Selangorlicious Foodster Blogging Competition 2011 Results & Ramadhan Buffet @ Grand Dorsett Subang Hotel, Selangor

The wait is finally over. The results for the Selangorlicious Foodster Blogging Competition 2011 was announced in a prize giving ceremony in Grand Dorsett Subang Hotel on 25th August 2011.

Here's the full list of winners:

First Prize: Cakap Niaga ("Ayam Kampung Goreng dan Gulai")
Second Prize: Hungry Female ("Pantai Seafood: A Shore Winner")
Third Prize: Rahman Zawawi ("Mee Udang Nakhoda Kg Sungai Ramal Dalam")

Consolation Prizes
- Amir Muhammad ("What Happened When I Didn't Have Enough Cash to Pay for the Nasi Ambeng)
- Sarah Rees ("The Softest Lamb in the World")
- Bart Ahmad ("Reviu Regu: Restoran Panorama")

Best Food Photography: Nigel Low
Photography Runner Up: Baby Sumo
Photography Third Place: Alia Binti Md Ali

Yes, yours truly managed to win a prize in the Best Food Photography category. Thanks to Selangorlicious for picking my photo, am delighted to have won!

Selected entries from the Selangorlicious contest will be published in a Selangor Food Guide, do join their Facebook page or follow them on Twitter for latest updates and events.

"Selangorlicious is Yummylicious," says Mr. Leo Kuscher, the General Manager of Grand Dorsett Subang Hotel.

Pn. Noorul Ashikin, General Manager of Tourism Selangor giving a short speech

All the winners. Congrats to you all and nice to have met you :)

After the prize giving ceremony, we were treated to the Ramadan Buka Puasa buffet in the Grand Selangor Ballroom. With over 100 home-cooked local favourites, hawker fare, Oriental delights as well as Western food, we were spoilt for choice.

Stalls / food stations set up outside the Grand Selangor Ballroom

The sup campur was my favorite of the evening. Hearty and delicious, this soup was packed full of beefy goodness. I helped myself to as much meat/tripe/liver as I liked, sprinkled some daun sup, chilli soy sauce and bawang goreng (fried shallots) and voila... a soup you'd wanna keep eating.

Check out this bad boy... the sup gearbox, also known as bone marrow soup. Why the name? I guess the bone marrow resembles the car's gearbox in some ways. You have to be early to be able to get your hands on one of these since they get snapped up very qui! ckly by the diners. They all know a good thing when they see one! I got to witness one of our fellow diners suck out the bone marrow (the best bit!) out of the girgantum bone! So remember, if you wanna get your hands on one, be early.

Lamb.... how can one resist this at a Ramadan buffet. One of the most popular food station in this Ramadan buffet, it comes as no surprise since the meat was tender and flavoursome. I think I saw a total of 3 whole lambs being served that evening. What a lotta meat!

Roast lamb

I was amazed when I saw the size of the grilled ikan merah and siakap on offer.. they must have been at least 1/2 metre long. There is also ikan bakar and satay available here.

Giant grilled fish

Popiah
Rusuk Kambing Vindaloo

Pasta

Udang Masak Lemak Cili Padi

Colorful Nasi Hujan Panas

Sotong Masala

Roti Bom

Satay and popiah.. yummy!

We tried out a huge range of food here... I liked the rusuk kambing vindaloo, a dry lamb/mutton curry. The roast beef was also nice, I managed to get some medium cooked bits and it was delicious. We also enjoyed! the chi cken shawarma, an Arabic wrap of shaved chicken and a mixture of vegetables such as onion, cucumber and tomato. The pasta and Japanese tempura station seemed to be very popular with the diners.

Chicken shawarma

And end the meal with some sweet desserts such as kuih koci, mango pudding, tapai, and an assortment of cakes. Fresh fruits is also available with interesting varieties such as mata kucing and pulasan (similar to rambutan).

Desserts

For those interested in trying the Ramadan Buffet, it is priced at RM95++ per person. Note there is a 50% discount on the last week of Ramadhan.

Location: Grand Dorsett Subang Hotel (formerly Sheraton Subang Hotel & Towers), Jalan SS12/1, 47500 Subang Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia.

Tel: 03-5031 6060

Website: http://www.granddorsett.com/kualalumpur/

Raya cakes by Just Heavenly and A Slice of Heaven

The Fabulous Bakers have done it again. Time to sample their wonderful and gorgeouscreations this Raya. Who can say no to cakes by JUST HEAVENLY! Angels in heavenshiver in delight at the very thought of that divine cake sliding through the palate as they playtheir harps.

