Tuesday 28 April 2009

Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations, The Nasty Bits, and No Reservations

Anthony Bourdain. Where do I begin? I love him, I hate him. He was a chef, then a writer, then a TV personality traveling the world eating and talking about it. Candid, opinionated, and not afraid to speak his mind, his criticizing of the Food Network and Rachel Ray famous, Anthony Bourdain is all about food, and when I say food, I mean good food.


I've just finished reading his book "The Nasty Bits" on the same day as finishing "No Reservations: Around the World on an Empty Stomach" two days after watching his show also named "No Reservations". It's been Tony overload, and I'm not complaining.

The first time I encountered AB, I was flipping through the channels and saw this guy and his buddy traveling in South East Asia, complaining about American fast food. I was turned off because I don't think there is anything wrong with a McDonald's McNugget once and a while. Listening to him I thought he was arrogant and a food snob.



But I continued to watch as he and his buddy searched for the REAL food of the people - not what they serve tourists who want to eat what they left back home. He was jetting around on a little boat when they saw a family who live on a boat, where sitting down to a meal. They pulled up to ask if they could eat with them, which the locals did with great generosity. After loving the meal they were being served, they noticed that the dishes they were eating off of were being washed in the river. The very river that was used for as a toilette, shower, was heavily polluted and always brown and murky. And they kept eating. It was then I thought this was a guy to watch.

Since then, I've been getting to know him better and the more I like him. He still seems like he can be a prick, but an interesting one at that. When I thought he was a food snob, I thought he was one of those people who need 3 forks at their dinner table and servings had to come in the size of a postage stamp instead of what 'real people' eat. What he likes is honest food - not something pulled out of the freezer and slopped on a plate. On the flip side, AB would probably not like the Wing King. Why? Well, I'm not very out going, I don't drink, I don't smoke, and I've never really done anything crazy. I am willing to try just about anything once, but I have my limits. And I know what I like and more what I don't like. I've lived on the straight and narrow, and I would think he would say I haven't lived then.



I loved reading "The Nasty Bits." A collection of articles and small pieces he wrote, together in one big collection. I like his style - it punches, it jokes and it's honest. Written in the same manner in which he narrates over his "No Reservations" show, I can hear his voice over every word, every sentence. I feel like I'm sitting with him at the pub listening to his travels and the food he's eaten. I can't put the book down, reading article after article. He makes eating what most North Americans would find gross, sound tasty. I salivate with every page, every chapter.


One thing for sure, I'm jealous of him traveling, eating and making TV about it for a living. I've been fortunate to travel around the world: North America, the Caribbean, South America, Europe and Asia. And I have almost no photos of the food to prove it. Except for my last trip through Europe when I had my first digital camera, all my other trips were with point-and-click film cameras. Using precious film while running around eating in China never occurred to me - every click was precious and had to be reserved for giant Buddha's or when I camped out over night on the Great Wall. Now that I have a digital camera and can photograph with reckless abandon, I'm stuck here in Ottawa.


But reading his words about local foods really brings back the memories of food on such trips. I was too young and in-adventurous when I went to the Caribbean and South America to try anything exciting, aside from frogs legs (which did taste like chicken, but having dissected one in science class not long before the trip, I couldn't shake the smell of formaldehyde). In Europe I won't forget meals like a little one I had at an inn in France. They let us have a late lunch (they had closed for 'nap time') and made us garlic butter steak, quiche, potatoes, salad and giant eclairs. Soo rich, soo good, soo without photos. I had so many great meals in China. In Hong Kong, I sat with a family of a friend and the 'strangest' thing I had was duck's foot. I thought it was a joke on me, because NO ONE else ate it at the table, and they all watched me. I've tried to take it as an honour, that they didn't think the gwai-lo was going to eat it. I did; It was rubbery, and I wasn't a fan. But I did it. And even though I didn't start my blog until a few years ago, I have had chicken wings on 3 of the 4 continents I have been on. Just no photos, no video. But I did keep journals about it all.


