A Meal Ready to Eat

It’s 5 hours into the work day and the heat is finally getting to you. Draining the reserves of strength you tried to store up the night previous, the day claws on your shoulders, pulling your head down and your eyes closed. There’s no fridge, no fancy microwave, not even a toaster oven at hand to provide even the base luxury of warm food. Where do you turn?

To Chef Andy, who today prepared, by placing it in his backpack, a meal that keeps soldiers all over the world fed and fit for battle.

A 4 course meal was presented at the table, a menu that provides an oasis during the work day.

First course was simply, and succulently, a whole wheat biscuit that had a taste of sweetness and preservatives.

Fried rice with caramel food coloring formed the second course, while at the same time preparing the diner for the leap to the 3rd course, which was an excellently prepared pineapple-salsa chicken entrée.

The fourth and final course brought out by the kitchen proved to be a charming end to the feast as only Patriotic Sugar Cookies can be.

An iced mocha cappuccino was at hand to help quench the thirst that stems from such a ravishing foray into culinary delights.

The whole meal provided a nutritional 2000 calories, and while eating it the Chefs took a moment of silence to thank the soldiers out there in the world, eating the same food and fighting for our freedom.

Keep it classy,
Chef Andy

Inspiration from Italy

Italy has one of the richest cultures and has been a cradle of some of
the most diverse people. To celebrate the richness and beautiful life
that everyone deserves to live, Chef Joe has possibly prepared (or
possibly bought) a purely euphoric meal.

The sun, according to wikipedia, is the star at the center of our
solar system. It provides the heart, energy, and soul required to
sustain life on earth. It also provides the heat required to make
sun-dried tomatoes one of the most flavorful delicacies. This is the
key ingredient to Chef Joe's Spaghetti with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and
Pancetta. The pancetta was slow roasted in flames that could only be
inspired by the Avitale brothers, the finest sibling owners of an
Italian deli. The pancetta and sun-dried tomatoes were mixed with
spaghetti finely soaked in only the purest, most virgin olive oil. A
dash of salt and pepper was added as garnish.

A loaf of freshly baked Italian Sesame was used as the perfect
complement to a wonderful purchased meal. A fine bottle of San
Pellegrino Aranciata provided the perfect amount of citrus-based
sustenance.

Happy Lunch Time!

Day #2: CCR Bagel

In an attempt to keep the lunch challenges exciting, yet within the travel budget of these leathery economic times, Chef Andy decided to head out to Sainsburys again in the search for the winning lunch.

And what he found was exquisite. A collection of food that spans the European Union, joining together in a truly ethnic utopia of conjugal bliss. From the picturesque French farm town of Camembert comes a soft, velvety cheese of the same name. If one could pick a food they would like to be draped in Camembert cheese would be at the top of the list. Not only for its comfort, though, but also for its delicate yet bold taste which rivals the creamiest of the Bries. It did smell a bit like poop though, which lead to both Chefs searching their respective suits in an attempt to find the offensive odor. What they did find, once it was realized the cheese was the culprit, was possibly the best thing ever to happen to a bagel.

Bagels, the anytime, anyplace, anytopping food, originated in Poland, and we should take a moment right now to thank them for that. And thank the people who so cleverly decided to place raisins and cinnamon into them. And take a moment to thank Chef Andy for creating the Camembert Cinnamon Raison bagel.

A truly delicious combination that almost, but not quite, combusts with too much flavor, as the creamy Camembert forms a perfect union with the cinnamon raison bagel. The taste hits you like a dolphin that is saving you from drowning and eating one of these leaves plenty of room for more StrongBow.

Divided we fall, together we stand,
Chef Andy

Lunch Serves Many Purposes

The quality of a lunch isn't just decided by the historical significance of the meal, it's decided by the sustenance and nutrition it provides a human being. A trip to London is a difficult task itself, often compared to reaching the summit of Mt. Everest, but more often compared to leading an army of Angels into the dark halls of Mephistopheles labrynth. Our two compatriots, Chef Joe and Andy, faced days of walking through London, after all-night battles armed only with Strongbows. Re-energizing was an important part of there day.

That is why we discuss a lunch better than the lembras Frodo and Samwise ate. Selected for this battle is a simple whole wheat bagel. According to intelligent scientists, whole wheat bagels contain complex carbohydrates that provide prolonged sustenance. To provide protein and important lactophobicarsisus (statement being evaluated by the FDA) that fight fatigue and malnutrition, Irish Cheddar was sliced and placed on the bagel. The two halves were joined in a gratuitous synergy that fused ATP molecules with love. A coke sweetened the meal with simple carbohydrates providing an instant energy boost.

Chef Joe was able to march through the gates of doom and continue night after night, battling the locals in Camden Town.

Cheers!

Home of the Sandwich

London, home of a hegemonic history that visibly stretches forth from its grand architecture to its proud people. “Come, flourish, and thrive!” London shouts from the majestic castles and city parks, and Chef Joe and Chef Andy plan to do so via their daily lunches.

Chef Andy’s team visited the history books, not the local pubs, first. And what they walked into was astounding. England, it turns out, is the proud parent of the sandwich! Amazing, for Chef Andy continually turns to the sandwich for award winning meals that sometimes even get decent scores from the not so impartial Lunch Wars judge.

So what better to turn to for the first London lunch then a sandwich? And what better place to look for a sandwich then England’s own grocery store chain, Sainsburys. There Chef Andy was confronted with a glorious challenge, that of picking the best sandwich to complement the somewhat horrific drink both Chef’s chose to pre-cook with, a 2-liter plastic bottle containing an alcoholic cider (Strongbow).

The champion sandwich of the day ended up being an artistic blend of sausage, egg, and peppers on fresh, pre-packaged whole wheat bread. This served not only to quell the taste of the meals beverage, but also to provide sustenance for what was to come. More on that later this week on Lunch Wars.

Eat well,
Chef Andy

London Lunch Day #1

As you know Lunch Wars took a trip to London to experience the fine cuisine the United Kingdom had to offer. 9 days in London have resulted in the most epic day to day battles. Only the gracious judge can decide.

The first lunch Chef Joe has decided to post is a wonderful meal from a quaint establishment named Sainsbury's. Named after the Greekoman God of Thunder and Taste, this fine grocer had freshly prepared meals that were available as fast as lightning appears on a stormy day.

Selected from Sainsbury's was a succulent honey mustard chicken delicately tossed with penne pasta. Garnished with only the finest spinach and corn, the meal combined the perfect taste's of bitter and sweet. Almost too bittersweet, but just right. The meal was
accompanied with Salt and Pepper potato chips as well as a side of Sushi made with only the freshest fish quite possibly caught in the English Channel.

To accompany the solid symphony created by Chef Joe, he selected only the finest English Cider crafted from Cider Apples and Cider Pears. Incidentally, the Cider was called Strongbow which represents the strength yet delicate flavors that it possessed.

Cheers!

Lunchwars moves to London

Get ready for a preview of our London lunches day by day where Andy and Joe face off literally face to face.

Let Lunchwars begin.