Tokyo Sausage

A wonderful little video sent in to me from readers Mike & JJ.



Commuting on the London Tube is certainly nothing like this.

The awesome world of Vienesas (Chilean hot dogs)

I first heard about these bad boys from watching a show called Anderw Zimmern's Bizarre World, a food travelogue show on the Discovery Travel Channel.

Vienesas are based on a standard bun and beef sausage foundation which is then massively loaded up with toppings and condiments. By all accounts they are a very popular fast food in Chile and for me, a good enough reason alone to visit the country.

One of the most popular varieties is the Completo which is stacked with salsa verde, chopped tomatoes and mayo. Check out the website of Domino, a popular chain of hot dog restaurants in Santiago, for a full list of varieties that include such excellent names as the Dinámica, the Irlandesa, and the Rodeo.

Read more about the 'complete Completo' experience in this article by Adam Fuller from Santiago magazine.

Time to stock up on some salsa verde, methinks.

Check out the video below to see a Completo in the wild:



And watch Anthony Bourdin's take on the Chilean hot dog phenomenon on his show 'No Reservations' with a dog that actually looks excessive even for me:

A word from the Hot Dog Council

Who or what is the Hot Dog Council, you may well ask? Well...

"The National Hot Dog and Sausage Council is a project of the American Meat Institute Foundation. Established in 1994, the Council conducts scientific research to benefit hot dog and sausage manufacturers.

The Council also serves as an information resource to consumers and media on questions related to quality, safety, nutrition and preparation of hot dogs and sausages."

Check out their homepage here and be sure not to miss the video on the front page for a truly astonishing performance from Mr. Frank Furter!

Sausage and Bread is taking the summer off

There'll be no new reviews for a while as Sausage and Bread goes on its summer holidays. There'll be occasional news postings and I hope to be back in full review mode later in the year. In the meantime, do please keep sending in your tips and recommendations!

British Barbeque Festival 2009

If you're looking for something to do next Sunday, why not check out the British Barbeque Festival which is taking place at Laverstoke Park Farm‎ in Overton, Hampshire.

Plenty of country fair activities will be taking place including buffalo & hog roasts, live jazz, farm tours, bungee run and coconut shies and chefs Ashley Palmer-Watts (The Fat Duck), Eric Chavot (Captial) and Antony Worrall Thompson will be making an appearance.

The event of most interest to readers, though, is probably the British BBQ Championship: a three level (Pro, National and Novice) cook-off competition that promises to be a real treat for BBQ lovers - and no doubt some decent sausages will be available too.

Check out the official website here.

4 Market Place

Market Place is one of London's pleasant surprises. If you don't know it, it's a small pedestrianized precinct just north of Oxford Street. Within one block you go from the sometimes unbearable crowds and tacky shopfronts of Oxford Street to a little oasis of calm that's packed with decent places to eat, drink or have a coffee.

There are several restaurants and cafes to choose from but one place that's quite easy to miss is 4 Market Place.

4 Market Place is a rare thing: It's a basement cafe. If you were to walk past quickly, you might not even realize it was there. I really like the novelty of having to walk down some steps to get to the front door. It gives the place an air of clandestine exclusivity you don't often get with cafes. So it's a great shame the toasted sausage sandwich on brown I ordered didn't live up to the promising location.



It wasn't a bad sandwich, just mediocre. The sausage was quite salty and lacking in flavour. The toasted bread bland. On the plus side, the price (£1.80) was a bargain for central London. Just think what an amazing place this would be if it served really great food.

2 out of 5

Sainsbury's 8 Butcher's Choice Cumberland Sausages: Avoid!

Just a brief review of these sausages. They are half price at Sainsbury's at the moment. They should be avoided.

Grilling the 8 medium sized sausages yielded an unbelievable amount of fat (approx. half a cupful) and the cooked sausages were almost totally tasteless. Not a hint of pork and barely any of pepper. Please avoid!