Top 10 Food-Related Top 10's

Delicious Cocktail Wienies

10. Top 10 Foods with Funny Names (via the Los Angeles Foodie)

With such classics as Super Dickmann's, Mini Dickmann's, Cock Soup Mix, and Fart Juice how could you go wrong?  I didn't know that Heinz made a microwavable Spotted Dick Sponge Pudding in a can!  Sounds scrumptious!

9. 10 Great Health Foods for Eating Well (via the Mayo Clinic)

Well, hasn't this subject been beaten like a filthy rug on a windy day?  I thought this was interesting because it is from the freaking Mayo Clinic, not howtoloseweightin90days.com, bestfoodsforstaying healthy.com, or ilost200poundsinthreemonthsclickheretofindouthow.com.  Let's get real, the list starts with Apples, Almonds, and Blueberries...

8. Top 10 Mispronounced Foodie Words (via Chicago Tribune)

I've been told that Bruschetta can be correctly pronounced at least two different ways but confusing Chicken Mole with a dish consisting of a flightless bird with a dark spot on its skin is unacceptable.  Pączki?  They got me on that one but I think there are at least two more common ones they missed: chipotle and asiago.  No Vern, it isn't che-pote-el and ah-see-ah-joe.

7. Top 10 Food Hacks (via Lifehacker)

First there's the old "Open a banana like a monkey" trick.  Hint: don't tear it from the stem.  Then there's the "DIY microwave popcorn hack" and the "Making Super Mario-style mushrooms from radishes" how-to guide.  Lastly, they teach you how to make edible shot glasses.  Do all four hacks at the same party and you unlock a badge on Foursquare!

6. Top 10 Food Trends for 2010 (via Epicurious)

Lamb is in, Pork is out.  Home Made Beer is in, Mad-Science Cocktails are out.  Mini Whoopie Pies are in, Mini Cupcakes are out.  Vancouver is in, Barcelona is out...  I'm so bummed right now because I just booked my tickets for the 1st Annual Spanish Basil-Lavender Gin and Tonic, Cupcakes, and Chorizo Tour.  I leave in May.

5. Top 10 Foods Only America Could Have Invented (via the Endless Simmer)

From staples such as a ground pig parts, dipped in batter, skewered with a stick, and deep fried (the Corn Dog) - to more delicacies like impaling a turkey with a duck, that's been impaled with a chicken, that's been packed like a musket with sausage stuffing (the Turducken), this is a solid Top 10 of American gluttony.

4. Top 10 Common Food Poisoning Risks (via the New York Times)

"Each year, about 76 million people in the United States become ill from the food they eat, and about 5,000 of them die, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports.

Harmful bacteria are the most common cause of food-borne illnesses..."

3. Top 10 Food Related Stand-up Comedy Bits (via LA Weekly) - Mature Audiences

The highlights?  9 minutes with Richard Franklin Lennox Thomas Pryor III talking mostly about Chinese food.  CK Lewis discussing how he won't even try duck vaginas lest he finds out how much he likes them.  There is also Patton Oswald lamenting on how KFC piles everything they have in to their Famous Bowl, and we Americans proceed to eat out of them like dogs.

2. Top 10 Most Common Ingredients in Fast Food (via The Learning Channel)

Would it surprise you if I told you that there are 67 ingredients in a Big Mac?  How about if I told you that Xanthan Gum was in a lot of fast food?  Do you know what Xanthan Gum is?  It is produced by the bacteria Xanthomonas campestris and is used as a thickening agent and stabilizer the world over.  Enjoy!

1. 10 Food Feuds (via Chow)

The list includes such [sort of] heavyweights as Jerry Seinfeld's wife, Scanwich, and Rick's Original Philly Steaks.  They close each showdown with classic quotes as: "The intern has been dealt with, we took away his zero pay," "Mr. McFarland called the allegation that he was a Caesar salad thief ‘a pretty ridiculous claim,’” and “I want to be a good neighbor, but I am nobody’s fool, and nobody’s pushover, and I should not have to carry a baseball bat on my truck in order to sell cupcakes.”

What we've been reading... 3/28/2010

• In Defense Of Food Stylists | MattBites.com

• It’s the Simple Things « The Duo Dishes  

• Service 101: So You Think You’re a Foodie | Food Woolf

• Devour the World: Cornflake Chicken: Mommy & Me Series

• Almost Bourdain: Pastitsio (Greek Style Beef and Macaroni Pie)

• G2077 Feeding Poultry Litter to Beef Cattle | University of Missouri Extension

• It’s True: Hot Water Really Can Freeze Faster Than Cold Water | Wired Science | Wired.com

• Talking Beer With Greg Koch, CEO of Stone Brewing | People More Interesting than I

• Princeton University - A sweet problem: Princeton researchers find that high-fructose corn syrup prompts considerably more weight gain

• Snake oil? Scientific evidence for health supplements | Information Is Beautiful  

• BBC Wildlife Magazine - Photo Masterclasses  

• Amber Waves, March 2010, Feature - Guess Who's Turning 100? Tracking a Century of American Eating

What we've been eating...3/24/2010

This week we broke up our burritos with a trip to a farmer's market where we grabbed some baby turnips.  The little guys made it into our salads and we satueed their greens up with a little shallot and olive oil, mmm mmm delish.  I also saw the biggest squash I've ever seen.  They were Tahitian and the purveyor said they grew some as big as 80 pounds.

