Everyone has unique life stories to share…one of mine happened to be with Jenna Jameson…

Jenna Jameson In The News!

Arguably the world’s most famous adult film star has been in the media lately – and the stories have not always been flattering…

I wanted to go back to a simpler time, before the headlines…one of my most unique trips ever happened to be the time when I got to work with Jenna on an E! shoot – and we hung out with some of the biggest stars in the world at the time….

Jenna was fun, upbeat, genuine, professional and just a terrific person to work with…so here is how I ended up in Singapore and Bangkok with Jenna, Sylvester Stallone and Bruce Willis…

My Jenna Jameson “Wild On” Adventure!

This is a picture of me with Jenna Jameson from 1998. We were in Singapore. Why you ask? Well, what began as a series of appearances on E!’s “Wild ON…” series turned into an opportunity for Jenna to host the show…

First, a bit about Jenna:

Jenna Jameson (born Jenna Marie Massoli; April 9, 1974), is the world’s most famous adult-entertainers. My wife Alex and I met her while we were filming one year at the Cannes Film Festival. In addition to E!’s annual Cannes coverage, we also produced “Wild On The Riviera”, which was the “un-official” film festival. At the time, Jenna was the new star for Wicked Pictures…

The Wicked Pictures folks were really good to work with, and Jenna filmed a few stories about attending Cannes for E!’s “Sex On The Riviera” special. Over the next few years, Jenna hosted a number of segments for this show, and was always great to work with –

Jenna was a lot of fun to work with, engaging on camera, personable and funny…over the next few years, we continued to film with her for the “Wild On…” travel series that I created for E! At the same time, I had been to a number of Planet Hollywood openings, including New York, London, Las Vegas and Mall of America…these specials also aired on E!, and after a few years, we wanted to find a way to make them different….

So, when we decided to cover the opening of two new Planet Hollywood restaurants in Singapore and Bangkok, I thought: why not have Jenna be our Host?

So that’s how I found myself sitting next to Jenna in Bangkok – as our entire production team met for a dinner to celebrate the beginning of our Thailand adventure!

Fast Forward To Bangkok And Singapore!

So here we are at dinner, a great group of E! staff in Bangkok, filming the opening of Planet Hollywood restaurants in both cities…as you will soon see, there were some BIG BIG stars in attendance…

Cue The Lifestyle Segments!

When I ran “Wild On…”, each episode had segments on local culture, so of course, the first thing we did was put Jenna in a boat and take her down Bangkok’s Chao Phraya River!

First we had to negotiate the cost of a boat to take us out for filming – our Director of Photography was the legendary Carl Allman – and it was up to him to determine ho wmany boats we’d need for filming.

We determined who would sit where – how we would film the tour – and what we wanted Jenna to talk about during the trip…

And I got to go on the boat as well…as you can tell, I never look all that busy in these pictures, do I?

The water was fairly calm, but these boats were very shallow, so we rocked around a bit, especially when crossing the larger part of the river, where there were more industrial boats around us…

After filming a number of short sequences, we re-grouped to discuss the next part of the tour – a trip some some of the smaller branches of the river – a more “residential” part of Bangkok…

As we explored the river, we found a number of houses perched right over the water – people literally lived “on” the water…

We didn’t scout this location at all, we were just going downstream and looking for fun stuff to film – so we pulled up to one home – situated right on the river…

Jenna jumped out and we grabbed a pic of her…

Then we found a home along the river where a family lived…and lots of kids were playing…

The young boys were jumping off their homes into the river, and Jenna interviewed them! Well, “interview” is a loose term as they didn’t speak a word of english, but we had a fun time nonetheless!

Back on dry land, we also explored many of Bangkok’s street markets – the city was very crowded, a bit chaotic, but friendly at the same time…

Welcome To Bangkok’s Chinatown!

The Chinatown district was full of street markets and vendors – a crowded mix of people, stalls, cars, bikes and motorcycles – all crammed into a very small area…

In fact, Chinatown was so crowded that, at one point, sirens went off and the streets were blocked off to cars – in order to let the pollution in the air clear up! You could actually see a blue haze developing in the alleys and streets – pure pollution…

Of course, we didn’t let that slow us down, we just kept filming – and I kept taking behind-the-scenes pictures – and kept having them taken of me as well…

We had a great day filming: Jenna bought a bunch of products from street vendors, always haggling for the best price…

Jenna’s Shopping Spree!

Even with all of the great locations and fun shoots we did, here is what I remember most about Jenna in Bangkok: after we filmed on Patpong Street, an adult entertainment area full of bars, go go clubs and street vendors, Jenna went a bit “shopping crazy” with the Channel V Host – by the time she was done, Jenna ended up shipping home three new suitcases full of stuff!

Bangkok’s Fertility Shrine!

One of the funniest shoots involves a sequence with Jenna at Bangkok’s fertility shrine, but for some reason, I never got a picture of Jenna there! Instead, I got our terrific field Producer Jill Weiser…posing among the hundreds of fertility symbols: yes, penises…

Yes, this was a very sacred place! Bangkok has many shrines all over the city, and couples would come to this one to pray for fertility…as evidenced by the phallic nature of the shrine itself. The best part was, when we filmed this, the shrine was located in a Hilton Hotel parking lot! Shrines are all over Bangkok, and businesses must build around them, as they are sacred and cannot be moved…

We had the legendary Director of Photography Carl Allman with us, so of course it all looked beautiful…and Carl is so much fun to film with as well!

Bruce Willis Entertains Jenna!

After dinner, we were off to the opening of Planet Hollywood Bangkok, and that meant interviews with the arriving celebrities, like Jackie Chan, Cindy Crawford, Sylvester Stallone, Wesley Snipes, and a performance by Bruce Willis and his band!

Here’s a picture of Bruce Willis performing at the restaurant – with Jenna and thousands of fans watching and cheering wildly:

Then Jenna got the chance to interview Bruce. I will always remember that, when he saw her, the first thing Bruce said was:

“You are my favorite E! Host!”

And she was: Jenna was so much fun to work with: she was a total professional, eager to explore Bangkok with us, working all day and night…and it was a long day – filming the lifestyle segments in the daytime, then covering the big party at night…

Jenna also got a lot of attention as well – her she is being interviewed by the former Miss Thailand, who was a Host for Channel V in Thailand…

This Channel V Host hung out with us for hours, and we ended the night at her Dad’s blues bar in a fun Bangkok neighborhood…

At 2am, we finished filming, and Carl picked up one of the bar’s bass guitars and played us some blues while we sipped whiskey! It was a memorable end to a fun day!

Time For A Singapore Sling!

After Bangkok, it was off to Singapore, where Jenna explored many of the city’s unique sights!

That also meant taking a very high cable car over the river and down to Singapore’s park…

Jenna WASN’T a fan of riding in a cable car high over the city…turns out she was afraid of heights! We didn’t know it until she pointed it out and hid her eyes…

But she hung in there and was a complete pro – doing an interview with our local guide and even checking out the view – albeit just for a moment!!

We had a great time in Singpore’s Merlion Park, named after a mythical creature with the head of a lion and the body of a fish, used as a mascot and national personification of Singapore.

The fish body represents Singapore’s origin as a fishing village when it was called Temasek, which means “sea town” in Javanese. The lion head represents Singapore’s original name — Singapura — meaning “lion city” or “kota singa”.

Jenna Hangs Out With Sylvester Stallone!

After a day of filming around Singapore, it was time to head over to Planet Hollywood for the opening of the restaurant – Jenna wrote about this trip in her autobiography – her version is not EXACTLY the same way I remember it, but the facts of the trip are basically the same – she was the Host of our Planet Hollywood coverage, and just like in Bangkok, the stars LOVED talking to her!

Jenna got to hang out with Sylvester Stallone, Bruce Willis, Wesley Snipes, Jackie Chan and Cindy Crawford in Singapore, a beautiful city that showed us the utmost hospitality!

Once we got back to the US, it was decided that Jenna shouldn’t host the entire special, but we did air the interviews and all of these segments in Bangkok and Singapore on “E! Explores Planet Hollywood Bangkok” – and she was great!

I’m not sure where Jenna is headed with her career – she just published a book, and it was announced that she is going to do more “adult” work – but regardless of her personal and professional issues right now, she was a pleasure to work with, a great person, and a terrific on-air Talent for us!

Happy New Year, Burger Lovers!

Yes, that’s a burger you see staring at you, and it’s just the tip of 2014′s wacky burger iceberg! Gone are the days when THIS is considered exotic:

Because in this new era of monster food, it’s a whole new year, and there is new burger madness to share! Sure, we all love the goodness you see above, but what if a regular, albeit delicious, double cheeseburger just isn’t enough? After all, we are now in an era when you can add THIS to anything:

Now ANYTHING can be bacon flavored! And of course, the world of burgers just keeps getting more and more unique…

“Turning Japanese!”

Because once you’ve had one of my Japanese wasabi avocado sliders – well, let’s just say the world looks different from over there:

So, although New Year’s Eve is barely past us, some of us already need a drink and a bite to eat…or perhaps you just need one of these:

“The Hangover Burger!”

Thanks to Giant Orange in Sacramento, California, you can enjoy their Hangover Burger for $10.99 – you get a big burger patty topped with a farm-fresh fried egg, grilled onions, Cheddar cheese and crisp hardwood-smoked bacon; garnished with lettuce, tomato, onion and pickles.

Three bites and you are no doubt drinking again! But maybe you need more…

Behold The “Burganator!”

Wow, the mad geniuses at Stonefly Brewery in Milwaukee came up a masterpiece: it’s “The Burganator”, where great slabs of bacon are topped first by a burger, then by onion rings, and then drizzled with a beer cheese sauce…wait, I already hear my arteries hardening!

This is just one of twelve unique burger toppings that the great minds at “A Hamburger Today” have to share here:

http://aht.seriouseats.com/

But don’t think the US has a lock on massive:

Behold The “Queensland Burger!”

Well, that’s just a whole lot of stuff piled up and put between two buns…and it sure looks good, doesn’t it?

Thanks to the great website “Thisiswhyyourehuge.com” for sharing this photo. If you don’t go there for all of their shared material, you are missing a lot of great food madness!

After so much big food, let’s check out something a bit healthier, thanks to the Mediterranean diet:

“My Big Fat Greek Burger!”

Well, what can you say about this: it’s a beautiful Lamb burger with grilled red onion, feta, bell pepper yogurt, tomato and greens – delicious looking, and according to a fat dude, it’s good for you, too…

And the fat dude shows you step-by-step how to cook it, too! I saw this on the “thisiswhyyourehuge”, but they shared the link to “the fat dude diet” website….check it out here!

The Fat Dude is really Niyaz Pirani, an Orange County food writer for OC Weekly’s Stick A Fork In It blog and formerly the Orange County Register’s Food Frenzy blog.

