Friday, April 22, 2011

Viscous Vichyssoise


Vichyssoise a cold soup in the middle of solidity and fluidity. It has a fragrant perfume of leeks, which is complimented by a thick cream base and the slight flavor of potatoes. This round of vichyssoise was made by Chris, with Bourdain's recipee. Then I served it with class, in a mug.
Left: Chris Right: Jen

LuLu #2


Monday, April 4, 2011

Give Us Headcheese





Meat, it's a large dietary component of most countries with a "taller" population. Meat is also the main attraction of a German diet. Experiences with German cuisine can lead one's mouth through an exploration of many different textures, you never knew meat could be. The food at the first restaurant on Chris and I's list was no exception to this rule.Heidelberg, named after the city in Germany I will be moving too, is no exception.

The blog food Chris and I stuffed into our pretty little mouths, first, was a Meat Jelly, known as Headcheese.(1#pic) Headcheese is what happens when you throw an animal's head in a pot of boiling water, let the stock form a gelatin, and stick in random cold cut chunks. You actually end up with a pretty tasty dish.Head cheese can best be described as spam bits in Jello. Eating it, was actually quite pleasant, if you don't over think it. (Give yourself some time to forget this article before you give it a go.)

For the main course we had tender meat, crispy meat, sticky meat, velvet meat, and a pile of kraut with some potato dumplings. Yum...There was shweinebraten.(#2 pic left) A simple pork roast. With little seasoning, if any at all.It was mostly flavored by the few pieces of carrots celery and onions it was roasted with.A simple flavor but so tender it was almost creamy. Next, was the Sausage Platter.(#2 pic Top) This selection of boiled processed Meat was down right velvety and warm. It slipped down my throat. The Schweineshaxe (#2 pic right) took a little more effort to tear apart with my fork and knife. That piece of meat was so mamoth I almost had to wrestle it.But just like Bourdain's piece of show meat it had an audibly crispy skin, a buttery layer of Fat and a sticky inner layer of sweet pork. If you managed to fit all three textures on your fork it sent your head whirling.

All of this meat was consumed while Chris and I sat in the hundred year old restaurant decorated with turn of the century tapestry, Art Deco Lamps and various German themed kitsch, spanning many decades. It was like a meat and potatoes meal at your German Grandma's House.