Argentina: Street Food Bite and Booze of the World Cup

Folks, the road has been long, some knees have been grabbed, and each bite has been more delicious than the last. It's time for our last stop along the street food guide to the FIFA World Cup 2014. Argentina has fought valiantly and battles against Germany at 2pm today. This final segment along our street food journey includes a bite of the Choripan and a sip of the Argentina Cocktail.

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Choripan is a typical snack or lunch item in Argentina. Similar to the American hot dog, Choripan is a link of chorizo on a freshly baked bun dressed with fresh chimichurri. Both of these ingredients can be found around town and make for the most hopped up hot dog you've had in a while. Chimichurri is a sauce composed of oil, lime juice, spicy peppers, parsley, garlic, and oregano. It's simple to make and delicious on numerous eats. This is a perfect item to serve up for the match!

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The Argentina Cocktail has a lot of ingredients and a lot of deliciousness. Gin and vermouth come together with bitters and orange juice to make a flavorful drink. It's herbal and fruity, which is perfect for a day of watching other people run around and kick a ball back and forth while you sit in an air conditioned room. It's the final day of the World Cup so make a few drinks, eat a lot, and soak it in!

Germany: Street Food Bite and Booze of the World Cup

It's the final countdown!! Germany and Argentina go cleat to cleat in the final game of the FIFA World Cup 2014 today at 2pm. While they gear up for glory we're going to sit down to our second to last plate along the street food guide! This morning we're going to take a look at a great recipe for currywurst and the Bed of Roses Cocktail.

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Currywurst is an extremely popular street food in Berlin. Steamed, then fried knackwurst (pork sausage) sliced and tossed in a curry sauce is all there is too it. The key to an authentic currywurst recipe is the sauce. This recipe for the sauce seems simple enough to execute and stays true to the curry ketchup phenomenon that is currywurst. The spiciness of the curry marries well with the concentrated tomato and slight sweetness of ketchup. This sounds like good game eats if you ask me!

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The Bed of Roses cocktail features herbal liquors found often in the glasses of your everyday German. The main liquor is Josef Meiers which looks and tastes extremely similar to Jaegermeister. The "in your face" herbal flavor is sweetened by grenadine and brightened by lemons and limes. This drink may not be for the faint of heart, but it's worth a try.

Brazil: Street Food Bite and Booze of the World Cup

After that horrible loss to Germany, Brazil is competing for third place against the Netherlands at 3pm today. Their people may be hungry for the trophy, but from the looks of their cuisine, they aren't hungry for much else. Today along the street food guide to the FIFA World Cup 2014, we're taking a look at Pão de Queijo and the Caipirinha!

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Pão de Queijo is Brazilian cheese bread. They're tiny, buttery bread balls with a hint of cheese inside. If that doesn't sound like game time snack food, I don't know what does! This recipe makes two dozen, which may not be enough once you've realized their greatness. The best part is you can find most of these ingredients already in your pantry except for the special flower. I recommend La Morenita on Florida Boulevard for all of your hard to find Latin-American ingredients. These little bread bites are super easy to make and quick to disappear.

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If you've never had a proper Caipirinha, shame on you. They're very simple to make, a fun alternative to the typical mojito, and crazy delicious. Go to Calandro's Supermarket and grab a heap of limes and a couple of bottles of Leblon Cachaça (a sugar cane spirit) and go to town! Simply slice half of a lime up and muddle it with two teaspoons of sugar in the bottom of your glass, throw in some rocks, and fill your glass with cachaça. 

Netherlands: Street Food Bite and Booze of the World Cup

While the Netherlands get ready to square off against Brazil at 3pm tomorrow for third place, we're going to take another trip along the street food guide to the FIFA World Cup 2014! There's an abundance of street foods in the Netherlands and most of them are fried balls of something or french fries with a peanut sauce, mayonnaise, and diced onions. Don't worry...we're headed straight for the Stroopwafels and a delightful cocktail named The Sherry-Netherland.

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Stroopwafels (syrup waffles) are super thin treats perfect for a grab-and-go bite. The Dutch have been munching on these since the 18th century. If you've ever wondered what a Dutch double doozy cookie would be like, this is it. Two very thin waffles are held together by a decent layer of syrup. It is literally a syrup and waffle sandwich...awesome. 

