Fast Food

It would seem the art world has a knack for showing off literal food-photography. First this “tying the knot” business and now a “balanced diet” from stylist Elena Mora and photographer Karsten Wegener. Impressively, being literal means not only are the photographed meals fairly inclusive in terms of food groups, but they’re also balanced, as in a poorly-timed sneeze could send your dinner over the edge. The series is called “The Ricettario: A Balanced Diet“ (ricettario means “cookbook” in Italian) and is meant to examine the ingredients in salmon, minestrone, apple pie, and pizza margherita. Although, we think it looks more like a physics experiment of the tastiest variety. H/T + PicThx Design Taxi The post Literally Balanced Meals are Pretty, Precarious appeared first on Foodbeast.

College student Christine Ha went on quite a journey last year on FOX’s MasterChef. The blind contestant was the biggest underdog in the show’s history, overcoming challenge after challenge on the competitive-cooking reality show. Standing in front of judges Gordon Ramsay, Graham Elliot and Joe Bastianich, Christine blew through the auditions, making it to the top final contestants and eventually won the competition. She took home the title of MasterChef and walked away with a cookbook deal. FoodBeast got the pleasure of speaking to her and about some of those struggles and what’s she been up to since she was announced the winner in the season 3 finale. — What were some of your biggest challenges during the competition? The biggest challenge is just not really knowing what to expect on the show, what the challenge would be, who would be going home. I think the highest level of stress is not knowing. By nature, I’m a person that would rather know bad news than not know. After you lost your vision, what was it like for you to get back in the kitchen and relearn to cook? It took a while to get back in the kitchen. It was just something I thought maybe I had to give up. I didn’t think that I would be able to cook again. I thought I could only make very simple things like sandwiches or things that don’t really require too much heat or too many knives. I think that just over time, because I love food so much and I love cooking, I wanted to find to get back into that kitchen no matter what. It was just slowly but surely just getting back into it and getting the right tools that would help me adapt to cooking without vision. Those sorts of things helped and a lot of practice honestly. [I] just started off cutting slowly again and eventually you just learn to do everything by feel. Do you remember the first thing you made after you lost your vision? My first attempt at making anything was a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. It was actually very unsuccessful, so that’s why I thought I would never be able to cook again. I couldn’t even make a PB&J sandwich let alone cook anything. That’s what I attempted when I first lost my vision. Can you talk a bit about how you lost your sight? I have an autoimmune condition called Neuromyelitis optica, or NMO for short. It’s similar to MS where it’s the immune system attacking the neurological system thinking it’s a foreign object. With my condition, it tends to attack the optic nerves, which is how I lost my vision, and my spinal cord, which sometimes affects my motor and sensory skills as well. I was diagnosed with [NMO] in 2004 but I started losing a little bit of vision in one of my eyes before that in 1999. In 2004, it worsened and in 2007, it decreased to the level that it is now. What’s it been like for you since winning the MasterChef competition? It’s been a whirlwind. My life just got turned upside-down. There’s been some amazing opportunities, my favorite, obviously, being able to write this book and having it published. I’m also a creative writer and so this naturally marries two different things that I enjoy: food and words. It was a great opportunity and good fortune that I was able to write this cookbook after I won and I think that’s the best prize that I got out of the whole competition. Speaking of your cookbook, how does it feel to have yours hit the shelves? It’s like a long-awaited thing that finally has arrived. There’s been a lot of anticipation, not only for me, but for everyone that has been waiting on the cookbook since I was announced as the winner. I probably every day get a question on one of my different means of social media about when my cookbook’s coming out. It’s been a while, so it’s exciting and I’m glad that people are finally going to read it and cook from it and I’m looking forward to see what people think of it. Was Vietnamese food something you loved growing up? I think it was something I loved but I didn’t know I loved. It was someth

