Burgers and Burgundy

Oh what a weekend I had!
But before you get to hear about that delightful deliciousness, I have to fill you in on my trip to Boston last week. 

So I’ve got some pretty awesome parents. 

The second my mom found out I had a business trip to Boston last week, she immediately booked a ticket to come join me.  While I’d love to think it was solely because she can’t bear the moments without me, I think my lovely room at the Four Seasons might have had something to do with it.  Oh how us Gallun gals love our luxury hotels.  (Note: I am using my mother’s maiden name here; my dad’s side of the family (the Kriegs) has chosen to prioritize other things in life – quality family time together, saving, giving back to those in need.  To each his own.)

   

 1, 2, 3

Then at the last minute, my dad decided he would join us as well.  He had a very important family meeting in the city on Wednesday morning and my brother’s Williams College football game at Wesleyan on Saturday morning.  By hitching a spot in our room, he could bridge the time and save the pennies from an expensive flight back to Milwaukee.  I should note that my parents attend every single one of my brother’s Williams College football games, flying from Milwaukee to Boston (2.5+ hours) and then driving the 3+ hour journey from Boston to Williamstown (or to an away game location) every single weekend.  Like I said: pretty awesome parents.  (I hope you appreciate that Sam.  I only got attendance at every other field hockey game when I was in college.) 

Yes, this is my brother's current haircut.  Sam - I think your style last year (see top photo from 2010 Homecoming) had a leg up on this one.

Anyway, I was supposed to get in around 5pm Wednesday evening but due to some delays on the West Coast, my arrival time got pushed back to 7:30.  My parents wasted no time making themselves comfortable – checking into our gorgeous and luxurious room (did I mention how much I love five star hotels?) and then enjoying some drinks at the hotel bar – the Bristol Lounge.  When I arrived they were already a few beers in, on a first-name basis with the maitre-d, bartender, and sommelier (even though they don’t drink wine), and having a ball of a time.  Like I said: pretty awesome parents.  I quickly joined in on the fun ordering a glass of Malbec and filling them in on the latest.

The night was already bound to be a blast, but then we noticed it was a special evening at the Bristol Lounge: Burgers and Burgundy Wednesday.  Now I was born and raised an American so I LOVE a good, juicy, cheesy burger, but I also date a European so I have some serious respect and adoration for fine Burgundy reds.  In fact, my boyfriend and I have gone wine tasting in the Burgundy TWICE – more on that later.  To add to this already fantastic offering, the Bristol Burger is supposedly world-renowned, winning awards all over the place.  My dinner decision had been made.

My dad - while a burger lover – is also a beer lover, so he decided to stick with his pilsners and try one of the burgers a la carte.  The two of us each went for a different version – me the Montrachet with a side of mixed greens and him the Croque Madame with the house-made, white truffle fries.  I decided I’d try to be at least a little healthy by opting for the greens instead of those tortuously delicious truffled treats.  My mom went the totally heart-friendly route opting for a salad with chicken. 

When the dinners arrived, however, my mom and I wasted no time snitching a few of my dad’s heavenly fries (as noted previously – truffle can never not be good).  “Have as many as you want,” he told us generously, which we then of course took literally, chomping through his entire portion until they were completely gone.  Sorry Dad, but they were SO good!

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Now onto the burgers: I’ll admit it, like with most things in life, I had extremely high expectations.  I was expecting to be blown away.  The Four Seasons had been set up for failure.  But not only were my expectations met, they were exceeded, and by a long shot. 

The buttery, flaky bun had been toasted to perfection – a soft yet crunchy top and bottom blanket for the absolute treasure chest inside: a beyond divine hunk of prime ground beef oozing with succulent, juicy goodness topped with rich, creamy, silky goat cheese and flavor-filled, mouth-inspiring over dried tomatoes and roasted garlic.  Unreal.

 

1

I was in absolute heaven dining on this bellylicious beauty of a burger, but I held myself to only one half of its beastliness.  I also happen to have a serious sweet-tooth and wanted to save room for a final course. 

If you know me, you probably know that I pride myself in being the BEST dessert order-er there ever was.  Yep, that’s right.  I have NEVER made a poor dessert choice.  After having done my rounds on dessert menus around the globe (and even some above the globe – thank you Space Camp! – more on that another time), I have come up with a few quick heuristics to help you also dine in dessert ecstasy.

KK’s Dessert Ordering Rules of Thumb:

1. Never order the chocolate cake.  It’s always bound to disappoint.
2. Anything in the bread pudding, banana, or sticky toffee pudding family is guaranteed to be good.
3. Deep fried is hard to do bad.
4. In the event of emergency, the chocolate brownie sundae is a boring, but solid, back-up option.
   

