgers; and incredibly delicious fresh cod in a beer batter accompanied by three kinds of delightfully crunchy vegetable chips (potato, sweet potato and red beet) and some more of that herb mayo; and as the grand finale we enjoyed a refreshing watermelon sorbet with basil pesto and cold pressed pistachio oil.

Das Menü für den Abend: ein Ameuse-Gueule bestehend aus Bauernbrot mit Kräuterbutter, Lachsfilet und Kresse; dann Mini Fischfrikadellen von der Forelle mit Frankfurter Kräuter-Mayo und einem Salat; gefolgt von Lachs- und Makrelen Ceviche mit Panzanella; danach gab es Bio-Garnelenbrötchen; frischen Dorsch in Bierteig mit dreierlei knusprigen Gemüsechips (von der Kartoffel, Süßkartoffel und rote Beete), dazu Kräuter-Mayo. Zum krönenden Abschluss schließlich ein erfrischendes Wassermelonensorbet mit Basilikumpesto und kaltgepresstem Pistazienöl.

The beautiful, long dining table was elegantly dressed up for an evening with many illustrious guests.

Die lange Tafel wirkte elegant und festlich eingedeckt für die vielen illustren Gäste des Abends.

True to the delighful motto for the evening "Butter bei die Fische" - literally translated "butter to the fish" and meaning "get to the point!", the evening left nothing to be desired with all those amazing culinary creations by the Kitchen Guerilla as well as all that freshly taped beer.

Das sinnreiche Motto des Abend war "Butter bei die Fische!" Wahrlich ein ganz besonderer Abend "im Zeichen von Fisch und Bier", denn mit frisch gezapften Pilsner Urquell und vielen leckeren Kreationen zum Thema "Fisch" erwartete die Gäste ein runder Abend im typischen Guerilla-Style.

The Kitchen Guerilla staff busy cooking in the make-shift open kitchen.

Die Mitarbeiter der Kitchen Guerilla bei der Arbeit in der offenen Küche. Konzentriert, schweigsam, effektiv.

The charming master brewer from the traditional Pilsner brewery who served all his guests in the Czech and English language and who was extremely knowledgeable about the history of the legendary brewery.

Der charmante Braumeister von der Traditionsbrauerei Pilsner Urquell, der die Gäste in Englisch und Tchechisch bewirtete, wusste viel über die Geschichte des legendären Pils zu erzählen.

The dining table was decked in crisp white linen and was decorated with delightful recipe cards from the Kitchen Guerilla, as well as dried hops, colorful beer coasters, many a Weck jar and elegant white porcelain. Very harmonious.

Die Tafel war mit weißen Leinendecken gedeckt und zur stimmigen Deko gehörten natürlich die Rezeptkarten der Kitchen Guerilla, getrockneter Hopfen, bunte Bierdeckel, Weckgläser und weißes Porzellan.

There was a discernable cheerful atmosphere among the guests, attributable, no doubt, not only to the fabulous food and the rather copiously served Pilsner beer but also thanks to the unique location and ambience of the Gare du Neuss.

Unter den Gästen war die Stimmung ausgelassen, was wohl nicht nur an dem tollem Essen und dem großzügig ausgeschenkten Pils lag, sondern auch an der einzigartigen Location und dem Ambiente des Gare du Neuss.

The pretty menu cards and the Ameuse-Gueule of rustic bread, with opulent herb butter, salmon and cress - delicious!

Die Menükarten und das Amuse-Gueule - Bauernbrot mit opulenter Kräuterbutter, Lachsfilet und Kresse - lecker!

A flea market is held on a regular basis at the Gare du Neuss. You can also rent the premises of the former railroad station for private parties and other events.

In den große Hallen des Gare du Neuss findet immer samstags ein Flohmarkt statt. Die Räume der ehemaligen Bahnstation können auch für private Feiern und Veranstaltungen gemietet werden.

There were two kinds of Ceviche (a dish that originally hails from Peru) served alongside an Italian bread salad (panzanella). To my delight, those three dishes they were served in enamel bowls (almost identical to the ones I have at home).

Zwei verschiedene Ceviches (ein aus Peru stammendes Fischgericht) und ein Panzanella (italienscher Brotsalat) wurden in rustikalen Emailleschüsseln serviert (sahen fast so aus wie meine zu Hause).

On the premises of the Gare du Neuss, you will also find the Café Cargo. The Café seems to be guarded by a rather well-known French field commander.

In den Hallen des Gare du Neuss befindet sich außerdem das Café Stückgut, bewacht von einem überdimensionalen französischen Feldherrn.

The many guests stayed well into the night - at the end of the memorable evening they were sent on their merry way with a farewell present from the Pilsner brewery.

Bis weit nach Mitternacht blieben die Gäste, bevor sie mit einem kleinen Abschiedsgeschenk von Pilsner Urquell ins nächtliche Neuss verabschiedet wurden.

I re-created the Trout Fish Cakes that we enjoyed on Thursday as part of our dinner - I glanced the recipe form one of the menu cards.

Heute habe ich dann die Forellen-Frikadellen nach einer der Rezeptkarten zubereitet, die bei der Veranstaltung auslagen.

