He came. He saw. He ate 337 wings.

Takeru Kobayashi, the world’s greatest eating champion, made a bold entrance this morning at SportsRadio WIP’s Wing Bowl 20. Led into the arena by giant dancing dragons and colorfully-clad Mummers, the boyish Japanese foodie struck a theatrical pose as Rocky in a boxing ring. WIP Host Angelo Catando compared Kobayashi to another legend, saying, “this is like a boxing match with Muhammad Ali!” As Kobayashi’s float looped around the floor of the Wells Fargo Center, the hometown crowd booed.

Kobayashi faced twenty-five other challengers, including such hometown favorites as defending champion Super Squibb and five-time champ El Wingador. Each of the contestants paraded around the floor with their entourage before taking to the stage. The crowd-pleasing spectacles included Oink Oink’s float – which had two bikini-clad women mud wrestling in a ring. One entourage held up signs reading “Fire Andy Reid” and another performed a mock beheading of the despised Eagles head coach. Fans cheered as they paraded around the stadium with the styrofoam head on a stick. Contestant Stevil Kanevil dazzled the crowd by setting his hand on fire. Chilita, one of today’s two female contestants, was carried in like Cleopatra by four men.

But on the stage, it was all Kobayashi. He showed dazzling technique and took a commanding lead early in the competition. The champ appears to slide the wing in his mouth, snap the bones and scrape the meat off with one swoop as he pulls the expended wing.

As the competition heated up, the overhead screen cut between shots of scantily clad women in the stands and archived footage of previous Wing Bowl contestants projectile vomiting in slow motion.

Kobayashi only fumbled a few times (watch him in action below). At one point, he belched up hot sauce but was able to re-swallow. Wing Bowl’s rules state “You heave, you leave.” A few moments later, the crowd gasped as Kobayashi appeared to have a wing caught in his throat. His eyes widened and he raised his head to the heavens, managing to wiggle the trapped chicken meat down his esophagus. The master simply smiled.

Kobayashi’s preparedness paid off with the record of 337 wings downed. Jim Fris of P.J. Whelihan’s, which is the official supplier of wings for the WIP Wing Bowl, said Kobayashi had been eating 200 wings a day in preparation for the event, and escalated his training to 300 wings a day in the past week.

Sitting next to Kobayashi was defending Wing Bowl champion Super Squibb. Super Squibb had made a dramatic appearance in the parade dressed in blue and red tights as Superman. He didn’t smile or wave at the crowd. He ate a personal best of 271 wings on the day. Super Squibb was awarded an excellent prize for the top “local” winner – a Chevrolet Camaro. El Wingador finished third with 251 wings eaten. El Chilita ate a respectable 238 wings.

For his efforts, Kobayashi won a check for $20,000 and the coveted Wing Bowl Ring. As Angelo Cataldi started interviewing Kobayashi through a translator, the Philadelphia crowd let out another series of boos, and the new reigning champion just smiled.

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Be sure to enter their Launch Day Giveaway too, featuring a $100 prize pack of gifts from Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant and Penns Woods Winery. Click here to enter!

On Wed., Feb. 1, a more extensive selection of bottled craft beers will be chilled for the quaffing. And there’s more super news! Starting Sunday, Feb. 5, six – you got it, six new taps will begin to pour microbrew deliciousness.Super Sunday also will kick off a new promotion. According to Bar Manager Will Tribendis, a craft beer will be just $4 on the day it’s first tapped at Firecreek. A beer junkie himself, Will is charged with keeping the rotating list of craft beers fresh, new and in concert with Firecreek’s seasonal menu.

My students always come up to me and say, “Mrs. B, have you tried the new coffee moo-lata double cream chocolate blah blah at Dunkin?” I say, “no, but I’m sure it’s ridiculous.” If  you just let go, there is no shortage of crazy amazing food out there. The thing is, we want to stay “tight” and we want to feel good.

Except on holidays.

