I Knew She Was the Devil ...

Anthony Bourdain has deemed Rachael Ray "evil" for endorsing Dunkin' Donuts. "She’s hugely influential," he says, "particularly with children. And she’s endorsing Dunkin’ Donuts. It’s like endorsing crack for kids.” He's got a great point. Plus, anyone who says "yummo!" and "EVOO!" needs some holy water treatment.

Wii Cooking!

I just posted this over at Miss Tasty's Cafe, but it seems so very ... EP, somehow. I just had to bring it on over here.

Welcome, Li'l Nibble!

Special congratulations to Miss Tasty and Smooth Melon on the addition of Li'l Nibble!! (To retain Li'l Nibble's anonymity, we've posted a picture of a baby in a hamburger bun instead of an actual photo.)

SOS - Summer of Salads

Our August meeting was Summer of Salads. It was during the heat wave, so no one wanted to crank up their stoves (I'm pretty sure at least three fourths of us did anyway...). Click here for Miss Tasty's recounting of the evening...

'3 Second Rule' Dinner

Allright, this entry is more than a little overdue. Back on June 17, 2006, the EP crew (myself, Miss Tasty, Smooth Melon, V-Licious, Slim Jim, Scoop, and Cheesy T) got together for EP - Dropped Foods, or as I like to call it, the '3 Second Rule' dinner.

And so we being. Round one. V-Licious and Slim Jim are up first. There is a lot of secrecy, and some giggles. Oh, and music. We all head outside. Eye of the Tiger blares on the stereo, and Slim Jim appears from the back door. Overalls, holster, pouches of ingredients, and a huge bowl of hummus. Ingredients fly to the beat of the music, perfectly choreographed. Absolutely amazing (and quite delish). Pita, falafel, yogurt, all the fixins. Good show. No one wants to follow this act, but someone must, and Miss Tasty offers to take up the challenge.

Before you know it, tostada shells are flying across the tarp. Bowls of beans, salsa, guacamole, and cheese are passed around, and everyone takes turns flinging toppings onto the shells (or at least trying to... you'd be amazed at EP's collective bad aim).

Third is my contribution, orzo. I had built a contraption that, when dropped, should have jettisoned 7 equal portions of orzo onto the tarp. This, however, didn't happen. Only 2 of the 7 segments shot their orzo appropriately. I spread a bit more around before everyone jumped in and chowed down.

Finally, the hosts step up to the plate. First, a gorgeous bowl of golden saffron pasta. Beautiful and tasty. Little red saffron strands on yellow strands of pasta, dumped lovingly onto the tarp.

And for dessert, a homemade cake that refused to break upon impact with the ground. We must have thrown that thing onto the tarp 5 times to make it split. And it was so worth it. The frosting was amazing.

The whole night, no one used untensils, napkins, or plates.

Absolutely Amazing

I can't believe this exists...

Hurra Torpedo from Norway from way back in 1995. These guys were SO ahead of their time. The bill themselves as "the world's leading kitchen appliance rock group."

53 and 3/4 Hot Dogs

Here's a little follow-up to Scoop's "Heroes" piece from a few weeks back...

Takeru Kobayashi, the undisputed king of the hot dog eaters, set a new world record on Tuesday, July 4, 2006. Yep, he ate an amazing 53 and 3/4 hot dogs at the annual Nathan's Famous International Hot Dog Contest. Even more amazing is how little time it took him to complete this arduous task. Twelve minutes.

For the first time in years, there was a serious threat to Kobayashi's dominance. An American, Joey Chestnut, ate 52 dogs in 12 minutes, and actually led Kobayashi until the 10 minute mark. This was a new record for any American hot dog eater.

Here's my favorite quote from the press release...

"...never before has America been so galvanized by a sports hero." Lance Armstrong? Michael Jordan? Brian Boitano? Nope, Joey Chestnut...

Many of you have e-mailed and asked "Hey T, what about your favorite competitive eater, Sonya Thomas? How did she fare this year?" Well, loyal readers, Sonya came in 3rd, with 37 hot dogs. Now, before you start bad mouthing Sonya for her poor performance, I ask you, when was the last time you ate 3 hot dogs a minute for 12 minutes straight?

For the full story, check the IFOCE's news archive here... http://www.ifoce.com/news.php?action=detail&sn=431

Kenton Mule - Further Refinement

Had some folks over to Casa Hungry T last night. Mule was the drink of choice. We made quite a few drinks for quite a few people, and this gave me an excellent opportunity to tweak and further refine the drink we all know and love...

• highball glass full of ice
• a bit less than a 1/4 cup Ketel One vodka, poured over the ice
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger on top
• the juice of 3/4 of a lime (squeeze one half lime all the way, and the other half lime half way)
• pour Reeds Premium Ginger Brew onto the ginger pile, helping to dissipate
• stir slowly and gingerly (ha ha) to mix ingredients together but avoid fizzing up all the carbonation
• enjoy

So, I think I've got the fresh ginger and fresh lime perfected. I'll try a few other brands of ginger ale next, and later, confirm Ketel One's supremacy.

The quest for the perfect mule continues...