Foodenator

The Official Battling system of the Internet has been released. VERSEU, located at http://verseu.com . They are currently hosting a number of food related battles, including the epic McDonald’s vs Burger King. Check it out:

The best part? You can create a profile and start battling food! You vs Tacos, you vs spaghetti… the pastabilities are endless

Source: verseu.com

Popularity: 2%

This one’s borrowed from The Nasty Bits: Deep-Frying Brains. Its horrid and vomit inducing just reading about it. This unfathomably terrible recipe serves 6 as an appetizer, IT takes about active time 40 minutes from raw brain to fresh vomit.

All 4 testers in the foodenation lab broke down in tears after uncontrollably  projectile vomiting all over the test kitchen after the first bite of brain – so its really difficult to judge the eat-ability here. Our mind crunching conclusion is at the end. I think it’s safe to say that no fist pumps will be awarded – the events that occurred after this cook were, to say the least.. abnormal.

Here’s what you need:

• 1 head of garlic, skin on
• Black peppercorns in a cheesecloth
• 1 bay leaf
• bundle of fresh herbs
• 1 pound brains (lamb, pork, or calf)
• All purpose flour
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 cup panko bread crumbs
• 1 quart vegetable oil for deep-frying
• For the green sauce:
• 1 bunch parsely, leaves only
• 1/2 bunch dill
• 1 small can of anchovy fillets, finely chopped
• 12 cloves of garlic, finely minced or grated
• 1 tablespoon capers, minced
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, or to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper

Here’s what you do:

1. Bring a 2 quart pot of water to simmer and add in the garlic, peppercorns, and herbs. Simmer for 15 minutes. Then gently lower the brains into the pot and simmer for 6 minutes. Remove the brains with a slotted spoon and let cool. When the brains are cold and firm, separate the lobes into 2 inch chunks.
2. Meanwhile, prepare 3 bowls with the flour, the egg whisked with milk, and the breadcrumbs.
3. Heat the oil to 350°F. Roll each brain segment in flour, then coat it in the egg mix, then coat it in the breadcrumbs. Deep-fry the brain until they are golden brown and crispy, about 3 minutes. Drain on paper towels and serve immediately with green sauce.
4. To make green sauce: Finely chop herbs and mix with the anchovies, garlic, and capers. Add enough olive oil so that the mixture is spoonable but not runny. Season with black pepper.
   Read the rest of this entry »

Popularity: 22%

Today’s Foodenator Poll – if you find bugs in your salad, what do you do? Eat them? Freak out? Toss them, then eat? WHAT TO DO??

Our scientists estimate that you eat about 300 bugs a year when you eat many salads at lunch time. So – should you really freak out if you SEE them? Take our poll and see if you make the right choice.

Then watch our bonus footage! Read the rest of this entry »

Popularity: 18%

Ever wonder what you should cook? Listen to this screaming guy! We like to skip around in the video and pick 3 of his top screams. Like “HAMBURGER” “CHEESE” “ARCTIC CHAR” and come up with a dish.

You try now!

Popularity: 16%

FOODNATE QUIZ TIME:  name your favorite donut hole munchkin popem!

Popularity: 12%

As a resident of Boston for the past two years, I have had multiple opportunities to check out Boston’s famed Pizzeria Regina. They have won numerous awards for the best pizza in Boston from places like Boston Magazine and the Phantom Gourmet. Started in 1926, you can find the main hub on Thatcher Street in the North End of Boston, aka the Italian Section of town.

First let’s talk about the good…Whether you order a traditional cheese pizza, one with pepperoni or all the toppings, you can be sure they will use the freshest ingredients. Their pepperoni is the best that I have ever had on a pizza and their cheese has a very crisp flavor that mixes well with the sauce and the crust. Each table also has a variety of condiments and a entire bottle of a garlic and pepper olive oil that is great to dip your crust in at the end of the slice. There is not a question at all about the overall quality and taste of this pizza. Finally, while dining you can check out all the famous celebrities adorning the walls of the eatery.