They are the 20% when you can let loose a bit. Is the Super Bowl a holiday? When it comes to food, yes. I’ve read magazines before that say if you’re going to an event where there is sure to be naughty food, bring something guilt-free so you know there is a “safe” dish. But seriously, who wants to get a reputation for bringing the health food? Not I. I’ll bring the sliders. Props to Becky who brought these sliders to the annual 4th of July party last  year; they stole the show.

I made these on Sunday morning before church and my plan was to keep them in the fridge until Tuesday’s lunch at my girlfriend’s house. Husband got to sample a slider and asked, “what are you doing with the rest?” I shared that I was bringing them to a friend’s this week. His response: “But, I can’t go to Susan’s on Tuesday.” Poor guy.

They’re really, really, delicious. They taste like fast food. The cheese is cooked into the burger, so that every bite is perfectly proportioned heaven. If you’re a big ketchup fan, throw some on, but I think simplicity is key here.

I don’t generally buy packaged mixes. This was an exception, as the soup mix is integral in flavoring the meat. If you really don’t want to do a soup mix then use onion powder, dehydrated onion and salt. Also, this is easy to double! To make 24, you’d cook the meat in a 9×12 pan and double every ingredient. Lastly, If you can’t find King’s Hawaiian bread then use potato rolls, but square is best so seek out that shape.

Super Bowl Sliders

Makes 12

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground beef – 85/15
• 2 tbsp. Lipton onion soup mix
• 1 1/2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
• 2 tbsp. light or low-fat mayo
• 12 King’s Hawaiian Sweet Rolls
• 1/3 c. bread and butter pickles, chopped

 Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Mix beef, soup mix, cheese and mayo in a large bowl until combined.
3. Line an 8×8 baking pan with foil and spray foil with nonstick spray.
4. Press meat into pan and bake for 15 minutes.
5. Open rolls and place chopped pickles on the bottom roll.
6. Drain fat from pan and slice meat into 12 squares.
7. Place meat on buns and replace top bun. Press to close.
8. Serve and make your friends happy.

Originally published on homebeccanomics.com. Find more of Becca’s snack recipes by clicking here.

In The Town Dish’s first installment of “Staff Picks,” we line up our ever-dedicated staff of food writers and ask them to reveal what foods they turn to for comfort in Chester County. Do they opt for classic stick-to-your-ribs dishes to get them through these cold-weathered months, like juicy, all-beef burgers and cheesy mac and cheese? Or, are their choices cutting-edge, a riff on age-old, culinary mainstays that reinvent the way we define comfort food?

Find below our staffers’ favorites – many of which they would openly fight through any hungry crowd for just one bite.

I’ve never met a baked pasta dish I didn’t like, but there is something really special when hints of cinnamon and allspice shine through a meaty tomato sauce within three layers of  cozy goodness. The place for my #1 comfort food?  Hank’s Place (1625 Baltimore Pike, Chadds Ford),  a laid-back, wholesome spot where anything you order will feel like a big old delicious hug.  My preferred comfort dish is their Moussaka. This Greek dish ditches the pasta and layers sliced eggplant, sauteed ground beef (seasoned with a savory blend of onion, garlic, tomatoes cinnamon and allspice) and sliced potatoes, and is topped with a pillow of creamy Bechamel sauce.  It always lifts my mood, but doesn’t weigh me down because it’s served with a fresh Greek Salad – and, of course, a smile. –Mary Bigham

Being raised a full-blown PA Dutch gal who clocked hours as a teenager at an apple butter factory, I go gaga over any old-fashioned apple treat. But, it’s baker Maryellen Bowers of Cakes and Candies by Maryellen (1332B West Chester Pike, West Chester) who always gets it right. Her apple dumplings are a beautiful thing. The fresh-out-of-the-oven stuffed pastry is like your own personal apple pie, and her ratio of apples to dough is pitch-perfect, ensuring that within each beautiful bite, you’ll receive the crisp and the crunch, the chewy and the doughy. And, I can’t skip the best part: the generous swirls of house-made, gooey caramel. (If the dumplings are sold-out, opt for her Bailey’s Bread Pudding – equally as impressive and crush-worthy.) –Amy Strauss