Kudos, fat dude!

http://thefatdudediet.com/2010/12/24/week-7-meal-3-my-big-fat-greek-burger/

Look, I’m all for healthy, but when I get an email from the owner of “Martiniburger” in Tokyo, I know I’m not going on a diet anytime soon! Here is their latest masterpiece!

The “Foie Gras!”

Well, doesn’t this look good! It’s a 100% beef burger topped with imported Rougié fois gras, apple, mint and balsamico dressing. Served with endive salad. How much you ask? Just ¥3200, for a limited time only, so let’s get over to Tokyo NOW!

OK, I can’t jump on a plane right this second, but the next time I’m in Tokyo’s legendary Shinjuku entertainment district, I’m checking this place out! Here’s the website!

http://martini-burger.com/en

Nothing could be more satisfying than a foie gras burger, right? Well, there is tasty and then there is BIG…and when it comes to big, what would Australia do about that?

G’Day For Australia’s Biggest Burger!

Behold “The Roadhog!”

Let’s finish this mouthwatering trip into 2014 by going to Queensland, Australia, some 300 miles away from Brisbane…yes, we are talking Australian Outback, folks:

According to a Queensland travel blog, “‘The Roadhog Burger’ weighs in at around 14kg – the same size as an average two-year-old. It feeds up to 15 people and will set you back about 150 bucks!

You’ll need to order this monster a few days in advance though, as the buns are ‘custom made’ by the nearby St George Bakery. And yes, those are raw sausages fashioned as fingers!”

Time To Bite Into 2014!

So there you go, grab a big burger somewhere and bite into 2014 – all around the world – in style!

Never Forget!

Never forget…..the hair that is….this incredible Jan-Claude hairstyle always reminds me of his greatest movie: John Woo’s Louisiana bayou thriller “Hard Target!” But there is SO much more to celebrate about Jean-Claude – because JCVD is back in a BIG BIG WAY!

Jean-Claude Van Damme was one of the world’s biggest stars. From “Bloodsport” to “Time Cop” to the classic “Hard Target”, Jean-Claude kicked ass across a multitude of great action films…and then, Jean-Claude fell off our screens…until now.

“Central to Unit 27. Jean-Claude Van Damme’s robbing a post office. I need back-up!”

Wait, WHAT? Don;’t worry, I’ll explain in a moment….I will also explain how I ended up:

Hanging With Jean-Claude In Cannes!

I will tell you all about hanging out with the legendary action star – many times – in Cannes, but first, here is the already legendary “splits” TV ad with Jean-Claude Van Damme:

Kudos, Mr. Van Damme! This TV ad has certainly put Jean-Claude back in the spotlight, but you missed his real comeback just last year…and I will also tell you how I have been lucky enough to hang with the action star several times when I was running programming at E! More on that as well, but first, I have to tell you about a revelatory movie starring the “Muscles From Brussels!”

Looking good, JCVD! However, there’s a LOT more on display than just Jean-Claude’s muscles…there is a real, honest, and open look at an action star…if you haven’t seen the terrific film “JCVD”, you are missing out on Jean-Claude’s greatest performance ever…

I was stunned by how good this movie was – I had heard about Jean-Claude’s performance, but never got around to wartching it – and when I did, I was stunned…..First, take a look at the trailer for the great film “JCVD”:

Policier: “Central to Unit 27. Jean-Claude Van Damme’s robbing a post office. I need back-up!”

And with this urgent police call, “JCVD” explodes into action! Between his tax problems and his legal battle with his wife for the custody of his daughter, these are hard times for the action movie star who finds that even Steven Seagal has pinched a role from him! In “JCVD”, Jean-Claude Van Damme returns to the country of his birth to seek the peace and tranquility he can no longer enjoy in the United States. But nothing goes as planned…

I won’t share anything else, as the joy of this film is to watch it unfold…The concept for “JCVD” originated with the producer, who had an agreement with Jean-Claude Van Damme to play himself in a movie. In the original screenplay Van Damme was portrayed more as a clown. Mabrouk El Mechri was brought on to rewrite, and was subsequently asked to direct.

Director Mabrouk El Mechri agreed to rewrite the script on the condition he could meet Jean-Claude Van Damme first before starting the draft, so he wouldn’t waste six months on something that Van Damme would veto.

There is a funny scene in a taxi involving Jean-Claude and a cab driver, and whole scene is completely improvised. Mabrouk El Mechri told Jean-Claude Van Damme to just be nice to the driver no matter what she said!

But the real masterstroke in the film takes place about halfway through, when Jean-Claude breaks the fourth wall to speak directly to the audience…it is mesmerizing, and one of the best monologues committed to film…I don’t want to spoil it, but here is a short snippet to give you an idea of the honesty on display:

J.C.V.D.: “This movie is for me. There we are, you and me. Why did you do that? Or why did I do that? You made my dream come true. I asked for it. I promised you something in return and I haven’t delivered yet. You win, I lose. Unless…”

This monologue goes on for several more minutes – no break, one single take – and it is mesmerizing…you can see the real anguish in his face, in his voice…and the real emotion! After you see this scene, you can’t help but root for Jean-Claude to survive!

This is also a fun, twisty action thriller as well – a real return to form for the “Muscle From Brussels”…really worth checking out – I have the blu-ray of the movie…it’s just the latest chapter in a wild ride for the action star…which took him many times to the south of France…

Welcome To The Cannes Film Festival!

Yes, Cannes is a gorgeous city on the French Riviera, where celebrities gather every year to celebrate film…and we would travel to cover the festival for E!

For many years, my Host was Michael Castner, who Alex points out was always the hardest worker on the team…

Just kidding, Michael – he was terrific to work with, and always got great interviews for us – including this revealing conversation with Jean-Claude at the famed Hotel du Cap…

One year, after a huge Cannes party, I was hanging out with Jean-Claude – since we had covered many Planet Hollywood openings and Cannes festivals, we had become acquainted – and I had just seen his latest movie.

I said to Jean-Claude, congratulations on “Hard Target!” He looked at me and said, “we can do better!” I just smiled but I thought, “no, Jean-Clause, you CAN’T do better than John Woo!” That was, unfortunately, the last time we saw this hairstyle on screen…

And JCVD went into a career tailspin…until now…so kudos on the TV ad, bravo for “JCVD”, and most importantly,

“Welcome Back Jean-Claude!”

Click here to read about the controversy surrounding Chef Grant Achatz and his tweet about having unruly infants in his restaurant….I also look at one of his tasting menus, so you have an idea of what the experience is like!

http://johnrieber.com/2013/03/13/the-hunt-menu-brilliant-next-chef-grant-achatz-alinea-life-on-the-line/

Let me know what you think!

“Songwriting for me is something I have to do to stay on the sunny side of life. It’s my therapy.”

Celebrating Josh Rouse!

Time to put on some classic music, thanks to a great singer/songwriter!

If you haven’t heard the beautiful music of Singer/Songwriter Josh Rouse, then you are missing a treat! My former co-worker, Blair Butler told me about this terrific singer, and once I began to listen, I was hooked!

Rouse has released a series of classic albums, and just released a new CD, which is one of his best yet!

Here is a short snippet of Rouse’s bio, courtesy of his website:

“It may have been 15+ years – from roots in rural Nebraska, through time in ‘Music City’ Nashville, TN, and to the current day relocated to a new home in cosmopolitan Spain – but it seems that the song spirits have been constant companions for Josh Rouse.

“And maybe no more so than on the singer-songwriter’s latest record, “The Happiness Waltz”, an album that marries both his past, and present – revisiting an earlier era, where his music was heavily influenced by the ‘soft rock’ of the 70’s, and combining it with lyrical tales drawn from the here and now – his modern day-to-day life, one deeply enriched by his children and family.”

Here is his first single, an immediate classic from “The Happiness Waltz” -

Julie (Come Out Of The Rain):

That is a beautiful song, just another in a career full of them. His music is mellow and heartfelt, and in many ways feels effortless – just catchy melodies and terrific musicianship.

Here is one of his most famous songs, a gorgeous ode to love – from his brilliant CD “1972″:

Love Vibration:

Rouse has released a number of acclaimed albums, and there are also several compilations that allow you to dip into the music as well – but I say buy them all!

His music has been used in many movies as well. Interestingly, the singer moved to Valencia, Spain with his wife and kids, and now records music there in a home studio. Here is a beautiful song that speaks to this change in his life:

Quiet Town:

“Ooh, sometimes I miss the show
I learned a long time ago…”

I hope you listen to his music and support him – he is a great Artist who deserves more acclaim!

Josh Rouse on iTunes!

You can go to iTunes to download all of Rouse’s music – there are so many great songs like this one, “Flight Attendant”, which was used in the movie “Eat Pray Love”:

Here is rouse performing his song “Winter In The Hamptons” live in a club in Spain…

You can get additional information and posts by the Artist himself by going to:

http://www.joshrouse.com/

Support this great artist by purchasing “The Happiness Waltz” and more great music! Kudos, Josh!

Welcome To Copenhagen!

Time to visit one of the most beautiful cities on earth!

Copenhagen, Denmark is one of Europe’s most beautiful cities – in an area that is probably not on many people’s radar – this area of Europe is further north than the hot spots of the French Riviera, Spain and Italy – but it is a gorgeous part of the world!

I was lucky enough to be asked to speak at the Danish TV/Film Institute – and I did a presentation on non-fiction programming styles in the US – I was asked to stay and do the presentation again, so I had several days to explore this amazing city!

I love exploring new places, so I spent my time wandering – I like to walk as much as possible – and it was fascinating to see so many unique aspects of the city…

The Origin Of Copenhagen!

I was unfamiliar with this part of the world, so I looked up a bunch of info on the city and country. Nearly a thousand years old, Copenhagen began as a simple fishing village and a commerce center.

Today, Copenhagen is the most visited city in Scandinavia – the waterfront area is always packed with people – and let me say, I have NEVER been to a city where the people were friendlier than they were here…

I was there in the summer, when the weather was warm – and as a result, people were hanging out and enjoying the city – and everyone was friendly, open and generous…

The Danish capital draws more than a million visitors each year. Copenhagen, as you can see from some of the pictures, has a lot of waterfront, canals, and shopping areas to explore, so it never felt too crowded, although there were always crowds around…

The city is full of shopping areas, pedestrian zones, and plenty of places to eat and drink…

And “Hold” The Corruption!

Denmark is a very clean, and incredibly honest country. The World Audit ranks Denmark as the world’s most democratic and least corrupted country in 2008. I never felt concerned for my safety – and although every city has its share of areas to avoid, I never came across one here…

The Little Mermaid!

And Copenhagen is home to the world’s “original” Little Mermaid!

The Little Mermaid statue is Copenhagen’s most famous landmark. In 1837, Danish author Hans Christian Andersen published a fairy tale about a little mermaid. Yes, Hans Christian Anderson was Danish, and they celebrate the Author everywhere!