Trout Fish Cakes à la Kitchen Guerilla (serves 4) Ingredients for the Fish Cakes 500 grams freshly chopped fish (such as trout or salmon) 1 onion, finely chopped 75 gram potato starch 50 grams wheat flour 50 grams fresh bread crumbs 2 tbsps fine sea salt 1 tbsp freshly ground black pepper 2 eggs (M), organic or free range about 100 ml milk 75 grams unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Forellen-Frikadellen à la Kitchen Guerilla (für 4 Portionen) Zutaten für die Fisch-Frikadellen 500 gehackter Fisch (z. Bsp. Forelle oder Lachs) 1 Zwiebel, feingehackt 75 g Kartoffelmehl 50 g Weizenmehl 50 g Semmelbrösel 2 TL feines Meersalz 1 TL schwarzer Pfeffer (frisch gemahlen) 2 Eier (M), Bio- oder Freilandhaltung ca. 100 ml Milch 75 g geschmolzene Butter (ungesalzen, abgekühlt)

Preparation of the Fish Cakes Mix together the finely chopped fish and the onion and put them in a food processor, whiz together briefly. Then place the fish mixture in a medium bowl and mix together wit the potato starch, wheat flour, bread crumbs, salt, and pepper. Then add the eggs and the milk and beat everything together until the mixture becomes light and fluffy Add the melted butter to the fish mixture and place the bowl in the refrigerator for about an hour. Form patties with the fish mixture and fry them in pan, on medium heat. Keep the fish cakes warm while you prepare the rest and serve them alongside a herb mayo and a salad with a raspberry dressing (optional).

Zubereitung der Fisch-Frikadellen Den kleingehackten Fisch und die fein gewürfelten Zwiebeln vermengen und in den Blitzhacker geben. In einer Schüssel mit Kartoffelmehl, Weizenmehl, Semmelbrösel, Salz und Pfeffer verrühren und mit den Eiern und der Milch schaumig schlagen. Danach die geschmolzene Butter einrühren und die Masse für ca. 1 Stunde im Kühlschrank ziehen lassen. Die Frikadellen formen und in heißem Fett in einer nicht zu heißen Pfanne ausbraten. Die fertigen Fisch Frikadellen im Ofen warm halten und wahlweise mit Frankfurter Kräuter-Mayo und einem buntem Salat mit selbstgemachtem Himbeerdressing servieren.

Frankfurt Herb Mayonnaise (inspired by the Kitchen Guerilla) Ingredients for the Herb Mayo  2 egg yolks (M); organic or free range 150 ml neutral salad oil (such as sunflower oil) a bunch of the famous "Frankfurt herb mix" which includes curly-leaf parsley, chives,  sorrel, borage, cress, chervil, and pimpinella 100 grams plain jogurt fine sea salt freshly ground black pepper 1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

Frankfurter Kräuter-Mayo (inspiriert von der Kitchen Guerilla) Zutaten für die Kräuter-Mayo 2 Eigelb (M), Freiland oder Bio 150 ml neutrales Öl (z. Bsp. Sonnenblumenöl) ein halbes Bund Frankfurter Kräuter (krause Petersilie, Schnittlauch, Sauerampfer, Borretsch, Kresse, Kerbel und Pimpinelle) 100 g Vollmilchjoghurt feines Meersalz frisch gemahlener schwarzer Pfeffer 1 El frisch gepresster Zitronensaft

Preparation of the Herb Mayo Turn the processor on and, with the motor running, add the oil in a thin, steady stream through the top of the lid. Clean and dry all your herbs and chop finely. Add the chopped herbs (about 60 grams) to the yogurt. Add the yogurt mix to the mayo mix and add salt, pepper and lemon juice to taste. Place in the fridge until ready to serve. Serve the cooled herb mayo alongside the warm fish cakes.

Zubereitung der Kräuter Mayo Eigelbe und Öl in einem schmalen hohen Gefäß mit dem Schneidstab zu einer Mayonnaise mixen. Kräuter waschen, trockenschleudern, von den Stielen zupfen und fein hacken. Kräuter (ca. 60 g) mit Joghurt mischen.  Mayonnaise mit Kräuterjoghurt verrühren, mit Salz, Pfeffer und Zitronensaft abschmecken. Bis zum Servieren kalt stellen. Die gut gekühlte Kräuter-Myo zu den warmen Fisch-Frikadellen servieren.

Koral Elci from the Kitchen Guerilla team and The Kitchen Lioness. A big fat Thank You all the way to Hamburg (or wherever the Guerilla is cooking these days) for a very memorable evening!

Koral Elci vom Kitchen Guerilla Team und die Kitchen Lioness! Ein riesiges "Dankeschön!" nach Hamburg (oder wo auch immer die Guerilla gerade kocht) für einen unvergesslichen Abend!

Raspberry Fruit Jellies & Vanilla Custard Sauce - Götterspeise mit Himbeeren & Vanillesauce

Oh, the joy of jelly – not only does it taste refreshing and wonderful, it might even get everyone around the table giggling. Few foods are as much fun to make and eat as jelly And if you make your own Raspberry Fruit Jelly, you can turn it into a special treat by making Homemade Vanilla Custard Sauce to go with your fruit jellies and serve them alongside seasonal berries.

Götterspeise ist nicht nur wahnsinnig lecker und wunderbar sommerlich, sondern die Herstellung macht auch ganz besonders Spaß. Und wenn man sich dann noch die Zeit nimmt und nicht nur eine rote Götterspeise mit Himbeeren herstellt sondern auch noch eine feine Vanillesauce dazu und das Ganze mit frischen saisonalen Beeren serviert, dann hat meine eine unwiderstehliche Nachspeise.

At this time of year, you can make fruit jellies with just about any fruits or berries that you like. The stone fruits, particularly peaches, nectarines and apricots, or berries such as strawberries, raspberries, red currants or black currants, or even citrus fruits like oranges, limes and lemons  all are a great choice here.  You can create endless seasonal flavors and combinations. Whichever fruit you choose, take it easy on the sugar and pick your fruits wisely and remember that the acidity in berries like currants can affect the set, so a few more sheets of gelatine are required. Personally, I prefer leaf or sheet gelatine rather than the powdered kind.  Just soak the leaves in cold water for five minutes until they have softened, then lift the result out of the water and stir it into warm juice or a mixture of juice and wine. It really could not be easier.

