Tuesday, October 31, 2006
Twas The Night Before Thanksgiving
| OK, so the night before Thanksgiving you know you have to go and get Krystals to make your stuffing. But how many? What do you get on them? What about fries and a Coke? As if Thanksgiving and worrying about dry turkey wasn't enough, now you have Krystal pressure! Let me help you out. Go back to yesterday's post and review. You'll notice while describing stuffing I mentioned bread,meat, and onions. I never mentioned pickles, ketchup, or mustard. That's right. You want to order your Krystals nearly naked. Step up to the counter and proudly ask for your Krystals "no pickles, no mustard." You'll be fine. I have actually gotten one or two krystals with mustard mixed in without realizing it. While it won't kill you, it does put an odd twist to your stuffing. I'm sure you can see the problem with the pickles. Actually, I order mine with the pickles and then eat the pickles while I prep the Krystals. I love pickles. And not that you asked, but some of the best pickles on Earth come from North Carolina. So now the big question is: How Many? Well at least 10 for the stuffing. And since you're so close to 12 why not just get a sack full? Then again with 10 going into the stuffing, that leaves only 2 to eat and who can be satisfied with only 2 Krystals? Plus you may have to fend off others at home who try to sneak off with a Krystal. Better go for the Steamer and get 24! But whatever you do, it's better to get too many than too few, because once it hits Thanksgiving, Krystal is closed and you can't get any "last minute emergency Krystals." (Unless you keep a few frozen for just such an emergency.) OK, so now you get your bundle home. Now what? The first thing to do is get them out of their boxes. The boxes keep them warm and steamy, but in this case we need to let off as much steam as possible. Soggy Krystals are BAD for the stuffing. While I am unboxing them is when I usually perform the Pickle-ectomy. I also will eat my Krystals so I dont start chowing down on the Krystals reserved for the stuffing. When I was little, my mother would always make appetizers of celery stuffed with cream cheese and pecan chips. Its an amazingly quick, easy, and tasty appetizer. It was only years later I realized the real reason for this. It kept everyone busy and out of the kitchen, and also helped protect the stuffing (and turkey) from poachers. Sort of like throwing the steak to the left and running right to avoid the guard dog. Magicians call this "misdirection." OK, so the last thing that needs to be done is to tear the Krystals up. Yes, you heard me right. We have to tear them up. I find this easier to do if the Krystals have "rested" for a while. At least a few hours, or overnight. Fresh, hot Krystals don't tear easily, and frequently they get smushed. Smush-age is bad. Absolutely do not try to cut them with a knife as this causes massive amounts of smush-age. Use your hands. A cook who refuses to put their hands into their food isn't a real cook. Obviously, you should wash your hands before and afterwards. How small you tear the Krystals is up to you. This will determine the "chunkyness" of your stuffing. I like my stuffing rather smooth, so I find the "pinch, twist and pull" method using only my thumb and index finger works best for breaking down my Krystals. Once you have them all disassembled, set them aside and let them rest. They deserve it, and so do you. (And now so do I!) Come back tomorrow folks for the final release of my "Secret Stuffing!"  |
Monday, October 30, 2006
Stuffing FAQ
| If you've spent much time on the Web you know what a FAQ is. It stands for "Frequently Asked Questions." Invariably when someone comes to a website or message board they're sure to have lots of questions. 90% of them have been asked and answered before. So to assist "newbies" most web sites will post a FAQ to get them up and running. Now I have heard many different way to pronounce "FAQ" and even know some people who refuse to say it and instead spell it every time. I personally pronounce it "FAK" taking the hard "K" sound for the Q (like in the word "Question" get it?) Anyway, any time someone hears about my Krystal Stuffing recipe there's always a flurry of questions. I even had someone call me from out of the blue about 3 months ago and leave a message asking me to call them back and simply comfirm that what was on my Krystal Box wasn't made up. So that seems appropriate to start off my FAQ. (I have also removed the pointless and rhetorical questions like "Are you crazy?" and "You really like Krystals, don't you?") So here we go! Q) Do you really make stuffing with Krystal hamburgers? A) Yes (this answer seems obvious, but just to clear up any remaining doubt..) Q) Yuck! (I know this isn't a question but it does deserve a reply) A) I find many people who wrinkle their nose up at the idea don't have a good grasp on what really goes into stuffing. Almost all stuffing has a few common ingredients, among them are: bread, meat, onions, celery, spices. Now obviously there's many kinda of bread, with cornbread stuffing being one of the most famous. There's also lots of different types of meat