Cook Off Brazil v Holland

Well it is time for arguably the most pointless match in football, the 3rd/4th place play off in the World Cup finals, a battle for the bronze medal if you like, a strange concept, like an International version of the Simod or Zenith Data Systems Cup - remember them?

Anyhow, I digress. It is Brazil versus Holland in the cook off blog series, where we take a look at how the two nations would do battle, if the game of football was played through the eyes of the humble national dish. That means it Feijoada of Brazil against Hutspot of Holland.

Both recipes and one from each of the 32 nations involved in the summer's tournament feature inside The Sixty6 Unofficial World Cup Cookbook, produced by Sixty6 Magazine's Editor in Chief, Mal Robinson. The cookbook is digital only and available in a number of formats including PDF and Kindle editions. Links to purchase the publication can be found below.

Amazon Kindle: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sixty6-Unofficial-World-Cup-Cookbook-ebook/dp/B00LEZRIEQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1405165385&sr=1-1&keywords=sixty6+unofficial+world+cup+cookbook

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/448943

PDF direct from the site: http://www.worldcupcookbook.co.uk/apps/webstore/products/show/4984730

COOK OFF NO.10 FEIJOADA V HUTSPOT

THE LINE UPS - BRAZIL

Feijoada sounds like a bar snack you would expect to find in the bar from Star Wars, you know the one with Han Solo and Greedo (aptly named for a cook off blog) and the vast array of dodgy characters. However, it is a very respectable bean stew, complete with trimmings of pork, ham shank and smoked sausage.

THE LINE UPS - HOLLAND

Hutspot is a dish consisting of carrots, turnip and potatoes all mashed together and usually served with other such Dutch delights like meatballs. It is very much a Dutch dish though - random and orange, but will that be in enough in the cook off?

THE COOK OFF

The Dutch implement a triangle formation before kick off,  the potatoes sitting in the hole behind the carrots on the left and the turnip on the right flanks in a bid to nullify the threat of the Brazilian's assortment of ingredients from the tasty bean stew.
The formation does not work though, the combination of the meats, bay leaves and garlic from the South Americans, simply out tasting the mundane veggie mash up. Some pride is regained then for the home nation.

Verdict: Brazil 2 Holland 0

Headlines: "Hotspot for Hutspot as Brazilians get bean"

Recipes taken from The Sixty6 Unofficial World Cup Cookbook complete with a foreword from Carlton Palmer and illustrations by Andrew Booth.

 

Cook Off Brazil v Germany

The semi finals are here and first up it is Brazil taking on Germany. Today's game then also sees the first installment of the cook off blogs for the semi final stage. The cook off blogs look at how the two nations would fare if the match was played on the basis of the strengths of the national dishes for each country.

So then that means its the Germans' well known Currywurst recipe against the Brazilian's Feijoada bean stew. Both recipes and more feature in the Sixty6 Unofficial World Cup Cookbook available from Amazon for Kindle at http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sixty6-Unofficial-World-Cup-Cookbook-ebook/dp/B00LEZRIEQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1404809914&sr=8-1&keywords=Sixty6+Unofficial+World+Cup+Cookbook

It can also be downloaded as a PDF file from www.worldcupcookbook.co.uk or from https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/448943

COOK OFF NO. 8 FEIJOADA V CURRYWURST 

The Line Ups - Brazil

Feijoada is a bean stew featuring a mix of beans and is as dependable as the Brazilian team itself, even if they have stuttered to the semi finals. Not as eye catching as David Luiz's hair, the bowl of bean broth does have its standout moments, not least dried chillies, an abundance of garlic and corned beef!

The Line Ups - Germany

Currywurst is a classic German street food delight with its own spicy kick, the German sausage topped with tomato ketchup and curry powder, nearly as delightful as Thomas Muller's rolled down sock image, akin to a holidaymaker strolling in the park.

The Cook Off

Despite having home advantage, the Brazilian bean stew struggles from the kick off, the simplicity of the German dish holding the edge. It is a tense stand off in the first half however, the Currywurst moving into second and third gear with the addition of some chips and mayo! The bean stew now crying into its own stodge, dreads the sight of a stein of beer waiting to come on as a substitute to wash it all down and its an easy win for ze Germans.

