Cook Off Argentina v Holland

The second semi final of the 2014 World Cup arrives in the form of Argentina versus Holland today and surely it can not be as exciting as Germany's 7-1 thrashing of Brazil last night?

The Germans also won the cook off blog yesterday, where we look at how the two teams competing would face up if it were a battle of national culinary dishes on the football pitch instead of tactics and formations.

Today then in culinary terms it is the Asado against the Hutspot.

All dishes featured in the blogs can be found in The Sixty6 Unofficial World Cup Cookbook available on Amazon for Kindle at http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sixty6-Unofficial-World-Cup-Cookbook-ebook/dp/B00LEZRIEQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1404910820&sr=8-1&keywords=sixty6+unofficial+World+Cup+cookbook or as a PDF from http://www.worldcupcookbook.co.uk/apps/webstore/products/show/4984730 or the Smashwords store at https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/448943

COOK OFF NO.9 THE ASADO V HUTSPOT

The Line Ups - Argentina

The South Americans' first appearance in the cook off blogs and what a time to do so at the semi final stage. The Argentinian dish is something of a special nature in the book as The Asado is more of an occasion than a single dish and it is the Argentinian version of a barbecue. 

It is more than that though, it is a gathering of friends and family to slowly enjoy a range of meats (which can include beef brisket and black pudding) cooked over a wood fire and washed down with red wine. 

The Line Ups - Holland

The Netherlands have featured before with the Hutspot, not a mispelling from Michael Barrymore's Strike it Lucky! TV show (the hotspot) but a dish of carrots and turnips in a flamboyant bubble and squeak. Not quite as appealing as the Dutch team then. 

The Cook Off 

The Dutch struggle to find their way against the plethora of meat firepower the Argentinians boast. The mashed up turnips and carrots can not cut the mustard, the sizzling beef seeing out the 90 minutes with ease. Add to the mix a bottle or two of Temperillo wine, a good crowd and a link or two of chorizo sausages and Argentina coast their way to an easy cook off victory. 

Verdict: Argentina 3 Holland 0 

Headlines: "Messi Meat Mauling for Dutch Veg" 

For the full range of recipes for the World Cup see the cookbook from Sixty6 Magazine.

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 France v Nigeria

It is the turn of France and Nigeria in today's cook off as the temperature rises in Brazil, so it does in the Sixty6 cook off blogs.

Here we look at how the national dishes of the teams involved in this year's World Cup and how would they fare if the 90 minutes rested on culinary shoulders. All the cook off blogs are in celebration of the launch of Sixty6 Magazine's The Unofficial World Cup Cookbook - an eBook available from Smashwords and the Unofficial World Cup Cookbook site found at www.worldcupcookbook.co.uk and coming very soon to Kindle and Google Books.

So back then to France against Nigeria, which means Tapenade versus Suya.

COOK OFF NO.7 TAPENADE V SUYA 

The Line Ups - France

We could have chosen an array of dishes for the French chapter of the cookbook, however we chose Tapenade in the end in keeping with the simplicity of the dishes, which means more time for the football fan to watch the game. Tapenade of course is the olive based spread to plaster all over a rustic baguette - a healthy version of a match day treat if you like.

The Line Ups - Nigeria

A common theme in the book we found was many national dishes tend to resemble a kebab for some reason. The suya is one of these dishes and fighting the corner for the African version the popular meat dish, perhaps akin to a kofte or shish.

The Cook Off

The two dishes eye each other up as the game is underway, the French tapenade tip toeing around the spicy meat from Africa. Finally the suya makes it move, attacking from the front in all its glory. The French spread though is a subtle yet savvy little number and with the inclusion of a selection of anchovies in the starting line up (which will please one Eric Cantona with his trawler speech and all that) they have the intelligence to stifle any offensive from the Nigerians and their cayenne pepper, spreading themselves like a boa constrictor all over the cubes of meat, with baguettes on the bench not required.

Verdict: France 3 Nigeria 0

Headlines: "A serenade of tapenade for the French"

For the entire range of World Cup recipes see the Sixty6 Unofficial World Cup Cookbook.

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