While these are good things to keep in mind (and will likely steer you in the right direction most of the time), dessert ordering is really an art form that can only be mastered after years of hard-work, experience, dedication, and experimentation.   

Among Bristol’s choices were a Vanilla Bean Crème Brûlée, a Chocolate Devil's Food Tower Layered with Truffle Ganache, a Pineapple Coconut Financier with a Passion Fruit Reduction, a Dark Chocolate Praline Candy Bar with Cassis Chambord Coulis, and then finally their seasonal special: petite, spiced, maple-glazed, pumpkin donuts with maple pecan ice cream and a sword of chocolate almond brittle.  As soon as he said it, I knew Rule #3 was reigning supreme on this one. 

As would be expected given that I had made the decision, the donuts were decadently godly.  Words cannot even begin to do justice to their perfectly moist texture and lovely yet balanced pumpkin-y maple flavor.  My parents tried to thank me, but I told them there was no need: it was just another day at the office.  (For a coveted spot at my one-week seminar on the Art and Joy of Dessert Ordering, please inquire within.)

Now this was just the start of this fabulous two-day family affair, but since I’ve been told I will soon encounter a bad bout of writer’s block (thanks for the heads up Dickie Boy!), I’m trying to string these tales out as long as I can manage.  So tune back in tomorrow to hear about Thursday night’s hilarious and equally delicious dinner with my mom’s best friend and my middle-namesake: Claire. 

And then we'll get onto this past weekend.

xoxo

KK

A rockin' engagement tale

So not too long ago we went out for dinner with a very special friend of mine and her amazing fiance Jake.  She - being the fantastic foodie friend about whom I have blabbed previously - obviously had an amazing and eccentric restaurant recommendation for the four of us: Aziza - home to the most divine Moroccan food you've ever treated your mouth to.

  

Since Deb and Jake moved to the city last fall, I snatch up any time I can steal on their fully-booked social calendar. She's in law school and volunteers to help Iraqi refugees gain legal status on the side, he works at a top VC firm and trains for his plethora of Bay Area races before he heads into the office at 6am, and they each have several Rolodexes of friends in every city imaginable, so they've got their hands a tad bit full.

Some of their friends at the club where they first met

Back in late August, I made the horrible mistake of not pre-booking and confirming a coveted time slot on their agenda, so we lost touch for a brief few weeks.  I didn’t think too much of it at the time.  Of course I deeply missed their cheery and sidesplitting story-telling and Deb’s unreal, Cordon-Bleu-trained cooking, but they’re the kind of friends you can go without seeing for years and then see them and just pick right back up where you left off.  When we finally did make time to get together however (a foggy Monday evening since their weekends are often spent in Vegas, NYC, and sometimes Sao Paulo), I learned I had missed out on some pretty darn exciting and life-changing news – they were getting hitched!  Before they even finished the sentence, my mouth was off the races with questions eager to get the full scoop.

Oh my goodness!  How did he ask?  What did he have planned afterwards?  When’s the wedding?  Where are you two having it?  What will you wear?  What type of ceremony?

If you know Deborah and Jake, however, you’d know these were all foolish inquiries.  I should have known better.  Deb had once told me over a delicious glass of rose bubbly at Bin38, that they would in fact never be engaged.  I was told I would be at a big barbeque dressed in red checks and ketchup with a hot dog one hand and a beer in the other, and then suddenly the two of them would ascend from the stairs announcing that they’d just signed the papers in the back room.  No engagement.  No wedding.  Just husband and wife.
 

When they did tell us the story of the whole thing that night at Aziza, it was in true Deb and Jake style – their voices escalating rapidly as they each tried to out-speak the other racing to see who could get the real juicy details out first.  When out to dinner with the two of them, you never have to worry about having things to talk about – just one of them can fill the air with the most delicious stories you’ve ever heard told at a volume level that has gotten them kicked out of refined (and perhaps not-so-refined) establishments.     

The story of the engagement was anti-climactic to say to the least.  Apparently they had gone hiking eventually reaching a beautiful, but very large field filled with wild flowers.  Deb – who prides herself in never having run more than a few minutes at any one time – announces that she will sprint across the clearing to the other side in order to cut down on the time needed to cross it.  Jake humors her – letting her take off at as fast a rip as she can manage – but unsurprisingly she has collapsed within 38 seconds.  Her hair is tasseled, she’s sweaty, she can’t get a good breath in, and she has trouble lifting her arm to wave her man over, let alone call to him for help.  Jake decides this is the perfect time to pop the question.  “It was the only time I could get her to really shut up and let me say a few words,” he told us.

