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By Chef Albrich, on April 27th, 2011 SPECK, WHAT EXACTLY IS IT?
 Speck is a delicacy. It is a cold smoked deli meat made from pork. It is similar to the Italian “prosciutto,” but much less salty and smoked. It can be eaten sliced, made into sandwiches, to top a salad, with pastas, risotto, potatoes, omelets, quiche, and just about anywhere you would use ham. It is sliced very thin. Speck is typical of the Tyrol region in Europe, where I come from, a mountainous area of the Alps which is part in northern Italy and part in western Austria [South Tyrol and North Tyrol].
HOW IS SPECK MADE?
It takes months to make a batch of Speck. It requires a lengthy process to be done properly and naturally. To start with, I order the meat to my specifications. I use only top grade meats. Once the meats arrive I season them and cure them for a couple of weeks with a very old Austrian family recipe handed down from generation to generation in my family. I use sea salt which is much healthier. Then, I slowly cold smoke the meats for several weeks over hickory or pine wood in the Blue Ridge Mountains area. Once they are ready, I hang them to dry for several more weeks. This process is very time consuming, but it assures you get the best quality Speck possible.
Although I use a generations old recipe from Europe, I use leaner meats than are used in Tyrol; therefore my Speck is much healthier and contains much less fat, only 4% or less. I like to call it Speck Lite. It is made from the loin and I use no processed salt to season, only sea salt and other spices. Nothing artificial, no coloring and no additives. Until now, it has only been available imported, but now it is made right here. Made in USA, in the Blue Ridge Mountains, this mountain specialty deli meat is absolutely delicious!
By Chef Albrich, on April 17th, 2011 
Tasted wonderful things and have lots of new ideas!
A TRUE GEM IN THE AUSTRIAN ALPS! Naturhotel Waldklause in Laengenfeld, Tyrol.
This elegant, modern and exquisitely decorated hotel is made entirely of wood, glass and stone. With its excellent spa, vicinity to the AquaDome Thermal Spa, and very upscale cuisine, the Waldklause offers guests an amazing vacation choice. The delicious multi-course dinner experience we had there was the most wonderful meal and best presentation/plating we experienced anywhere in our trip. They have an excellent Sommelier [the owners’ son] that recommended great wines for our meal. There are many outdoor sports activities available such as skiing, hiking, rock climbing, rafting, golf, etc. If you want to pamper yourself and enjoy excellent cusine, check it out at www.waldklause.at. Tell Irene and Edmund Auer, the owners, that Chef Albrich sent you! I grew up just a few miles from this wonderful hotel.
By Chef Albrich, on June 4th, 2010 
Arts d’Vine - Friday June 4th!- An evening of art, wine and music. Stroll the streets of Kernersville’s Downtown and see businesses transformed into art galleries as they host a variety of Triad artists, musicians and wineries.
Participate NC Wineries
Allison Oaks Vineyards 221 East Main St, Yadkinville, NC 27055 336-677-1388
Biltmore Estate Winery 800-411-3812
Brandon Hills Vineyard 1927 Brandon Hills Road, Yadkinville, NC 336-463-WINE
Cellar 4201 4201 Apperson Road, East Bend, NC 27018 336-699-6030
Dennis Vineyards 24043 Endy Rd, Albermarle, NC 28001 704-982-6090
Grove Winery 7360 Brooks Bridge Rd, Gibsonville, NC 27249 336-584-4060
Little River Vineyard & Winery 1907 NC 73 West, Mount Gilead, NC 27306 (910) 439-6783
Raffaldini Vineyards & Winery 450 Groce Road, Ronda, NC 28670 336-835-9463
Round Peak Vineyards 765 Round Peak Church Rd, Mt Airy, NC 27030 336-352-5595
Shadow Springs Vineyard 5543 Crater Rd, Hamptonville, NC 27020 336-468-5000
Stonefield Cellars 8220 Highway 68, North Stokesdale, NC 27357 336-644-9908
Stony Knoll Vineyards 1143 Stony Knoll Road, Dobson, NC 27017 336 374-5752
Thistle Meadow Winery 1102 Thistle Meadow, Laurel Springs, N.C. 28644 800-233-1505
Weathervane Winery 1452 Welcome-Arcadia Road, Welcome, NC 27374 336-793-3366
By Chef Albrich, on May 3rd, 2010  By Jacob Katel
Anybody can take great food pics!
