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Archives for May 2007

Buy a Friend a Drink

A new web venture called BuyYourFriendADrink.com lets buddies miles apart buy each other drinks at local bars, keeping the tradition alive even if friends can't actually get together for a cold one.  A friend can login to the web site, choose a gift amount, and the recipient will get a text message or email letting him know his friend back home has just bought him a drink.  The recipient then can go to a variety of participating bars (for now, mostly in the New York region) and use a drink code to redeem his drink. 

The site was started by a Harvard Business school graduate, Steve Cohn.  He got the idea after a friend in another city called to share some good news, and Cohn hung up wishing he could go out and buy his pal a drink to celebrate.  "While it would be better if I could enjoy the beer with him," he writes on the site, "BuyYourFriendADrink.com is the next best thing." 

Posted May 30, 2007 by themagster | Add a comment | Share It

Filed under: beer drinks

One Week Left!

Hey Foodies! 

Want a free Yummr apron?  Participate in our foodie survey before June 1, 2007 and you’ll be entered in a random drawing to win one!  The survey will still be available after June 1^st, but the apron offer won't, so don't delay!  Don’t forget to tell your friends and family to sign up for Yummr so they can have a chance to win too.

*misterbelly    

Posted May 24, 2007 by misterbelly | Add a comment | Share It

Filed under: contest yummr

You Grill Girl!

Memorial Day is this weekend and if you’re like me you’ve already cleaned and prepped your grill in preparation for the big day.  However, not every girl is as eager about grilling meat as I am which is why In Style magazine put together a list of girly grilling accessories guaranteed to get even the most squeamish girl excited about ribs and charcoal. 

 

Check out the list on ThisNext.com! I’m not sure how many people will actually buy the pig grill, but I think it’s super cute. 

 

*misterbelly

Posted May 22, 2007 by misterbelly | 1 Comment | Share It

Filed under: BBQ Gadgets

Name Your Flavor

For all you junk food junkies out there, Doritos is giving you the power to name their new flavored chips, code named "X-13D."  A new web site lets you write in a flavor name and they will pick one from the submissions as the new name.  Their interactive web site says "Doritos X-13D chips have a bold, new, mysterious flavor.  Taste them and let your mouth decide what they should be named." 100 people who submit a name will be deemed "Flavor Masters."  On May 28th, the site will also unleash an "Ad Generator" where chips-lovers can design their own ads for the new snack.  Hmmmm....I wonder if a "Yummr" flavored Dorito would go over well? 

Posted May 22, 2007 by themagster | 2 Comments | Share It

Filed under: junk food

Smile for Chocolate

Did your mom always tell you not to eat too much chocolate because it would rot your teeth?  It might be time to tell her she's wrong.    A new Tulane study says that a cocoa extract -- found naturally in chocolate, tea, and other treats we love -- may be a powerful agent in fighting cavities.  The extract's chemical composition is similar to caffeine and is expected to be more effective than fluoride, which was introduced to toothpaste in 1914.  The doctoral candidate who discovered it, Arman Sadeghpour, is currently testing a peppermint-flavored prototype of the toothpaste.....but I'm holding out for the mint chocolate chip version! 

Posted May 21, 2007 by themagster | Add a comment | Share It

Filed under: chocolate health

The Other Dark Meat

Gordon Ramsey got himself into a heap of trouble with PETA recently when he sent a journalist to Cheltenham Racecourse to hand out horse meat burgers.  PETA responded to the stunt by having 1 ton of horse manure delivered to the three-star chef's London restaurant, Gordon Ramsay at Claridge's. 

 

Ramsey’s PR team insists that Ramsey was not advocating eating horse meat.  The show in question was centered around alternative meat forms.  "Gordon actually only agreed that he'd tried horse meat, felt that it was slightly gamey, but did like it."

 

Are you ready to pony up some money for a horse meat burger?  Yay or Neigh? 

 

*misterbelly

Posted May 17, 2007 by misterbelly | Add a comment | Share It

Filed under: celebrity chefs news strange food

Wine That Loves

Admit it.  You're one of those people who peers helplessly over the wine list for ten minutes, hoping the "right" wine will make itself known if you stare at it long enough, when in reality you have absolutley know idea what wine to order with dinner.