Bourdain has inspired me to change the way I travel the next time I go and really pay attention to where the locals eat and to be more adventurous. I've been an Urban Explorer for a long time, and I learned early when I took the wrong bus in Hong Kong and ended up wandering around lost, it was the best way to see the city. A plan is good, but randomly coming across food can be a great thing. But I regret not eating that fish eye that everyone was daring everyone to eat in a fancy restaurant in Guangzhou - I mean, the locals must eat it for a reason? Now I just need some money and a few people willing to be video taped and travel, and we could have our own show to do, enjoying what the world has to offer. I love making film/TV, I love eating, I love talking about it. Any takers, with some money?



Thanks Tony for re-inspiring me to travel and eat and to go without reservation.

Monday 27 April 2009

Nibble Me This ~ People in my Bloggerhood


It's a beautiful day in the neighbourhood, a beautiful day for a neighbour, and today, we are talking with Chris @ Nibble Me This.


One of the great things about the Internet is the ability to communicate with people all over the world. Here I am, way up in Ontario, Canada, and I can read and write to Chris way down in Tennessee USA. While I've only been following his blog for a few months now, I really dig his BBQ (real BBQ - here in Ontario BBQ generally means anything cooked in a metal box outdoors. REAL BBQ is smoked, the rest is 'grilling') and some really tasting looking recipes. I am extremely jealous of his Big Green Egg.

Some tasty highlights include (from centre than clockwise): Old Bay Wings (yes, wings smoked on the BGE), BBQ Pork Loin Back Ribs - I love the colour of the ribs, and the helpful membrane removal video!; His Gyro (which I have always wanted to do since I saw it on Good Eats too); Atomic Buffalo Turds; and this genius creation . . . Bacon Wrapped Tater Tots . . . Oh yes. I can't read his blog close to dinner because I get resentful of what I made for dinner.

Chris and I sat down* and chatted about blogging with ME in GREEN, and Chris in BLUE:

*NOTE: sitting down is in reference to our respective homes in our own seats over the Internet via e-mail correspondence.



Who are you & where do you live?
Chris G and I live in Knoxville, TN.

What is Your Blog?
Nibble Me This. I picked that title as a play on the Riddler's "Riddle me this.." line in the classic Batman TV show.

Why did you start blogging?
Originally, I was blogging as a personal journal. Since then I've changed to having two blogs, one for photography and this one for cooking.

What do you want out of your blog?
Oh the usual. Fame, fortune, and groupies. Seriously, I get a few things. First, having to WRITE what I did with a dish forces me to have to really analyze what I did through the whole process. I think that makes me do it better the next time. Second, I love exchanging ideas with other bloggers (e.g. "blatantly rip off other peoples creativity").


How Long Have you been Blogging?
I've only had Nibble Me This from the beginning of this year .. My old blog started back in 2004 I think.

What is your favourite blog (you know, other than LOTW :p)?
There are other blogs than LOTW? Who knew? For The Love Of Cooking (http://fortheloveofcooking-recipes.blogspot.com/) is probably one of my favorite food blogs. I am so envious of Pam's cooking and photography skills. I don't want my blog to be just like hers but I want to blog as well as her. The quality of her blog is my target right now.


Do you feel there’s real interaction between you and your readers?
Sure! I have exchanged cards, books, and jars of rub with various bloggers. We've even had Brandi of Excess Baggage (http://brandisexcessbaggage.blogspot.com/) stay at our home a few times and she didn't even kill us in our sleep.

Any crazy blog-related stories?
There was this one time....wait, I'd better not tell that one.Then there was....no, I can't share that one either.Nope, not a one ;)

What is your favourite chicken wing?
I am ashamed to admit to LOTW, that my favorite commercial wing is just Hooters medium (when they are done well). I just love the breading, sorry! [LOTW edit - never feel bad about a chicken wing!] At home, my favorite is wings that I have trimmed. Still looking for the perfect rub. Then grilled over lump charcoal with cherry wood mixed in. In the last few minutes, I toss them in 50/50 butter/hot sauce and put them back on to finish. Simple but great!