My comfort food is one that I only have when my family is out for the night. When dining alone at home, I typically get takeout from Don Gabriel’s (611 West Strasburg Road, West Chester). I always get the chicken tinga burrito and chips. –Jim Breslin

When I think about comfort food, I’ve got to go with my weekend staple – the “Hangover Sammy” from Teresa’s Next Door (124 North Wayne Ave., Wayne).  Hangover Sammy piles up ham, bacon, egg, avocado, queso fresco, fried potato pancake, hot sauce and steak sauce, all piled on a round roll. –Chris Grimmig

A comfort food is as much about the people with whom I dine as it is about the munchie. With that in mind, I recommend grabbing your sweetie (or best friend or whomever) and heading down to Victory Brewing Company (420 Acorn Lane, Downingtown) for the Hand Tossed Pretzel, something Hubs and I do often this time of year. At just $5, it’s a piping hot, freshly made giant twisted pretzel served with Dusseldorf mustard and cheese sauce. And while the menu says it goes well with a Victory Lager, I prefer the more wintry (and hopefully smoky) mix, such as seasonal offerings Smokin’ Oats, Baltic Thunder or (hint, hint to Victory) Scarlet Fire. –Nina Malone

This one’s easy. Homemade spaghetti from Rino’s (327 East Lancaster Avenue, Exton) is my favorite Chester County comfort food. My family has been getting takeout from Rino’s for years, so their food tastes like home and is always a hit. –Chelsea Sproul

Peanut Butter Banana French Toast with star anise-infused honey – more PB than one should eat in the day, and the fluffiest french toast around town. With a side of well-done slab bacon, it is Classic Diner’s (352 Lancaster Ave., Malvern) portrayal of the real meaning of breakfast! That’s Chester County comfort food to me. Oh, and I never miss out on at least one bite of their grilled potatoes. –Aly Debbas

Bone-sucking bliss can be had at The Station Bistro (1300 Hares Hill Road, Kimberton) thanks to co-owner Craig Miller’s unbounded talents with his on-site smoker, along with those generous slathers of house-made BBQ sauce. Forget sub par baby back-boasting chains and instead, visit the Bistro for the best pork ribs west of the Schuylkill, especially during its all-you-can-eat Monday night pig-out. –Ken Alan

My favorite comfort food in CC has to be the sweet potato fries from Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant. I have daydreams about them and simply can’t pass them up. They are sweet and savory with the best dipping sauce I’ve ever had – the vanilla bourbon sauce! A simply divine dish that’s built for sharing… if I’m feeling particularly generous. –LeeAnne Mullins-Hudak

The dish that signals comfort food for me in the winter is a hearty split-pea soup. This soup is so easy I was surprised when our kids asked me for the recipe, after watching me make it dozens of times. A bag of split peas, chopped onion and carrot, a smoked ham hock, bay leaf and five whole cloves, with water to cover. Put it in the trusty slow-cooker in the morning and you’ll have dinner when you get home. –Sandy Essinger-Hileman

Is there anything better than a tasty, filling meal after a long day of work? Certainly not. So naturally I associate comfort food with the staff meal I used to eat at Nudy’s Cafe (450 Bridge St., Phoenixville) after a shift hostessing. Splitting a massive Breakfast Burrito (ham, eggs, beans, peppers, guac and more)  alongside a stack of pancakes (often gingerbread) with a coworker always hit the spot. –Melissa Woodley