Zu dieser Jahreszeit kann man Götterspeise und Fruchtgelees aus allen möglichen Früchten und Beeren machen. Steinobst, besonders Pfirsiche, Aprikosen und Nektarinen eignet sich hervorragend. Aber auch Erdbeeren, Himbeeren, rote und schwraze Johannisbeeren oder sogar Zitrusfrüchte wie Orangen, Limetten und Zitronen lassen sich toll zu Gelee verarbeiten. Der kulinarischen Phantasie sind wirklich keine Grenzen gesetzt. Aber welches Obst man auch verarbeitet, man sollte immer das beste Obst nehmen, das man bekommen kann. Und wenn man Beeren nimmt, braucht man oft mehr Gelatine als bei anderem Obst. Es gibt zwar auch gemahlene Gelatine, aber für meine Rezepte nehme ich am liebsten Blatt-Gelatine - die wichtigste Regel für die richtige Verarbeitung mit Gelatine lautet: Gelatine darf auf keinen Fall kochen.

Before you get started on your jelly making, you should choose your mold and measure it. First fill your mold with water and pour this water back into a measuring jug. Knowing the volume of liquid that you need to fill your mold allows you to calculate how much gelatine you will need. To get you started, here is a good rule of thumb: 1 leaf of gelatine sets 100ml or  3½ fl oz of liquid.

Bevor man Götterspeise macht, sollte man immer seine Pudding-Form oder Förmchen ausmessen - am besten füllt msn sie mit Wasser und gibt dann das Wasser in einen Messbecher. Wenn man das Fassungsvermögen seiner Förmchen kennt, kannman ganz einfach ausrechnene, wieviel Gelatine man braucht - eine gute Faustregel ist: für jede 100 ml Flüssigkeit braucht man ein Blatt Gelatine.

Red Raspberry Fruit Jellies Ingredients for the Fruit Jellies 6 ½ sheets of gelatine 425 grams of fresh raspberries 100 grams sugar approx. 150 ml natural cherry juice Preparation of the Fruit Jellies Put the gelatine sheets in a medium bowl and cover with cold water. Leave to soak for five minutes or until they soften. Turn them a couple of times to make sure they do not stick together. Clean and pick over the fresh raspberries. Divide into 125 grams and 300 grams portions. Take the 300 gram portion of the raspberries and place them in a medium sized pan. Add the sugar to the pan together with the raspberries and on medium heat bring the raspberry mixture to a boil. Let the mixture bubble away happily for about five minutes. Then take the raspberry mixture off the heat and press it through a fine mesh sieve (in order to get rid off all the pits). Add the raspberry purée to a measuring cup and add the cherry juice – you will need a total of 500 ml. Add the raspberry purée-juice mixture to a medium sauce pan and heat gently. Squeeze the gelatine sheets to remove excess water and then add to the pan, stirring until it melts in to the liquid. Fill your molds with the remaining 125 grams of fresh raspberries and and add the juice mixture – let cool and then transfer to the refrigerator for about 3 to 4 hours or until the fruit jellies have softly set. Put the jelly molds into a basin of warm water until a little of the jelly around the edge has melted and then turn them out onto individual plates. Just before serving, spoon over a little Homemade Vanilla Custard Sauce and serve some lovely fresh berries alongside.

Rote Götterspeise mit Himbeeren Zutaten für die Götterspeise 6  ½ Blatt Gelatine 425 g frische Himbeeren 100 g Zucker ca. 150 ml Kirschsaft Zubereitung der Götterspeise Die Gelatine in reichlich kaltem Wasser einweichen. Nach ungefähr fünf Minuten sollten die Blätter aufgelöst sein. Dabei einige Male ein wenig rüren, damit die einzelnen Blätter nicht zusammen kleben. Die Himbeeren verlesen, vorsichtig waschen und mit Küchenpapier trocken tupfen. Dabei in Portionen von 125 g und 300 g aufteilen. Die 300 g Portion der Himbeeren in einen mittleren Topf geben. Den Zucker zu den Himbeeren geben und unter Rühren bei mittlerer Hitze zum Kochen bringen. Zirka 5 Minuten köcheln lassen. Dann den Topf von der Hitze nehmen und die Himbeermasse durch ein feines Sieb geben (damit die Kerne zurück bleiben). Das unter dem Sieb aufgefangene Fruchtmark mit dem Kirschsaft auf 500 ml auffüllen. Die Fruchtmark-Saft Mischung in einem Topf geben und vorsichtig erwärmen. Die Gelatine Blätter gut ausdrücken und dann ebenfalls in den Topf geben. Die Gelatine darin auflösen. Übrige 125 g frische Himbeeren in den Förmchen verteilen und dann die mit der Fruchtsaft Mischung auffüllen - abkühlen lassen und im Kühlschrank zirka 4 bis 5 Stunden kalt stellen. Die Förmchen mit der Götterspeise kurz in warmes Wasser tauchen, solange bis sich ein wenig Götterspeise am Rand verflüssigt, dann die vorsichtig auf Teller stürzen. Kurz vor dem Servieren noch die selbstgemachte Vanillesauce umrühren und die Götterspeise damit servieren - mit frischen Beeren dekorieren.