About 70 years later, a Danish brewer attended the “Little Mermaid” ballet and commissioned the waterfront statue. As you can see, it is one of the city’s most popular destinations…

Mermaids Everywhere!

The image of Mermaids permeate life in Copenhagen…

You see mermaids everywhere in the city, on buildings and statues…

Hello Hippies!

And here is a look at the most unique aspect of Copenhagen – time to visit the world’s largest hippie community – which happens to be located within Copenhagen’s city limits!

Behold The Hippie Community of “Christiania”!

This is an overview picture of a section of Copenhagen that is home to the world’s largest hippie community!

“Christiania” is one of the most successful communal experiments that emerged from 70′s hippie culture. It is a “city within a city”, located in the heart of Copenhagen, but existing in its own unique way…

In the early 70′s, a group of hippies took over what was, up to then a military base – it began as a protest, and over the years, it has grown into a strong self-sustained, self-governed and well organized community.

Here is how an official tourist website describes it: “After four decades, its existence is the result of Danish concepts of equality and freedom on the one hand and a sense of responsibility and determination of the Christianites on the other.”

“Christiania” operates as its own government. Crucial decisions for the community need to be discussed and approved by a committee formed of chosen inhabitants from each of the 14 parts of Christiania.

There have been skirmishes with the government, and threats of closure, but Christiania lives on. I went inside to explore this amazing hippie community, which is open to everyone…

An Open Drug Trade!

One of the most controversial aspects of Christiania is that is has an open drug trade. I didn’t feel comfortable taking pictures inside the community, as there were open drug flea markets…but here are some pictures of Christiania that I found online…

These stands sell a variety of items, including drugs like pot and hash…it’s an open air drug market, and while the government has threatened to shut these down, they still exist…

it was a strange feeling wandering through the “market”, but the community is so much more – this is a unique “City within a city”, with all buildings hand made or renovated military buildings, and the community is full of unique art as well…

It is certainly a “must see” when you are in Copenhagen…a testament to a truly unique government that allows this…now, back to Copenhagen: there is another “must see”: and it is something you see, frankly, EVERYWHERE:

Blondes On Bikes!

Copenhagen is world famous for its biking culture and was named officially the first “Bike City” in the World. Last year, it was also voted the ‘Best city for cyclists’ and the ‘World’s most liveable city’.

The Danes are well known for their love of cycling and cities all around the world are now looking at ways to copy this phenomenon. And, it was soon apparent to me that there were blondes on bikes everywhere!

It really is biking heaven for the cyclist in Copenhagen with over 390 kilometres of designated bike lanes.

On every street in town, there were bikers – and since more than 60% of the country is blonde, there were blondes on bikes everywhere you looked – leading to my photo essay on the subject…

Blondes, Blondes Everywhere!

No matter where you looked, you saw blondes…even the blondes were looking for them…

When I was in Japan, I noted that it was the most homogenous country on earth – but when you are in a city like Copenhagen, where so many people are blonde – it’s noticeable!

As I continued to wander through the city, I noticed there were blondes, blondes and more blondes everywhere you look!

After walking the city, I was hungry, so it was time to enjoy some of Denmark’s local specialties:

That’s right, I found a place to sit along one of Copenhagen’s canals, and I had Tuborg beer and some pickled herring…

Speaking of Tuborg beer, I loved that buildings in Copenhagen were covered with company logos…

And later, I came across another fascinating sight: the city had turned one of their rivers into a swimming pool!

As I said, I was there when the weather was nice, and I saw these “instant swimming pools” everywhere, and they were packed with swimmers:

Next to the pool was a food kiosk:

And I got myself a Danish hot dog – a long sausage as well as a bacon-wrapped hot dog, as well as ketchup and mustard:

Tivoli Gardens!

Copenhagen also has a great entertainment park called “Tivoli Gardens”, where I went to dinner with the guys who ran the “MTV Of Denmark:”

Copenhagen’s Go Go Bars!

Another thing I noticed were several “go go” bars along the waterfront…

One of them had a very American influence. As you can see, a little bit of Beverly Hills showed up…

It was just another unique aspect of a fascinating city – I loved visiting Copenhagen, loved the people and the food, and look forward to going back!

Seattle Vs. Denver! A Tasty Super Bowl Matchup!

Being born and raised in Seattle, I am so excited for this Super Bowl matchup – in fact, it has me salivating! Here’s one reason:

Now THIS is a Super Bowl stadium I would buy a ticket for! Yes, when the world’s biggest sporting event is on TV, you have no option but to do your part to live up to the hype – and that means only one thing!

THE SUPER BOWL OF SNACKS!

I plan to make a LOT of fun Super Bowl food on Feb. 2 – it’s an American tradition that goes back to the beginning of football it seems, and since I am from Seattle, I will make something out of THIS:

Dungeness Crab Recipes!

This will be a Super Sunday filled with Dungeness crab…more on this Seattle favorite in a minute…oh, and there WILL be this as well:

Yes, with seafood comes tartar sauce, and there will be a recipe for that as well…but first, it’s
time to look at just how much we eat on Super Bowl Sunday – and of course offer up some super-sized food to dream about…with some guidance on how to make these for your friends as well!

More Cheese, Please!

And if you want to wow your Super Bowl party guests, why not offer up your own food stadium, with all the meat and cheese you can handle!

What better way to celebrate the Super Bowl than to tease you with pictures of amazing food stadiums to help us swallow the following Super Bowl Food stats! First, look at this snack stadium:

And if that doesn’t make you hungry, this one could do the trick:

And of course, you can never go wrong when you unveil a snack stadium that looks like this – all of these great pics raise a question: how much food IS eaten on Super Sunday?

HERE ARE THE STATISTICS ON SUPER BOWL SNACK FOOD!

The Super Bowl is ranked as the number two food consumption event of the year, second only to Thanksgiving! (Source: American Institute of Food Distribution)

1,200:
Average number of calories consumed during the Super Bowl. It’s the second largest day for U.S. food consumption. Only Thanksgiving day is more.

71.4 million:
Estimated pounds of Hass avocados that will be consumed for the game this year, according to the Hass Avocado Board. That’s enough to cover the Super Bowl Stadium end zone to end zone in more than 27.5 feet in avocados.

I love the way the guacamole looks like the playing field here!

90 Millions Pounds Of Wings, Please!

Hope you have enough ranch dressing and paper towels to handle this one:

1.25 billion!

Yep, that’s the number of chicken wings Americans are expected to eat on Super Bowl Sunday, according to the U.S. National Chicken Council, and why would they lie to us?

Crab Dip!

Since Seattle is in the Super Bowl, we must celebrate the fresh seafood that makes Seattle unique! Let’s begin with a great recipe for our friend the Dungeness Crab!

Hot Crab Dip!

Thanks to Scott’s in Edmonds – a great place to hang out while you wait for a ferry…have an ice cold beer or glass of Chardonnay and dig into their classic Dungeness Crab dip!

Here is the recipe:

1/2 pound fresh dungeness crab meat 60/40 mix, 60% shredded body & 40% legs

1/2 pound canned unmarinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped

2 cups Best Food mayonnaise

4 ounces yellow onion, sliced paper thin

4 ounces freshly shredded Parmesan cheese

1 1/2 tsp Italian parsley, minced

1 baguette, sliced

1 lemon cut into wedges

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Combine and mix the crab, artichoke hearts, mayonnaise, onions and cheese. Just blend evenly – do not over mix. Portion the mixture into 6 to 8 small ovenproof ramekins.

Bake the ramekins 5 to 6 minutes or until an internal temperature of 140 degrees is achieved. You just want to get the mixture warmed and the top browned. Too much heat and the mayonnaise will separate.

To serve, arrange bread slices around the crab dip and garnish with chopped parsley and a slice of lemon.

Here’s another way to do it, thanks to McCormick’s OLD BAY Seasoning for this easy to make recipe!

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons OLD BAY® Seasoning
1/2 teaspoon McCormick® Mustard, Ground
1 pound lump crabmeat
1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix cream cheese, mayonnaise, Old Bay Seasoning and ground mustard in medium bowl until well blended. Add crabmeat; toss gently.

Spread in shallow 1 1/2-quart baking dish. Sprinkle with Cheddar cheese and additional Old Bay Seasoning, if desired.

Bake 30 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Serve with assorted crackers or sliced French bread.

Don’t Forget To Double Dip!

Be careful this Super Bowl NOT to pull a George Costanza and double dip:

We all remember the hilarious “Seinfeld” episode when George is caught double dipping…but George had it right – if the dip is good you gotta go back!

Don’t Forget The Chips!

An astounding 14,500 tons of chips and 4,000 tons of popcorn are eaten on Super Bowl Sunday.

The Calorie Control Council says we’ll also eat:
— 11.2 million pounds of potato chips.
— 8.2 million pounds of tortilla chips.
— 4.3 million pounds of pretzels.
— 3.8 million pounds of popcorn.
— 2.5 million pounds of nuts during their Super Bowl parties.

32: Percentage of U.S. grill owners who will be firing up on Game Day. According to Weber, the Super Bowl ranks as one of the top 10 most popular ” holidays” to grill. And when you do grill, turn it into something amazing like this!

And Is There A Beverage?

Well, what do YOU think?

During the Super Bowl, there will be 325 million GALLONS of beer consumed. That is A LOT of beer…you might need a bit of help carrying it to your table…

Bacon Mug!

And when in doubt, just pour yourself a frosty brew in this mug and have a nice snack at the same time!

So there you have it: food, food – lots and lots of food. But I think we are missing ONE crucial ingredient: THE TWINKIE!

The TWINKIE Stadium!

Yes, this is an edible Twinkie stadium…I actually found many versions of it, but I will share what I found from Holy Taco….first, you must lay out the outline of your stadium in, of course, Twinkies…

Holy Taco’s Twinkie Stadium uses a flat aluminum pan spread with sections of salsa, queso dip, and guacamole as a base, and cheese-topped hot dog pieces as players on the field. Various snack mixes are held together by a retaining wall made of Twinkies which the site refers to as “nature’s brick.”

Nature’s Brick!

This particular structure is notable for its “pliable bacon wall”, which is absent from most other examples.

The real kicker is the inclusion of the football shaped blimp, which is actually a 20 oz. summer sausage – AND WE ALL KNOW HOW GOOD THAT WILL TASTE…if you pay close attention, you can see Twinkies also used as cars in the parking lot in many of the stadiums…nice touch….

I would dig into this and never stop eating…just don’t get carried away and make the dreaded:

BACON-WRAPPED TWINKIE STONEHENGE!

EDIBLE FOOD STADIUMS!

Back to the real world of crazy food…check out this super bowl food stadium…how much time do you think this takes to make?

Super Bowl Food Stadiums!

