was invited to dinner with friends and took along a few pictures to show the hostess. “These are very good!” she commented.

“You must have a good camera.”At the end of the evening, the photographer thanked the hostess on the way out and said, “That was really a delicious meal! You must have very good pots.”😁

For many years I believed that the best way to consume protein was by eating meat!  Of course, I also knew that beans and nuts are a good source of proteins.

A few days ago I watched, together with my family, a Netflix documentary called “The Game Changers”.  As a chef, I have slaughtered a few animals myself during my cheffing career, from disassembling a cow during my Officer Schooling in the Swiss Army as Corporal Head Chef, and also all kinds of birds and eatable creatures stipulated and, necessary on my menus. There was also a range of exotic meats, from Alligator, Hippopotamus, Lion, and Antilope, of course, I didn’t slaughter those animals, I just purchased the meat. 

 I suppose when one reaches a certain age, one becomes a bit more aware of what you should and shouldn’t eat in order to extend the remaining years we have to live with, or at least live a less painful life during old age.

What causes type 1 diabetes? 

It begins when something disrupts your body’s ability to turn the food you eat into energy, and also when your immune system, the body’s system for fighting infection, attacks and destroys the insulin-producing beta cells of the pancreas.  Some scientists think type 1 diabetes is caused by genes and environmental factors, such as viruses, that might trigger the disease; the part about genes is being disputed by many other professors and doctors. I am proof of the fact that diabetes is not hereditary, as I am on my father’s side, therefore also have his genes, (I look like him too) he had diabetes and so did his brother, both smokers, drinkers, and meat-eaters! My last physical results were “in good shape”, just a bit too much blood in the system, so I shall donate blood in order to get rid of some! I don’t smoke, nor do I abuse alcohol consumption.

Watch an explanatory video here, how diabetes 1 and 2 work

These associations seem to be mainly sponsored by major pharmaceutical companies, which are treating heart diseases and diabetes, but there are no sponsors of preventative companies, such as a farmers association, Bio manufacturers, environmental companies, etc !?

The Swiss Society of Endocrinology and Diabetology receives earmarked financial support for research, postgraduate and continuous education as well as infrastructure from the MSD, Sanofi Aventis, Roche Diabetes Care, and Abbott. As you shall see in the aforementioned documentaries, some of these associations even promote menus consisting of food items that are the cause of heart disease and diabetes in the first place!!

The cause and problems

of our health issues are in plain sight for us! But just as the people smoking know that it will eventually kill them, people continue smoking, and people continue consuming the wrong nutrients!

Below is a list of foods that replace proteins, instead of eating meats:

in addition Edamame, Potato, Kale, and Cauliflower are also high in protein

Like everything else in this world, it’s all about money! God forbid everyone should stop eating meats; what would all the cattle farmers do? what would restaurants sell instead of meat? what would all the pharmaceutical companies do if they couldn’t sell drugs to billions of patients?

your blogging friend Ulrich Koepf

Über die Hotellerie zu sprechen, ist jedoch mein Leidenschaft und Lieblingsfach. In den letzten Jahren habe ich den Erfolg mehrerer Menschen verfolgt, die ich während meinen 36 Jahren in Südflorida kennenlernte.

Es gibt, nach meiner Meinung, vier Leute, die es verdienen, hier erwähnt zu werden, obwohl es Dutzende von Leuten gibt, die genauso talentiert und entschlossen sind wie die vier, die ich in meinem Beitrag hier erwähne, aber diese vier kenne ich persönlich.

 Die beeindruckendste und talentierteste person für mich ist Lenore Nolan Ryan. Ich habe Lenore kennengelernt, als meine Frau Naz und ich 2007 in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea ein Gourmet-Delikatessengeschäft betrieben. Lenore betrieb damals ein Catering- Cookingschool  Geschäft gleich um die Ecke von unserem Deli. Sie kam immer manchmal vorbei, um Hallo zu sagen, und ich besuchte sie auch in ihrem eigenem Geschäft.

