world records

If Valentine's Day wasn't hot enough for you, then consider a new way to get fired up, with what's been identified as the world's hottest pepper.

Researchers at the New Mexico State University Chile Pepper Institute has identified the Trinidad Moruga Scorpion as the most potent pepper in the world, surpassing even the bhut jolokia in searing heat.

The institute's researchers were prompted to establish a benchmark for heat levels, after hot sauce makers and other spicy pepper industry insiders claimed there wasn't enough scientific proof of which chiles were actually hottest. The record-holding bhut jolokia, which was certified as the planet's hottest pepper in 2007, clocks in at one million Scoville units, while some individual Trinidad Moruga Scorpion plants reached a whopping two million.

No doubt some new hot sauces will follow, but proceed with caution: a single seed from this pepper will cause puffy, watering eyes, a runny nose, and a burning sensation that can last for hours. Is this something you'd ever dare to try?

Source

• Ring in Elvis Presley's 76th with a fool's gold loaf. — Serious Eats
• Obama has signed the record food safety bill into law. — Huffington Post Food
• Why it was a really bizarre year for California's Napa Valley. — Grub Street SF
• Could airport restaurant delivery be far off? — USA Today
• 2010's hottest US restaurants, according to Yelpers. — Yelp Blog
• Ranchers are pushing for horse meat as a source of nutrition. — Denver Post
• A 754-pound bluefin tuna sold for the record-breaking price of $396,000. — Eater
• After a 40-pound weight gain, Top Chef's Mike Isabella is back on the diet track. — Washington Post

When it comes to record-setting celebrity chefs, Rachael Ray is the woman to beat. She's been the world's richest culinary personality, has the first daytime TV show to incorporate 3-D, and tomorrow she'll be heading up the world's largest cooking demonstration.

Tomorrow at 11:30 a.m. EST, in front of a studio audience of 90, Ray will be teaching a new recipe for honey mustard chicken. Her demo will be beamed via satellite live to a jumbo screen in the Los Angeles Hollywood & Highland Center, where approximately 200 fans will be watching and cooking along in real-time. If that isn't enough, the lesson will also be streamed live over Facebook to fans all across the world.

I suppose now that Rachael Ray has just about everything (Daytime show? Check. Cookbooks? Check. Emmy? Check . . .) she's moved on to setting world records. What do you think of this new concept? Will you log in to Facebook to check it out live?

• The right way to use bacon in cocktails. — Libation Lab
• Ben & Jerry's limited-edition Key Lime Pie ice cream is back. — Serious Eats
• Make the most of scallions by using both the greens and whites. — The Epi-Log
• More details on Grant Achatz's Next restaurant. — Feast
• Find out what two foods scare Rachael Ray.— Grub Street NY
• Lebanon has broken the record for the world's largest hummus and falafel. — Eater
• Are popsicles the Summer's biggest trend? — Huffington Post Food
• How to grow herbs indoors. — Chow
• Wedding inspiration: 250 beautiful cakes. — The Knot

Relaxed Australians broke the world record for the largest ever simultaneous massage today in Daylesford, Australia. Two hundred and sixty three massage therapists each massaged a volunteer. Where can I sign up?

We love Slashfood so much that every Thursday we round up their most delicious stories. Here are this week's finds:

• What to keep in mind when pairing cheese with beer.
• A Fort Worth, TX, diner serves the largest chicken-fried steak in the world.
• Is the trendy concept of a food adventure club more gross than gourmet?
• A new fading barcode could be the answer to tracking food's freshness.
• Star chefs like David Burke and Charlie Trotter are pulling out of ventures in Vegas.
• News flash: apple juice can contain shockingly high levels of arsenic.

Source: Flickr User mistagregory

We love Slashfood so much that every Thursday we round up their most delicious stories. Here are this week's finds:

• Unwelcome European grapevine moths have been generating buzz in Napa and Sonoma wine country.
• Find out which chef Spike Mendelsohn would like to see naked.
• Michigan will soon hold the official Guinness title for the world's largest meatball.
• A look back at some of the fast food industry's biggest failures.
• Veteran restaurant critic Raymond Sokolov is parting ways with the Wall Street Journal.
• Texas-based chain Bikini Sports Bar and Grill is trying to capture some of the Hooters market share.

When I saw the trailer for Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs, I wondered: what could be better than living in an alternate universe where it rains meatballs? Well, I think I've found my answer.

It's a 222.5-pound meatball that emerged over the weekend, blowing all other past meatball records out of the water. The gargantuan ground beef spectacle, which was created by Matthew Mitnitsky of Nonni's Italian Eatery in Concord, NH, was confirmed by the Guinness Book of World Records to be the (new) record holder of the world's largest meatball, beating out a recent 198.6-pound feat created on Jimmy Kimmel.

The best part? The now-famous meatball was broken down into manageable portions, then packaged and delivered to local shelters. What do you think? Delicious or disgusting?

Source