Vanilla Custard Sauce Ingredients for the Vanilla Custard Sauce 3 egg yolks, (L), (use the very best organic eggs you can find) scraped seeds from a vanilla bean NOTE: make sure to keep the scraped vanilla bean to make Homemade Vanilla Sugar, for my recipe, please go here. 100 grams sugar 300 grams fresh cream  Preparation of the Vanilla Custard Sauce Whisk together the egg yolks, the vanilla bean seeds, and the sugar. Transfer to a heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water.  In a saucepan, heat the cream. Whisk the egg yolk mixture until light and foamy, about 3 minutes. Whisking constantly, pour the hot cream mixture into the egg yolks in a thin stream. Return the custard to the saucepan and cook over moderately low heat, whisking constantly, until thickened, about 5 minutes; do not let the custard boil or it will curdle.  Immediately scrape the sauce into a clean bowl and whisk constantly to cool slightly. You can enjoy the Vanilla Custard Sauce warm or cool.

Vanillesauce Zutaten für die Vanillesauce 3 Eigelb (L), (man sollte hier die besten Bio Eier nehmen, die man bekommt) Mark einer Vanilleschote  TIPP: verwendet die ausgekratzte Vanilleschote für selbstgemachten Vanillezucker -  mein Rezept dafür gibt´s hier 100 g feinster Zucker 300 g frische Sahne Zubereitung der Vanillesauce Die Eigelb mit dem Mark der Vanilleschote und dem Zucker verrühren. Die Eimasse in eine feuerfeste Schüssel geben und über ein Wasserbad geben. In einem Topf Sahne erhitzen.  Die Eimasse solange rühren, bis sie schaumig ist, das dauert ungefähr 3 Minuten. Immer weiter rühren und dabei die heiße Sahne langsam einrühren. Die Vanillesauce in einen Topf geben und auf kleiner Hitze solange rühren, bis die Sauce dicklich wird. Dabei acht geben, dass die sauce nicht kocht, sonst klumpt sie. Sobald die Vanillesauce fertig ist, in ein sauberes Gefäss füllen und etwas abkühlen lassen. Man kann die Vanillesauce sowhl warm als auch gekühlt genießen.

Please remember when unmolding your fruit jellies, that depending on the thickness of the metal or plastic of your mold (s) and the temperature of the water, it can take between two seconds and 30 seconds for the jelly to release. When you unmold directly onto your dessert plate, the jelly will stick to the surface wherever it lands. To prevent this, wet the plate before turning out the jelly. This allows you to reposition the jelly to the plate's center. If you are serving jelly for a dinner party, you can unmold it in advance and leave it on its plate in the refrigerator, where it will keep quite happily for a few hours.

Bitte immer daran denken, dass je nachdem aus welchem Material die Form oder Förmchen sind, es zwischen zwei und dreißig Sekunden dauern kann, bis sich die gekühlte Götterspeose aus den Formen löst, Wenn man die Götterspeise direkt auf die Teller stürzt, haftet sie genau auf der Stelle, auf der sie sanft "gelandet" ist. Will man das verhindern, muss man die Teller vorher ein wenig anfeuchten - dann läßt sich die Götterspeise mühelos in die Mitte des Tellers locken. Wenn man plant die Götterspeise als Nachttisch für viele libe Gäste zu servieren, dann kann man diese ruhig vorher stürzen und dann für einige Stunden im Kühlschrank aufbewahren.

Jelly straight from the refrigerator will be thoroughly chilled. Remember that the flavor of anything cold is less prominent than something at room temperature. So when making jellies, the liquid you use must be slightly sweeter than you want it finally to taste.

Wenn man die Götterspeise gut gekühlt serviert, sollte man auch immer daran denken, dass der Geschmack bei gekühten Speisen oft weniger stark ist, als bei Speisen, welche man bei Zimmertemperatur serviert - daher sollte man das Fruchtmark eher etwas großzügiger süßen.

I always make my fruit jellies the day I intend to eat them, giving them a maximum of six hours in the fridge. Any longer, even overnight, and they firm up just a little too much. You know what they say, as a rule of thumb, „a jelly should quiver elegantly rather than bounce“.

Ich serviere meine Götterspeise am liebsten am selben Tag, an dem ich sie gemacht habe und lasse sie höchstens sechs Stunden im Kühlschrank fest werden. Wenn man sie länger kühlt, wir soe oft zu fest für meinen Geschmack und wie sagt man doch so richtig:"eine Götterspeise sollte nur elegant zittern und nicht hüpfen!".

Italian Summer Burger & Grill-Giganten 2015

For the last five years, a women´s team has been up against a men´s team in a stiff BBQ - championship. Each team is fighting for the tittle of "best national hobby BBQ king or queen" and both teams have carried the title home twice so far. This year, the finals will be held on October 10th in the lovely city of Hamburg - all as part of one the the largest food exhibition of Germany, called eat&style.

Seit nunmehr fünf Jahren treten bei den "Grill-Giganten" Frauen gegen Männer an, um die deutsche Hobby-Grillmeisterschaft unter sich auszumachen. Bisher haben sowohl die Mädchen, als auch die Jungs je zwei Siege geholt. Wer in diesem Jahr in die Gesamtführung geht, stellt sich am 10. Oktober heraus, wenn bei der eat&style in Hamburg Fünf ./. Fünf wettgrillt wird.

But before the final ten winners could be announced there were the preliminaries. Meaning that all sixteen semifinalists had to qualify for the finals in an event held at the lovely culinary school at Castle Schellenberg, in the wonderful city of Essen. This unique location allowed us to cook at the wonderful culinary school while at the same time marvel at the old castle that houses the school and enjoy the breathtaking surroundings. The task for the sixteen semifinalists was to convince the jury of their own personal burger creations. To fulfill that task, the candidates were allowed 45 minutes and they had to use products from the two sponsors, Netto and THOMY.

