Kansas City Food Blog

​It's not quite Megatron trapped beneath the ice of the frozen arctic, but it's close.

The New Zealand Antarctic Researcher's Trust believes it has unearthed several cases of a lost Scotch whiskey left behind by Earnest Shackleton, who abandoned his expedition to reach the South Pole in 1909 at Cape Royds, Antarctica.

A story in The Independent details how the three crates of whiskey and two cases of brandy have been unearthed nearly four years after they were discovered beneath Shackleton's hut, which the New Zealand group is in the process of restoring.

The curse of the blackened pan.

​It might make you feel so adult to own those nice stainless steel pans, but not if you can't keep them clean.

If a series of soakings and scrubbings doesn't work, don't give up -- the blackened remains of last night's dinner can be removed without scratching up the surfaces. 

First, though, if you're starting with a new pan that has a sticker or sticker residue, soak it in warm water and then use a plastic spatula to lift off the sticker. Goo Gone or any citrus oil-based cleaner will remove any leftover glue. You can also try spraying it with Pam or cooking spray and then wiping it off with a paper towel.

​I recently stumbled on the blog of Molly Krause, who is one half of the husband-and-wife duo behind the closed Krause Dining in Lawrence (her husband is Robert). I've been enjoying what is a very personal look into her philosophy on food, dining and the restaurant industry.

In some ways, The Chef's Wife feels like an online extension of the mood and eating styles that the couple tried to cultivate at the restaurant they operated out of their home until January 11 of this year. The Lawrence pair continues to operate The Burger Stand at Dempsey's.

This year will be a big one for the couple. They plan to open their newest restaurant -- La Esquina at 801 Massachusettts -- and release a cookbook that thematically focuses on pairing three flavors in a dish.

​When we're looking at food labels, a lot of us will look at the number of calories in a serving size but not take into account how many servings we're eating in a sitting.

And most of the serving sizes are smaller than the amount we're likely to eat -- when was the last time you had six tortilla chips? -- our caloric intake is likely several times higher than the number on the package. According to a recent story in The New York Times:

"We are actively looking at serving size and evaluating what steps we need to take," said Barbara O. Schneeman, director of the F.D.A. office that oversees nutrition labels. "Ultimately, the purpose of nutrition labeling is to help consumers make healthier choices, make improvements in their diet, and we want to make sure we achieve that goal."

A stop at the gas station at 75th and Pennsylvania nets a gyro that is worth taking home. [Hot Blog on a Stick]

This review of the Bristol's new Low Tides four-course menu also offers thoughts on the Power & Light District versus Westport. [She Eats]

An interview with Jeremy Selwyn -- the voice behind Taquitos.net, where he has reviewed more than 4,400 snack foods. [The Daily Beast]

It's been a while since we've had a hot coffee lawsuit, but a woman in Portland, Oregon, is suing McDonald's for $7,500. [The Oregonian]

​Is it still a craft beer if it's made and sold for a warehouse club?

That's been the debate since Costco introduced a line of Kirkland (its in-store brand) handcrafted beers in 2008. The mixed case of four six-packs (Pale Ale, German Lager, Hefeweizen, Amber Ale) for $18.99 has returned to area stores.

While Costco hasn't said which brewers are contract-brewing the beer, it's widely thought that Gordon Biersch (it's a California brewery in addition to the brewpub you may know from the Power & Light) is producing the six-packs for the West Coast, while the East Coast and Midwest are receiving bottles from the Matt Brewing Company (makers of Saranac) in Utica, New York. The Costco packaging says the beer is produced by the New Yorker Brewing Co. based out of Utica, and the Matt Brewing Company is the only brewer in Utica -- hence the prevailing wisdom that the Saranac brewer is also contract-brewing the Kirkland line. 

​If your screen had a bit more glare this morning and your productivity was down for no good reason, you might want to think about some cures for your hangover.

"Hangovers are sort of like opinions. Every drinker ends up having one at some point, and nearly everyone feels the need to share its story," wrote Jason Wilson -- the spirits writer for The Washington Post.

Sadly, Wilson's litany of options is similar in scope and actual effectiveness to hiccups solutions -- most are not successful and require you to act in a foolish manner. But when John Henry is pounding twin railroad spikes behind your eyes and that cold, alcoholic sweat is leaking from your pores, you'll try anything.

​I get the feeling that at a restaurant convention, someone last year stood up and suggested that folks in Kansas City consume a lot more burgers than the rest of the country.

Smashburger, a fast-casual burger joint based out of Denver, will be the latest burger chain to enter the Kansas City market, with two stores slated to open in the spring.

The Star reports that the restaurant in Overland Park will be splitting a space with Starbucks in the Fountains Shopping Center (6555 W. 119th Street), where Starbucks is downsizing and giving up the west corner. And the Lawrence Journal-World has footage of the Lawrence location, which will be in the Bauer Farm development at the northeast corner of Sixth Street and Wakarusa Drive. 

Are ketchup packets a thing of the past?

​The act of eating fries just got a bit more complicated, or easier, depending on how you feel about ketchup packets.

At the tail end of last week, H.J. Heinz Co. unveiled a "Dip and Squeeze" packet/cup hybrid that allows for squeezing from one end and dipping from the other. It looks like the progeny of a McDonald's sauce container and a traditional ketchup packet.

It's been in the works for at least two years. The new packets will be rolled out nationwide this fall -- they're already in test markets in the Midwest (anybody seen any in Wichita?) and the Southeast. Heinz is not abandoning its traditional packaging, just testing alternatives. The market is too big for radical change -- the company sells 11 million cases of ketchup packets a year. 

​If you were surprised that Charles Ferruzza found Denny's pancakes to be the grand slam winner in his battle of the dishes last Thursday, now you can test them yourself -- for free.

Denny's is bringing back its free grand slam breakfast promotion -- the one that sparked such massive lines after last year's Super Bowl -- on Tuesday, February 9, between 6 a.m. and 2 p.m. The original Grand Slam is two eggs, two pancakes, two sausage links and two strips of bacon, and typically sells for $5.99.

There are enough Denny's in the area that you could have second breakfast -- not that we'd encourage you to do that. But if you must, there are Denny's in Overland Park (10480 Metcalf), Kansas City (3832 Blue Ridge, 1600 Broadway, 6887 E. Front Road), North Kansas City (2117 Taney Street), Merriam (9001 West 63rd), Raytown (8810 E. 350th Highway), Lenexa (9471 Lenexa Drive), and Independence (3939 South Noland).

[Image via Flickr: House of Sims]