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The Sherry-Netherland is concocted with the Dutch spirit Bols Genever, which is where the idea for gin came from. The Genever has definite aspects of gin, but it's more smooth and less in your face. Other ingredients include sherry, raisins, orange bitters, and curaçao (orange in flavor). The curaçao, blue in color, combined with the other ingredients make for a mysteriously black-colored cocktail. Try it out and let me know what you think!

Iran: Street Food Bite and Booze of the World Cup

I hope you've all been enjoying the street food guide to the FIFA World Cup 2014 as much as I have! For this segment of the street food guide, we're headed to Iran for some classic street food. A lot of these blue collar worker, pedestrian commuter type countries are big on street food. It's a convenient way to grab a bite on the road without waiting in a long line or breaking the bank. For Iran, we're taking a look at shish kebabs and the Persian Rose.

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Shish kebabs, or kebabs as they may be more commonly known in America are pretty simple. Shish kebabs are typically composed of your marinated meat of choice (lamb in this case), tomatoes, onions, and any other veggies you want to add. Marinating the meat in olive oil, garlic, spices, and citrus tenderizes the meat and adds a lot to the natural flavor of the lamb. You don't have to follow any sort of recipe...It's a great activity for a get together with friends or the family!

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The Persian Rose cocktail is a sweet, but tasty drink. The natural juniper flavor of gin pairs well with the floral rose water. While the agave nectar isn't overly sweet, it toes a line with the cherry liqueur. The concoction may have been too sweet if it weren't for the balance brought in by the citrus, but overall it's a cool drink. Try it out and let me know what you think!  

Japan: Street Food Bite and Booze of the World Cup

South America had a rough day yesterday, so we're going to take today's street food guide to the FIFA World Cup 2014 far, far away from Brazil. Japan is a country full of people on the go. There are probably a million different street food options to choose from, but today we're going to take a look at their Ikayaki and Japanese Hitachino Nest Beer.

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Ikayaki is grilled squid and it is delicious. If you've never had squid, it's super tender and has the a similar consistency to scallops. On the streets of Japan you can find ikayaki skewered and hanging like cotton candy on carts at a fair. This recipe is for ginger marinated ikayaki and would be a perfect way to kick up your grilling game! The subtle sweetness of the meat pairs well with the kick of the ginger and soy sauce. If you decide to try it out let me know how it goes!

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Hitachino White Ale is quite possibly one of the best beers on the planet. It has a complex flavor with notes of coriander, orange, and a dash of nutmeg. Although it's from Japan, you can find it here in Baton Rouge at Calandro's! It's a great refreshing, drinkable summer brew. Let me know if you like it!

 

Colombia: Street Food Bite and Booze of the World Cup

The end of the FIFA World Cup 2014 is nigh! In celebration of the great matches we've seen thus far, I'm going to be posting a couple of two-a-days because I just can't get enough of the World Cup! Next up today is Colombia where we're talking about Colombian Empanadas and the Aguardiente Sour.

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The main difference between Colombian empanadas and the rest is the way they're cooked. Colombian empanadas are typically fried and others are baked. This recipe takes ground sirloin, russet potatoes, and a plethora of spices that make a flakey, hand-held bite of bold deliciousness. You can find these savory treats all over the streets. Relatively easy to make, empanadas are great to incorporate tons of recipes sweet or savory. Try them out and let me know what you think!

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Aguardiente Sours are made with aguardiente (fire water) which is a strong South American spirit made from sugar cane. This cocktail extinguishes a little bit of the fire with fresh orange and lime juice that adds a tart sweetness. The fluffiness of the whipped egg white balances all of the flavors for a refreshing, but strong sip!

Honduras: Street Food Bite and Booze of the World Cup

It's time to put on some elastic waistband pants and sit down to another segment of the street food guide to the FIFA World Cup 2014! Honduras is home to lots of cheap street eats and bottled beers. Today we're going to take a look at baleadas, an extremely popular street snack and Salva Vida, a popular Honduran brew.