people put into stuffing, most common is probably sausage. Also a lot of people swear my oysters. I personally find the idea revolting, but then I don't eat seafood. And oysters are king of the nasty seafood kingdom, anyway. Onions and celery, which you may recall are two of the three parts of Mire Poix (one of my favorite snobby French Chef terms). Carrots is the missing part. Though I have seen carrots in stuffing before, I found it a bit odd. Lastly, the spices come in as many different varieties as there are people. What works for you may not work for others. Thyme, sage, salt, and pepper are most common. Now lets go back to the original list and look at the first 3 items: bread, meat, onions. What is a Krystal made of? Now you're getting the idea! Q) Can I add...? A) I have seen all sorts of "strange" things in stuffing. Apples and raisins, nuts, dates, you name it. I am certain any of these could work as an addition to my recipe, and I am sure you could come up with more. Just promise me you'll make one batch by the original recipe before you go "freestylin." You may find it doesn't need anything at all. Q) Do you really stuff a turkey with it? A) Actually, no. Putting stuffing in your turkey when you cook your turkey is how you get salmonella. Your turkey is raw, you put stuffing inside where the heat already has a tough time getting to, and the stuffing acts like Owens Corning insultation. By the time the stuffing get warmed and the turkey is cooked the outside will be incinerated. I do have a few sneaky tricks I have used in years past that can help with this, but this isn't a cooking show and I'm not Alton Brown (though I wish I was). (Think stuffing under the skin, not inside the turkey.) The reason I call it "Stuffing" is because I am in the south. If you call it "dressing" which is what I was raised to call it (stuffing goes in the bird, dressing stays outside the bird) people down here think in terms of "Ranch" or "thousand island." I've also been told to call it "pan stuffing" but that just sounds goofy. It's stuffing you don't stuff. Q) Do I have to buy my Krystals a day early? A) Well for Thanksgiving, you sort of have to. Krystals is closed on Thanksgiving. its one of the few days they are actually closed. I usually hit Krystal late on Wednesday around 9 or 10 pm. Actually I have found buying early is better since Krystal quality can vary some. Sometimes they're dryer than others, so for best results I buy them the night before to allow them to dry and "stabilize" overnight prior to cooking. Q) Is it any good? A) Heck yeah! Why else would I do it if it wasn't? My mom's stuffing is the world's best, and I still make that on occasion (year round) but when you know Thanksgiving is on Thursday and you just gotta have some Thursday Krystals, why not just make some Krystal Stuffing? Q) How can I get my friends/family to eat Krystal Stuffing? A) A few years back I had Thanksgiving dinner with my friend Jarrett's family. We planned in advance for me to make and bring my Krystal Stuffing but didn't tell anyone until after dinner. It got good reviews, and most were shocked and impressed once they learned how it was really made. Jarrett and his parents zip thru this blog on occasion and might stop by and give their opinions at some point. So the "sneaky" approach has been tried before and does alright. It doesn't work well if the entire family sees you hauling in Krystals but not actually eating them. They might get suspicious. The delicious Krystal smell is also likely to give away the secret. I figure if the only stuffing you make is Krystal stuffing then that leaves them with few side dish alternatives. Q) Do you do other things with Krystals? A) Absolutely. Several other ideas have been posted here already, especially great things to do with Krystal Chiks. (Chik'n Ranch, Chik'n Parmesan, Barbecue Chik'n, Chik'n Cordon Bleu, etc). Stay tuned as I have a few more ideas brewing once we get past Thanksgiving and I get a chance to cut loose in the kitchen.  |
Sunday, October 29, 2006
Wow!
| I honestly cannot come up with a better title for this post. I am still recovering from my trip to Chattanooga for the Square Off hamburger eating championship. If you didn't see it live on ESPN 2 yesterday it will be replayed this afternoon, as well as more times later on down the road. I am unsure if you know the results (you may have been under heavy sedation in a hospital, or stuck on a deserted island) so I won't give any results til later this week, when I get to my full recap. Lets just say, I witnessed a Bob Beamon moment this weekend. Utterly, stunningly amazing. I took around 70 pictures at the event, not all of which will make thier way here on Krystal Adventure. I did, however, want to post a couple of them.   