San Francisco based The Amazing Food Wine Company has started a new line of wines that will hopefully bring an end to that worry.  Their Wine That Loves line introduces a series of wines specifically developed to beautifully complement Americans' favorite meals.  They have wines like Wine That Loves Pizza ("this red-fruit base is enlivened by earth and spice – the types of accents that pizza loves") and Wine That Loves  Roasted Chicken that tells you what it will go great with just by reading the label.

"When wine and food are paired right, a wonderful thing happens in the mouth," says Wine That Loves, "we think you should be able to enjoy this wonderful experience each and every night."  

Posted May 17, 2007 by themagster | 1 Comment | Share It

Filed under: food wine

National Burger Month

As you already know, May is National Burger Month.  To honor the beauty of the burger, B.R. Guest Restaurants, held its first Build-a-Burger Contest.  The concept of the contest was simple - create an innovative burger recipe for one of the B.R. Guest Restaurants, which run the gamut from Mexican to Seafood and beyond.  Over 700 entries were received!  The lucky 7 winners will have their burgers featured on the menus of their respective restaurants until the end of May. 

 

Below is the list of winners and restaurants where you can find the burgers at.  Which one sounds good to you?   I’m torn between “The Burgchetta” and “The Kobe Beef Burger.” Mmm!

 

Vento
Winner: Elizabeth Cory Holzman, New York - The Burgchetta: organic beef burger topped with mozzarella, tomato, prosciutto, mushrooms and basil on a ciabatta bun ($12).

 

Atlantic Grill
Winner: Marc Liebeskind, New York - Salmon Burger with spicy cucumbers, and wasabi mayo on brioche bun ($16).

 

Ocean Grill
Winner: Ann McLachlan Harman, New York - The May Burger: organic Beef burger topped with chanterelles, roasted cipollini onions and Roquefort cheese on ciabatta roll ($14).

 

Ruby Foo's Times Square
Winner: Regina Janesko, Hasbrouck Heights, N.J.- The Samurai: Kobe beef burger topped with avocado, tomato and wasabi teriyaki in a crispy wonton wrapper ($18).

 

Blue Fin
Winner: Alethea Black, Holmes, N.Y. - Soft Shell Crab Burger: Horseradish dressing, lettuce, pickle, onion and tomato ($17).

 

Dos Caminos
Winner: Christina Britto, Manhattan - The Kobe Beef Burger Torta: Manchego cheese, poblano mango chutney and avocado relish with cumin fries ($14)

 

Isabella's
Winner: Leslie Bruce, New York - Grilled Pita Burger: Organic beef burger with feta cheese, olives, cucumbers, tomato and shredded lettuce in pita bread ($12.50)

 

*misterbelly 

Posted May 14, 2007 by misterbelly | Add a comment | Share It

Filed under: beef contest

Toast to Your Health

And you always thought that sipping bubbly could only impair brain function.  Wine Spectator describes a new study that may change your mind.  Research says champagne may help restore brain cell function following injury such as stroke or diseases like Alzheimer’s.  Antioxidants in champagne called polyphenols were shown to help restore brains cell functions over a matter of time, acting “as cellular-level mops, essentially cleaning up and removing harmful chemicals from the body.”   While it can’t be said if drinking champagne will slow the brain aging process, it’s still a step in the right direction….so toast away!

Posted May 11, 2007 by themagster | Add a comment | Share It

Filed under: health libations

Sweet and Sour

The wackiest food trend for kids isn’t chocolatey or cream-filled; young people in the Mississippi  Delta region have come to love a new snack:  pickles marinated in Kool-Aid. An article in the New York Times says kids have been flocking around this sweet n’ sour treat (nicknamed “Koolickle” by some regulars) and delight in crunching on the odd treat at fairs, summer events, and school fundraisers.  Sold for 50 cents or a dollar, the pickles are made by cutting dill pickles in half (though any type of pickles work),  and soaked in double strength Kool-Aid mixed with a pound of sugar for a week in the fridge. 

 

While the trend hasn’t caught on everywhere, the appearance of what kids call a “candy pickle” has been seen in St. Louis and Dallas.  Kids usually buy the Kool-Aid pickles from mom and pop convenience stores, or from the porches of neighborhood friends, where it is normal to sell small snacks and treats to the children in the area while enjoying the summer weather from the porch. 

 

As bizarre as it sounds, I’m almost starting to crave one!  Almost. 

 

TheMagster 

Posted May 11, 2007 by themagster | 2 Comments | Share It

Filed under: snacks strange food