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Grilled: Ganda Suthivarakom

Posted by Adam Kuban, February 5, 2007 at 6:26 PM

Ladies and gentlemen, it is with great pleasure that I bring you today the inspiration for the Grilled series of Q&As. When I saw Ganda Suthivarakom interviewing food lovers in her "You Are What You Eat" surveys on her foodblog Eat, Drink, One Woman, I knew I had to adapt the format for AHT. Ms. Suthivarakom recently graced the stage of Carnegie Hall along with David Byrne and Miss Saigon. And so, without further ado, let's get Grillin'

Name: Ganda Suthivarakom
Location: Brooklyn, New York
Occupation: Writer, singer, web producer, not necessarily in that order [Um, you forgot foodblogger. —The Mgmt.]

How often do you eat burgers?
Probably once every two months. I'm kind of picky about burgers. I figure if I'm going to intake that much cholesterol, it better be worth it.

Cheese: American, cheddar, other?
Only American will do. Cheddar's too oily, swiss is too bland in the wrong way, blue cheese is just wrong. American is mild and melty and just right for me.

Ketchup or mustard?
Ketchup. Mustard is for sandwiches and vinaigrettes. Ketchup is a fine, fine condiment. Fries are merely a vehicle for ketchup. I also like a dab of mayo.

Sesame-seed or plain?
Sesame seed

Grilled, griddled, or broiled?
I've enjoyed grilled and griddled equally.

And how would you like that done, miss?
I like a medium burger, but only when I can trust the establishment not to give me mad cow sponge brain. Hence the burger once every two months thing.

Would you do us the favor of describing your perfect burger? (Price and ingredients are no object.)
I would argue that a burger is a food that requires not fancy ingredients and fancy preparation, but context. My context: backyard barbecue, friends and/or family, late afternoon on a 77 degree summer day, under shady trees, summer jams from a boom box, hot grill, trustworthy fresh ground beef, plenty of salt and pepper, American cheese, grilled onions, ketchup from a squeeze bottle, a dollop of mayo, toasted, super soft bun, lettuce, ripe tomato. And a Coke with ice in a red or blue Dixie cup.

The hamburger is a food item with which most Americans have strong childhood associations. Do you remember your earliest encounter with this delicious dish?
No. I'm sure it was something wretched like a McDonald's cheeseburger Happy Meal.

What's your favorite fast-food burger?
I can't say I have a favorite fast-food burger. Most of the time I'll abstain before resorting to fast-food burgers because I know what little joy I glean from the quick fix will soon be supplanted by everlasting regret and remorse. I'm still repenting for a McDonald's quarter pounder with cheese I ate when I was living in London at the height of the mad cow scare. The wrapper was printed with the reassurance, "Made from Argentinian beef", which did nothing to assuage my guilt. It was the one beef dish I ate the entire year, and I ate it shortly before I went vegetarian (which only lasted for the duration of my stay in the U.K.). But if I had to choose a fast-food burger, I guess it'd be In-n-Out. It's made to order, the menu is simple so the kitchens aren't overextended, you can get grilled onions and a toasted bun, and I would trust it more than I trust Big Brother McDonald's or Big Brother Burger King or slimy White Castle.

What topping or condiment, in your opinion, should never grace a burger?
I have to admit to being a topping and condiment lover in general, but I do love the simplicity of a sparingly accessorized burger. All of those fancy cheeses are just a waste on a burger. Nothing beats American in my book. And alfalfa sprouts -- horrid! Those breeding grounds for E. coli have no place on my plate, let alone on a burger. Foie gras, chili, truffles, red pepper relish, avocado, bacon, etc. are distractions. I love the mighty ketchup with a dollop of mayo to glue everything together. Being a California girl, I like veggies with every meal, so I do like the textural contrast of a little lettuce, the sweet succulence of tomato, and the sulfuric foil of onion. But everything else is just sort of...in the way. I like a burger I can get my mouth around. Not that I would kick an overembellished burger out of bed, mind you. What I really object to is the use of English muffins as buns. English muffins are for toasting with butter in the morning. They are not for burgers, especially when untoasted. I hate a raw, yeasty English muffin. I also object to burgers in pitas.

What's the most unusual burger you've ever eaten? (Or most unusual burger experience you've had?)
I had that burger with the works at some Australian cafe in Nolita -- burger with beet, canned pineapple rings, and a fried egg. I liked that, though it may have come on an English muffin. I'm a sucker for a good mixture of sweet and savory, meat and fruit, and anything "a cheval".

What's the most overrated burger you've tried? Most underrated?
Most overrated has got to be those freaking White Castle sliders. I can't believe they inspired a movie. Maybe it's because by the time I got to the East Coast, my stoner phase had already ended, but I just don't get it. They're tiny, the meat has got to be of dubious quality if they sell them by the sack, and they're smeared with onion slime. Biting into one of those things is like making out with a snotty armpit. At least that's how it is in my memory. [Dude. You are so banned from AHT after this little rant, missy. —The Mgmt.]

For the most underrated, I'd like to take a minute to pay my respects to the dearly departed 2nd Ave. Deli. Aside from making my favorite snappy hot dogs and the Greatest Matzo Ball Soup this bubbe-less goy has ever had, they offered a beautiful burger. Kosher beef, challah roll, cooked to a juicy medium (not kosher, I know, but bless them for doing it anyway) with darkly caramelized onions, with a couple of half-sours on the side to clean the palate afterwards. I probably ate one a week for a year and a half. My cholesterol has gone down since then but my heart will never heal.

For some crazy reason, you're going vegetarian. Where do you go for your final burger?
To the house my roommate, our friends and I rent upstate. Handmade, as specified earlier, grilled by the herb garden in the early-afternoon, eaten at the little picnic table under the tree, with a Coke, followed by a Pimm's cup. At which point, my roommate would tell me my crazy reason for going vegetarian is crazy and I ought to just give in to my hedonistic omnivore tendencies and wasn't that burger amazing and am I really ready to give that up? To which I would reply, well, when you put it that way, I guess not, then fall happily off the wagon and go inside to prepare some short ribs, or a nice rack of lamb, or a buttery roasted chicken, or a sausage ragu...

BURGER JOINTS REFERENCED
McDonald's: Locations worldwide; mcdonalds.com
In-N-Out Burger: Several locations in California, Nevada, and Arizona; in-n-out.com
Burger King: Locations worldwide; burgerking.com
White Castle: Several locations, mostly in the Northeast; whitecastle.com

FURTHER READING
Eat, Drink, One Woman is Ms. Suthivarakom's foodblog.
You Are What You Eat is the series of Q&As on Eat, Drink, One Woman that AHT took inspiration from in formulating its own Grilled feature.
You Are What You Eat, Ganda Suthivarakom: Hey—isn't it against the rules to interview yourself?
Extravagance (and Shoe Love) in the Rise of a Despot, a New York Times review of "Here Lies Love," the song cycle Ms. Suthivarakom appeared in just prior to the publishing of this Q&A.
Imelda: the nightclub years, the Guardian's take on "Here Lies Love."
YouTube clip of part of "Here Lies Love" at Carnegie Hall.
Other Grilled interviews, from the AHT Archives.

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