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Yucky Link: Blood Sausages Made From Human Blood

YumSugar — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 13:28:31 -0800

Two sergeants in the German air force are being accused of making traditional sausages using human blood instead. They were discovered when one of their fellow soldiers wanted to know if giving blood for sausage making was against regulations. I know I said I'd eat anything, but this sort of sounds like cannibalism to me. No thanks! - Telegraph

Apparently There Are No Waiters In The Future

YumSugar — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 14:48:31 -0700

A restaurant in Nuremberg, Germany has figured out a way to eliminate bad service forever. How'd they do it? Simple, they eliminated service completely. At the bistro 's Baggers, which is now the first sit-down restaurant in the world without waiters, the waitstaff has been replaced by a fully automated ordering system. Each table has been connected to the kitchen via metal rails and meals are ordered via a touch-screen at each table.

Customers' orders are registered upstairs in the kitchen and a computer in the cellar keeps track of supply stocks. The system also calculates the likely delivery times for drinks and meals at every table and keeps customers informed.

What I want to know is what happens when the computers crash, and how do you get a refill, or send something back?

Source: Spiegel International

Mondo Pasta Slurps at Sea

YumSugar — Tue, 15 May 2007 11:47:58 -0700

Do you slurp your pasta? I know I'm guilty of it, something about it just seems so much fun. The folks behind the advertising of Germany's Mondo Pasta seem to know that too. They've used the slurping idea to create one of the most clever ad campaigns I've seen in a while. These giant faces have been pasted onto sides of ships in Hamburg, Germany and the ropes that come out of their mouths is supposed to represent Mondo Pasta. It's slightly disturbing to look at, but I really like the concept.

Source: Spluch (Thanks to GeekSugar for the tip!)

Come Party With Me: Oktoberfest - The Look

partysugar — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 09:15:58 -0700

Let the colors of Germany's flag inspire the look at your Oktoberfest. Set the table with a red cloth and black plates. Serve the sausages and potato salad from big black bowls. Clear beer mugs are a must! Yellow flowers, red balloons, and a banner are festive and fun. Surprise guests with a Oktoberfest mint tin party favor.

Come Party With Me: Oktoberfest - Dessert

partysugar — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 10:30:38 -0700

The Black Forest is a wooded region in Southwestern Germany. It's from this area that Black Forest ham and Black Forest cake originated. Traditionally the confection consists of layers of chocolate cake, kirsch, and sour cherries, but this recipe uses those ingredients to make crumb bars.

At an event like Oktoberfest, where lots of beer may be consumed, it's nice not to worry about cutting and plating a cake. These super chocolatey portable bars can be set out at the start of the party, and guests can enjoy them at their leisure without utensils. For the make-in-advance recipe, please keep reading.

Ramsay Missing From the World's Best Restaurants List

partysugar — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 10:15:44 -0700

Yesterday Restaurant magazine and S. Pellegrino announced its famed list of the world's 50 best restaurants. The list is developed by a large panel of well-regarded international judges consisting of 806 chefs, restaurateurs, food critics, and journalists.

For the fourth year in a row, Ferran Adriá's experimental Spanish restaurant, El Bulli, has been named the best eatery in the world. Coming in at sixth, Thomas Keller's Per Se is the highest-ranking US restaurant.

The most shocking news, however, is that Gordon Ramsay's flagship London establishment, Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, which was number 13 on last year's list, is totally absent from this year's. To check out the complete list, read more.

El Bulli, Spain
The Fat Duck, UK
Noma, Denmark
Mugaritz, Spain
El Celler de Can Roca, Spain
Per Se, US
Bras, France
Arzak, Spain
Pierre Gagnaire, France
Alinea, US
L’Astrance, France
The French Laundry US
Osteria Francescana, Italy
St. John, UK
Le Bernardin, US
Restaurant de l’Hotel de Ville, Switzerland
Tetsuya’s, Australia
L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon, France
Jean Georges, US
Les Creations de Narisawa, Japan
Chez Dominique, Finland
Ristorante Cracco, Italy
Die Schwarzwaldstube, Germany
D.O.M., Brazil
Vendome, Germany
Hof van Cleve, Belgium
Masa, US
Gambero Rosso, Italy
Oud Sluis, Netherlands
Steirereck, Austria
Momofuku Ssam Bar, US
Oaxen Skaergaardskrog, Sweden
Martin Berasategui, Spain
Nobu UK
Mirazur, France
Hakkasan, UK
Le Quartier Francais, South Africa
La Colombe, South Africa
Asador Etxebarri, Spain
Le Chateaubriand, France
Daniel, US
Combal Zero, Italy
Le Louis XV, France
Tantris, Germany
Iggy’s, Singapore
Quay, Australia
Les Ambassadeurs, France
Dal Pescatore, Italy
Le Calandre, Italy
Mathias Dahlgren, Sweden

Source

Survey, Study Cast Red Wine in a Positive Light

YumSugar — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 03:30:00 -0700

It may be a stressful time for makers of rosé, but for red wine producers, things are looking up: at the same time that a new scientific study suggests red wine may help you think, the results of a large survey indicate women prefer red over white and rosé wines.

According to a Northumbria University study, men and women performed better in math exams after being given resveratrol, a plant chemical naturally found in red wine; researchers involved say the chemical boosts the brain's blood supply. Incidentally, a Vinexpo survey of more than 4,000 women in the US, UK, France, Japan, and Germany has concluded that women actually prefer reds over whites and rosés, considering red wine compatible with a healthy, balanced diet. The survey results run contrary to the long-held stereotype that women prefer lighter-bodied white wines.

