October 31, 2012 · Filed under Uncategorized · Tagged American, Aventinus, Bar B Que, Barbeque, BBQ, Beer, Bier, Cabbage, Cafe, Chef, Coleslaw, Crisp, Crunchy, culinary, Delicious, different, Fall, FL, Florida, Food, Fresh, German, Girl, Hollerbach, Homemade, Magnolia, Market, Pork, Pulled Pork, Sanford, Schweine, Smoked, Special, Square, Summer, Tree, unique, Willow, Winter
The market has been open for over a year and a half now. In that time we have been learning as we go. With conversations and over feedback from our guests we are always striving to improve ourselves& exceed expectations. When we have a guest looking for a specific item they enjoyed back home in Germany, the conversation is usually followed by a call or email to our distributors & their importers. One thing that many of our guests have asked for is something hot to add to our sandwich menu. We have finally figured out a way to make this request a reality.
This week we introduced our new weekly hot special, and what a great week to start! Our usually hot & humid Florida day’s suddenly turned chilly. When everyone else was pulling out their coats & sweaters, Chef Josh wheeled out his smoker. Using our whole pork loins he set to work. Once the pork was perfectly smoked he made an Aventinus BBQ from one of our popular German beers.
The pulled pork was so different in the most unique and wonderful way. Every bite was tender & juicy, falling apart with the unmistakable smoky flavor beneath the BBQ. The sauce picks up and carries the flavor profile of the Aventinus beer used in its creation. It shared the rich wheaty, taste of the dopple bock.
I’m not a big fan of coleslaw’s. I usually end up with the kind that is drowned in mayo and sits in the pit of my stomach, or so soggy it should be described as a soup. However I’ve learned from experience that Chef Josh…knows what he’s doing. So while I was little apprehensive at first I figured as always I’d be pleasantly surprised by his recipe.
It is almost sweet, not tangy at all. The shredded cabbage & carrots were all crisp & crunchy. It was covered with just enough sauce to flavor the bite. What I really liked was that it felt light & fresh, not heavy.
On their own the BBQ Pulled Pork & coleslaw were the perfect way to sit back and re-live summer cookouts just one last time before the winter sets in. However when Chef Josh was planning this out in his head he had a totally different idea in mind. The pulled pork goes on the sandwich WITH the coleslaw & a few slices of dill pickle. I can only imagine the look of horror on my face, but after a little while I remembered that when it comes to all things culinary Josh won’t let me down. So I sat down at my desk with a Schweine-Q and dove in before I could psych myself out of it. As usually I was glad I tried something new. The heavier smoked taste of the hot pulled pork mixed very well with the cool light flavors of crisp coleslaw. Soft bread and small bite of the pickle rounded out the taste.
If you don’t think you’re ready to be tough like me and mix BBQ & coleslaw you can always enjoying the other way with coleslaw as a side dish. While we are running this special both the Coleslaw & BBQ are available for purchase by the pound.
October 15, 2012 · Filed under Uncategorized · Tagged American, American Girl in a German Deli, Bende, Cafe, Cole Slaw, Crunchy, Deli, Delicious, Florida, German, Girl, Hollerbach, Hot, Hungarian, Hungary, Kimchi, Magnolia, Market, Mixed, Peppers, Salad, Sandwich, Sanford, Spicy, Square, Tangy, Tree, Vinegar, Willow
Today I wanted to try one of several jarred items that always seem to catch my eye and draw me in. We have a few BENDE products and they all look very appetizing, for today I chose the Hot Mixed Salad. Looking at it through the glass I am imagining it will taste like a spicy cole slaw.
Theo described this to me as being the Hungarian version of Kimchi.
Reading over the label is a habit I’ve gotten into lately, this is how I discovered that this is a product of Hungary (also a ½ cup serving is only 20 calories!)
Popping the jar open at my desk I was pleasantly overwhelmed by the aroma of vinegar & sweet pickles. Spooning out the contents for pictures I noticed that the cuts and slices of pickles, cabbage, onions, peppers and green tomatoes were not evenly cut…a strange thing to notice but I’ve worked in the kitchen and know the difference between veggies that were cut by hand & the ones that were put through a slicer or processor. The overall look was that of a handmade salad.
The first bite was a small adventure, with a light taste of vinegar, followed by flavors of pickle, and then the heat. I enjoy spicy foods so for me the fire was a bit of a surprise but not overwhelming. The texture was just as I had expected, similar to cole slaw. The heat stayed with me for several minutes afterwards making my mouth all tingly.
Sydney was walking by and was curious enough to try a bite. We brainstormed for a minute about how it would taste great as a sandwich. I handed over the jar and she disappeared into the kitchen to see just what would be great with a mixed salad.
Upon her return a few moments later she described what she had done. Using one of our fresh brotchen as a bun she melted a slice of Munster cheese over some Ziguener Turkey. A light spread of mayo on the bun and a spoon full of the heated hot mixed salad. Sydney said that it gave the meat a nice sweet flavor when cooked but the spicy bite was milder afterwards. I packed more of the salad on to my half, making the sandwich a fun mix of hot and cold. The gooey melted Munster was fantastic with the crunch of the cool mixed salad. All together it tamped down the spiciness from a pronounced taste to a more of an accenting flavor.
Overall it is delicious; I ended up finishing the remainder. I’m now looking forward to the next few hours to enjoy the left over heat that I can still taste.
This week we introduced our new weekly hot special, and what a great week to start! Our usually hot & humid Florida day’s suddenly turned chilly. When everyone else was pulling out their coats & sweaters, Chef Josh wheeled out his smoker. Using our whole pork loins he set to work. Once the pork was perfectly smoked he made an Aventinus BBQ from one of our popular German beers.
Magnolia Square Market
Willow Tree Cafe
An American Girl in a German Deli 