There were also lots of other "Krystal Chicks" there as well. And now is Tiffany's opportunity to bribe me. Otherwise, I'll be posting a picture of her here later on. I take cash, check, paypal, or Krystal Coupons. Seriously, though, I am always impressed with the hospitality, friendliness, and enthusiasm of the people at Krystal. But since the south is known for "Southern Hospitality" it should come as no surprise that since Krystal is the South's first hamburger, they should also demonstrate that famous southern charm. I tried to get a picture of Kenny, but he litterally kept changing his shirt (I saw yellow, black, and red, I think) and usually when I saw him he was a blur. They kept him busy, for sure! I saw Brad Wahl as well, I do have a picture of him. I also swear I saw Krystal CEO James Exum, Jr. (AKA The Krystal King) handing out free Krystals, but I didnt get a chance to speak to him or get a picture. Did I say "free Krystals?" Yes I did. As well as free Cokes, chips, lots of games, a great band, and of course a few people eating a massive amount of food. Now the reason my full recap is going to have to wait til later this week is there's a slightly more important event coming soon to Krystal Adventure. As promised earlier this year, I will be releasing my now famous Krystal Stuffing recipe here on November 1st. Leading up to that, I am going to post some background information, tips & tricks, and more. So stay tuned. There's plenty going on around here, and we're just getting started! Now go grab a seat in front of the TV and wait for the replay of the Square off on ESPN! Lastly, I cannot go without thanking Linda and Wes, my hosts. While they likely won't ever read this I still must express my gratitude for opening their home up to me for spur of the moment visits. There really are some amazing people in the world, and I am so lucky I know a few of them. |
Labels: Recipe
Thursday, October 26, 2006
The Kid Goes Back to Chattanooga
| Lots of tasty tidbits this evening. I told you I had been saving up. First off, I said earlier you could submit ideas by email of how I might possibly outdo the Krystal Marketing department in the quest for Ultimate Krystal stuff. Please do keep sending them in, but let me go ahead and shoot down the idea of getting a Krystal Tattoo. Won't be happening! Next idea? When Brad was in town with the Square off, he gave me some steamy gossip. (Get it? Steamy? Like a Krystal? Yeah I know... I'm cheesy... Get it? Cheesy? Like a Krystal? OK, I'll stop now.) One thing he told me was that they were soon going to be making major league changes to their "look." Including the boxes. Well last week I saw the new "Special" boxes but they were still using the Square Off cheese and Regular boxes. Well tonight, when I got my Krystals I saw that they've got the full assortment going now. Very different color scheme, for sure. I'll scan them and add them to my Krystal Box Gallery I think I better get some of the Square Off boxes this weekend to add to the page as well before they run out! (Yes, I said this weekend.. because...) Now for the really big news. I will be going to Chattanooga for the Square Off Finals. I am bolting out of work as soon as possible tomorrow on my way north. Just like last time I will be staying with my friend Linda and her husband, Wes. (See my posts from my trip back in mid April) Linda no longer works at Siskin, she has gone into selling real estate. So if you are buying or selling in or around Chattanoonga, email me. I got an agent for ya! Hopefully I can get up there in time to join in on some of the Square Off welcoming activities. I am also trying to convince Linda's husband, Wes, who is a well know sports figure in Chattanooga, to come see the professional eaters (who are also considered pro-athletes.. of a sort). I can assure you I'll bring the camera along. I am trying to decide if I will ask for autographs or not. I was thinking of bringing a stash of Krystal boxes and having the eaters sign those for me. But then that would be a bit cheesy wouldn't it? (Yes, I said cheesy again.) The event is going to be on ESPN and ESPN2 this weekend. It will be on ESPN2 live on Saturday starting at 4pm, and then replaying on ESPN at 3pm on Sunday. I don't know if they'll be running the web cam, too. While it seems silly to run a web cam for something on ESPN, I suppose the international eating fans might be blacked out otherwise. Not my call, cause I'm gonna be there LIVE! Unlike last time I was in Chattanooga, when I was too awestruck to do much other than blink and occasionally breathe, this time I will actually get some pictures of the amazing people from KHQ. So with the possible (though unlikely) exception of an early morning post tomorrow, you likely wont hear back from me until late Saturday or Sunday. But I promise you that you'll get 100% of the details and oodles of pictures from my trip. Because I know you care about the Square Off as much as I do! (Lastly, for those who like putting your money where someone else's mouth is, Bodog.com is taking online bets for the Square Off.)  |
Labels: Cheese
You know what day it is