Do you have a favourite cooking show?
Alton Brown's show is probably my favorite. I like his quirky sense of humor and how he explains the science behind what he's cooking.

Do you cook? What is your specialty?
Cooking is my therapy. It's how I unwind after work and on the weekends. I guess my "specialty" would be cooking on the Big Green Egg. Not just smoking or grilling, but trying to use it for dishes you normally wouldn't think of doing "on a grill" like meatloaf, pizza, etc.

What is the most disgusting thing you have ever eaten?
My wife once made me try sushi. I can't stand cooked fish, so sushi was so awful. It was horrible....I....I....I'm sorry, I can't continue this interview [unclips microphone, stands up and walks out]

Well hopefully Chris survives his bad sushi memory and gets back to grilling beef, pork and chicken!

You know what I had the other night?

Janey's BCF.



Chicken fingers in Buffalo wing sauce. Buffalo Chicken Fingers - Buffaloized. BCF.


Jealous?

Ya you're jealous.*




*Actually don't be jealous. While the 'meat' of the chicken was nice, the fingers never reached a crispy texture in the oven, and the coating soaked up the sauce so quick, they were floppy and soggy. But the sauce was good! It was homemade. Should have used the deep fryer.

Thursday 23 April 2009

Camera update

Talked to the camera people today.

They received the camera and its fixable!!!

In the mean time its using my old camera.

I miss my new camera. 10-15 business days is a long time to wait.

The Holy Hotwing????



Jebus done showed up in wing form, sort of, back in February:





The Holy Hot Wing:
An Alibi religious sighting exclusive!
Laura Marrich, Religion Editor [ Thu Feb 26 2009 2:32 PM ]


Jesus appeared in a hot wing during Mardi Gras dinner service at Blackbird Buvette restaurant and bar, located right here in downtown Albuquerque. Lord knows if you've got a godly message to get across the night before Lent, it wouldn't be in the empty pews of a church. It'd be in a plate of hot wings.


Take a look at these exclusively obtained cell phone photos, courtesy of Blackbird bartender Noelan Ramirez. Not pictured is the back, which looks a lot like a giraffe head. But the front is 100 percent Lord and Savior.



The Holy Hot Wing is currently frozen at Blackbird to preserve its reli-ciouness. Then it might go up for sale on Ebay. Call 243-0878 if you'd like to intercede and purchase the HHW for your next church function.

Free Hot Sauce & WK Skillet Nachos

Recession is all the rage these days, and in keeping with recession cooking, I've looked at making cheap hot sauce. Several months ago I did a major cleaning of the fridge - I mean everything out, rubbed down, scrubbed, cleaned. One thing that was in the door of the fridge was a huge pile of Taco Bell sauce. It just collects (like ketchup and soy sauce packets). While I am more likely to use the latter two, there was soo much sauce I had to do something.



Well, at some point in my surfing the net, I came across this guy, who found out it takes 35 packets to fill a Taco Bell hot sauce bottle. Hmmm, I'm much more likely to use the sauce if I put it in bottle form. So I set out to do the same.


I had an old bottle (237 ml ) and about 23-24 "HOT" and one packet of "FIRE" sauce. I began to rip the packets and squeeze out all the sauce. It was a lengthy process, but I was impressed with the harvesting results. Oh and the packets have special messages, check them out HERE @ the wing bucket.




It wasn't long until all the packets were empty, and my bottle, wasn't full, but there was a lot of sauce. Ten more packets and I'm sure there would have been a complete bottle, just like the guy.
So I felt like a struggling student making this ghetto bottle of hot sauce. And it wasn't just about being cheap, it was actually using up something on hand. So what am I going to do with a half bottle of Taco Bell Sauce?


INGREDIENTS:
  • ground beef
  • red onion
  • jalapeno x2
  • taco seasoning/chili powder
  • S&P
  • water
  • cheese
  • sour cream
  • salsa
  • Taco Bell Sauce


INSTRUCTIONS:





(I also added some Taco Bell Sauce into the mixture. . .)



