October 5, 2012 |
Cooks County's Oktoberfest: Each Monday in October, Cooks County offers traditional German dishes paired with a featured beer or wine. On Oct. 8, Schnitzel Time! : rye pretzels with mustard, wiener schnitzel, potato salad, Stiegl Gold beer. On Oct. 15, Oktoberfest, Bavarian Style! : big Bavarian pretzel, house-made weisswurst and apfelspaetzle, Allagash Curieux beer. On Oct. 22, Pot Roast, the Germany Way! : buttery pretzels, sauerbraten with roasted root vegetables, Chouffe beer.
June 19, 2012 |
In the land of sushi, ramen and tempura, pretzel sales apparently do gangbusters. After launching its first Asian outpost in Japan, Pasadena-based Wetzel's Pretzels said the store has become its top-selling location worldwide. Photos show snaking lines at the Ario Kameari Mall in Tokyo, with customers carting away armfuls of pretzels. Now the chain is talking to potential franchisees in China, Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapore and other Asian nations. The company plans to open 10 more locations in Japan over the next two years.
April 21, 2012 |
" Grammel schmalz ," says our waiter, setting down a small bowl of pristine whipped white pork fat sprinkled with bits of pork crackling. I lift up the napkin wrapped around the bread and pull out a glossy brown braided pretzel. Breaking off a piece, I spread the bread with the lard. I take a bite and the warm, comforting taste of pure pig fat floods my mouth. This is, it turns out, the first of many pleasures at BierBeisl, a modern Austrian restaurant in Beverly Hills, Southern California's first, from Patina alum Bernhard Mairinger, who grew up near Salzburg.
January 5, 2012
Sometimes the old ways really are the best. When Test Kitchen manager Noelle Carter took a shot at perfecting pretzels, she tried every kind of "wash" in the book — egg whites, whole eggs, baking soda and more. But in the end, she found that the traditional dunking of pretzel dough in a bath made of lye and water created a dark color, a crisp, chewy texture, and deep flavor that none of the others could approach. Be sure to use food-grade lye, which can be ordered online at Essential Depot (www.essentialdepot.com)
October 20, 2011
Here is a comparison of some of the different washes that can be used for pretzels: Lye: This is the classic pretzel wash that creates a rich brown sheen with thin crust. To make enough wash for one batch of pretzels, dissolve 1 ounce (about 2 tablespoons) food-grade lye in 1 quart of warm water (add the lye to the water, not the other way around). Wear gloves and goggles while using this wash; lye is caustic and can burn if it comes into contact with your skin or eyes. Place the wash in a shallow glass baking dish and dip the pretzels for about 10 seconds on each side to coat.
October 20, 2011
While you could probably top a pretzel with almost anything, there are certain toppings and combinations that work best. Coarse salt is always a favorite. You can find "pretzel salt" at many cooking and baking supply stores, as well as select gourmet markets. Substitute another coarse salt if you can't locate it, but stay away from fine table salt — the fine grain can melt into the pretzel as it bakes, and you won't get the same wonderful "crunch" you get with coarse salt. You can also try one or a combination of seeds, such as sunflower, pumpkin, poppy and sesame.