Lenore ist eine unglaublich talentierte Frau

ich habe nichts als großen Respekt und Bewunderung für Sie. 2016 beschloss Sie, ihr Geschäft an North Ocean Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale zu verlegen, wo sie ein neues, aufregendes Konzept namens „Grapes“ Wine Café & Market” entwickelte und vor wenigen Wochen wiedereröffnete. Sie weiß, wie man die sozialen Plattformen nutzt und optimal nutzt, um ihre Kunden zu erreichen und sie auf dem Laufenden zu halten. Sie überträgt Live-Streaming-Kochkurse, verschickt regelmäßig E-Mail-Updates von “Grapes“ und hat eine große Fangemeinde auf Facebook und anderen sozialen Plattformen. Die kreationen die Lenore zusammmen “whipped” können Sie auf Ihrer webseite bewundern.

Dann ist da noch Eleanor Hoh aus Miami, sie nennt sich den „Wok Star“, sie bietet Online-Orientalische-Kochkurse an, die alle in einem Wok vorbereitet werden, sie übertragt Live-Demonstrationen in ganz Südflorida und ist auch zu Gast in lokalen Radiosendungen.

George Mayo. Um 1992 eröffneten George und ich gemeinsam das „Bistro Mezzaluna“ in Fort Lauderdale. Ich traf George, als er mich im Cafe Spetmeber besuchte, wo ich Küchenchef war, nachdem er in den lokalen Zeitungen von mir gehört und gelesen hatte. Nachdem ich von 1987 bis 1992 als Chefkoch und F & B-Direktor von einem fünfjährigen Stunt in der Dominikanischen Republik zurückkehrte, haben wir uns nach meiner Rückkehr wieder zusammengetan, um Bistro Mezzaluna zu organisieren. In NewYorkCity half ich George und seinem Bruder Robert in ihrem Gourmet Deli in Manhattan, während das Bistro in Fort Lauderdale gebaut wurde.

Leidenschaft

Ich habe noch nie jemanden mit einer solchen Leidenschaft für das Gastro Gewerbe getroffen wie George. Er liebte dieses Gewerbe so sehr, dass er es kaum erwarten konnte, jeden Morgen zu seinem Deli zu rennen! das ist der Grund, warum dieser Laden so viele Jahre lang so erfolgreich war; wann immer George nicht da war, kümmerte sich sein Bruder Robert um das Geschäft.

George Mayo

 Bistro Mezzaluna war viele Jahre lang ein großer Erfolg, bis es verkauft und dann an einen anderen Ort verlegt wurde. Es ist bis heute ein erfolgreiches Restaurant in neuem Besitz.

George ist im Ruhestand und lebt jetzt im Bundesstaat New York. Ich bin im Ruhestand und lebe in meiner Heimat Schweiz.

Eine andere Person von Interesse ist meiner Meinung nach, Steve Martoranos, Inhaber von Martorano in Lauderdale, Pittsburgh, Atlantic City und Las Vegas. Ich erinnere mich, wenn Steve gegen Abend zu  mir ins Hot Chocolates kam, nachdem er sein eigenes Restaurant geschlossen hatte, um ein Stück meines hausgemachten Entenleberparfaits zu genießen!

The hopping place to be in Fort Lauderdale

Er serviert Italienische Küche in Martoranos und hat sich einen verdienten Ruf erarbeitet, der ihn auf Pittsburgh, Vegas und Atlantic City ausweitete. Wie Lenore weiß er, wie man auf sozialen Plattformen eine stetige Anhängerschaft aufrechterhält. Ich weiß, dass er hart gearbeitet hat, um dahin zu gelangen, wo er heute ist. Nichts kommt von nichts in einem Gastrobetrieb. Er verdient daher auch meinen Respekt. Hoffen wir nur, dass es ihm nicht an Kontrolle über sein großartiges Essen mangelt, wenn er sich mit vier Restaurants zu dünn ausbreitet. Ich weiß aus persönlicher Erfahrung, dass niemand es so macht, wie man es selber macht, das heißt nicht dass ein anderer Koch es falsch oder nicht gut genug macht, es ist einfach nicht wie deine eigene Façon! Keine zwei Köche kochen auf die gleiche Weise! Und wie wir alle wissen, passiert es vielen talentierten Köchen, die die Kontrolle verloren haben, zu viele unglückliche Partner involviert hatten oder der brutto Gewinn einfach nicht aufzuweisen war und schließlich den Laden schließen musste.