Most people don’t have expensive cameras with detachable lenses, filters, reflectors, and light kits.
You don’t need any of that stuff to take great photos.
With food photography booming as it is on the internet these days and cooking culture being so popular, we thought we’d share some tips to help the average shooter with an average camera take great food photos.
Here are ten steps that will improve your food pics.
All of the following examples were shot with a regular $200-or-less point-and-shoot camera on almost fully automatic settings with limited image optimization…
More….
By Chef Albrich, on November 22nd, 2009 Serving Food Properly – An Often Misunderstood Practice
Most people in the US think that all food should be served from the left and removed from the right. This is a misconception and stems from the fact that long ago, all food was served in large trays and each guest was served individually tableside from this large tray. If you still do this, then yes, by all means, your guests should be served from the left. But if you are like most people today and have the plates presented to your guests with the food already on it, nicely displayed and decorated, then it should be served from the right, and it is incorrect to serve it from the left. Below is detail of when to serve from the left and when to serve from the right.
From the Left
In general, the diner is approached from the left for three purposes and three purposes only:
1. To present platters of food from which the waiter will serve or the
diner will help himself.
2. To place side dishes such as vegetables or dinner rolls
3. To clear the side dishes that were placed from the left.
The reason most often given for this is that most people are right handed. So, for example, when a waiter must use his right hand to serve from a platter, it is least intrusive if he stands to the left. This way, the platter can be held safely away from the guest as the waiter leans forward to reach his/her plate. And, in the case of placing side dishes, it makes most sense to put them to the side that is less in focus, leaving the right side free for the main dish.
From the Right
These days it is nearly universal practice, even in very formal circumstances, for food to arrive already arranged on the plate, rather than to be presented on a platter. Preplated food (except for side dishes), as well as empty plates and clean utensils brought in preparation for upcoming courses, are always placed from the guest’s right side. At the end of the course, these plates are also cleared from the right.
Wine and all other beverages are presented and poured from the right. This is a logical, since glasses are placed above and to the right of the guest’s plate, and trying to pour from the left would force the server to reach in front of the guest.
By Chef Albrich, on November 19th, 2009 Prepared an intimate surprise ”Dinner for Two” tonight.
Here is the menu:
Spicy Tuna Roll with Avocado on Top and Wasabi and Papaya-Mango Sauces
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Pumpkin Bisque with Fresh Tarragon
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Mixed Organic Greens With Soy Nuts & Aged Balsamic Vinaigrette
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Wild Salmon & Wild Cod with Mixed Spicy Peppers, Snow Peas & Soy Beans with a Fresh Herbs Sauce
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Signature Tiramisu
By Chef Albrich, on November 8th, 2009 
There is general agreement among etiquette experts and writers of etiquette manuals that far too many people are not sure they can choose the proper flatware for the appropriate course of the meal. As all published text tells you, use the outermost flatware as necessary, one set for each course, and you will not make a mistake unless the table has been improperly set to start with.
For a formal place setting, you will receive exactly the flatware you will need, arranged in the correct order. Good etiquette requires you to assume that the host has correctly designated each piece of flatware to its task. As each course is finished, the corresponding flatware (used and unused) will be removed with the dish, leaving you ready for the next course to arrive. If the meal is to have more than three or four courses, common sense and aesthetics tell you not to place a slew of forks and knives at the sides of the charger/service plate, so on these occasions the proper new flatware will be brought to you with each course after all of the original settings have been used.
Read more……
By Chef Albrich, on November 5th, 2009 Providing private dinner parties, business parties, outdoor events, weddings, and multi-day rallies.
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Speck is a delicacy. It is a cold smoked deli meat made from pork. It is similar to the Italian “prosciutto,” but much less salty and smoked. It can be eaten sliced, made into sandwiches, to top a salad, with pastas, risotto, potatoes, omelets, quiche, and just about anywhere you would use ham. It is sliced very thin. Speck is typical of the Tyrol region in Europe, where I come from, a mountainous area of the Alps which is part in northern Italy and part in western Austria [South Tyrol and North Tyrol].
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