Steak Diane is a pretty rich sauce, so there’s no need to waste money on a high dollar thick-cut steak or perfect A5 wagyu. But you also can’t go bargain basement because the tough chew isn’t going to go well with that sauce. It meshes best with a tender and slightly thicker cut of meat. My best bet is a middle of the road average priced ribeye or NY strip, or a nicer sirloin.
To flatten or not to flatten
Steak Diane was originally prepared tableside, so the traditional preparation required tenderizing the steak to flatten it. Flattening the steak allowed the waiter or chef to cook the steak to the desired doneness (which was almost always medium or higher back then) quickly and without an oven.

Just for fun, I tried flattening the steak, though with a rolling pin, since we don’t own a meat hammer. The end result was a steak that wasn’t all that much more tender and way less satisfying to eat. I think our modern palate is too used to thicker steaks to appreciate 1/4″ thick cuts of beef these days. I don’t think flattening is a good idea.

Use a mixer or knead by hand, it’s up to you
mini pretzels are cute and you can eat more than one!
brush/dip the hot pretzels in melted butter for that Auntie Anne’s finish
always reheat your pretzels before eating for the ultimate pretzel experience: 5 minute in a 350° oven
you can freeze them, just toast them in 350° oven for 10-15 min or until heated through
make some beer cheese for dipping
try some other toppings other than salt: everything bagel spice, poppy seeds, sesame seeds, even cinnamon sugar
melt some cheese on top for a cheesy pretzel
I hope you guys make these! It’s my absolute favorite German pretzel recipe and reminds me of all the pretzels I ate while we were in Berlin a couple of years ago. Super traditional with just the right amount of pretzel-y flavor, soft and pillowy in some parts and denser and chewier in others. They’re the perfect combination of soft, chewy, and crisp.
Punch down to deflate and cut into 8 equal portions. Roll out each portion one at a time into into 12-16 inch long ropes by rolling with light pressure against the work surface with your palms from the center outwards. Keep the center thicker than the ends.
Go back to the first rope of dough and continue to roll each log out into 24-28 inch ropes.
Form the pretzels: position the rope into a U with the ends pointing away from you. Cross the ends over twice starting about three inches from the tips, then bring the ends down towards yourself and press into the U at 4 and 8 o’clock. Place the pretzels on the baking sheet about 1 inch apart, as you form them.

4-6 potatoes Yukon Gold or similar preferred
1/4 neutral oil high heat such as grapeseed or safflower oil
1 bunch green onions sliced
flaky sea salt

Instructions
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Peel the potatoes and cut into even 2-inch pieces. Rinse the potatoes and place in a large pot just covered with cold water. Salt the water and bring to a boil. When at a boil, turn down the heat to a gentle boil and cook for 7-8 minutes until the potatoes are par cooked. Drain in a colander and shake to roughen up the edges. The potatoes will look fluffy.
Can I make these in an air fryer?
As much as I love the air fryer, I say no. Technically you can, but the ultra crispiness of these potatoes comes from the fact that they have full, flush contact against a hot pan. The nature of air fryers is air circulation so their inserts are baskets with holes in them. That being said, you can air fry these, they just won’t be quite the same!

How to store
Roasted potatoes will keep in the fridge in an air tight container for up to one week.

To reheat
To heat up, place potatoes in an oven safe dish at 350°F for 10 minutes or until warmed through.

What to serve with roasted potatoes
ham because potatoes and pork are best friends
stuffing because who doesn’t love carbs on carbs
salad for health

‘1 Preheat oven to 350˚F.

2 Cook the pot pie base: Add the butter to a large skillet over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, add onions, carrots, and celery. Cook for 3-4 minutes until the vegetables start to soften. Stir in chopped turkey and season with the salt and pepper.
3 Make the gravy: Add flour to the filling and stir until the mixture is smooth. Cook for a minute or two to cook out the flour taste. Then slowly whisk in the stock to form a light gravy. If the gravy seems too thick, add more stock or water by the 1/4 cup.
4 Add peas and thyme: When gravy is done, add peas and fresh thyme and remove from heat.

5 Fill the ramekins: Divide the pot pie filling between ramekins. Fill ramekins up about 3/4 of the way full to prevent overflowing. (You can use any size or shape of ramekin. Round works best, but oblong is okay as well and you get more crust with that shape.)
6 Cover with pie crust and brush with egg wash: Cover ramekins with a top piece of pie crust, either store-bought or homemade. Crimp the edges well and poke a few holes in the center of the pie crust to let steam escape. Brush with egg wash.

MAKING IN ADVANCE AND REHEATING
Baked potatoes can be made well in advance, and they store magnificently in the fridge for up to a week.

While you can reheat them in the microwave in a pinch, reheating in the oven will give you a better texture on the skin, which I like. I reheat mine on a baking sheet at 350˚F for about 20 minutes, until they are just warmed through.

Blanch the broccoli: While the potatoes bake, cook your broccoli. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add a big pinch of salt to the water to season it. Add broccoli to the water and boil for 3 minutes until the broccoli is just tender, but not mushy at all.

Bake for 13 to 17 minutes, until the eggs are puffed and appear cooked, and the center of the frittatas jiggle just a bit when you give the pan a gentle shimmy (this happens quickly so keep an eye on them; my pan with only 6 muffins finished sooner). Remove the pans from the oven and place them on a cooling rack to cool. Garnish with herbs, and serve.

