Only in America -

by ML

Throw Me a Hot Dog, Ostrich Man

Several weeks ago I announced that the Reading Phillies minor league baseball team was holding Gluttony Night II. I was ecstatic. Tons of food. Pizza, ice cream, funnel cake galore. And if you’re at all familiar with minor league baseball, you won’t be surprised to hear that the Gluttony Night festivities were only a fraction of the very bizarre antics going down at the game.

First of all, I unfortunately missed the chance to drunk heckle a reality star and his children. Jon Gosselin plus eight minus Kate threw out the first pitch the night before Gluttony Night II. I should have sent a memo about all-you-can-eat french fries. But the Gosselins missed out, because Gluttony Night was an epic celebration of all things edible. Everything at this ballpark was about food. Everything.

Were there two private tent buffets in addition to Gluttony Night II? Yes.
Was there a “ROAST BEEF!” chant every time Kevin Mahar was up to bat because he was the Arby’s “RBI guy”? Yes
Was there a kid’s concession stand game, where small children representing pizza, a hot dog, and french fries raced around the field? Yes (and so wrong)
Was there a man riding an ostrich around the field, throwing hot dogs to the crowd, while a “hot dog for you!” song was playing? Yes, yes, yes.

The Crazy Hot Dog Vendor disturbed me the most, and after his little “performance” I promptly started pounding beers. At the bar we saw several young guys dressed up like pizza toppings. W. T. F.

All this craziness leads us to ask…We’ve already talked about the best major league baseball foods, but what about the minors? What are the tastiest, craziest, or straight up most disturbing foods you’ve seen served at minor league ballparks?

in Celebs 1 comments

by Bliz

The Top 10 College Football Tailgating Foods

With college football season finally upon us, perfect Saturdays are here again. We can return to making grand efforts to relocate couches and televisions outside, justifying midday beers with collegiate loyalties, and of course, the very best part of football…pre-game tailgating! Without further ado, the Top Ten Tailgating Dishes any food or football fan can’t live without.

10. Wings

There’s just no substitute for a perfectly cooked, crispy wing drenched in hot sauce and dunked in ranch dressing. Sure, you can go for chicken fingers if you don’t like bones, but where’s the fun in that?

9. Vodka Soaked Fruit

I’d like to think our great, great, great, great ancestors figured this one out, but let’s be honest; this is pure drunk college ingenuity.

8. Dip

Salsa, guac, 7-layers, mango, hummus, etc, etc, etc. Those chips aren’t going to dip themselves people.

7. Fried Chicken

Hey, at least it’s not fried in transfats anymore. I mean I’d still eat it if it was.. but that’s gotta count for something, right?

by BS

Feed Us Back: Comments of the Week

– This week we brought you the Top 10 Food Finds at the Iowa State Fair and you responded loud and clear: Go North. Mike:

Planning on visiting the minnesota state fair?? anything you can imagine on a stick.

Nee Nee:

How about the Minnesota state fair delight “Spudzza!” A potato pizza fair booth that grew into a Grand Avenue icon. Where magic happens.

Maids:

Were there also busts of Beauty Queens from each Iowa county whose faces had been carved in butter? (because if that wasn’t present, Iowa doesn’t have anything on Minnesota!)

OK, we get the point. Checking out Minnesota next. Although hoss riser makes a counter-argument:

why do these people keep yakking about the minnesota state fair, which is so obviously inferior? maybe michele bachmann will be there to announce that god has asked her to run for pope of crazytown. minnesota sux.

Leah has us looking towards the motherland:

I would like to inform my bacon loving friends that at the Wisconsin State Fair you can get Chocolate covered bacon on a stick….

Veriphos wraps it up with some good old fashioned coastal elitism:

in Bacon 0 comments

by Russell Warnick

Marshmallow Nachos

Growing up in England didn’t expose me to the many culinary delights offered here in the U.S.; at least that’s what I had thought. Watching television sitcoms and dramas I would hear references to foods and drinks that would always stimulate my curiosity. What was I being denied in England that people in the U.S. were eating freely?

When I finally moved here over six years ago I sought out a sweet dish what you guys call S’mores, and I have to say I was slightly disappointed. I’d had them before. My mother used to make a variation of these for me as a kid: marshmallow and chocolate chips sandwiched between two digestive biscuits and microwaved for 30 seconds. Ever since then my curiosity feigned. Apparently all the delights I thought I was missing were clearly a matter of translation.

A couple of weeks back I was sent some marshmallows in the mail by the gourmet marshmallow maker Plush Puffs to celebrate none other than National Toasted Marshmallow Day.

