Latest news with #Mashed
Business Insider
21-05-2025
- Business Insider
I drove 3 hours to visit one of the last-remaining KFC buffets. My favorite side dish was missing, but the value wasn't.
I drove three hours to visit one of the last-remaining KFC buffets in the world. The $13 meal included chicken, side dishes, desserts, and a few items not on the regular menu. I was pleasantly surprised by the meal, but wished this location offered mac and cheese as a side. During an eight-hour drive from northern Delaware to Charlotte, North Carolina, my girlfriend's voice broke my glassy-eyed daze. "Did that sign say KFC Buffet?" she asked. My immediate reaction was disbelief, that maybe we'd been driving too long and hallucinated it — but a quick Google search confirmed that the KFC buffet was real. Although I couldn't find much about it online, according to an article from Mashed, they seemed to be most popular in the '80s before fizzling out after a decade or so. During my research, I also stumbled across a Facebook group called "KFC Buffet Aficionados," where fans of the restaurant answer questions about the buffets and keep a map of all the remaining locations in North America. There aren't many left in the world, but there is one pretty famous location in Tokyo. Turns out, the nearest one to my house is even closer than the one we originally passed. So, my girlfriend and I took a three-hour drive to Dunn, North Carolina, to see what a KFC buffet is like. Inside, the restaurant looked like any other KFC I'd been to. We arrived tired and hungry on a Saturday night to a mostly empty parking lot. A small blue sign advertised that the location did indeed offer buffet-style dining. On the inside, it looked no different than any other KFC I'd been to, save the approximately 8-foot-long self-serve buffet set up next to the cashier. I ordered two buffet dinners at the counter. I ordered two buffet dinners and was handed back two plastic trays: both complete with a large, three-section Styrofoam plate, a smaller dessert plate, a small soft-drink cup, and a spork. My total before tax was $26, making the cost of one buffet dinner at this location $13. The buffet had a nice mix of familiar favorites and special offerings. The buffet offered much of what you might get at KFC when ordering a family meal: fried or grilled chicken pieces, and some of the signature sides like biscuits, green beans, mashed potatoes, and gravy. The biggest disappointment was that the buffet didn't have my favorite side dish — mac and cheese. However, there were also a few items that weren't on the regular menu, like rice and beans, collard greens, and fried okra, to name a few. What surprised me most was the selection of fried chicken gizzards and livers. These were also offered as a regular menu item at this location, which is something that I hadn't seen at the numerous KFC's I'd been to up north. The food was pretty good. For the most part, everything I ate was hot and tasted fresh and flavorful. The chicken was just as crispy as any other piece of KFC chicken I'd had. My favorite side was the fried okra, which was crunchy but not overcooked. My girlfriend also insisted I try the fried chicken gizzards and liver. I had never had them before and decidedly did not enjoy eating even the smallest bites of either. I enjoyed the apple cobbler for dessert. In my opinion, the crowning item of the evening was the apple cobbler — a gooey mixture of apple chunks, pie crust, and sugar. It was one of a few dessert options like Jell-O, pudding, and fruit. The cinnamon-apple filling might have been one of the strongest scents from the entire buffet. Thankfully, it tasted as good as it smelled. I would go as far to say it tasted homemade. Was it worth the three-hour drive, though? Probably not. I'd recommend stopping at a KFC buffet location. Overall, this definitely wasn't the worst buffet I'd ever been to, but somehow, it wasn't the best experience I've ever had at KFC, either. However, this was mostly due to the absence of notable menu items like the mac and cheese. Looking back, though, I could've easily ordered it from the standard menu for an additional charge. At the end of the day, I was pleasantly surprised by the fresh-tasting, flavorful food, and I'd definitely recommend it to others, especially for the price.