And then there are the “Super Snack Stadiums” – pages and pages of crazy snack food towers designed to look like football stadiums…

I have to tell you, this is THE ultimate way to watch the game! These food stadiums will wow your guests and feed them well! Many of them are mostly filled with pretzels, chips and dips…

As much as I love all of these, I admire the ones that find a broad color and food palate, tough to do when most snack food is brown – chips, rolls, MEAT…and most dips are green or red…here is an example of a beautiful food display!

And some look as much like Stonehenge as they do actual stadiums, but I can’t argue with anyone who takes on a challenge like this and delivers something that is close to a work of food art!

There are a multitude of websites that offer “Super Bowl Snacks” recipes and advice…the key is to plan ahead, and follow these pictures to create your own work of art!

Super Salads!

And if you really need some inspiration, look at what some crazy kids did over in Asia at a local salad bar!

Read all about this wacky trend by clicking on here:

http://johnrieber.com/2013/07/29/chinas-skyscraper-salad-bars-salad-bars-as-art/

So there you go, healthy alternative to food stadiums, or better still, make it all!

Being from Seattle, I WILL be incorporating tartar sauce into my Super Sunday, probably with this burger:

Yes, it’s the best Slider recipe in the world! Top your burger with french fries, then a healthy dose of tartar sauce! Top that with a slice of your favorite cheese – mine is provolone, and you have a meal in a bun!

If that is just a “bridge too far”, then follow the example of this amazing food artist and make your own cubed stadium of edible Super Bowl fun! Good luck Seahawks!

Bite Into My New iPhone Cover!

Yes, this is my new iPhone cover! Does it make you hungry? Well, it sure does that for me – yes, thanks to my great kids Jeff and Jessica, I have sushi anytime I want it!

More on this wacky iPhone cover in a minute, but first, if you want to know how to buy such an amazing iPhone cover, here is where the world’s wildest shopping madness begins:

Welcome To Tokyo – Time To Shop!

The picture above was the view of Tokyo from the 25th floor of my hotel in Shinjuku – I stayed there four times, and each time I saw a vast city stretched out before me – and I had every intention of getting to know ALL OF IT – including products like this:

More on this unique treat soon. And yes, I will share my electronic cockroaches as well! On each trip to Tokyo, I managed to explore another fascinating area of Tokyo – walking through neighborhoods like Harajuku:

Harajuku, Here I Come!

The neighborhood of Harajuku is one of Tokyo’s busiest – full of young japanese shoppers and cosplay girls – it’s also a fashion capital, renowned for its unique street fashion. It is always packed with young people, with an upbeat, fun “street fair” vibe…

Harajuku is great for window shopping, as the fashion stuff wasn’t for me, obviously…but I did come across the official outlet for the “Tokyo Rescue Squad” – their fire department/911 services – and I could proudly wear their uniform….

I bought several shirts with that great Japanese lettering on them, along with the name of the store….and I also came across this unique diner as well…

Tokyo streets are fun to wander, partially because NOTHING is read-able, and it’s a myriad of colorful signs and streets…I wandered with NO idea of where I was going…but that is what made it so much fun!

And when you shop you come across amazingly unique products – like this!

Bacon-and-Egg iPhone Cover!

Yes, this is my iPhone cover. I got it in the Akihabara electronics district in Tokyo, in the 10-story electronic store. I love it! For example, look at what happens when I take a picture of “The Bean” in Chicago…

Just a nice, normal shot…but, because of my iphone cover, this is what you will see when I take a self-portrait…yep, there’s the bacon-and-egg cover….

While it is certainly unique, it turns out I should have kept shopping in Tokyo, because there are TONS of cool covers I could have bought!

Thanks to the great website “Tofugu.com”, I found more wacky iphone covers, all thanks to the ingenuity of the japanese….

Zushi Sushi!

Here is another unique iphone cover…Chirashi zushi is a “scattered sushi” dish which has sushi rice as well as other toppings normally found on sushi.

Or, if you just need your sushi plain and simple, then you can use this iphone cover:

Unagi On Line One!

I am a big fan of sushi, and I love unagi as well…had I seen this iPhone cover sale, I would have jumped on it:

As you can see, there are an amazing number of unique iphone covers related to food:

And now I have them all! How? Well, here is how my shopping spree in Tokyo paid off for me in a big way! Let’s begin with how much unique shopping there is in Tokyo:

Have A Ball!

No matter what shopping area you go to, you will come across rows and rows of “ball dispensers”…you put in some money, and out pops a ball…

In America we’d get a gumball or jawbreaker, but these are trinkets, as everyone in Tokyo hangs these fun trinkets from their phones…

This charm was some sort of logo – I also bought one that had a Ninja inside, and another that had plasticized food…you can spend a fortune collecting these cool balls…

Electronic Heaven – Yodobashi!

The Akihabara district is known for electronics, which can be found in street stalls and alleyways, as well as in this ten story electronics store – Yodobashi!

The entrance is like any other, although the signs with sale items and daily specials quickly fill up the aisles…

Inside, they constantly call out the specials of the day – each department is packed and loud – and since you can’t read any of the signs – or understand what they are saying – it is a very unique situation….

Like many stores, they do NOT like you taking pictures, and signs are everywhere telling you that…

Behold My iPhone Covers!

Inside this store, there is an entire wall of iphone/ipad/ipod accessories – this is where I found my cherished bacon and egg iphone cover…

My son Jeff knew how much I loved this cover, and since it was for an iphone 4G, I wouldn’t be able to upgrade my phone! Well, a week before Christmas this year, THIS package showed up for me:

Yes, I can now upgrade and keep my signature “bacon and egg” iphone! And not only that, Jeff and my daughter Jessica also got me ANOTHER iphone cover, this one even more delicious!

I mean, I’m in heaven! And I also need to thank my friend Laurie Kantor Finn, who traveled to Japan last year and brought me back a mother load of new iphone covers as well!

More IPhone Covers!

Yes, it’s sushi rice as iphone cover, and what about this one: it’s covered with fish roe!

And, in case you need some directions, just read the back cover!

Kit Kat Madness!

And Laurie didn’t stop there! Yes, it’s time to bite into some of the greatest Kit Kat flavors EVER!

Let’s begin with the classic: it’s a Green Tea Kit Kat, a Japanese favorite and delicious, as you can imagine…now take that classic green tea recipe and add just a bit of WASABI!

Then, grab a couple of these individual Kit Kat sizes – this one a delicious blend of banana and hot pepper:

And don’t forget that Oreo in Japan has gotten into this business as well – look at these Green Tea Chocolate Oreos!

Thanks so much, Laurie! If she had only gone to Tokyo a few months later, she could have shopped HERE:

Tokyo’s Kit Kat Store!

Yes, there is now a store that sells nothing but Kit Kats! I know a number of people who would go as crazy as I would in this mecca for tasty madness! That mean you Vinnie, Scott, Kristen…the list goes on!

Meet My New Pet!

It’s not all about food. While I was shopping in the electronic district, I also managed to find a special treat: my own pet cockroach, which is sold in this long tube…

It’s an electronic cockroach, and when you turn it on, the bug scatters around the floor – bouncing off walls and running around exactly as a cockroach would….

I also bought several metal butterflies – there were electronic and metallic version of them – in fact, there were creatures of all shapes and sizes for sale…

Then I went back outside and was handled a bundle of Kleenex – I have NO idea of what they were advertising, but it was a nice gesture!

Almond Fish!

And if you didn’t see it before, check out my post below – some of the craziest street food available in Tokyo – like this:

Here is the link to a story all about street food:

http://johnrieber.com/2012/12/23/crazy-tokyo-food-coffee-jelly-meat-fish-mix-octopus-bar-almond-fish/

But after shopping I got hungry, and I need some sushi….

TIME TO HEAD TO “SKI-GEE!”

I have posted about going to the Tsukiji Fish Market in Tokyo, one of the most unique places I have ever visited:

I’ve been told that “SKI-GEE” is how you pronounce “Tsukiji”, which is the world’s largest fish market – when you arrive, the bustling crowds are ready to head into the market to bid on some fish:

Located only blocks from Tokyo’s glittering Ginza shopping district, Tsukiji is a prominent landmark, a supplier for countless fishmongers and sushi chefs, and a popular destination for foreign tourists like me.

Take A Walk Through Tsukiji With Me!

I decided to walk through the public shopping area of the market, away from the fish auction space – here is what it’s like to wander among the stalls that sell fresh fish – and of course, a conveyor belt sushi bar!

Early every morning, tens of thousands of tons of seafood from every ocean of the world quickly change hands in Tsukiji’s auctions and in the marketplace’s hundreds of tiny stalls. You can wander for hours through row after row of stalls, some clearly “Mom and Pop” type shops like this:

I’ve eaten in several of these tiny stalls – especially the mini-sushi bars that line the outside of the fish market…here is one of the plates I had for breakfast at 8am:

The stalls serve sushi, as well as steaming bowls of noodles, rice topped with any sort of seafood imaginable, and of course I went into the stall you see here to get some of that deliciousness for myself:

I quickly discovered they speak absolutely NO english, which made my attempt to order a bowl of fresh sea urchin and yellowtail over rice quite comic: the two elderly japanese women behind the counter didn’t think I knew what I was ordering, so the two women just kept speaking VERY FAST JAPANESE to me – getting louder and louder as I grimaced and shrugged and pointed at the urchin.

They just couldn’t believe that I would want to eat that – as it was also one of the more expensive items…finally they pulled out some for me to taste, and when I smiled and nodded, they made me my breakfast, and it was delicious! Oh, and they just LAUGHED AND LAUGHED…..

You can also just walk through the stall and buy all sorts of food from street vendors, like these hot fish cakes – the world’s original “fish sticks”:

I ended up eating sushi four mornings in a row for breakfast…how can you NOT, when the sushi bars ring the fish market and offer the freshest fish you can eat?

The sushi bars get the fish that is cut off of the massive slabs that are sold inside all morning…it’s a very efficient process for them, and a delicious one for us!

Behold The City Of Tokyo!

Daytime Tokyo is much different than night – somewhat colorless without the nightlife and neon – as I showed you before, here is the view from my room, looking down at the Shinjuku train station, looking north toward Kabuki-Cho and beyond – and the direction I would be walking one day:

It is this Tokyo that I like to explore, and always do it during the day, when I can take pictures and stroll the neighborhoods, which are much less hectic than the nightlife…one day I walked in the direction of the picture above – through a sleepy Kabucki-Cho and north…coming across fun businesses like this curry shop – you know, for “curry in hurry”:

I also came across a small shop that sold me fried beef cakes:

VENDING MACHINE MANIA!