Yes, there is such a day and it happens to be this Sunday, August 30. I will admit I was slightly bemused by this as I don’t recall eating marshmallows since that fateful night back in 2003. Yes, it had that much of an impact on my life, but still, I was willing to give it a go and see what I could do with these sugary treats. I managed to create two dishes: my take on one from the Plush Puff recipe page and the other was inspired by something I stumbled upon last week. Check them out after the jump.

in Bacon / Desserts / Endless Bacon / Featured / Holiday / Personal / Recipe 14 comments

by Maids

Sugar Tulies from the Kennedy Kitchen

The death of Senator Edward Kennedy was terrible news to wake up to, wasn’t it ESers? And while I don’t know much about Sen. Kennedy’s personal kitchen habits, I do hope to glean some information from the Kennedy clan original matriarch’s personal chef Neil Connolly.

In the Kennedy Kitchen is Connolly’s tribute to this most influential and iconic American family. Rose Kennedy, Ted Kennedy’s mom, hosted many a large family gathering in her time with the help of her—by all accounts—superlative chef Neil Connolly. In honor of the family he served for so long, Neil Connolly’s book is filled with photos, memories and recipes.

Amazon.com Review
The famed compound at Hyannisport was the Kennedy family’s favorite place to relax, and Rose Kennedy’s kitchen was the central gathering place. Everyone—including Jackie Kennedy Onassis, JFK Jr., Caroline Kennedy, Maria Shriver, and Arnold Schwarzenegger—came wandering in the back door to visit Rose. Her chef, Neil Connolly, always made sure there was lobster salad, potato salad, and a platter of roast chicken in the fridge, and in this book, he brings these and other favorites to your home. Included in this cookbook are Kennedy family photos and anecdotes collected personally by Neil.

Here he shares an exclusive recipe from the Kennedy kitchen with us:

in Desserts / Personal / Politics / Recipe 3 comments

by BS

Top 10 Food Finds at the Iowa State Fair

This Sunday marked the conclusion of the 157th annual Iowa State Fair, known to downscale gourmands far and wide as the annual pinnacle of American eating. From cupcakes to astronauts, if it exists, you can bet the folks at the Iowa State Fair can grow it to an obscene size, deep-fry it and eat it off a stick, or of course, sculpt it out of butter.

10. The Butter Cow

A classic. Look at the detailed carving in that butter udder. Masterful work.

9. Frozen S’more on a Stick

Mmmm…a new era for desserts on a stick. Genius.

8. Giant Gourds

Anyone else think there’s something really creepy about this photo?

7. Rodent Cake

Another creepy one! Who wants a rodent on top of their cake? And this was a blue ribbon winner! What did the losing cakes look like??

6. Mystery Cake

Oh right. This is what the losing cakes looked like. Can anyone even begin to explain what is going on here??? Are those jalapenos? Chocolate covered hot dogs? Deep fried garbage?

Next: Top 5 Food Finds at the Iowa State Fair

in Desserts / Endless Cupcakes / Featured / Fowl / Lists / Pig / Top 10 Lists 22 comments

by BS

100 Ways to Use a Strip of Bacon

Long-time readers know that, like most of the western world, I’m obsessed with bacon. There’s just something about this salty, smoky, crispy, fatty, forbidden treat that elicits a drool factor no other food can equal. In recent years, food bloggers have taken bacon to new heights, helping us see how this beloved breakfast meat can be incorporated into nearly every dish imaginable. It’s been bacon for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and drinks.

However, I’ve noticed a disturbing trend creeping up in the blogosphere: the bacon backlash. “Bacon has jumped the shark” opines Grub Street. “Bacon is Dead,” says J-Walk. “BLAME BACON,” yells So Good. I have four words for all you bacon haters: Bacon. Will. Never. Die. Fine, the bacon lube and bacon bras are a little creepy. Maybe we’ve gone too far when we’re literally trying to screw bacon. But I steadfastly refuse to stop eating it in every form imaginable.

So to celebrate the endless survival of bacon, I’ve compiled this handy chart of 100 Ways to Use a Strip of Bacon. From bacon apple pie to bacon guacamole, bacon pickles, bacon marshmallows, and yes, even bacon-wrapped tofu, here are the 100 most glorious ways to enjoy god’s greatest gift to tastebuds. But please, folks — try not to hump the computer screen. The bacon haters are watching.

Click on the photos for full recipes.

PS – What did we miss? Have a recipe that does right by bacon? Drop your link in the comments. If your photo makes us drool, we’ll add it to the list.

Also on ES: 100 Ways to Cook an Egg
100 Ways to Cook with Guinness
100 Ways to Cook with Sriracha