Bevor allerdings die zehn besten Hobby-Griller für das Finale fest standen, mußten sich zunächst die Kandidaten, allesamt Hobby-Griller aus ganz Deutschland, am Freitag in der Kochschule im Schloss Schellenberg in Essen in einer Vorausscheidung qualifizieren. Die Kochschule bietet ein wunderbares und einzigartiges Ambiente mit Blick über den historischen Schlossgarten. Die Aufgabe für die 16 Halbfinalisten bestand darin, unter dem Motto „Kreiere deinen besten Burger" innerhalb von 45 Minuten der Jury einen eigenen Burger zu präsentieren. Dabei sollten Zutaten der Sponsoren Netto und THOMY verwendet werden.

To participate in the semifinals, I created an "ITALIAN SUMMER BURGER", inspired by the flavor combinations of the Sicilian Orange, fennel and red onion salad (Insalata di finocchi e arance). The jury based their decision with respect to the winning burger recipes based on creativity, looks, and, of course, taste. The panel of judges was made up of the Sonja Beselin (head of the culinary school), Florian Schleinig from the Netto company and Carolin Cremer and Alexandra Weston from THOMY. In order to prepare the burger, each candidate had 30 minutes prior to the grilling time, giving them a chance to organize all their ingredients and get everything prepped for the bbq. At the end of the preliminaries, five women and five men had qualified themselves for the finals and be part of the the national bbq team. In the finals, both teams will try to win the title of best "national hobby BBQ king or queen 2015".

Ich hatte für das Halbfinale einen "ITALIAN SUMMER BURGER" kreiert, dabei ließ ich mich vom Geschmack des sizilianischen "Insalata di finocchi e arance" (Fenchel-Orangen-Salat) inspirieren. Die Jury, die jeden Burger nach Kreativität, Optik und Geschmack bewertete, bestand aus Kochschulleiterin Sonja Beselin, Florian Schleinig von Netto sowie Carolin Cremer und Alexandra Weston von THOMY. Für die Vorbereitungen standen 30 Minuten zur Verfügung. In dieser Zeit suchten die Teilnehmer die Zutaten für ihre zuvor eingereichten Rezepte zusammen und trafen alle Vorbereitungen für das anschließende Grillen. Am Ende hatten sich fünf Männer und fünf Frauen (einschließlich mir) für das Finale der "Grill-Giganten" und somit die Grill-Nationalmannschaft der Männer und Frauen qualifiziert. Die Mannschaften kämpfen im Finale gegeneinander um den begehrten Titel "Grill-Giganten 2015".

ITALIAN SUMMER BURGER "That´s amore" (serves 4) Chicken breasts & fennel 4 chicken breasts (approx. 400 grams) olive oil (I used the sunflower-olive oil from THOMY) 2 organic oranges 1 head of garlic some fresh thyme twigs coarse sea salt fine sea salt whole black peppercorns black pepper, freshly ground 2 tbsps fennel seeds 2 heads of fennel (medium sized), including the attached fennel fronds Red onions 4 red onions (medium sized) some olive oil (sunflower-olive oil from THOMY) fine sea salt fresh thyme twigs 2 tbsps aceto balsamico a bit of sugar Cheese 2 packages of fresh mozzarella Sauce 250 ml mayo (I used THOMY mayo) 1 small glass of capers ("surfines") fennel fronds from the below fennel orange blossom honey (30 ml) freshly ground black pepper fine sea salt juice and zest from ½ an organic orange 1 head of garlic In addition 4 burger buns (preferably ciabatta buns) approximately 20 grams salad mix

ITALIAN SUMMER BURGER "That´s amore" (für 4 Personen) Hähnchenbrust & Fenchel 4 Hähnchenbrustfilets (zirka 400 Gramm) Olivenöl (THOMY milde Sonne & Olive) 2 Bio Orangen 1 Knoblauchknolle einige Stiele frischer Thymian grobes Meersalz feines Meersalz schwarzer Pfeffer, ganz schwarzer Pfeffer aus der Mühle 2 TL Fenchelsamen 2 Fenchelknollen (mittelgroß), mit dem Fenchelgrün Rote Zwiebeln 4 rote Zwiebeln (mittelgroß) etwas THOMY milde Sonne & Olive feines Meersalz frische Thymianzweige 2 TL Aceto balsamico etwas Zucker Käse zwei Pakete Mozzarella Sauce 250 ml THOMY Delikatess Mayo 1 kleines Glas kleine Kapern („surfines“) Fenchelgrün von den Fenchelknollen Orangenblütenhonig (30 ml) schwarzer Pfeffer aus der Mühle feines Meersalz Saft und Zesten von ½ Bio-Orange 1 Knoblauchknolle Außerdem 4 Burgerbrötchen, Ciabatta Brötchen zirka 20 Gramm bunte Salatmischung

PREPARATION Garlic Cut off a slice of the whole head of garlic. Sprinkle with a bit of salt. Drizzle some olive oil over. First wrap in parchment paper, then wrap in aluminium foil. Put aside until ready for bbq. Chicken & fennel Pour some olive oil into two glass dishes (such as pie plates). Then add the zest and juice of one orange each to each dish. Then add a few crushed garlic cloves to the oil as well. Pull the leaves off the thyme twigs and add them to a mortar, then add the whole peppercorns, the coarse sea salt, and the 2 tablespoons fennel seeds to the mortar as well and grind the spice mix in the mortar using your pestle. Add the spice mixture to the olive oil mixture, stir. Clean your fennel, keep the fennel fronds for the sauce and slice the fennel as thinly as possible, making sure to get rid of the tough inner core as well as the tough outer leaves. Add the sliced fennel to one of the glass plates and cover. Now cut the chicken breasts horizontally into very thin slices, making sure that you end up with two thin slices per person. Add the slices of chicken to the second glass plate and cover. Red onions Peel the red onions, cut the top and bottoms off and cut into thin slices as well. Add the sliced onions to a medium sized glas bowl and add a bit of olive oil and salt, cover until ready to use. Cheese Cut the mozzarella in thin slices and set aside. Orange-caper-sauce To a medium sized glass bowl add about 125 ml mayo. Then drain about 1 tbsp of capers, chop finely and add to the mayo together with the chopped fennel fronds, salt, freshly ground black pepper and some orange blossom honey to taste. Finally add the zest of half an orange and some freshly squeezed orange juice. Taste and if necessary, add more seasoning or orange juice. Cover and place in the fridge. Salad Wash and dry your salad greens - this is best done using a salad spinner - keep cool until ready to serve.

