tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10595420125944927082024-03-05T02:24:57.340-08:00Leuven Groovin'Karlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03014969705201895375noreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1059542012594492708.post-8927633303311999942011-12-08T13:28:00.000-08:002011-12-08T13:33:23.983-08:00Insane choco moundsThese cookies smell so delicious that my neighbors even leave the building out of jealousy.<div><br /></div><div>Ingredients:</div><div><ol><li>100g Cote D'Or culinary dark chocolate</li><li>1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour</li><li>1 egg</li></ol><div>Steps:</div><div><ol><li>Preheat oven to 175C</li><li>melt chocolate on stove </li><li>pour melted chocolate into bowl filled with flour</li><li>gently stir the chocolate until it becomes a matted clump</li><li>mix in an egg</li><li>place mounds evenly spaced on cookie sheet</li><li>cook for 20 minutes</li></ol></div></div>Karlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03014969705201895375noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1059542012594492708.post-4955595804216891582011-10-12T12:09:00.000-07:002011-10-12T12:29:15.421-07:00Crusty homebread for any occasion<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij2ILEn8Qvsuoz2KjNqXGcZaZPgJoatmwJglaLqTrNaUEnhXKfflCJaqf1IjCby7B960huOFItTF5KndFcZX7qv_hc792_9i6QOwQV2d_apuIOh2cK8OSXP4CHgeyiKn-CSn6jiEiXqfoa/s1600/photo.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij2ILEn8Qvsuoz2KjNqXGcZaZPgJoatmwJglaLqTrNaUEnhXKfflCJaqf1IjCby7B960huOFItTF5KndFcZX7qv_hc792_9i6QOwQV2d_apuIOh2cK8OSXP4CHgeyiKn-CSn6jiEiXqfoa/s200/photo.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5662687523232975234" /></a>Few items complement a pasta dish like a nice, thick slice of bread. My "crusty homebread" is so dense with flavor that you may not even want a pasta dish with it! The gritty texture is perfect sustenance for after a hearty trek through the woods. This bread is always a hit at parties: each slice is so fulfilling that we usually don't even finish the loaf by the end!<div><br /></div><div>Crusty homebread is a snap and you'll be enjoying it for up to a week after baking.<div><div><br /></div><div>Ingredients</div><div><ol><li>4 cups whole wheat flour</li><li>1 cup lukewarm water</li><li>1/2 teaspoon yeast</li><li>1 teaspoon salt</li></ol><div>Steps</div></div><div><ol><li>Set the oven to 400F</li><li>Proof the yeast in the water</li><li>Add salt and mix well</li><li>Gradually add flour until you have a solid brick of moist flour</li><li>Knead for 3 minutes</li><li>Let the dough rise for 8-10 minutes</li><li>Place the dough in the oven for 20 minutes, or until the crust starts browning</li><li>Serve and enjoy immediately!</li></ol><div><br /></div></div></div></div>Karlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03014969705201895375noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1059542012594492708.post-74973206482400353152010-04-25T12:11:00.000-07:002010-05-02T14:18:26.960-07:00Quintessence part deux<div>If I told you about a drink whose defining aromas and flavors included <i>barnyard</i>, <i>horse </i><i>sweat</i>, <i>astringency</i>, and <i>sourness</i>, would you want a sip?</div><div><br /></div><div>The answer to that is probably "no", but in the case of lambics, in particular those from the Cantillon brewery, it shouldn't be. And, to be fair, those defining aromas also include <i>citrus</i>, <i>sour</i> <i>cherries</i>, <i>tropical</i> <i>fruit</i>, <i>raspberry, </i><i>elderberry</i>, <i>muscat grape</i> and many more.</div><div><br /></div><div>We recently visited the Quintessence event by the Cantillon brewery, which was a day of pairings of lambic beers and artisanal cheeses. For novices, it was a day spent in a charming corner of Brussels' history with the opportunity to try challenging, but unique local flavors. For connoisseurs, it was nothing less than an essential experience.</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Lambic Country</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></div><div>Let me give a brief background to the lambic. The lambic is technically a beer but has a vastly different creation method. Where most beers can be divided between ales and lagers (defined primarily by the type of yeast involved), lambics are truly a distinct style, as they are created by a combination of wild flora, including multiple forms of wild, non-brewing, yeasts and bacteria that happen to thrive in the Brussels region. Unlike ales and lagers, whose fermentation processes are largely under the control of the brewer, lambics have a complex development involving interplay among the various microorganisms across seasonal temperature variations, and much of the process is not fully scientifically understood. Where brewer's yeasts have been selected and adapted by brewers and scientists for qualities such as rapid fermentation, lambic flora remain stubborn and lazy. A lambic takes 3 years to reach bottling maturity, most of which is spent in oak barrels. By comparison, Budweiser has a time-to-market of 21 days, doing its "aging" on steel.