Endless Simmer - A Food Blog

OK you’ve had your say readers. Hezbollah Tofu is the Eater of the Year. But you know what? This is a food-tatorship, not a food-ocracy, and you didn’t really think we were going to let you lowly readers get the last say, did you? In all seriousness, thanks for voting, but we want to continue the award season silliness and call out a few more of our favorite eating moments of 2008. What were your favorite moments? Holler back.

Most Improved Eater: The Political Media

There’s been a lot of criticism of the MSM this year — they were in the tank for Obama! They forgot to report about the war! They can’t afford to print papers! — but here at ES we noticed a marked improvement. Throughout the campaign, we could barely turn on our TV or crack open a magazine without learning important breaking news about what one candidate or another was eating. Hillary stops for ice cream! Huckabee fries squirrels! McCain gained five pounds! It was beautiful. I mean, look at this recent page from the Huffington Post. Not one, not two, but three top-of-page stories about what Barack Obama is eating this week — and he’s on vacation. Keep up the good work in 2009, media.

Best Food TV Moment

There is staged reality TV lameness, and then there are inevitable unexpected moments of genius. Top Chef 5 is not even halfway through, but we suspect we’ve already seen this season’s high-point: Ice Queen Padma Lakshmi, usually so adept at keeping her judgely emotions under wraps, simply lost it upon taking one bite of Jersey housewife Ariane’s super-sweet cherry surprise and literally gagged on it. Padma felt so bad about actually spitting out Ariane’s food that she let the old lady win every challenge since then. We don’t even care who wins Top Chef this year. We’ll just remember this one shining moment.

Best Use of Bacon

As you know, the best use of bacon of course means the most outlandish use of bacon. A dish that doesn’t crumble bacon or garnish with bacon, but creates something so bacon-y extravagant that your heart hurts just looking at it. FoodProof wins this one by a landslide with their remarkable woven bacon and cheese roll. Death on a plate in just seven easy steps.

More awards after the jump…

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Actually, listen softly.  I haven’t cleared this with BS yet.  But, so, um, I’m on vacation from my official full time job, and um, I just can’t promise to deliver you those first class posts we normally publish on the web.  I’m sure BS will still supply you with snarky, foodie fun. But, me, I might suck for the week.  But you know what.  Get over it.  It’s the holidays.  Even bloggers deserve a break.

Above, fresh tofu from this kickass Asian supermarket I went to with DAD GANSIE over my Jersey winter break.  Look out for more references to my trip there.  I had no idea there was such thing as fresh tofu?  And while we’re at it - can you keep one more secret?  I wanted the tofu to be mozzarella.

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Ah, another year gone, another Endless Simmer Eater of the Year crowned.

It’s only fitting that after Anthony Bourdain was crowned EotY in our inaugural 2007 poll, Bourdain’s veganizing nemesis Hezbollah Tofu took home the award in our second annual contest.

Winning an impressive 48 percent of your votes, HT held off all challenges from Julia Child, John Mayer, Michael Pollan, Kendra Wilkinson and Cindy McCain.

HT may be taking a break from the full-time recipe writing, but their spirit will live on with one of the most coveted honors in the eating community — a permanent spot in the Endless Eater Hall of Fame.

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- Gansie’s brave admission helped her find plenty of other tupperware-aholics in the ES community.

Farina: I love tupperwares too! I washed and keep all empty bottles and containers for that just-in-case moments. Of course I have lost a few though since I packed hubby’s lunch and sometimes the tupperware doesn’t come home with him. sigh. You are so brave to post the picture of your tupperware cabinet. Im just to ashamed to do it. lol!

EvoDiva:  WAY too funny because I too can relate! Should we start attending regular meetings? I tend to let the finding-a-lid-to-fit frustrations build up until I explode (usually on a morning where I’m running incredibly late and trying to pack my lunch), rip all of the tupperware out of the cabinet and recycle the misfits. Dishwasher is to tupperware lids as laundromat is to socks. How do these things happen?

Michael: The tupperware cabinet is one of the most feared cabinets in my kitchen, topped only by the pots and pans cabinet. Every time I open it, i must mentally prepare myself for the torrent of falling tupperware that is about to engulf me.

- Oh, and to learn how ES has started to creep into our reader’s subconsciousness, be sure to read Yvo’s exchange on the soft-boiled egg post - it’s worth taking a look at in full.

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Maybe you haven’t finished your shopping yet, or maybe you have some new gift cards ready to be redeemed, but take note: the day after Xmas is a fantastic time to shop.

Here are some great finds:

Because your Sutter Home White Zinfandel will almost look classy when poured from crystal
Dorset Wine Decanter: $149 $99 [Williams-Sonoma]

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Because you totally need one more uni-tasker taking up room in your drawer
Grapefruit Knife: $18 $13.96 [Sur la table]

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Because it’s $3
Pancake Warmer: $3 [Craig’s List, Columbus]

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As someone that was raised Jewish, I get Chanukah presents this time of year.  And that usually means I get presents before all those crazy Christians.  So while most of you are eagerly waiting for the 25th, I already have some presents, courtesy of 80P’s parents (thank you!) and the Jewish calendar based on the lunar cycle.

If you’re still trying to figure out what to get the foodie on your list, and you couldn’t find something here or here, may I suggest to you the anti-cookbook: The Flavor Bible.

Here’s one of my favorite excerpts, and I’m not even kidding, I actually took a highlighter to the page to capture this:

Slavish followers of recipes, who treat them as gospel instead of guidelines, make the mistake of putting more faith in someone else’s instructions than they do in themselves.  Many people would do better in the kitchen if they didn’t blindly follow recipes.  In fact, following recipes may be holding you back from achieving your potential as a cook.

Let me explain.  This is clearly not a conventional cookbook, it’s more about theory and concepts and lists.  Lots of lists. 

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So maybe doughnut machines and bacon toothpicks aren’t the most practical gifts of all time (we still want them!) but who among us couldn’t get down with a brand new stove?

If you’re in the market for that restaurant-like kitchen of your dreams (or you just want to pretend), take a look at the drool-worthy kitchen porn from our latest sponsor, BlueStar.

Click the ad on your right to learn more.

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We are up for some pretty bizarre eats here at Endless Simmer, but the amazing thing about this world is that no matter how weird you think you are, you can always find someone weirder.

With that in mind, check out WebUrbanist’s amazing list of the 15 strangest themed restaurants in the world.

I’m intrigued about the pitch-black restaurant in China and the robot-staffed eatery in Germany, but could probably skip the human body-themed meal they’ve got going on in Japan. Now if you put a fried egg on top…

Photo: Weird Asia News

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