Man, taco nachos. Good. Chemical, processed. Good.
It was an indulgence that really hit the spot. Warm chips scooping up taco goodness with cheese and sour cream, so good. Made for great leftovers too.



What Would I Do Differently Next Time? Minor adjustments. Could have popped the skillet into the oven to melt the cheese. Could have bumped up the spice level. But overall, it was dang good. Not something I want all the time, but it was spicy (spices not heat) treat.

Tuesday 14 April 2009

My Camera Broke!!!


Ok, this isn't my camera, and it's not this bad. I guess.

I had been out shooting some pictures in the Bytown Market, everything was good. I stopped in at an eatery for wings and to do a review. I pull out the camera, the lens extends, but makes some funny noises (my camera never made those noises before). Then the screen flashes "Lens error, restart camera" and turns off. But the lens stays extended. Weird. I press the on button, but the same thing happens, and the lens still doesn't move. The woman at the counter who took my order asks "is you camera ok?" I'm embarrassed first because I'm trying to do a review with some anonymity, and second, that the camera is so loud that she heard it. I try again and nothing. I take out the batteries and try again. Nothing. I can't restart my camera if I want to. I try again in vain. Nothing. No photos for review.

I get home and try again after a while. Nothing. Oh and customer service isn't open until business hours so I have to wait a few days for them to open. I have to send it away. AND I think something happened to the photos I did have, because I put the memory card in a digital picture frame, and nothing. Crap. Crap crap crap.

Thankfully I have my old digital camera as a back up. But I planned on doing an episode of WKTV this weekend when I did a 'Suicide' Beer Can Chicken, but the video on the old camera sucks.

I don't know if there is going to be any new reviews till I get my camera back, but I have a bunch of posts backlogged anyway, so just bear with me!

Sunday 12 April 2009

Crouching Buffalo, Hidden Dragon: Asian/Buffalo Fusion Wings

ad⋅dic⋅tion [uh-dik-shuhn]

–noun

  • Compulsive physiological and psychological need for a habit-forming substance: a drug used in the treatment of heroin addiction.
  • The condition of being habitually or compulsively occupied with or or involved in something.
  • The condition of being habitually or compulsively occupied with or or involved in something. *
EXAMPLE: The Wing King, with chicken wings, and all things spicy.



Clearly I loves me some chicken wings. Spicy, mouth hurting chicken wings. And why? Because pain is good. When I was in grade 2 I had a slogan: "Eat the Pain". Now, this wasn't food related at the time, but it has a more realistic meaning now.


I need spicy. And what was spicy for me a few years ago, isn't enough now. I go into restaurants and pubs and order wings with suicide or 'as hot as they come' and often the waitress will say "are you sure, our wings are reaaallly spicy?" and I kind of laugh inside and say 'yes I'm sure'. And when they send out the hottest they have, I eat it without difficulty because I've built up an immunity. My tolerance level is too high or my pain receptors are burned out. So if most eateries won't try to hurt me, I'm going to have to do it myself.





Guess what?! I've got a fever, and the only prescription... is more spicy wings. Buffalo sauce is good, but it's not enough any more. I need to make it hotter without drastically changing the flavour that endures it as a wing flavour. So I turned to my Rooster to make my chicken bite.


Sauce Ingredients: Frank's, Cayenne Pepper, Sriracha Sauce, Chili Garlic Sauce. Not shown, butter and love (or is it hate?)


Dusting mixture: flour, salt, pepper, cayenne


Dusted wings. These are going to fry up nicely.



And look at them frying up. Tasty good just like that.



Oooooh the spicy hot sauce. Dang!



The final product: punching and kicking my mouth, lips and tongue. One word: AWESOME.

It didn't show very much in the webisode, but I was really excited to sit down and eat with these wings. Sorry, eat these wings. The chicken was a bit small (darn you Ottawa grocery stores!) but they turned out crispy and good.


