Monday, November 15, 2010

The Kitchen's Thanksgiving-Inspired Autumnal Meal

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THE KITCHEN pop-up kitchen, secret supper club, mobile guerrila restaurant of Hamburg struck again this weekend with our Autumnal Meal. 


The fall feast followed an American Thanksgiving-inspired theme, hence the deco included red table clothes and navy napkins with white stars, various varieties of pumpkins, overgrown cinnamon sticks and pomegranates. We projected a fireplace onto a white wall to give a warm glow and a cozy atmosphere in what is usually the back storage room of a lovely Swedish café. 


Preferring to incorporate the storage room feel into the decor rather than mask it, drink crates were stacked and used as podiums and serving tables.


As usual, the chefs were too busy plating dishes to photograph them but we did manage to steal a few quick snapshot. Above, the harissa carrots which were served in small ramicans on the side of the main course. This spicy Moroccan salad may have seemed like an odd pairing with the rich porcini gravy and earthy truffled mashed potatoes, but served on the side they offered a sharp palate cleansing finale to a rich meal and complimented the spicy chorizo in our new absolutely hands-down favorite stuffing ever. 


The dessert, a "crumbled apple pie a la mode" was a cross between a crumble and a pie. The sweet cinnamony apples were a perfect finish and the pumpkin seed oil over ice cream - you just have to try. it Nutty and light, tying everything together like a ribbon on a package.

The Kitchen wishes to thank ALEXANDRA and SABINE, above all, as well as the Larssons, Iris, Ingo, the Schmidts, Hakaka and everyone else who has assisted, housed, fed, taste-tested, loaned, inspired, led, directed and just been there. 

Interested in reserving a table at The Kitchen? Our next meal will take place on the second weekend in January. Inquiries about when, where, why and how oder wer, wie, was are welcome. More information about our January meal will be posted shortly. In the meantime, Happy Thanksgiving to all and a very happy holiday season!

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Reserve Now For The Autumnal Meal, November 13, 2010


Hello! Tag! And welcome to the The Pop-Up Kitchen of Hamburg! We are very excited to  announce our Autumnal Meal, Saturday, November 13, 2010 at 8 p.m. The evening's menu will be posted shortly. If you would like to join us, please send an email to thekitchen(dot)popup(at)googlemail.com for more information on location and making a reservation. Also, please be sure to let us know if you have any food allergies or restrictions - we are happy to accommodate. Of course, vegetarian options are also available.

Simple questions can also be sent - in English or German - we would love to hear from you. Thank you for your interest. We hope to see you soon at The Kitchen.

The Kitchen's Inaugural "Mad" Dinner



For Immediate Release: THE KITCHEN, Hamburg's first private supper club, opened this weekend to rave reviews. 

Bound by their love of cooking and eating and inspired by travel, design, seasonal produce, Jon Hamm, a stiff drink, and sharing a fabulous meal over riveting and hilarious conversation, two intrepid amateur cooks and professional food enthusiasts offered a three-course menu based on the American television series, "Mad Men" - set in 1960s Manhattan to 15 guests to open Hamburg's first secret restaurant. 

Mad Men goes into its fourth season this summer in the US and is set to hit German television for the first time this year - which meant the evening was an introduction to two things: a gorgeous American TV series and classic 1960s American cooking with a modern twist.

Guests arrived in full 1960s regalia ranging the gamut from demure Betty and dapper Don Draper to bohemian rhapsody. Real American martinis (none of the sweet stuff) with blue cheese stuffed olives and old fashioneds with maraschino cherries kicked off the evening before guests were escorted upstairs to the dining room. 

Buoyed by a mid 1950s - mid 1960s playlist created by DJs Nathan and Matthias, conversation flowed over one long table where 15 diners dug into a modernly twisted "spaghetti and meatballs" - seasonal white German asparagus ribbons tossed in brown butter, pancetta and green asparagus and topped with morel "meatballs" and shaved Parmesan. Wine pairings orchestrated by local weinhandler Weingut Wein matched each course including Betty's Beef Wellington with a potato and celeriac gratin and braised spinach. 

 

THE KITCHEN sends much love and owes special thanks to Nathan, Martin, Ingo, Matthias and Susanne, Bölle, Jochen, taste testers, fans and all those who have supported, inspired, fed, tolerated, listened to, instructed, and assisted in ways known or  unknown, seen or unseen.

 
Watch this site for THE KITCHEN's soon-to-launch website where interested parties can learn more about where dinners take place and when and how to reserve a table.