Malaysians are a giving community but with the festive season comes the usual anxiety overwhat to give.

To create a new niche in the market, and to expand the choices of our customers, A Slice ofHeaven and its parent, Just Heavenly, would like to introduce CENTREPIECES to everyone.

When you go to a home celebrating Ramadhan you will invariably find a table laden withfestive goodies from savouries to sweets and a decorative centerpiece.

In this instance, sticking to their core specialty, they are offering uniquely beautiful,decorative & delicious centerpieces that you can serve on the day along with your otherfestive foods.

For those who would like to visit friends and family and not go empty-handed, they have alsodesirable range of gift boxes.

For corporate orders please ca! ll 03228 79866. You may also enquire at all their retail outletsand for the brochures, go to A Slice of Heavens website. Price list here.

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And if youre like me and you love playing Angry Birds, you will love the gorgeous cupcakes made by Just Heavenly. Their workmanship is immaculate and impressive. Its a pity one cant keep them on display forever!

Angry Birds RM120 for all of them inclusive of the slingshot and the presentation tray

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To all Muslim readers, Selamat Berpuasa for the next few days, and Selamat Hari Raya!

Sept 1-14th BAKING FOR ELIZABETH MAH

Dear readers,

Ive copied this directly from Fatboybakes blog. Please help support this cause. Ive been following Elizabeths progress and my heart goes out to her and her family.

********

Liz, and her husband, Henry, are dear friends of mine. I am the godpa to their eldest kid, Nicholas, and they are godparents to my youngest daughter, Mei. Two years ago, Liz was diagnosed with Stage 4N Non Small Cell Lung Cancer. By the grace of God, she has managed to put up a good fight, and for a year or so, the targetted Chemo drug Tarceva seemed to work well.

Earlier this year, however, scans showed that the drug had stopped working, and the cancer has spread again. They are now embarking on a new form of treatment, which you can read about in Henrys appeal letter.

Anyway, September is Lizs birthday month, so I would like to dedicate all dough (excuse the pun) raised from cake sales in the first two weeks of September towards her treatment. In all the years Ive been blogging, I have never appealed from my friends/readers, but on this occasion, I am asking you if you find it in your heart to contribute to these dear friends of mine, please do so. The photo shows what cakes are available during the first two weeks of September for sale.

You can sms your orders to me at 012-3240988. Do please indicate if you are responding to this note, so I can relay to them who their kind benefactors are.

God Bless you all, my friends.

Fatboybakes

Baking For Elizabeth Mah

ALL PROCEEDS OF CAKE SALES FROM 1-14 SEPTEMBER GO TOWARDS THIS CAUSE




Liz, and her husband, Henry, are dear friends of mine. I am the godpa to their eldest kid, Nicholas, and they are godparents to my youngest daughter, Mei. Two years ago, Liz was diagnosed with Stage 4N Non Small Cell Lung Cancer. By the grace of God, she has managed to put up a good fight, and for a year or so, the targetted Chemo drug Tarceva seemed to work well.

Earlier this year, however, scans showed that the drug had stopped working, and the cancer has spread again. They are now embarking on a new form of treatment, which you can read about in Henry's appeal letter below.

Anyway, September is Liz's birthday month, so I would like to dedicate all dough (excuse the pun) raised from cake sales in the first two weeks of September towards her treatment. In all the years I've been blogging, I have never appealed from my friends/readers, but on this occasion, I am asking you if you find it in your heart to contribute to these dear friends of mine, please do so. The photo shows what cakes are available during the first two weeks of September for sale.

You can sms your orders to me at 012-3240988. Do please indicate if you are responding to this note, so I can relay to them who their kind benefactors are.

God Bless you all, my friends.

HENRY'S APPEAL LETTER

Dear friends

We write this in great humility seeking your help and support. As you may know, my wife Liz was diagnosed with 4th Stage Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer in June 2009. Subsequent to that we have been on this tremendous journey of faith seeking treatment while trusting God for His healing. (www.lizadventure.blogspot.com )

Since diagnosis, she has been on this targeted therapy drug called Tar! ceva and it had been very effective for her, helping to shrink the tumors in her lung & at one stage even removing the metastasis in her liver.

Unfortunately from the beginning of this year, the drug ceased to be effective and the tumors have continued to grow with the metastasis returning to her liver. Having prayed about it, we did not opt for chemotherapy as we understand its effectiveness to be limited against advanced stage lung cancer.

