Oh, what strange and beautiful moments were captured on film in 2011. The semihomemade semiscary Sandra Lee was caught semiswearing on tape, culinary mad scientist Dave Arnold introduced everyone to the hamburger of the future, Jon Stewart gave Donald Trump hell for eating pizza with a fork, and the internet gobbled up all kinds of food-related sketch comedy. Topping the list, though, is an intrepid fried food reporter from Des Moines, Iowa who bravely ate an entire stick of deep fried butter at the Iowa State Fair. Here are the top twelve food videos on Eater this year:
Video #12: The Simpsons Blog a Food Blog
In the Simpsons food blog-themed episode, Tim and Eric (of Tim & Eric Awesome Show, Great Job fame) wrote a food blog rap for Marge, Bart and Lisa: "I'll be frank like Bruni/Ruthless like Reichl/Wiley like Dufresne/and when I take the mike/I'll rhyme about radicchio/criticize Colicchio."
Video #11: SNL's Stefon Recommends Valentine's Day Nightclubs
Where should you take your sweetie for Valentine's Day? Saturday Night Live's tweaked out club kid Stefon has some ideas.
Video #10: Jon Stewart Flips Out Over Donald Trump's Pizza Choice
Jon Stewart was not happy with Donald Trump eating pizza with a fork: "Donald Trump, why don't you just take that fork and stick it in New York's eye?" But no worries, Trump, Stewart's here to help.
Video #9: Jamie Oliver: There's Beaver Anal Gland in Ice Cream
When David Letterman had Jamie Oliver on his show back in April, he probably didn't think they were going to talk about beaver anal glands. But then they did.
Video #8: Insufferable Coffee Snobs Parodied by Funny or Die
Coffee snobs: just the worst or just doing their jobs? This video shows where Funny or Die stands.
Video #7: Bourdain's Badass Kitchen Scenes From Treme
In 2011, Anthony Bourdain added many titles to his list: daredevil, cartoon character, pin-up, publisher, twitter troll. But perhaps best of all? Television writer: Bourdain contributed to the kitchen scenes in the second season of Treme.
Video #6: In-N-Out's Texas Opening Brings Woman to Tears
In-N-Out: a hamburger for some, a religious experience for others. This poor California native was moved to tears after the fast food chain opened a location in her adopted home of Dallas, Texas.
Video #5: Here's Sandra Lee Swearing in 'Semi-Homemade' Outtakes
Oh, like you wouldn't curse like a sailor while filming a show like Semi-Homemade Cooking. Here's Sandra Lee venting her frustration:
Video #4: Aziz Ansari Breaks Down His Food Lexicon
Why use the boring words everyone else uses when you can use your own unique ones? Aziz Ansari explains in this clip from Parks and Recreation: "I call cakes big ol' cookies, I call noodles long-ass rice. Fried chicken is fry-fry chicky-chick, chicken parm is chicky-chicky parm-parm..."
Video #3: Nick Swardson Imagines a 'Big Tits Eat Free' Restaurant
From comedian Nick Swardson's show Nick Swardson's Pretend Time, an ad for a restaurant called Big Tits Eat Free. It lives up to the name.
Video #2: The Burger of the Future, as Imagined by Dave Arnold
This year, Eater asked French Culinary Institute technogeek Dave Arnold to create a hamburger of the future. The result was Arnold's Soup Dumpling Burger. Behold:
Dave Arnold's Burger Of The Future from Eater NY on Vimeo.
Video #1: New Fair Food: Fried Butter On A Stick!
When the Iowa State Fair decided to serve a whole stick of deep fried butter on a stick this year, someone had to try it on television— and KCCI's Eric Hanson was that someone.
THE REAL #1: Portlandia's Is It Local?
Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein, in the brilliant IFC series Portlandia, asked about the chicken: "Is that USDA organic? Or Oregon organic? Or Portland organic?"