At Italian restaurants, without fail, I order sautéed calamari in spicy red sauce. A huge plate of squid, salad and crusty bread = the perfect meal. I’ve had Chef Vito’s calamari saltati al pomodoro at Trattoria San Nicola (4 Manor Road, Paoli) dozens of times, as well as Frankie’s version at Fellini Café (678 Lancaster Ave., Berwyn). And for dessert, it’s got to be chocolate-covered pretzels from Nancy’s Candy Corner at Wayne’s Lancaster County Farmer’s Market (389 West Lancaster Ave.). You’ll need to hide them from yourself! –Laura Koster

Almost every day after school, my grandmother would have a warm bowl of homemade chicken soup waiting for me. Whenever I crave her warmth, I head over to Penn’s Table (100 W. Gay St., West Chester; 268 Eagleview Blvd., Exton), where everyone is treated like family. –Leslie Weinberg

Can I say any…Bourbon? If not, my favorite dish is the chipped beef at Market Street Grill (6 West Market St., West Chester). I also always order the Royal Sampler at Green Papaya (290 East Lincoln Highway,  Exton)–there is enough for the whole family. Best dessert? Iron Hill’s Double Chocolate Hill, an impressive confection of moist chocolate cake with a warm peanut butter center. –Jeff Schaller

As winter’s cold creeps in, I find no better comfort than in sitting down to a large serving of mac and four cheeses. This is my childhood favorite updated for my adult gastronomic tastes. Most often a riff on Lynne Rosetto Kasper’s recipe, the cheese-laced bechamel sauce warms my body while the toothsome pasta promises my body continued fuel for another winter’s day’s work. Without hesitation, it is my opinion that the best place to find this mac and four cheeses in Chester County is at my house, cooked side by side with my wife. –Doug Essinger-Hileman

What’s your go-to comfort food dish in Chester County?

“We hope to release the app in February, for our 16th anniversary,” Communications Manager Karen Noonan told me. “We just want to get the final kinks out.”

Craft beer technophiles will want to have this app, and not just for the the famous “V” Victory logo. The app provides Victory beer lovers with interesting information and stats about their favorite beers. The app is broken into four sections: a beerfinder, a directory of Victory beers, a directory of events and an about page.

Using the current GPS location, the “Victory Beerfinder” allows you to search for bars, restaurants and stores that carry your favorite Victory beer. The beerfinder system is based on information provided by wholesalers showing where Victory beers have been delivered in the past 60 days. A disclaimer notes the beerfinder may not be 100% accurate but the list of results includes the name of the store, restaurant or bar, the address and the phone number so you can call and confirm the availability. From the list, the app user can click through to a map.

The “Our Beers” section provides a handy list of all Victory brews broken down by categories: year-round beers, seasonal beers, big bottles and specialty releases. Users can click through to see a full description of each beer including style, ABV, flavor notes, and food pairings. It basically provides a digital version of the beer menu that can be used anywhere.

The “Events” section is a reminder of how Victory Brewing has grown. For us in Chester County, we think about the Brewpub, but this listing includes events being held all along the East Coast, from Florida to Massachusetts. The app user is able to narrow down the events by region or just search for events at the Brewpub in Downingtown.

The “About” tab provides a link to Victory’s Facebook, Twitter, and website. The app user can also read about the history of Victory Brewing and the address of their brewpub and hours.

At our table, everyone was glued to their phones, scrolling through the app and trying various features. Ronna Gross Dewey (president of West Chester Beer Ladies) commented, “I like the fact that I can find beers wherever I go. I like that with one click I can find events at the brewpub.”

“I like to travel. If I’m traveling and want to introduce someone to Victory, I can,” Andrea Hyslop said. “While sitting at the bar, you can review the beer list.”

The Victory Brewing Mobile App will be coming to a phone near you soon. Check back for release dates!

The app will be available to iPhone and Android users – all operating systems for those devices will work. Victory is looking for your help to test out the brand-new app. If you have a Droid or an iPhone, and would be willing to run a beta version of the app on your phone to test for usability, they are asking you to contact them.

They will be inviting a number of you to come to Victory one evening over the next few weeks for a testing session. This will include some thank-you freebies as you spend a small portion of your night playing with their beta app.

