Donuts and Coffee - Boiled Together?

Sometimes the weirdest ideas fire us up. Often these ideas pop up in times of hunger or boredom. I think my weird ideas pop up because I'm really interested in how weird my food can get.

Case in point: I've boiled bananas in Sprite. It's a weird combo because consuming the two together will supposedly cause all kinds of stomach discomfort. The internet is full of guys and girls taking the "Sprite and Banana Challenge" and puking horribly afterward. If you're interested, you can see that video here:

But back to the case at hand. Donuts and coffee go together naturally. Like fingers on the same hand, you know? So I figured that boiling donuts in coffee would create a frothy, creamy drink that would be damn sweet. It would also pack that familiar morning caffeine punch.

Well, things don't always run as smoothly as you'd expect. It was an interesting experiment in food science. Anyone who considers themselves a food warrior would do well to check it out.

If you have any suggestions for future weird food mixes, let me know! I'm game for pretty much anything. Sometimes I'm game for everything.

El Tepeyac: The First Visit

 El Tepeyac Cafe is a locally famous restaurant in Los Angeles. Situated in Boyle Heights among small neighborhoods and loads of other eating establishments, it is very easy to overlook. I was actually looking for this place so naturally I found it. That's one time GPS worked out right.

Viewers of Man V Food and other mega-eaters know about this place because of the huge Manuel's Special Burrito that you'll find on El Tepeyac's menu. It's billed as big enough to feed four persons (I guess that depends on which four persons you're talking about - it would feed one of me). I didn't bother ordering it because it cost nearly $20 and no prize was on the line. I felt little incentive to consume en masse.

I settled for the Hollenbeck Burrito con pollo, which is essentially the half-size version of the Manuel Special. The waitress told me that it should satisfy the appetite of two people, though many customers eat it without assistance.

As many other food reviewers have noted, the Hollenbeck is definitely a fork-and-knife experience. The tortilla is not so much stuffed as simply draped over the filling material. There's no way you could pick this thing up and eat it!

I'm no expert, but I'd call this grub authentic. I have a friend who needs to be the judge of this. I just go huge. Anyone who knows me well knows that I'll eat pretty much anything. But at least this tasted wonderful. 

The chicken was absolutely tender and flavorful.... that's what I remember most about my visit. I'd say the beans and rice were decent, but certainly not the star of the meal. The pico de gallo, guacamole, and green chiles added a lot of variety to the overall dish. I didn't regret what I sampled (their coffee wasn't bad at all), but I wasn't physically challenged either. I'd put this burrito plate's entire weight at just over 3 pounds.

Recently, I discovered that this place will give out store t-shirts and a spot on the Wall of Fame to anyone who can successfully complete the original pork version of the 5 lb Manuel Special.

About 10 photos currently grace the wall... no famous faces up there yet.

I'm not sure the prize entirely justifies spending $20 on a huge burrito and a shirt. I've been there before! And you really can't top eating for free.

The View from the Stage is Incredible

There's nothing like viewing the world from the contest stage.

 
Shakespeare once wrote that all the world's a stage, and the people on it are merely players. That may be. During a speed eating contest, there is a very real stage... and a fortunate dozen souls get to occupy it, fighting for a small piece of glory.

The rush of performing in front of an enthusiastic, cheering crowd almost escapes description. There's a tremendous rush of adrenaline. You feel this urge to give the people what they want, pull out all the stops, and put on a display worthy of their time and attention.

 I can only imagine what it feels like to achieve victory in these conditions.... to have people celebrating your name in a public gathering. I've been thrilled to pull off challenge victories in small restaurants, with maybe a dozen individuals singing your praises.

As an afterthought.... is it just me, or is there something odd about people treating a speed eating contest as if it were some kind of sporting spectacle?

The number of people who came out to watch the 2009 Nathan's Famous qualifiers in Las Vegas, NV and Tempe, AZ was simply astounding. No more than high hundreds probably, but they made the contest a true thrill. I felt less like a messy eater and more like an entertainer. The crowd is in my gratitude for that.

Will I ever be victorious on the contest stage? Can I pull out all the stops, and blow past my formidable rivals? I don't know right now. But I'll certainly put forth my damned best, with so many people watching!

Let's Drink to That!

This may be a blog about eating challenges, but I can't resist mentioning my favorite drink: coffee.

I could drink it by the carafe, and on a couple occasions I have! Those were mostly slow days at work, when someone made too much coffee in the morning and I really didn't have much to do but sit down and drink it.

As for drinking contests, I haven't really heard of any. The IFOCE doesn't arrange them. I certainly don't condone them,  since there have been incidents of people dying while consuming too much fluid. There's that nasty business of messing up your body's electrolyte balance with too much water - which can be lethal.

It's not uncommon for a couple of guys to set up a spontaneous drinking contest, but I don't care for those either. I love the taste of coffee. I don't see any point in tossing it down the gullet, especially when it's hot. My personal record for coffee consumption is about 15 cups in one day. That occurred during a very stressful time in my life. Obviously I don't have any issue with handling caffeine. I've never known what the "jitters" are all about. These days, for health reasons, I've cut back to my typical 2-3 cups.

Favorites of mine are dark roast, and those flavored coffees with cinnamon or chocolate flavors. I never use creamer or milk.. Those interfere with the pure coffee experience.

My favorite moment to drink coffee is in the morning. I love it when it's barely cool enough to sip, but still scalding hot. It reminds me of the old medieval punishment of drinking boiling lead, and I can only imagine how hellish that must have felt. I'm not pushing it - I've burned my tongue on coffee before, and I hated that sensation. I can't imagine what it's like to feel your esophagus melting.

Besides, I'll need my esophagus in good working order to continue taking on eating challenges.