Hiking while in Jordan

So he asks, she says yes, and they’re happy.  But then what?  Well, that’s really all he had planned.  They found some quality chocolate chip ice cream sandwiches and enjoyed those with a bottle of bubbly.  Exhausted from all the excitement, they went home to watch Clifford ("a ridiculously stupid Martin short movie" - Deborah) before attempting to dine at an extravagant restaurant.  Being totally adverse to pretenious, over-priced fancy digs they immediately decided to ditch it and head to a brewery instead.  They had beers and burgers before heading back to their hotel room to watch Mrs. Doubtfire.  Super romantic.


To Jake’s credit, almost all of his time had been spent picking out The Ring.  Jake’s original plan was to go with something modest, tasteful, and elegant, but one night while grabbing a beer with a hot, single buddy of his he asked the friend what he thought of modest rocks on a married gal’s finger.  “Oh my god, dude.  Totally, totally love ‘em.  As soon as I see that tiny little thing on that finger, I know it’s going to be easy and I waste no time getting to work alluring them home with me.  TOTALLY LOVE hitting on girls with small rocks.”
 

The next day Jake scratched all his previous planning and went out to find the biggest rock he could afford.  And boy did he do good.

Deb and Jake’s engagement story wasn’t the kind you’d typically write a story about (unless you’re me of course), but it actually couldn’t have been more perfect for their lovely, eclectic, totally Deb-and-Jake relationship.  Nothing they do is by the book but it always ends up better than you could have possibly imagined.

While they aren’t officially hitched yet, they’re planning to do it Town Hall style any day now.  Every time I hear from Deb, I always have to ask if I’m speaking with a Miss or a Mrs.  Anyway, I promise to keep you posted on their marital status as this fun-loving and uproarious pair will most certainly be back on this blog soon – I’ve only just scratched the surface of outrageous stories from this twosome.



xoxo

KK

Smart Art

So we moved into our adorable little apartment four months ago.  For the past three months, however, there's been a sad stack of art leaning against the wall waiting to be hung.

I consider myself pretty handy so I'd have no trouble hanging those puppies up all on my own, but I like to do things FAST - even if that means the pictures don't all end up perfectly straight.  But my boyfriend is Swiss German and the German in him just won't let him look at a non-perfectly-aligned frame.  Therefore, I decided to let him be in charge of the hanging.  Unfortunately, he's been a tad too busy lately, so it took him a little longer than expected to get around to the chore.

I had been trying to suppress my nagging as best as possible for the past few weeks (he's had a lot on his plate), but finally when he came to meet me for lunch last week, I couldn't hold it in any longer. 

Soooooo, do you think we could finally hang up those pictures?  I know you have a lot going on, but it's getting pretty ridiculous.  I HATE looking at all that white! 

Little did I know he had spent the entire morning arranging them on the walls exactly as I had wished in an attempt to surprise me that night.  Whoops.

Anyway, I came home to find the most delightful quasi-surprise:

  

 

This guy was gifted to us by my parents, who transported it and the next one from Milwaukee back in August.

 

Another gift from Mom and Dad after their trip to this San Francisco site on their vaca out here.  More on that story to come.

The inspiration for this and the next few posters came from a brilliant idea my parents had for decorating their lovely home on Gasparilla Island in Florida - collect vintage travel posters of places they'd been (basically everywhere), mount them on foam core, and then affix them to the wall with heavy duty double-sided tape. Michael's will do the mounting for extra cheap - $25-ish for a normal-sized poster. I decided to do the same in my new place. 

Some of the final additions to our travel wall. 

Why did these two earn wall status you ask?

We went skiing at Verbier in Valais for my 25th back in February...

 

 Fondue in a wooden mountain-top chalet

...and then to Davos for a gorgeous traditional Swiss wedding this past September.

Given that I would be one of the few Americans in attendance, I stressed long and hard about what to wear.  According to my reconnaissance sources, I needed to be elegant yet conservative, stylish yet understated, and most importantly: I needed to blend in with the crowd.  The last thing I wanted was to be that show-boating, bold, loud, obnoxious American.  Finally, I landed on this little number.  I thought the capped sleeves would keep me modest while the red would give me just the right amount of punch.

Unfortunately, the crowd looked something like this.  To say I stood out was a bit of an understatement.  As least it made sorting through the wedding pictures to find shots of me super easy. :) 

Anyway, back to the hangings - now on to my favorite number. 

This next guy, or rather: gal, was a gift from my fabulous Nana and Pops - antique and art collector extraordinaries.  Whilst down in Florida this past spring, I casually mentioned to my Pops how I loved the painting of this lovely lady which was hanging on his wall.  Within minutes he had it down and wrapped up in a handy dandy carrying case for me to take back to San Francisco.  I tried to protest, but he was insistent.