</div><div><br /></div><div>In practice, lambic is rarely served in its "native" state and is typically used as the primary "ingredient" in the styles <i>gueuze</i> and <i>fruit lambic</i>. Gueuze is the bottling of a blend of 3 years of lambics; the aged lambic provides a mature character, while the young lambic still has unfermented sugars which cause carbonation to develop in the bottle as the yeasts continue to consume sugars. The fruit lambic comes from the addition of fruit to the lambic (typically a 2 year old), which is then aged in oak barrels for some time before bottling. The fruits used are primarily cherries (kriek lambic) and rasberries (framboise lambic), although Cantillon has offerings with blueberry (Blabaer), peach (Fou' Foune), muscat grapes (Vigneronne), merlot grapes (St. Lamvinus), and elderberry (Zwanze).</div><div><br /></div><div>Lambic breweries, existing primarily in the Senne Valley of Brussels, used to "infect" the wort (pre-fermented beer) by exposing it to the outside air (it is believed that the yeasts traveled from the nearby cherry orchards). Though this is still done, it is likely that much of the exposure to the microflora comes from colonies resident to the brewery. As such, nature is deeply respected within the brewery walls, to preserve the process. Spider webs are left intact to keep fruit flies at bay, and a house cat assists in pest control. Nothing is cleaned with harsh chemicals, and even clusters of mold are kept intact (for what beautiful flora might they contain?!)</div><div><br /></div><div>For other brewers, it is quite difficult to force the process through explicit yeast inoculation, and replicating a seasoned brewery is nearly impossible. The daunting time-to-market keeps lambics from being price competitive. So, it is a sad but real problem that it is far more likely for a lambic brewery to close than for one to open, and there are few left (Cantillon has been around for over 100 years, with ownership passing primarily through the family).</div><div><br /></div><div>In terms of depth and complexity, lambics are unmatched. Beyond matters of personal preference, this complexity has technical reasons. Much of the flavor of beer (especially Belgian varieties) comes from byproducts produced by the yeast as it consumes sugars. Notably, the yeasts in lambics spend 3 years (as opposed to 1-2 months) consuming sugars, and consume sugars that normal beer yeasts will not. The flavor potential for the yeast is vastly beyond what is available to most other styles.</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">The Visit</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></div><div>There were 16 tables throughout the brewery, each featuring one of the offerings of the day. Most tables included 2 related lambics and the cheeses with which they were paired. Others included strange but fun experiments with lambics in novel contexts, including jellies and sorbets. The lambics were mostly the typical offerings of Cantillon, but included some that are limited, including the faro, Zwanze, the delightful St-Gilloise, and a 2002 gueuze.</div><div><br /></div><div>Interestingly, the laws about dairy allow unpasteurized milk, which itself allows greater flexibility and potential for the cheese maker. There were some cheeses that smelled unlike anything I've ever smelled before (and sometimes in ways that were not immediately appreciated). In that sense it is a fitting pairing to lambics, who also derive their distinctive qualities from more natural origins. I was most impressed and surprised by the degree to which the pairings enhanced the original flavors.</div><div><br /></div><div>I took a lot of notes and won't bore you with them here (I'll keep them typed up and saved as a draft in case I run out of blog material in the future). But some of the flavors require mentioning:</div><div><br /></div><div>Counter 1: A one-year and a three-year lambic (Grand Cru Bruocsella) were both offered. Both of these offering are unblended, which let you taste what the basic ingredient of the beers are. It was educational to see how the additional years shaped and improved upon the "young" lambic (although the fact that the Grand Cru is selected for its exceptional quality may be the culprit here). Where the one-year had a sharper sourness, the three-year was much more rounded with a lot of nice fruit flavors (in particular, apple).</div><div><br /></div><div>Counter 2: We got to try a 2002 gueuze, what a treat! The gueuzes are alleged to be capable of aging for decades. This one clearly lost nothing over the years. Bitter orange and pineapple, with a protracted finish that felt like a thousand pleasant pokes at the tongue.