Verdict: Brazil 0 Germany 3

Headlines: "The Brazilian Bean Bubble is finally Vurst"

To see how to make the Currywurst visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ix57l6EcZ-4

For more on the cookbook featuring a foreword from Carlton Palmer and illustrations from Andrew Booth see www.worldcupcookbook.co.uk 

Published by Sixty6 Magazine www.sixty6magazine.co.uk

 

Cook Off Holland V Mexico

The cook off blogs heat up into the second day of the knockout stages and today we look at Holland against Mexico in the battle of the cook off blogs, where we see how the two national dishes of these countries would compare on a football pitch. That means its the Mexican mole sauce against the crazy Dutch's Hutspot.

The recipes for both dishes along with 32 other nation's recipes can be found in the Sixty6 Unofficial World Cup Cookbook from http://www.worldcupcookbook.co.uk/apps/webstore/

COOK OFF NO.6 HUTSPOT V MOLE SAUCE 

The Line Ups - Holland

Hutspot is the Dutch equivalent of "bubble and squeak" with the use of plenty of carrots, so literally supporting the orange cause in colour effect. Not the most glitzy of dishes for a national cuisine, however the vegetable based dish does the job in terms of comfort food.

The Line Ups - Mexico

We opted for Mole Sauce for Mexico in the book as this dish was the most widespread in the country and can go with most things. If you thought the Dutch were crazy, then the Mexicans add peanut butter and chocolate chips to this sauce, which also contains tomatoes and garlic...literally nuts! 

The Cook Off

Its one side affair for taste this match, as the Mexicans' mole sauce pours itself over the mashed veg, as spice overrules the mundane. Inadvertently though by doing this, the combination produced is a heavenly hive of Sunday afternoon smoothness, just as we expect it to be on the pitch. 

This cook off it a tough one to call as a result and therefore if this was a game of football it would go to penalties. 

Verdict: Penalty shoot out that could go either way! 

Headlines: "Crazy Dutch matched by crazy Mexican sauce"

For more recipes see The Sixty6 Unofficial World Cup Cookbook with a foreword from Carlton Palmer and illustrations by Andrew Booth.

To see how to make Hutspot see http://www.worldcupcookbook.co.uk/sample-of-book

To see how to make Mole Sauce check out the video at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1jcZ735VtU

www.sixty6magazine.co.uk

Cook Off - Brazil v Chile

We are back on the cook off blogs today after a day's rest in Brazil yesterday.
The cook off blogs sees us pitch two teams a day from the World Cup and look at a hypothetical football match between those two nation's national dishes in celebration of the launch of The Sixty6 Unofficial World Cup Cookbook - see www.worldcupcookbook.co.uk for more info.

Today we look at Brazil versus Chile in the first of the knockout games this summer. That means its Feijoada (Bean Stew) against Empadas (Latin American pasties).

COOK OFF NO.5 FEIJOADA V EMPADAS

The Line Ups - Brazil
Feijoada is a bean stew full of taste however its not as flamboyant as the Brazilian football we have seen over the decades. Let's say if it were a Brazilian footballer it would be a Dunga more than a Zico or Socrates.

The Lines Ups - Chile
A great match up for a national dish to reflect their football team. Empadas are little pasties bursting with flavour as busy on the tongue as the Chilean team are on the pitch.

The Cook Off

Its an intriguing affair full of tenacity from the start, however the energy of the pasties and the steak slices doused in a variety of spices inside the pastry. The bean stew holds its own for a while, with samba rhythm running through it with two lots of beans for good measure.
Yet, the Empadas endless flavours win through in the end, even the cameo appearance of an egg towards full time bamboozling the Brazilians.

Verdict: Brazil 1 Chile 2

Headlines: "Red Hot Chile Pasties"

For more World Cup culinary delights see the Unofficial World Cup Cookbook

www.sixty6magazine.co.uk