4-6 potatoes Yukon Gold or similar preferred
1/4 neutral oil high heat such as grapeseed or safflower oil
1 bunch green onions sliced
flaky sea salt

Instructions
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Peel the potatoes and cut into even 2-inch pieces. Rinse the potatoes and place in a large pot just covered with cold water. Salt the water and bring to a boil. When at a boil, turn down the heat to a gentle boil and cook for 7-8 minutes until the potatoes are par cooked. Drain in a colander and shake to roughen up the edges. The potatoes will look fluffy.
Can I make these in an air fryer?
As much as I love the air fryer, I say no. Technically you can, but the ultra crispiness of these potatoes comes from the fact that they have full, flush contact against a hot pan. The nature of air fryers is air circulation so their inserts are baskets with holes in them. That being said, you can air fry these, they just won’t be quite the same!

How to store
Roasted potatoes will keep in the fridge in an air tight container for up to one week.

To reheat
To heat up, place potatoes in an oven safe dish at 350°F for 10 minutes or until warmed through.

What to serve with roasted potatoes
ham because potatoes and pork are best friends
stuffing because who doesn’t love carbs on carbs
salad for health

Use a mixer or knead by hand, it’s up to you.
Mini pretzels are cute and you can eat more than one!
brush/dip the hot pretzels in melted butter for that Auntie Anne’s finish
always reheat your pretzels before eating for the ultimate pretzel experience: 5 minute in a 350° oven
you can freeze them, just toast them in 350° oven for 10-15 min or until heated through
make some beer cheese for dipping
try some other toppings other than salt: everything bagel spice, poppy seeds, sesame seeds, even cinnamon sugar
melt some cheese on top for a cheesy pretzel
I hope you guys make these! It’s my absolute favorite German pretzel recipe and reminds me of all the pretzels I ate while we were in Berlin a couple of years ago. Super traditional with just the right amount of pretzel-y flavor, soft and pillowy in some parts and denser and chewier in others. They’re the perfect combination of soft, chewy, and crisp.
Punch down to deflate and cut into 8 equal portions. Roll out each portion one at a time into into 12-16 inch long ropes by rolling with light pressure against the work surface with your palms from the center outwards. Keep the center thicker than the ends.
Go back to the first rope of dough and continue to roll each log out into 24-28 inch ropes.
Form the pretzels: position the rope into a U with the ends pointing away from you. Cross the ends over twice starting about three inches from the tips, then bring the ends down towards yourself and press into the U at 4 and 8 o’clock. Place the pretzels on the baking sheet about 1 inch apart, as you form them.

Steak Diane is a pretty rich sauce, so there’s no need to waste money on a high dollar thick-cut steak or perfect A5 wagyu. But you also can’t go bargain basement because the tough chew isn’t going to go well with that sauce. It meshes best with a tender and slightly thicker cut of meat. My best bet is a middle of the road average priced ribeye or NY strip, or a nicer sirloin.
To flatten or not to flatten
Steak Diane was originally prepared tableside, so the traditional preparation required tenderizing the steak to flatten it. Flattening the steak allowed the waiter or chef to cook the steak to the desired doneness (which was almost always medium or higher back then) quickly and without an oven.

Just for fun, I tried flattening the steak, though with a rolling pin, since we don’t own a meat hammer. The end result was a steak that wasn’t all that much more tender and way less satisfying to eat. I think our modern palate is too used to thicker steaks to appreciate 1/4″ thick cuts of beef these days. I don’t think flattening is a good idea.

Traditional pretzels are dipped in a lye solution to help their skin firm up and give them their pretzel flavor, but since lye is almost impossible to get, the next best thing is baking soda that you bake. Baking baking soda in a low oven changes the alkaline levels, will makes it possible to get a much better dark, burnished pretzel-y crust.

To bake baking soda: spread out 1/4 cup baking soda on a rimmed baking sheet lined with foil. Bake the baking soda for 1 hour in a 250°F oven. Let it cool completely before using. Use gloves when handling the baked baking soda.

Do I have to do the baking soda bath?
If the baking soda bath step makes you nervous, you can skip it and just brush your pretzels with a baking soda wash. The baking soda bath will be even better if you used the baked baking soda mentioned above. The pretzels won’t taste as “pretzel-y” but they will still be good.

To make the baking soda wash: mix together 1/4 cup warm water with 1 teaspoon baked baking soda – it will foam up. Stir until dissolved. Throughly brush the pretzels with the soda wash, twice, then let dry slightly. Brush on the egg yolk wash, sprinkle on the salt, and bake.

Kohlrabi in the oven

Kohlrabi sometimes sold as “kohlrabi”, a vegetable between cabbage and turnip. The skins can be light green or aubergine purple, but the inside of both species is close to white. As for its texture, it is juicy and crispy. Eating raw is perfect for slicing and adding to salads. However, when it is cooked, its slightly peppery flavor becomes more visible. Chop into french fries for a pleasant snack. Mix it with olive oil, a tablespoon of starch, finely chopped garlic, ground pepper and salt. Bake for 40 minutes in the oven. A healthy alternative to fried potatoes. Thanks to the starch, it looks like fried in oil, not in the oven.

Kale chips

Collard greens, which include vegetables such as cabbage, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, and cauliflower, develop in winter. It has dark green leaves and is sold in bunches on top of each other. Sometimes it is possible to come across the curly, serrated, purple leafy leaf called “kale” in English. When the leaves of black cabbage are cooked, they do not let go like spinach, they stay alive. It is also very enjoyable to sauce it a little and eat its raw salad. For the thinly baked kale chips, mix the small leaves with olive oil and salt. Arrange them on a baking tray side by side and sprinkle them with grated cheddar cheese or smoked pepper if you wish. Bake in the oven for 5-7 minutes.