More importantly the sauce was tasty AND spicy. It was a medium speed bite (didn't kick in immediately, but came along shortly). It went after my lips. But it didn't quite reach my checklist of heat. Sweat? no check. Eyes watering? no check. Hardness of breath/panting? no check. Stinging mouth and lips? Check. See, there's lots of spice in that sauce and I need more. More more more!!! But I enjoyed eating them none the less.



WHAT WOULD I DO DIFFERENTLY NEXT TIME? There are only a few minor tweaks I guess. I could just add more heat, and less margarine. Or I could sub in some other spicy ingredients. The chicken itself came out well. The sauce was thick and spicy, with flavour. These CBHD wings looked good, tasted good. But forget that this sauce gave my mouth a bite, I can definitely go hotter. I need to find spicier ingredients. I need to feed the addiction.

Remember, tune in next time for another exciting episode of:

WKTV
SAME WING TIME
SAME WING CHANNEL

Friday 10 April 2009

The Bumbling Baker ~ PEOPLE in my BLOGGERHOOD


Our first edition of The People in my Bloggerhood!!! And today we are talking with the Bumbling Baker*.


*Please Note: we aren't using real names on the Internet



The BB and me go way back. We worked together, lived together, and ate together. When I started the Lord of the Wings blog, she (and her SO Rayzor)was there supporting and reading all the way. Then last year she started her own blog on her baking escapades. And while her moniker suggests that there are some culinary mistakes, I have never eaten (or seen from her blog) really anything that went wrong. In fact, her treats are excellent. We don't live in the same city anymore, so I miss sampling her desserts. Thanks to her blog, I can drool here and wish I had a cupcake after I've eaten wings.

There's lots of recipes and product reviews on her site. Some of my favourite creations she's made are Making Whoopie Pies, and Cheesecake brownies, but visually I love her themed desserts. Holiday cupcakes in particular are not only decorated expertly, I love the uniqueness of them. For example, from centre then clockwise from upper right: Guinness Cupcakes (that look like a pint of beer); Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer Cupcakes, Superbowl Cupcakes, Lovebug Cupcakes for Valentines Day, and Dirt Cupcakes (with Oreo dirt and a little worm!) for Earth day. Creative and delicious I'm sure.



The BB and I sat down* and chatted about blogging with ME in GREEN, and BB in BLUE:

*NOTE: sitting down is in reference to our respective homes in our own seats over the Internet via e-mail correspondence.

Who are you & where do you live?
I'm DLB, and I live in Toronto.

What is Your Blog?
The Bumbling Baker.

Why did you start blogging?
Initially, to post pictures of stuff that I was making/decorating to share with my friends and family, and do some reviews, but now I mostly feature recipes that I try out, and share my reaction to them with other bakers and bloggers.

What do you want out of your blog?
Just to challenge myself a bit in the kitchen - if I didn't blog, I'd probably never bake anything new.

How Long Have you been Blogging?
For a little over a year - I started at the end of January 2008.

What is your favourite blog? You know, other than LOTW.
The Pioneer Woman. She's really funny and she takes good pictures. She talks about nuts, but not the baking kind.

Do you feel there’s real interaction between you and your readers?
Well, Google Analytics tells me that people go to my site, but the comments/emails are limited. Still, I don't need an electronic response to feel good about it - the blog is really just a good excuse to bake all the time. :)

Any crazy blog-related stories?
Not that I can think of, but I have gotten some free vanilla extract and cinnamon and that was pretty awesome. I always think getting something for free is crazy!

What is your favourite chicken wing?
Are you kidding me? Gross.

Do you have a favourite cooking show?
I have lots of favourites. I mostly enjoy the reality cooking shows - Top Chef, Hell's Kitchen, The Next Food Network Star. Iron Chef America is probably the one I watch the most often, but I wish that I could see Good Eats and License to Grill more often.

Do you cook? What is your specialty?
I don't really cook. I'm blessed to live with a guy who's great at cooking. Why mess with a good thing? Plus, I really suck at it. Seriously!I think that my favourite thing to bake are cookies, but I love decorating cupcakes.