I totally, totally love it - so much so that it is the second thing I see when I walk into the apartment. 

Right after this:

Perhaps a tad bit of resemblance?  I like to pretend. :)

xoxo

KK

Cakes gets CHOPPED

So I am totally and utterly obsessed with the Food Network TV show Chopped.  If you haven't seen it, you should definitely clear some time Tuesdays at 10pm, 9pm central.  It's basically a more efficient, more exciting, and much quirkier version of Iron Chef.  And you know how I feel about efficiency - can't get enough of the stuff! 

The 30-minute show goes like this:
Four chefs start by receiving a basket of the same four mystery ingredients - all of which have NOTHING to do with each other.  They then have 30 minutes to plan, prep, cook, and plate an amazing appetizer showcasing those four elements.  After the judges size up each chef's creation, one contestant gets CHOPPED leaving the remaining three chefs to duke it out in the entree course.  Same goes for the main course leaving only two for the dessert round.

The combination of mystery ingredients never fails to blow my mind.  Here's a typical line-up (which came from the Trick-or-Treat-themed episode, October 16, 2011):

• Appetizer: pre-cooked chicken feet, poblano peppers, black radishes, fruit-flavored candy

1, 2, 3, 4

• Entree: blood sausage, frog legs, sea beans, Halloween candy

1, 2, 3, 4

• Dessert: ossa dei morta, apple cider, ricotta salata, black licorice

1, 2, 3, 4

I could watch the show for hours.  In fact, I have.  On multiple occasions.

So I could not have been more excited when, not too long ago, my boyfriend suggested we do our own version of the competition.  His proposed plan was simple: we'd each bring home two mystery ingredients not having any idea what the other would procure.  I'd take on the appetizer, he - the dessert, and we'd tackle the entree together.

While that plan was fine and dandy, I like to be in charge so I decided to change the rules ever so slightly.  We'd still each bring home two ingredients, but I'd do all three courses.  He could be my judge.

The competition went something like this:

The four mystery ingredients: Chanterelle mushrooms and fresh figs from me, Mahi Mahi with Shrimp and Brussel Sprouts from him

(and a bottle of zinfandel of course)

The combination really had me stuck - I was betting that he would bring home a juicy piece of meat to match my savory mushrooms, but he had totally thrown me for a loop.  He doesn't even like shellfish!

Since fungi and fish just don't mate well, I decided to split them up - the 'srooms in the appetizer and the seafood in the entree.  For the appetizer, I pan-fried those little jewels of heaven with a tinsy bit of olive oil and a healthy helping of truffle salt - my answer to anything in need of a little savory spike.

We had a bit of rustic sour loaf as well as some strong yet creamy (think: meltable) sheep-milk cheese in the fridge so I tossed it all together as a little mushroom toast-let. 



For the main course, I tackled the side dish first.  I decided to oven-roast the brussel sprouts and sliced figs together with a pinch of salt and pepper.  Even if it turned out horrible, at least it would look pretty.  Fashion before function.

 

For the sea creatures, I used a classic (and perhaps a tad boring in hindsight) combination: garlic, garlic, olive oil, and more garlic. 

 

 

 

The finished product:

 

 

 

I hate to admit it, but I lost a bit of steam in the dessert round.  That and I just wasn't sure how to make those Chanterelles candy-like. 

 

I cheated: 

 

 

But Ina Garten just does it SO well!  They turned out pretty darn delicious and pretty darn pretty!

 

 

 

Now the moment you've all been salivating for: the scoring! 

(Technically, CHOPPED results in a chef being eliminated but since it was me, me, and only me we needed to pull in some Iron Chef stops as well.)

 

APPETIZER: 10 out of 10

Come on now, how can you go wrong with truffle and cheese?

 

ENTREE MAIN: 5 out of 10

Unfortunately, I cooked my shrimp a bit too long (there is such a thing as too much pink!) and the mahi mahi really lacked that flavor punch it needed to spice it up.  A delicious fig salsa to top it could have been the trick, but what's done is done (and eaten of course). 

 

ENTREE SIDE: 7 out of 10

The fig sprout combo was surprisingly good - a touch of sweet to balance out that hint of bitter.  Plus, the colors - how could you not fall in love?

 

DESSERT: 10 out of 10

While the baby cakes were devilish delicious, I am guessing I may be docked a few points once he reads the dirty little box of a secret behind those fluffy creations. 

 

 

This competition will most certainly not be the last so please tune back in again soon for more mouth-watering matchups. 

 

xoxo

KK

(aka. Cakes or Kakes - while I have traditionally gone by the latter, the former's first letter ties better with the word of my favorite TV show, hence its status as my title)