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Baleadas have no definite origin. It's rumored that they were invented by an old lady no one knows who used to sell them in a poor neighborhood, but today they're a street food favorite all over Honduras. Baleada recipes are most often composed of a flour tortilla filled with refried kidney beans, scrambled eggs, a hard crumbled cheese, sour cream, and sliced avocado. The saltiness of the cheese and sour cream combines well with the texture of the beans and scrambled eggs. It's a great late night food or on-the-go breakfast recipe.

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Salva Vida is a pretty straightforward American adjunct lager. There's definitely nothing fancy or complex about the smell or taste of this brew, but in a country where most live in poverty sometimes all you need is a cold beer after a hard day's work.

Ecuador: Street Food Bite and Booze of the World Cup

It's time for another dish and drink along the street food guide to the FIFA World Cup 2014! Ecuador, located in Northwestern South America is a coastal country. Being located in a coastal state, we know that means there is plenty of seafood to go around! Today we're going to take a look at the art of ceviche and the fruity Chicha de Piña.

Photo Credit: Laylita.com

Ceviche is the method of "cooking" seafood (fish, shellfish, crustaceans, or mussels) in the natural acid of fresh limes. There are many South American coastal countries that do this and each method has it similarities and differences. Ecuadorian ceviche tends to be a little soupier than others because the juices of the limes and oils are served with the ceviche. You can find a fresh cup of ceviche all along the docks! This particular recipe calls for langostino which is Spanish for squat lobster. The squat lobster is not quite a lobster or a prawn. If you can't find any of these feel free to use shrimp, lobster, scallops or whatever fresh seafood you can get your hands on! The tender meat of the seafood married with the acidity of fresh limes is sweetened by olive oil and red onions. The added zest comes from fresh cilantro and garlic with a healthy kick of spicy peppers to make for a great, chilled summer bite! Try it out and let me know what you think.

Photo Credit: Laylita.com

Chicha is an ancient form of beer commonly found in African and South American countries indigenous to their ancestors. As off-putting as it may sound, people chew a specific variety of corn and spit it into a strainer where the liquid is boiled and brewed into a beer. This is a method still used today and has even been recreated by a few hardcore brewers. The founder of Dogfish Head Brewery actually had his entire staff chew pound and pounds of corn just to make an experimental batch to serve in their taproom. Due to jaw fatigue, the staff didn't try this feat for a second time, but it was a fun experiment. Chicha de Piña is not made by chewing anything and spiting it out. It's the simmering  of the skins and core of pineapple with hard brown sugar and spices. This makes for a savory/sweet cocktail not containing saliva.

France: Street Food Bite and Booze of the World Cup

We're one bite closer to the end of the street food guide to the FIFA World Cup 2014! France is next on this delicious journey we've been taking! Known most for their breads, cheeses, wines and champagnes we're going to take a look at their simple street food and popular breakfast item the crepe and the even more familiar French 75.

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Most Americans have tried a crepe or five in their lifetime. It's a common street food in France and what we learned in Talladega Nights to be those "really really thin pancakes." They're incredibly easy to make and can be paired with almost any filling from savory to super sweet. This particular recipe is for Nutella Crepes. If you haven't had Nutella at this point in your life, I'm just not sure what you're doing. It's an amazingly scrumptious chocolate hazelnut spread that has a thick, but spreadable consistency and when heated, morphs into a hot fudge-like substance that is a million times tastier than hot fudge. I recommend combining any filling from Nutella to Jay D's Louisiana Barbecue Sauce in a crepe.

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The French 75 is a popular cocktail in Louisiana and particularly in New Orleans. For a world class French 75 close to home head to Arnaud's French 75 in New Orleans and Chris Hannah will set you up! Arnaud's French 75 dates back to the 1800s and was originally for gentlemen only and in 1979 opened to the public. Featuring cognac and champagne, the cocktail is smooth, bubbly and slightly tart with a hint of fresh lemon juice. More common versions on the cocktail feature gin and champagne rather than cognac. Either way, it's a very simple, refreshing cocktail.

Portugal: Street Food Bite and Booze of the World Cup

It's time to sit down to another plate of the street food guide to the FIFA World Cup 2014! Portugal, like many cities in Spain, is no stranger to great eats. Today we're going to take a look at something on the sweeter side with some Portuguese custard cups and a banging port cocktail, the Portuguese Daisy!

