Chocolate Covered

Dipping fruit in chocolate was invented by the Mayans as a method of food preservation.

Butterscotch

Butterscotch was originally used as a lubricant for carriage axles in Sweden in the 1740's. Shlimengong, as it was known at the time, fell out of favor during the summers when flies would begin to congragate under carriages. One day, when it was particularly hot out, a local confectioner got some of the shlimengong on his hand while working under his carriage. Upon accidentally licking his hand, he decided that shlimengong could be put to far better use if he added some butter to the sticky sweet conconction. Butterscotch was born...To this day, axles are squeeky in Sweden.

In 1874 Dr. James Marsh's children were making him crazy. They were rambunctious and difficult. As a pediatric psychologist, this was particularly perplexing. His wife, Linda, came up with the solution...a mixture of gelatin, vanilla and confectioners sugar that she called mellofiers. These puffed balls of sugar had a profound effect on her children, calming them down for at least 30 minutes before they became slightly more hyper.

Dr. Marsh sold what he began calling the Marsh-Mellofiers to his patients for an additional 5 cents per dozen.

French Fries

French fries were first prepared in England in May, 1647. Jonathan Nosewater was about to fry some fish and boil some potatoes when he accidentally dropped his potatoes into his boiling oil. He labeled them French fries as he was not a fan of the French and labeled any mistake he made in the kitchen as "French"; i.e. French chicken (he dropped a chicken on the floor in October of 1645), French Salad (he sneezed into the lettuce), French steak (he used a particularly fatty cut of beef). His errors did not prevent Jonathan from serving his French "delicacies." I would not have eaten his French dressing.
French fries are still delicious.

Animals as Food Rule #1

The cuter the animal, the less delicious they are as food...unless they are rabbits, in which case...yummo.

A Few Notes on My Trip To California

Proof that My Stomach Has No Limits:

While in California we ate breakfast at toast. I had a small breakfast, an omelet. Robbie and I both avoided the toast and potatoes because we knew what our day had in store...

First Stop:

Roscoe's House of Chicken and Waffles

I had special #1:

The trick is covering the chicken with hot sauce, then putting the chicken on your buttered waffle. After that, you cover the entire plate with syrup and enjoy...delicious. This place had great waffles and great chicken, we were very impressed.

Stop #2:
Cactus Taqueria

I had a tongue burrito. Tongue is rather fatty. When roasted for an extended period the fat melts into the meat perfectly. Mix in sour cream, rice, beans, onions, pico de gallo and you are in business. Frankly, I am just getting warmed up.

I have eaten 1/3 of the burrito at this point.

Third and Final Stop:

Fatburger

I was very impressed. This was a loose-packed cheeseburger which made for lots of crispy goodness. They offer a plethora of toppings. I had a cheeseburger with mayo and pepper.
The burger was good but I was most impressed by the ketchup cups:
The short sides allow for maximum ketchup consumption. Also, they have Mr. Pibb instead of Dr. Pepper.

After this consumption expedition, we went to the wedding. I ate there too.

Makeshift microphones for Living on a Prayer. Mine is made with a potato.

Indian Rice Pudding

Cardamom and almonds make Indian ride pudding (Kheer) taste better than standard rice pudding.

If I Could Open a Restaurant

It would be an Asian Fusion restaurant called Seoul Food.

When making hash...

When making hash the longer you let it saute in the pan, the crispier and more delicious it will be.Because there are potatoes in corned beef hash and eggs come with a side of hash browns, ordering corned beef hash means double potatoes!!!

Cash is King

Any eatery that works exclusively in cash is better than those that accept credit cards. Below is a list of establishments that work exclusively in cash:

Waffle House
Sri Pra Phai
Peter Luger Steak House(They have a Luger's only credit card, but few have them)
Lombardi's Pizza
Frank
Gray's Papaya
John's Roast Pork
Mercadito

Cakes and Pies I will not Eat

Mud PieCow Pie
Urinal CakeBanana Cream Pie

How best to approach a buffet

There are two ways to approach a buffet: what is best for you and what is best for the restaurant. When I eat at a buffet I think what food will provide the most enjoyment while not filling me up to much and thus preventing me from consuming more food...for me, it's protein but everyone is different. Bacon is ideal as it provides the most flavor to food consumed ratio.
Also, I am a big fan of the carving station.
One thing I know for sure...do not waste time on the following:
Fruit
Bread
Cake
Muffins
Ice Cream

Eating food off the floor

Mom and dad might tell you not to eat food off the floor. They are wrong. Eating food off the floor at a younger age will strengthen your immune system as you get older. I have eaten food off the floor for as long as I can remember and I am healthy as a horse.