| Since my recent post about how Krystal has left me in the dust with their awesome new Krystal truck, I have gotten several suggestions, mostly from my artistically minded friends. I have many artistic friends. That is how I overcompensate for my utter lack of artistic ability. I will take the weekend to mull these ideas over, and feel free to keep emailing me any ideas as well. Most of the ideas center of me fixing up/altering MY truck. Since I just got it fixed I don't know how much I like those ideas. As you've probably heard, this weekend is the Krystal Square-Off in Chattanooga. While Brad (the Krystal King of Advertising) was down for the Perry Square Off, he invited me to come up for the Square Off weekend. You see, most of the eaters will arrive on Friday, the night before. They put them up at a hotel and there's a get together on Friday evening. Personally I'd hate to foot the food bill for a gathering of the biggest eaters on Earth, but then as we've seen, Krystal has a slightly larger budget to work with that I do. The other neat thing is, last year, several of the eaters hadn't ever actually had a Krystal, so an impromptu road trip was set up, they apparently convinced the hotel to get out the courtesy shuttle, and they went to the local Krystal. Unannounced. As you might expect, a few challenges were tossed around, and quite a few Krystals were eaten. Including the (at the time) unofficial 2 minute record. It was unofficial because it wasn't sanctioned by the IFOCE. "Humble" Bob Shoudt put down the most that night, which I believe was 22. Bob has since had that record broken by Joey Chestnut, and then Bob recently tied Joey's record of 28 in 2 minutes. You can see him tie the record here on the Square Off web site. For those that have been paying close attention, you may have noticed I got a comment from Bob in this post a couple of weeks back. As a side note, I also got spammed in the comments on that post. So now I have been Googles, Wiki'd, Spammed, and visited by Humble Bob. I'm trying to figure out how to get "Burgatory" added into www.wiktionary.org as well. I'm honored for sure! Anyway, Brad said this year, Krystal would be assisting the eaters on a road trip to the nearest restaurant. I am sure all the Krystals in the Chattanooga area are thankful. I can't imagine the shock and awe that resulted from a late night crowd of people who can easily eat 20+ Krystals. And what about other customers that night? Anyway, if I can find a way to work out this trip to Chattanooga tomorrow, I might be able to tag along. Of course I'd be a nervous wreck. In the same room with the Super Heros of eating? Of course I'll have my camera in tow. Coordinating this trip will require meto burn up the phone lines this afternoon, and also do some fancy talking at work to see about getting out a little early. (We're wrapping up a 2 week class this week and I am going to see if I can dump the last hour or three of class on my co-instructor. But don't tell him!) |
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
74 and Counting
| The first Krystal restaurant opened in [October 24th] 1932 at the corner of Seventh and Cherry Streets in downtown Chattanooga, Tenn., amid harsh financial times of the Great Depression. But founders Rody Davenport Jr. and J. Glenn Sherrill knew even in these hard times, people would patronize a restaurant that was kept spotlessly clean, where they could get a good meal with courteous service at the lowest possible price. Designed by Chattanooga architect Gordon Smith, the first Krystal restaurant measured 10 feet by 25 feet and was constructed in what, at the time, was a revolutionary and expensive method of building. Made of gleaming white porcelain and stainless steel, the building was prefabricated in a metal shop in Chicago and assembled on site in Chattanooga. Krystal's first customer, French Jenkins, ordered six "Krystals" and a cup of coffee, all for the bargain price of 35 cents, and proudly took his place on a stool. From then on, Krystal was in business. - From Krystal.com   Now  Click for more pictures from my trip to the Angus Cafe And Forever  October 24th is also my brother's birthday. Happy Birthday, Jeff!  |
Monday, October 23, 2006
Trumped!
You may recall that a few weeks back I was rear-ended on my way to work. My poor truck got slightly crumpled:    I scour the globe for obscure Krystal artifacts like stuffed toys, golf balls, brass keyrings, and the like. Krystal buys the ultimate Krystal Truck. Even my glorious Krystal Kreed plaque starts to pale in comparison to the wonders that come out of Chattanooga. They've got the Krystal truck, the Krystal Square off trailer and tent, and the Krystal Kruiser (featured here back in mid April). With these recent discoveries, the management here at Krystal Adventures called an emergency staff meeting this afternoon. The two items that came out of that meeting are as follows: 1) We need a better advertising and marketing team here at Krystal Adventures. 2) We need a much bigger budget. Of course these changes would probably require us to actually have a marketing team... and a budget... but those are minor details. (If you wish to work for or contribute to the "Help get Kool Krystal Stuff for Krystal Adventure" campaign, please email me.) I will resist the urge to carve "Krystal Rulz!" into the freshly painted side of my truck. At least for now. But I must not simply lay down and allow Krystal HQ to pass me in the quest for ultimate Krystal stuff. I have a few gems I've been hiding in the back closet. It now appears I may have to dig them out. |
Sunday, October 22, 2006
Krystal Kamping!