36 Jahre Florida

Während den 36 Jahren in Südflorida habe ich mich auch in einige meiner eigenen kulinarischen Unternehmen gewagt! Das erste war das Truffles Restaurant in Miami, dann Martinis Bistro-Bar in North Miami, (ein Familienunternehmen), Pa D’s Gourmet Deli in Lauderdale und ein Griechisches Deli Take-out, ebenfalls in Fort Lauderdale. Ich habe mich auch an Partnerschaften bei Hot Chocolates in Fort Lauderdale und einem Themenrestaurant-Koncept  beteiligt tätig in Miami, Mexiko und Kanada,  beide endeten mit Enttäuschung für mich.

Kein hit and run

Man kann im Gastrogewerbe nur erfolgreich sein, wenn man die Leidenschaft dafür besitzt. Zu viele Restaurants gehen Pleite, weil dem Besitzer oder dem Koch die Leidenschaft dafür fehlte. Ich hatte einige enttäuschende Erfahrungen mit meinen eigenen Partnerunternehmen, neben dem Mangel an Leidenschaft, gibt es auch eine gewisse Gier im Spiel, und dann auch noch die falschen Gründe, überhaupt in das Gastrogewerbe einzusteigen.

Es gibt keine Möglichkeit im Gastrogewerbe schnell Reichtum und Berühmtheit zu verdienen, indem Sie in dieser Branche einsteigen. Dies kann nur durch Liebe für das Gewerbe, Leidenschaft, harte Arbeit, und Entschlossenheit erreicht werden. 

Gruss Ueli Köpf

The hopping place to be in Fort Lauderdale

Serving Italian fare at Martorano’s, he has established a deserved reputation for himself, which expanded him to Pittsburgh, Vegas, and Atlantic City. Like Lenore he knows how to maintain a steady following on social platforms, I know that he worked hard to get where he is today, nothing comes from nothing in this business, and he also deserves my respect. Let’s just hope, that by spreading himself too thin with four restaurants, he doesn’t lack oversight and control of his great food,  I know from personal experience that nobody does it the way you do it yourself, it doesn’t mean that they do it wrong, or not good enough, it’s just not like your way!  No two chefs cook the same way! And as we all know it happens to too many talented chefs that lost control, had too many unhappy partners involved, or the bottom line profit just wasn’t there and finally had to close up shop.

Cafe Martorano Restaurants

36 years in Florida

During my 36 years in South Florida, I ventured into a few of my culinary enterprises! The first was Truffles Restaurant, then Martini’s Bistro-Bar, a family business, Pa D’s Gourmet Deli in Lauderdale, and a Greek Deli Take-out also in Lauderdale. I also got involved in partnerships at Hot Chocolates in Fort Lauderdale and a Theme Restaurant Concept Enterprise operating in Miami, Mexico, and Canada, and both of those ended up in disappointment, due to partnerships.

One can only be successful in the restaurant and food business if one possesses a passion for it, too many restaurants go out of business because the owner or the chef lacks the passion for it. I had some disappointing experiences with a couple of my partner-ventures, besides the lack of passion, there is also a certain amount of greed at play, and also just the wrong reasons for getting into the restaurant business in the first place, there is no way of making a quick buck by getting into this business, that can only be achieved through passion, hard work, sacrifices, and determination.

Stay safe and healthy!!  Ulrich Koepf

However, after privately acquiring one from a restaurant that was closing, I realized that it’s worth every penny!