We then decided to take the path of an alternate treatment using low-dose naltrexone (LDN www.ldn.org) and most recently this herbal Taiwanese drug derived from solamargine which in itself is derived from a herb used in Chinese medicine. (http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0014579304011962)

Recently we were approached by some friends who had come upon an exciting new breakthrough in cancer treatment which had been particularly effective in treating tumours and has been extensively used in China with very good results. This new drug is called Gencidine and is administered intravenously. (www.genetherapyhospitals.com/PatientStory2.html )

The doctor we consulted is both a cardiologist and oncologist (Dr Beh from Heartscan www.heartscan.com.my ) and when he saw Lizs condition he proposed using it together with a cutting-edge new treatment called HITV (Human Initiated Therapeutic Vaccine - http://thestar.com.my/health/story.asp?file=/2010/7/18/health/6614843&sec=health). The therapy involves injecting a patients immature dendritic cells (imDC) directly to the tumour before and after radiotherapy (to reduce the number of cancer cells) and generate an immune response that will kill the cancer cells (through imDC injections).

It certainly looks promising and has already proven effective in many late stage cancer cases. The only flipside is that this treatment with the support treatment of Gencidine is estimated to cost close to RM500k, and as this is an outpatient treatment, insurance will be unable to cover the cost.
Howev er, because of our friends relationship with the doctor, he is willing to lower the cost to RM250,000 for both treatments.

It is with this email that we humbly ask for support from you our friends to help us in our time of need. RM250k is a large sum of money but we want to keep our eyes on God whom we believe will help us.

If you feel moved to help us in any way please could you help transfer funds to my account as follows:

Henry Wong Yuen Kwong

Public Bank Berhad

Branch: SS2 Petaling Jaya

3063772934

SWIFT CODE: PBBEMYKLXXX

As soon as we reach the targeted amount, we will inform everyone so that you can stop remitting funds. In any case, we thank you for your continued prayers. God is the ultimate healer and all the glory in the end belongs to Him. We will keep you updated of her progress and the treatment as well.

Love in Christ

Henry & Liz

Friend A : Eh why dont we get a small cake for her ?

Me : oh why dont I make it since Ill be back early. Make something simple and quick la.

Friend A : Ok, I want chocolate banana

Me: Its not your birthday la! but let me think what to make on the way back home.

Well basically that was the email conversation we had at about 4pm ish. I had to make something quick. Mm.. quick and yummy. So on my way back, I decided (in the car) that Ill make a chocolate cake, sandwiched with a Grand Marnier mousse cause its one of my favourite liquour (Cointreau as well) and I havent used it yet since buying it in the duty free shop in Seoul. Got some eggs from the grocer and I almost always have oranges at home, I knew making something with oranges wouldnt be a hassle.

at 5.30pm ish, made the chocolate cake, put into the oven. Walked the dogs, bum around, mom came back to cook, now Id have to be really careful to not have any tau chu sauce in my orange juice as my mum was cooking fish with tau chu sauce. Come 7pm, made the grand marnier mousse, assembled the cake. Made some candied julienne orange peel and downed the orange segments with some sugar and Grand Marnier. Took a shower, checked the mousse if it has set. Made a quick ganache poured over the cake, set to chill for a while more. Watched some tv,arranged the oranges on top, popped a candle, then its time to head out for yum char.

Arrived yum char place, we asked the waited to light the candle and bring the cake to the birthday girl (oh belated actually). Birthday girl had a stoned look on her face more than surprised cause she wanted to tell the waiter that they got the wrong table and that there is no ones birthday here. Lol, well of course its a belated one. Better late than never

The photos not that great, the ganache is not that smooth, the decorations, well its as orangey as it can get But the flavours were great, the mousse was so light and silky. The only downside was the rice crispy base which lacked crispiness. All in all, for a quick cake it was pretty good. Im going to skip the recipe for the chocolate rice krispies cause I didnt think it was good, maybe a feuilletine layer would do better. Another one of those experimental recipes. Feel free to. take the risk and try it. LOL.

