Oliver: Food, Glorious–OPEN LINK IN  NEW TAB TO HEAR ONLY-

The Buffet as we know it today evolved from the Swedish Smorgasboard, however the Smorgasboard was cold fish (Herring, Smelts Smoked Salmon etc. on ice)Around 20 yrs ago when the Chinese buffet came on the seen, it was originally referred to as ”Hot Smorgasbord”. The catering halls always had a Hot and cold Smorgasbord at weddings and Bar Mitzvahs, . Every Jewish family int he 50’s and 60’s had a family circle and always had a buffet , hot chaffing dishes containing every specialty dish except soup . I remember my family’s Cousins club(family circle) the meeting rotated monthly from member to members house and each family tried to out do the other in the spread they would put out.Supermarkets and many places in the city have a buffet but you pay by the pound , the food is weighed after you plate it up.Today we have the Indian buffet a limited variety ,a collection of 8 or 9 fancy crock pots of great tasting curry dishes that you ladle over rice .I wonder what ethnic group will have an all you can eat buffet next years ago a few cafeterias had all you can eat , but it was served by mess man, one place like this that comes to mind is the Horn and Hardarts wild west room(1965-66). in closing i’ll just remark ”all you can eat buffets…what a concept!” …Don Lerman

If the growing and sale of tobacco products are legal then one should be allowed the right to light up any where in public . The government says tobacco is bad for you and no one argues that point but smokers are being made pariahs  while the government reaps a tax windfall . Either ban the growth and sale and distribution of tabbaco products or let the smoker be .end

Don Lerman is on A strict 1.000 calorie a  day diet hoping to get to 199 lbs by Dec.1st at present is weighing in at 236 lbs  down from 260 lbs in July.

There was a short discussion on Twitter today about places that have eating challenges: big dishes you don’t pay for if you eat it all.

Which reminded me to blog this:

There’s a place out in Lawrenceburg called Howie’s Diner. It’s been there since 1961, and it’s open 24 hours a day.  Sort of an old-fashioned truck stop. It’s on Highway 50, right before you get to Hollywood Casino (formerly Argosy)

They serve breakfast all day, including biscuits and gravy. So this Saturday from 9-noon, they’ve got a challenge. They’re making huge biscuits with gravy, and if you eat it all, it’s free. But fair warning: it’s a huge biscuit; about a pound.  (looks good, too.) With a salad bowl (like a serving salad bowl) full of gravy, and they tell me there’s a lot of sausage in their gravy. If you don’t eat it all, it’s $19.99. (You might just go with your family and some friends and split it.)

They’d like you to sign up ahead of time, but you could be spontaneous and just show up

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Whole-hog-hawkingJake’s Sandwich Board (112 S. 12th St.) just announced what they’re calling the “Jake’s 5-lb. Philly Challenge.” Challengers must shell out $35 to try their hand at eating a two-foot sandwich (cheesesteak, pork, brisket … or all three if you really wanna die), four soft pretzels, an entire box of Butterscotch Krimpets or Kandy Kakes (?!), 24 Peanut Chews and a Champ Cherry. If you finish this haul within 45 minutes, not only do you get the stuff for free, you also get your mug pasted on Jake’s coming-soon “Wall of Fame”; the first person to beat this bit of Philly-centric masochism will also receive a $100 gift card.

This ain’t the only Man vs. Food-style challenge floating about the 215, though. There’s theDrinker’s “33 tacos in 13 minutes” thing that we posted about in June. And then there’s the“SHAME Challenge” at the Wishing Well (Ninth and Catharine), which requires big eaters to finish two double SHAME burgers (all told, that’s two 8-ounce patties, two hunks of scrapple, four slices of American cheese and two fried eggs), two orders of french fries and two pints of beer in 45 minutes or less. Winner gets his or her $30 meal free, plus a $25 giftcard and a photo of their “Wall of SHAME.”

Of these three Philly eating challenges, which would you be most likely to take on/

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At 600 pounds, Donna Simpson may already have the title of world’s fattest mom under her belt. And though she has recently disavowed her desire to become a half-ton woman, the 42-year-old resident of Old Bridge, N.J., is anything but abashed.

She has recently become a YouTube star and likes to show off her generous proportions on supersizedbombshells.com, a website created for people who can’t get enough of the big girls.

Simpson says she eats 12,000 calories a day, the Daily Mailreports. That’s almost seven times what the average woman should consume, says Marisa Sherry, a registered dietician who specializes in eating disorders.

Simpson first made headlines last March, when she told a British tabloid that she was super-sizing her portions on purpose. Her goal, she said, was to reach the 1,000-pound mark, putting her closer to earning a spot in the Guinness World Records book.

The story triggered heavy criticism from bloggers and tweeters around the world-including some who expressed concern for her 3-year-old daughter.

Chastened, Simpson recently told ABC.com that she didn’t really want to get that big, but that she likes living large and doesn’t care to lose weight.

“I like being fat,” she told WCBS in New York. “I guess I’m just comfortable. It’s a struggle for me to be thin, and I’ve said if it’s such a struggle it must not be natural, so I refuse to do the battle anymore.”

Simpson’s fame may grow along with her weight. She has a book deal in the works, and there is talk of her own reality TV show, Reuters reports.

But if supersize stardom is one of Simpson’s goals, it’s not the only one. Eager to stamp out discrimination against obese people, she’s become a vocal member of the “fat acceptance movement,” Reuters reports. She’s also a shoulder to cry on for plus-sized women who email her saying that love and happiness remain frustratingly elusive.

Of course, the extra weight comes with some heavy disadvantages. Simpson has so much trouble walking that she sometimes relies on a scooter to get around, according to Fox News. And while Simpson says she is healthy, Sherry says she is putting herself at high risk for health problems, including sleep apnea, heart disease, and a condition known as fatty liver.

Surprisingly, Simpson is almost petite in comparison to the heaviest woman who ever lived, Brooklyn-born Carol Yager, who topped the scales at 1,600 pounds. Yager died of heart failure in 1994.

Still, the Guinness book is considering granting Simpson’s wish, and putting her name under a new category – world’s most massive mom

Weird Al Yankovic-Fat-click to hear open link in a new tab

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One Meatball–click open  link in new tab to hear
Contestants have 45 minutes to eat everything on their plate without leaving their table. Contestants must also be supervised by a restaurant staff member and must participate in the challenge by themselves.

Julie Walsh, restaurant owner said her and her husband were inspired to start this from the television show “Man vs. Food” on the Travel Channel.

“My husband and I are fans of “Man vs. Food” and our meatballs are not the small sized meatballs that most restaurants sell,” Walsh said.  “It was my husband’s idea. People now are in to food challenges so he thought that this would be a good challenge and we knew of no other place that has ever done this so we thought it was a good idea.”

So what does the winner receive? Those who win the challenge receive their meal for free, a champion t-shirt, a picture of themselves on Cusumano’s Hall of Fame Wall, website and a $50 gift certificate.

So far there have been 9 people who have participated, but nobody has succeeded.

Tony Patrico, radio disc jockey for KPNT 105.7 The Point plans to compete in the challenge soon.

The cost to enter the challenge is $35 and one must make reservations ahead of time.

For more information visit the Meatball Challenge page on Cusumano’s website , or Cusumano’s page on Facebook.

Cusumano’s Italian Restaurant is located at 1120 Technology Drive in O’Fallon, Missouri.

Don Lerman can be seen at the begging of this clip

Promoter Mexican festival, Don Lerman ,Nigel Marven