What is the most disgusting thing you have ever eaten?
Some white bean casserole thing I made once. It's the only thing that Rayzor has ever refused to eat that I know of. I told you I suck at cooking!

If there was one thing you would want the Wing Nation to know about you and your blog, what would it be?
Chicken wings have nothing on Guinness Chocolate Cake. I'm just sayin'!




Thanks Bumbling Baker.
We'll try and forgive the anti-wing responses.

Wednesday 8 April 2009

King of Queens - "Furious Gorge" ~ CWOS Reviews


Another exciting edition of the Chicken Wings on Screen!


Tonight I was watching King of Queens. This show is littered with chicken wing references, and that's what really endears me to the show. It's not for everyone, but I like my Doug and Carrie.



The episode I just watched is called "Furious Gorge":

"Forced by Carrie to go to an overeating support group, Doug notices an abusive relationship group—complete with a lush snack table—and joins them instead"


Youtube won't let me embed this video for some reason, but you can check it out HERE. Fast forward to the 2:10 mark and you find Doug eating wings in bed, on his shirt.


CARRIE
"Explain to me what I'm looking at"
DOUG
"Before you judge me, let me walk you through it . . . I settled in and I started eating, but then I realized I didn't have a place for the bones. I didn't want to put them on the sheets, 'cause you made it clear . . . you don't like that. Long story short, I've invented the shirt plate."



Awesome. I have not yet stooped to a shirt plate, but I'm getting ideas! And is it just me or did those wings look good. Dang I want wings now.


Click HERE for more Chicken Wings on Screen

THE GEORGETOWN SPORTS PUB ~ Ottawa

RIP - THE GEORGETOWN is NOW CLOSED

More terrible weather! More rain, more grey, more blah. Actually there is a bit of an advantage with the bad weather; nobody wants to go out. So while I was running errands, everywhere was empty. No lines at the bank, no lines at the library, no lines in stores. It was great.


When I decided to stop for supper at a pub with a wing night, I was surprised to find that the pub was pretty empty as well.



I stopped at the Georgetown Sports Bar, located in what I refer to the Lower Glebe area (I don't know the official boundaries of the Glebe. I love saying that name. Glebe.). This place is a sports bar, and what a sports bar. You want soccer? Football? UFC? Hockey? They got it all. They even have a giant blackboard outlining whats going on when and where. Want to watch a sports event other than the main event? They have private rooms with separate TV/Screens.



On this Monday afternoon/evening, there was curling on when I went in. As you know, I'm not a sports fan, so I plunked down at the window and watched the people in the rain. There was no crowd at all in the bar, just a guy at the bar reading the paper, and later a couple of students (who also got wings). Nobody wants to be out in the rain.



My waitress Kristin greeted me from the bar as soon as I came in the door. She took my drink order quick, and was back stating "Here for wing night tonight?" I was caught a little off guard, wondering if I had been recognized, and before I had even looked at the menu. Of course that's why I was there though. I looked over the wing choices, and they have some interesting flavours. Orange sesame? General Tao? Crazy, but it sounded good.


I also noticed on the menu there was mild/medium/hot as well as Frank's Buffalo. I asked Kristin what the difference between the two were. "Nothing" she said. "I don't know why they have that on there, they are the same."


Armed with that knowledge, I decided to branch out slightly from my regular wing fare. So I decided to go with an order of General Tao, and throwing caution to the wind, an order of suicide.


In no time, I had two baskets of about 18 wings waiting for me to scarf down.


The advertisement for wing night says 'Jumbo Wings', which isn't entirely true. Yes, these are a large and meaty wing, but they are not what I would consider jumbo.They were crisp, and the menu says that they are baked in their 'secret' seasoning, then deep fried. Well, however they do it, the wings had a great crispy/crunch while maintaining a soft, meaty inside. Excellent chicken.

As stated before, I got two orders to sample some sauces.

GENERAL TAO
I'm going to be straight up with you - these are not the wings I expected. I know General Tao has no unifying recipe, but when I think of General Tao, I think of spicy with some sweetness. This sauce was a Chinese honey garlic. It might have been their honey garlic with hoisin or teriyaki sauce added, I don't know.



