The risotto secret

Risotto for guests is not possible. I always thought. You have to stir constantly, add liquid, it must not boil down, must be cooked to the point – that means “al dente”. Too stressful when the guests are already in the kitchen. But that’s not true. The well-known TV and cruiseship chef, Franz Schned, told me how to do it. Risotto, completely relaxed…

Schupfnudeln – Autumn Soulfood

“Schupfnudeln” is a typical German dish. We talk about fingershaped dumplings made of potoatoes. This recipe combines these dumplings with minced meat and apples – very simple. But often the simple dishes are the most popular ones. Especially with children. Same with our stir-fried Schupfnudeln with apples. Our son and daughter have been crazy about this dish since childhood. Apple and horseradish anyhow are a perfect pair, endive salad as a vegetable and a quick horseradish dip provide the freshness kick.

Red cabbage as a winter stock

Red cabbage is certainly one of the classics among the autumnal-wintery vegetables in our German cuisine and I can’t imagine roast goose, game or roulades without it. In this post, I’ll tell you my recipe and how to stock up for the whole winter. Cook once, serve red cabbage six times – and that’s easy.

Tokaj wine tasting with Adam Varkoly

Our trip to Budapest also took us to Hungary’s most famous wine-growing region, the Tokaj region. There we met a young Hungarian winemaker full of esprit, Ádám Varkoly. If you think Tokaj wines have to be sweet and full-bodied, Ádám will quickly teach you a lesson. His winery Árpád-hegy Pince in Szerencs also produces wonderful, dry wines from Furmint.

Gin & Calamansi from the Philippines

A small bottle of gin, brought by a very, very dear colleague on board set this story in motion: The petite Filipino lady handed my dearest captain a farewell bottle of Philippine gin. “We’ll drink it in the Philippines with calamansi fruit, never with lemon, Captain!”, she said with a smile.

Hungarian goulash – straight from the Puszta

From Budapest we made our way to the Hungarian Puszta. If there is a “real” Hungarian goulash somewhere, then in Hortobágyi, a small town in the middle of the Puszta. On the bridge market (Hídivásár), which is celebrated annually on the national holiday in Hortobágyi, we found it. Here it boiled and bubbled in large cauldrons. And we brought the recipe…

Monkfish – an extraordinary fish dish

Monkfish is generally a delicacy, no question. In this recipe the solid fish comes with black, sea-aromatic spaghetti. Together with the tomato sauce, which is deglazed with vodka and refined with vanilla, the plate convinces by strong, bright colors, phantastic flavors, bite-proof fish and very special pasta – all topped off with a little fresh mint. A feast for all senses!

Onion cake with pear and walnuts

Onion cake belongs to fall like falling leaves, mushrooms, fog and a bit of sentiment that summer is going on. This autumn, I changed my classic a bit and turned it into a tart. And what goes well with onions? Bacon, of course, and pears and blue cheese. A few walnuts on top – and the beautiful autumn soul warmer is ready.

24 hours Budapest

This rush was not even necessary during our visit to Budapest. After all, this was not a “shoreleave” of the usual kind. I mean, Budapest cannot be reached by cruise ships, and in all cases by river ships. But we were there simply on vacation, by plane. It’s our first time in Budapest and in Hungary. Invited by our dear friend, the ship’s doctor.