Time To Eat Some Of The World’s Most Creative Food!

Time to share a culinary adventure we had at one of Barcelona’s best restaurants: the molecular palace known as Comerc 24!

Barcelona is an amazing city with amazing things to see…like the Sagrada Famiglia, the world-famous church that has been under construction for more than a hundred years…

And of course, these guys below are also from the amazing mind of Anton Gaudi, whose incredible art is all over Barcelona!

At nightfall, you can eat at the edge of the Mediterranean and watch as the city’s waterfront takes on a beautiful moody glow…

And of course, as we were about to learn, NOBODY eats dinner in Barcelona before 9p – so it was after a long day of tourism that we made out way to the legendary restaurant: Comerc 24!

It begins as the sun is setting, and the narrow alleys of the old town feel more deserted….

And we come across Comerc – um, or did we: Is THIS Comerc?

Well, it may have said “Comerc”, but for some reason this seemed to be a smaller, more casual tapas bar instead….the menu looked interesting…

We quickly realized we were at one of Barcelona’s many “hole in the wall” bars that dot the city’s narrow streets…and as colorful as the menu was, the actual entrance to the “real” Comerc24 restaurant is much less “colorful”…

But inside it is nothing BUT color! Welcome to the Michelin-starred world of Chef Carles Abellan!

Comerç 24 restaurant was awarded its first Michelin star in 2014. Chef Carles Abellan is the protégé of legendary chef Ferran Adriá of El Bulli – considered the wildest molecular restaurant in the world, although it is now closed…

Chef Abellan worked with Adria for nine years: Carles Abellán now has his own Michelin star at the praised restaurant Comerc 24 in the heart of Barcelona’s old city.

When’s Dinner?

So, excited to dive into this molecular meal, Alex and I show up right at 830p – which is our reservation time – and of course they are still racing around getting ready for service!

Since of course, in Spain NOBODY eats before 9p!

Even though we were the “early birds”, they quickly seated us and showed us a menu, which is unnecessary since we would do the entire tasting menu, which begins with what they call:

Snacks!

It begins simply, with a glass of spanish cava, their champagne, and then a clear mushroom broth, to help the palate cleanse itself for what is to come…

The first “snack” was a plate of pickled cauliflower, which went very well with the cava, and then we were served a plate of slivered monkfish…

This delicate monkfish was wrapped with black garlic and mushrooms, and we each had three delicious slices before we were served our next dish:

Lemon Cannoli Roll With Basil!

This knocked our socks off…delicious lemon custard inside a crunchy cannoli roll – and since these are “snacks”, you can see that Alex’s dish has the cannoli roll alongside, yes, a pizza!

Comerc24’s version of “pizza” is a slice of raw tuna atop a crunchy wafer – followed by the most unique “sushi” dish I’ve ever had!

Sponge – yes, SPONGE! Sushi!

This sushi dish consisted of an edible sponge with unique seasonings, presented as sushi…another wildly creative molecular presentation, which we needed to consume with some great spanish white wine…

“Can freixes” is a crisp spanish white wine, which went perfectly with the food – the service, by the way, was friendly and fun, without the stuffiness that can accompany a tasting menu.

And did you hear me when I said those were the “snacks?” So, you can see Alex is a bit confused by what shows up next!

The Real Tasting Begins!

Yes, after our multi-course “snacks”, they start our real meal by bringing us a bowl that is filled with dry ice….

This dish is called “Dry ice oyster” – a fresh oyster that comes bedded in dry ice and wrapped in flowers, and it comes served side by side with:

Shrimp with gazpacho sorbet!

Yes, these are beautiful shrimp that have a intense gazpacho sorbet – this “one-two” punch of flavor is followed by another seafood dish:

This is “Dashi” soup with cockles in gelatin balls…so the cockles, a spanish clam, are embedded in a gelatin ball..rich and savory, but light and refreshing as well…and a perfect taste of the sea…

Next up are marinated sardines with orange and grain topped with micro greens…while we are eating this I notice that the music in the restaurant is Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get It On…”

And they “get it on” by bringing the largest bread platter I’ve ever seen!

That’s right, they come out with three HUGE loaves of freshly baked bread, which they carve up based on how much you want….and as you can see, they love the presentation too!

Then it’s back to the food – and since we are in Spain, the restaurant embraces their culture by serving us a classic Spanish dish:

Spanish Migas!

“Migas” is a traditional dish in Spanish cuisine. According to wikipedia, it was originally a breakfast dish that made use of leftover bread or tortas, and includes day-old bread soaked in water, garlic, paprika, and olive oil, and contains spinach, served with pan-fried pork ribs.

Commerce’s version of Migas was traditional bread toasted with mushroom broth and served over a poached egg…and it comes in an amazing serving dish:

It was a great “peasant” dish – and so incredibly rich…and then the next dish was a tuna tartar tower, served Comerc24 style:

The Chef’s tuna tartar is clean richly flavored, and it comes topped with an egg yolk vinaigrette and salmon roe…

More Mediterranean Seafood!

Next up are fresh razor clams, which are cooked AS spaghetti with a beautiful white sauce…every dish more delicious than the one before…

Cut “The Rock!”

Time for a small tuna sashimi pizza, followed by a dish that arrives in a covered rock!

Yes, you next course arrives as a rock, and then they lift the top of the rock off and replace it with an egg custard served in its shell and topped with truffles…smooth and silky rich…

We continued on with more unique meat dishes, like:

“Duck Rice With Foie Gras!”

I love the flavor of duck, I love rice, and don’t get me started on foie gras…the duck is intensely rich as is the foie, but the rice offers a nuttiness lightness that keeps the entire dish balanced – and each dish is small enough that we aren’t full – and savoring every bite!

Time for the red wine – another great spanish wine called Pagos Viejos…

Next up was another clear broth to cleanse the palate before we moved on to another dish:

It’s a delicate white fish with onion vinaigrette…delicious and moist fish with a tangy vinaigrette that makes the fish pop with flavor…

The fish came with a nice side dish: a roasted potato cauliflower…

One More Meat Dish!

Now we are headed into the home stretch: the next dish is baby pork glazed in a red wine vinaigrette…rich and savory, a perfect finale to the protein courses…and we are just about done…

I’m Stunned By The Cheese!

So of course, next is a crazy cheese tray! And yes, we had to take a picture of my reaction to the amazing array of cheeses….

There are 23 cheeses on this cheese plate – and they take you through all of them and you choose what sounds good to you…as I said before, their service is terrific, and they are friendly, fun and helpful…

Time To Head To Outer Space!

After the cheese it’s time for a tray of desserts…and what a tray is was!

This collection of “outer space” desserts were full of flavor was not heavy – especially after the meal we just had…and there was only one more thing to do…

We ended with a drink back at our hotel!

What a meal! What a night! Almost three hours of incredible molecular cooking, so kudos to the entire kitchen team at Comerc 24!

And that was just one of our culinary adventures…see all the pics from Barcelona’s Boqueira food market!

http://johnrieber.com/2013/06/12/barcelonas-famous-boqueira-food-stalls-tapas-hanging-ham/

And if you want some of the greatest tapas in the world, you have to go here:

Read all about the famous Cal Pep by clicking here:

http://johnrieber.com/2013/05/20/barcelona-tapas-cal-pep-the-battle-for-tapas-supremacy/

And yes, there are other restaurants who think that THEY have the best tapas in Barcelona!

You can read all about our meal there buy clicking here:

http://johnrieber.com/2013/05/22/passadis-del-pep-barcelonas-tapas-king-spains-tapas-battle-continues/

Enjoy some of our food adventures in Spain and let me know what you think!

Happy New Year!

Sydney Minick is celebrating her first new year, and I’m making a special burger in her honor! And why not? 2015 is going to be an exciting and DELICIOUS year – here’s proof!

It’s “SliderFest 2015!

In order to launch the new year on the best tasting note possible, I plan to make five different international sliders, and as always, I have the recipes to share with you!

Study this chart: it’s a beautiful thing. But big massive burgers aren’t he point right now – sliders are three bites – you enjoy one, and then you try another – a different flavor…with sliders you can go around the world in your mouth!

Fry One On!

OK, I admit it: I LOVE a slider with french fries and tartar sauce…I make them all the time and I’m not ashamed. But now I have another reason to try some new sliders – and I want to share all of them with you – thanks to Sydney!

Sydney Had A Little Lamb!

My gorgeous grand-daughter Sydney just turned six months old, and is therefore celebrating her FIRST New Year’s Day! So what better way to celebrate than with a Lamb slider in honor of her!

I made these lamb sliders for the first time at my daughter Jessica’s “BABY Q”, her way of doing a baby shower…they were delicious! And they are easy: for the patty, just mix ground lamb with onion, garlic, mint, parsley and salt and pepper…

Top With Some Tzatziki Sauce!

Yes, a cool yogurt cucumber sauce is all you need to add to this burger to make it great!

1 (16 ounce) container low-fat plain yogurt
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and grated
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste

Combine the yogurt, cucumber, garlic, parsley, mint, lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.

Top the burger with this cool sauce and you are “lamb-tacular”! And I added some avocado to mine and here it is!

There you go, Sydney, your first slider! While Sydney’s not quite ready to join the slider fun yet, this is still a great burger to share with friends! And there is more to share as well: let’s go around the world for some great slider fun – I mean, how can you argue with Marilyn!

The World’s Best International Sliders!

I love to travel. When I do, I always eat local…but I have noticed that many countries around the world are making burgers….and the Japanese have taken it to the max!

While the hilarious Lotteria restaurant chain in Japan loves to offer up burgers like this, a slider ISN’T about the meat.

“It’s All About The Topping!”

