Sunday, May 5, 2013

Why cheese sandwiches may be the ruin of my life


A trip to England means one thing (in terms of food): It's time to gain back all the weight I lost with mono. Yes, adults get mono, it was rather unpleasant, thanks. British food gets a bad rap, but I disagree. I will say that some of the very traditional British is under seasoned, but England's progression and sheer diversity have brought London to the forefront of amazing food. I had most of my meals figured out before I got there, because I'm like that. I did miss out on a pretty great looking German pub because we couldn't get a table, but some things should be saved for another time.

The first step on my quest for obesity was Borough Market. This is heaven for anyone who cares about food. It's a goldmine of food booths, premade goodies, and fresh product-meats, cheeses, produce, you name it-it's there. It's become a landmark for food lovers who visit (or live in) London, and I urge you to go there, and gorge yourself. Remember in Catching Fire when the Capitol citizens drank vomit inducer to continue eating? I felt like this would be a viable option, and seriously considered it, until I remembered that I'm a fainter, and it was a very busy market, so no need for public embarrassment. 

(picture from travelstay.com)

Let me tell you about your first stop. It's near the entrance from Park Street, so you won't have to travel far. It's the Kappacasein booth. They make Toasted Cheese Sandwiches and raclettes (a cheesy potato dish) but the raclette we can discuss another time. We're going to talk about the Toasted Cheese Sandwiches. I loved grilled cheese. Who doesn't? Bread. Cheese. Butter. Other stuff. Vegans love it. I know that somewhere Darryl Hannah is sitting in a dark room, slathered in grilled cheese sandwich. And I wouldn't even judge her.



It's made on Poilane sourdough bread, with Montgomery Cheddar, Ogleshield Cheddar (not really cheddar, but a cheddar like cheese made with Jersey Cow milk) and a leek, red onion, and garlic saute. Jersey cows really do make the best dairy products. And let's be honest, there's no cuter cow than a Jersey. I want one for my back yard. Curse you no-farm-animals-in-the-city-law. 





(picture from common.wikimedia.com)



This is a big seller at the market, and the line is always long, and there are plenty of them ready to go. They're pretty good at managing the crowd though. They have staff weaving through the line giving out tickets for sandwiches and raclettes, and the counter staff never stops cooking. You have to wait a bit, but not enough to deter you. These sandwiches aren't made on a flat top like a normal grilled cheese. They're put in a buttered panini press that cooks it evenly, and the same every time. This is important for any item that you need to make en masse. Nothing is more annoying than ordering food twice and it being different. Ok, maybe a few things, but the only two that come to mind are fictional characters. Joffrey Baratheon and Delores Umbridge. Obviously. You'll also notice that these sandwiches are made with shredded cheese, instead of sliced. It helps, it gets gooey, and all the way through. Gooey isn't a great adjective most of the time, but when it comes to a sandwich, gooey is where you want it to be.



The result? A potentially perfect sandwich. And as a sandwich expert, I don't use that lightly. The perfect ratio of cheese to bread, with the delicious veggie mixture just adding to the burst of flavor in your mouth. Would I fly to England to eat this again? Possibly, but only if I got 2.

Sharp English cheddar makes me feel like this


Thursday, April 18, 2013

Welcome to EATS by graham


What qualifies me to write about food, cooking, and food related things?

Well, I eat, and love food- is the answer you usually get. This applies to me. I have no problems being cliche.

The real answer, is that I'm an actual "foodie" (I dislike the word) I've been in the service industry for 10+ years, am a classically trained chef, and have worked every area of the food service operation. I've served, bartended, cooked, planned, managed, catered, and am currently the Food and Beverage Director for a large, well known catering company.

I appreciate good service, and I appreciate good food. The decor and lighting of a restaurant are important to me. The uniformity of the tables at an event matter.  I notice things like the glasses, and the flatware. Mismatched plates? You better be a small, homestyle restaurant. I don't care how famous your chef is, if your 5 star restaurant has servers in flannel, I'm not amused. I don't mind if you didn't make a classic dish, but you don't call it that, and if I order braised pork shoulder and it isn't falling off the bones, I'm not going to be pleased (I really like pig)

Hopefully this blog will take you down an informative, humorous, insightful, and sometimes spiteful path of the wonderful world of food.

And that picture is me in a tuk tuk.