Chocolate Boozy Orange Cake

(makes 6 square)

Chocolate cake
any light chocolate cake of your choice

Orange Grand Marnier Mousse
2 1/2 tsp gelatin powder
1 tbsp cold water
50g sugar
1/2 cup orange juice
zest of 1/2 an orange
2 tbsp Grand Marnier Liquour
150ml cream

Sugar Syrup
1 part sugar
1.5 parts water
2-3 orange peel

Boozy Orange segments
1 orange
20g sugar (or to taste)
1 tbsp Grand Marnier Liquour

Candied Orange peel
1/2 an orange
50g sugar
125ml water
pinch of salt
100g icing sugar

Chocolate Ganache
100g chocolate
120ml cream
10g butter

Method:

1. Make Sugar Syrup. Bring sugar and water to a boil. Add in orange peel. Let it infuse while you make other stuffs.

2. Make chocolate cake. You can use any chocolate cake recipe, except for flourless. Torte to 2 slices, about 2cm each layer.If using rice krispies or feuilletine ! layer, c ake should be just about 1.5cm thick

3. While the chocolate cake is baking, make the Boozy orange segments and candied orange peel. Cut skins off orange and cut the segments out. Well I cant really explain how this is done properly, but all you do is slide your knife against the inside of the white membrane of both sides, then the orange segment comes out nice n clean. Place them in a bowl and sprinkle some caster sugar and some Grand Marnier. Toss and let it sit till ready to use.

4. Make candied orange peel. Using a peeler, peel the skin of the orange, then julienne the orange peel into long strips. In a pot, bring sugar, salt and water to a boil, then let it reduce to 2/3. Turn off heat, toss in the julienned orange peel and coat them with the sugar syrup. On a clean sheet pan, dust some icing sugar, remove the orange peel sans syrup, then toss them in the icing sugar. Let it dry till ready to use.

5. Make Grand Marnier Mousse. Whip cream to medium peaks, cool in the fridge till ready to use. In a small bowl, stir gelatin powder in with cold water, let it bloom. In a small saucepan, bring orange juice and sugar to a light boil, just to dissolve the sugar. Reheat gelatin in the microwave for 20-30 seconds or till melted. Stir into the orange juice, and add in Grand Marnier Liquor. Stir the mixture over an ice bath to cool down the temperature of the orange juice. Then lightly fold in whipped cream and mix till smooth.

6. To assemble, lay a slice of chocolate cake at the bottom in a 6 cake ring (lets assume that theres no rice krispee here in the cake), using a brush, soak some syrup on the cake. Pour 1/2 of grand marnier mousse. Then add another layer of chocolate cake, syrup, mousse. Then cover and let it set in the fridge for 1 hour. If there are rice krispies or feuilletine at the bottom, add that first into the bottom of the cake ring, then only the chocolate cake.

7. Make Chocolate Ganache. I n a bowl, pour in cream and chocolate buttons (or diced). Put in the microwave and cook for 30 seconds. Remove, stir. If it has melted, stir in butter. Otherwise, reheat in the microwave for another 30 seconds then add in the butter. Stir and let it cool abit.

8. when the cake has set, remove the cake ring and pour ganache over the cake. Put it in the fridge to set further.

9. Final assembly, strain the boozy orange segments (the oranges would have soaked the syrup leaving a little behind), arrange on top of the cake. Scatter some of the candied julienne orange peel and chocolate decorations on top.

10. Cut and eat

report

Eat. Learn. Move: Rick Mereki's Awesome Short Films

Thank God it's finally Friday! We can all take a little breather and look forward to the weekend now.

While we're at it, I'd like to share a super cool series of 3 beautiful and compelling short films with you about one guy's documentation of what he claims to be the journey of his lifetime -44 days, 11 countries, 18 flights, 38 thousand miles, an exploding volcano, 2 cameras and almost a terabyte of footage - all in hopes of turning 3 ambitious linear concepts based onTravel, LearningandFood.Eat, Pray, Lovecomes to mind?

Perhaps one day, I too might get the chance to produce such visually stimulating documentaries of my own adventures of eating and traveling. Oh, how one can only dream.


EATfromRick MerekionVimeo.


LEARNfromRick MerekionVimeo.


MOVEfromRick MerekionVimeo.

So which one is your favourite? Personally, I'm torn between the yummy Eat and seamless Move videos. Too cool for words.

All videos are produced and directed by one multi faceted filmmaker-illustrator-photographer,Rick Mereki. Check out his Tumblr pageHERE.

World's 50 most delicious foods - CNN

50. The only food that tastes better when it's inside out.

50. Buttered popcorn, United States

Corn the workhorse of the industrial world is best when its sweet variety is fried up with lashings of butter till it bursts and then snarfed in greasy fistfuls while watching Commando late at night.