VORBEREITUNG Knoblauch Das obere Ende einer Knoblauchknolle abschneiden. Mit Salz würzen, auf ein Stück Pergamentpapier und dann Alufolie legen, mit THOMY Öl beträufeln, zu einem Päckchen verschließen und beiseite legen. Hähnchen & Fenchel Zum Marinieren etwas THOMY Olivenöl in zwei flache Glasformen geben. Dann jeweils in jede Glasform die Zesten und Saft von einer Bio-Orange dazu geben. Dann einige Knoblauchzehen pellen und andrücken, ebenfalls in die Marinade geben. Die Blättchen von den Thymianstielen zupfen und in den Mörser geben. Dazu den ganzen Pfeffer, das grobe Salz und 2 Teelöffel Fenchelsamen geben und grob mörsern. Dann die Gewürzmischung ebenfalls zu der Marinade geben. Den Fenchel putzen und den harten Strunk entfernen, von den äußeren Blättern befreien und in dünne Scheiben schneiden. Das Fenchelgrün für die Mayo verwahren und beiseite stellen. Die Fenchelscheiben In die erste Glasform geben und mit Frischhaltefolie abdecken. Die Hähnchenbrustfilets durchschneiden, sodass jeweils zwei dünne Schnitzel entstehen. In die zweite Glasform geben und ebenfalls marinieren, dabei mit Frischhaltefolie abdecken. Rote Zwiebeln Die Zwiebeln schälen, oberes und unteres Ende abschneiden und in feine Scheiben schneiden. In eine Glasschüssel geben, mit ein wenig THOMY Olivenöl beträufeln, etwas salzen und mit Folie abdecken. Käse Den Mozzarella in dünne Scheiben schneiden, mit Folie abdecken und beiseite stellen. Orangen-Kapern-Sauce Für die Sauce 125 ml THOMY Mayo in eine Schüssel geben. 1 El Kapern abtropfen lassen und fein hacken. Das Fenchelgrün ebenfalls klein hacken und beides zur Mayo geben. Dann etwas Orangenblütenhonig dazu geben. Salzen, pfeffern, Orangensaft und Zesten dazu und alles miteinander vermengen, abschmecken und kalt stellen. Salat Salat waschen, putzen und trocken schleudern - in den Kühlschrank legen.

THE BBQ First place the garlic package on the grill and leave it there for about thirty minutes. Take the fennel slices out of the marinade, let the marinade drip off, place the slices on the bbq and grill until nice and tender, then take off the bbq and keep warm. Place the onion slices on the grill and then finish them in a pan using the aceto balsamico and a bit of sugar. Keep warm. Take the chicken slices out of the marinade, let the marinade drip off, place on the bbq and grill for just a few minutes on each side. Keep warm. After 30 minutes, take the garlic package off the grill. Then carefully take it out of its package, let cool for a few minutes and squeeze the warm garlic into the sauce, making sure to discard the papery skins. Cut the ciabatta rolls in half and spread the lower half of the buns generously with the orange-caper-sauce. Then add two slices of the grilled chicken, then two slices of the grilled fennel, then some of the balsamico onions, then a few slices of mozzarella and top it all off with fresh salad leaves. As a final touch, add the top of the ciabatta bun.  Serve any left-over orange-caper sauce on the side.

GRILLEN Das Knoblauchpäckchen für zirka 30 Minuten. Fenchelscheiben aus der Marinade nehmen. Marinade von den Fenchelscheiben abtropfen lassen und auf den Grill legen. Grillen und dann warm halten. Zwiebeln grillen und dann in einer Pfanne mit dem Zucker und dem Balsamico einkochen lassen. Warm halten. Die Hähnchenbrustscheiben aus der Marinade nehmen. Die Marinade von den Hähnchenbrustscheiben abtropfen lassen und auf den Grill legen. Wenige Minuten auf jeder Seite grillen und dann warm halten. Nach 30 Minuten das Knoblauchpäckchen vom Grill nehmen, öffnen, etwas abkühlen lassen, dann ausdrücken und den weichen Knoblauch zu der Sauce geben. Ciabatta-Brötchen halbieren die untere Brötchenhälften großzügig mit der Sauce bestreichen. Darauf erst zwei Scheiben gegrillte Hähnchenbrust und dann zwei Scheiben gegrillten Fenchel geben und jeweils etwas von den Balsamico Zwiebeln geben. Dann noch einige Scheiben Mozzarella und etwas Salat. Dann den Deckel wieder aufsetzen. Etwas Orangen-Kapern-Sauce dazu servieren.

Considering that the male team was able to win last year, it would be nice for our women´s team to re-claim the title this year. It remains to be seen who will win this match - the decision will definitely be made in October.

Nachdem sich die Männer im letzten Jahr den Grill-Giganten-Titel geholt haben, wäre es schön, wenn ich mit den Frauen den Titel wieder zurückholen könnte - die Entscheidung wird dann im Oktober fallen.

