The World Cup Final Cook Off Blog Special Germany v Argentina

Time flies when your having fun and this summer's International feast of football comes to an end today with the World Cup Final between Germany and Argentina.

With this in mind then today's final cook off blog has an extra special element taken straight from the Sixty6 Unofficial World Cup Cookbook - the alternative hypothetical football recipes.

For those not in the know, the cook off blogs take a look at the game of the day in the World Cup and analysed through the eyes of the culinary world and we see how the two countries would look on the pitch, if the game was played in the style of the national dishes. Today that means it is Germany's Currywurst against Argentina's Asado.

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 CURRYWURST V ASADO

The Line Ups - Germany

A favourite street food for the Germans and popular with many Brits, Currywurst is simple yet so effective, many would argue just like the German side this World Cup. Perhaps the only side to play as a team effectively throughout the tournament. Currywurst is Bratwurst sausage sliced up and covered with curry and ketchup sauce, a sprinkling of curry powder to finish on top and served with a crusty bun. Best accompanied by frites mit mayo (chips and mayonnaise to you and I) and a large stein of German beer.

The Line Ups - Argentina

Another cultural favourite this time of the Argentinian population, Asado is more of an occasion than one single dish, so then quite apt it appears in the World Cup final cook off - an occasion in itself! An article featured in the Boston Globe stated: "Asado is more than a meal. When several generations of large families or groups of friends get together, greeting one another with hearty embraces and multiple kisses, the meat may be the centerpiece of the meal, but the camaraderie is the most important event. Mendoza resident Betiana Antonietti says, "Asado not only refers to the beef . . . it is also the company." The Argentinian camaraderie was evident in the semi final against Holland, Messrs Messi and Mascherano the main instigators.

The World Cup Final Cook Off

The crowd are drooling at the prospect of the battle of the tasty meat feast, as the Germans pit their wits against the rearguard of Argentinian carvery such as Chorizo and Morcilla - a blood sausage no less. It has to be said there is more sausage on display than the Chippendales appearing in a Wall's meat production line, refereed by former sausage factory worker himself, Chris Waddle.
The links of sausages form a stand off, with Germany adding the fries and mayo to their attacking ranks, the South Americans roll out the big guns of organ meats and large cuts of steak and brisket beef, topped off by a selection of pickles such as olives, salami and cheeses, it is simply too much for the Germans.

Verdict: Germany 1 Argentina 3

Headlines: "Argentina turn up the heat on the meat"

Alternative Football Recipes (taken from the Sixty6 Unofficial World Cup Cookbook written before the start of the tournament)

Germany 

Thomas Muller Rice Pudding

Ingredients 

500 grams of pudding rice

Cream

Sugar

1 x lanky German versatility

With only two nominated strikers in Miroslav Klose and Lukas Podolski, Bayern Munich’s Thomas Muller will be expected to help out in the goal department and judging on his last outing in the 2010 World Cup, this should present no significant problem to the towering midfielder.

We always say the Germans are not as strong as previous squads they have enjoyed, yet always seem to pull it out of the bag and coast through to the latter stages.

Argentina 

Eton Messi

Ingredients

2 x Meringue bases

10 ounces of pouring cream

4 tablespoons of custard

1 x small Argentinian greatest player elect

Now is the time for the sensational Lionel Messi to perform on the World stage. Having blown away everything in front of him for Barcelona in recent memory, Messi will be hoping to put on a show not far from his native homeland.

Will it all go messy or Messi? I would bank on the latter.

All recipes can be found in the Sixty6 Unofficial World Cup Cookbook with a foreword from ex-England International and "Come Dine With Me" winner - Carlton Palmer. Also features illustrations from 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 Belgium v USA

Well we are firmly immersed into the second round of matches for the 2014 World Cup with 2 ties remaining today, one of them, Belgium against the USA is our focus for today's cook off.

Here we see how the two nations competing would fare if they were on the pitch playing under the credentials of their national dishes. The recipes feature in the Sixty6 Unofficial World Cup Cookbook which is available from Amazon for Kindle from http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sixty6-Unofficial-World-Cup-Cookbook-ebook/dp/B00LEZRIEQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1404225159&sr=8-1&keywords=Sixty6+Unofficial+World+Cup+Cookbook

It can also be found in PDF form from www.worldcupcookbook.co.uk

Today then sees Belgium take on the USA, which in turn means the Moules Frites against the Hamburger.

COOK OFF NO. 8 MOULES FRITES V THE HAMBURGER 

The Line Ups - Belgium

Moules Frites have already featured in an earlier cook off and the snazzy combination of mussels and chips is back to try and win through again. Also included a glass of white wine and a sprig of thyme, this dish is not to be messed with.