| As you may or may not recall I was a Boy Scout as well as a Cub Scout. Yes I am an Eagle Scout, and I could probably fill an entire blog post with the awards, badges, and ranks I got as a Scout. Needless to say, I'm a big fan. I'm super proud my nephews are getting into Scouting, and if you have boys, I cannot think of anything better for helping them grow into exceptional young men than Scouting. Now with that PSA out of the way, back to my point. One of my favorite things from Scouting was going camping. I even worked at Bert Adams Summer Camp in Covington, GA for 3 summers. Once I started college I stopped camping. It wasn't until last year that I got back to the woods.  Sadly, it seems I inherited my father's luck at choosing weekends to go camping. As all of the Scouts from Troop 354 in Conyers can attest: if my father (who was Scoutmaster at the time) picked the weekend to camp, it would rain or snow. The weekend I went camping last year happened to be Veterans Day weekend and also the week that temperatures dropped from 80's on Monday to freezing by the weekend. So there I am in the woods with shorts and t-shirts when the overnight temperature hits 31 degrees. Somewhere in there I seem to recall something about Boy Scouts and being prepared. But I wasn't paying much attention. I know, I know, you're wondering what on Earth is the point of all of this. Well, here it is. Next time I go camping I know the tent I need to take with me:  While I was busy drooling at the tent and the amazing aromas that issued from it, I asked Brad if it would be OK for me to get a picture taken in the tent:  Sadly, I somehow think they'd be able to give a good description of me to the police, since I'm all over the internet and stuff. Such is the price of fame, I guess. So sadly, my next camping trip will be beanie weenies, or hot dogs, or ravioli. But I'll be dreaming of a tent full of Krystals! |
Labels: Conyers
A Fair To Remember
| Blogspot was being naughty last night, so I scolded it harshly and sent it to bed early. Hopefully it was play nice today. Here's last night's post: So a couple of weeks back I went to see the Square Regional Finals down at the GA National Fair in Perry. I had been there for Thursday and Friday, but missed Saturday. The first two days the numbers among the preliminary rounds were rather low, but on Saturday they apparently turned around. So Sunday's regional finalists included a few heavyweights (pun only slightly intended). I got into the park a little late as traffic was horrid and I wound up in a parking place that seemed to be 2 miles from the entrance. I was lucky enough to get a funnel cake and find a seat. For the finals they had about 15 eaters. The lower seeded eaters were at ground level and the higher seeds were up on the big stage. If you've never witnesses a Square Off then you've missed out. Obviously the eaters are worth watching, but until you've seen it live, you really haven't seen it all. I saw one of the qualifying rounds several years back, but those are nothing compared to the regional finals, and I can only imagine how the championship is. The staff who run the contest perform a choreographed dance as they ensure all cups are full of water, and the contestants always have plenty of burgers to eat. In the qualifing rounds where it's rare to see more than 10 or 12 eaten, they simply count the empty boxes. When it gets to the higher rounds, that would be impossible. You can't really imagine the number of Krystals that are put away until you see them being staged for the contest.  This amazing dance of consumption lasts for 8 minutes. (Think the duration of Stairway to Heaven by Led Zeppelin.) All the while there's an announcer screaming out the current counts, water splashing everywhere, and of course all this is done in front of a large, live, rowdy audience. Simply amazing. Kenny, Brad, Kitty, and Keith do an amazing job, for sure! In case you haven't heard, you'll be able to witness this amazing dance, and of course the eating, next weekend as ESPN run the Square Off finals live on Saturday, with a replay the next day on ESPN2. I am trying to make it up there for the contest and perhaps the night before, but work is sort of getting in the way. Once the contest is done, the cleanup process begins. It is then that is really becomes clear just how much has been eaten:  Anyway, once the stage was cleaned off, they returned to the locating that they'd been set up in for the previous 4 days and starting breaking down that set to move on to Jackson, MS.  As for that nifty tent in the background of the picture, come back tomorrow and I'll tell you all about it. Lets just say: I gotta get me one of them! |
Friday, October 20, 2006
Back to the Fair!
One of my favorite things at the fair is the food. Of course this year I got a quick meal of Krystals, a very quick meal. But I didnt get fries or a Coke with dinner, only water. So once I had finished I went off in search of the rest of dinner. Everyone knows you see strange things at the fair. Heck they had a booth you could see baby alligators, and another booth with some amazingly big bull (yes I mean the bovine). But you had to pay to see them. I, however, got to see quite a strange thing at the fair, and I saw it for free! When you're at the fair and you want something sweet, you are hard pressed to beat a funnel cake. So that's exactly what I got!   The fried Twinkie was awesome! Hot and sweet on the outside, soft and gooey and still a little chilled on the inside. (They freeze them so they won't explode when they hit the hot oil.) And it once again got me curious about doing something similar with a Krystal. However, my last attempts at battered, deep fried Krystals just didn't pan out so well. Then the idea hit me! All food on a stick is good food. And then an idea was born:   I suppose I'll have to rely on the good old Corn Pups for my "tasty tiny food on a stick" fix. Unless they go forward with the release of the Chikn' Stikn'(See the videos on Krystal.com)  |
Thursday, October 19, 2006
News you can use (or not)
