Gordon Ramsay’s new face, the sudden deluge of boneless chicken wings, how garlic became more valuable than oil
• BrewDog, a Scottish brewery known for its highly alcoholic Tokyo beer (and for its barely alcoholic Nanny State beer, brewed in retaliation for being branded irresponsible), has launched what it calls “the strongest beer in the world.” Tactical Nuclear Penguin, as it is called, packs a punch almost as strong as hard liquor, weighing in at 32 per cent alcohol. A warning on the label advises users to enjoy the brew like “a fine whisky, a Frank Zappa album or a visit from a friendly yet anxious ghost.” [BBC]
• Under advice from Simon Cowell, Gordon Ramsay has undergone a painful procedure to have the deep grooves in his face smoothed out, the Daily Mail reports. The formerly craggy chef will have to repeat the procedure two or three times per year to maintain his new nubile glow. We can’t see this baby-bottomed visage as having a positive effect on his intimidation factor. [Daily Mail]
• H1N1 paranoia is being credited for a surge in garlic consumption in China. The uptick is so significant that the price of the bulb has increased 15-fold over the past year. It is widely believed in China (and parts of Europe, too) that garlic is a potent flu fighter. Some Chinese investors have been looking to turn a quick profit on the crop—which has surpassed gold and oil to become China’s best performing asset—by stockpiling as much garlic as possible. While hoarding has further increased the price, it has had surprisingly little effect on the upcoming vampire invasion. [Telegraph]
• The recession has caused a bizarre reciprocation in chicken wing prices south of the border, the Star reports, with chicken breast emerging as the cheaper alternative to chicken wings. Restaurants and bars are now moving to boneless chicken wings—deep-fried chicken breast cut into wing-like shapes—as a cost-saving measure. Wing connoisseurs are not happy: one of the founders of hotwings.ca (which lets consumers rate their favourite wing spots) calls them the product of a “giant food-manufacturing laboratory that felt it was just too messy and too much work to gnaw that delicious meat off the bone like a real man should.” [Toronto Star]
• The ancient city of Kathmandu, which has avoided the taint of Western fast food for so long, has finally succumbed. A newly opened KFC–Pizza Hut, the first international fast-food chain in Nepal, had long lineups shortly after opening, serving over 500 people within the first two hours of business. [AFP]
![](http://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https://torontolife.com/food/gordon-ramsays-new-face-the-sudden-deluge-of-boneless-chicken-wings-how-garlic-became-more-valuable-than-oil/&title=Gordon Ramsay’s new face, the sudden deluge of boneless chicken wings, how garlic became more valuable than oil&picture=https://torontolife.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/GordonRamsay3.jpg&description=[caption id="attachment_15286" align="alignright" width="250" caption="Gordon Ramsay, before crevice removal (Photo by Dave Pullig)"][/caption]
• BrewDog, a Scottish brewery known for its highly alcoholic Tokyo beer (and for its barely alcoholic Nanny State beer, brewed in retaliation for being branded irresponsible), has launched what it calls “the strongest beer in the world.” Tactical Nuclear Penguin, as it is called, packs a punch almost as strong as hard liquor, weighing in at 32 per cent alcohol. A warning on the label advises users to enjoy the brew like “a fine whisky, a Frank Zappa album or a visit from a friendly yet anxious ghost.” [BBC]
• Under advice from Simon Cowell, Gordon Ramsay has undergone a painful procedure to have the deep grooves in his face smoothed out, the Daily Mail reports. The formerly craggy chef will have to repeat the procedure two or three times per year to maintain his new nubile glow. We can’t see this baby-bottomed visage as having a positive effect on his intimidation factor. [Daily Mail]
• H1N1 paranoia is being credited for a surge in garlic consumption in China. The uptick is so significant that the price of the bulb has increased 15-fold over the past year. It is widely believed in China (and parts of Europe, too) that garlic is a potent flu fighter. Some Chinese investors have been looking to turn a quick profit on the crop—which has surpassed gold and oil to become China’s best performing asset—by stockpiling as much garlic as possible. While hoarding has further increased the price, it has had surprisingly little effect on the upcoming vampire invasion. [Telegraph]
• The recession has caused a bizarre reciprocation in chicken wing prices south of the border, the Star reports, with chicken breast emerging as the cheaper alternative to chicken wings. Restaurants and bars are now moving to boneless chicken wings—deep-fried chicken breast cut into wing-like shapes—as a cost-saving measure. Wing connoisseurs are not happy: one of the founders of hotwings.ca (which lets consumers rate their favourite wing spots) calls them the product of a “giant food-manufacturing laboratory that felt it was just too messy and too much work to gnaw that delicious meat off the bone like a real man should." [Toronto Star]
• The ancient city of Kathmandu, which has avoided the taint of Western fast food for so long, has finally succumbed. A newly opened KFC–Pizza Hut, the first international fast-food chain in Nepal, had long lineups shortly after opening, serving over 500 people within the first two hours of business. [AFP]){kind=link}