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If you have no idea what kolacky is, you’ve probably never been to Montgomery, Minnesota - Kolacky Capital of the World. The town has been trumpeting the praises of this traditional Czech fruit-filled pastry at its Kolacky Days celebration since 1929. This year's celebration just passed, but here's the Web site if you'd like to plan for next year.
In the meantime, try some recipes here and here. Here's Wikipedia's take on kolacky, along with a few more resources.
I've eaten my share of peanut butter over the years - and then some. I guess it goes without saying that I'm not among the increasing numbers of those who are allergic to peanuts.
Researchers at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University recently came up with a way to remove allergens from peanuts, a process they hope to apply to other foods. Ain't progress a wonderful thing?
Although, if I were allergic to peanuts, I think I'd want to wait and make sure they have all the kinks worked out of this process before eating any. After all, it is a matter of life and death. For that matter, I might just be tempted to stick with a peanut free regimen. Your mileage may vary.
For more of the pertinent details, check out this UPI report.
Looking for some pointers on How to Eat an Exotic Candy Bar? Vosges Haut-Chocolat offers a few here. They can also supply you with the exotic candy bar itself - made with Applewood smoked bacon, alder smoked salt, and deep milk chocolate." Sounds pretty exotic to me. More here.
For the lowdown on Bubble Chocolate, which is actually chocolate with bubbles in it, check out the manufacturer's Web site.
For perhaps the ultimate in chocolate-related weirdness, have a look at this BBC article from a while back about a chocolate billboard.
And then there's our previous post, right here at Weird Eats, about a chocolate Jesus.
There's apparently something about Starbucks that causes people who might otherwise be quite reasonable and rational (or maybe not) to embark on obsessive and ultimately pointless quests.
Some time ago I wrote about a gentleman who had set the modest goal for himself of visiting every Starbucks in the world. It's kind of a baffling quest, if I do say so myself, but you can read about his progress here.
All of which makes Mark Malkoff seems like something of a rank amateur by comparison. Malkoff, a comedian and filmmaker, recently set out to visit and make a purchase at every Starbucks store in Manhattan within the space of one 24-hour span. That's 171 Starbucks, to be exact. And, of course, he made a film documenting his experiences. Check it all out here.
Burgers. We've written about them on more than a few occasions. If you're not convinced that people take their burgers pretty seriously, take a look here and here.
The notion of a town declaring itself the Home of the Hamburger seems certain to spark more than a bit of fuss, but that's the distinction Seymour, Wisconsin lays claim to. Their Burger Fest takes place August 4, 2007, so if you happen to be in the neighborhood (or if you feel the occasion calls for a road trip) be sure to pay a visit.
For more of the pertinent details, have a look at the Home of the Hamburger Web site, here.
If beverages with a futuristic bent are your kind of thing, then Microgravity Enterprises has just the ticket. Antimatter Energy Drink is said to have been "produced from ingredients that have been flown in space." From snooping around at their Web site I wasn't able to discern exactly what this means, but you can have a look for yourself, right here.
Microgravity Enterprises also offers Space2O purified water, which is billed as "the world's first Space Water." What this all means is that it "is produced from a rigorous multi-step purification process that adds spaceflown electrolytes to enhance flavor and taste." So there. More info here.
There's a standup comic - I don't remember which one - who waxes witty about premixed PB&J of the Goober Grape type. The gist of the gag is that perhaps we don't really need that much convenience and that perhaps those who are so pressed for time that they can be bothered to open two jars might actually benefit from some time management tips.
Quick - where's the Baby Food Capital of the World? If you guessed that it's Fremont, Michigan, home of Gerber Products Company, give yourself a pat on the back.
If you're thinking that this all seems an odd choice of focus for a food festival then you're not alone. I was thinking just that very same thing, but since I've never been to the event, I guess I shouldn't judge.
Anyway, the event takes place from July 17 - 21, 2007 and includes such events as a Baby Food Cook-Off, Adult Baby Food Eating Contest, and Baby Crawl.
More info here.
If you thought kumquats were near the top of the Obscure Fruit List, you may or may not not be aware of the mayhaw, a tart fruit that grows mostly in the wild in southern U.S. swamps. Mayhaws are most often used to make jelly and there’s always plenty on hand at mayhaw capital Colquitt, where Georgia’s National Mayhaw Festival is held every April.
For more information about the mayhaw, start here.
For mayhaw jelly, go here.
Image: Hillside Orchard Farms
The King is dead (play along). Long live the King. To commemorate the 30th anniversary of the death of Elvis Presley, Hershey Foods has come up with the Elvis Cup, a limited-edition Reese's peanut butter cup that includes an extra layer with banana creme. The Baltimore Sun has more.
The Hershey Foods site features the product rather prominently and the Hershey's Gifts site offers this.
Just exactly what is a Twinkie? The answer to that question could be quite brief, unless your name is Steve Ettlinger. A recent ABC News article - The Secret Behind the Twinkie - takes a look at Ettlinger's book Twinkie, Deconstructed, an impressive work which was written without the cooperation or assistance of the treat's maker.