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Pasteis de Nata I are delicious little flaky pastry cups filled with a sweet custard. These may take a decent amount of prep work, but they're perfect for snacking while your watching the match or entertaining for special occasions and holidays. Take a break from those freezer quiche things and try making something fresh!

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The Portuguese Daisy highlights Portugal's most popular product: Port. If you've never had port, it's pretty sweet, smooth, and makes wine look like a bandwagon soccer fan who doesn't understand offsides. Port is awesome and this cocktail combines port, brandy, and little citrus to make one heck of a drink! Try it out and let me know what you think by leaving comment or telling me about it on the Facebook Page.

Nigeria: Street Food Bite and Booze of the World Cup

We're taking a trip back to Africa for this edition of the street food guide to the FIFA World Cup 2014! Nigeria is flooded with street food that is not for the faint of stomach. Like many African countries, there's plenty of whole grilled fish, barbecued meat, and plantains to be had. Today we're going to look at their famous starch and stew and the Chapman Substitute.















Starch and stew is pretty much what you would expect: a lot of starch and a heaping helping of stew. Most of Nigeria's population lives in poverty so getting a cheap bite that can keep you full for most of the day is the idea. This dish is cheap (about $3 a plate) and yummy with beans, spaghetti, and rice underneath a mountain of tomato based stew and a fried egg to top it off. Their stew is composed of intestines and other bits and pieces, but for your purposes feel free to use whatever you want!



Nigerians aren't big drinkers because of their mainly Muslim population. They drink a mocktail called the Chapman, so this particular recipe is for a boozed up version called the Chapman Substitute. Ginger beer with Campari, orange bitters, and flavors of citrus and pomegranate come together to make a drink that's beyond tasty and refreshing!

Mexico: Street Food Bite and Booze of the World Cup

Shall we make another stop along the street food guide to the FIFA World Cup 2014? Mexican cuisine may be something familiar to your palate, but try something outside of the normal Tex-Mex style restaurant and grab a bite and one of the authentic Latin-American restaurants in town! For today's edition of the street food guide we're going South of the border to Mexico for elotes and "Cocktail on the Attack"!

Elotes translated means, corn. Street corn can be found all over the place in Mexico and it is scrumptious! Grilled or steamed corn topped with salty, crumbled Cotija cheese (or queso fresco if you can't find it) and chili powder makes for a quick, easy-to-eat treat. The saltiness of the cheese goes hand in hand with the sweet, fresh corn. My favorite part about street corn (besides how easy it is to make) is the smoky chili powder, it really takes things to the next level. 

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Instead of going with the classic margarita, I found a recipe for another tasty tequila libation. The Cocktail on the Attack consists of tequila, vermouth, triple sec, and lime juice. It's what I imagine a Mexican martini to be. The tequila represents the majority and is brightened by the lime juice and triple sec. The vermouth kind of brings the flavor profiles together smoothing over the fiesta going on in your mouth. Give it a try and let me know what you think!

Korea Republic: Street Food Bite and Booze of the World Cup

Another stop along the FIFA World Cup 2014 takes us to the Korea Republic! Asian cultures are known for their exotic and plentiful street foods. You can find bowls, skewers and mouths full of some of the most delicious food you've ever seen on every street corner. We're going to take a look at pan-fried fish cake and a delicious cocktail recipe for an Apple Soju!

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Pan-fried fish cake may not sound appetizing to the average American, but like tofu, it's a great way to add a semi-flavorless protein component to take on the tastes of any great sauce. I found and chose this recipe because it reminds me of a good stir-fry dish and sounds perfect for enjoying a good match! The onions, green and red peppers, and garlic come together with other traditional Asian flavors to make a stir-fry sauce with some pop!

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Apple Soju is a drink made with potato vodka, which has become quite popular in Korea. Combine the potato vodka with some bubbly tonic, apple juice and sake and you've got the Apple Soju. These flavors are tart, sweet, and smooth...sounds like a great drink to me! Try it out and let me know what you think by leaving a comment below or on the Facebook Page!

