Wurstkuche--Purveyor of Exotic Grilled Sausages

Wurstkuche

800 E. 3rd St. at the corner of Traction Ave.

Los Angeles, CA

213.687.4444

http://www.wurstkucherestaurant.com/

Sausage Kitchen? Yes, please.



The past few months of my life I have been exposed to the glories that downtown L.A. has to offer, and Wurstkuche does not disappoint. It's a gastropub smack in the Arts District, near the American Apparel factory and various hip cuisine joints, like the fusion Sushi place across the street. They specialize in a gloriously varied list of classic and gourmet sausages and German and Belgian imported beers.



I had no idea what was going on. I walked in and ordered a Rasputin Stout as I waited for the mini birthday party to arrive. I noticed the mustards on the table but didn't KNOW what people were eating, and here comes my friend V, and to our table comes a bratwurst covered in sauerkraut, with a side of belgian fries and chipotle ketchup. Damn! I wish I wasn't full.



Then the rest of gang arrived, touting a red velvet cake for H's birthday. We traded sips of our respective beers, one of them being a Koestritzer Schwarzbier, a sweet and malty dark German beer that R was drinking. Something tells me I should have at least gotten a Chimay when I walked in, but then again, I didn't know.



Then the sausages arrive! J got a bratwurst with caramelized onions, H got the bockwurst, and R sampled the gourmet dogs, getting a Duck and Bacon sausage, and the Mango-Jalapeno. These, in my face with a side of fries, and numerous moans of pleasure from my friends. I eventually broke down and decided I shouldn't wait until next time to try this sausage.



The main entrance with the sign is on Traction Ave. Entering from here you see the display of raw meat in the case, including the Rabbit and Rattlesnake, and the Alligator and Pork, and can stare perplexed at the solitary white sausage, the Rabbit-Veal-Pork seasoned with white wine. It's a small operation, one grill, and two little fryers. There's a lovely display of all the non-alcoholic options, i.e. the quirky lines of sodas, including ginger beer, sasparilla, and a Republic of Teas Darjeeling. (I have never seen this stuff bottled before!)


Reisdorff Kolsch: a light, crisp German beer. When a bartender says it's their favorite I'll go with it. I ordered the Hot Italian, pork sausage with spices. My go to dog.

When it finally came, it was generously covered in peppery caramelized onions, and came on an excellent 'italian' hot dog roll. Bread with character for a sausage full of flavor. I don't think I've ever had a better sausage. Homemade and carefully cooked, these people know what they're doing. I said it best with "there's a big difference between this and store bought."It was served in a metal container designed specifically to house my sausage. Here and there I put some of the Dijon mustard, but it was pretty much fantastic unadulterated.

Earlier there was a chorus of curse words going around the table exclaiming the deliciousness of the eats, and I joined in.

It was great ambiance. In the middle of the dining room there are long tables, much like military mess hall tables, or what I imagine to be the layout of a Belgian Brat&Beer house. We sat at a booth on the wall, and the tables were in the shape of coffins. There was cucumber water available. I was surprised that this place existed. It seems like you could be most anyone and enjoy yourself without too much pretense. I hear the line goes out the door on the weekends, so that I may avoid.

I will definitely return this summer for a longer night to sample the beer selection and talk about life over good food.

felicious

Rabbit Stew for Easter Sunday

Easter Birthday BBQ Menu:

food

Rabbit Stew

White Rice

Tri-Tip(thanks Drew)

Grilled Chicken

Nathan's Hot Dogs

Grilled Veggie Skewers

Grilled Sweet Corn

Caprese Farfalle Salad (by B.d-s )

Fruit Salad

German Potato Salad(by AvB)

Chocolate Cake(by JGC)

beverages

Tecate

Stella Artois

Hop-Skip (a Vodka-Lemonade Party Punch)

Sierra Nevada Lager

Coke/Diet Coke

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This past Easter Sunday, I had a small dinner party/BBQ for some friends. It was the occasion for some rabbit! I have eaten rabbit once before when I was Paris three summers ago, baked in a dijon mustard sauce. It is similar to chicken in color, but a little moister in texture.