</div><div><br /></div><div>Counter 8: The Cuvée St-Gilloise is a limited offering. In typical lambic production, aged hops are used so that their antibacterial properties can be leveraged without having their flavors appear in the final product. Quite the opposite here: this beer embraces hops and dry hops (soaks hops in the beer) for 2 years in the barrel. The flavor is clearly affected: think grapefruit pith soaked in tea. An interesting and enjoyable experiment! Interestingly, the gentleman serving at this table, who was really nice and fun, turned out to be none other than Lorenzo Dabove, one of the premier experts on Belgian beer (and probably the most respected critic in Italy).</div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;">Fin</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:large;"><br /></span></div><div>In their tasting guide, Cantillon lists their Grand Cru Bruocsella as "in a league of its own [...] it's unequalled and eternal". I find this comment interesting because, in most contexts, such a statement would be outward boasting or salesmanship. Visiting the brewery, you meet the sweet, friendly people who make it all happen, and see how deeply they believe in their work. It is clear that Cantillon does not consider the beauty of their lambic as a product of their superior craftsmanship. Rather, they are paying homage to a creative process of nature, to which they see themselves as humble servants.</div><div><br /></div><div>The "slow foods" movement grows more fashionable every day, and we hope to see it restore a sense of appreciation for real cuisine. Cantillon embodies the spirit of the movement, and did so even a hundred years before the movement originated. When I take a sip, I think about the work done over the years by nature and brewer to make that flavor. It is always worth the wait.</div>Karlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03014969705201895375noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1059542012594492708.post-49132796185051220512010-04-21T11:50:00.000-07:002010-04-21T12:13:44.075-07:00BUOC this wayBUOC is the Belgian national ultimate championships. We had not planned to play (rather, we hadn't joined the team for the roster), but were asked to join the 3rd division Leuven team (called Zeppelins) because they were short on players.<div><br /></div><div>The tournament was last weekend, the second round of two. It was a 2-day tournament in Gent, about an hour north of us by train. What a fun time! The weather was amazing; cloudless days, 70s, sunburning everyone.</div><div><br /></div><div>The Zeppelins were quite short on players; only one male sub and two female subs, so I was playing most of the time all weekend. We had some really close games and some blowouts (not in our favor). The last game was definitely winnable, but we were really fatigued from playing short all weekend and just couldn't pull it off. We ended up 2/5, to finish in 20th/22 place. To put that in perspective, this was the second round, so some teams had already been removed, and this was, after all, the national championships :)</div><div><br /></div><div>The tournament was really well organized. There was a tent serving subsidized (or suds-idized) beer and food all weekend. Our coach Eric (great guy) motivated the team by making us owe him a beer for every frisbee drop we were responsible for (though if the game was won, he would buy us all a beer instead). We were on a huge sports complex with fields and courts from every sport, a big beach on a lake (or was it a canal/bay?), and we stayed on the campgrounds overnight. There was a party organized in the club house, and BUOC customarily has an award for the person who parties hardest (i.e., is the last to leave). We have no interest playing ultimate all day on a lack of sleep and hydration, so we left the party at 1am for good.</div><div><br /></div><div>It was fun to see Leuven's 1st-division team make and play the finals against Gent's 1st-division. They played a great game but Gent was really a solid team and won it. Nice to see the hometown guys who organized everything pull off the victory, even if I was rooting for Leuven.</div><div><br /></div><div>I was really worried about my play since it has been a long time since I've played a tournament, but I was happy with how it turned out. The ultimate scene here has some nice advantages over the US's scene. For one, you can join a team at any level. Consider Leuven, which has 3 affiliated teams at 3 divisions, the lowest you can walk on to. In the US, in the triangle alone we had 10 teams, but only one (the 3rd division women's team) did not have competitive tryouts. Most of the players played in college. It was really tough to get on a team as a pickup player, and then, if you don't make it, it's really hard to catch up, since, without a team, you have no place to work on skills, drills, conditioning, and strategy (which are primarily what are evaluated at tryouts). In other words, you're really unlikely to ever get on a team unless you're just an especially talented athlete or work really hard.