The key to an international slider is what goes ON the meat! Whether it’s cheese, spices or sauces, it is all about what adds a unique flavor to the basic hamburger patty. As for the bun, I make sliders by using small dinner rolls, but there are many specialty stores that carry slider buns as well.

Your basic hamburger uses good quality ground beef with at least 15% fat content, to ensure lots of juicy flavor. I put minced onion in as well, and I use minced garlic as well. I also like to use a fun salt – like pink Hawaiian sea salt, and a fair amount of pepper.

That’s it for me – upon this temple of meat, these international slider recipes add unique ingredients that give them a special flavor…have fun, it’s time to head around the world!

Spice It Up! Indian Sliders

Lots of indian spices make this stand out. As the picture above shows, you can also add some grilled onions to this, but the key is spice, spice baby. Here is a recipe that lays out the unique flavors to add to your slider:

3 lbs ground beef
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon garam masala
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1/4 cup minced scallion top
1/2 cup firmly packed chopped cilantro leaf

Grill your burger with all of these spices inside the meat, then top with some scallion and chopped cilantro. No cheese required!

But now here’s a burger that is ALL about the cheese!

Mai Oui? Why Not, It’s Your Burger! The French Slider

The definition of a French slider is blue cheese, and blue cheese ONLY – take your regular hamburger, and fold in crumbled blue cheese into the meat before you grill. What happens is the cheese melts while the meat is cooking, creating a blue creaminess that oozes out of the meat as you bite it…

…and the stuff that oozes out while cooking is even better. Score! If you want to go crazy you can wipe a smear of foie gras on the bun as well, but I don’t add anything else.

Late Night Snack In Barcelona – The Spanish Slider! – Hamburguesa!

Spanish flavors take this slider to a whole new level – as always, start with your traditional hamburger patty. The key here are the condiments.

The topping here is an olive tapenade, that gets spread on top of the cooked slider – you can find recipes for making tapendade, or you can buy it in a jar, but it includes black olives, capers, anchovies, garlic, olive oil, and lemon juice – cook the burger first, and after you turn it add a slice of Manchego cheese and Jamón – Iberico ham – prosciutto-like ham!

Let the cheese melt as the burger cooks and the ham warms up…Take a bite and you will wake up in Barcelona!

Got Some Seoul? Kimchi Sliders!

When I was in Seoul, we ate every night at a korean BBQ, where you grill your own meats and seafood on the round grill embedded in your table, then wrap the grilled food around lettuce or thinly sliced pickled vegetables.

Taking that as an inspiration, I have a great recipe here for Korean sliders – which can be made with grilled sliced beef, upon which you add pickled cucumbers, a splash of rice vinegar and kimchi. Thanks to the website The Chubby Vegetarian, you can also do a version without meat at all, or just pile it all on!

Korean BBQ Sliders (Makes 6)
Recipe from The Chubby Vegetarian website!

1 tablespoon each of soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey, sesame oil (mixed)
3 green onions (thinly sliced)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 large portobello mushroom cap (thinly sliced)
6 slider buns
mayo
Vegetarian Kimchi – you can buy pre-made
half of an English cucumber (sliced longways using a vegetable peeler)

Get a frying pan screaming hot, and add the vegetable oil. Once it starts smoking, add the sliced mushrooms and cook for about a minute or until they start to brown. Turn the mushrooms in the pan and add the soy sauce mixture and the green onions. Continually move the mixture around for a few seconds then remove from heat. Divide mushrooms among the buns, and top with about a tablespoon of kimchi and a few slices of cucumber. I love these with or without meat!

THE WASABI-AVOCADO Japanese Slider!

I read about this over the holidays and I made one…it was delicious! By using wasabi mayonaise, you get the flavor without too much of the heat, but buy some extra and amp it up as you choose!

It is very simple: just cook a slider patty as usual…no cheese needed. After you turn the patty, add some sliced avocado for a moment to warm it up, and once you put it on the bun, wipe a heavy dose of wasabi mayonaise on the top bun.

The coolness of the fresh avocado goes perfectly against the spicy wasabi mayo.

Trader Joe’s sells it, or buy some great mayo and wasabi and mix it together to the strength you can handle…this is delicious with a Sapporo!

The All-American Bacon-Cheeseburger Slider!

What can I say? Here is a burger that never fails to satisfy. Just toast the bun, cook the burger, add the cheese, let it melt, put it on the bun with some or ALL of the added ingredients, and you are set!

Top Bun
Cheese – melted and dripping
Bacon! Bacon! Bacon!
Slider Patty
Tomato
Pickle
Mayonaise, mayonaise, mayonaise!
Bottom Bun

See that? DO NOT DEVIATE – this is perfection.

G’Day Mate! The Perfect Australian Sliders!

An Aussie slider is just like ours, with two key differences. They add a slice of beetroot – OK, we call it beet, they call it beetroot – underneath the burger. It adds a great, slightly sweet and nutty flavor to the taste.

Everything else is the same – add cheddar cheese, tomato, lettuce if you like – and if you want to go totally Aussie, take the second step to complete fulfillment – add a fried egg on top….the best!

And finally…THE BEST SIDE DISHES IN THE WORLD!

When you are enjoying sliders, you can make salads and vegetables, but why not just serve the greatest invention in the world: TATER TOTS! Just buy them frozen and bake them up and you are done!

Or try this: a tater tot casserole, which is basically baked mac-n-cheese with tater tots added!

And if you want 2015 to be full of good things, then here is all you have to do:

Happy New Year And A “Hoppin’ John” To You All!

Of course, you MUST include some “Hoppin’ John” as well…as my friend and terrific Author Michael Ruhlman says, “this ‘Hoppin’ John’ recipe is a dish from the American south featuring black-eyed peas, often included in southern food and soul food recipes, traditionally served on New Year’s Day by those angling for good fortune all year long.”

The beautiful photo is courtesy of his wife Donna, and see his entire recipe on his great website here:

http://ruhlman.com/2010/12/hoppin-john/

Follow Ruhls for ongoing culinary magic! And bite down hard on a slider while you are doing it!

Happy New Year!

Time to get healthy! And that means only one thing:

Yes, you can depend on bacon to give you the inspiration you need to get moving and get healthy….

Beginning With Breakfast!

Nothing like a great bowl of bacon covered “stuff” to get you going in the morning! In fact, I’ve shared a LOT of great looking dishes where bacon has been allowed to shine, remember?

The Bacon Cone!

The Bacon Taco!

And The Majesty Of The Bacon Oreo!

Yes, “bacon cones”, “bacon tacos” and “bacon oreos” are as delicious to eat as they are to look at…and speaking of delicious, how about this:

The “Wild Bacon” Sandwich!

Our friends at RocketNews24 highlighted this unique bacon sandwich from Japan – a HUGE slab of what appears to be “pork belly” – with the world’s smallest roll trying desperately to hang on…but it looks great, and there’s MORE!

Behold The “I Woke Up Like This” Pornburger!

Wonder what a great bacon cheeseburger would taste like if it was served between a cheeseburger waffle! Never wonder again!

Yes, thanks to the terrific website “Pornburger”, you can see the majesty of this bacon treat! I wrote about this terrific website before, which you can read about here:

http://johnrieber.com/2014/06/05/pornburgers-the-delicious-online-world-of-burger-food-porn/

Check out their website for an amazingly creative variety of burger…just click on here:

http://pornburger.me

So is there anything better than a great bacon burger? Well, here’s the thing: I got all of THIS for Christmas this year:

Yes, thanks to my great sister-in-law, it was a bacon-y great holiday for me! I can make my own bacon, I can put bacon rub on anything and everything, and I can play with my fun and bendable bacon figure as well!

As you can see, bacon has not only been used on a wide variety of food products….bacon has been used on all sorts of new products like this:

And of course this:

The best version of alia-seltzer that I’ve ever seen…it makes me nostalgic for the good old days, when you could just make yourself some bacon using a toaster!

Those were the good old days! Imagine just loading up your toaster and out pops bacon! I would have used this product! That was then, this is now unfortunately – because bacon has now been reduced to THIS!

OK, let’s all calm down for a moment….I have enjoyed sharing with you some of the most delicious burgers in the world, helped out by the addition of our favorite topping – BACON…

And I’ve embraced bacon even when it has been abused – for example, our wacky friends at RocketNews24 went “all-in” with their bacon on a burger like this:

I’m sure that was all in good fun, and it probably tasted good as well. But as you know, people just can’t stop doing more and more with bacon…and it has nothing to do with food!

bacon tape

Yes, you can tape up all of your favorite things with bacon tape….a funny way to keep bacon nearby, and to keep your teeth feeling clean and fresh, brush them with bacon toothpaste:

Lying Down With Bacon!

Because of my love of bacon, people keep sending me pictures of products that are designed to smother you with bacon, like my favorite bed of all time:

The best part of that ad is that it encourages you to “eat your pillow!” Now, as always, people just can’t stop taking bacon too far…

Bacon Condoms!

I’m not sure what there is to add to this – it is, apparently, a real product – but I’ll stick to a more palatable use of bacon:

Cheers! Drink your bacon and let me know what you think!

Wrap Your Mouth Around This! The Gigantwich!

I have the most amazing thing ever stuffed between two buns! It’s called the “Gigantwich!” More on it in a moment, but first, time to celebrate “Mangetout!”

Welcome To Mangetout!

Mangetout is a restaurant in England that describes themselves like this:

“Mangetout is a family owned and run business in the heart of the bustling Essex seaside town of Southend. We Love Food!”

The restaurant is located in Southend, Essex · and the website is mangetout.co

And this is the “Gigantwich!”

