Archive for2014

From a foodie point of view it seems that an army of devoted small scale entrepreneurs (many of them on wheels...) as well as high profile chefs in star-studded restaurants are all putting everything they've got into creating the ultimate hamburger. But interest in the world's largest hamburger chains is waning, not least back where this humble meal in a bun once came from, the USA.

Within as little as one year a hamburger will no longer be the USA's obvious number one fast food choice, this according to a study carried out by Janney Capital Market and recently published in the Huffington Post. Today McDonald´s, Wendy´s and Burger King are three of the largest fast food chains, but out of them McDonald's seems to be the only one that is holding ground. The cause, it is said, is a growing awareness among Americans that makes them drive that extra mile for fast food experiences with more quality.

Hopefully, this is one of those trends that we will see over here soon...

PS

To make a spectacular hamburger it's a good idea to start here.

The latest food craze sweeping America right now is seeing the reincarnation of the old chuck wagon that fed cowboys on the cattle trails. The modern version is the travelling kitchens popping up on every street corner offering what a recent foodie article in Britain’s prestigious Sunday Times dubbed ‘high concept food in a low concept form’.

Writer Amanda Foreman called the new food truck phenomena ‘the greatest revolution since the invention of the sandwich’. From California to New York State, modern food trucks are serving up high-quality fast-food from Korean, Middle Eastern or Columbian inspired mobile eateries. The popularity of one food truck resulted in owner Roy Choi being named one of the best new chefs of 2010 by Food & Wine magazine.

There’s even a new film out called ‘Chef’ telling how a down and out former top chef transforms his life in a food truck. At first look, the food truck revolution may seem contrary to all that defines a foodie. Yet it’s also evidence that high quality food can be served cheaper and faster, if given some tender, loving care, and may help spark even wider consumer interest in healthy eating. Yes, even when served from trucks bearing names like Kogi Korean BBQ-To-Go.

The world’s oldest surfing cookbook dates back to the 9th century. Called De Re Coquinaria (The Art of Cooking), many believe the recipes collected by author Marcus Gavius Apicius date back to the 4th or 5th century AD.

The 500 recipes are divided into ten books that deal with careful housekeeping, handling meat, bird and fish and using vegetables. A downside for any novice is that the recipes do not provide quantities of anything, so preparation is a bit hit and miss, but an adventure for any foodie.

Probably the Gordon Ramsey of his time, Apicius was a gourmand who enjoyed delicacies like flamingo tongue. Dubbed by some as the ‘most gluttonous grover of all’.

Apicius was a huge lover of garum fish sauce, famed for being salty and aromatic. Often made from mackerel, the Roman gourmand used the sauce in almost all his dishes. A modern version involves cooking a quart of grape juice, reducing it to one-tenth its original volume, adding two tablespoons of anchovy paste in the concentrated juice and mixing in a pinch of oregano.