Mom Never let me eat cake for breakfast

My mother never let me eat cake for breakfast. But muffins were completely acceptable.

Top 10 Kosher Dishes

After posting my top 10 sandwich list yesterday, my brother, Goel pointed out that my list lacked Kosher options. Unfortunately, all sandwiches are made better with cheese. That said, as someone from a religious background, I am uniquely qualified to offer an opinion on the top 10 Kosher Dishes. Any one of these dishes will improve your dinner, whether you are Jewish or just enjoy delicious food. These dishes are best served at home (except #7) with family and friends, not at a restaurant.

10. Tzimis
A stew made of prunes, carrots, sweet potatoes ginger is optional. While I am not usually a fan of this dish, I had Belinda's and it was really rather special.

9. Chulent
A stew consisting of flanken, beans, barley, potatoes, kishka (stuffed derma), hard boiled eggs are optional

No one makes this as well as my mother. Anything consisting of meat, potatoes and kishka is a good thing
8. Kishka (AKA stuffed derma)
A casing stuffed with matzo meal, flour, carrots and chicken fat. It is then baked. When you bake it it gets nice and crispy.
7. Tongue Sandwich
Perhaps the least appealing food for other cultures. Tongue is a perfect combination of fat and muscle. It makes for a delicious cold cut. With some spicy mustard on rye bread, this is delicious.
6. Cabbage Soup
My mother makes the best. She combines flanken, cabbage, tomatoes and vinegar and a whole lot of sugar. This is fantastic.5. Brisket
Everyone has a different preparation style; Karen makes it best. She uses Manishevitz concord wine, onion soup, ketchup, cayenne pepper and a secret ingredient. It is delicious.4. Kugel
Be it potato, which is basically potatoes and Onions in a casserole dish, baked or Noodle (sweet or salt and pepper)
Kugel is a must have for any Jewish meal.

3. The Potato Latke
This is the hash brown on its best day. Shredded potatoes and onions made into a patty and deep fried. While it is a traditional Chanukah food, I enjoy them year round. If you want to start a fight with a Jew, ask them if they eat sour cream or apple sauce on their latkes, then pick the opposite of their answer as your favorite. In an attempt to thwart this argument, I celebrate both sour cream and apple sauce. My father uses ketchup.2. Chicken Soup
Easily the most identifiable Jewish food. Karen Garber makes this best. I actually prefer kreplach (meat dumplings) but many people like matzo balls.1. Chopped Liver
Saute chicken liver, onions fried in chicken fat, hard boiled eggs, chopped and blended together. Sort of like pate, only way better. I like it on a good piece of challah.
Also receiving consideration:

Challah - The most versatile of Jewish foods, but it's just bread. Regardless, it is the only bread I know of that is good without any topping. Also, there is no better French toast than Challah French toast; Nana used to like it thick and moist in the center
Jelly Rings - A must-have on your Passover dessert tray
Stuffed Cabbage - A cabbage leaf stuffed with meat and rice in tomato sauce. If you are Hungarian, yours includes raisins
Babka - I like cinnamon flavored, many people like chocolate more, regardless, it is a yeast based cake with swirls of chocolate or cinnamon, sugar and raisins

The Hot Dog

In my post yesterday about the 10 greatest sandwiches, I left off one very important item, the hot dog. To say I am a fan of this treat is an understatement (I once ate 9 at a Philadelphia Phillies Dollar Dog Day). While I do enjoy the Hot Dog, I have never considered it a sandwich. To you devotees of the dog I give you 5 fantastic ways to enjoy. Please note that this list is in no way a top 5 list. Every style of hot dog is wonderful and unique. No style is better than any other. This is list merely 5 ways that I have enjoyed eating hot dogs.

The Texas Tommy
A hot dog wrapped in bacon with American cheese on a standard roll

Crunchy, cheesy, chewy, delicious.The Chicago Dog
A jumbo hot dog with tomato, a pickle, neon green relish, onions, sport peppers, mustard, and a pinch of pepper and celery salt on a poppy seed roll


A classic style that is as close as it gets to a hot dog being a sandwich. I enjoy all the toppings but some might find it distracting from the dog.
The New Yorker
A hot dog (dirty water or grilled, your choice) with mustard and sauerkraut on a standard roll

Nathan's does this well. I like a natural casing on the hot dog, it makes for a better snap.The Chili Dog
A hot dog with chili and onions on a standard bun, cheese is optional

The Varsity (AKA the Slaw Dog)
A hot dog with cole slaw on a standard bun

This is a more southern style option. I am a fan of cole slaw on anything, I also add potato chips for a little extra crunch.