I had concerns about finding rabbit to cook here in Los Angeles, short of applying for a hunting license and taking care of the killing and skinning parts myself. I thought I would have to go to Chinatown, or even to a specialty poultry store downtown, but I found a 3-lb packaged young rabbit at Bristol Farms. It wasn't cheap, mind you, at $10.99 a pound, but it was a sacrifice that was made for novelty.

Having never made stew before, I found a perhaps oversimplified recipe for Rabbit Stew on Cooks.com:

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RABBIT STEW

INGREDIENTS:
1 (2 1/2 to 3 lb.) rabbit, cut up
6 peeled, sm. white onions
1 1/2 c. diced celery
4 1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
2 qts. boiling water
2 c. diced carrots
2 c. diced potatoes
1/2 c. flour
3/4 c. cold water
1 tbsp. chopped parsley






INSTRUCTIONS:
Wash and dry cleaned rabbit. Place in kettle with next 6 ingredients. Cover; simmer 2 hours or until rabbit is tender. Add potatoes; blend flour and water. Stir into stew. Cook until thickened and add parsley.



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I assumed since the meat package was rather rabbit-shaped when I bought it, that I would have to debone the rabbit myself. Sure enough, this was true. (No head, thank god! But I had to remove the liver, heart and lungs.) I consulted with Julia Child in Mastering the Art of French Cooking, but there were only written instructions, not illustrated like I had hoped. I held it, and as I ran my thumb over its backbone I was reminded its resemblance in size to a common housecat.

So I got to quizzically exploring with my knife, hacking away a little bit, then remembering some basics. Separate the front and hind legs first, and follow along the bone with the knife to remove the meat. A chef's knife for the big pieces and to chop through the bone, and a sharp paring knife doing the trick for the legs. I don't think I got every piece I got, but with trimming the fat, et cetera, I was ready to start cooking the damn thing.

With a satisfying pile of meat, I put it aside in a bowl and began prepping the veggies. 6 small white onions, a few stalks of diced celery and diced carrots.

The instructions were really simple, and didn't detail any pre-cooking of the onions or making a burnt roux with flour to give the stew a browner color. But I was pressed for time, so I cooked the raw meat in a bit of olive oil for 5 minutes before adding the boiling pasta water that I had handy.

I don't have pictures of the result, (or the diced potatoes for that matter), but after a couple hours' simmer you add the diced potatoes and the flour-cold water mixture to thicken the stew. At the finish you stir in the fresh chopped parsley, and Voila! we have our rabbit stew.

I suppose like a good roast chicken, a stew should not be rushed. People got hungry before it got stewy enough, but the results were bound to be good because of the amount of onion. I have been dying to make a good Guiness Beef Stew, which includes caramelizing the onions as part of the recipe. I love dark beers, and this would be a perfect weekend dinner.

*Additionally, this was a Birthday BBQ, and cake was made(Thanks JGC)! Quite good chocolate cake, using Semisweet Baker's Chocolate and fresh brewed coffee to enrich the chocolate flavor. Rich and fudgy, good with milk. There are only twelve candles, but I am twice that.

Happy 24th, and welcome back Zombie Jesus.

felicious

Parmesan Chive Biscuits

Had a free evening last night, so after I made some fresh lemonade using the ones from our tree in the backyard, I decided some cheap bread making was in order.

From the New York Times Cookbook.

2 cups flour, sifted

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1/3 cup butter

1/2 cup grated Parmesan

2 tbsp fresh chives

2/3 cup milk, approximately

extra flour for kneading

extra grated cheese (optional)

fresh ground pepper(optional)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Sift flour, baking powder and salt together. Add the cheese and chives, and with two knives or a pastry cutter, cut the butter into the dry mixture until it is the texture of coarse cornmeal. Stir in the milk using a fork. The batter should be soft, but not sticky.

Knead onto a floured surface, about 20 times. Roll out dough until smooth and use a biscuit cutter (or a small glass) to cut the biscuits. If you'd like an extra bit of delicious, sprinkle a little parmesan and a touch of black pepper on the top of each biscuit. Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown.

YUM! Very easy. You can add all sorts of combinations you want: nuts, other herbs, dried fruit, garlic!

felicious

Mexi Salad

Mexi Salad
Serves 2-3.