Behold the majesty: this sandwich monster contains sausage, bacon, ham, beef, turkey, lamb, a steak burger, pulled bbq pork, hash browns, various cheeses, stuffing, a cheese omelette, tomatoes, cucumber, salad, mayo, BBQ sauce, mustard and onion rings!

Yes, it is larger than a small child! And there’s more! The fillings are sandwiched between six thick slices of bread with chips and coleslaw on the side.
It weighs 5.5lbs and costs diners £17.95 if not completed within the 45-minute challenge time.

Take The “Gigantwich” Challenge!

That’s right, it’s free if you can eat it within 45 minutes, and people keep trying! I can’t see how you can stuff more than five pounds of goodness into your belly, but his guy did and got a T-shirt too!

Read more about this incredible burger – and the man who ate the whole thing! The entire story is here:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2517333/Man-Vs-Sandwich-Slim-diner-consumes-8-000-calorie-challenge-just-36-minutes-manages-chips-side.html#ixzz3OjwN3vHv

And it’s just the tip of the Mangetout burger iceberg!

Yes, their website unveils wild burger after wild burger, and I just had to share a few of them with you!

The Lumberjack Club!

The ‘LumberJack’ Club is 2 separate 8oz Steak Burgers Topped With Melted Swiss and Cheddar, Fried Onions, Crispy Smoked Bacon, Pickles and Mustard Mayo in a Triple Decker Toasted Sandwich. Served with Onion Rings, Fries and Coleslaw!

Dig In!

Try The “Double Hawaain” Burger!

Well, they may not know how to spell it, but the “Double Hawaain” is a tribute to our 50th state!

And there’s more food madness from across the pond – beginning with the legendary “Haggis” Burger!

I told you all about this burger, using “haggis”! If you don’t know what that is, click on my story and prepare to be nourished!

http://johnrieber.com/2013/07/16/haggis-burgers-the-big-manc-the-wimbledon-connection-match-point/

And don’t forget, when you are in England you must check out Bear Grills as well!

Yep, they say it’s the world’s largest breakfast platter! See who attempted to eat it all in one sitting by clicking on my story here:

http://johnrieber.com/2014/10/12/dig-into-the-worlds-biggest-breakfast-platter/

And if you have a “spicier” appetite, I’ve gâteau covered as well:

Yes, it’s the world’s hottest burger, and it also lives in England! Find out how hot and who can eat it by clicking here:

http://johnrieber.com/2014/03/12/the-worlds-hottest-burger-xxx-hot-chilli-burger-madness-fire-up-your-meat/

There you go, enjoy your meal!

Time For A Journey To Barcelona!

It’s a beautiful city located on the Spanish Mediterranean, and you can get an amazing view of the “old city” by taking an aerial tram to the waterfront!

We did just that – along with many other adventures in this great city, which also has some of the most amazing parks in the world, including this one:

Welcome To Parc Guell!

It’s located on a hill overlooking central Barcelona, and was originally a proposed housing complex called “Parc Guell”. Quick backstory: Eusebi Güell assigned the design of the park to Antoni Gaudí, one of the world’s most renowned architects – and the face of Spanish Catalan modernism. The park was built between 1900 and 1914 and was officially opened as a public park in 1926. In 1984, UNESCO declared the park a World Heritage Site under “Works of Antoni Gaudí”.

Parc Güell is now one of the world’s most unique public parks – a series of gardens and architectonic elements located on Carmel Hill in Barcelona. As you can see, there are beautiful views of Barcelona from the park!

You can see one of Gaudi’s other Barcelona masterpieces in the distance on the left of the photo: the “still under construction” Sagrada Famiglia, an incredible Catholic church that has been “in progress” since 1882! Here is what it looks like up close:

Barcelona is full of Gaudi’s incredible work, but nothing is as inviting and full of unique touches as Parc Guell….

The park is packed all day with tourists because it is a fascinating place to roam, with amazing views and architecture. One of the first things you see when you arrive is the “Salamander Fountain”:

Here we are getting a shot with the salamander, which is very difficult because it is always surrounded by people doing the same thing!

This entire park is filled with unique walkways and catacombs: you could wander through these for hours on end…

The park is full of unique architecture and amazing art everywhere you look, including right above you:

As you can see, there are walkway both outside and within the structures, so you get a variety of great pictures like these:

This is a park for wandering in, and for taking picture after picture after picture…you see something unique every time you make a turn….

Sit Down And Feel Some Gaudi!

Yes, there is even art when you sit down! There is a large flat area amid the hills, and you can sit and relax for a minute, on these beautiful art benches!

The park has some of the original buildings that housed the owners, but we spent most of our time just taking in the amazing views in the distance – and all of the art around us:

As you can see, Parc Guell is an incredible place to wander and explore….in a city that is full of amazing adventures:

We had such a great time in Spain, our great friend Barbara gifted us this great book called “Gaudi Pop-Ups”:

It is complete with, you guessed it, pop up versions of some of his amazing work!

Remember the Sagrada Famiglia? How about “pop up” style:

Here is my story of the day we explored the inside and out of the Sagrada Famiglia…read it by clicking here:

http://johnrieber.com/2014/04/19/barcelonas-sagrada-famiglia-the-worlds-most-beautiful-construction/

Of course, there are SO many amazing things to explore. This was just one part of our incredible Spain adventure…if you missed any of those stories, here is what we did:

Check out the incredible Boqueria, Barcelona’s world famous food market…you can click on that story here:

http://johnrieber.com/2013/06/12/barcelonas-famous-boqueira-food-stalls-tapas-hanging-ham/

If that makes you hungry, then come along with us for some Tapas!

Here we are outside the world famous Cal Pep restaurant. You can see our entire menu by clicking here:

http://johnrieber.com/2013/05/20/barcelona-tapas-cal-pep-the-battle-for-tapas-supremacy/

Many consider Cal Pep the best tapas restaurant in Barcelona – but the great Chefs at Passadis del Pep may disagree!

You can read about our food adventure at Passadis by clicking here:

http://johnrieber.com/2013/05/22/passadis-del-pep-barcelonas-tapas-king-spains-tapas-battle-continues/

And of course, you can see all of our Barcelona trip by jumping on one of their high flying aerial trams!

Get the entire journey, with some fun aerial videos, by clicking here:

http://johnrieber.com/2013/08/08/barcelonas-sky-high-view-flying-over-spain-by-tram/

And we also had a great night at Barcelona’s “Magic Fountain:”

You can see some video of the fountain at night with its amazing light show by clicking on my story here:

http://johnrieber.com/2014/02/21/barcelonas-magic-fountain-spains-magical-city-at-night/

And we got the chance to explore the Spanish “Costa Brava” as well!

And of course, you can read all about our adventure on the Costa Brava, especially as we searched for Salvador Dali’s house! Click here for that misadventure:

http://johnrieber.com/2013/11/02/searching-for-salvadore-dali-our-costa-brava-adventure-hello-dali/

At the end of the day, it was one of our favorite adventures ever, thanks Spain!

And thanks to Barcelona for such an amazing architectural adventure!

Seattle Vs. New England! A Seafood Super Bowl Matchup!

Being born and raised in Seattle, I am so excited for their Super Bowl return, and this super matchup – the two teams with the best records this year face off, the way it should be! In fact, this matchup has me salivating! Here’s one reason:

Now THIS is a Super Bowl stadium I would buy a ticket for! Yes, when the world’s biggest sporting event is on, you have to do your part to live up to the hype – and that means only one thing!

THE SUPER BOWL OF SNACKS!

I plan to make a LOT of fun Super Bowl food on Feb. 2 – it’s an American tradition that goes back to the beginning of football it seems, and why not jump on board with this?

Yes, the beauty of a chicken wing combined with the sweetness of a cupcake…well, I DID warn you this was a Super celebration!

Since I am from Seattle, I will have to make something out of THIS:

Dungeness Crab Recipes!

This will be a Super Sunday filled with Dungeness crab…more on this Seattle favorite in a minute…oh, and there WILL be this as well:

Yes, with seafood comes tartar sauce, and there will be a recipe for that as well…but first, it’s time to look at just how much we eat on Super Bowl Sunday – and of course offer up some super-sized food to dream about…with some guidance on how to make these for your friends as well!

Go Blue ‘n’ Green!

If you want to support the Seahawks, then try some snacks that stick to their team colors: blue corn tortillas and guacamole is an easy way to do it!

Want to get a bit crazy?

Seahawks Rice Krispy Treats!

Yes, why not make rice krispy snacks and add your own food coloring Seahawks bent to them? A bit “over the top”, but it IS Super Bowl after all!

Believe In The 12th Man!

You can make it a “perfect storm” of Seattle support by making a batch of “12th man” cupcakes…now you are covered for a snack, main course AND dessert!

Thanks to the wacky party idea people at “Queenbeecoupons” for these Seahawks-themed snacks…see them all here:

http://queenbeecoupons.com/seahawks-party-ideas/

And of course, don’t forget to make your own Super Bowl stadium of food!

What better way to celebrate the Super Bowl than to tease you with pictures of amazing food stadiums to help us swallow the following Super Bowl Food stats! First, look at this snack stadium:

And if that doesn’t make you hungry, this one could do the trick:

And of course, you can never go wrong when you unveil a snack stadium that looks like this – all of these great pics raise a question: how much food IS eaten on Super Sunday?

HERE ARE THE STATISTICS ON SUPER BOWL SNACK FOOD!

The Super Bowl is ranked as the number two food consumption event of the year, second only to Thanksgiving!

The “12th Man” X 100!
Yes, the average number of calories consumed during the Super Bowl is 1,200, like having a stadium full of Seahawks fans!