I’ve written about this many times – there are vending machines EVERYWHERE in Tokyo – I mean on every single block, many times in packs like this:

They are filled with water, juices, soft drinks, iced coffee and other, more unique drinks – like this COFFEE JELLY:

It’s like coffee jello…fun and refreshing in a “Coffee jelly” sort of way: also, there are virtually NO garbage cans in Tokyo except where the vending machines are located – nobody walks and drinks in Tokyo, you buy your beverage at the vending machine and you consume it there…you won’t find anyone eating or drinking on the subways or streets either…that is one reason it is so clean in the city…

And the more you walk, the more you come across colorful streets full of unique signs you can’t read…

But if you are lucky, there is SOMETHING on a sign that let’s you know that – yes, this place is serving Sushi…

Mt. Fuji!

And on my last trip, I finally got to see Mt. Fuji from my hotel room…

It was a great way to end a day of shopping in Tokyo!

The Beatles On Abbey Road!

I have been loving the pictures fans have posted from the Abbey Road photo session…stuff like this:

There have been tons of books that capture every single aspect of The Beatles, but for some reason, this cover shot from the “Abbey Road” album is the most iconic of them all:

Music fans wordwide are celebrating the 50th anniversary of The Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show….a moment that changed music forever:

More on the history of The Beatles in a moment, but first, time to share some amazing stuff from “The White Album.”

As John would say:

“Working Very Hard, The Boys And Me…”

Check out this youtube clip from the Abbey Road sessions:

As you can see, the fab four were having a great time getting this picture – just another example of how much fun they could have together, even though the recording sessions inside were anything but easy…

And now, there is a brilliant take on the majesty of “The White Album!”

The White Album – X100!

Here’s the story, thanks to Gizmodo: “Rutherford Chang is a vinyl collector with a singular focus: The White Album. The New York-based artist has built up an impressive catalog of almost 700 (!) numbered copies of the 1968 double album. Taken together, his findings have become a kind of beautiful exhibition, but Chang has also recorded audio from 100 pressings, and overlaid them into a single track. And it is incredible.”

Here it is:

https://soundcloud.com/rc428/side-1-x-100

Thanks to Gizmodo, you can read all about hos this came together, and listen to this amazing work by clicking on their story here as well:

http://gizmodo.com/listen-to-100-white-albums-played-at-once-1469731580

More “White Album” Fun!

And let’s not forget just how much incredible stuff there is from the “White Album” session – since they did film all of it:

BeatMICKRecords has posted this clip on youtube – a short collection of “White Album” recording outtakes:

The White Album Uncut!

No matter WHO says there is a brilliant single album here, I am someone who wants ALL OF IT – uncut, full on Beatles power across four sides…there may be songs that are immediately Beatles classic, but every single one of them is worth enjoying…and we also got this great foldout interior cover of candid shots…

There is a never-ending fascination with The Beatles, and I am one of the fans who enjoys it all!
I just heard about this latest Beatles biography, and I cannot wait to read it:

As Amazon states: “Tune In” is the first volume of “All These Years” — a highly-anticipated, groundbreaking biographical trilogy by the world’s leading Beatles historian. Noted Beatles historian Mark Lewisohn uses his unprecedented archival access and hundreds of new interviews to construct the full story of the lives and work of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr.

Let me know what you think of “The White Album” x100! And don’t forget Macca’s brilliant new CD – check out my story on “NEW” by clicking here!

http://johnrieber.com/2013/10/30/paul-mccartneys-terrific-new-music-great-new-cd/

I’ve got a link to the star-studded video for “Queenie Eye!”

Get Ready To Shake Hands With Your I-Phone!

As soon as I think I’ve “seen it all”, our friends in Japan do it again! This is an i-phone cover shaped like a young woman’s hand -

YES, A JAPANESE WOMAN’S HAND!

Check out the pictures below to see ALL of the amazing uses for this cover:

This ad, which I found on my favorite website, “RocketNews24″, is especially disconcerting – is this young man HOLDING HANDS WITH HIS IPHONE???!?!?!?!?!

The Dokkiri Hand Case!

This is simply amazing: in a world when iphone covers can be anything from food to jewelry to art and beyond, this is just the wildest one I’ve ever seen…a case that is shaped like a young woman’s hand – and the ads show many ways this case can be used…i cannot wait to see this out on the streets here in the US – it would probably be a bit controversial…what do you think?

It seems pretty harmless to me, just kind of funny and weird – and that is nothing new for products from Japan. As always, you can find the latest cool, unique and just plain fascinating news from the world of Asia by clicking on RocketNews24 here:

http://en.rocketnews24.com/2014/02/14/love-disembodied-womens-hands-heres-a-great-iphone-case-for-you-you-big-weirdo/

And of course, you can always call me to talk about MY newest iphone cover:

Yep, I will never go hungry as long as I have my iphone with me! My son Jeff found this sushi iphone cover, and it is just amazing!

Let’s Go Shopping!

You can read all about the wackiest iphone covers, and ALL of Tokyo’s unique shopping districts, by clicking on my story here:

http://johnrieber.com/2014/01/30/sushi-iphone-bacon-iphone-worlds-most-unique-iphone-covers-tokyos-new-kit-kat-store-tokyos-wacky-shopping/

And of course, the cover I am currently using still works great!

Meet Outlaw Chef Brandon Baltzley!

Chefs have gained a reputation as being the new Rock ‘n’ Roll outlaws: culinary renegades, profane and eccentric: Everyone from Marco Pierre White to Gordon Ramsey have gained reputations for their toughness in the kitchen along with their super-sized personalities. Now, it’s time to meet a wildly creative young Chef who reveals the dark side of his life:

“Nine Lives: A Chef’s Journey from Chaos to Control”
by Brandon Baltzley

Chef Brandon Baltzley has written a rough, raw and fascinating look at his life – in kitchens, in relationships, and in a series of addictions – to drugs of all kinds – this is a compelling and unsettling memoir!

Here is what Booklist said:

“Baltzley has a clear passion for food, which will attract readers drawn to the personalities behind the dishes, but his eye-openingly honest account of drug addiction clearly separates his story from most foodie memoirs… After following Baltzley on his breakneck trip through both high-end and middle-of-the-road restaurants across the country, readers will wonder what this unusual chef’s next life will bring.”
—Booklist

But talk about polarizing! A quick glance at the reader reviews on Amazon show a surprising amount of negative reaction to the book…as one reader review stated:

This is one of the worst “memoirs” I have ever read. It doesn’t come across as honest, in the least. And you close the book (if you even finish it) hating the author, not feeling sympathetic to his plights as was intended. It’s a whiney, made-up history from someone desperately clawing his way toward his sophomoric goal of being a “celebrity chef”.

Wow! The book is full of intense stories about addiction, drug use, infidelity – and the readers shared their anger at Chef Baltzley’s story:

“If you like reading about a whining, self-pitying, self-absorbed junkie loser you’ll love this book.”

I will be honest: there are moments in the book when I am frustrated and angry at Baltzley – for throwing away great opportunities, for letting his addictions nearly destroy his life, and for hurting others – but I know all this because he was honest enough to share it! Baltzley is very candid about his drug and alcohol addction, with chilling stories of how far he let his life get out of control…

The Chef’s incendiary prose – and some of the shocking details of his actions – have clearly upset some readers – but the book is honest, candid, and ultimately a story of redemption…

Here’s a great article on Chicago Reader, that takes a great look at this talented Chef:

http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/chef-baltzley-tribute-tmip-alinea-drug-addiction-book/Content?oid=9933952

Baltzley is clearly a talented, creative Chef. It is interesting that his story has polarized food fans – but the book is fascinating, and his current career is certainly interesting…

Here is what he is up to now….it’s called “TMIP” – the new project between Leigh Hansen and Brandon Baltzley to bring a fully sustainable farm and restaurant to a rural setting in the Midwest.

You can read all about this project, plus the myriad of other projects that he is involved with, and see some great videos as well, by clicking on his website here:

http://brandonbaltzley.com/

One of the most interesting parts of the book is related to his work at Chicago’s iconic, 3-Michelin starred Alinea restaurant….

The story of how Baltzley ended up at Alinea is fascinating, and it is equally troubling how it ended as well…here is a picture I took while Chef Achatz was “designing” dessert at the table next to us…

Chef Achatz is a brilliant Chef, and the story Baltzley tells may be one reason some readers are so angry about the book…and another reason to check out “Nine Lives”.

We loved our dinner at Alinea – and you know Alinea was recently in the news for Chef’s tweet about a couple who brought a baby to dinner:

If you want to know about this great restaurant, and see why it’s one of the world’s best restaurants, you can click on my story here:

http://johnrieber.com/2014/01/14/is-alinea-for-kids-chef-grant-achatz-life-on-the-line-a-look-at-adult-food/

And let me know what you think of Chef Brandon Baltzley’s “Nine Lives!”

Welcome To Barcelona!

As you know, Barcelona is Spain’s gorgeous city sitting on the Spanish Mediterranean. It is a vibrant city, full of life, with ncredible food like these Iberico hams hanging in the Boqueria – their famous food market:

More on this in a moment, but this city found many unique ways to celebrate their love of food – by turning it into art! You can wander down to Barcelona’s waterfront and see many examples of the seafood that is part of this city:

Yes, that is one large shrimp – but it sure looks happy! This kind of whimsy is found all over the city. In fact, we stayed at a hotel that had a fish on top of the entrance – what a beautiful piece of art!

We had a great time eating our way through Barcelona – and I have links of those adventures later in the post…

But first, let’s spend some time in Barcelona at night – when the city lights up and rains down on us…

The city takes on a unique look when the monuments begin to stand out against the dusk…

The “Magic” Fountain!

One night we wandered toward Parc Montjuic – because we heard there was a fountain – a “magic” fountain, and we had to find it after dark…

It’s in the shadow of a beautiful series of pillars in the park:

The Magic Fountain of Montjuïc is situated below the Palau Nacional on the Montjuïc hill and near the Plaça d’Espanya. The fountain was constructed for the 1929 Barcelona International Exposition.

It’s always a bit more difficult to find things after dark, but we wandered a lively street scene until we came across thousands of people wandering around as well – waiting patiently for this to begin:

As you can see, this beautifully lit fountain sits at the base of a beautiful park and lit columns – and every hour, there is a magical show to observe…

Here is a clip of the fountain in all its glory:

As you can see, this fountain spews a lot of water – and the closer you get, the more you get wet! This shot made it look like the fountain was very close to the moon:

We were not the only ones getting drenched – thousands of people moved in to capture the performance and get pictures, and then quickly get out of water range…

After watching the performance for almost a half hour, we were wet! We jumped in a cab and passed Barcelona’s soccer stadium – a blurry shot but in keeping with the magic of the night:

This was just one part of our incredible Spain adventure…if you missed any of those stories, here is a look at what we did in Barcelona AND the Costa Brava:

Check out the incredible Boqueria, Barcelona’s world famous food market…you can click on that story here:

http://johnrieber.com/2013/06/12/barcelonas-famous-boqueira-food-stalls-tapas-hanging-ham/

If that makes you hungry, then come along with us for some Tapas!