</div><div><br /></div><div>Here, you can join the team, and go to trainings multiple times a week. I've already gained a lot, if not from the drills, then from scrimmages where you play against people who are playing really hard (as opposed to pickup in Carrboro). Since it matters how you play, you're less likely to be casual or nonchalant, and that's where you really pick up a lot.</div><div><br /></div><div>I also thought the competitive spirit was better here. In the triangle, people are really aggressive on the field, and aren't usually that nice. Here, guys were very friendly on the field, congratulating players on the other team for good plays (I have never seen that in a US tournament), making conversation, and calling fouls on themselves. The Belgian championship game, a Leuven player called a foul on himself that ended up being significant and leading to a point for the other team. You wouldn't see that in a US league game, let alone national tournament.</div>Karlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03014969705201895375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1059542012594492708.post-81683330381168298782010-04-11T11:18:00.001-07:002010-04-11T11:43:46.238-07:00QuintessenceI'm really excited about a tasting at Cantillon that Nilam and I are going to in late April. The tasting is called, "<a href="http://www.cantillon.be/br/3_18">Quintessence</a>" and features an afternoon of pairings among various lambics from Cantillon and artisanal cheeses by Jacquy Cange (I don't know his work, but French names and terms like "artisanal" add instant credibility to one's cheese). Cantillon is the greatest lambic maker in the world and run a charming brewery; I'd go just for the flights of lambic but the pairing of cheeses and speculoos (among others) make it too great to pass up.<div><br /></div><div>Though it promises to be an amazing event, I cannot get over one of the hilarious cultural differences here. Namely, though a beer tasting, there is no attempt to make this event even slightly manly. The name of the event would be equally appropriate for a jar of jasmine-flavored aromatic bubblebath.</div><div><br /></div><div>And as they quote:</div><div><blockquote></blockquote><blockquote>The visitors will discover a Cantillon beer with the best <i>daintiness</i> in each of the 8 rooms of the brewery.</blockquote></div><div>Bless their hearts for providing an English translation, but worser men might argue that the words "dainty" and "beer" should never share a sentence, unless that sentence is, "he broke a <i>beer</i> bottle over the <i>dainty</i> dude's head".</div>Karlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03014969705201895375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1059542012594492708.post-90082177906357446772010-04-11T08:38:00.000-07:002010-04-11T11:16:42.356-07:00Beer review: Mort Subite Gueuze<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.saveur-biere.com/images/mort-subite-gueuze.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 155; height: 128;" src="http://www.saveur-biere.com/images/mort-subite-gueuze.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap; font-family:Tahoma, Geneva, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;font-size:12px;">There is a split between "oude gueuze", brewed to tradition, and "new" gueuze, a variant optimized for widespread palatability and time-to-market. This is a "new" gueuze that I purchased at the local grocer's (in Belgium) because I'm keen on trying every Lambic in Belgium (there aren't that many, so it is a practical goal).</span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Tahoma, Geneva, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap;font-size:-webkit-xxx-large;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" white-space: pre-wrap; font-family:Tahoma, Geneva, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;font-size:12px;">Mort Subite pours a pleasant amber color with a nice frothy head. The beer is quite clear, which is essentially impossible to do with the traditional approach and hence sends off warning signals. The nose has a vinegar-like acidity, with a cider character, and only minimal symptoms of Brettonomyces (these are wild yeasts which give real lambics their characteristic and delightful barnyard aromas). Flavor has an apparent, though one-dimensional acidity, and, like most "new" gueuzes, is corrupted by the sweetness of sugar. But, unlike most "new" gueuzes, the sweetness does not lead to failure here; it actually adds a nice cider/apple character, with similarity to the Rodenbach Gran Cru and is pretty well balanced by the acidity. Ultimately this gives it a realistic and refreshing fruitiness. I don't hate this gueuze, but I will not drink it again.