We had a proper St.Patric's Day meal complete with Corned Beef and Boiled Cabbage.  We managed to find a nitrate-free Corned Beef at Whole Foods, not that we normally care but one of us is pregnant.  Just when I thought it was safe to back to the grocery store... the Girl Scouts struck again.  Another box of Samoas, another 22% of the RDA of saturated fat per 2 cookies.

We ate a lot of Strawberries which are just now coming into season.  The baskets later in the week were far better than the ones in the beginning.  I don't know if it makes any difference, and would love to know if there are any strawberry experts out there, but we noticed that in the better ones, the redness had penetrated closer to the center.  The less flavor they had, there seemed to be more white inside.

I found a joint called Bite of Boston that some days has a Lobster Roll.  It was amazing and they are now on my radar whenever I'm in the area.  We also had an amazing meal at Mario Batali's Pizzarria Mozza, unfortunately they weren't selling orange Crocks at the attached market or I may have bought some.

To wrap up the week, I had a great meal at Stone Brewery, likely my favorite brewery.  I was warned about the food from multiple people so my expectations were set low; unfortunately, they came in right at mark.  Nevertheless, the place is amazing.  If you like beer, the place is worth making a haj to.

What we've been eating... 3/17/2010

Happy St. Patty's Day!  Kiss me I'm 3/8ths Irish (and I just found out that I'm 1/8th French Canadian too, but that's another story).  I plan on drinking beer in green bottles if I don't find green beer today and we're making some corned beef and cabbage.  Maybe I'll post the recipe.  Maybe I won't.

Looking back at last week, we've got a veritable mish-mash of meals.

Exhibit A (above):  I started making myself a "shake" in the mornings made up of psyllium husks, water, and yogurt.  I have some gross rituals that I blame on my pre-coffee sleep walking.  It either isn't that bad, or I'm a complete zombie in the AM.

I finished off my Samuel Adams variety pack called the Brewmaster's Collection (Boston Lager, Ale, Noble Pils, Cream Stout, Scotch Ale, and Coastal Wheat).  I was somewhat surprised to read the the Coastal Wheat actually had lemons on it.  Not bad though, hmm.  I also found a $29 beer at Whole Foods (no, I didn't buy it), and I tried two of Dogfish Head's more bizarre brews, Midas Touch and Palo Santo Marron.

At times Wheel of Fortune was on in the house, against my will, and I noticed they went through several food-related puzzles: Hungarian Goulash, Kiss the Cook, Swiss Cheese, and Dinner Menu.  I still don't understand how people leave that show with more dough than the nerds on Jeopardy.

The Girl Scouts struck again this week... in ice cream form, with Tagalongs ice cream from Dreyer's.  We made huge vat of Chili Verde that took a few days to finish off.  I ran out of coffee for the last two days and had to drink tea; although I bought more today (and got a free tote bag from Peet's, thanks!), I wasn't in dire tea straights like I thought I was going to be. 

To close the week, we had an earthquake last night.  A real, bona fide earthquake.  Enjoy the video.

What we've been eating... 3/11/2010

This week has been a busy one at work.  Outside from the normal intake of fast food, fine dining, home cooked meals, coffee and beer, I bought a box each of chocolate and strawberry milks.  There was another Black Box of wine, I kept making Yogurt Sodas, and had a great night of kine beer with one of my oldest friends in Los Angeles.

On the road, I saw a school bus getting towed (you don't see that very often), twice the people in front of me ran into the people in front of them, I watched the Goodyear blimp take off, and I saw a monster truck that looked like it had tattoos.  We made fresh popcorn from scratch - you know, with a pot, a lid, some oil, some elbow grease, and a handful of corn.  I hadn't done that since I was a little kid.

We made waffles!  Picked some grapefruit and lemons, ate a bunch of peanuts, and saw a warning at a restaurant saying that they served food and/or drinks that contain chemicals known to the state of California to cause cancer.  Sure, I'm assuming they were referring to tuna and swordfish; nevertheless, no one wants to read that.

