Very definitive opinions and a clear list of must-do’s. My father’s super-palate and my brother’s exacting standards, lol.
I introduce a few new things each time. This trip, Korean is on the agenda (I added japchae and rice cakes to the menu during the pandemic). Trip just got extended, so now I’m thinking of what else!
Yum
I appreciate that. And yes, I do pour my heart and soul into my lectures. I can’t speak about something unless the passion is there.
Happy birthday!
Today was disgustingly hot and humid, so a light summer meal it was: grilled shrimp skewer over couscous. Side of air-fried string bean fries with garlic aioli. Not very colorful.
A Rob Roy to drink.
Not that I know of, I miss Paris. I based my burger on the famous foie gras one.
Stir-fried celery with shiitake mushrooms, ginger and scallions and a sauce made from chili-fermented black beans, soy sauce, rice vinegar and toasted sesame oil - served over rice
We were in the mood for Wiener Schnitzel. 2 of the 3 places recommended to me in a local Fb group weren’t open on Mondays, so we went with the third that had a variety of schnitzels on offer – seemed like a good sign.
Place was packed outside on an early Monday eve, which is also generally a good sign.
They had lovely Pils and Helles on tap, and we ordered a Wiener Schnitzel and a Schnitzel Wiener Art (pork), one with home fries & one with warm potato salad & chanterelle cream sauce.
Both came with home fries for some reason 
, but at least they were good. The schnitzel…… were just ok. The panade was bland, tasted too much of flour & needed salt. It also wasn’t as fluffy as I like it. The meat was ok. The chanterelle cream sauce was good and a generous portion.
Didn’t quite scratch that itch, but we’re schnitzeled out for the remainder of our stay. Sigh.
I can attest to the love and care @gcaggiano puts into his lectures. I’ve been to one - The History of Alcohol - and it was very interesting and informative. I’d love to be going to this one but will be away. I already have my eyes on one he’a planning for December. I’m guessing there will something between then and now.
Don’t you just hate when you crave something and it is just meh? Then I wonder if maybe I’ve lost my taste for the dish. I almost wish it would be awful.
I think the issue is with the dish itself. The meat is supposed to be pounded so thin that the quality of the panade becomes almost more important than the meat itself, plus it’s a fairly bland dish to begin with, compared to other Austrian specialties.
I much prefer my bastardized version, which has almost nothing to do with actual Wiener Schnitzel. For one, I use chicken tenders - out of pure exasperation not wanting to deal with a towel-size, flattened cutlet & the many, many, oh-so-many plates involved before the pan is even hot. I don’t even bother pounding the tenders. The meat to panko ratio is perfect, and the meat always stays juicy. I also actually like chicken.
Secondly, I generously season with salt, lemon pepper, garlic & onion powder, paprika, and cayenne. Sometimes I’ll add some grated parm to the panko.
I fry the tenders up in batches and keep the done ones in a 200˚ oven. All they need is a generous squeeze of lemon.
I get a more flavorful version of that crispy crunchy meat fix 
But oh so good when made correctly and served with lingonberry jam and lemon!
There is NEVER enough lemon.
Indian Pork and Beans. Some of you might know of the guy behind https://myannoyingopinions.com/ and this was inspired by one of his recipes — https://myannoyingopinions.com/2020/03/18/pork-and-beans-ii/. I used Rancho Gordo’s pinquito beans. It was really good (and actually soupier than it looks here — I added some beans on top for the photo).
Thank you very much for the in-depth response. I think I completely misunderstood schnitzels. It is way more nuanced than I thought. I always compared them to a traditional Italian-American style chicken cutlet.
It’s not a science. But traditional Wiener Schnitzel is made with veal, pounded very thinly & served with lingonberry jam & lemon.
When we come back next summer we need to try a place that somehow incorporates kren (horseradish) into their breading. Shoulda gone there instead 
The Daniel Bolud one? I actually had that one (well, shared it with friends) back when I believe it was under $50.
The word itself, means cutlet, so etymologically, schnitzel and cutlet are the same.
Schnittlauch is the word for chive . Knoblauch is the word for garlic.
German makes so much more sense.
I see Veal Milanese as the Italian equivalent to Wiener Schnitzel.
But schnitzel- schnitzel that isn’t Wiener or described as Wiener Art (style)-- which you’d see on a Polish, Hungarian, Serbian, Israeli restuarants, that’s often pretty close to an Italian American or Italian Cdn cutlet. Usually not pounded thin, usually less than $20.
Wolfgang Puck’s Wiener Schnitzel at Spago in Beverly Hills looked perfect the night I was there. I had ordered the tasting menu that night
I forgot about Boulud’s burger, my inspiration was Keller’s Rossini burger.
Agree. Wiener Schnitzel is distinguished by being veal, pounded very thin, and breaded in fine breadcrumbs (not typically something as coarse and crunchy as panko). Most importantly, the breading should be very crisp and golden and should pull away from the meat. This article has a great explanation. It’s not flavorless if done well. But it’s often poorly made.
I lived in Austria for a few years and ate my fair share 