</span></div>Karlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03014969705201895375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1059542012594492708.post-3400147112443897902010-04-05T14:15:00.000-07:002010-04-05T14:22:19.169-07:00UltimatePlayed some ultimate with the Zeppelins tonight. Fun times, a good squad. The practices are outside a cool old abbey in town, which we didn't know about until today.<div><br /></div><div>As to practice: there are few things as intimidating as keeping up with 18 year olds for an hour. Afterwords, once you feel a sense of accomplishment, you see them all ripping cigarettes after the game. You then realize they were playing with a handicap all along.<br /></div>Karlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03014969705201895375noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1059542012594492708.post-23059967901702986172010-04-04T12:02:00.000-07:002010-04-04T12:47:38.304-07:00Happy Easter!<div>The corner bakery always amazes us with their hours; often open throughout Sunday (rare in Leuven), but then sporadically closed on a random Wednesday or for a week at a time. We decided to stock up on pastries for the long holiday weekend, but when I awoke to discover they were (magically) open this morning, I blasted through my half of the rations. The fortunes of life are often in small favors, and having a local bakery can be a simple, but endless source of joy.</div><div><br /></div>This afternoon, I took an ill-advised ride to Brussels. As per the previous post, I made it about 20% of the way before thunder and rain presented an effective blockade. No worries though; I came home and Nilam and I went to a nice cafe on the canal called <a href="http://www.dewiering.be/">De Wiering</a>, for a Girardin and fried calamari, while enjoying a scenic view over the water. Of course, the sun decided to make a few appearances, only after curtailing my exercise, and rewarding my consumption of beer and fried foods. It looks like nature wants me to be fat. I decided not to resist today, although my body claims that I haven't been resisting for quite some time.<div><br /></div><div>Currently we're home with a quiet evening. Nilam's making something yummy in the kitchen, doubtlessly trying to show me up after my homemade bread disaster (think gummy, tough, wet flour, and you have my "olive bread"). Also excited for the upcoming delivery of home brew supplies; though I deeply love the Belgian beers, I feel my civic duty tugging my brewing hand to import the American West Coast IPA to Belgium. I shall do my best!</div>Karlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03014969705201895375noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1059542012594492708.post-34359965324238653792010-04-04T03:25:00.000-07:002010-04-04T03:34:14.004-07:00Bike ride "to" MichelenThe bike rides Nilam and I take the following pattern:<div><ol><li>Get excited about a new location, plan a route</li><li>Leave later than recommended</li><li>Turn around at between 20-80% the journey</li></ol><div>Yesterday's trek was no different. This time, we headed to Mechelen at about 4pm.</div><div><br /></div><div>This ride was really nice. It follows the canals all the way up. It greets you with beautiful scenery, such as ducks, swans, and geese; farms upon farms; quaint cafes on the waterfront (seemingly only serving bicycle traffic); fishermen casually fishing; and cute villages.</div><div><br /></div><div>The only break from this beauty is a smelly, oppressive Cargill factory that actually forces a short detour around it. Feels like Mr. Burns coming to kill the mood.</div><div><br /></div><div>We got <a href="http://www.bikely.com/maps/bike-path/Mechelen-attempt404617">here</a> before turning back, which was pretty darn close. The clouds really opened up at this point, and it was getting dark. Interestingly, if you look at the route and zoom out to view the whole of Belgium, you see that we biked a non-trivial portion of the country :)</div><div><br /></div><div>It was a really fun trip that we'll have to prepare more for next time, especially by leaving earlier and packing some snacks! We'll had back to Mechelen when it gets a little warmer (and when Golden Carolus reopens).</div></div>Karlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03014969705201895375noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1059542012594492708.post-45640464479503817102010-03-28T11:37:00.000-07:002010-03-28T11:53:00.518-07:00Welcome back, friends<div><blockquote></blockquote></div><blockquote><div>Nothing with an RSS feed every truly dies.<blockquote></blockquote></div><div>-- Karl Gyllstrom, Just Now</div><div></div></blockquote><div><br /></div><div>I return to Leuven Groovin' after a multi-month hiatus. Perhaps the dry spell has starved the least interested readers, and now I'm left with the fervent ones. Selection at work.</div><div><br /></div><div>The last few months have been a bit of a blur. An explosion in the mines left me jobless and deaf, and we put Dudley to work on the farm to help make ends meet. Most of our meals now consist of cabbage and chicken feathers, but times can be good amid the squalor.