The Lines Ups - USA

Another veteran of the cook off blogs, the hamburger is back with a vengeance ready to take on the world just as the US team feel at this moment in time. A world renowned dish, it is of course a football favourite for match day food.

The Cook Off

Both dishes fancy their chances as the referee gets us under way, the Belgians embracing the white wine sauce in the sunshine of Brazil, the mighty hamburger has a game on his hands, or should we say buns.
It is a tough one to call though, both recipes with plenty to offer in taste and variety, not to mention reputation. The cook off goes to extra time and penalties before this tasty encounter can be decided, the Americans just having the edge on their meat wedge this time.

Verdict: USA win on pens

Headlines: "The meat is mightier than the mussel"

For more info and sample chapters of the book see www.worldcupcookbook.co.uk

Brought to you by Sixty6 Magazine.

 

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

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

Cook Off - USA v Germany

Today's cook off blog sees the Americans pitch their national dish against the Germans, as we take a look at how national dishes would play out on a football pitch in the most ludicrous of hypothetical matches. Today we see the mighty Hamburger face the classic German street dish - The Currywurst.

The recipes feature in The Sixty6 Unofficial World Cup Cookbook which is an Ebook available from http://www.worldcupcookbook.co.uk/apps/webstore/ or http://www.worldcupcookbook.co.uk/apps/webstore/

COOK OFF NO.4 - THE HAMBURGER V CURRYWURST

The Line Ups - USA

To be honest we are onto a winner for both dishes for the football fan today. The hamburger being the most common sight of a culinary delight at UK football grounds, surpassing the pie. There's nothing quite like a dodgy rat burger from a burger stall outside the ground, dripping with grease, onions, sauce and mustard - a match day tradition now if you like, complete with heartburn the day after.

The Line Ups - Germany

The German equivalent of the burger or hot dog match day treat is the currywurst - sliced up German bratwurst or rotwurst sausage, smeared in a combination of tomato sauce, curry powder, onions and the like. British forces personnel past and present will testify to its superb taste, often served with crusty bread and frites mit mayo and the stein of German beer obviously.

The Cook Off

The two teams are evenly matched, as kick off gets underway, meat lines the pitch as the two favourites of this group flex their beef, or pork for that matter. Both dishes give 100% in the battle on the pitch, yet a breakthrough can not be found by either side. Both have bread to back up the attacking meat formation, both have a portion of fries to call up from the subs bench, should they require them and both are just about equal in calories, cancelling each other out for 90 minutes in what was a tasty affair.

Verdict: Goalless Draw

Headlines: "Stalemeat!"

For more World Cup culinary delights - see the Sixty6 Unofficial World Cup Cookbook

www.sixty6magazine.co.uk

 

Cook Off - Part 3 - Honduras v Switzerland

It is the third in the series of the "cook off" blogs coinciding with the Sixty6 Unofficial World Cup Cookbook, where we take a look at the culinary dishes of Honduras and Switzerland as they gear up to face each other in the final match of their group.

If your new to the blog then basically we take a look at a game each day from the World Cup and run a match report through the eyes of those nation's national dishes. Today we have Carne Asade for the Hondurans and the classic cheese favourite - Fondue - from the Alps.

The recipes are available from http://www.worldcupcookbook.co.uk/apps/webstore/products/show/4984730 or https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/448943

COOK OFF NO.3 - CARNE ASADE V FONDUE

The Line Ups - Honduras

Carne Asade for those not in the know is a simple dish of thinly grilled marinated strips of beef, usually then served in tacos or burritos, so a central American version of typical matchday food. Its often a spicy affair, just like the football team so far this tournament.

The Line Ups - The Swiss

Fondue is well known around the globe so much so, folk living on the edge have even been known to throw Fondue parties! A pot of melted Swiss cheese, with a dash of Kirsch thrown in for good measure, has been pleasuring skiers up the mountains on and off the piste for years.

The Cook Off

This match is a hard one to call as both dishes begin strongly. The spicy strips of beef stand off the oozing melting pit of cheese at the start out of respect, however they soon proceed to take on this bubbling mixture of a cheese lovers paradise.
The shot of Kirsch equalises the spicy nature of the Jalepeno marinade, however the robustness of the beef soon overpowers the cheese, despite the attention of a midfield of bread bits, guarding the melting pot.
The Honduran dish is backed by its own army of stodge though, with a taco shell formation designed to win the game as the Swiss runny cheese...well runs out of ideas.

Verdict: 2-1 win to Honduras

Headlines: "Carne we do it? Yes we Carne, as Swiss go off piste"

For more culinary unofficial World Cup delights see the Sixty6 Cookbook.

Illustrations by Andrew Booth.

www.sixty6magazine.co.uk

Cook Off Blog Part 2 - Australia v Spain

The second in the "cook off" series sees the land down under take on the Spaniards.