| OK, so I haven't been doing such a good job of keeping the site updated. Well, in my defense, lately work has been... well... a lot of work. Also since the firewall now blocks all access to a blog I can't even get on to update during lunch. I have found a potential work around to post from work, but I won't be able to post pictures that route. And you know how much I love to post pictures! I guess if you have any strong preference, email me and let me know. Otherwise, it's evening and weekend only posting from this point forward. Now, just because I haven't been POSTING doesn't mean nothing's been happening. I left off somewhere along the lines when I was talking about my cruise. Well I finally got my pictures posted to webshots. It took three tries, as their interface isn't very user friendly. However, you are now more than welcome to Click Here and see all of my cruise pictures. There's no obvious Krystal content over on Webshots, other than my Krystal Tie on formal night. I have already posted my Krystal Kruise stuff here. Obviously I have left you hanging on the Square Off in Perry. And since the Jackson, MS Qualifier is done, the only thing left is the finals in Chattanooga the last weekend of this month. Yes, I am trying to find a way to make it. However, as you might recall, work has been a lot of work lately, and I don't know if I will be able to make it. You'll be the first (or second) to know if I can make it. You may recall just prior to my cruise, someone decided they wanted to try and move my truck's rear bumper into the front seat with me. My truck strongly resisted, and won. Well, the past 2 weeks my poor truck has been in the shop for repairs, and I was given this as a loaner.   (I though it was nice how they censored their shirts for me.) The drive did convince me of one thing though: I do not want a PT Cruiser anymore. While it gives me the head room I need like a pick up truck, I am looking through the top 3" of the windshield and having to hunch over the wheel to see street lights. My knees rub the bottom of the dashboard. I just don't fit. So my little adventure in rental cars has probably saved me a $20K car purchasing mistake. But I have gotten off topic. I have a few Cup sightings to post about. If you have a sighting (cup or box) that I haven't posted about, please send me your story and pictures if you can. I want to try and get the last of those posted soon. Yes, I said "the last of those." That's right, there are no more Jason cups or boxes being produced. You may find a stray one here or there, as stores clean out their back stock, but don't count on it. I've also gotten a few more Krystal goodies in, one of which I have been reading lately and getting quite a few giggles out of. I will eventually get pictures and scans posted of them. Eventually. All of this will hopefully produce a flurry of activity here at Krystal Adventure leading thru Krystal's Birthday next week, and up to the released of my new and improved Krystal Stuffing recipe on November 1st, just in time to make for friends and family at Thanksgiving. |
Labels: Recipe
Monday, October 16, 2006
No, not THAT Krystal!
| First lets get a couple of definitions out of the way. The name of the place is Krystal. Singular noun. The burgers are called Krystals. Plural noun. I guess one burger is also a "Krystal" but that confuses things, so lets forget about that. Besides, who can eat just one Krystal? Now I may be the only person on Earth who cares about using the proper name for the proper thing. I tell people I eat Krystals. I tell people I eat at Krystal. I eat Krystals at Krystal. Seems easy enough right? Well I thought so, too. Recently I happened to be having dinner with a group of people. Several of them I have known for years. Someone among the group asked me about the whole Krystal thing, and I began to tell them about the Square Off and other recent events. Well a friend of one of my friends arrived a little late and missed the beginning of the conversation. They sat down and tuned in. They heard my open and honest discussion of my love of Krystal. I told of how I have Krystal every week and on some occasions two or even three times a week. After a long silence, the person then asked what a Krystal was. Now I get this question a lot from people who arent from around here, so it's not a completely uncommon question.So I explained about the tasty burgers and the "small hot steamed square" burgers I love so much. Again after a long pause, then person then said "Thank goodness. I thought you were talking about Crystal Meth." Looking back on it, I can see how my entire conversation could be completely misunderstood. I like to think I am enough of a "clean cut" guy that no one would ever assume anything about me and drugs, but given my blunt details of my persuit of Krystals, I suppose the drug free assumptions go right out the window. So as much as it bothers me I may have to stop calling the place "Krystal" (which is the proper name) and start calling it "Krystals" just so I don't wind up in rehab or detox. Yes, I know there are some out there who would try to make the point that I *am* a "Krystal Addict." Once again I feel those sorts of accusations come out of jealousy. I look forward to the steamy goodness every week, and they're forced to eat whatever the king or the clown shoves out the drive through window at them. As I always say, though, the cure for jealousy is a chili cheese pup! |
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
Square Reflections
| Looking back on my entry into the world of competitive eating, I have gained new perspectives and a new appreciation for those who eat LOTS of food on purpose. I have never claimed to be a big eater, and would never pass myself off as one. I don't eat a lot of Krystals, I eat Krystals often. There's a big difference. However, wlaking around the fair with one of the Square Off t-shirts on, you get lots of comments. On more than 3 or 4 occasions people would ask how many I ate (4) and then go off on how many they could eat. Now had they simply said they could eat more than me I wouldn't argue. The guy 4 feet away from me ate more than me. However, several of them declared how many they could eat, even after I told them it was a 2 mnute contest, and it was at that point I realized there's a lot of clueless people at the fair. One guy declared that he could eat 30 Krystals. I told him there's a 2 minute time limit and he said it didn't matter. It's at this point you are faced with a tough decision. You can smile and walk away, or you can inject a comment. Choose your favorite reply from the following list: 1) I'm full of Krystals and you're full of crap. 2) The world record is 28. 3) The stage is right over there, lets go see. 4) Do you even know what a Krystal is? Yes, I used each of these at one point or another when faced with obviously clueless (or insane) people at the fair. I think I'm lucky I didn't get punched. I just wanted some fries and and a coke, not a tall tale. But with that said, lets see what others thought of the contest. First we have my friend Ed Grisamore's column from Friday (click to see the full size version).  |
Monday, October 09, 2006
1-2-3 Square Off!