</div><div><br /></div><div>In all seriousness, there have been some notable events. A trip to the US in December. Weekend retreats to Brugges, Gent, Brussels, Poperinge, and The Hague. Several failed attempts at significant bike rides. Cold days and snow. A trip to St. Thomas Virgin Islands for a wedding. Back to Leuven today, 60s and sunny.</div><div><br /></div><div>All of these events deserve posts of their own, but for now I'll leave it at "jet lag sucks" as I retire to bed, shy of 9pm. I will be better about updating in the future.</div><div><br /></div><div>Cheers!</div><div><br /></div>Karlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03014969705201895375noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1059542012594492708.post-60931839437980979042009-12-01T12:56:00.001-08:002009-12-01T12:56:35.561-08:00Queso del Chimay<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; color: rgb(128, 128, 128); "><h3 class="GenericStory_Message" ft="{"type":"msg"}" style="font-size: 13px !important; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-weight: normal; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; ">I bought Chimay cheese from a garden variety supermarket tonight. It came in a cheap plastic container. Whatever remained of their trappist mysticism has been purged forever.</h3></span>Karlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03014969705201895375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1059542012594492708.post-37266151040328740912009-12-01T11:17:00.000-08:002009-12-01T11:22:54.912-08:00Delhaize and Confused<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://foodmuseum.typepad.com/food_museum_blog/images/2007/06/04/delhaize.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 200px;" src="http://foodmuseum.typepad.com/food_museum_blog/images/2007/06/04/delhaize.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><div><br /></div>Delhaize is the Food Lion of Leuven. I am not speaking figuratively: Delhaize was founded in Belgium and owns Food Lion in the US, and uses the same logo.<div><br /></div><div>It is also the highest quality supermarket in Leuven. This is not relative; it is actually a high quality store here.</div><div><br /></div><div>Sorry, North Carolina: that store at which you would never deign to shop is actually the offspring of a fancy European market.</div><div><br /></div><div>Chew on that.</div>Karlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03014969705201895375noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1059542012594492708.post-26565182282558776572009-11-30T00:52:00.000-08:002009-12-01T11:13:58.426-08:00Dislikes #1: Crazy-ass bikers<div>"If you leave for work early to beat the morning bicycle traffic ... you might be a Leuvener"</div><div>-- Jeff Foxworthy</div><div><br /></div><div>Ok, ok. Jeff Foxworthy was not responsible for the above quote. (He'd be a southern pariah for even knowing what a Europe is.) But the quote is spot on.</div><div><br /></div>A bit of role-reversal here: Cars in Leuven are the most harmless large objects in the world. They approach bikers with sheer timidity: "No, you first. Yes, I insist. Please go now. Don't make this harder than it needs to be".<div><br /></div><div>No, cars are not the danger here. The bikers are lunatics from which the fear-of-God was purged long ago.</div><div><br /></div><div>Bikers travel with a cruel efficiency that expends individuals for collective expedience. Games of chicken are as common as lanes, as one hurried biker attempts to pass another to gain a single forward placement. Corners are taken with little hesitation or deceleration. A few inches are considered a safe lateral distance for passing, even when the "passee" has no awareness of the passer. Helmets are non-existent, night or day. It is a lawless frontier.</div><div><br /></div><div>I am very, very scared.</div>Karlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03014969705201895375noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1059542012594492708.post-58476320912580855962009-11-28T11:45:00.001-08:002009-11-28T13:05:23.119-08:00Beer #2: Signature Glasses<p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica">Pairing glass to beer is simply not done in the US. I've considered the bartender's serving of my Yuengling in a Yuengling glass to be a kitschy novelty. The pint glass is pro forma, and logo alone accounts for all perceivable differences, with most of them involving whether or not the Bud Light label has a backdrop of the Nascar checkered flag.</p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica"><br /></p><p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica">In Belgium, there are as many glass shapes as there are beers. And I'm beginning to see why.