Put A Hold On 71.4 million Pounds Of Guacamole, Please!

Yep, that’s the estimated pounds of Hass avocados that are consumed on Super Sunday! That’s enough to cover the Super Bowl Stadium end zone to end zone in more than 27.5 feet in avocados!

I love the way the guacamole looks like the playing field here!

90 Millions Pounds Of Wings, Please!

Hope you have enough ranch dressing and paper towels to handle this one:

1.25 billion!

Yep, that’s the number of chicken wings Americans are expected to eat on Super Bowl Sunday, according to the U.S. National Chicken Council, and why would they lie to us?

Why not take that 12th man cupcake and top it with a wing! Double your fun! Or, celebrate Seattle by making a Dungeness Crab dip like I plan to make!

Crab Dip!

Since Seattle is in the Super Bowl again, we must celebrate the fresh seafood that makes Seattle unique! Let’s begin with a great recipe for our friend the Dungeness Crab!

Hot Crab Dip!

Thanks to Scott’s in Edmonds – a great place to hang out while you wait for a ferry…have an ice cold beer or glass of Chardonnay and dig into their classic Dungeness Crab dip!

Here is the recipe:

1/2 pound fresh dungeness crab meat 60/40 mix, 60% shredded body & 40% legs
1/2 pound canned unmarinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
2 cups Best Food mayonnaise
4 ounces yellow onion, sliced paper thin
4 ounces freshly shredded Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 tsp Italian parsley, minced
1 baguette, sliced
1 lemon cut into wedges

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Combine and mix the crab, artichoke hearts, mayonnaise, onions and cheese. Just blend evenly – do not over mix. Portion the mixture into 6 to 8 small ovenproof ramekins.

Bake the ramekins 5 to 6 minutes or until an internal temperature of 140 degrees is achieved. You just want to get the mixture warmed and the top browned. Too much heat and the mayonnaise will separate.

To serve, arrange bread slices around the crab dip and garnish with chopped parsley and a slice of lemon…or waffle fries!

Don’t Forget To Double Dip!

Be careful this Super Bowl NOT to pull a George Costanza and double dip:

We all remember the hilarious “Seinfeld” episode when George is caught double dipping…but George had it right – if the dip is good you gotta go back!

Don’t Forget The Chips!

An astounding 14,500 tons of chips and 4,000 tons of popcorn are eaten on Super Bowl Sunday.

The Calorie Control Council says we’ll also eat:
— 11.2 million pounds of potato chips.
— 8.2 million pounds of tortilla chips.
— 4.3 million pounds of pretzels.
— 3.8 million pounds of popcorn.
— 2.5 million pounds of nuts during their Super Bowl parties.

So let’s get our food on!

But if this is all too big for you, so “small” and delicious, like this amazingly delicious Super Bowl snack:

The Bacon Oreo!

Yes, here are some more amazing snacks you can serve, like an oreo cookies stuffed with bacon! Or, perhaps you want your bacon even easier to hold and consume, and in that case I give you the:

Macaroni And Cheese Stuffed Bacon Cone!

Easy to hold, delicious to devour, this is the way to enjoy a Super game! You can find out more by clicking here:

http://johnrieber.com/2014/09/23/bacon-macncheese-cones-bacon-oreos-foie-gras-burgers/

But the Super Bowl is about more than just food!

And Is There A Beverage?

Well, what do YOU think, Wade Beckett?

This is my friend Wade, drinking a VERY LARGE beer in Seoul South Korea…and it was during the Super Bowl, so that’s a good sign! During the Super Bowl, there will be 325 million GALLONS of beer consumed. That is A LOT of beer…but if you put it in the right kind of mug, you should be fine….

Bacon Mug!

And when in doubt, just pour yourself a frosty brew in this mug and have a nice snack at the same time!

So there you have it: food, drink, and more food – lots and lots of food. But I think we are missing ONE crucial ingredient: THE TWINKIE!

The TWINKIE Stadium!

Yes, this is an edible Twinkie stadium…I actually found many versions of it online, so thanks to all who have shared this…first, you must lay out the outline of your stadium in, of course, Twinkies…

Holy Taco’s Twinkie Stadium uses a flat aluminum pan spread with sections of salsa, queso dip, and guacamole as a base, and cheese-topped hot dog pieces as players on the field. Various snack mixes are held together by a retaining wall made of Twinkies which the site refers to as “nature’s brick.”

Nature’s Brick!

This particular structure is notable for its “pliable bacon wall”, which is absent from most other examples.

The real kicker is the inclusion of the football shaped blimp, which is actually a 20 oz. summer sausage – AND WE ALL KNOW HOW GOOD THAT WILL TASTE…if you pay close attention, you can see Twinkies also used as cars in the parking lot in many of the stadiums…nice touch….

I would dig into this and never stop eating…just don’t get carried away and make the dreaded:

BACON-WRAPPED TWINKIE STONEHENGE!

Yes, this image exists everywhere online, so it must be good! And it takes us back to the most important aspect of this game:

Super Bowl Food Stadiums!

Yes, I LOVE theese “Super Snack Stadiums” – crazy snack food towers designed to look like football stadiums…

There are a multitude of websites that offer “Super Bowl Snacks” recipes and advice…the key is to plan ahead, and follow these pictures to create your own work of art!

Being from Seattle, I WILL be incorporating tartar sauce into my Super Sunday, probably with this burger:

Yes, it’s the best Slider recipe in the world! Top your burger with french fries, then a healthy dose of tartar sauce! Top that with a slice of your favorite cheese – mine is provolone, and you have a meal in a bun!

Go Hawks!

Who Cares About Bad Weather! Warm Up With THIS!

Yes, there is “breaking” KFC “double down” news! The “Double Down Hot Dog” is here! Well, ALMOST here….let’s look at the facts:

Remember How It Began?

First, let’s go back a few years – KFC’s Legendary “Double Down” Sandwich: It was a wacky food item that everyone tried once: I know because G4’s “Attack Of The Show” brought fifty of them in to taste live in the studio!

It doesn’t seem that long ago when KFC stunned the food world with their “double down” sandwich: bacon, cheese and creamy sauce stuffed between two pieces of boneless breaded fried chicken, acting as “buns”.

Quickly, great websites like “insanewiches” did their “homage” by double sizing their double down like this…

Which had to lead to this: thanks to Huffington Post, who loves this wacky food almost as much as I do, I have this “breaking double down” news:

It’s KFC’s “Double Down Hot Dog!”

Yes, the latest “double down” effort has taken out the bacon and cheese and loaded up the chicken buns instead with a hot dog! And it’s a bestseller!

According to HuffPoFood, the “Double Down Dog” is only being sold in the Philippines from January 26-27 and most locations have already sold out!

While the story says it’s only being tested overseas, if there is one thing I can promise you, this food creation will be upon us soon!

And KFC isn’t just abusing the hot dog, look at what they are offering overseas as well:

The “Double Down KING Burger!”

Now, we already know that the Double Down is made of two pieces of fried chicken, bacon and cheese – but in Korea, they have an addition which they call the “Zinger”!

And the “Zinger” is a hamburger patty!

Fast food history made once again!

Cult movie fans, REMAIN UNAPOLOGETIC. EVEN IN THE FACE OF THIS:

Before you judge me, consider this: there is a place where, in a movie sense, ANYTHING GOES. There are no rules other than being wildly entertaining, like this:

Cue The Karaoke!

And of course, there will be some singing and dancing as well:

OK, I think that, if you are still here, you will stay for the rest of this wild, wild ride through the legendary film genre known as “J-sploitation”…I’ve written about it before, but I wanted to celebrate it one more time with three incredibly entertaining examples of the genre….and if you are hungry, we’ll begin with:

Behold the “Citizen Kane” of killer sushi movies!

“DEAD SUSHI!”

“Dead Sushi”is a “Japanese splatter action comedy” about “flying killer sushi monsters,” and it’s on blu-ray for you to enjoy!

“Dead Sushi” stars Japanese Actress Rina Takeda, who has a ball in this film, which is directed by Noboru Iguchi – who is quickly becoming the Lloyd Kaufman of Japan!

Director Noboru Iguchi Does It Again!

I have posted about Director Noboru Iguchi’s movies before, and have a recap and trailers of some of his previous work below. Now his new “J-sploitation” masterwork is here – this style of Japanese exploitation film is crazy, uninhibited, and campy beyond belief!

“Dead Sushi” Trailer!

Check out the trailer:

What can you say about THAT? As I have posted before, this new wave of Japanese horror film is called “J-spolitation”, and it involves young women who are abused or mistreated in some way, and they fight back in the most incredible manner possible, as you can see!

In this case, sushi has gone out of control – and with that as the simple setup, let the fun begin!

As always, there will be a lot of over-the-top bloodshed before the killer sushi is defeated…but that is how these movies play out…and you either accept them for what they are or not…but really, how can you take this TOO seriously?

To see more of this Director’s work, click on my story here:

http://johnrieber.com/2012/07/30/killer-sushi-the-robogeisha-director-is-back-with-more-fried-shrimp-death-and-japanese-mayhem/

And don’t think our Japanese friends have forgotten the zombie genre…in fact, they’ve taken it to a whole new level!

“Zombie Ass: Toilet Of The Dead!”

How can you argue with a film that has a plot that revolves around this image!

Prepare yourself for the majesty of “Zombie Ass!” Here is the trailer:

“We are going to flush you! The most crap-tastic zombie movie ever to emerge from Japan’s cinema sewer is finally upon us, and it’s from the twisted mind of cinematic madman and legendary ass-fetishist Noboru Iguchi, creator of THE MACHINE GIRL, ROBO-GEISHA and KARATE-ROBO ZABORGAR!”