| So I'm sitting at work last Thursday and the phone rings. I answer it, expecting a call from the shop about my truck. I was making arrangements to get it in the shop and get a rental while it was being worked on. I answer the phone and the reply is "Hey Jason!" Expecting Charles from the repair place, I juump right in with "Hey there! Good morning!" This is then followed by "This is Ed Grisamore from the Macon Telegraph." Ok, so this is not at all what I was expecting. You might recall Ed did an interview of me for the paper a few months back. (The link to the article is to the left). I sort of figured since the Square Off was in town maybe he was calling about that. I was only partly right. It seems that Krystal had contacted members of the media about having a special VIP Square Off and Ed was one who had been contacted. Ed was nervous and excited but admittedly knew nothing about eating lots of Krystals quickly. So what does a supreme newshound do in a situation like that? Well you go to your news sources. In this case it happened to be a Mercer Law School student, who'd done an eating contest before, that Ed interviewed a few years ago, and me. Apparently Ed was having trouble locating the other guy but knew exactly where I was. So after he reviewed his situation he asked me if I had any tips. Suddenly I felt like "Mickey" the Burgess Meredith from the Rockey movies (Rocky I, II, and III, but not Rocky IV. And don't get me started on Rocky V). I couldn't find my knit cap or a hearing aid to wear, so I had to wing it. I just had to hope that at no point would Ed say "Cut me, Mick... I can't see." Admitedly most of my tips for training that I'd gathered online are not the kind you can start the day of the contest. Stuff like chewing entire packs of gum to strengthen your jaw muscles, and I have heard that Kobiyashi eats huge piles of cabbage to help "stretch" his stomach out prior to a contest. Since none of these tips are good last minute tips, I really only had a couple of good useful ones: water is the ultimate weapon. You should dunk your burgers in the water and squeeze out the air. This makes them smaller and also helps them slide down your throat better. Also, a few occasional sips of water will be good. Most folks don't think you should drink while you are eating. That's a good way to choke! Ed didn't seem at all please with the idea of dunking your Krystals in water. He asked if it ruined the taste. From what I've been told after yours 4th or 5th Krystal you don't taste them anyway. I then directed him to several of the video clips on the square off site: Sarah "The Black Window" Thomas eating 62 in 8 minutes, and "Humble" Bob Shoudt eating 28 in 2 minutes. Ed thanked me for my advice and I told him I'd probably see him there.  Brad told me they were going to be having a VIP square off at 7pm and they'd already had 1 person back out. He asked if I wanted to sub in for the missing media person. At this point I hadn't 100% decided I would eat, since I am just not that kind of Krystal Lover. But in moments of turmoil most mind find confusion, but a few find clarity. It dawned on me that since it's Thursday I was going to eat Krystals as some point. And if not here and now, then at a drive thru later. I knew I'd be kicking myself at the drive through at having to pay for Krystals I could have gotten free earlier. Not to mention the fact that my lunch was a candy bar and I hadn't eaten dinner yet. I could have probably eaten several of the livestock on show at the fair by that point. He then pointed out the board and added me to it. I thend explained that I'd been "coaching" Ed Grisamore, at it would certainly seem strange to now compete against him.   I know Ed Grisamore is a professional and wouldn't publicly call Ben Jones a chicken. I, however, and far from professional. Bawk! Bawk! Bawk! I actually saw Ben at the fair less than 200 yards from the Krystal tent less than 15 minutes prior to the contest. Bawk! Bawk! Bawk! So I hadn't yet decided on a strategy for eating my Krystals. Brad gave a big thumbs down to the knife and fork method. I sort of agree. While it would have been good for a laugh, it would have been rather insulting. I decided I'd do it "the regular way." Once Ed arrived and realized I would also be eating, he seemed a bit more intimidated. He said that earlier in the day he'd been excited but after my phone call the the video clips he'd seen online he was now a bit afraid. he just didn't want to embarrass himself. The lead up to each round is roughly the same. They introduce the contestants, ask them how many they think they'll be able to each, we all put on our shirts and get our game faces on. As they bring the Krystals, warm and steamy, from the back, you can smell them, and they smell good.  When you get to one or two krystals left in front of you, they come along and "reload" with 2 more Krystals, trying to stay ahead. Once I got #3 down they came by and I waved them off after they placed #5. I knew I could have gone for 6, but honestly, I feared the post-contest experience. Besides, I hadn't had any french fries of a Coke with my dinner, yet! I coasted into the last few seconds, satsfied with my 4-spot. I knew I wouldn't win, and I didn't mind. I just never knew how close I would have been. Once the contest was over, everyone shook hands, pictures were taken, and I went off in search of fries and a Coke. Sadly, the Square Off trainer isn't equipped for fries. Dang it! All in all I had a blast. It was great being surrounded by people who love Krystals as much as I do (and some who love them faster than I do). I guess that's why I went back Friday and Sunday, too. But those recaps will come later this week. Right now I need to get my bootay on the highway, so i can get to Brunswick for a show! |
Sunday, October 08, 2006
Terra Firma!