Here we are outside the world famous Cal Pep restaurant. You can see our entire menu by clicking here:

http://johnrieber.com/2013/05/20/barcelona-tapas-cal-pep-the-battle-for-tapas-supremacy/

Many consider Cal Pep the best tapas restaurant in Barcelona – but the great Chefs at Passadis del Pep may disagree!

You can read about our food adventure at Passadis by clicking here:

http://johnrieber.com/2013/05/22/passadis-del-pep-barcelonas-tapas-king-spains-tapas-battle-continues/

And of course, you can see all of our Barcelona trip by jumping on one of their high flying aerial trams!

Get the entire journey, with some fun aerial videos, by clicking here:

http://johnrieber.com/2013/08/08/barcelonas-sky-high-view-flying-over-spain-by-tram/

And of course, you can read all about our adventure on the Costa Brava, especially as we searched for Salvador Dali’s house! Click here for that misadventure:

http://johnrieber.com/2013/11/02/searching-for-salvadore-dali-our-costa-brava-adventure-hello-dali/

At the end of the day, it was one of our favorite adventures ever, thanks Spain!

And thanks to Barcelona for such an amazing architectural adventure!

Japanese Kit Kats! The Wild World Of Flavor!

I love Kit Kats. Not the ones in the US: that is a candy for kids. I’m talking about the kinds of Kit Kat flavors that only exist in Asia – specifically, Japanest Kit Kats!

Yes, these “banana” Kit Kats are just the thing I need in the morning. And for a nice beverage, I go for the “Green Tea” Kit Kats.

“Greem Tea” Kit Kats Rock!

Yes, they do taste like green tea – they are delicious, and once you eat on, you are hooked…but what if it’s not unique enough? How about corn on the cob?

Baked Potato Kit Kats!

Even better are the baked potato Kit Kats…how can you resist this brilliance?

The Tokyo “Kit Kat” Store!

Now you can do ALL of your shopping in just one place, thanks to Tokyo as always!

Yes, there is a Kit Kat store in Tokyo, so you can try ALL of these amazing flavors whenever you are out shopping! Check out the store here:

http://johnrieber.com/2014/01/30/sushi-iphone-bacon-iphone-worlds-most-unique-iphone-covers-tokyos-new-kit-kat-store-tokyos-wacky-shopping/

And what about THIS:

World’s Most Expensive Kit Kat Flavor!

Yes, it’s “Yubari Melon”, the most expensive melon in the world – and therefore the most expensive Kit Kat flavor too! Read all about the world’s most expensive food here:

http://johnrieber.com/2012/02/21/worlds-most-expensive-food/

Or maybe you need a different kind of “purely” japanese snack – like this chocolate covered squid:

A little too much? Then how about chocolate covered shrimp instead…

Not A Seafood Lover?

If you aren’t into special seafood snacks, then put down your shrimp and dive right into a nice hot beverage of canned hot cakes:

Yes, CANNED HOTCAKES!

Only in Japan do they have amazing canned drinks like this one: it is “hot cake flavored!” Yes, it may be even better than my previous favorite: jelly coffee!

You can find a ton of great Japan shopping adventures by going to my main page and clicking on “travel”…and thanks as always to “RocketNews24″, the greatest website covering all that is great in Asia!

Here is the RocketNews24 story in its entirety, with many more amazing Japanese snack foods for you to try:

http://en.rocketnews24.com/2013/10/26/chocolate-covered-squid-wasabi-kit-kat-and-other-anomalies-of-the-japanese-snack-food-scene/

Yes, they even give you the full scoop on this treat:

“Canned Curry With Bear Meat!”

In case you missed it, click on her for my story on all of the world’s wildest canned food:

http://johnrieber.com/2013/12/22/a-meal-in-a-can-can-this-potted-meat-food-product-canned-brains-armadillo-cheeseburgers/

You will see, of course, the world’s BEST canned food: the “Cheeseburger In A Can!”

Who’s Hungry For A Delicious Hamburger?

That makes me hungry!

If you crave a good burger – like I crave a good burger – then this post is for you – because in a world full of judgment, sometimes BIGGER IS BETTER!

That’s A Good Looking Triple Triple!

Yes, I have shared the “triple triple” with you before, a beautifully realized tower of cheeseburger architecture. I am also a big fan of this:

Tokyo’s Tower To Heaven!

If for any reason you missed this story, then you MUST click on the link below and read it now. Only Japan could have the imagination necessary to build a burger tower that goes:

ALL THE WAY TO HEAVEN AND BACK!

Read all about the majesty of this “heavenly burger” by clicking here:

http://johnrieber.com/2013/04/12/behold-tokyos-tower-burger-a-mega-tower-to-heaven/

Did you click that story? Good, as your reward, I have some additional fun burger stuff to share…stuff that is so tasty, so fun, and SO BIG!

No, we are done with the burger towers…those are, after all, just perilously stacked regular patties, held together in an amazingly gooey manner by pounds of American cheese…no, what I really love are the pictures you can find online of the world’s BIGGEST burgers – mostly US demonstrations of the ability to make a massively sized food!

The “monster burger” you see above you weighs in at 777 pounds! Not bad at all…and it is just the tip of the “big burger iceberg”…I found pictures of supersized burgers, the Chefs who made them, the servers who delivered them to your table, and most of all, the people who gazed upon them!

It may be a trio of “inspired” children who look upon the majesty of the mega-burger…or perhaps it’s a young Chef who is impressed with the weight of their own work…

“But How Do We REALLY Know How Big It Is?”

That is a valid question, and easily answered: because you set a small child next to it!

The best “mega burgers” offer up both girth AND height, like the one you see below. It’s great to see a burger that is so big you can put the top bun on without ever having to lean over!

Taking Some Buddies To Dinner?

If you’ve got some fraternity brothers over for a visit, then let this burger take care of your needs…

More Kids, Please!

And yes, there is a never-ending parade of mega burgers vs. small children, as the internet runneth over with pictures of little kids standing beside the latest in a long line of “world’s largest burgers…”

“Sit Up Straight For The Camera, Janie…”

And what better way to reinforce the size and scale of a burger than to put several children around it, and then plop one kid RIGHT ON TOP OF IT:

I also love a burger that is SO BIG, SO LADEN WITH TOPPINGS, and just, frankly SO SO MUCH, that you need three people – two of them hooded – to lift it!

FYI, the burger you see above you weighed in at 105 pounds – talk about a Big Mac!

And there is nothing better than seeing a satisfied Chef giving himself a high five for a burger job well done!

I have posted many times about the latest “World’s biggest burger”, but those records fall faster than I can keep track – let’s just say that, for now, this is the biggest one that I uncovered online:

Yes, this burger weighed in at 2,014 pounds of fun – I’m sure someone will top it soon, so let the competition continue! As for me, I’m satisfied with one that is as perfectly realized as this one from Taylor’s Refresher in St Helena California:

Let me know where you had your favorite burger – or just a big one!

What You See Below You Can KILL YOU!

Take a look at this burger:

Beautiful, right? So what’s better than a great looking burger? How about one that can KILL YOU DEAD!

London Gets HOT HOT HOT AGAIN!

Behold a burger that is so hot - SO VERY VERY HOT - that it not only nourishes, it kills!

You are looking at the “XXX Hot Chilli Burger” – a burger so hot it is actually dangerous! Once again, the fiery Chefs from across the pond have taken burger madness up another flaming notch! You can find this burger madness for sale at the “Burger Off” restaurant in Hove, Sussex…

Want A Burger? Sign Here Please!

“Burger Off” owner Nick Gambardella restricts the burger for sale only to those 18 years and older, and forces customers to sign a legal release! Nick says the waiver is a protection against lawsuits – and he admits that his fiery “XXX Hot Chilli Burger” has put five people in the hospital!

This is such a great story! Big thanks to “The Daily Mail” and “Cavendish Press” for the story and the pics – because it just gets better!

Here’s more of the story from The Daily Mail: “Along with a man who may have “perforated his bowel” because he had a stomach ulcer, Gambardella says he’s “heard the local hospital had people on crash mats on adrenalin drips from my burger.” The waiver reads: “‘I the undersigned accept all responsibility for any effects incured [sic] due to the consumtion [sic] of the above mentioned XXX Hot Chilli Burger and release Burger Off, its owner and staff from any liability.”

So what makes the burger so deadly? The beef burger is topped with a sauce “based on a Piri Piri chilli concentrate.” Apparently it ranks 9.2 million on the Scoville scale, which is higher than pepper spray. Gambardella says that of the 3,000 who have tried to eat the burger, only 50 have finished it!

If I was in England, I would have to see this thing in person – as well as the disclaimers – and it reminds me:

WHAT IS THE SCOVILLE SCALE?

So a quick primer on how they determine the fiery nature of this burger. The “Scoville Scale” was developed by American pharmacist Wilbuer Scoville in 1912, and it is the scientific measure of the amount of “capsaicin” in chili peppers.

“Capsaicin” is the chemical compound that produces the sensation of heat in the mouth.

The amount present in a chili pepper is measured in “Scoville Heat Units” – with the average chili pepper measuring 500 units.

Of course, when you take these hot peppers and amp them up to infinity, well that’s when the fun begins – and the legal disclaimers come out!

Here is what customers have to sign:

‘I the undersigned accept all responsibility for any effects incured (sic) due to the consumtion (sic) of the above mentioned XXX Hot Chilli Burger and release Burger Off, its owner and staff from any liability.’

Well, aside from the misspellings and strange use of language, it all works!

Mr Gambardella said he was ‘amazed’ that he was allowed to sell such a spicy burger – adding: ‘It has been a massive hit with the customers’.

‘I have to admit I’ve not dared to try one of these burgers myself as they are so spicy,’ he said.

‘One guy came in and he was just a little bit cocky and when he left he was admitted to hospital because prior to eating the burger he had a stomach ulcer and we believe it perforated his bowel. He wasn’t in a good way but he pulled through.

‘I’ve also heard the local hospital had people on crash mats on adrenalin drips from my burger. But we never call an ambulance, it is always the customer who calls.’

Talk about an honest interview for a crazy hot burger!

Thanks to the great Cavendish Press for these great photos of the XXX Atomic burger! And once again, check out the menu board’s warning!

Kudos To The Daily Mail for their great reporting – read the entire story here!

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2577255/XXX-Hot-Chilli-Burger-fiery-FIVE-people-hospital-diners-sign-waiver-theyre-allowed-order-one.html#ixzz2vhD8frle

And here is a great website “This Little Lady” from the UK – and they have more great pics of this killer burger!

http://thislittlelady.co.uk/2012/12/the-atomic-burger-are-you-up-to-the-challenge/

And, in case you need more than one fiery classic, strap on your rubber gloves:

Going Atomic!