For the finals, the candidates will have to cook up a storm and create a three-course-bbq-meal. We will have to convince a jury with a delicious, creative and attractive first, main and last course that we prepared together as a team on the bbq and I am looking seriously forward to that challenge! The four winners of my online competition have been notified by email - thank you very much for your participation - your lovely price packages are on their way! And a big Thank You to the kind folks at THOMY that provided the wonderful gifts!

Im Finale im Oktober werden beide Teams jeweils ein originelles Drei-Gänge-Grill-Menü zubereiten und eine Fachjury mit einer leckeren, kreativen und ansprechend angerichteten Vor-, Haupt- und Nachspeise von ihren Grillkünsten überzeugen. Ich freue mich drauf! Die vier Gewinner meines Online-Gewinsspiels habe ich per Mail benachrichtigt. Vielen lieben Dank für das Mitmachen - eure tollen Preise sind unterwegs! Danke auch an THOMY für die Bereitstellung der Preise!

The Cottage Cooking Club - July Recipes

The month of July marks the fifthteenth month of our international online cooking group, The Cottage Cooking Club. As a group, recipe by recipe, we are cooking and learning our way through a wonderful vegetable cookbook written in 2011 by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, entitled „River Cottage Everyday Veg".

The Cottage Cooking Club is meant to be a project aimed at incorporating more vegetable dishes into our everyday cooking, learning about less known, forgotten or heritage vegetables, trying out new ways to prepare tasty and healthy dishes, and sharing them with family and friends.

One of the declared aims of our cooking group is to make a decided effort to use as much local, regional, organic and also seasonal produce as is reasonably possible.

Since I cooked nine of the ten chosen recipes plus re-visited two that I made before, I will write about each dish according to the order in which I prepared them. 

My first recipe for this summery July post was the Summer Couscous Salad (page 89), from the chapter "Hearty Salads“.

This recipe is a variation on the Couscous salad with herbs and walnuts that we made back in November 2014.  As I could not find get "giant" couscous, for this summery version, I used medium-size pearl barley instead. Then some fresh broad beans, sweet peas, as well as diced summer squash, tomatoes, aubergines, and zucchinis. Plus lots of freshly chopped chives, Italian parsley and basil. We love these kinds of salads. adding freshly squeezed lemon juice and some more salt and pepper just before serving gives this salad a nice fresh kick. The salad can be prepared well in advance, you can use whatever seasonal veg you have on hand and no doubt, be the star at any picnic as well - a great recipe to remember year round.

The second recipe that I prepared was Celery and blue cheese bruschetta (page 199) from the chapter „Bready Things“. Always game for trying out some new variations of our beloved bruschettas, I was quite sure that we would not enjoy this one. I followed the short and easy recipe but used Ricotta salata instead of the the blue cheeses such as Roquefort, Danablu, Cabrales, Gorgonzola and Blue Stilton are not really cheeses that we particularly enjoy.

But to my surprise, once I added the thinly sliced celery to the toasted slices of country-style baguette, then some local runny honey, French sea salt, freshly ground black pepper, garlic, a mild olive oil and topped it all off with some fresh fennel fronds, we actually enjoyed this unusual bruschetta. It has an agreeable saltiness from the cheese, sweetness from the honey and a fresh crunch from the celery and the fennel fronds. Nice change from the tomatoes and I am quite taken by Hugh´s bruschetta ideas.

Recipe number three was supposed to be the Peperonata (page 20) from the chapter "Comfort foods & feasts" and ended up being the Caponata (page 307) from the chapter "Mezze & Tapas" -  I simply made a mistake and did not notice until it was too late - but no matter, since we already made this recipe back in August 2014. 

Served alongside a lovely huge loaf of Afghan bread, this is one of my very favorite recipes from the book - chock full of seasonal vegetables such as aubergines, onions, celery, garlic, and tomatoes plus some capers, green olives, sultanas and a small grating of dark chocolate, this must be one of the "must make summer dishes" from Hugh´s book. Perfect warm, on its own, as a topping for bruschetta, mixed into pasta...the uses seem endless. The Caponata has the perfect balance of sweetness and tanginess that I so crave in my summer recipes. and, yes, I will make the Peperonata as a "make-up" in August.

For the fourth recipe, I chose the delightfully summery Runner beans with tomatoes and garlic (page 375) from the chapter "Side dishes". Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall specifies that this "dish works well with French beans too". So that is what I used. I always do. I have prepared this dish many times, it is easy and the fresher the beans and the tomatoes that you use, the more you will enjoy the results. 

When it comes to cooking them, French beans can be called "the fast food of the leguminous world". You only need to boil them in salted water for a few minutes until just tender and they can take all kinds of dressings, from a simple, lemony vinaigrette to a more Asian-style dressing. On the other hand, you may need to string runner beans before you cook and then simmer for about 15 minutes until tender. 

This rather humble side dish combines easy-to-find ingredients. All you need are beans, grated tomatoes, onion (I use red here), and garlic. Then some of the freshest basil that you can get your hands on - I always try to go with green as well as red rubin basil. This basil variety has unusual reddish-purple leaves, and a stronger flavor than sweet basil. I believe it adds a delightful peppery note to this dish.

Onto recipe number five the Summer stir-fry with egg-fried rice (page 286) from the chapter "Pasta & Rice“. For starters, I did not serve this lovely, green dish with the egg-fried rice but with the kids current favorite Asian pasta - these wonderful green tea noodles. 