| After 5 glorious days at sea we arrived back at Port Canaveral, Florida. While I didn't have to be hauled off, kicking and screaming, I wouldn't have been at all upset if I had been told I'd need to stay on board for another week. Sadly, cruise lines don't do things like that any more. (See: Press Gang Disembarking is always a mad house as there are over 2000 people on board and apparently they all want off, NOW. They give everyone colored luggage tags, and you disembark by color. Obviously they use colors so the to hide the fact that there are almost 28 different groups. We were about half way down the list. Went went for one last breakfast on board, made our way off the ship and through customs, and then for the drive back to Orlando. The rest of the weekend was mostly spend sleeping. You know it's been a good vacation when you need a vacation to recover from your vacation! We also ate some "land food." After a week of some of the best food ever, you really just need some junk. Sunday afternoon, we again caught up with my friend Jarrett, and what better place that Krystal? (You knew that was coming!)  Jarrett and his wife Jamie with their daughter Annelise  Someone love the Oreos in the kids meal! Sunday morning I loaded back into the truck and slowly made my way back home. Once I arrived, oddly enough, I took another long nap. So when it's all said and done, the cruise was amazing. Everything I could have hoped for (especially since it was a successfull BYOK: Bring Your Own Krystal.) I'm certain I'll do another cruise later at some point, possibly the same cruise and eventually working up to longer ones. Not sure I am up for trans-Atlantic yet, because I know my Krystals wouldn't survive 14 days at sea. Tomorrow will be a hectic day for me. I finally get my poor truck to the shop for much needed repairs to the bumper boo-boo. I also need to get by the Macon telegraph office to see about getting back copies of Friday's paper. Then I'll be back to give a bit of a Krystal Square Off recap. Finally, I hope to hit the road, again. One of my favorite obscure bands, Emily's Toybox (not for children) is making a rare appearance down in tiny Brunswick, GA. Since the only other places they ever play are up in Philly and down in Key West, it appears this is my only chance to see them without airfare. We'll see how it goes. |
Saturday, October 07, 2006
Krystals @ Sea
| OK, so yesterday I tried something to allow me to post from work. Obviously it did not go as expected. And I didnt know til this morning. Eek! So now I am forced to catch up. (Ketchup?) So Thursday, the last full day of the cruise. And it's also Krystal Thursday, as usual. A lot of planning had gone into getting my Krystals for a Thursday at sea. I had purchased special plastic cases to put them in, to hopefully stave off spoilage and to prevent major dammage.  They had no problems making it on board. The big problem is that my stateroom on deck 2 had no fridge. I had a delimma. I could allow my steward (stateroom attendant) Stephen, to store them in the fridge I know he has in his stateroom. However, I also know he had a cabinmate. Could I trust two young hungry guys who likely had never tasted the wonders of a Krystal? I decided that my Krystals were too valuable and delicious to trust to anyone else and kept them in my cabin, where I could keep an eye on them. Thursday evening, it was time. Jenn and I descended to our cabin and I dug up my buried treasure. I opened each bag and each box and inspected my burgers. Sadly, one of them had a strange blueish "coating" to it, and I was forced to let that one go. It was a sad moment, as rarely does a Krystal of mine make it to the trash. But I still had one left: the cheese Krystal. We grabbed the camera and made our way to the pool deck.    Friday's disembarking was an utter mad house and I don't have any pictures of that, so tomorrow will be a short recap of my trimphant return to the land of Krystal, and Monday will begin my recap of this weekend's Square Off in Perry. One final note: If anyone happens to have a copy of Friday's Macon Telegraph, could you PLEASE hang on to it for me, since I am once again in it. I will try and get by the Telegraphs office on Monday to get some but it can be tricky getting "back issues." After all, I do have to get "five copies for my mother." And I suppose if you want to spoil my Square Off Recap, you could find the article online and read it. Or just wait here and you'll know soon enough. The Square Off finals are at 3pm tomorrow at the fair and I'll be back there. If you plan to go, the finals have been moved to the big stage, since the turnout has been bigger than expected this year. Hope to see you there. No I won't be eating on the stage. I'll be having a funnel cake in the front row. |