I posted this a while back – the phenomenal “Atomic Burger” from London – talk about a classic burger! Read all about it here:

http://johnrieber.com/2012/12/05/worlds-hottest-burger/

Thanks to the great Caters New Agency for these great photos of the XXX Atomic burger!

Dig In!

Remember when you first saw THIS?

There are images from films that stay with you forever…and perhaps no movie has ever included more of these shocking images than “The Exorcist.”

I have been asked several times about what I consider to be the most shocking films ever made: in terms of raw power and brilliant film making, the 70′s had a number of them: “The Exorcist” and “A Clockwork Orange” are two of the best examples:

Both films were considered controversial movies at the time…but brilliant as well: in fact, both “The Exorcist” and “A Clockwork Orange” were nominated for Best Picture.

Another extreme and controversial movie is the complete uncut “Straw Dogs”, which is also considered a masterpiece.

What makes these movies so controversial? The often taboo subject matter of course, especially in the context of their time. They all showed things on film that were beyond the pale at that point in time. I will never forget the shock when Dustin Hoffman sheds his pacifist skin and takes up arms against his enemies in “Straw Dogs” – in shockingly violent ways….

This sudden explosion of violence is not only shocking, it’s the moment when the audience is forced to take sides, and accept violence as a suitable – and as the film advocates – “necessary” alternative to peace…

And of course, the shocking rape scene is one of the most uncomfortable moments ever captured in film…Director Sam Peckinpah knew it would shock the audience, and it also traumatized Actress Susan George…

The film ends with an orgy of violence – including her chance to get revenge on those men who assaulted her…

These movies had shocking imagery, adult themes, and taboo subject matter – they pushed buttons and outraged censors.

“A Clockwork Orange” was nominated for Best Picture of 1971. The movie’s critical acclaim didn’t lessen its controversial nature, however. Shortly after the film’s release, Director Stanley Kubrick was shaken by an incident of “copycat violence” in his native England.

Kubrick asked Warner Brothers to withdraw the film from British distribution, disliking the allegation that the film was responsible for copycat violence in real life. The film went unseen in England for decades.

If you want to read all about Oscar’s X-Rated fixation, check out my post HERE:

http://johnrieber.com/2013/05/07/x-rated-butter-cowboys-droogs-oscars-x-flirtation/

Even today, Malcolm McDowell’s look in the film is iconic. And who can forget this image from “The Exorcist?”

In the decades since, there have been many shocking films released – many without artistic merit, but some that are challenging AND worthwhile…and I am going to discuss three recent examples now.

DANGER, WILL ROBINSON!

I have to admit up front that some of you SHOULDN’T read this post: I am discussing three of the most shocking, extreme films ever released. There are many more of course, some of which (Irreversible, Anti-Christ, Trouble Every Day, The Human Centipede) I have written about in other posts. You might find these movies simply too extreme for your taste, and that is understandable.

However, for those who are adventurous, and willing to understand that some stories are told in an extreme way FOR AN ARTISTIC PURPOSE – whether they are easy to watch or not, then this post is for you.

Here are two of the most shocking and controversial films ever released to mainstream audiences – both can be found on DVD – they were theatrically released, and most importantly: they received rave reviews alongside with harsh criticism – they are controversial and polarizing, yet they are artistic statements with as many supporters as detarctors – and they are shocking.

Martyrs – 2008

This shocking French film is part of what is called “the new French extremism”. There are other examples, but this one has an ending that is both shocking and intellectual…Here is the original French trailer, which is GRAPHIC:

Here is the plot: Fifteen years after a horrifying experience of abduction and prolonged torture, Lucie embarks on a bloody quest for revenge against her oppressors. Along with her childhood friend, Anna, who also suffered abuse, she quickly descends, without hope, into madness and her own delusions.

The story of Anna and Lucie soon turns from one of revenge into something MUCH darker…

Mademoiselle: “Lucie was only a victim. Like all the others. It’s so easy to create a victim, young lady, so easy. You lock someone in a dark room. They begin to suffer. You feed that suffering. Methodically, systematically and coldly. And make it last. Your subject goes through a number of states. After a while, their trauma; that small, easily opened crack, makes them see things that don’t exist.”

“Martyrs” begins as a revenge action film, then abruptly shifts into a philosophical discussion of what is, in fact, a “martyr”…

Mademoiselle: “Martyrs are exceptional people. They survive pain, they survive total deprivation. They bear all the sins of the earth. They give themselves up. They transcend themselves… they are transfigured.”

The film was categorized as a new example of new era French horror films with regards to the level of violence it depicts. Others, such as “Inside” and “High Tension” (AKA Switchblade Romance) also break new ground in graphic imagery.

Todd Brown at Twitch called Martyrs “without a doubt the single most divisive film to screen in the Cannes Marche Du Film this year”.

It is a tough viewing experience, and haunting in many ways….

WARNING!

LAST CHANCE TO TURN AROUND!

Now it’s time to discuss what is, without a doubt, in my opinion the most extreme film that has ever been theatrically released…you have been WARNED.

A Serbian Film – 2010

First, here is the official US trailer – again, the trailer, like the film, is VERY GRAPHIC:

Every few years a movie is released that polarizes EVERYONE – so rough, so beyond the pale, that it prompts calls for legislative action – and in this case, prompted a Film Festival Executive to be ARRESTED simply for showing the film.

Here is the plot of “A Serbian Film”: In Serbia, the retired porn star Milos is married to wife Marija and they have a little son, Peter, that is their pride and joy.

The family is facing financial difficulties, but out of the blue, Milos is offered a job in an art film. Milos is introduced to the director Vukmir, who offers a millionaire contract to act in the film.

However, Vukmir will neither show the screenplay or tell the story of the film to Milos. He must accept it sight unseen. Milos discuss the proposal with Marija and he signs the contract. But soon he finds that Vukmir and his crew are involved in sick snuff films of pedophilia, necrophilia and torture – and Milos has to find a way to protect his family and save himself.

Here is how one Critic described the film: “‘A Serbian Film’ is an metaphor standing for the writers perception of Serbian government; how they are puppeteers; controlling everything around them. They deliberately showed their metaphor in an extreme way; to emphasize their opinion.”

A Meditation On A Police State…

In the press notes director Srdjan Spasojevic is quoted as saying “this is a diary of our own molestation by the Serbian government. It’s about the monolithic power of leaders who hypnotize you to do things you don’t want to do”. Taking place in a country that lives in the shadow of The Yugoslav Wars, the film’s metaphorical representation of the Serbian government and its nation during that time is not only apparent in the story but is overtly referenced in some dialogue passages (“Vukmir! Sounds like a name of one of our guys at the Hague tribunal”).

I agree the film is a metaphor – an extremely powerful one at that…but WOW! – this is simply the most shocking, controversial film ever released to mainstream theaters…Look at what has happened upon release:

The Serbian state prosecution opened an investigation to find out if the film violates the law. It was investigated for elements of crime against sexual morals and crime related to the protection of minors.

It was banned by a court in San Sebastián, Spain for “threatening sexual freedom” and thus could not be shown in the 21st Horror and Fantasy Film Festival. The film was shown at an adults-only screening at the Spanish Sitges Film Festival during October 2010. As a result, the festival’s director Ángel Sara was ARRESTED and charged with exhibiting child pornography by the Spanish prosecutor who decided to take action in May 2011 after receiving a complaint from a Roman Catholic organization over a pair of scenes involving the rapes of a young child and a newborn. The charges were later dropped.

On November 26, 2010, the film was refused classification by the Australian Classification Board, banning sales and public showings of the film in Australia. However, on April 5, 2011, the Australian Classification Board approved a censored version of the film. However, later in 2011, the censored version was also re-refused classification after review.

On July 12 and 16, 2011, the film was screened at FANTASPOA in Porto Alegre, Brazil and at least at one other film festival in the country, before being banned just before a screening in Rio de Janeiro. Initially the ban applied only in Rio, but afterwards the decision became valid throughout the country, pending further judgement of the film.

But Then There Are Awards, Too…

As controversial as this film is, it has also been critically acclaimed. On March 2011, A Serbian Film won the Special Jury Prize in the 31st edition of Fantasporto, Portugal’s biggest film festival, in Porto. It was banned in Norway on account of sexual representation of children and extreme violence in a fictional medium. It is one of the few modern day movies to be banned in Norway – the first since Takeshi Miike’s “Ichi The Killer” (2001)

I have seen reviews that apologized for making it to the end of the film – reviews that demanded you NOT TO WATCH - I can’t argue that, but now you know what the fuss is all about – it is, without question, the most extreme movie ever made.

Thanks for reading this look at the world’s most extreme films – I would love to hear your thoughts!

Need A Drink? How About A Refreshingly Light Bloody Mary?

Let’s begin this “meat and cheese madness”

Personally, I love any drink that also covers your appetizers, main course and dessert! What a wild bloody Mary this is, and it’s just the beginning of my latest roll through the world of wild wild burgers!

Here is what I love about this burger – stuffed to the gills with meat and cheese, with some photo bombing fries alongside! And there’s more!

The “Bonger” Burger!

Thanks to “This Is Why You’re Huge” website, you can enjoy the “Bonger!” It’s a delicious blend of heritage beef burger, topped with a hunk of asian braised pork belly and finished off with a spicy kimchi. Add a big slug of Korean Soju and you are set!

Comedian’s Burger Kills Zombies!

And leave it to the brilliant website “A Hamburger Today” to find this masterpiece:

Here is how “AHT” describes this amazing pile of meat: “In honor of Jim Gaffigan’s sold-out performance in Des Moines today, Zombie Burger is rolling out a new burger called the “Undead Gaffigan.” The burger is a collaboration with the comedian, who visited visited the restaurant in 2012.”

And they are clearly:

Between two thick slices of grilled Texas toast, it features up to five patties (one for each of the comedian’s children), cheddar cheese, bacon, baconnaise, and fried jalapeños—an ingredient that Gaffigan requested because he is a “hot Latina”. The burger starts at $8.49 for a single. With five quarter-pound patties, it’s $16.49.”

All I can say is, “yes please!”

And Here’s A BIG Hello To ’5 GUYS!”

I’m very proud of the fact that, when you do a google search of “wildest burgers”, MY picture of my “5 Guys” burger shows up – and rightly so! Look at that baby! Oh, and look at this one too…

And you can read the entire post by clicking here!

http://johnrieber.com/2012/01/22/worlds-wildest-burgers/

And who can ever forget this masterpiece of “meat and bun”:

Yes, MEAT AND BUN!

I don’t think there can EVER been “too much” when it comes to burgers….but there may be “too much fun with a topping”:

Time to bite down hard!

And just in case you want to get your daily allowance of calories, here’s a burger that will give you 30,000 reasons to love it:

Let me know which one you like best!

Heads Up, It’s Genki Sudo And His World Order!