Italy: Street Food Bite and Booze of the World Cup

It's time for another stop on the street food guide to the FIFA World Cup 2014! Next on our journey through the World Cup is Italy. Italy is known for it's larger than life way of eating and enjoying life. The wine is flowing, the cheese is fresh, and the days are full of great eats! We're going to test out Foccacia di Recco and the Negroni.

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Foccacia di Recco is made of a very thin dough, almost a crepe-like dough, filled with fresh cheese. The recipe calls for a lot of prep work and kneading of dough, but the flavor is slammin'! The natural slight saltiness of the cheese combined with the savory flavors of olive oil and buttery dough make for great one-handed snacking during the match!

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The Negroni is a classic Italian cocktail. The cocktail's origins are unknown, but it came to be by taking The Americano recipe and putting gin in the place of soda water in the recipe and the orange peel garnish was originally used to indicate that it was a different drink. The sharp flavors of Campari combined with the herbal notes of gin come together to shape a cocktail traditionally served as an apéritif (before the meal) or digestif (after the meal).

England: Street Food Bite and Booze of the World Cup

If you've been to The Londoner to grab a bite and watch the FIFA World Cup 2014 then you've had a few bites from across the pond! England has a beautiful countryside and ton of outlying cities, but in the hustle and bustle of London, street food can be seen on almost every corner. Let's take a look at some pasties and the Union Jack cocktail.

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Pasties are little pockets of scrumptious. Similar to meat pies, a traditional pasty is essentially beef stew inside of a puff pastry. If that doesn't make you hungry, I don't know what will! There are tons of variations, and easy to eat on the go! Try out this recipe and let me know how it comes out!

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The Union Jack cocktail highlights an English favorite: gin. Gin combined with Sloe Gin, which is gin soaked with fruit (typically plums or dark red fruits) makes for a super red cocktail with flavors of juniper and citrus. This drink has a little sweetness and a lot of booze. Enjoy!

Spain: Street Food Bite and Booze of the World Cup

It's time for another delicious bite and booze along the street food guide to the FIFA World Cup 2014. The winners of the last World Cup are known for plates with bold flavors and colors. Spain is a country full of life, great food, and a plethora of libations. For this edition of the street food guide, we're going to take a look at the Bocadillo and the world renown sangria!

Photo Credit: thelatinkitchen.com

Bocadillo translated is sandwich. In America, we dress our sandwiches with lettuce, tomato, and various condiments; the Spanish have a more simplified approach and take delicious cured meats and fine cheese and sandwich them between fresh, artisan rolls. You can find these in delis all over Spain with endless combinations of flavors. I found a recipe for Bocadillo de Jamon Serrano y Manchego that would be perfect for watching a great match! Jamon Serrano is an air dried ham packed with flavor and Manchego cheese is a hard, white cheese that is slightly sharp and makes for a killer sandwich. I can't wait to have one of these!

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Sangria is a big hit all over the world. Typically served in pitchers as a table wine, Sangria is made by taking white or red wine and macerating fruit in the wine. The natural sweetness of the fruit enhances the favors of the wine. Typically citrus is used, but try using some Louisiana strawberries or peaches!

Belgium: Street Food Bite and Booze of the World Cup

We're sadly halfway through the FIFA World Cup 2014. Our final stop in group play along the street food guide to the World Cup is Belgium (playing Korea Republic at 3pm CDT) . Popular for their delicious chocolate and beer, we will be taking a look at Belgian waffles, and the Rub & Rye cocktail!

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It's amazing how many variations to the waffle one can pull off. The Belgian waffle is an extremely popular street food. You can find carts all over carrying sweet, savory and everything in between waffles! I don't know about you, but this sounds like my kind of place! Wafel and Dinges is probably the most popular waffle truck around in Belgium, and I found a recipe for their Brussels Waffle. You can add anything on top of these things and it will taste amazing. Let me know what combinations you try by leaving a comment or telling us about it on the Facebook page!

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The Rub & Rye cocktail highlights a popular Belgian beer called Peche Mel. For those of you who don't know, peche is French for peach. Rye whiskey combined with maple syrup, fluffy egg white foam, lemon juice and peach flavors makes for a decent sounding drink if you ask me! It sounds like the makings of some sort of peach sidecar. Check it out and let me know what you think!