The terrific Japanese Director Iguchi has created a splatter comedy guaranteed to warm the bowels of those with the stomach for it… while more sensitive viewers may want to plug their noses and flee in disgust!

The plot is simple: pretty young karate student Megumi accompanies a group of older friends on a trip into the woods.

Things start to go badly when Maki finds a parasitical worm inside a fish they catch – and wolfs it down alive, in the hope that it’ll help keep her skinny! And then… zombies!

The group is attacked by a crowd of poop-covered undead who emerge from an outhouse toilet, and seek refuge at the home of strange Dr. Tanaka and his daughter Sachi – and it just gets even crazier from there!

The Liberating Power Of Farts!

This is what makes J-sploitation so unique – this plot asks the question: can Megumi’s karate alone help them escape, or will she have to rely on the liberating power of farts to save the day?

That’s a question not asked nearly enough in film these days!

Finally, you need to remember that these films usually have a underlying message about society…and none more so than this classic:

Karaoke Terror!

This 2003 drama from Japan is a very interesting hybrid: it’s a serious dramatic look at the social upheaval in Japan – and it is an over-the-top gore fest, with one of the most unbelievable endings you will ever see! And of course, you will see things like THIS:

The basic premise of the film deals with two very different groups; one are the Midoris, named so because all the middle-aged and divorced women share the name Midori, and a group of young college-aged men.

Both groups live separate lives until the day one of the boys murders a member of the Midoris, because she rejected a sexual advance.

So the concept is simple: two warring factions battle it out, with their love of karaoke the only bond between them. The movie showcases how middle-aged women in Japan are considered worthless, outcasts in their own country.

As they battle back and forth, the stakes escalate until you have the most amazing ending to a movie ever – and of course, lots of karaoke!

This is not a perfect movie to be sure, but what a great way to expand your movie-going horizons – let me know what you think about j-sploitation!

Japan Needs Your Help With Burgers!

Japan’s wackiest burger restaurant, Lotteria, LOVES to offer up wild and crazy burgers like this one:

Yes, they had a “bacon cube” burger! And they LOVE to stack their burgers a mile or so high as well:

I have written about ALL of them, and even counted down my five favorites, which you can see here:

http://johnrieber.com/2014/10/05/amazing-strawberry-burgers-bacon-cubes-choco-chicken-burgers-lotterias-top-five-burgers/

Now, Lotteria needs your help! They have an ongoing series of “special” burgers that are only offered for a limited time…they plan to bring YOUR FAVORITE back and you get to vote on which one!

Lotteria wants you to go to their website and tell them which of their special burgers you want back…I am going to vote even if I don’t get there to eat it! But which one to vote for? Here are some of the candidates:

Behold “The Zeppin” On The Left!

The “Zeppin Cheeseburger”, which in english means “Superb Cheeseburger” is on the left above and is five burger patties with slices of cheese between each. It’s a towering option that shouldn’t be taken lightly.

It is, however, NOT to be confused with “Led Zeppelin”, but Jimmy Page would probably look like this if he ate one…

And as for the burger on the right, it should be obvious:

Shrimp Tree Burger!

If you like seafood, specifically shrimp, then this burger is for you! It’s five fried shrimp patties on a bun, with some shredded lettuce and a tartar-like sauce…bite into the deep blue sea!

Perhaps you like this one:

It’s the “Burger With EVERYTHING On it” – 15 items stacked high for your enjoyment. And if you really want to encourage Lotteria to keep going wacky wacky wacky, then you have to bite down and vote for this:

The “Taishoken Ganso Tsukemen Ramen Burger”!

Yes, the legendary “ramen” burger can be yours again if you let Lotteria know it’s your favorite!

Yes, the “ramen burger” craze began in Japan!

Thanks Again, RocketNews24!

If you want to vote for your favorite Lotteria burger from Japan, go to the RocketsNews24 story here:

http://en.rocketnews24.com/2015/01/29/burger-decision-2015-which-crazy-lotteria-sandwich-will-you-vote-for-to-make-a-comeback/

And take the time to let Lotteria know if THIS is what you crave!

Does This Look Good?

I mean….REAL GOOD?

Of course it does…and it’s the fastest growing taste sensation in America!

Time to do the “Shake Shack!”

Biting Down On Shake Shack’s Gooey Goodness!

As Shake Shack continues to expand across the planet, I thought it was time to bite down on a burger myself and see what the excitement was all about!

And guess what? It’s all about THIS!

Here is how the company describes itself:

“Shake Shack sprouted from a hot dog cart in Madison Square Park in Manhattan to support the Madison Square Park Conservancy’s first art installation. The cart was quite the success, with Shack Fans lined up daily for three summers.”

“In 2004, the bid was won to open a permanent kiosk in the Park: Shake Shack was born. This modern day “roadside” burger stand serves up the most delicious burgers, hot dogs, frozen custard, shakes, beer, wine and more.”

“An instant neighborhood fixture, Shake Shack welcomed people from all over the city, country and world who gathered together to enjoy fresh, simple, high-quality versions of the classics in a majestic setting. The rest, as they say, is burger history.”

There are multiple Shacks in New York and New Jersey, as well as Washington DC and now one in Chicago as well, plus many more open and on the way.

Now that we’ve heard from them, time to step inside a “Shake Shack” and bite down on the best they’ve got!

The “ShackBurger”!

Their standard cheeseburger is topped with lettuce, tomato and shack sauce – and it costs $4.95 for a single, and $7.65 for a double…and as you can see, they warn you that they serve them hot!

Time For “The SmokeShack!”

Here’s where you begin to see their approach to a burger: it’s a cheeseburger topped with TONS of all-natural applewood smoked bacon, plus a slightly spicy chopped cherry pepper and their signature shack sauce – oh, and did I say TONS OF BACON?

Yes, this was loaded with bacon…a single goes for $6.45, but I got the double for $9.15, and it was packed with beefy flavor…

The cherry peppers and sauce give it a nice spicy and sweet tanginess, but know that you are getting meat, cheese and sauce…so it’s a ton of that and nothing else…

Still, it’s a Big sandwich, and it tasted great…and interesting fact about their buns: Shake Shack only cuts through them about 3/4 of the way, so nothing falls out of the bottom!

This is a really good burger, but perhaps a better way to get a balanced flavor profile at Shake Shack is to bite down on this:

It’s “The Shack Stack” With Crinkle Cut Cheese Fries!

OK, here’s what I ordered on my next visit: their “Shack Stack” cheeseburger that comes with a ’shroom burger topped with lettuce, tomato and shack sauce, and it sells for $9.15.

Cheese-Stuffed Mushroom!

First, notice that this has much more color, thanks to the lettuce and tomato…and it also has a cheese-stuffed mushroom burger patty on top of the beef!

This burger was terrific! Full of flavor, the cool lettuce and tomato were a nice addition, and of course, this is what happens when you bite into the mushroom patty!

The cheese oozes out of the mushroom, giving the entire burger a cheesy goodness – and the mushroom has a nice “woody” flavor that balances well with the beef…

Along side my burger, I ordered the cheese Fries topped with a blend of cheddar and american cheese sauce, which sell for $3.90…

Shake Shack also specializes in hand-Spun Vanilla chocolate, caramel, black & white, strawberry or peanut butter milkshakes for $5.15, and also “Concretes”, which is a frozen custard ice cream with added flavors….maybe next time!

Does “Shake Shack” make the best burger in America? You’ll get an argument from lovers of In-And-Out, and certainly from the crazy chefs at Chicago’s Kumas:

Read my review of Kuma’s amazing burgers here:

http://johnrieber.com/2013/05/14/rocking-out-kumas-heavy-metal-burgers-chicagos-best-burger/

And Taylor’s Refresher from Napa Valley would also like to weigh in:

Here is my review of Napa’s legendary hamburger stand, as well as the story behind their epic burger battle:

http://johnrieber.com/2013/01/15/napas-burger-battle-taylors-gotts-great-burgers-a-mondo-burger-fight/

Let me know which of these burgers you have tried and what you think! Let the burger battle continue!

Need help finding the PERFECT Valentine’s Day Gift? Well, don’t worry, I am here…

Love Is In The Air! Celebrate Valentine’s Day With “THE LOVEBURGER”!

In the mood for love? I thought so…and what better way to show it than this perfectly shaped Valentine’s Day burger, just one of many crazy things happening between buns today!

Behold The “LOVEBURGER!”

It sure is, a nicely formed patty and bun that says “I love you!” And why not? There are worse things to do to a burger!

Behold The Perfect Valentine’s Day Gift – BACON!

There are all kinds of sexy ways to say “I love you” this Valentine’s day – like this amazingly creative use of bacon!

I knew I was “overdue on bacon”, so I put on my “INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER” cap and did some delicious digging for you: and I found the recipe for bacon roses!

I found this on the great website “TheDailyBacon”…and they posted a recipe for how to win your lover’s heart – through the magic of bacon:

Make Your Own Bacon Roses!

You’ll need: bacon, fake flowers, a muffin tin, toothpicks and tinfoil.

1. Soak the toothpicks in water (this keeps them from charring in the oven). Defrost the bacon. Line the muffin tin with foil. Turn the oven up to 400 degrees.

2. Roll the bacon to look like a rosebud, then stick two toothpicks in the bottom to hold it together.

3. Place the bacon rosebuds in the muffin spaces. The toothpicks should keep them from touching the bottom — you need that space for fat drippings.

4. Put the bacon in the oven. Cook 25-30 minutes.

5. Deconstruct the fake flowers. Pull the entire thing apart, get rid of the petals and put the stem back together.

6. Let the bacon cool, remove the toothpicks and stick the bacon bud onto the plastic stem. Voilà! Salty, crunchy flowers.

