Nowadays my focus is no longer on gaining
market share. Nor is it about driving sales by
staging a two day sale. Now my quandary is
what to serve for dinner. Frankly, satisfying
my husband's appetite on a daily basis offers
up a plethora of challenges. Weighing through
availability, budget, time and effort are hard
enough. However keeping things appetizing
is of utmost importance. And while I myself
am the ultimate creature of comfort food, the
last thing even I want is a repeat performance
on a regular basis. Hence my struggle with
dishing it out can at times be all consuming.
Fortunately most of us had a mom who faced
comparable demons. And while mine was not
the greatest of cooks, I still find inspiration in
some of her menu choices. If the weather was
too hot to cook, Mom hit the local delicatessen.
Returning with a tasty meal that was if nothing
else - no sweat. Along with the requisite potato
salad, cole slaw, and three bean salad came the
star of the meal - a big, juicy knockwurst. All
that was required to prepare this obese cousin
of the hot dog was a pot of boiling water. Thus
within minutes, a "hot" dinner was on the table
and ready to eat! For better and... wurst!
When we lived in Columbus, Ohio - one of
my favorite places was Schmidt's Sausage
Haus. Not only did they serve up the largest
cream puffs known to man, they always had
a sausage buffet ready and waiting. Sausage
is most certainly a quick fix. However some
consider it not the healthiest of choices. And
that's where the latest in new meat substitutes
comes in. Last night we dined on "Beyond
Meat" bratwurst. Created from all sorts of
green goodies, once grilled or pan fried they
look and taste just like meat. Honestly you
can't tell the difference. Vegetarian anybody?
Fortunately Frank still loves nothing more than
nibbling on my sausage. Hence one of his more
favorite dinners features kielbasa. Fast and easy,
I simply heat it up in a covered casserole atop a
layer of drained sauerkraut with peeled potatoes
and carrots. However if you're like me, you end
up with a bunch of kraut for leftovers. Which
inevitably ends up in the trash post a week of
limbo in the fridge. My solution is kraut soup!
Simply sauté some chopped onions in olive oil
until transparent. Add the leftover carrots, taters,
kraut, and sliced kielbasa. Cover with chicken
stock, heat, and serve! It's easy and delicious!
Finally, if we must be tubular them a tube
steak must be on the menu. Over the years
I've devoured my share of hot dogs. From
Windy City types to Manhattan Sabretts.
However you choose to put on top your
wiener is none of my business. However
I do know the secret to best way to handle
a wurst. Simply "butterfly" and sauté in
butter. Trust me, you won't be sorry. Or if
you prefer a more balanced meal, slice a
few up into Kraft macaroni and cheese with
some peas. Not only colorful, it's three food
groups in one pot! So when you can't decide
what to cook... it could or should be wurst!