Perhaps the wine industry will take note of this - since apparently 80 percent of women are also in charge of choosing the wine for their household. I love every red from Malbec to Merlot, but now have an excuse to drink that extra glass of wine! Are you surprised to hear the survey results? Are the health benefits among the reasons you drink wine?

Source

Tips For Enjoying Caviar

YumSugar — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 11:23:56 -0800

Last weekend, PartySugar and I spent most of our time eating and drinking at the Winter Fancy Foods Show, the largest food show in North America. With more than 250,000 food and beverage products on display, one could say that perhaps I bit off a little more than I could chew.

We tasted wine, cheese, meat, and everything else you can think of (more on that later!), but one of the biggest highlights had to be learning more about caviar from the pros. I turned to Ali Bolourchi and Michael Kupfer of Pacific Plaza Imports, a California-based caviar importer, to get some tips. To find out how to serve, taste, and enjoy caviar, read more.

What to buy: True caviar, the most prized (and therefore expensive!) is from Russian sturgeon. However, if you've never tasted caviar, American sturgeon is a great starting point, and only costs $20 to $25 an ounce - a fraction of the cost of the real thing. Also, know what it is that you're tasting: Neither red caviar or salmon roe is technically caviar. Genuine caviar falls under three categories: beluga, osetra, and sevruga.
How to taste: The best caviar should be devoid of smell, and should taste clean, buttery, and not too salty. The eggs should have a nice pop to them, and shouldn't be soupy or sticky.
How to serve: Buy a mother-of-pearl spoon to scoop the caviar, as metal imparts an unwanted flavor to the eggs. Each taste should contain a gram or two of caviar. Serve on a toast point, canapé, or blini, with smoked salmon, creme fraîche, lemon, and chive.
If you truly want to taste the pure flavor of caviar, serve the caviar solo on the nook of the hand between the index finger and thumb.

Of course, I couldn't learn fully without experiencing the taste of caviar. Michael served DeSietra Farms Siberian sturgeon caviar that was sustainably farmed in Germany. It was not fishy at all, and subtly briny, with a nutty finish - the perfect way to end a lesson about caviar.

Are you a fan of the delicacy? What are your favorite ways to enjoy it?

View 6 Photos ›

Discover the 2008 List of 50 Best Restaurants in the World

YumSugar — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 08:11:11 -0700

Every year San Pellegrino and Restaurant magazine releases a list of the 50 best restaurants in the world. The list is put together by The Nespresso World's 50 Best Academy, a group that consists of over 650 chefs, restauranteurs, food writers and critics. There is no list of nominees, each member of the voting panel votes for their favorite five restaurants. They can't vote for their own restaurant, and they have to have eaten at their nominees within the past 18 months. So after 3,410 votes, who came out on top?

The top three are unchanged from last year, with Ferran Adria's El Bulli ranking number one. There are also four re-entries and two new entries. To discover the whole list, read more.

1. El Bulli, Spain
2. The Fat Duck, UK
3. Pierre Gagnaire, France
4. Mugaritz, Spain
5. The French Laundry, US
6. Per Se, US
7. Bras, France
8. Arzak, Spain
9. Tetsuya's, Australia
10. Noma, Denmark
11. L'Astrance, France
12. Gambero Rosso, Italy
13. Restaurant Gordon Ramsay, UK
14. L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon, France
15. Le Louis XV, Monaco
16. St John, UK Highest Climber, up 18 places from last year
17. Jean Georges, US
18. Alain Ducasse au Plaza Athénée, France
19. Hakkasan, UK
20. Le Bernardin, US
21. Alinea, US
22. Le Gavroche, UK
23. Dal Pescatore, Italy
24. Le Cinq, France
25. Troisgros, France
26. El Celler de Can Roca, Spain
27. Restaurant de l'Hotel de Ville, Switzerland Highest Re-Entry
28. Hof van Cleve, Belgium
29. Martin Berasategui, Spain
30. Nobu London, UK
31. Can Fabes, Spain
32. Enoteca Pinchiorri, Italy
33. Le Meurice, France
34. Vendome, Germany Highest New Entry
35. Die Schwarzwaldstube, Germany
36. Le Calandre, Italy
37. Chez Panisse, US
38. Charlie Trotter's, US
39. Chez Dominique, Finland
40. DOM, Brazil
41. Daniel, US
42. Oud Sluis, The Netherlands
43. Cracco Peck, Italy
44. Asador Etxebarri, Spain
45. Les Ambassadeurs, France
46. L'Arpege, France
47. Tantris, Germany
48. Oaxen Skaergaardskrog, Sweden
49. Rockpool, Australia
50. Le Quartier Francais, South Africa

While I find this list completely fascinating - and I definitely want to eat at more than one of them - I'm a little dismayed by the fact that there isn't a single restaurant in Asia on this list. Not to mention the overall lack of diversity. What do you guys think about it?

Source

Oktoberfest Quiz

YumSugar — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 05:30:42 -0700

This past week marked the beginning of Oktoberfest, the Autumn celebration that started in Munich, Germany, almost 200 years ago. It has since spawned festivals everywhere in the world, from Cincinnati to Brazil. Aside from the beer and German delicacies, the event also includes cultural entertainment and attractions.

What do you know about this event, which marks the beginning of the Winter brewing season? Take our quiz to find out!

Source

Take the quiz