49. The best versions are actually served in Singapore

49. Masala dosa, India

A crispy, rice-batter crepe encases a spicy mix of mashed potato, which is then dipped in coconut chutney, pickles, tomato-and-lentil-based sauces and other condiments. Its a fantastic breakfast food thatll keep you going till lunch, when youll probably come back for another.

48. Potato chips, United States< span>

Potato chips were invented in New York when a chef tried to play a trick on a fussy diner. Now theyre one of the worlds most child-friendly foods. But think of them this way if a single chip cost, say, US$5, itd be a far greater (and more popular) delicacy than caviar, a prize worth fighting wars over.

47. So fresh you'll think it's flirting with you.

47. Seafood paella, Spain

The sea is lapping just by your feet, a warm breeze whips the tablecloth around your legs and a steamy pan of paella sits in front of you. Shrimp, lobster, mussels and cuttlefish combine with white rice and various herbs, oil and salt in this Valencian dish to send you immediately into holiday mode. Though, if you have it in Spain, youre probably there already.

46. Som tam, Thailand

To prepare Thailand's most famous salad, pound garlic and chilies with a mortar and pestle. Toss in tamarind juice, fish sauce, peanuts, dried shrimp, tomatoes, lime juice, sugar cane paste, string beans and a handful of grated green papaya.

Grab a side of sticky rice. V! ariation s include those made with crab (som tam boo) and fermented fish sauce (som tam plah lah), but none matches the flavor and simple beauty of the original.

45. The cucumber's an afterthought, the rest though is right on message.

45. Chicken rice, Singapore

Often called the national dish of Singapore, this steamed or boiled chicken is served atop fragrant oily rice, with sliced cucumber as the token vegetable. Variants include roasted chicken or soy sauce chicken.

The dipping sauces premium dark soy sauce, chili with garlic and pounded ginger give it that little extra oomph to ensure whenever youre not actually in Singapore eating chicken rice, youre thinking of it.

44. Poutine, Canada

French fries smothered in cheese curds and brown gravy. Sounds kind of disgusting, looks even worse, but engulfs the mouth in a saucy, cheesy, fried-potato mix thatll have you fighting over the last dollop.

Our Canadian friends insist its best enjoyed at 3 a.m. after several beers.

!

43. Two tacos are just never enough.

43. Tacos, Mexico

A fresh, handmade tortilla stuffed with small chunks of grilled beef rubbed in oil and sea salt then covered with guacamole, salsa, onions, cilantro or anything else you want perfect for breakfast, lunch or dinner. This is the reason no visitor leaves Mexico weighing less than when they arrived.

42. Buttered toast with Marmite, Britain

OK, anything buttered is probably going to taste great, but theres something about this tangy, salty, sour, love-it-or-hate-it yeast extract that turns a piece of grilled bread into a reason to go on living. For extra yum factor, add a layer of marmalade.

41. Stinky tofu, Southeast Asia

Nothing really prepares you for the stench of one of the strangest dishes on earth. Like durian, smelly tofu is one of Southeat Asias most iconic foods.

The odor of fermenting tofu is so overpowering many arent able to shake off the memory for months. So is the legendarily divine taste really worth the effort? Sur! e it is.

40. How can something taste this good? It's just nuts.

40. Marzipan, Germany

Dont be fooled by cheap imitations, which use soy paste or almond essence. The real stuff, which uses nothing but ground almonds with sugar, is so good, youll eat a whole bar of it, feel sick, and still find yourself toying with the wrapper on bar number two.

39. Ketchup, United States

If Malcolm Gladwell says its a perfect food, then its a perfect food. Lets face it, anything that can convince two-year-olds to eat their carrots rather than spitting them onto the floor is worthy of not just a delicious title, but a miracle of persuasion title, too.

38. A measly 500 calories is all this bad boy will cost you.

38. French toast, Hong Kong

Unlike its more restrained Sunday brunch counterpart, Hong Kong-style French toast is like a deep-fried hug. Two pieces of toast are slathered with peanut butter or kaya jam, soaked in egg batter, fried in butter and served with still more butter and lots of syrup. Best enjoyed before cholesterol checks.

37. Chicken parm, Australia

Melted Parmesan and mozzarella cheese, and a peppery, garlicky tomato sauce drizzled over the top of a chicken fillet Aussie pub-goers claim this ostensibly Italian dish as their own. Since they make it so well, there's no point in arguing.

36. Pigs can't fly, but they can grill beautifully.

36. Texas barbecue pork, United States

A saucy mash of chili, tomatoes, onions, pepper and various herbs gives each barbecue chef his or her own personalized zing to lay on top of perfectly prepped pig. Like the Texas sky, the options are endless.