Chalk up another GREAT day for the internet! In most cases, you will NEVER see music videos from other countries, different cultures…but lucky for me, I came across one of the greatest, most colorful music videos EVER!

Just when you think you’re done celebrating the magic of Tokyo, along comes Genki Sudo and his music/dance group World Order!

Using the colorful streets of Tokyo as their synchronized set, the J-pop music group World Order, led by Genki Sudo, take you on a tour of the most exciting city on earth!

Introducing Genki Sudo!

Genki Sudo is a Japanese singer, composer, choreographer, actor and author! Sudo is also the lead vocalist, producer and director of the music group World Order, who are known for their techno music style and highly synchronised robotic choreography…more on that in a second.

But There’s Even More To Genki!

Genki Sudo has quite an amazing past. Before he was a pop star, Sudo was a mixed martial artist and a kickboxer, too!

Introducing World Order!

Here now is some of the amazing work being done by Genki Sudo and World Order. And I mentioned earlier: IT’S SYNCHRONIZED DANCING THROUGH THE STREETS OF TOKYO!

It’s an amazingly fun music video that takes a colorful trip through Tokyo, where they meet, among many others, Tokyo’s colorful Cosplay maids:

Check Out Their Music Video “Have A Nice Day!”

Need more Genki Sudo?

Well, I have it for you! Here is their other amazing video, “Welcome To Tokyo!”

And thanks to Annemarie Bain, here is ANOTHER amazing music video by the group!

And there is more than that for you to enjoy!

Kudos To RocketNews24!

Thanks once again to the GREAT website, “RocketNews24″! As always, RocketNews24 finds the most unique, fascinating and colorful stories from Japan – to see more videos and pics from Genki Sudo and World Order, click on the link below to see RocketNews24′s entire story about this phenomenal group!

http://en.rocketnews24.com/2014/03/26/new-music-video-from-world-order-helps-you-have-a-nice-day-see-the-sights-in-akihabara/

You can follow RocketNews24 on Facebook, and bookmark the website – every day is a colorful Japanese adventure! And please leave a comment to let me know what you think of Genki Sudo and World Order!

Time To Bite Down Hard!

The US is justifiably proud of the kinds of burgers we make – they are big, bold, and delicious! But the rest of the world isn’t sitting idly by – they are stepping up as well!

Time to look at some of the greatest burger ideas from around the world – stories I have posted about what the rest of the world has accomplished in the burger world…

It is, without a doubt, a work of art – when a burger is constructed properly, it’s a marvel to look at – and to bite down on…I love to make a great burger, and I love to eat them too…so let’s head around the world to see the best that Earth has to offer!

The Pizza-Shaped Cheeseburger!

Of course, we have Burger King Japan to thank for this: it’s their pizza burger: four whopper patties topped with mozzarella, marinara, and pepperoni, stacked into a 9.5-inch sesame bun and then pre-sliced into six wedges.

Remember, these were the guys who brought you these garlic burgers:

And, in a feat of sheer burger madness, they also offered you THIS:

The Ninja Tongue Burger!

A powerful Ninja burger with black buns made with bamboo charcoal, black-brown garlic soy Chaliapin sauce, and a “tongue” of what BK calls “king’s bacon”, which resembles Irish rashers more than crispy, American-style bacon – and topped with onions, lettuce, mayo, and hash browns. Bite down hard!

Before you judge, remember what the British are up to:

Behold The “Big Manc!”

Let’s stop off in England to check out this masterpiece – it’s the “Big Manc”, created to celebrate Wimbledon’s tennis champ – yes, it was!

You can read all about this masterpiece by clicking here:

http://johnrieber.com/2013/07/16/haggis-burgers-the-big-manc-the-wimbledon-connection-match-point/

And yes, the story includes a “haggis burger” too! And England doesn’t have a lock on massive meat – let’s head to Australia to enjoy “The Queensland Burger!”

Hard to imagine they left ANYTHING off of this baby – I am a huge fan of Australia, and I love their burgers – check out more from Down Under by clicking on here:

http://johnrieber.com/2014/01/09/the-hangover-burger-the-burganator-the-roadhog-2014s-early-bacon-burger-monsters/

You can also see “The Roadhog”, which is not only delicious looking, but quite attractive as well!

Lotteria Rules!

Time now to head back to Japan, where our friends at the Lotteria restaurant chain in Tokyo love to come up with wacky stuff like, for example, their ramen burger:

They are not alone in making crazy food – for example, another restaurant in Tokyo created THIS:

Yes, it’ is their “tower to heaven” – a burger that goes where no burger has gone before!

You can see one intrepid Reporter’s effort to eat this monster by clicking here:

http://johnrieber.com/2013/04/12/behold-tokyos-tower-burger-a-mega-tower-to-heaven/

I couldn’t eat it, but I always love to see people who make things that are unique and inventive, which takes me back, once again, to the masterminds at Lotteria:

The wild cooks at Tokyo’s Lotteria restaurant love to make mega stacked cheeseburgers for you…just another reason to head to Japan right now! And while you are Asia-bound, why not drop in on Mike’s Burger House in Cambodia?

If you like the look of that stacked burger, then head over to Cambodia right now to visit Mike!

He makes an amazing burger – the best in all of Cambodia – and you can read all about it by clicking here:

http://johnrieber.com/2013/01/10/yes-its-cambodias-best-burger-mikes-burger-house-stacks-them-high/

If that is a bit too far to go for a great burger, what about Brazil?

Bob’s Got An Edible Wrapper In Brazil!

Yep, let’s head to Brazil to marvel at their edible burger wrapper! That’s right, you can enjoy their burger without having to unwrap it!

If you want to see this unique way to serve a meal, click on the link here:

http://johnrieber.com/2012/12/20/brazils-edible-burger-wrappers-go-brazil-go/

I may have to open a restaurant just to make this edible wrapper a reality here in the US! I love the concept, so let me know if you know of anyone doing something like this!

At the end of the day, the world is serving up a beautiful, delicious and unique burger at all times of the day and night – so enjoy!

“Flash, Flash, I love you, but we only have fourteen hours to save the Earth!”

Cult movie fans know that Sam Jones WAS “Flash Gordon!’ But did you know this: those are the words that led to “Star Wars!”

There, do I have your “fanboy” attention now? Time to tell a fascinating story about a classic sci-fi movie – and a classic “cult” film that was an inspiration…

How “Flash Gordon” Created “Star Wars!”

It’s a great story, almost as great as both movies are! First, a comedic sidebar, courtesy of this guy:

I was one of many who LOVED Seth MacFarlane’s comedy “Ted” – one of the funniest and most profane movies of all time…as “Ted” himself was eager to admit…

And of course, the film had one of the greatest cameos of all time as well!

Sam J. Jones: “We are gonna party like the 80s.”

Ted: “Show us how, Flash!”

Sam J. Jones: “Easy. We just gonna nail a lot of girls named Stephanie.”

In addition to being hilarious, “Ted” also shared an affection for “Flash Gordon” by including a small but hilarious part for Sam J. Jones, the star of “Flash Gordon”, who showed his willingness to go “over the top” and embrace Ted’s wild side!

Now only did Sam act perfectly alongside his stuffed buddy, but he was willing to become “Flash Gordon” again – as we first see him in “Ted” arriving at a party dressed as Flash!

So what does this have to do with “Star Wars?” Well, here is a fascinating piece of trivia, courtesy of the terrific website IMDB.

George Lucas Loves Flash Gordon!

George Lucas had hoped to remake the original Flash Gordon film from 1936 – in fact, “Flash Gordon” serials were very popular at that time…

How “Flash” Became “Luke!”

George Lucas had already directed “THX-1138″ and “American Graffiti” – and was eager to take on “Flash” – but when he learned that Dino De Laurentiis had already bought the rights, he wrote “Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope” instead!

Can you imagine how “Flash Gordon” would have turned out under Lucas’s direction? And that is no disrespect to the team behind “Flash”, but clearly his love of science fiction would have made “Flash” a great success…

Still, there is now a huge group of people who love what WAS the film version of George’s passion:

How can you NOT love a movie with this plot: A football player and his friends travel to the planet Mongo and find themselves fighting the tyranny of Ming the Merciless to save Earth.

Well, OK!

And of course, the film has become a cult classic – everything from the music to “Ming The Merciless”, to great dialogue like this!

Flash Gordon: This Ming is a psycho!
Ming’s Floating Servant: This Ming is a psycho.
Klytus: Who said that?
Ming’s Floating Servant: The fair-haired prisoner.
Klytus: Who are you?
Flash Gordon: Flash Gordon. Quarterback. New York Jets.
Dale Arden: Dale Arden, Your Highness. Live and let live, that’s my motto.

Introducing Sam Jones!

Sam J. Jones was cast in the role after being spotted by the mother-in-law of Dino De Laurentiis on an episode of The Dating Game!

According to IMDB, you might love the way Sam looks, but that doesn’t mean you know how he sounds! Most of Sam J. Jones’s dialog was dubbed. This was down to the fact that Jones had had a falling out with producer Dino De Laurentiis over lack of payment and refused to go into the recording studio to loop his lines!

Director Mike Hodges, referring to the numerous production problems that plagued the film, once called it “the only improvised $27-million movie ever made”.

In the original script, when Flash is sentenced to death by Ming, Dale bursts out that Ming is “absolutely merciless”. Ming is enthralled with the description, and immediately starts calling himself “Ming the Merciless”.

Another great bit of trivia: Max von Sydow’s Ming costume weighed over 70 pounds and he could only stand in it for a few minutes at a time.

Ming’s Floating Servant: Long live Flash! You’ve saved your Earth. Have a nice day.

Flash Gordon: [leaps into the air] Yeah!

Cue The Killer Queen!

One other classic aspect of “Flash Gordon” is the musical soundtrack, written and performed by Queen!

It is one of Queen’s great songs, even if it is very short…it has the perfect Queen sound, and it fits the style and tone of the movie perfectly! Here is the music video that captures the band recording the song:

Unfortunately, “Flash” Was No Luke Skywalker…

Obviously, “Flash Gordon” was not a huge box office success…but fans have found it over the years, which is one reason “Ted” was so affectionate towards Sam…

And of course, “Star Wars” did OK for itself…and now fans wait breathlessly for “Episode VII” from JJ Abrams:

And fans will keep “Star Wars” alive forver, whether it’s thru bacon:

Or dressing up like Princess Leia – as Olivia Munn did for G4:

To read all about THAT adventure in a galaxy far, far away – well, you can click on here:

http://johnrieber.com/2013/11/09/official-star-wars-vii-release-date-olivia-munn-as-princess-leia-bloopers-bacon-darth-vader-fans-galaxy-of-star-wars/

Thanks as always to Olivia for stepping up for the good of the galaxy!

And thanks once again to Sam Jones for his terrific work alongside Mark Wahlberg and “Ted!”