Now, if you aren’t quite so romantic, skip the design part of the process and go right to the bacon:

And thanks to the website “The paper mama.copm”, you can make bacon hearts as well!

I love how simple and fun this is…not sure I can make scrambled eggs in a heart shape, but I will try anything!

If bacon’s not your thing – although I’ll never understand why – you can also have Giordano’s pizza in Chicago make you this:

Open a nice bottle of red and call it a tasty night!

Wear A Delicious Valentine’s Day Outfit!

If you need any help dressing for your Valentine’s Day dinner, try this on for size:

And For The Ladies…

Make sure you buy the one you love something lovely like this:

A Bacon Scarf!

After all, it’s winter and we have to stay warm, right? It looks even better being worn:

And it even looks great on guys!

See, there are SO many ways to show your love in tasty ways….

Like Bacon Frosting!

What can I say, except to say that this is a way to top off ANY Valentine’s Day desert!

And when in doubt, there is always THIS solution! As always, our friends at White Castle are ready to roll out the red carpet for you this Valentine’s Day!

Hungry for a Big Mac? Craving Some Sushi? What a tough decision – NOT!

Behold “Big Mac Sushi!”

Yes, leave it to the Japanese to take your two favorite tastes and mash them up into magic!

There are no words to describe just how much I love this! And thanks so much to my good friend Nick Uemura for sharing this with me! Here is just one image of the process:

To see the rest, you must go to Kotaku’s Japanese website for the entire story, and Kotaku’s Japan site has a video of the entire process as well! Check it out here:

http://www.kotaku.jp/2015/02/big-mac-sushi.html

Kudos to Kotaku!

I have been proud to share great burger moments with you, and this isn’t the first time I’ve gone down the sushi road with you:

Remember these? Incredible mini-cheeseburger sushi, which you can read about here:

http://johnrieber.com/2014/09/16/amazing-cheeseburger-sushi-pbj-sushi-too-the-most-amazing-sushi-rolls-ever/

And of course, if you are active and on the go, you can always to this:

“Sushi Poppers!”

Yes, it’s sushi on the go! Read all about this amazing product here:

http://johnrieber.com/2013/03/19/the-future-of-sushi-behold-sushi-poppers/

And you know that I carry sushi with me all the time:

Yes, my kids bought me an iPhone cover from Japan that is sushi! I love this so much, you can read about it here:

http://johnrieber.com/2014/01/30/sushi-iphone-bacon-iphone-worlds-most-unique-iphone-covers-tokyos-new-kit-kat-store-tokyos-wacky-shopping/

And if all this talk of sushi makes you hungry, check out my story about the world’s greatest sushi master!

Read all about Jiro and his amazing restaurant here:

http://johnrieber.com/2012/08/01/hail-the-sushi-master-anthony-bourdain-jiro-uno-my-sushi-jiro-celebrating-sushi/

And don’t forget to enjoy some “Big Mac” Sushi!

Here is a story about Macaroni and Cheese, and what happens when your son dares you to eat it on a burger….and so much more….it all began when I was sent this picture…

Behold The Bacon And Mac ‘n’ Cheese-Wrapped Corn Dog!

Lots of amazing food to share with you today, beginning with this picture of a bacon and mac’n’cheese wrapped corn dog!

Toni Molle sent me this picture…and it is as unique as it sounds…imagine wrapping a corn dog in mac ‘n’ cheese and then a bacon crust!

Kudos to “FoodBeast” for posting this picture…I’d love to try and make one, or just take your standard hot dog and drench it in some mac’n’cheese!

And now that we’ve opened the “mac’n’cheese floodgates”, let’s double down on some fun! Here is a tease:

Yes, what you see is majestic, but before he head to my own mac’n’cheese burger encounter, let’s start with that wacky world of mac’n’cheese hot dogs!

I LOVE HOT DOGS! AND I LOVE MACARONI AND CHEESE AS WELL!

Yes, hot dogs are always delicious! Wrap it in bacon and stuff it with man’n’cheese and the world becomes a better place…I mean, if you are too lazy to take this on, all you have to do is drench one in mac’n’cheese and you are set!

A Bacon-Wrapped BBQ Hot Dog Topped With Mac ‘n’ Cheese!

If mac’n’cheese isn’t enough, you can BBQ that bad boy and make it even better! Thanks for the great website “Todeliciousnessandbeyond.com” for this incredible food and recipe too, which you can see here!

http://todeliciousnessandbeyond.com/2014/10/11/bacon-wrapped-bbq-hot-dogs-topped-with-mac-n-cheese/

And if you like the idea of a “mac ‘n’ cheese dog”, then what about this?

Now it’s getting a bit crazy…the internet is filled with pictures of mac’n’cheese hot dogs – and they all look great!

And if you REALLY want to go man’n’cheese crazy, try this:

The Mac’n’Cheese Pizza!

And of course, even the simplest “bacon mac ‘n’ cheese” is special – here is a mac’n’cheese dish I ordered once – with bacon of course – and boy did they deliver!

And once you start twisting bacon around mac ‘n cheese, there is no going back – you end up with this:

The Bacon Mac ‘n’ Cheese Cone!

Yep, a cone filled with mac’n’cheese and topped with bacon – count me in!

Bacon Meatloaf – With Mac’n’Cheese Filling!

And even better is a bacon-wrapped meatloaf that has been stuffed with macaroni and cheese! It’s surprisingly easy to do: just make two small meatloafs, connect them with a center of mac ‘n’ cheese, wrap them up in bacon and bake! What you see is what you’ll eat, and how can you argue with THAT?!?!

Bacon Mac’n’Cheese Burger!

If you aren’t a hot dog or meatloaf fan, then you have another option. Yes, recently I bit down hard on a bacon mac’n’cheese burger!

OK, for some of you this is just to much to take, but stay with me and we’ll go through all of this majesty for you so you can understand why these are the greatest things ever created!

There are some wacky Chefs out there, and guess what? I found one too!

My Own Mac Burger Encounter!

Yes, my son Jeff jokingly told me to order a mac’n’cheese burger the other day…and never one to back down from a dare, I did!

Now isn’t that a thing of beauty? Not only was there a LOT of bacon on top of the burger, the kitchen actually used large macaroni noodles to really let it stand out – oh, and it came with tater tots as well!

So, if you want to know what it tasted like, I will say this: it’s like eating a bacon cheeseburger and stuffing a little mac’n’cheese in there to boot…a nice addition, not necessary in any way at all, but good!

The tater tots were a nice addition as well, but let me tell you, it’s a mouthful if you try to enjoy all of these flavors at once!

And since we are talking fast sensations, time to go back to our friend the hot dog:

I found that some of the best hot dogs in the world are sold on food carts on the streets of Seoul, South Korea! These ones were slathered in a sweet and spicy sauce, and slowly simmered for hours….

It was just one of my many food adventures in South Korea. If you want to see all of the unique items you can buy in Seoul, check out my story here:

http://johnrieber.com/2013/07/10/seoul-food-bacon-hot-dogs-hanging-fish-a-delicious-korean-adventure/

I love to travel and eat hot dogs, burgers – well, everything, especially cheese-stuffed, bacon-wrapped hot dogs like this!

And to finish our discussion of mac’n’cheese, if you want to cut down on the carbs, just make the mac ‘n’ cheese your bun and be done with it!

Leave a comment and let me know what you love about mac’n’cheese!

Ready To Bite Down On Some Tasty “Frog?”

Solid investigative reporting has led me to THIS:

Yes, the Internet has given us more joy today – leave it to Japan to offer up a new classic meal in a bun:

The “Frog Burger!”

Here is how this madness got started:

Over in Japan, Sega and Yokohama’s Sunshine Aquarium have a Deadly Poison Exhibition, highlighting 25 poisonous animals from all over the world. As “RocketNews24″ reports:

“To commemorate the event, the cafe nearby at Orbi Yokohama has created a special menu featuring what they call “The Frog Burger.” If a deep-fried frog sandwiched between pitch-black buns sounds good to you, then fork over 1,000 yen (US$8.34)!”

If you have tasted frog legs, you know they taste pretty good, so why not enjoy them between two buns?

This story was originally posted by Michelle Lynn Dinh, the great Reporter for “RocketNews24″…who also reports that the restaurant offers an “Earth” burger as well…

That is certainly more dignified, especially with the “earth” bun that evokes the oceans…I’d bite down on this in a second!

To read the entire story, and all of their great reporting, check out “RocketNews24″ here:

http://en.rocketnews24.com/2015/03/03/frog-burgers-join-the-earthy-line-up-at-cafe-in-yokohama/

Kudos as always to “RocketNews24″, a terrifically entertaining website worth following!

And don’t forget, you have a chance to be part of Japan’s burger madness!

If you love Japan’s “Lotteria” burgers as much as I do, then time to cast your vote for their most outrageous burger!

As “RocketNews24″ reported, Lotteria wants you to vote for your favorite burger, like the 9-patty monster, or the shrimp burger! Check out the entire story here:

http://johnrieber.com/2015/01/29/vote-for-japans-wildest-burger-shrimp-stack-ramen-burgers-everything-burgers-lotteria-wants-you/

And once again, let me know if you are up for biting down on a frog burger!

Time to celebrate my two favorite burgers from Seattle – we begin with my darling Granddaughter Sydney getting her hands on a Dick’s Drive-In cheeseburger for the first time!

When are you old enough to enjoy a Seattle classic? When you have a strong enough grip to grab the bag!

Welcome To Dick’s!