Pacojet is basically a system concept

consisting of a technologically sophisticated machine and a variable number of chrome-seel containers or also called “beakers”. The user must process a deep freezer capable of temperatures below -20 degrees centigrade (about -4 degrees Fahrenheit) or colder in which the containers (beakers) must be frozen before they can be processed (pacotized) with the Pacojet machine.

Essentially, what Pacojet does is to purée (mousse) any food or combination of foods with which a beaker has been filled and which beaker was subsequently frozen to the required sub-zero processing temperature indicated above.

 The Beakers

Beakers must be left to freeze for at least 24 hours in a standard freezer before processing

A “beaker” produces up to 1.2 quarts of “mousse”. An electronic portion control lets you make as little at a time as you like, or process the entire beaker. Whatever remains in the beaker is untouched and stays deep-frozen, so that the processed portion is simply removed after which the partially used beaker can be returned to the freezer, ready for future use. One portion takes 20 seconds, a full beaker about 4 minutes.

You can make sorbets, icecream like you haven’t tasted yet! Smooth and silky, I couldn’t believe the first taste! You can also make vegetable mousses, patés, quenelle mixtures, soup concentrates, fine farces for terrines, the uses are unlimited! The best part of it is there is no waste whatsoever!

I am not getting a commission nor a kickback for mentioning this great gadget, I just feel when one comes across a good thing it’s worth spreading the word!

If you like to know more details about PACOJET, here is their website: Pacojet. co

Every region of the world seems to have one. I don’t know why they call them “Nr 1 in the World” when there are so many, according to many different associations, rating companies, and clubs.

There can only be one number one!? So, how about rating them from 1 to 100, however, rated by a reputable, worldwide, non-profit society, similar to the United Nations, for example, when it comes to global politics?

I feel it is unfair to the thousands of Chefs around the world who most probably are just as innovative, creative, and talented as those called number 1 by a “for-profit” society or association selling memberships, books, and rating directories.

Some of the greatest Chefs I have known and met such as Fredy Girardet (Swiss), and  Hans Stucky ✞ (Swiss, God bless his culinary soul) his restaurant is now run by Tanja Grandits a great Chef, Charlie Trotter ✞ (USA) The Haeberlin Brothers (France) Paul Bocuse ✞ (France) besides Bocuse I don’t think the other ones were called the best in the world, they were, however, ranked best in their country or region.

In Annecy, France, there is Jean Sulpice at the ” Auberge du Pere Bise” doing a fantastic job.

In South Florida, where I lived for 40 years, there are some amazing Chefs today, places like “Cafe Maxx” in Pompano Beach, where Chef Oliver has been at the helm for many years now, serving consistently great food.  There is Chef Kal  Abdalla at “A Fish Called Avalon” in Miami Beach. He was a protegé of mine back in the late ’70s, and he turns out some amazing dishes at this South Ocean Drive restaurant. 

Well, according to just a few of the world’s rating associations, here are some of their elected number ones! Which they do most probably well deserve, but let’s not forget the ones that are not so privileged to receive the exposure and credit they deserve, reasons for that could be many different ones, the owner of the establishment can not afford to pay for the subscriptions of certain magazines or publications, or maybe the owner doesn’t want to share the talent in the kitchen with the rest of the world, especially if the restaurant is already successfully packed every night, or it could also be that the chef doesn’t have the self-confidence, endurance or patience to reach the stars, you can’t be good on Monday and Tuesday and mediocre on Thursday and Friday, you have to be great and consistent seven days a week! “you are only as good as your last meal” in this business!

°from “World’s 50 Best Restaurants”

Mauro Colagreco Nr. 1 in the world’s best

Mauro Colagreco, number 1 in “World’s 50 Best”, cooks in the Kulm St. Moritz, Switzerland, during the winter. A pop-up deluxe! Mauro Colagreco takes over from «Mirazur» in Menton on the Côte d’Azur. His references: three stars from Michelin. 18 points from Gault-Millau France. And quite a title: The smart Argentine is number 1 in the prestigious list “World’s 50 Best!”.

www.kulm.com.     www.mirazur.fr

Fotos: Matteo Carassale, EduardoTorres, Gian Giovanoli, Lopez de Zubiria

°According to “Le Chef”, this is a compilation of the 100 best chefs in the world for 2019, naming Arnaud Donckele from the LA VAGUE D’OR Restaurant in Saint-Tropez as Nr 1.