You will need:

1 head romaine lettuce
one or two leaves red cabbage
1/2 cup black beans, drained
1/3 cup salsa verde
2 oz queso fresco, crumbled
olive oil
vinegar
pepper
1/2 tsp dried oregano (optional)
6 or 7 tortilla chips, crumbled (optional)

Chop off bottom of the head of romaine. Wash and/or clean lettuce if necessary. Begin chopping strips 1/2 to 3/4 inch wide. Dice the red cabbage and incorporate with lettuce. Crumble the queso fresco onto the bed of lettuce. Add oil and vinegar, just enough to coat. Grind fresh pepper (6 to 8 turns of the mill, depending) and sprinkle 1 tsp dried oregano. Add 1/2 black beans and 1/3 c salsa verde, and toss ingredients together. Sprinkle crumbled tortilla chips on top.

Serve with Chicken Enchiladas, Tortilla Soup, or your favorite main course.

Ay yi yi!
Felicious

Thanksgiving 09

Pre-brined Turkey (16.75 lbs)
French Bread Stuffing
Garlic Mashed Potatoes with Cream
Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Marshmallow Sauce
Steamed Green Beans
Honey Carrots
Crescent Rolls
Turkey Gravy
Cranberry Orange Compote
Ice Water with Fresh Lemon
Cook's Champagne

Apple Pie
Pumpkin Pie

and
Trivial Pursuit

along with the handful of phonecalls from full and happy extended family members.

I'll expound upon my tactics soon. I have to admit up front that I took some tips from Martha Stewart, via her Twitter account.

Gobble Gobble,
Fee Doyle

Roscoe's Halloween Cure

Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles

830 N. Lake Ave.

Pasadena, CA

http://roscoeschickenandwaffles.com/

Because of daylight savings and a fluke in my puppeteer career, necessitating me waking up early on a Sunday, we were up before noon and hungry kiddies. C and I went to Roscoe's for the morning-after-Halloween-breakfast. Which, at 12:00 PM on a Sunday, is the after-church crowd.

The sun is beating down and we wait 20 minutes before being seated. The air is cracking with laughter and conversation as we sit down to the booth closest to the pick-up window and beverage station of the kitchen. At first I wondered if it would distract me, but realized it was going to be fun to watch, as C-man sitting on the other side of the booth had the Roscoe's TV channel to watch, which featured a right-hand column of rotating health tips.

Brought over from Harlem in the 1970's, Roscoe's was started because there was no place in Los Angeles outside of a family kitchen that served chicken with waffles. Now it is a five-restaurant chain, and actively participates in its community by donating time and food to programs for at-risk youth.

Reputed for it's soul food, Roscoe's is one of the several regional specialties I have now tasted. we both ordered the quintessential order, the Carol C Special, one tender chicken breast and one waffle. The skin of the chicken as crispy and rich as bacon strips, the waffle soft and light. The meat tender, juicy, salty and hot. the syrup dispensed hot from a coffee pot. the OJ was fresh squeezed. tear off a piece of chicken, dip it in the syrup, add a piece of waffle, and you're in business. If you're me, drink your coffee, too.

Perfect for Sunday morning hustle bustles and all-day contemplation. Perfect if you want something sweet, savory, soft, and crunchy all in your mouth at once, dancing around and making your stomach smile.

Looking forward to the next batch!

Butter and Cream in the Kitsch

Friday Evening's Menu:

Cheese Plate

Roasted Pork Tenderloin in a Mustard-Spice Rub

Grilled Asparagus

Mashed Potatoes

Chimay Red Ale

Banana Pudding

Film:

The 1992 Paramount Classic

Captain Ron, starring Kurt Russell

and Martin Short

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C and I went to Ralphs. The biggest hangup was over the pudding mix. C was most comfortable with the JELL-O brand, but only the Kroger brand had the Banana Creme flavor. We stood, debating. "Kroger has 2 for 1," I offered. C winced again. We futiley tried to compare the ingredients, as if they'd be different. "You could get vanilla," I offered. "No, it's not the same." So we bought the Kroger Banana Creme pudding mix, and made a double batch.

There were about 4 brands of Pork Tenderloin, one of which was unseasoned, which became our friend. 1 1/4 lbs of pork tenderloin for a little more than $5.00. When the idea for tenderloin was proposed, I immediately threw a parade around my house. Since fall is slowly approaching, rainstorm by rainstorm, it's time for warmer, heartier foods, and roasted dishes.