Please e-mail Victory if you are interested in being a tester.

They need to know:
1. What phone and operating system do you have?
2. Would you be willing to come to Victory on a weeknight to test their app?

More on Victory Brewing Co. is available at victorybeer.com. Spot the local brewing company and its brewpub at 420 Acorn Lane in Downingtown, PA.

With apologies to Starbucks, which coined the phrase “When coffee dreams, it dreams of chocolate,” I have a news flash: when chocolate dreams, it dreams of craft beer.

It is that time of year again… Driving in snowy and/or icy conditions can be dangerous.  If at all possible, it is better to stay home or delay driving until the roads have been plowed and prepped, but that is not always possible.  Below are a few tips to prepare both you and your car for driving in potentially unsafe conditions.

1. Get a tune-up in the fall.  Get your battery checked, your brakes adjusted and fluids topped off.
2. Check your tires.  It is recommended that a tire tread have at least 6/32 inch depth for adequate snow traction.  Ultrahigh-performance tires have little to no traction in the snow.  The best option is to use snow tires IF you are driving on roads regularly covered with snow.
3. Check your vision.  Replace wiper blades and clean both the inside and outside of windshields.  Products such as Rain-X can repel water on windshields and outside mirrors.  Make sure your windshield wiper fluid is filled with anti-icing fluid.
4. Remove condensation and frost from the inside by running your air conditioner (can use hot air) with the fresh air option.
5. Use your headlights so other cars can see you.  Make sure both headlights and taillights are free of snow.
6. Watch for “black ice.” Look carefully for slick road surfaces or puddles in cold weather.  This is often a thin sheet of ice that is very slippery and dangerous.
7. Do not use cruise control or overdrive when driving in slippery conditions.
8. Be careful when driving over bridges as they often freeze faster than road surfaces.
9. Drive the speed of other vehicles.  Give yourself more space in front of you (three times the distance normally given) and brake gently.

Equipment and supplies to have available:

1. Snow shovel
2. Scraper with a brush on one end
3. Tow chain/strap
4. Tire chains
5. Flashlight with extra batteries
6. Abrasive material (i.e. cat little, sand)
7. Jumper cables
8. Warning devices (i.e. road flares, warning triangles)
9. Brightly colored cloths to signal for help
10. First aid supplies
11. Warm layers (i.e. blankets, hats, mittens)
12. High energy, non-perishable food, matches, etc.
13. Phone

 To get unstuck

1. Use traction aids under the tires – mats, sand, cat litter, etc.
2. Turn wheels side to side a few times to push the snow out of the way.  While in the lowest forward gear, keep a light touch on the gas and ease forward.  Do not spin your wheels – that just digs you in deeper.
3. Rock the car forward and backward by gently shifting between forward and reverse (check your owner’s manual first as this may damage transmissions in some vehicles).

If you get stranded:

1. Stay with your vehicle
2. Run the engine for heat – once every 30-60 minutes.  Clean the snow away from the tail pipe to avoid a potentially deadly buildup of carbon monoxide.  Leave a window opened a little.  Clear the outside heater vents (the grill under the windshield).
3. Call for help or signal to passing motorists.

If you skid:

1. For back-wheel skids, turn the steering wheel into the direction of the skid.  As the rear wheels correct to the other direction, gently ease the steering wheel to that side.  If your car has anti-lock brakes, keep your foot on the pedal.  If it does not, pump the brake pedal gently, increasing the speed of the pumping as the car slows down
2. For front-wheel skids, take your foot off the gas and shift to neutral.  As the wheel skids sideways, the car will slow and traction will return.  Steer in the direction you want to go.  Shift to drive and gentle accelerate.

By being cautious and prepared, your winter driving experiences will hopefully be safe and enjoyable.

This is a message from The Center for Physical Rehabilitation and Sports Medicine at The Chester County Hospital and Health System.