Yahoo
04-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Nearly 60 Million Cans Of Salmon Were Once Recalled Due To Faulty Equipment In Alaska
We recommend always keeping a can of salmon in your pantry, as you can't go wrong with this versatile and nutritious food. We also love the stability of canned foods, but keep in mind that the safety of canned salmon is only as reliable as the process used to manufacture it. An incident that occurred in 1982 is the perfect example of what can go wrong when there are problems with the fish canning process, as defects in cans of salmon resulted in a massive recall of almost 60 million cans and caused one person's death. The issue was traced back to multiple salmon canning facilities across Alaska, and the subsequent investigation found that a malfunctioning piece of machinery was creating punctures and other types of defects in the canned salmon being produced, which resulted in the growth of bacteria. A Belgian man who ate the affected salmon succumbed to the effects of botulism, a type of food-borne illness capable of causing paralysis of the muscles, breathing issues, and loss of life. While the man's wife also grew sick after eating Alaskan salmon, she presumably recovered, and no other illnesses were reported. What resulted from the incident was a massive effort from the salmon industry to eliminate defective cans and upgrade quality measures to prevent future mishaps. Read more: 17 Canned Sardine Brands Ranked Worst To Best While the exact technique will vary from company to company, virtually all canned salmon brands use a similar process when preparing their fish. First, the salmon is prepped via filleting, skinning, and slicing, at which point the meat is deposited into cans and sent to seaming machines, where the lids are attached. From there, the cans are sent to a pressure cooker and heated for a specific amount of time and to a certain temperature to ensure the meat is fully cooked. This heating process eliminates harmful bacteria and ensures that the canned salmon is a ready-to-eat product. With so many steps and so many types of machinery involved, canning equipment malfunctions like the one that occurred in 1982 are often hard to anticipate and even harder to prevent. Problems with commercial canning equipment have affected other types of fish, as illustrated by our list of the biggest tuna recalls in U.S. history. Major brands like Bumble Bee and Tri-Union Seafoods are no strangers to equipment malfunctions that can increase the risk of bacterial growth within products. Consumers must be proactive about food recalls, but knowing which brands offer the highest quality is also helpful. That's why we compiled a ranking of canned salmon brands from worst to best to guide your shopping decisions the next time you get a craving for this tasty tinned fish. Read the original article on Mashed.
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
The High-Dollar Steak Kim Jong-Un Eats
Often referred to as a hermit kingdom due to its strict isolationist policies, North Korea remains an inscrutable nation to most people outside of the country. Its leader, Kim Jong-Un, who was preceded by grandfather Kim Il-Sung and father Kim Jong-Il, is just as inscrutable as the nation itself. We do know that Kim Jong-Un has been linked to a multitude of crimes against humanity, accused of assassinating family members for political gain, and opted to run North Korea as a totalitarian dictatorship, which means that the citizenry enjoy no personal freedoms and must fully abide by the strictures set by the government. We also know quite a bit about Kim Jong-Un's preferred foods, and unsurprisingly for a person born into such wealth and prosperity, the dictator has a taste for the finer things in life. This includes frequent meals featuring imported Kobe beef, much loved by Kim Jong-Un as well as his late father, Kim Jong-Il. While pricing varies, it's not uncommon for Kobe beef to cost as much as $500 per pound. According to a sushi chef that was previously employed by the pair, Kobe steaks were often accompanied by Cristal, a high-end brand of Champagne also known for its steep price tag. Other favorite indulgences of Kim Jong-Un include Emmental cheese and Parma ham as well as gold foil-wrapped cigarettes from iconic fashion brand Yves Saint Laurent. Read more: Martha Stewart: What She Really Eats Kobe beef is so beloved (and expensive) because it must meet several strict criteria to earn its lofty designation. Kobe beef must be derived from cattle of the Tajima bloodline of the Japanese Black breed from Japan's Hyogo Prefecture. Cattle must also be fed a special diet to facilitate exquisite marbling and earn a Beef Marble Score of 6 or greater. (This Japanese beef scoring system features a quality range of 3 to 12.) For Kim Jong-Un, who was estimated to have $5 billion in personal wealth in 2019, the high price of Kobe beef probably seems like a minor expense. However, when compared to the immense poverty affecting the North Korean people, the dictator's excesses are distinctly cruel and uncaring. Food insecurity is a global crisis, but the citizens of North Korea face insurmountable challenges due to the totalitarian government under which they subsist. As reported by the World Food Programme, 10.7 million people living in the country are underfed, while 18% of North Korean children exhibit health effects associated with chronic malnutrition. Food shortages are also common, as Kim Jong-Un is primarily concerned with maintaining his authority and accumulating more power instead of ensuring his people have the resources they need. While there's little the outside world can do to help people struggling within North Korea, Kim Jong-Un's actions show the dangers of what can happen when a dictator steeped in unbelievable privilege is afforded unlimited power. Read the original article on Mashed.