“Dick’s Drive-In” is an institution in Seattle, and rightly so: their straightforward and very limited menu offers hamburgers, cheeseburgers, a “deluxe” , and their signature “Dick’s Deluxe”, which is two patties, lettuce and a special pickle sauce…

Nothing fancy here, just good flavorful burgers at an inexpensive price…like their cheeseburger, which has great flavor – you can taste the meat, and the cheese is real and delicious…

Dick’s also has terrific french fries, made out of fresh potatoes cut right in front of you! And they are delicious!

I also love their signature painted cow – which hangs behind big picture windows – so you can watch them cook…and of course, I love their famous catchphrase:

“Where taste is the difference…”

Most people sit in their car outside and eat their “bag of Dick’s” – it was a Seattle tradition…

“Dick’s Drive-In” is so iconic in Seattle that there is a restaurant that pays homage to them in the most delicious way possible!

Welcome To Seattle’s Lunchbox Laboratory!

Yes, that is an “homage” to the “Dick’s Deluxe”, thanks to the inventive minds at “The Lunchbox Laboratory!”

I was lucky enough to enter the lab with my daughter Jessica, her husband Mike and my beautiful 6-month old grand-daughter Sydney, who seemed impressed yet not intimidated by the laboratory…

The restaurant, located on south Lake Union, loves to experiment with burgers…when you enter you are greeted by a sign with their latest “experiments”…

The restaurant is designed to spark memories of childhood – lunch boxes are everywhere…

Mike got the “Hothead” burger, which sent him into mouth spasms as the pepper jack cheese was joined by a fiery jalapeño ranch sauce!

And of course he got the nitro ketchup as well! This is one “hot” bite of food!

That left so many options for me…there are a number of great burgers to choose from, but I had to go back to their “homage…”

“The Lunchbox Lab Homage To The Dick’s Deluxe” takes the simplicity of the Dick’s burger and supersizes it, while still paying respect to the distinct and crisp flavors of the original…as you can see, it’s a delicious bite!

Every burger comes with a wide array of side dishes, like fries, onion rings, a couple of differnt “mac-and-cheese” dishes, including oven fries, and my favorite, Tater Tots!

In keeping with the “nostalgia” aspect of they business, they also serve various flavors of “Kool-Aid!” By this time as you can see in the photo, Sydney was exhausted and needed a quick nap…

The Lunchbox Laboratory serves us great burgers, fun side dishes, unique drinks and a colorful atmosphere. They also serve a wide variety of seasonings, which you can use on your burgers, fries, or anything!

And it all leads to my favorite burger pic of the day – this shot of my “homage” – what a great burger!

“Behold The Dork!”

I have posted about the Lab before, but had never eaten there before this – I was just impressed by what I saw online with “The Dork!”

Read all about “The Dork” by clicking here:

http://johnrieber.com/2012/08/02/bite-into-the-dork-behold-these-burger-geniuses-check-out-seattles-lunchbox-laboratory/

And as you can see, my grand-daughter Sydney had a great time as well!

Time for more of the world’s “wildest” burgers!

Behold The “Chomp Stack!”

So many incredible burgers to share with you – let’s get started at The Chomp Kitchen and Drinks in Warren, Rhode Island – and their “Chomp Stack!”

You see what it is: a massive beef patty plus a smoky ground pork and beef patty that’s topped with maple-bourbon fried chicken – with pickled jalapeňos, pepper-Jack cheese, ranch, lettuce, tomato and pickles!

Kudos, Chomp Kitchen! And also kudos to a terrific website that showcases these burger menus:

http://www.burgerbusiness.com

Burgerbusiness.com has great features on restaurants, menus, the business of running a burger business…check it out!

And get ready for this “masterpiece between buns”:

PYT Scores Again!

Yes, PYT burger in Philadelphia garnered lots of press coverage for their “deep-fried twinkie burger”, with deep fried real Twinkie buns! PYT takes a juicy beef patty and tops it with american cheese and bacon!

Dig in! And if you want to see more of PYT’s creative genius, here is my story about their unique menu!

http://johnrieber.com/2014/11/29/americas-craaaziest-burgers-adultshakes-sexy-food-madness-of-pyt-burgers/

PYT is making some of the most inventive burgers around…and it seems to be sparking a burger battle around the world!

The ZOMBIE BURGER + DRINK LAB!

Why not head to Zombie Burger in Iowa to try “The March Fatness” – a massively messy collection of beef, Tater tots, American cheese, waffle sausage dogs, Shiner Bock-bacon country gravy and mayonaise!

And if you want more of an “international” feel to your burger, let’s head to England!

Behold “The Gigantwich!”

Yes, it’s as big as a small child! Read all about it here:

http://johnrieber.com/2015/01/17/bite-down-on-the-gigantwich-behold-englands-biggest-burgers/

And if you want a burger that combines great taste with fine art, look now further than here:

“Porn Burger” – “I Woke Up Like This!”

As you can see, the web site “Pornburger.me” continues to post amazingly creative burgers on a regular basis. Read all about my story here:

http://johnrieber.com/2014/06/05/pornburgers-the-delicious-online-world-of-burger-food-porn/

Let me know what’s your favorite!

Time To Celebrate Amazing Culinary Mashups!

Let’s begin with a tater tot topped with creme fraiche and caviar! This is from the great restaurant Archetype, located in St. Helena, California, in the heart of wine country…

Caviar Rules!

I love caviar, and I love tater tots, so this is a great great thing…peer upon it again:

The flavors of potato and caviar just sound right – and I found another example of this mashup as well, this time with caviar anchoring one end of a french fry:

And it reminded me that I once posted a story about this unique potato/caviar combo from Russia of course – the caviar flavored potato chip!

You can read all about this russian delicacy by clicking on here:

http://johnrieber.com/2014/08/29/caviar-potato-chips-cajun-squirrel-chips-the-worlds-wackiest-potato-chip-flavors/

Sometimes the best food takes simple flavors and combines them in a unique way…and in America, perhaps there is nothing “simpler” than this combo:

Bacon And Egg Cups!

As you can see, this would be the greatest way to start your day! It all begins when you make yourself one of these:

A bacon cup is a thing of beauty, and you make them easily by draping bacon over an inverted cupcake mold…

Then you do a baked egg dish with the bacon acting as your “cup” and you are on your way! It’s just one way to enjoy an “incredible edible egg!”

Eggs are so versatile, I like them on salads, in noodle soups, and of course, on pizza!

Here are some other amazing taste sensations: imagine a spanish tapas that combines fresh baby squid and chickpeas:

This delicious dish is served at Barcelona’s legendary tapas restaurant “Cal Pep”:

It’s just one of a dozen memorable bites we had when we visited, and you can read all about the meal by clicking here:

http://johnrieber.com/2013/05/20/barcelona-tapas-cal-pep-the-battle-for-tapas-supremacy/

And of course, if you don’t feel like a bacon-wrapped baked egg, you can always make yourself a “Bacon shell taco!”

And please don’t forget about my all time favorite food item – one that has made me re-think what it means to call something “dessert”:

The “Bacon Oreo!”

Yes, it’s the most majestic food item of all time – take some crispy bacon and nestle it right between those Oreo cookies, held in place by the silky frosting….what could be better than that?

Well, this for starters…

Oh, that’s right, you need a drink – so bite into this Bloody Mary! It’s a strange new trend – finding a way to pack a drink with plenty to eat – like a roast chicken!

See all about this new trend in “drinking and eating at the same time” by clicking on my story here:

http://johnrieber.com/2014/03/20/time-for-bacon-and-cheese-and-meat-oh-my-the-best-stuff-wedged-between-two-buns/

And if you want to eat healthier, but just can’t shake your love of bacon, well I have an answer for you:

“Bacon Bowl” Salad!

There you have it, a nice healthy salad – and you get to eat the bowl as well! Now all you need is a bacon Martini!

EVERYONE seems to be serving bacon in drinks these days, but this thing of beauty is from a restaurant in Montreal that is “ALL BACON ALL THE TIME” – read about them here:

http://johnrieber.com/2014/08/22/bacon-bowls-bacon-martinis-an-all-bacon-restaurant-brutus-in-montreal-brings-the-bacon/

Imagine how great that Martini would taste with one of these!

Prepare Yourself For THIS!

Behold the Fried Chicken Hamburger! What a wild wild idea! And wait, there’s more!

Behold Minor League Baseball’s “Krispy Kreme Donut Dog!”

That’s right: a hot dog is being offered to fans at Wilmington Blue Rocks minor league baseball games this season! The “Krispy Kreme Donut Dog” is placed between a glazed Krispy Kreme donut, packed with bacon and topped with raspberry jelly!

Yes, RASPBERRY JELLY!

You can see the raspberry jelly oozing out of this hot dog, and it is impressively stuffed with lots of bacon as well…

My friend Casey O’Brien asked me how I felt about this, and I told him “unwell, I think…” But the more I think about it, I say, why not? In fact, it’s just one of a number of new, wacky food products for you to sample….

Deep-Fried Sandwiches!

Yes, you can also buy a “croquette deep-fried sandwich” too! So much deep-fried madness to share, let’s get going!

Osaka Deep Fries To Go!

Let’s head to Japan, where there is a restaurant in Osaka that has a “croquette” sandwich, which comes wrapped in a fried outer layer! “Tentora” restaurant is located on the Komagawa shopping street in Osaka’s Higashi Sumiyoshi Ward, and offers a wide variety of premade foods – here’s a look!

You can see they offer bento boxes, rice dishes – But the best packaged food is DEEP FRIED! Yes, there is nothing better than a nice, deep fried sandwich to go!

RocketNews24 Does It Again!

Thanks to the terrific website “RocketNews24″, we can now show you deep-fried croquette sandwiches, and they look GREAT!