35. As hot, and as tasty, as it looks.

35. Chili crab, Singapore

You cant visit Singapore without trying its spicy, sloppy, meaty specialty. While there are dozens of ways to prepare crab (with black pepper, salted egg yolk, cheese-baked, et cetera) chili crab remains the local bestseller.

Spicy chili-tomato gravy tends to splatter, which is why you need to mop everything up with mini mantou buns.

34. Maple syrup, Canada

Ever tried eating a pancake without maple syrup? Its like eating a slice of cardboard. Poorly prepared cardboard.

In fact, Canadas gift to parents everywhere throw some maple syrup on the kids broccoli and see what happens makes just about anything worth trying. Pass the cardboard, please.

33. It's not pos! h, it's not refined, but it is damn good eating.

33. Fish n chips, Britain

Anything thats been around since the 1860s cant be doing much wrong. The staple of the Victorian British working class is a crunchy-outside, soft-inside dish of simple, un-adorned food fundamentals.

Sprinkled with salt, vinegar and dollops of tartar sauce, it is to nouveau cuisine what Meat Loaf is to Prince (or whatever he's calling himself now).

32. Ankimo, Japan

So, whos up for a chunk of monkfish liver with a little grated daikon on the side? Thought not still, youre missing out on one of sushis last great secrets, the prized ankimo.

The monkfish/anglerfish that unknowingly bestows its liver upon upscale sushi fans is threatened by commercial fishing nets damaging its sea-floor habitat, so its possible ankimo won't be around for much longer.

If you do stumble across the creamy, yet oddly light delicacy anytime soon, consider a taste you wont regret it.

31. Only ham this great can make fre! sh melon even better.

31. Parma ham, Italy

You see it folded around melon, wrapped around grissini, placed over pizza, heaped over salad.

Theres good reason for that: these salty, paper-thin slices of air-dried ham lift the taste of everything they accompany to a higher level, following the same theory as the Italian guy who thinks carrying around a copy of Candide makes up for the tiny Speedos.

30. Goi cuon (summer roll), Vietnam

This snack made from pork, shrimp, herbs, rice vermicelli and other ingredients wrapped in rice paper is served at room temperature. Its meat light, with the flavors of refreshing herbs erupting in your mouth.

Dipped in a slightly sweet Vietnamese sauce laced with ground peanuts, its wholesome, easy and the very definition of moreish.

29. Handle with care, devour with gusto.

29. Ohmi-gyu beef steak, Japan

This premium Japanese Wagyu beef from famed Takara Ranch has b! een reco gnized by the Imperial Palace of Japan as one of the greatest beef stocks to be raised in the past 400 years.

Called the Rolls-Royce of beef, its best eaten sashimi style, anointed with a drizzle of kaffir lime and green tea sea salt. Marbled fat gives each mouthful texture as the beef melts away, leaving a subtle but distinctly classic beef flavor.

28. Spare us the just-add-water pots, this is what real noodles should look like

28. Pho, Vietnam

This oft-mispronounced national dish (fuh is correct) is just broth, fresh rice noodles, a few herbs and usually chicken or beef. But its greater than the sum of its parts fragrant, tasty and balanced, the polar opposite of the moto rider who brought you to the little caf where you find the best stuff.

27. Montreal-style smoked meat, Canada

Day and night, lines form outside of Schwartzs, Montreals best Hebrew delicatessen and Canadas oldest. Here clerks slice up the best smoked meat in North America.

Following a 1928 recipe, the meat is cured for 10 days. Order your smoked beef sandwich medium-lean, heavy on! the mus tard, three pickles and with extra pommes frites, the way the Rolling Stones have supposedly enjoyed it.

Schwartzs, 3895 St-Laurent, Montreal, Canada; +1 514 842 4813; info@schwartsdeli.com; www.schwartzsdeli.com

26. If only every food could be wrapped in a tortilla.

26. Fajitas, Mexico

This assembly kit of a dining experience is a thrill to DIY enthusiasts everywhere.

Step 1: Behold the meat sizzling on a fiery griddle. Step 2: Along with the meat, throw side servings of capsicum, onion, guacamole, sour cream and salsa into a warm, flour tortilla. Step 3: Promise all within hearing range that youll have just one more. Step 4: Repeat.

25. Thankfully you don't have to catch these prickly fellas yourself.!

25. Butter garlic crab, India

This one claims no roots in Chinese, Continental or Indian cuisines. It comes from Butter Land, an imaginary place balanced on the premise that anything tastes great with meltedbutter.