Yahoo
18-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Here's Why Aldi's Seafood Is So Cheap
Fish and other types of seafood are a great dinner option. Daily intake of certain types of fish is associated with some impressive benefits, including improved cognitive function and a decreased risk of heart disease. Additionally, many types of fish and seafood are just incredibly tasty. The only real drawback is the price, but Aldi is here to save dinner with its affordable selection of fresh and frozen seafood. If you're not convinced, let's crunch some numbers. While prices and availability will vary, our local Aldi is currently offering farmed Norwegian Atlantic salmon for $10.99 per pound, while another local grocery store prices its Faroe Island salmon (a type of farm-raised fish from the Northeast Atlantic Ocean) at $16.99 per pound. You can't beat a bargain like that, but there is the question of why Aldi's seafood is so much more affordable than other grocery chains. The answer has much to do with Aldi's unique way of doing things, as illustrated by factors like quarter deposits on shopping carts and the chain's preference for private label goods. These cost-saving factors reduce prices all over the store, but Aldi's direct sourcing of its private-brand seafood gives the chain greater control over pricing and quality. It also allows Aldi to work with fisheries that sustainably source their seafood, which helps prevent overfishing and other negative environmental effects. Read more: False Things You Believe About Shopping At Aldi Aldi has expressed an ongoing commitment to offer customers an expansive selection of low-cost seafood and other reasonably priced products. However, that doesn't mean you should expect subpar quality, as the store's seafood selection is quite delicious. We can attest to the quality of Aldi fish in particular; the fresh trout and salmon are in constant dinner rotation in this writer's household. But many others also hold a favorable opinion of the store's seafood. On Reddit, a commenter states, "I've been buying the coho salmon for years. I think it's very good and the price is excellent. I also buy the trout and tilapia." Another person praises the affordability of the chain's fish, saying, "My Aldi has 50% off salmon nearly every time I go. It's awesome." In another Reddit thread, Aldi's frozen tempura shrimp is described as "crunchy, delicious, a pleasure to eat." At one point, Aldi even offered a whole, pre-cooked 1-pound lobster, which was met with some trepidation but still received praise. According to one Redditor, "We had them and they were great! We are very picky, too, and we were skeptical." To ensure your next shopping excursion is a seafood success, see our list of the types of fish you should be buying from Aldi (and the ones you should avoid). Read the original article on Mashed.
Yahoo
12-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Barack Obama's Steak Order Still Has Us Shaking Our Heads
Mashed previously brought you some of former President Barack Obama's preferred foods, a list that ranges from healthy fare to hearty cheeseburgers. And like many Americans, Obama also enjoys a good steak on occasion, especially when the meal is prepared by the capable hands of someone like chef Bobby Flay. In a clip taken at the White House some years back (courtesy of The Obama White House YouTube channel), Flay asks Obama how he likes his steak done, and his response is one that steak purists will likely have a huge problem with. "I'm a medium-well guy," Obama informs Flay in the video clip, adding, "See, now, people always complain about that ... everybody says, 'It's too dry, you need all that blood.'" There's a culinary school of thought that says cooking a steak to a doneness beyond medium is akin to a crime, as longer cook times cause the juices to flow out of the meat, leaving you with a much tougher texture. This outflow of moisture also has a negative impact on the flavor of the beef. Ultimately, Obama admits, "That's just how I like it," and Flay assures him that his steak will be cooked to his liking. Obama is also on record requesting a medium-well burger, although that order is a bit more forgiving because ground beef is usually cooked to a higher temperature than steak. Read more: Martha Stewart: What She Really Eats Achieving your preferred steak doneness level is a somewhat involved process that entails using meat thermometers and careful cooking techniques. On one side of the spectrum we have rare steak, which features a nicely seared exterior and a red center. On the other side of that spectrum, a well-done steak will be grey-brown inside and lack the juicy tenderness of other doneness levels. Steak doneness is most accurately determined by internal temperature, with rare steaks measuring within 120 to 130 degrees Fahrenheit, while well-done steaks will be 155 degrees Fahrenheit (or higher) inside. As controversial as Barack Obama's order may sound to steak snobs, there's no denying that it errs on the side of food safety. Eating rare or undercooked meat (meat that hasn't been cooked to an internal temperature of at least 145 degrees Fahrenheit) is considered unsafe. Without proper cooking techniques, beef can harbor illness-causing bacteria like E. coli and Salmonella, which can lead to serious symptoms in some individuals. Fortunately, Obama's favorite steak order typically requires an internal temperature ranging from 145 to 155 (or even up to 160) degrees Fahrenheit. And for those who find the former president's order beyond the pale, consider that current President Donald Trump likes his steak well-done with ketchup. Read the original article on Mashed.