</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica">There are some physical qualities to the glass which influence both the objective and subjective perception of the drinker. For instance, a curled lip delivers more beer to the tip of the tongue where bitterness is perceived, while a flat lip bridges the beer to the sweetness detectors on the back of the tongue. Round chalices collect aromas, while flatter walls offer a more uniform foaming.</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica">As I think about it, I believe there is much more to it. Beers like Chimay, Westmalle, and Duvel have been around for ages, and are almost universally served from bottle, ensuring that a fixed amount is poured each time. The glass, then, is designed with the understanding of the amount being poured (as well as the shape of the vessel pouring), and seems to perfectly account for this in delivering color and foam to the glass. The images of Duvel-in-chalice for the ads, with the top half covered in heavenly foam, are in no way doctored to enhance the appearance. Duvel, poured into its signature glass, will appear that way every time, even from a bad pour. This experience has been carefully choreographed. For a pre-estimated time (which is nearly invariable among pours) the beer remains undrinkable as the foam hesitates to subside. It is a calculated delay that beckons the drinker to pause, inhale, and reflect upon the drink they will soon enjoy. The Westmalle Tripel pour, on the other hand, seems to absorb and accumulate the various strands of light within the room, reflecting them back to the drinker as a divine, ambient glow.</p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica; min-height: 14.0px"><br /></p> <p style="margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Helvetica">It is a part of an overarching philosophy. Beer is not the liquid that was poured into the glass before you. It is a work of art, being presented to you in the way the artist conceived it.</p>Karlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03014969705201895375noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1059542012594492708.post-37723905341422521532009-11-25T09:38:00.001-08:002009-11-25T09:51:48.736-08:00Beer #1: Duvel<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://images.forum-auto.com/mesimages/466431/Duvel.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 350px; height: 425px;" src="http://images.forum-auto.com/mesimages/466431/Duvel.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>I will use this category to describe the various beers I encounter in Belgium.<div><br /></div><div>Today's offering is Duvel. </div><div><br /></div><div>Duvel is one of those entities that achieves both elite credibility along with the love of the masses. Like the Beatles of beer, perhaps. It is easy to see why it's so popular: it tastes great, and, at least in Belgium, is about as cheap as water. It is also omnipresent: it's featured as the sign on more places than Coca-cola in the US, and can be purchased at nearly any restaurant, convenience mart, bar, or even school cafeteria.</div><div><br /></div><div>Duvel is a very lightly colored, clear beer, with a mild-to-medium hopping, and finishes drier than just about anything. The dryness allows for a very cool finish: the alcohol actually manifests as sweetness. So, we get the (contradictory, by some definitions) heavenly mix of dryness and sweetness. The Belgian yeast is also apparent with the cloves on the finish.</div><div><br /></div><div>Unfortunately this beer is a bit strong while being highly drinkable, meaning you should switch beer if you want more than one. In this case, I would suggest the Leffe Blonde, the subject of a future post.</div></div>Karlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03014969705201895375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1059542012594492708.post-78955141964977350412009-11-19T11:36:00.000-08:002009-11-19T11:39:42.652-08:00UltimateI played with the advanced ultimate club team last night. Wow! Talk about some great ultimate, and super athletic players. Practice is every Wednesday night under the lights. It was primarily drills and lots of running. Suicides/laps/cuts, even punitive pushups during the throwing drill. I am hoping my performance was due in part to a lingering cold; I was having trouble keeping up in the running drills. In the end, we had a scrimmage, with an interesting half vertical/half horizontal stack.<div><br /></div><div>After the game we went to the park bar (yes, the park has a bar) for multiple rounds. Everyone is really friendly and seem to be a tight-knit, but welcoming, group.</div>Karlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03014969705201895375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1059542012594492708.post-91030080938383259952009-11-17T11:41:00.000-08:002009-11-17T12:31:36.665-08:00FriesI knew of Belgium's reputation for fries in advance, and after a week of exposure I feel equipped to help my readers get to the truth of things.