Jon Stewart Laments on Gourmet Magazine's Demise

Jon Stewart gives Condé Nast some advise.  Combine all four magazines that they are cancelling: Elegant Bride, Modern Bride, Cookie (a parenting magazine) and Gourmet into into one super mag.

Jon Stewart's Pregnant Gourmet Bride

In the first issue they would feature a tremendous morning sickness cure involving haricot vert, cornichon, and truffle oil...

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Pregnant Gourmet Bride Magazine
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Ron Paul Interview

Western Spaghetti - a short

Western Spaghetti was voted by Time Magazine as the #2 Viral Film of the Year for 2008.  The company who made it is called PES and they have done some some more well known commercials for products like Scrabble, Sprint, Coinstar, and Bacardi.

Enjoy.

Nominations for the 2009 Food Blog Awards

I am shamelessly self-promoting right now,

please vote for Papawow as Most Humorous!

The Survey takes less than two minutes.

From the Foodbuzz website:

The Foodbuzz Blog Awards recognize outstanding talent, creativity and hard work in the blog community, as determined by the food blogging community (and its readership) for both nominations and voting.

Nominations & Voting Timeline:

-Nominations open September 14th, 2009 and close on September 30th.
-The top 5 nominees per category will be announced by Foodbuzz on October 2nd.
– Voting will be open from October 2-October 29th, 2009.
-Winners will be announced November 7th 2009 at the Foodbuzz Blogger Festival and on Foodbuzz.com

Click here to Vote!

Sorry for Last Week...

... I've been away on business and haven't had any time to write.

A Cure for America's Obesity Problem?

How to Make a Cocktail Without Touching the Glass, "Falling Water"

A la Rube Goldberg, this rediculous contraption dubbed "Falling Water" was built by Joseph Herscher who, by my guess, must either not be employed, be an idiot savant, not have a girlfriend, or "D" all of the above.  In any case, it is really cool to watch.

This is another contraption he built in order to smash a Cadburry Cream Egg called "Cream That Egg."  At the end of the video he states that the video was made, "With Support from The World's Most Tolerant Flatmates, 30 Sticks of Hot Glue, and 480 Pints."

Food Court Musical

If you haven't heard if Improv Everywhere yet, this is a great example of what they do.  They are self-described as, "[causing] scenes of chaos and joy in public places. Created in August of 2001 by Charlie Todd, Improv Everywhere has executed over 80 missions involving thousands of undercover agents."

Here is another [non food-related] example.

Buy their book, Causing a Scene: Extraordinary Pranks in Ordinary Places with Improv Everywhere for as little as $9.99 via Amazon.

Tourist Pictures Presents: Food Fight

Called a viral mini-epic short film about war, Food Fight is the work of Stefan Nadelman of Tourist Pictures.  He has done many ads and short flicks, some of which can be watched on his website including spots he's done for, Saturday Night Live, Volkswagen, Maple Leaf Foods, and Mike & Ike candy.

Food Fight takes through some of the more infamous moments of WWII all the way up to the United States' current conflicts in the Middle East.  Pretzels gun down matzo with their salt.  Hamburgers destroy everything by shooting their pickles.  Sushi rolls turn into kamikaze.

It'll make you laugh, it'll make you cry, but in the end Food Fight shows us how fear for food safety... well, fear for our food's safety.  Stefan Nadelman is primarily in the field of motion graphics for film, music videos, and broadcast. Tourist Pictures is located in Portland, Oregon.

Pop up some popcorn and enjoy the show.

Burger King Pushes the Limits of Good Taste - But This Time, it's With Their Advertising

We've covered Burger King's controversial ad campaigns in the past (Fast Food Frenzies) like their Whopper Virgins and the Whopper Sacrifice but this time, Burger King deals another foul ad, managing to offend only a billion people, Hindus.  In a print ad, they depict the goddess Lakshmi straddling a meat sandwich with a tagline of  "Snack is Sacred." 

I suppose no one in the Marketing Department knows much about Hinduism - which advocates vegetarianism; and those Hindus who do eat meat, nearly all abstain from beef.  The cow is considered a symbol of life and will likely never be successful on a Burger King menu in India.

Earlier this year Burger King released a rare apology over one of its ad campaigns in Spain after it offended the 150+ million Mexican people globally.  The ad in question was for its "Texican Whopper" - a cheeseburger with a chile and a spicy mayonnaise. 

The ads portray a short-stature Mexican wearing the Mexican flag and a professional wrestling mask co-inhabiting with a tall American cowboy character.  At one point in the ad, the American lifts up the Mexican character so that he can place a trophy on a high shelf.

The most notable reaction came from Mexico's ambassador to Spain who wrote a letter to the company.  Burger King quickly replied in a statement "Burger King Corporation has made the decision to revise the Texican Whopper advertising creative out of respect for the Mexican culture and its people" (via Reuters.)