Here is how “RocketNews24″ describes this treat: “Tentora starts by taking one of its extra-thick croquettes, then making a deep cut, turning the mass of fried starch into a substitute bun. Showing a surprising amount of restraint, Tentora’s cooks don’t cram yet another croquette into the incision. Instead, they fill it up with creamy egg salad, made with the store’s in-house mayonnaise. Next they add a tiny dollop of ketchup, plus a sprig of parsley.”

Yum!

As always, kudos to RocketNews24 – this website is full of great stories about Asia – and you can read the entire story here!

http://en.rocketnews24.com/2015/03/31/japan-sees-americas-double-down-raises-it-a-crazy-deep-fried-sandwich-of-its-own/

And RocketNews24 doesn’t end there: they also shared this!

Korean KFC’s “Bunless Burger!”

Here you go – a hamburger that uses FRIED CHICKEN AS A BUN!

KFC goes mad in South Korea with this “double down” hamburger! It’s a burger that comes encased in fried chicken buns! As “RocketNews24″ shows you, however, the reality of what you are served is a bit less impressive than the ad shows:

But that said, it sure looks BIG!

And while we are talking about deep-fried madness, don’t forget this:

KFC also “doubled down” on their hot dog in Asia – see how this baby holds up to scrutiny by clicking on my story here:

http://johnrieber.com/2015/01/26/kfcs-unbelievable-double-down-hot-dog-see-the-pictures-double-down-mania-goes-footlong/

I was able to wander Seoul, South Korea and discover an amazing array of street food as well!

These “bacon-wrapped hot dog” are sold by street vendors, who also offer hot dogs that are encased in french fries!

If you want to read more about my street food adventures in Seoul, click on my story here:

http://johnrieber.com/2014/10/28/koreas-crinkle-cut-french-fry-corn-dog-worlds-wildest-hot-dog-mashup/

And let me know if you want a “fried chicken hamburger!”

Time To Share An Amazing Holiday Weekend Feast!

This is “Gigot D’Agneau” – and it’s my favorite meal to make on Easter, thanks to the incredible Chef / Author Patricia Wells!

Making “Gigot D’Agneau”, inspired by Cookbook Author and Food Writer Patricia Wells!

Alex and I got the chance to cook with Patricia at her house in Provence – an adventure of a lifetime!

Yes, this is me stealing a bite of food under the watchful eye of Patricia Wells.

It was all part of a cooking adventure with the Author, who hosts cooking classes at her house in Provence, France.

It inspired me to make my family her classic roast lamb shank, which is baked on top of potatoes, onion and tomatoes so that the incredible juices from the lamb soak into the gratin!

Time For A Provencal Feast!

This is a great family feast that evokes the best of Provence! Thanks to Patricia Wells and all of her incredible cookbooks, you can travel to the south of France yourself!

Let make a roasted lamb shank with provencal vegetables! First, preheat your oven to 400.

Rub the bottom of your roasting pan with a split piece of garlic. I also lay down a dozen slivers of butter to help the potatoes carmelize…then slice your potatoes and lay them down as the base of your dish…

On top of the potato I spread sliced onion…instead of chopped, I like them spread out as rings, and then I add chopped garlic. The amount is up to you…but a head of garlic and one large onion worked for me…

Next, slice tomatoes over the top of the onion – I used three tomatoes total, and I cut them in a larger chunk as they will melt down a bit during cooking – and then I season the dish with a healthy amount of salt, pepper and fresh thyme…

I used a leg of lamb that was just under six pounds. I got mine bone-in, which I think helps the flavor of the meat…Put the lamb shank on an oven rack, which you put directly over the vegetables…season the lamb with salt, pepper and fresh rosemary…

I roasted the lamb for about an hour and fifteen minutes…the thicker part was medium rare and the smaller side of the shank was medium, so it worked well for everyone!

I removed the lamb to a cutting board and let it rest for fifteen minutes – then sliced it up for everyone to enjoy…

And here is what that beautiful potato-onion-tomato looked like underneath….

To honor Patricia Wells and her home in provence, we served the lamb with several provencal-inspired dishes:

First was a ratatouille, which I made in the style of Chef Thomas Keller…

I began by making a roasted red bell pepper sauce, which I spread on the bottom of a gratin dish….

Then I cut yellow squash, green zucchini and eggplant with a mandolin and stacked them on top like this:

I actually enjoy laying this dish out, with the vegetables like casino chips! And when it came out of the oven, it looked like this:

You can get the entire recipe for Thomas Keller’s Ratatouille dish by clicking here:

http://johnrieber.com/2013/06/29/ratatouille-chef-thomas-kellers-recipe-for-animated-food-magic/

Now Comes The Cauliflower Gratin!

Instead of potatoes, we go a healthier route by substituting Cauliflower! Just boil cauliflower and then bake it with a mixture of gruyere cheese and half and half…

One last delicious touch before baking: before I put the cauliflower gratin in the oven, I grate fresh nutmeg over it…liberally….

And here is how it looked coming out of the oven 45 minutes later….

Finally, I made a dish of provencal carrots and garlic with basil….you sear the carrots in a pan with butter for ten minutes, then add sliced garlic and cook slowly – and fold fresh basil in….guests can top the dish if they want with slivered black olives at the table…

Time To Dig In!

Once plated, the different colors gave the meal a festive Easter feel…

We served a 2004 Grenache that was signed by the winemaker…we got this bottle when we toured the Chateauneuf-du-Pape wine region:

So now, a bit more about the inspiration for this dish, and how we got the signed bottle of wine:

Cooking With Patricia Wells!

Patricia and her husband Walter Wells own a home in Provence, right outside the small village of Vaison la Romaine…

The couple open up their house several weeks a year for cooking classes – one that my wife Alex and I were able to attend in 2009. We spent 5 days with Patricia, Walter and ten other participants, a terrific group of people who shared our passion for food and adventure.

Here we are with Patricia, posing in front of the Julia Child’s provencal stove – a personal gift to Patricia from Julia:

This was a cooking adventure of a lifetime, and it inspired me to cook with a provencal feel, like Gigot D’Agneau! Here is a look at our cooking adventure:

http://johnrieber.com/2013/10/20/new-patricia-wells-cookbook-her-amazing-cooking-classes/

And since we were in Provence, we took time to explore the wine region as well!

Here is a look at our trip through the provencal wine region:

http://johnrieber.com/2012/09/03/wine-roman-ruins-and-gigondas-too-whiskey-babys-and-a-few-papes-touring-provence-thanks-to-patricia-wells/

Time for a great meal and glass of wine!

Thirsty? Then Bite In A Drink!

Here is why I love the internet…I can find great drink ideas like this –

Watermelon Mojito Popsicles!

Yep, the icy cold goodness of a popsicle with the tasty kick of a Mojito! I found a couple of amazing recipes for these frozen treats, and I wanted to share one with you!

Makes 12 2.5 oz Popsicles

· 8oz. watermelon juice (2 ½ cups chopped watermelon)
· 2 oz fresh lime juice
· 1 oz. simple mint syrup (recipe follows)
· 8 oz. light rum
· 14 oz. club soda

Here are your easy instructions:

1. Place chopped watermelon in a food processor or blender and process until watermelon is juiced (will be slightly pulpy).

2. Combine watermelon juice, lime juice, mint syrup and rum in a shaker and shake well. Fill popsicle mold 3/4 of the way up with mixture. Fill remaining popsicle mold with club soda and stir to combine.

3. Freeze for about 2 hours or until mixture starts to solidify enough to hold a popsicle stick upright. Insert popsicle sticks and finish freezing popsicles overnight. To release popsicles run hot water on the outside of popsicle molds for a 2-3 seconds.

Enjoy!

“Bustle” Up Some “Adult” Popsicles!

Alcoholic popsicles are quite the rage! I came across a number of great articles, including this one from the “Bustle” website.

Here is the entire article with recipes:

http://www.bustle.com/articles/27482-how-to-make-alcoholic-popsicles-the-most-perfect-of-all-frozen-summer-treats

And of course, remember you don’t need your alcohol frozen – IF you have a spare “ox bone” handy!

Behold The “Bone Luge!”

Yep, just grab a hollowed out ox bone and have your favorite drink served up fresh!

I love the “bone luge!” Not sure if you get that “meaty” flavor with your drink, but read all about this trend by clicking here:

http://johnrieber.com/2012/01/18/bone-luge-bone-luge-i-call-it-planking-with-bones/

This is all making me hungry. Time to grab a drink with some good eating attached!

Bite Into A Bacon Martini!

Bacon is now being used for virtually EVERYTHING – and you can get your “Bacon Martini” recipe here:

http://johnrieber.com/2014/08/22/bacon-bowls-bacon-martinis-an-all-bacon-restaurant-brutus-in-montreal-brings-the-bacon/

And of course, bacon is now being used in Bloody Marys, but it isn’t alone:

The World’s Wildest “Bloody Mary!”

Wacky bloody Mary recipes are now everywhere, and you can see them all here:

http://johnrieber.com/2014/08/08/a-fried-chicken-bloody-mary-the-worlds-wildest-bloody-marys/

And from BIG, it’s also time to go SMALL:

The World’s Smallest Bars Are In Tokyo!

This alleyway leads to hundred of bars – welcome to Tokyo’s “Golden Gui” districts, where tiny bars serve 6-8 people…read all about them here:

http://johnrieber.com/2012/10/16/alex-sim-wise-explores-tokyos-smallest-bars-golden-gai-mini-bars-i-love-japan/

Don’t expect a “Watermelon Mojito” there, so you will have to make your own!

Let me know your favorite drink!