Turns out, that kid sipping PBR while waxing poetic about Nietzsche and existential nihilism is to blame for driving up prices of cheap beer. According to a study by food research group Restaurant Sciences, the popularity of Pabst Blue Ribbon may be the reason low-cost beers such as Budweiser, Miller Lite and Coors Light have seen up to a 6.8 percent price spike over the past seven months.  “I believe the single biggest driver in sub-premium beer price increases is indeed specifically PBR,” Chuck Ellis, head of Restaurant Sciences, told the NY Daily News. Researchers reason that since PBR has “become quite fashionable,” restaurants and bars feel justified charging more for it and other standard non-craft brews. The study further states: While all the attention has been on Craft (Ultra-Premium) beers, the price of mainstay brands in the mid-price (Premium) tier have risen more dramatically. And traditionally lower-priced beers such as Pabst Blue Ribbon have seen sizeable double-digit price increases in both restaurants and bars & nightclubs. Still, the study found no concrete cause and effect relationship between PBR’s popularity and rising prices of premium to sub-premium beer. So, take it with a grain of hops. (Slick, I know.) H/T Gothamist + PicThx The L Magazine, Restaurant Sciences The post Study Says Hipster’s PBR Obsession is Driving Up Cheap Beer Prices appeared first on Foodbeast.

A DIY Nutella Martini, and just in time to celebrate the controversial return of World Nutella Day. Disappointingly, and maybe a little ironically, the Nutellatina is actually comprised of very little Nutella. It’s used more as a garnish, to dress the glass after being softened in the microwave. The drink itself is 1.5 shots of Frangelico, 1 shot of Godiva chocolate liqueur, and 4-5 shots of chocolate milk. In other words, delicious, but not nearly enough Nutella. Then again, considering that attitude on this whole “World Nutella Day” business, maybe the less there is, the better. If not that, we can at least trick ourselves into thinking it’s healthy. Sort of. Almost. Learn how to make the Nutella Martini here. H/T + PicThx Neatorama The post Nutella + Martini = Nutellatina appeared first on Foodbeast.

This is what a stoned pig looks like, literally. Well, kind of. Seattle butcher William von Schneidau of the BB Ranch butcher shop at Pike Place Market has apparently been feeding his pigs pieces of marijuana plants in order to make bacon that’s “redder and more savory” than usual. It won’t, however, do much to get you high. According to NPR, Schneidau’s marriage of pork and pot has been more of a publicity stunt than anything, but that hasn’t stopped people from flocking to his “Pot Pig” dinner events, and buying their own pot-infused bacon to try for themselves. “People have been asking all these questions. ‘Do you think (the pigs are) feeling it? Are they stoned?’ and I’m like, ‘Wait a minute. Let’s back up here for a second.’” Schneidau told Seattle news site Komo News, “All we’re trying to do is to help the local ranchers and to figure out some ways to shorten the carbon footprint.” Darn, and I was so looking forward to having bacon and donut poutine for breakfast. Learn how to make your own marijuana bacon with this recipe from goodandbaked.com. H/T + PicThx NPR The post Pot Infused Bacon? Duuuuuude appeared first on Foodbeast.

I’ll be the first to admit I have a problem. My affection for coffee has moved beyond love, into lust, and well into dependence. Granted, it’s no longer all that unusual to hear 20-somethings griping about withdrawal symptoms after missing that daily venti peppermint mocha, but apparently, Israel is ahead of the game in this aspect. Specifically, a Tel Aviv start-up company called Cups has recently (finally) debuted an all-you-can-drink coffee app for $45 a month. Too rich for your blood? There’s also a cheaper option: a cup a day for $27 a month. But come on. That’s just insulting. The Israeli loyalty program, apparently started as a discount service for real addicts, currently includes 55 different cafes in Tel Aviv and Jaffa and is comparable to more inclusive American programs like Belly (albeit more focused in the caffeine sphere). Most of the revenue comes from more occasional coffee drinkers, as subscribers who drop in twice a week are spending just as much money as the guy in the corner who’s been sitting on his laptop since 5 am, refilling his cup at steady thirty-minute intervals. Co-founder Gilad Rotem explains that Cups is reliant upon both customers (to whom it promises cheaper coffee over time, and more immediate discounts) and local coffee shops . . . to whom it promises information about individual buyers. Which is mad sketchy at first glance, though the company claims to anonymize said information. And while the Cups app is spreading to other large cities in Israel, it may be some time before the concept reaches America. Still, it’s not a bad way to test its success. True, you really have to commit to get the thing to pay for itself, but with a Starbucks on every corner, it shouldn’t be too much of a stretch. While you’re waiting, check out the video below to see the app in action. I’ll be over here, buying one-way airline tickets to Tel Aviv. H/T Fast Company The post All-You-Can-Drink Coffee App Fuels Your Addiction via Smartphone appeared first on Foodbeast.