If you missed part one of the "cook off" then let me explain. We pick one game a day from the World Cup and look at the game through the eyes of their national dishes, rather than stats, formations and who should be playing. So in the match of national dishes, just who would come out on top? Today it is Australia's Meat Pie against Spain's Gazpacho Soup, taken from the recipes featured in The Sixty6 Unofficial World Cup Cookbook available in PDF form from http://www.worldcupcookbook.co.uk/apps/webstore/products/show/4984730 for only £1 or the smashwords store at https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/448943 also coming soon to Kindle and Google books.

COOK OFF NO.2 - MEAT PIE V GAZPACHO SOUP

The Line Ups - The Australians

The Aussies' Meat Pie has to be the most suitable national dish for football! Synonymous with Aussie Rules Football, the humble Meat Pie ticks all the boxes for the average football fan when it comes to our own matchday grub, even if over the years such newcomers as the "Chicken Balti Pie" have emerged on the scene at UK grounds.

The Line Ups - The Spaniards

One of Spain's well known dishes is the Gazpacho, or to put it in layman's terms, cold tomato soup with a few extras. Gazpacho was used in the cookbook for its ease to make and speed in preparation.

The Cook Off

Spain's World Cup in Brazil has been a torrid affair and the form carries on into this culinary match off. Even though Gazpacho has the chill on its side to make you focus on the game in hand, it is no match for the manly meat pie, with football running through its veins.
The pie crust absorbs any feeble pressure from the Gazpacho from the kick off and the relentless domination of meat (no this is not Men Only reader's letters if you have joined us halfway through) sees the Aussies win by a handsome margin, just in time to wash it all down with a good old beer, leaving the Spanish crying into their Sangria. It just has not been their year.

Verdict: A resounding 4-0 victory for Australia.

Headlines: "Gazpacho fails to cool Aussie meat feast"

For more culinary football banter and chat see www.worldcupcookbook.co.uk

Also see the You Tube videos - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1jcZ735VtU

Produced by Sixty6 Magazine - www.sixty6magazine.co.uk

Illustrations by Andrew Booth of SmoothBooth Design.

More blogs to come.

 

PDF version now available to buy

The Sixty6 WC cookbook is now available in PDF format to buy from the official site at http://www.worldcupcookbook.co.uk/apps/webstore/products/show/4984730 for the bargain price of a £1!

21,000 words, 32 culinary recipes, 32 footballing recipes, a foreword from Carlton Palmer, an author's intro and moving epilogue - got to be the World Cup bargain of all time!

Check out the promo vids on You Tube search Sixty6 Cookbook.

Cook Off - Belgium v Russia

It is the first of the Sixty6 Cookbook blogs - "The Cook Offs!"

Here we pick one game per day to feature and look at the game through the eyes of their national dishes, rather than predicted tactics and formations and ask the question...if this World Cup had to be decided via the hypothetical aspect of each team's national culinary delights, then who would come out on top?
The recipes are featured in the Sixty6 Unofficial World Cup Cookbook available from https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/448943 and coming soon to Google Books and Kindle.

COOK OFF NO.1 - MOULES FRITES V BORSCHT SOUP

 

The Line Ups - The Belgians

As stated in the cookbook, having mussels and chips as your national dish is pretty cool...well that's if you like seafood! For me it combines the always fashionable mussels with some classy home made skinny chips - a taste sensation indeed. Add to the mix some strong Belgian beer and its happy days.

The Line Ups - The Russians

Beetroot soup doesn't sound all that clever and if you spill it on the settee watching the match then you're in trouble, however there is more than meets the eye to the Borscht, which in fact is of Ukrainian origin, yet is a big part of Russian life...now that sounds familiar.

The Cook Off

The game kicks off and the Belgians are proving to be a tricky opponent, hiding in their shells, when the Borscht threatens to spill over the side of the bowl. The skinny chips threaten at set plays on the sofa, dipping their ends into the purple stew, however they come a cropper, covered in the dye of the beetroot, which the Belgians can't seem to shake off.
Its a battle right to the end, however neither side can seem to take advantage of each other's slip ups, as a late crusty bread substitution by the Belgians initially looks to mop up the Borscht, only for the Russians to counter attack with the same said loaf and spoil the party themselves dabbing up the fishy juices of the white wine sauce from the mussels.
In the end both sides settle for a point and meet in the player's bar afterwards for a bottle of Duvel and Vodka chaser.

Verdict: Score Draw

Headlines: "Russia aren't Beet as Belgians flex their Mussels"

For more World Cup culinary delights see - The Sixty6 Unofficial World Cup Cookbook

www.sixty6magazine.co.uk