Now as many of you know, I do not accept Honey Garlic as a chicken wing. It just isn't. It shouldn't be allowed on the same menu as real chicken wings.

Now, that being said . . . these were not bad. The 'Asian' influence made it acceptable. Now I wouldn't get these again, but it was a nice change from the usual wings I've been having. But for those of you that do like HG, you would like these. But they are not General Tao.

SUICIDE
I figured since the Georgetown had some interesting and original flavours, suicide was going to be something special. And they didn't disappoint. It was a very original unique take on suicide, and like nothing I've had before. It was a mushy/goopy sauce that had a lot of different flavours going on. There was hot sauce, chili peppers, and some sort of seasoning, like a Montreal steak spice or something.

I asked Kristin if she could divulge the secret of their suicide, but she said she couldn't. "We don't have a set suicide. Its just whatever they guys in the back decide on each night". So basically a kitchen sink sauce. Again, very interesting flavour going on, but not that spicy either.



FINAL SCORE: The chicken wings here are good. Large, crispy and meaty. The basics were down pat. As for the sauces, some very interesting choices. They were done well, but they were not flavours I would normally go for. I would definitely go back to try some other flavours. 8/10



The Georgetown Sports Pub
1159 Bank Street, Ottawa

How-To: Four Ways to Debone a Chicken Wing



I love wandering the internet, because now-a-days there is so much out there about Chicken Wings.

Found today was a posting on Serious Eats that Adam found and translated from Japanese about deboning a wing for eatings. I don't know about those seasame seeds on there, but otherwise an interesting approach.


How do you eat your wings? Does this much effort go into eating them? For me, normally no, but back when I was preparing for the Wing Eating Competition, I was using a few of these methods . . .

Tuesday 7 April 2009

Big Mac Snack Wrap ~ NWR

Yes, I am a sucker for advertising. And yes, I admit, I like crap food. I mean, I love a big, meaty, juicy burger. But there is just something about a Big Mac. You know, 'Two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun?'

Well I'm sure you've seen the ads for the newest snack wrap, the Mac Snack Wrap. Yes, the Big Mac is in snack wrap form. And like 3 weeks ago I tried one out. Back in 1998 or 1999 McDonald's came out with the McWrap (which was always degraded to sound like McCRAP), a big pita sandwich that I liked as an alternative to burgers. So combining my love of the Big Mac with the Wrap, could this be a winning combination?


Compare the promotional photo above with the actual photo below.





So what makes this wrap a Mac Wrap? Lets break this down:





Ingredients:
  • Small Tortilla (FOUND IN BIG MAC)
  • Shredded Lettuce (FOUND IN BIG MAC)
  • 2 pickles (FOUND IN BIG MAC)
  • Shredded Cheese (NOT FOUND IN BIG MAC, normally slice of American cheese)
  • Special Sauce, 'Mac Sauce' (FOUND IN BIG MAC)
  • 1/2 Big Mac patty (note: 1/4 Pounder half patty may be substituted) (FOUND IN BIG MAC)

What's Missing? 3 buns, onions? Note: there may be onions, but I didn't really taste or see them.


The first thing to keep in mind is that this is a SNACK. It is small. I mean, 1/2 of a Big Mac Patty is pretty freakin small. Like 2 bites. So don't think of this as a meal. Don't do it. Snack.



But the important thing is the taste. Once I was actually holding the wrap that I was suckered into wanting, I was thinking, maybe this isn't so great. But I ate it . . . and it was good. Because there is no buns and the tortilla is thin, you taste almost all Big Mac. I mean the dominant flavours of meat, pickle and Mac Sauce.

My biggest complaint would be that it needs another good squirt of Mac Sauce. But otherwise, this was a fresh snack that I liked. Again, nothing special. It wouldn't replace the Big Mac by any means. It was worth trying, but I wouldn't be ordering it on a regular basis.




McDonald's Mac Snack Wrap
$1.39