This delicious, simple dish is made by drowning a large crab in a gallon of butter-garlic sauce, which seeps into every nook and cranny and coats every inch of flesh.

The sea gods of Butter Land are benevolent carnivores and this, their gift to the world, is their signature dish.

24. Champ, Ireland

Irish national dish champ goes down faster than the first pint of Guinness on a Friday night. Mashed potato with spring onions, butter, salt and pepper, champ is theperfect side with any meat or fish.

For the textbook plate of creamy goodness, wesuggest the busiest pub in any Irish seaside town. Around noon somehow feels right.

23. So good, they gave it five levels.

23. Lasagna, Italy

Second only to pizza in the list of famed Italian foods, theres a reason this pasta-layered, tomato-sauce-infused, minced-meaty gift to kids and adults alike is so popular it just works.

22. Brownie and vanilla ice cream, global

There are some who will not frequent an establishment if it does not have brownie and ice cream on the dessert menu. You may call them fools.

We do, too, but having done so we then happily leave the first restaurant after the main course to visit one we know has this perfect dessert on offer.

21. Best way to eat this? In bed, at 3 p.m. in a gite in Brittany.

21. Croissant, France

Flaky pastry smothered in butter, a pile of raspberry jam smeared over the top and a soft, giving bite as you sink in your teeth; theres nothing not to love about this fatty, sweet breakfast food that must be married to a cup of strong coffee.

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20. Arepas, Venezuela

A corn-dough patty that provides a savory canvas onto which you can paint any numberof delicious toppings: cheese, shredded chicken, crisped pork skin, perico, beef, tomato,avocado its the most beautiful thing to come out of Venezuela since all those Miss Universe winners.

19. Nam tok moo, Thailand

Grilled pork combined with lemon juice, green onions, chili, mint sprigs, fish sauce and toasted rice. Legend has it the blood from the meat along with the dressing inspired some happy carnivore to name this brilliant dish waterfall (nam tok moo) meat.

18. It's as if sunny Sunday afternoons were created just for shish sizzlers.

18. Kebab, Iran

For keeping starvation at bay for the entire student population of the United Kingdom, the doner kebab should clearly be honored. But they are hardly the delicious prototype worthy of representing a region.

For that, summon the shish kebab. Pick your meat, shove a stick throug! h it, g rill. Then wonder why you dont eat like this every day.

17. If you were on a million menus you'd have big claws too.

17. Lobster, global

Forget all your fancy, contrived lobster dishes deployed by showoff chefs eager for Michelin endorsement. When you have something as naturally delicious as these little fellas, keep it simple. The best way to enjoy lobster is simply to boil it and serve with a side of melted butter and slice of lemon.

16. Egg tart, Hong Kong

Like many classic dishes, the Hong Kong egg tart marries two contrasting textures: crusty, flaky pastry and jiggly, trembling custard. Its sweet, its delicious and its best eaten hot from the oven on the street while queuing up to get just one more.

15. Kalua pig, United States

Only commercially available in Hawaii, the kalua preparation turns a meal into an epic event, with a whole pig roasted in an underground sand pit for six or seven hours.

But its not just for show. Smashed banana tree trunks, sea salt and shredded (never sliced) meat means this smoky, aromatic piece of pig will linger long on your tongue and even longer in your memory.

14. Yeh, you'll get fat, but you'll have a great time doing so.

14. Donuts, United States

These all-American fried wheels of dough need no introduction, but we will say one thing: the delicious guilt of snacking on these addictive calorie bombs makes them taste even better. If thats possible.

13. Corn on the cob, global

God probably created corn just to have an excuse to invent melted butter. Theres something about biting down on a cob of corn its a delicate enough operation to require concentration but primal enough to make you feel like the caveman you always wanted to be. Great food is caveman food.

12. Good food day and night, shepherd's delight?

12. Shepherds pie, Britain

Some might say Englands greatest inventions were the steam engine and the Jaguar E-Type. We like to think shepherds pie minced lamb topped with mashed potato comes somewhere in that list.

Tastes best at the end of a gloomy, rainy day with an open fire licking at the chimney breast and Ricky Gervais insulting people on the telly. Which is lucky, as thats what most days are like in England.

11. Don't judge an awesome food by its dour appearance.

11. Rendang, Indonesia

Beef is slowly simmered with coconut milk and a mixture of lemongrass, galangal, garlic, turmeric, ginger and chilies, then left to stew for a few hours to create this dish of tender, flavorful bovine goodness.