°from The Best Chef Awards 2019, Top 10 chefs in the world:

 1. Björn Frantzén | Frantzén | Stockholm, Sweden

2. Joan Roca | El Celler de Can Roca | Girona, Spain

3. David Muñoz | DiverXo | Madrid, Spain

4. Grant Achatz | Alinea | Chicago, USA

5. Mateu Casañas, Oriol Castro and Eduard Xatruch | Disfrutar | Barcelona, Spain

6. Virgilio Martinez | Central | Lima, Peru

7. Mauro Colagreco | Mirazur | Menton, France

8. Rene Redzepi | Noma 2.0 | Copenhagen, Denmark

9. Vladimir Mukhin | White Rabbit | Moscow, Russia

 10. Jonnie Boer | De Librije | Zwolle, The Netherlands

from The International Congress of World Chefs:

Nr 1 is Thomas Keller, according to them, the most popular American chef

°from France’s Michelin Guide 2020:

• 1 Alain Ducasse – 19 Michelin Stars
• 2 Pierre Gagnaire – 14 Michelin Stars
• 3 Martin Berasategui – 12 Michelin Stars
• 4 Yannick Alleno – 10 Michelin Stars
• 5 Anne-Sophie Pic – 8 Michelin stars
• 6 Gordon Ramsay – 7 Michelin stars
• 7 Thomas Keller – 7 Michelin stars
• 8 Yoshihiro Murata – 7 Michelin stars
• 9 Seiji Yamamoto – 7 Michelin Stars
• 10 Andreas Caminada – 7 Michelin stars
• 11 Heston Blumenthal – 6 Michelin stars
• 12 Masahiro Yoshitake – 6 Michelin Stars
• 13 Heinz Beck – 5 Michelin stars
• 14 Jordi Cruz – 5 Michelin stars
• 15 Paco Perez – 5 Michelin stars
• 16 Quique Dacosta – 5 Michelin stars
• 17 Special Mention: Joël Robuchon – 31 Michelin stars Joël Robuchon, known as the ‘Chef of the Century,’ passed away on 6 August 2018. At the time, he was decorated with 28 stars, more than any other chef in the world. This French chef is known as the pioneer of the post-nouvelle cuisine era, and his relentless perfectionism has translated into a more authentic, timeless French cuisine.

Foto by Sun-Sentinel

Posted in the Sun-Sentinel Newspaper, Fort Lauderdale, Florida

You can read the write-up by clicking here, or on the picture!

The essentials in brief:
°Switzerland has a multifaceted bread tradition.
°Each region has its own specialties.
°There are also regional differences in bread supply in retail.
°Switzerland has a long and lively bread tradition.

The type of grain and the degree of grinding are decisive for taste and consistency.

In addition, individual ingredients give the bread the finishing touch. Everyone knows “burli” and snake bread from the school trip. But did you know that over 200 different types of bread come out of the oven in Swiss bakeries? You can find out here which of them are typically Swiss and how they achieve their respective tastes.

Diverse bread landscape

Whole grains, wholemeal, sourdough – there are countless types of bread on supermarket shelves. In order to discover the secrets of the individual bread, you have to know the differences. If the whole grain is used, it is whole grain bread. If, on the other hand, only the inside of the grain is used, there is white bread. Most traditional Swiss bread is somewhere in between and is made from semi-white or smoked flour. If you then still know whether the bread was made with yeast or sourdough and which additional ingredients are used, you better understand the characteristics of the bread type.

The Ticino bread – the classic

Ticino bread is a Swiss classic. White bread has a prestige problem in certain circles because it contains fewer minerals and vitamins than whole grains. However, not everyone uses nutrient tables to measure the value of food.