Ok so here is the bad…First, the lines at the restaurant are typically pretty long if you are going during dinner time. We have waited up to 45 minutes to get a table and because the place is small, you have to wait on the sidewalk outside. Second, if you want to go somewhere and have a friendly waitress, this is not the place. The goal of the staff is to move people in and out very quickly. We have been there where they have literally dropped the food on the table and not come back to check on us until our check is received. Finally, you may end up sharing part of a table with another couple or family if the waits are long, so don’t plan on having any type of intimate conversation.

Overall, the pizza quality is fabulous but we suggest getting take out if the option is available.

We give Regina’s 3.5 stars ***

Stay tuned for 2 more reviews of Boston Pizza!!

Popularity: 4%

Both claim to make amazing pizza. Both claim to be fresh and tasty. Both claim to be .. THE BEST. But who are these guys, anyway? Mafia? Former Food Network Stars (FFNS)?

Papa Gino and Papa John? Are they the same dude? Gino sure sounds like John – there’s no question there. They are never seen in the same place at the same time, either. Are they related? Do they hate eachother? Is their pizza the same? Please comment with some answers – we’re losing sleep over here. Borderline freaking out.

Popularity: 27%

Byron M, Foodenate Reader: I heard on CNN that hot babes cannot cook – that they are only able to do certain things well in certain rooms – and kitchen things are not one. IS THIS TRUE? People said my mom was hot and I liked her food. Does that mean I grew up eating bad food? Or were my friends r’tarded? Cause if I don’t know food I think it will really hurt my chances with the ladies. I am kind of scared, please tell me the answer soon.

Marcello C, Foodenate Sous Chef: Dear reader, don’t believe everything you hear on the news. I’m a sous chef at a very prominent ristorante in Boston. Read the rest of this entry »

Popularity: 35%

Decisions, Decisions…every year at this time when entering the kitchen, we must decide between eating a real egg or a cadbury egg. Choosing the real egg might seem like an easy choice for a health nut, but let’s examine the facts.

First, the Cadbury egg requires no preparation. All that needs to be done to eat the egg is peel off the foil. Second, once you can get past the outer chocolate shell the inside of the egg is actually the same color and you don’t have to worry about un-edible shells or those gross white particles that sometimes float in raw eggs. With the chocolate shell the carbohydrates in chocolate raise serotonin levels in the brain, resulting in a sense of well-being.  Finally, you won’t be at risk for salmonella with the Cadbury egg and your sweet cravings will be cured for a good 24 hours.

If you choose the chicken egg, beware! Consuming raw eggs is unhealthy for individuals and will raise cholesterol, especially in men. Also, if you choose to cook the egg, it will be at least an 8 minute process. You will have to start with breaking the egg into a separate container, then cooking it to your liking in a pan. Then you will have to wash all the dishes that you made eating the egg.

Foodenator Staff suggests choosing the Cadbury Egg 9 times out of 10 over the Chicken Egg

Popularity: 27%

Foodenator discovered this interesting and tasty article while searching the internet for images with chicks eating beet salads….

Real men eat salads. I know this because I am a dude. Right now, in my fridge, I have five bottles of hot sauce, a jar of Cheez Whiz and half a pack of hot dogs. But recently I went to lunch with a couple of buds, and I ordered a salad. I ordered it hard.

It was a basic frissée salad with bacon, shallots and a poached egg, tossed in a light vinaigrette. Frissée is a curly, toothsome leaf, bitter enough to balance bacon and egg but still possessed of a pleasant spring.

My friends laughed at me. They pointed. One ordered a burger, the other fried calamari. I was chastised for not eating “man food.”

For those of you who aren’t familiar with this gender normative term, “man food” is food that you’d imagine a lumberjack or a cowboy or a Viking would eat. Towers of butter-soaked pancakes. Pots of napalm-hot chili. Meat on a bone.

Thoroughly unsubtle, “man food” is rustic fare meant to satisfy a hearty appetite. Quantity is prized over quality. Calories are “fun points.” The more “fun points,” the tastier the belly filler.
But sometimes a dude needs a change. Specifically, a salad. A fresh, crisp, crunchy salad. Salads offer breathers between manly meals. Spinach, cucumber, tomato, red onions, mushrooms, chickpeas, oil and vinegar — that is my usual jam.

KEEP READING about MAN SALADS, YO! >>> Read the rest of this entry »

Popularity: 11%