May 27, 2009 by traveler.

W T F ???

This movie has got to be a joke. Gooby? Oh great- IMDB confirms it’s an actual movie. Check out this trailer-

Holy hell. That face at :35 is just too much. Awful title, awful costume- this one looks potentially worse than Mega Shark vs Giant Octopus…

Please tell me these are elaborate, absurdist performance-art gimmicks. ::sigh::

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May 8, 2009 by traveler.

Aaaahhhhh!!!

Giant jellyfish with crab passengers? That’s worse than sharks with laser beams!

Thankfully the video looks slightly ‘tainted’- maybe the crab is dead and there is no jellyfish/crab conspiracy to worry about. Then again, what if the crab is just feigning until it is close enough to rip at your flesh?! I’m gonna stay out of the ocean for a while just in case.

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January 11, 2009 by traveler.

When you think of your favorite ice cream flavors, what comes to mind? Strawberry, chocolate, butter pecan, maybe mint chocolate chip? What about Saffron? Is saffron on your list? If not, it might be soon.

Baskin Robbins ME unleashed September’s flavor of the month- Saffron Escapade. This new flavor incorporates saffron ice cream, sesame cardamom brittle, and a honey ribbon. For those not familiar with saffron and cardamom, Wikipedia describes cardamom as having a ’strong, unique taste’ with a ‘coolness similar to mint.’ Saffron is described as ‘hay-like and somewhat bitter.’ Sounds like perfect ice cream ingredients, right?

Despite initial reservations, I would recommend trying the flavor IF you enjoy flavor contrasts, particularly the interplay of savory and sweet. Lately that has been a big theme of mine, and so I enjoyed the Saffron Escapade tremendously. In fact, I went back to Baskin Robbins the very next day to buy another serving of this experimental flavor. I’m glad I did, because the flavor appears to have disappeared as quickly as it arrived.

In the end, you might be glad you missed it. In an attempt to win converts, I managed to disgust several people who thought Saffron Escapade was hands-down the worst ice cream flavor they have ever tasted. I, however, loved the taste and would gladly pick up a scoop if I find it again. (BR- make Saffron Escapade flavor of the month again!) In any event, I will remember it as one of the weirdest ice cream flavors I’ve tried.

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January 3, 2009 by traveler.

Time for round one of Weird Food. For the series’ premiere, we are looking at chocolate bars with, well, interesting ingredients. Theo Chocolate brings us the 3400 Phinney Chocolate line, featuring organic chocolate from Fair Trade certified cocoa beans. These are not your mother’s chocolate bars. These flavors will challenge the most adventurous candy connoisseur.

Coconut Curry chocolate
I am a huge fan of coconut curry. Coconut curry chicken, that is. Coconut curry chocolate is not my idea of a tempting treat. With great trepidation I unwrapped the bar, half expecting evil spirits to be unleashed. I dutifully took a bite and was surprised that the curry flavor wasn’t as overpowering as I expected. I took a second bite and realized that the curry does kinda build up from bite to bite. After my third bite, the curry flavor exploded in intensity, blocking out any pleasant chocolate flavor. There wasn’t a fourth bite. The only person I can imagine might like this ‘chocolate’ bar is someone who…actually, I can’t imagine anyone liking it. Shame.

Fig Fennel & Almond chocolate
I shook off my unpleasant memories of the coconut curry and moved on to this more palatable-sounding flavor. Those with adventurous tastes might enjoy the flavors in this chocolate bar. The almond slivers and fennel interacted nicely with the bittersweet dark chocolate. I was relieved to eat this candy bar, because it reaffirmed my faith in 3400 Phinney. While this bar might not become my new favorite (hard to beat a simple peanut butter cup), I can see it satisfying a craving for unique chocolate flavors. Try one for yourself and see what you think.

Based on their website, 3400 Phinney has a number of other unique flavors. If I get to try any others, I will let you know. Also, stay tuned for further Weird Food posts- a loved/hated Baskin Robbins experiment is coming up.

Posted in Junk, Weird, Health, Food, Eww, Funny | No Comments »

December 27, 2008 by traveler.

This food-induced coma is a killer. Such awesome food, but I can’t take much more of the ‘holiday spirit’. Gotta be good…next year the only coma you’ll find me in is a Christmas cauliflower coma.

I found some weird food items this holiday season, and I’ll share some of them shortly…right now I’m too full to type anymore. Merry Christmas!!

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November 29, 2008 by traveler.

Blech. Too…much…turkey… On a day like this, after a huge meal, your stomach needs something normal and soothing. Like Lay’s Rotisserie Chicken potato chips. Not your style? Maybe you’d prefer their Ham & Cheese chips. No? Then you’d love their Mustard & Pickles chips. BARF! If you’re crazy enough to try them, you can find them in Tunisia. (As in Luke Skywalker’s house, and home of the real Tatooine). Here’s a video featuring a Tunisian Star Wars set.

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June 6, 2008 by traveler.

I was browsing the candy aisle when I stopped abruptly in my tracks. Elvis Presley Collector Edition Reese’s Peanut Butter & Banana Creme Cups. The marketers did their job- they convinced me to part with my change to purchase a product that I guessed would be terrible.

A few minutes (and several grams of saturated fat) later, the candy exceeded my expectations. It was even more terrible than I had guessed. Of all the artificial fruit flavors out there, I have always hated fake banana flavor the most. Fake banana flavor is so bad, it makes me hate the taste of actual bananas. Burying that flavor among enjoyable chocolate and peanut butter doesn’t work well. Skip the ‘collector’s edition’ and go with the tried and true PB cups. These Peanut Butter & Banana Creme cups are so bad they beg the question- is this what killed Elvis?

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May 2, 2008 by traveler.

Barf.  This news story about giant squid really creeped me out.  Its eye was measured at almost 11 inches in diameter, making it the largest known eye in the entire animal kingdom.  Would you want to be the lucky guy who gets to swim in the briny water with a preserved giant squid carcass?  I have much respect for you, Mark Fenwick.

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