Tasting it fresh out of the kitchen will send your stomach into overdrive, but many people think it gets even better when left overnight.

10. The real McCoy ... although there are many variations.

10. Chicken muamba, Gabon

A bastardized Western version of this delectable Gabonese dish swamps everythingin peanut butter. Oh, the insanity. The proper recipe calls for chicken, hot chili, garlic,tomato, pepper, salt, okra and palm butter, an artery-clogging African butter thatwill force you into a second helping and a promise to start using your gym membership.

9. Who put that stinking fruit in there?

9. Ice cream, United States

You may have just gorged yourself to eruption point, but somehow theres always room for a tooth-rotting, U.S.-style pile of ice cream with nuts, marshmallows and chocolate sauce.

Thank God for extra lon! g spoons that allow you get at the real weight-gain stuff all mixed up and melted at the bottom of the glass.

8. Try it in a hot pot.

8. Tom yum goong, Thailand

This Thai masterpiece teems with shrimp, mushrooms, tomatoes, lemongrass,galangal and kaffir lime leaves. Usually loaded with coconut milk and cream, the hearty soup unifies a host of favorite Thai tastes: sour, salty, spicy and sweet. Best of all is the price: cheap.

7. Best eate! n al fre sco on the island of Penang itself.

7. Penang assam laksa, Malaysia

Poached, flaked mackerel, tamarind, chili, mint, lemongrass, onion, pineapple oneof Malaysias most popular dishes is an addictive spicy-sour fish broth with noodles (especially great when fused with ginger), thatll have your nose running before the spoon even hits your lips.

6. The best cows come minced and in a bun.

6. Hamburger, Germany

When something tastes so good that people spend US$20 billion each year in a single restaurant chain devoted to it, you know it has to fit into this list. McDonalds may not offer the best burgers, but thats the point -- it doesnt have to.

The bread-meat-salad combination is so good that entire countries have ravaged their eco-systems just to produce more cows.

!

5. A real quacker of a food.

5. Peking duck, China

The maltose-syrup glaze coating the skin is the secret. Slow roasted in an oven, the crispy, syrup-coated skin is so good that authentic eateries will serve more skin than meat, and bring it with pancakes, onions and hoisin or sweet bean sauce.

Other than flying or floating, this is the only way you want your duck.

4. If this was a "most beautiful" foods list, this would be no. 1.

4. Sushi, Japan

When Japan wants to build something right, it builds it really right. Brand giants such as Toyota, Nintendo, Sony, Nikon and Yamaha may have been created by people fueled by nothing more complicated than raw fish and rice, but its how the fish and rice is put together that makes this a global first-date favorite.

The Japanese dont live practically forever for no reason they want to keep eating this stuff.

3. Chocolate -- a bad husband's best friend.

3. Chocolate, Mexico

The Mayans drank it, Lasse Hallstrm made a film about it and the rest of us get over the guilt of eating too much of it by eating more of it. The story of the humble cacao bean is a bona fide out-of-the-jungle, into-civilization tale of culinary wonder.

Without this creamy, bitter-sweet confection, Valentines Day would be all cards and flowers, Easter would turn back into another dull religious event and those halcyon days of watching the dog throw up because you replaced the strawberry innards of the pink Quality Street with salt would be fanciful imaginings.

2. No place for pepperoni in this list.

2. Neapolitan pizza, Italy

Spare us the lumpy chain monstrosities and everything-on-it wheels of greed.

The best pizza was and still is the simple Neapolitan, an invention now protected by its own trade association that insists on sea salt, high-grade wheat flour, the use of only three types of fresh tomatoes, hand-rolled dough and the strict use of a wood-fired oven, among other quality stipulations.

With just a few ingredients dough, tomatoes, olive oil, salt and basil (the marinara pizza does not even contain cheese) the Neapolitans created a food that few make properly, but everyone enjoys thoroughly.

1. One more reason to fall in love with Thailand.

1. Massaman curry, Thailand

Emphatically the king of curries, and perhaps the king of all foods. Spicy, coconutty, sweet and savory, its combination of flavors has more personality than a Thai election.

Even the packet sauce you buy from the supermarket can make the most delinquent of cooks look like a Michelin potential. Thankfully, someone invented rice, with which diners can mop up the last drizzles of curry sauce.

The Land of Smiles isnt just a marketing catch-line. Its a result of being born in a land where the worlds most delicious food is sol! d on nea rly every street corner.

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