Cheetos and Takis Challenge? You Game?

I don't understand the craze behind the Cheetos and Takis Challenge. It was invented a couple summers back, when school districts in LA tried to ban the salted snacks. Seemed like a great way to capitalize on a current event. Make a forbidden food item into YouTube eating challenge.

But then something weird happened... the trend caught on like fire. So much so that variants of the challenge have come online. The original challenge was for a 2-person duo to eat a large bag of Flamin' Hot Cheetos with a large bag of Takis Fuego. It was only about 1.5 lbs of food. The challenge came from the nature of the crunch that made eating large amounts of salted snacks difficult. The salt also makes it uncomfortable, as the dust coating the chips would line your teeth and irritate your lips and tongue. It's pain at its junk food finest.

So yeah, my mouth hurt a lot after taking on the Cheetos and Takis Challenge. It's probably not something anyone should ever attempt. I'm so dumb I tried it twice... at least the third time was a lot less painful.

Less painful maybe, but stupider considering I did it in a banana suit. Is there any smart way to pull off the banana costume?

So, have you taken on the Cheetos and Takis Challenge? Did you survive and how did you feel about your life decisions after?

Salt N Straw

Salt N Straw is a small ice cream shop located in downtown Portland (Oregon). I know they have another location, and operate a truck, but my experience is localized to this one store.

My visit came over Memorial Day weekend, on the same day that I tackled the huge Texass doughnut and handled a 5 lb poutine challenge in record time. This was a dessert of sorts. They have lots of unique flavors, including temporary and seasonal ones. I went with Aaron "The Spicochist" Wakamatsu, food blogger and lover of all things spicy. 

We were there to sample the hottest flavor on the menu. Even ice cream can get hot. Titled "Sweet Heat," it was an apricot flavor with candied chunks of Scotch Bonnet peppers mixed in. Aaron bought a sensible portion while I opted for a whole quart ($8).

There's no knocking the taste or quality of the ice cream here. It stood up to, and defeated, some of my best previous experiences. The apricot flavor was spot on and strong. The heat of the peppers, however, was entirely muted by the candying process.

Sugar and dairy tend to neutralize the effect of capsaicin, so no surprise. I wanted a kick in the mouth. This turned to be more of a novelty. Still, it was one I enjoyed - though I'd recommend getting a more pedestrian flavor to see what this shop is really capable of.

July is National Ice Cream Month. Why not reflect on this one past experience?

Candied Peppers

I'm a sucker for novelty food products. Salt & Straw, with two locations in Portland, features special flavors of ice cream every month.

Last month, when I was traversing Oregon, one of those seasonal flavors was "Sweet Heat Apricot." The sweet heat comes from candied scotch bonnet peppers. Scotch bonnets pack a punch, but after being all sugared up you can hardly tell. The apricot was balanced.

I visited the shop with Aaron Wakamatsu and we went to town. He got a sensible portion, and the quart for $8 called my name. Video upcoming.

Casket Full of Confection

Would you eat a coffin filled with dougnuts? I know I would. At Voodoo Doughnut in Portland, OR, you can get such a coffin for $100.

They'll even let you keep the coffin. It sounds like a great way to spend Halloween. Or, any other day of the year for that matter.

And while you're here, check out my video from the last time I visited their shop.

Month of Mayhem

In seeking votes for the new July 4th hot dog contest, I offered a huge dare to my supporters last night.

It's right there on the Facebook page for Wreckless Eating: if the voters can put me over the top, I will give the public a new eating challeng video everyday until the contest on July 4.

That's a ton of videos, you're thinking. I already have over a dozen in possession ready to go. My YouTube presence is on heavy delay, usually limiting myself to updates once or twice a week. This time an exception will be made. The voters/viewers now have a big incentive to vote me into the contest.

Can I release 33 challenge videos in the next 33 days? There's one way to find out. Vote for me.

Epic Fail Time

20,000 calories may be possible in one meal, but you aren't going to get there by eating 8 lbs of trail mix. I learned that the "hard" way last Friday. Everything in the bag required laborious chewing. Nothing softened, even doused in pumpkin ice cream.

The concept was still a success. It was arranged as a school-community event in Yucca Valley, my students were invited to watch and complete observational assignments, and everyone else who came to watch loved it. The Hi Desert Star actually mentioned the event in last Saturday's paper. Channel 2 News in nearby Palm Springs requested event photographs and a write-up.

One of these days, I'll find an effective way to concoct an edible 20k calorie meal. Trail mix seemed smart: it's calorie dense, so you get high calorie counts without adding on a ton of weight. Maybe I'll take a cue from Johnnie Excel and load up on mayonnaise next time out.

I stopped after eating for 80 minutes... wasn't so full as much as I was tired and disgusted. Even turning the leftover portions into thick, blended smoothies didn't help. You'd be surprised, but they tasted pretty good.

In an epic encounter, food won. There's a large amount of video footage from this stunt, and it will be making its way onto YouTube shortly.

'Tis The Season

Looks like we're heading into the holiday season again. That means crowded stores, long lines, and incredibly over-sized packages of sugary products on supermarket shelves. Just reference the photo above.

I don't think the idea is for any single person to eat the contents of the whole package in one sitting, but I know a few people on YouTube who damn well might try. These "stunts," sometimes referred to as "home challenges," seem to be getting really popular. I've resisted the temptation thus far. I think I will continue to do so.

Honestly, though, I'm intrigued that these grotesque portions of chocolate only seem to appear around Christmas time. I figure some people must have a sweet tooth year round? Buffets offer dessert portions seven days a week. There must be some method to that madness.

If 2.5 lbs of chocolates don't grab your fancy, what about half-pound Reese's Peanut Butter Cups?


Peanut butter and chocolate, united in gargantuan proportions! 1 lb of bliss in a $10 package! I believe you can order this product year-round from the company website, but I think it's a lot more exciting to just waltz into a store and pick it up off the shelf. Maybe the thrill of amazon.com hasn't quite sunk in for me yet.

And all this, right off the heels of Halloween and weeks before Thanksgiving. I guess companies really have to push their products in down economic times.

Just what other big finds will we stumble across this holiday season?

Will anyone be crazy enough to eat the whole thing? (Count me out)