Looking for something fun to do this Memorial Day weekend? Make the drive up to Fairmont Saturday to watch some of the country's top-ranked competitive eaters do their thing at West Virginia's Three Rivers Festival "Pepperoni Roll Eating World Championship."
Sanctioned by Major League Eating - "the governing body of all stomach-centric sports" (yes, there is such a group) - this all-you-can-eat competition will pit 15 eaters battling one another for a share of $8,750 in cash prizes.
Last year, Matt Stonie scored an upset win over heavily favored Miki Sudo, downing 31 pepperoni rolls in just 10 minutes, or five more than Sudo. (The world record currently stands at 33 rolls in 10 minutes, if you can believe it.)
Stonie returns this year to defend his title against Sudo, along with a host of other ranked (yes, ranked) competitive eaters: No. 5 Sonya "The Black Widow" Thomas of Alexandria, Va.; No. 7 Adrian Morgan of New Orleans, La.; No. 9 Michelle Lesco of Tuscon, Ariz.; No. 10 Juliet Lee of Germantown, Md.; No. 15 Badlands Booker of Selden, N.Y.; No. 20 Jim Reeves of Boston, N.Y.; and No. 26 Nasty Nate Biller of Keller, Texas.
"It is said that pepperoni rolls test a person's soul," said Major League Eating president Richard Shea. "They are delicious and appealing, but they are also dense and filling. The winner will require a combination of jaw strength, stomach capacity and hand speed."
I'll say.
The contest begins at 8 p.m. at Palatine Park in downtown Fairmont. For more information, visit www.wvthreeriversfestival.org.
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Speaking of Memorial Day, this holiday weekend officially kicks off the summer grilling season. Can I get an "amen" to that?
May also wraps up National Barbecue Month, so I thought I'd pass along these outdoor entertaining tips from food "inspirationalist" and BBQ expert Libbie Summers, author of "The Whole Hog Cookbook."
n Backyard barbecues should be casual, so make everything self-serve, from drinks to dessert.
n As a host, don't stress yourself out trying to offer too many different food choices. Just focus on presenting a few delicious options really well.
n Need more cooler space for drinks? Think outside the box. A large planter, clean wheelbarrow or blow-up swimming pool can be loaded with ice and drinks in a pinch.
n Not sure which foods to make from scratch and which to purchase ready-made? There's a saying (and even a book) to guide you called "Make the Bread, Buy the Butter." Sometimes, when time is tight, don't hesitate to take shortcuts few people would notice, or even care about.
n You'll have frosty beer and chilled wine, of course, but don't forget your teetotalers and young 'uns. Add fresh fruit to lime- or lemonade, or toss frozen watermelon cubes into pitchers of sparkling water or iced tea.
n For dessert, consider a sheet cake (bakes fast and feeds a crowd) or a giant platter of make-ahead cookies. Need one of those shortcuts we just mentioned? Serve nostalgic store-bought frozen treats like push-pops, ice cream sandwiches or drumsticks. Or serve the same ice cream Thomas Jefferson made, which is mentioned in the section below.
And when it comes to manning the grill, keep these tips in mind from McCormick.
n Spike salt and pepper with ingredients like smoked spices or citrus peel to add texture and flavor.
n Prevent dry chicken by starting with low heat for evenly cooked, juicy meat - then crank up the flames for a quick, crispy char.
n Burgers are all about the build. Add flavors like brown sugar, bourbon or shawarma to meat, then boost with unique toppers and condiments like grilled avocado, mango slaw or lime mayo.
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Thomas Jefferson is widely known for his contributions of literature, liberty and leadership as our country's third president and writer of the Declaration of Independence. But did you also know TJ is credited with introducing vanilla ice cream in America?
I did not, but the folks at www.IceCream.com (after consulting the National Archives) report that Jefferson brought 200 vanilla beans and an ice cream recipe from France in the late 1700s, helping create the most popular ice cream flavor in the U.S. today: vanilla.
His original recipe, straight from the Library of Congress and included this week, has been adapted for modern cooks by the folks at Nielsen-Massey Vanillas. So instead of boiling a half-pound of sugar in a kettle over an open fire, you can pull out ye' ol' saucepan and use your stove instead.
Steven Keith writes a weekly food column for the Daily Mail. He can be reached at 304-348-1721 or by email at dailymailfoodguy@aol.com. You can also follow him on Facebook and Pinterest as "DailyMail FoodGuy," on Twitter as "DMFoodGuy" or read his blog at http://blogs.charlestondailymail.com/foodguy.
Thomas Jefferson's Vanilla Ice Cream
2 quarts of cream
6 egg yolks
1 1/4 cup sugar
1 vanilla bean
1. Whisk together the egg yolks and sugar until creamy and lightened in color. Set aside.
2. Place the cream in a saucepan. Split vanilla bean in half lengthwise with the tip of a small knife. Scrape both sides of the bean with the knife's dull side and add the seeds and bean to the cream. Place the saucepan over medium heat until the mixture is nearly boiling.
3. Remove the cream mixture from the heat and very slowly add 1/2 cup of the hot cream to the egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly. Pour the now-warmed egg yolk mixture into the hot cream, whisking to combine.
4. Return the saucepan to the stove, stirring constantly over medium heat until the mixture is thick and coats the back of a spoon. Remove from the heat and strain through a fine mesh sieve.
5. Allow mixture to chill in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight. When ready to churn, follow the manufacturer's directions on your ice cream maker to churn and freeze.