For the summer stir-fry I opted for an all green assortment of delicious, seasonal veg, namely zucchinis, French beans, sweet peas, broccoli, and spinach. Then freshly grated ginger, spring onions, chili, and ginger. It always amazes me how wonderful these easy to-follow stir fries can be and how much the kids enjoy eating them - may I add even for breakfast because the day I served this stir-fry was, yet again, another very rainy July day and I needed that picture - so, in summary, this stir-fry makes for a delicious lunch, dinner and even breakfast fare.

My sixth recipe was a repeat performance - the Marinated courgettes (zucchini) with mozzarella (page 314) from the chapter " Mezze & Tapas" that we made back in July last year.

This time I used summer squash - such a pretty yellow color - and I used that Ricotta salata again instead of the Mozzarella. Always such a delightful recipe, one of our all time favorites. Add some small capers ("surfines") and fresh oregano from the garden to this side dish and you will be a very happy vegetable eater.

Who can resist the undeniable charm of burgundy colored spring onions - I cannot, so I decided to add another repeat performance to the list and made the Spring Onion Galette (page 220) from the chapter "Store-cupboard Suppers" again. 

This recipe is another that you should have in the back of your mind when shopping for dinner - apart from the Parmegiano Reggiano that you probably have in your fridge anyways, all you need are spring onions and ready-made good quality puff pastry - voilà! You are all set for the most delightful appetizer or main dish with a lovely seasonal side salad.

It is these kinds of recipes that draw me to this book again and again - I admit that I know quite a few of them by heart now and that I even remember the pages they are on.....and I am just trying to point out how easy it is to incorporate the dishes from Hugh´s book into your everyday cooking. Yes, I am quite aware that we all have tons of cookbooks on our shelves and that we all have our favorite cookbook authors but at the end of the day most of us are looking for healthy delicious, easy to remember, no fuss recipes that we all enjoy. Every. Single. Day.

Having said that it is time to move onto Green beans, new potatoes and olives (page 222) from the chapter "Store-cupboard Suppers".

When I took the first taste of this salad, I said that it tastes like "River Cottage food" - having made most of the one hundred and forty recipes from the book by now, I am familiar with the taste and flavor combinations as well as the combination of textures from this book - they have become part of our lives and are familiar to us, they guide my taste buds when I make recipes from the book or my own. 

Since the kids adore yellow beans and I came across them the other day, I made this recipe with green as well as yellow French beans - just beans, olives, new potatoes, garlic, lemon and tons of fresh herbs - dinner, summertime dinner could not be easier or more delicious.

The recipe for Charred baby leeks with romesco (page 336) from the chapter " Roast, Grill & Barbecue" was the one that made me most curious this month. Many years ago, a friend of mine told me about the festival in the Catalan region of Spain that he always looked forward to every year - the "calçotada" -  a barbecue meal unique to the area and devoted to a variety of giant spring onions. First the fire-blackened outer layer of the onion is pulled away to reveal a juicy white core. Then the tip is dipped into romesco sauce and the dripping calçot is lowered into the mouth in one go. You get the picture. 

No dipping blackened spring onions into the delicious romesco sauce in this house - I went with grilled fennel instead. What a treat - as Hugh says this sauce is good with just about any grilled veg and I loved the flavors here that the ingredients brought to this sauce - the chilies, tomatoes, red pepper, garlic, toasted hazelnuts, red wine vinegar and that lovely, Spanish sweet smoked paprika a condiment I often use) as well as a thick slice of country bread (for thickening). wonderful new recipe to try - might add a bit more spice next time but will definitely serve it with my Antipasta spread in the future.

Recipe number ten was the easy one this month - the Marinated Cucumbers with Mint (page 1222) from the chapter "Raw assemblies".

As every month, I always try to include one very easy recipe. One that is like an afterthought of sorts, the one that you prepare while cooking yet another recipe from the book.

This one is also easy. A few minutes is all it takes. It is English cucumbers, a dressing of cider vinegar, some light oil, pepper, salt and a pinch of sugar plus fresh mint - very British, very fresh, very summery. The kids eats just about every herb there is on this planet but they do not do mint - so, I used our apple mint from the garden and just placed it on top of the salad plates - the apple mint definitely smells of green apples and mint, less strong and more agreeable than the other garden mint.

Last but not least my eleventh dish for this month the Mexican tomato and bean soup (page 138) from the chapter "Hefty Soups".

There is another dish, like the romesco sauce, that I had never prepared before - Mexican food is not that popular around here and it is not the one that comes to my mind first when making soup. But since I believe this was the winning dish for the kids this month, it will certainly grace our table many more times in the future. To me, a good soup has to look attractive, and balance its textures and flavors. More importantly, it must clearly taste of its ingredients, and this soup delivers on all accounts.

So much deep, warm tomato flavor, delightfully accented by onions, garlic, chilies, limes, black beans as well as the Mexican oregano that my dear friend David Scott Allan gifted me when he came for a visit all the way from lovely Tucson, AZ at the beginning of the month - what an utter delight to be able to meet him and Mark and to show him my hometown Cologne. A first US- European blogger meeting for me - I sincerely hope that it was not the last.

In summary, another month full of wonderful vegetable dishes – this month we were delighted to enjoy some of our favorite summer recipes from Hugh´s book for breakfast (HA!), lunch and dinner and, best of all, for relaxed al fresco dinners. What can possibly be better than to cook with fresh ingredients and true to our motto this month "Enjoy summer´s bounty" to the fullest?! So, what are you waiting for - it is time to enjoy the great outdoors. Pack a summer picnic basket with simple salads, breads and fresh fruits.

Please note, that for copyright reasons, we do NOT publish the recipes. If you enjoy the recipes in our series, hopefully, the wonderfully talented and enthusiastic members of The Cottage Cooking Club and their wonderful posts can convince you to get a copy of this lovely book. Better yet, do make sure to join us in this cooking adventure! There is still time!