<div><br /></div><div>Belgian fries are ubiquitous, but they are neither particularly "Belgian" nor a delicacy. They are certainly tasty, but in the way that all fries are, and not lacking in any critical fry quality. They also lack any qualities of excellence. They are simply tasty and plentiful; a daily (or hourly) serving of fulfilling mundanity.</div><div><br /></div><div>In the US, we have ways of exoticizing European cuisine due to our undeserved inferiority complex in realm of culinary culture. At Milltown, for example, they serve fries with various sauces that are embellishments far beyond typical Belgian serving styles. In Belgium, mayonnaise is the dressing of choice, its primacy yielding -- only on occasion -- to tarter sauce and ketchup.</div><div><br /></div><div>At the school cafeteria I frequent, fries seem to be the most popular item, and they are also freely refilled upon request (this request occurs frequently by the students -- how they retain their fitness astounds me). They are often seen with an ice cream-scoop sized glob of mayonnaise. At the outdoor food stands, there are two fry sizes; I always opt for the smaller, and am always served a massive coneful which I could not dream of finishing alone.</div>Karlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03014969705201895375noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1059542012594492708.post-29874106707132752882009-11-16T10:43:00.001-08:002009-11-16T10:43:35.097-08:00Store organizationBeer and soda share a shelf.<div><br /></div><div>Wine and liquor share a shelf.</div>Karlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03014969705201895375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1059542012594492708.post-77263313689940552482009-11-15T04:23:00.000-08:002009-11-15T04:27:20.868-08:00Likes #1This will be my running thread of likes and dislikes. So, Like #1:<div><br /></div><div><b>The nice extras</b></div><div><br /></div><div>When you order a coffee, they bring you a nice cup but always with something else, like a 1-ounce cup of chocolate mouse, a slice of pound cake, or a little toblerone chocolate. It really hits the spot with coffee, and is such a nice surprise addition.</div><div><br /></div><div>At a restaurant, you get a nice appetizer like olives or bruschetta. Afterwords (at least in the Italian restaurants), they offer a free apertif, like Amaretto.</div><div><br /></div><div>These things really round out your order, like icing on the top!</div>Karlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03014969705201895375noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1059542012594492708.post-48966177592266190422009-11-15T04:11:00.001-08:002009-11-15T04:15:43.812-08:00Thoughts on LeuvenSo far things have been nice but as typical with traveling solo, a little lonely and a little boring.<div><br /></div><div>Leuven is quite a pretty town but a mix as well. Some parts of very historic with cobblestone roads and beautiful old cathedrals. (I wish I had a better camera here because my iPhone images do no justice.) Other parts are more mundane shopping areas, which, though also pretty, don't have quite the same jaw dropping appeal.</div><div><br /></div><div>I've walked through most of the downtown several times and have a good mental map for the place. Just enough that I can usually intuit my way to the center, from which I know my way to other parts. I like to guess about shortcuts because even though I'm usually wrong, it takes me to some place new. A bike will be great here.</div><div><br /></div><div>There's a lot of restaurants and shops here, including an H&M :) So far I haven't found a good stop-and-go coffee place but maybe one does not exist here. There's some nice parks as well. I'll try to post more pictures soon.</div>Karlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03014969705201895375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1059542012594492708.post-37260827415545623732009-11-11T11:28:00.000-08:002009-11-13T13:52:46.929-08:00First days in townI arrived in Leuven in on Tuesday morning. I easily found the train station since, during landing, JetAirways played a video describing the airport. Train took about 20 minutes to get to Leuven. On the way there was some nice scenery: lots of farms that seemed to be embedded in neighborhoods, and steeples everywhere.<div><br /></div><div>The first thing one sees at the train stop is the Stella Artois factory. Once out of the station I </div><div>was greeted with the following scene:</div><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis2H8UYeS5uDy2sKEMKthPTo-lxHq2lweLR9SjPX9xYVbetTT7f8d74mtiugtZdUFkn2srQT0Or2NyqdDEgE9HKlBfA4EN4t7cmuslrlE6WWbBr1sV_x27CTwOTWN89u5gR-qyeMJp8hZ7/s320/IMG_0575.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402936119750057922" /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Walked to town center, hotel, then to work. All with a nap and some serious jetlag!</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Karlhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03014969705201895375noreply@blogger.com0