I’m willing to bet little Clark didn’t grow up to be so big and strong because Mama Kent fed him bacon burgers back in Smallville. Then again, all Superman has to do is take off his glasses for people not to recognize him, so what do I know. Much like last year’s “Amazing Grilled Cheese Bacon Burger,” Carl’s Jr./Hardee’s is offering a new Super Bacon Cheeseburger as a promotional tie-in with the upcoming Man of Steel movie. Featuring a weave of six strips of bacon, American cheese, tomato, lettuce, onion and either one or two charbroiled beef patties or a 100% Angus beef patty, it’s the perfect noms for whining on io9 about DC’s ongoing failure to give us a solid Justice League flick. Brand Eating reports that the Super Bacon Cheeseburger is available individually or in a combo, with prices starting at $3.99. From now until July 7, you can also print out this coupon for a dollar off the combo. H/T + PicThx Brand Eating The post The New Super Bacon Burger from Carl’s Jr – Insert Joke About Flying Pigs appeared first on Foodbeast.

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Carl’s Jr. calls it the Super Bacon Cheeseburger and Hardee’s calls it the Super Bacon Thickburger, but whatever you call it, it’s a nice looking burger.  The latest from Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s is the promotional grub to go alongside Man of Steel out June 14th.  The burger features a charbroiled 100% Black Angus beef patty with American cheese, tomato, lettuce, onion, and six strips of bacon.

Working at a food blog, you come to understand what will and won’t do well on your site. You actively seek out the ostentatious, the bizarre, the HOLY SHIITAKE MUSHROOMS, BATMAN. Little by little, your writing becomes less about celebrating food and more about gawking at it (which is, of course, its own brand of fun). Every once in a while though, you find something that – while not bacon wrapped, nutella-stuffed or Sriracha-drizzled – nevertheless deserves to be shared, on no merit other than sounding absolutely incredible. Say it with me now. Grilled. Salmon. Chimichurri. Is your mouth watering yet? Rubio’s, the San Diego-based chain who brought $1 Fish Taco Tuesdays into the mainstream, is now offering new Sustainable Grilled Chimichurri Salmon burritos, tacos and salads for a limited time. As the press release details: “. . . each item features sustainable, grilled Atlantic salmon topped with Rubio’s chimichurri sauce, a savory blend of chopped basil, parsley, chives, garlic and olive oil. The mouthwatering burrito and taco include fire-roasted corn and Fresno chiles. The burrito comes complete with black beans and salsa fresca, while the taco is topped with crunchy spring mix, butter lettuce and crema. Providing an even lighter option is the salad, made with fresh spring mix and butter lettuce tossed in a chimichurri balsamic vinaigrette dressing and topped with fresh sliced avocados, Fresno chiles, crema and fire-roasted corn.” This summer, do yourself a favor, at least once. Put down the Waffle Taco and pick up something that sounds good and is kind of good for you. If nothing else, it’ll leave you feeling good about yourself, so you’re free to sneak in that extra Frosty cone for dessert. The post The Simple Pleasures of the New Grilled Chimichurri Salmon Dishes from Rubio’s appeared first on Foodbeast.