If the indicator of good food is the speed with which it disappears from the kitchen after shopping, then Ticino bread is a real superfood. It is usually made with the addition of sunflower or rapeseed oil, which ensures a soft, fine interior of the bread.

The Valais rye bread – the homely lover

Valais rye bread is a fine and healthy piece of tradition. As one of only 23 Swiss products, it carries the AOP label, Appellation d’Origine Protegée. This means that the product was made in a traditional way. In the region and with local raw materials.

The Valais rye bread consists of a mixture of wholemeal rye flour and wholemeal wheat flour, salt, and water. The rye flour makes up at least 90% of the flour used. The leavening agent used is not yeast, but sourdough. This loosens the dough and, thanks to its sourdough bacteria, makes the rye bread easier to digest and has a unique taste. Because rye flour makes a rather dense, heavy bread, Valais rye bread is usually cut into thin slices. It goes perfectly with sausage and cheese specialties. But it is also a real treat as a confectionary slice.

St. Gallen bread – the multifaceted one

St. Gallen bread is made from Ruchmehl. What is special about it is that the bread is made with pre-dough. This makes the bread taste unique because many flavors are formed while the pre-dough is left to rest for several hours. Bread with pre-dough also has the advantage that it stays fresh longer because the water in the dough is better bound.

This brings a lot of moisture into the dough. Ultimately, it is also more digestible because the enzymes in the pre-dough “pre-digest” many nutrients for us. The challenge for the baker at St. Gallen bread is its shape. It takes a skilled and experienced baker to get the bread shape with the characteristic nose and the front with a crack.

The office bread – the softie

The name Burebrot reminds you of a centuries-old tradition, but the recipe only dates back to the 1950s and was a targeted response to the glut of milk. The principle behind it is somewhat reminiscent of the history of the courgette cake: you take what you have and make something good out of it.

The butter plait – the Sunday joy

If you should protest now, yes, you are right. The butter braid is not a Swiss invention. But it is so defining for Sunday in Swiss households that it should not be missing from our list. Butter plaits are made with white flour or plait flour. Zopfmehl is white flour with the addition of spelled flour. This contains more elastic gluten than wheat flour. This makes the dough more elastic, which is why you can braid the different strands more easily. In addition to the butter, which gives it its name and flavor, it contains milk, which makes the dough pliable. Depending on the recipe and region, the dough can also contain egg for a finer bread inside.

In Switzerland, there are traditionally regional differences in the shape of the butter plait. In Bern, it is baked rather broadly and shorter, while the shape in Eastern Switzerland is longer and thinner braided. In central Switzerland, it is traditionally baked wide and flat.

Fresh & handmade – regional bread specialties at Migros

Anyone who travels a lot knows and appreciates the phenomenon: even in the branches of larger chain stores, the range varies from region to region. Suddenly you find “Torta al Testo” in the supermarket in Assisi or the famous “Biscuits Roses” in Reims.

Migros, the Swiss Supermarket chain, has always been concerned about local bread offers. Over 200 different types of bread are available throughout Switzerland. The national range is supplemented with regional specialties (“From the region. For the region”). There are also major regional differences in the range of the “Frisch & Handmade” brand.

Only one thing is the same for all 130 branches with their own in-house bakery: The bread is made from A to Z on-site. Only with the best ingredients and under the expert hands of local bakers. For maximum enjoyment of bread with regional flair.

Wer viel reist, kennt und schätzt das Phänomen: Auch in Filialen von grösseren Ladenketten ist das Sortiment regional unterschiedlich. Plötzlich findet man im Supermarkt in Assisi «Torta al testo» oder in Reims die berühmten «Biscuits Roses».

Nur eins ist bei allen 130 Filialen mit eigener Hausbäckerei gleich: Die Brote werden von A-Z vor Ort hergestellt. Nur mit den besten Zutaten und unter den fachkundigen Händen lokaler Bäcker. Für höchsten Brotgenuss mit regionalem Flair