"schnitzel" news and stories

What's your first thought when you hear "Vienna?" Freud? Mozart? If you belted out "schnitzel" before either the superego or "Don Giovanni" came to mind, you've come to the right place. And we're here to tell you that the classic Austrian dish doesn't have to be made according to the traditional Wiener schnitzel formula of veal plus breading plus a whole lot of butter for frying.

A couple of schnitzel-loving cooks offer alternatives using chicken. In Melissa Clark's recipe for the New York Times (shown here in a photo by Andrew Scrivani), the chicken cutlets are pounded to a thickness of one-eighth inch before she coats them in herbed breadcrumbs and fries them in olive oil, for a moist, crisp dish. "Skinny Chef" Jennifer Iserloh offers up a healthy recipe using whole-wheat breadcrumbs, fewer whole eggs, and more egg whites, along with less oil for frying. And if you need to put more Vienna in your schnitzel, just crank up the "Così fan tutte" during dinner. You won't be disappointed.

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• Zut alors! Scientists in France have determined that the mistress of King Henry II, Diane de Poitiers, died due to overconsumption of drinkable gold, which was considered a youth preservative back in the day.
• The Antarctic hut used by Captain Robert Scott as his expedition base has released a surprising find, nearly 100 years after the explorer's death: a block of butter.
• A self-service restaurant in Germany is offering the ultimate snack for the big spender in a hurry: a gold-covered, fried schnitzel costing $219.
• The 3,500 cookbooks in Gourmet magazine's library are becoming a part of the culinary collection at the Fales Library of New York University, one of the most extensive collections of culinary works in the country.
• Now on the menu at Denny's: foie gras. But you'll have to fly to Tokyo to try the delicacy at the late-night restaurant. Denny's Japan is serving up Rossini-style beef filet and fois gras.

Photo: Nate Steiner, Flickr.

• With massive amounts of salt and a strong coffee habit, do Mayor Bloomberg's eating habits betray his city policies?
• Fadi Jaber, his switch to baking and culinary management, and bringing trendy American cupcakes to the Middle East.
• The Minimalist makes a soba noodle salad.
• China is threatening to stop importing U.S. chickens -- but can they live without the chicken feet?
• Recipe Wikis have a lot of back-and-forth and battles over what's best, but will it all result in better recipes?
  
• The "geeky" and "unusual" French Jura wines rise in popularity as their food versatility finds a niche audience.
• Wedding receptions don't just serve up bars full of booze -- signature drinks are all the rage.
• Make a good dish and they'll want it forever -- the aggravation of having to stick to a menu.
• A Good Appetite mixes up ingredients on-hand to make Coconut Pilaf with Chicken.
• Has Le Fooding's rapid growth caused its classic gathering to stray from its ideals?
• The new management at Tavern on the Green may be staring down one nasty labor fight after insulting workers with their recent work proposal.
• British TV chef Keith Floyd passes away at the age of 65.
• South Korea's first lady Kim Yoon-ok's culinary diplomacy helps bring Korean food to the world stage.
• Restaurants: Hotel Griffou's celeb-alluring ways and rude service; the Schnitzel & Things truck has mastered the art of deep-frying.
• Food Stuff finds sophisticated vegan food, ficoïde glaciale's citrusy tang and bacon peanut brittle.
• New York's openings and closings and dining calendar.
  

Photo: Jennifer Iserloh.

I'm not sure how this myth got started -- I used to believe it too, before I met my husband, who grew up in Germany. Every time I tell someone I'm making schnitzel for dinner, they talk about hot dog buns and sauerkraut. Then they try to convince me that I really meant sausage and they will go as far as to ambush random passersby to help corroborate their story.

In truth, the word schnitzel comes from the German term "schneiden" which means to cut, so schnitzel means cutlet. Thus, Wiener Schnitzel is not a cut-up hot dog, but rather a "cutlet from Vienna or Wien." See how I make it after the jump.

• A Los Angeles food club has been meeting monthly for a whopping 45 years.
• An ode to the breaded goodness of pork schnitzel, plus tons of good cooking tips.
• Lost Coast Brewing adds to its proliferation of fruity brews with a Tangerine Wheat Beer, a beverage primed to be "a charming outdoor sipper."
• The delicious aspects of Chinese Hunan cooking and a positive review of Xiang Wei Lou, a "plain but spiffy café" in San Gabriel, Calif.
• This year's Anatolian Cultures & Food Festival boasted amazing, sticky dondurma ice cream, full-scale structural reproductions and even a Turkish quesadilla.
• Writer Dan Neil weighs in on Carl's Jr.'s sexy Padma Lakshmi commercial and the politics of mixing sex and fast food.
• 2006 Terra de Verema Triumvirat -- a "beautifully balanced" $30 wine that the critic says could sell for twice as much.
  
• A brief review for Costa Mesa's Pizzeria Ortica, which offers unusual fare like house-cured yellowtail and milk-braised Kurobuta pork short ribs ... plus a more detailed review by critic Irene Virbila.
• Recipes: Pork Schnitzel, German Potato Salad, Julienne's Graham Cracker Chewy Bars