Back in the kitsch, I began the Banana Pudding as C boiled water for the Mashed Potatoes and preheated the oven.

Banana Pudding

(double recipe)

4 cups heavy cream (Heavy Cream, you gasp? Yes! Milk is for sissies!)

2 pkg Banana Creme pudding mix
2 bananas, sliced thin crosswise

2 cups Nilla Wafers, whole

Pour the cream into the mix, and whisk together for 2-3 minutes, until thickened to palatable pudding consistency. Slice two bananas into the pudding and fold. Dump in the Nilla Wafers, fold in, trying not to break any cookies. Scrape down the sides, smooth out the top, or if you've got a second container, transfer the entire mixture then do the same. With the extra Nilla Wafers, make a design on top. That's let to each one's own creative Nilla whims.

Mashed Potatoes

6 small yellow potatoes

1 stick butter

1/2 cup cream

salt and pepper

Put a medium pot of water on the stove set on high to boil. Cut the potatoes into eighths, and plop em into the boiling water. After 20 minutes, check a potato for tenderness, and drain accordingly. Throw them back into the pot, add the butter and begin to mash. Add the cream. Taste it, add your salt and pepper, and other fancy spices that you wish. We didn't do garlic. We didn't do saffron. We just did 'em straight up mashed potatoes (with the skin!)

Roasted Pork Tenderloin in a Mustard-Spice Rub

1 1/4 lb pork tenderloin

1/2 cup mustard mix

(we used a mix of 70% stone ground and 30% sweet-hot)

2 to 3 tsp each dried thyme, rosemary, and oregano

Kosher salt

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line your baking sheet/pan with tinfoil, unwrap the tenderloin and lay onto your pan. Commence the rubbing of the mustard! Using your hands, cover the meat with the mustard, making sure that the bottom has a small amount, and leaving the bulk on top. Sprinkle thyme, rosemary, oregano and salt on top and press into the meat. Add on more mustard if desired. If the tenderloin is too long for your pan, you can fold either end under, or form the cut into a circle if using a cake pan, or making room for roasting vegetables, etc. Put into the oven. Cook for 20 minutes, and then check for doneness with a meat thermometer. Depending on the oven and the slice of meat, you may need more time. The wrapper for the tenderloin should also include sanitary/food safety guidelines. At doneness, the pork should be about 190 degrees at the center of the thickest section. If you don't have a meat thermometer, use the tried and true method of cutting into the meat and using your best judgment. The skin turns golden brown, and a rich mustard smell fills your apartment. That's also a good sign to check it.

While the pork was in the oven, I began to prepare the asparagus. Sadly, this is not the season for this glorious vegtable. They were the size of a French green bean, very slender and tender. Asparagus season is generally from Mid-April to Mid-June or early July.

If you haven't read Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver, there is a great section on the wonders of fresh greens and gigantic, plump asparagus, and the true, simple pleasures they bring.

Grilled Asparagus

1 bunch asparagus

1 tbsp butter or olive oil

salt and pepper

Begin by rinsing the asparagus. To find out where to cut the asparagus, take one stalk, grab each end, and bend it from the bottom end until it snaps. Where it snaps is a good guideline for where to cut for the rest of the bunch. If you have time or interest, like I did, you can snap the whole bunch. In a medium frying pan, set the heat to medium-low, add the butter to melt, and then add the aspargus. Toss the aspargus to coat. Then increase the heat to medium-high. Turn the asparagus regularly, and after a few minutes, add the salt and pepper. After about 15 minutes, check for doneness.

The result was a little overdone, but roasted and slightly blackened. Very delicious. I wanted to add lemon juice, but alas, there was none. We had some oven issues, so the asparagus and potatoes were done a full 10 minutes before the pork, so we had time to munch on some Swiss and Stilton, and crack open our Chimay.

It was so fine. Decadent was my word.

So much creammmmm...

and Kurt Russell is still hilarious after all these years. My other favorite Kurt Russell film is Overboard, featuring wife Goldie Hawn, in which he takes advantage of newly-struck amnesia patient Goldie Hawn, convincing her to be wife to him and mother of his children. The 80's. Come back. Bring your cooking tips!