Blog Posts by Blue Ribbon Hunter

Blue Ribbon HunterNew York City is famous for its skyline, Broadway shows, and of course, its hot dogs, so it comes as no surprise that it is the home of the most expensive hot dog in the world. The hot dog, also known as the "Haute Dog", can be found in Manhattan's Upper East Side at Serendipity 3. This pricey snack is made up of a twelve-inch long pure beef frankfurter that is grilled in white truffle oil. It is then placed in a salted-pretzel bun imported from Germany that has been slathered with white truffle butter. To top it off, they add duck fois gras with black truffles, caramelized Vidalia onions, heirloom tomato ketchup, and Dijon mustard with more, you guessed it, black truffles. How much you ask? This haute dog can be yours for a cool $69.00, but don't forget to order it 24 hours in advance.

But, is it worth the sixty-nine bucks? We hit the streets with samples of the haute dog and street vendor hot dogs, to see what the New Yorkers had to say. We had people compare the hot dogs

We felt honored to be invited to dinner with the Gastronauts, an adventurous eating club based in New York City and Los Angeles, for their six-year anniversary. We knew it was going to be an evening to remember, but we had no idea what they had in store for us.

When we arrived at Parish Hall in Brooklyn, New York we were greeted by a friendly staff, hustling and bustling to set tables and organize bottles of wine at the newly constructed bar. Excitement was in the air as this was the first event for the new restaurant that still had yet to put a sign out front. Chef Evan Hanczor of Pig and Egg took us behind the scenes of the kitchen to give a sneak peak of the menu for the evening.

Evan talked us through the five courses, which featured black bear tenderloin, water buffalo meat, and water buffalo milk. But the real surprise was when we found out we would be served Civet Cat Coffee, or Kopi Luwak. Besides being the most expensive coffee in the world, it is most infamous for

Out of tens of thousands of submissions, one recipe rose to the top and won the one MILLION dollar grand prize! And the winner is…

Pumpkin Ravioli with Salted Caramel Whipped Cream

By Christina Verrelli of Devon, Pennsylvania

Prep Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Start to Finish: 1 hour 10 minutes

Servings: 12

4 tablespoons LAND O LAKES Butter, melted

2 packages (3 oz each) cream cheese, softened

½ cup canned pumpkin

1 LAND O LAKES Egg Yolk

½ teaspoon McCormick Pure Vanilla Extract

¼ cup sugar

5 tablespoons Pillsbury BEST All Purpose Flour

½ teaspoon McCormick Pumpkin Pie Spice

1/3 cup Fisher Chef's Naturals Chopped Pecans, finely chopped

2 cans Pillsbury Crescent Recipe Creations refrigerated seamless dough sheet

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1/8 teaspoon salt

5 tablespoons Hersey's caramel syrup

4 tablespoons McCormick Cinnamon Sugar

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Brush 2 large cookie sheets with 2 tablespoons of the

What could be better than a day on the beach, soaking in the sun, and eating clam chowder at the 31st Annual Santa Cruz Clam Chowder Cook-Off? One of the crowd favorites was Rosie's; a booth run by a close-knit family making their great-grandmother's hundred year old recipe. The grand prize winner was a woman from Taiwan named I-Chin Chou. I-Chin was not allowed in the kitchen when she lived in Taiwan because her grandmother believed it was bad luck for a woman to enter the kitchen before she was married. When she moved to the United States she didn't even know how to cook rice. Last year she attended the Clam Chowder Cook-Off and thought to herself, "I can do better." So she showed up this year, and WON!

Clam Chowder
The Secret Ingredient

I-Chin's secret ingredient is… drum roll please… ½ teaspoon of seafood bouillon! The one she used can only be found in Taiwan, so I-Chin recommends this one from Japan, or even Knorr's fish bouillon. If you are feeling adventurous, seek out a Chinese market and

When we first arrived at The Eelpout Festival in Walker, MN we didn't even know what an eelpout was, let alone that they were edible! But after only a few hours on the frozen lake, we were kissing them (for good luck, of course!), racing them, and learning how to make the food staple of the festival - eelpout nuggets! Steve Dody, the cook in charge of the Eelpout nuggets told us, "I have friends that tried selling prime rib sandwiches, [but] you can't give away prime rib here. But the people, any kind of eelpout thing, they want it." So it is no surprise that when we first arrived to his booth they were sold out! Luckily we caught up with him at the end of the day for our first taste of fresh eelpout nuggets.

But eelpout are not normally a hot commodity. Although they are described as "poor man's lobster", the fishermen at the festival told us that when they catch them, they throw them right back! Other than during the Eelpout Festival, no fisherman is trying to catch an eelpout.

We had a BLAST at ZestFest 2012 in Irving, Texas, and after experiencing all they had to offer, I think we can officially say that it is the hottest fest in the west. The highlight was watching our very own Allison Fishman compete in the Lolly-Lick-A-Thon where the first person to finish the World's Hottest Lollipop wins. If you are up for the challenge, you can buy your own extreme lolly here - but be prepared to sign a waiver!

Allison prepares to eat an extreme lolly pop

If this video inspired you to make some spicy food of your own but you want to take it down a notch from the lollipop, try this recipe from the inventor of the extreme lolly:

Saucy Sausage Balls
by Michele Northrup of The Intensity Academy

1 lb bulk sausage
8oz cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cup Bisquick
6 oz Cheddar Cheese
1/4 cup Chai Sweet Chili sauce

1. Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl until evenly mixed.
2. Shape the meat mixture into one inch balls and place on a cookie sheet.
3. Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 20 minutes.

*

Flourless chocolate cakeBlue Ribbon Hunter traveled to New York, NY for a sweet spectacle that would have made Willy Wonka jealous - The New York Chocolate Show. Here, chocolate vendors from all over the world showed off their most unique creations and daring recipes. We were delighted as we sampled an array of unique chocolates from pickle-filled truffles, to chocolate covered bacon, to truffle-chili tea. The icing on the cake was a jaw-dropping fashion show inspired by Broadway classics where models donned chocolate ensembles as they strutted down the runway.

Since pickle truffles may not be the best choice for every chocolate-worthy occasion, Allison wanted to share her favorite original chocolate recipe. Here is a tried-and-true flourless chocolate cake recipe from Allison's cookbook that is sure to satisfy any chocolate craving:

Flourless Chocolate Cake
from You Can Trust a Skinny Cook

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour and 15 minutes
Makes 12 servings
Serving size: 1 slice

When you serve

Allison gets ready to score a touchdown with these recipe winnersSoon, millions of people will gather for parties to watch the Super Bowl, and although the game is the primary focus, food is the key ingredient to a Super Bowl party touchdown! That's why in this episode of Blue Ribbon Hunter we are revealing our insider's kitchen playbook to bring you our top tailgate party food recipes for the big game. Included below are recipes for an award-winning chili that will knock your socks off, a warm and gooey cheese dip that made the fans go wild, and a delicious spin on the king of all game-time foods - the Buffalo wing. May the best team (...or dish) win!

Haught Dawg Chili
By Mark Haught

Cooking Time: 3 hours
Prep Time: 2 hours
Yield: 16 cups chili

Step 1
3 tablespoons California chili powder*
3 tablespoons New Mexico chili powder*
1 tablespoon Ancho chili powder*
1 cup hot water
1 cup hot beef broth
3 serrano chilies minced with seeds
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium sweet onion, minced

1. Combine all Step 1 ingredients in a blender and