Red Wine & Blue Cheese – score!

It’s that time of year again; State of Origin is here, and the sides are set! While a lot of people will be content ordering in some takeaway and setting up camp on the sofa, a few of the more fanatical fans among us at Delivery Hero will take things a step further. For those that bleed NSW blue or a deep Queenslander Maroon, here are some tips on how to set-up a perfect State of Origin-themed feast for friends and family!

We’re going to start with the Blues first, since they’re 1-up so far but still haven’t won a series in 7 years!

The Blues

Blue Corn Chips

Blue corn chips aren’t dyed – they’re made from blue corn, although they taste almost identical to yellow corn. That makes them a great addition to your State of Origin feast – you can dip them in a regular salsa and support the Blues as they finally topple the Maroons.

Support both Maroons and Blues with blue corn chips and red salsa!

Blue Cupcakes

Cupcakes are the perfect way to bake up some blue-themed treats. Bake up a selection – any flavour will do – and whip up some blue-icing to put on top. If you want to go the extra-mile you can even put the player numbers on top!

Blue Cupcakes

Blueberry Ice-cream

If you’re stuck for more ideas regarding dessert, why not try some vanilla ice-cream packed with a healthy handful of blueberries? Blueberries are as vitamin filled as you can get, making a nicely balanced dessert that tastes great!

Blueberry Ice-cream

Juice for the Kids

The kids will love supporting their team by drinking blue-coloured juice – go for a blueberry cordial mixed with soda-water for a blue fizzy drink! If you don’t want the kids jumping off the ceiling from drinking too much blue cordial, you can always try this little trick and dye some ice-cubes which you can place in natural fruit-juice – keeping the NSW vibe without too much sugar!

Blue ice-cubes

 Using Blue Food Dye

If you have any concerns about using artificial food dye, no need to worry – there is a natural food dye called Butterfly Pea that can be used to dye your food blue without using artificial ingredients!

That’s enough to get the NSW households ready for a big game night – now let’s have a look at what the Maroon families can do to give their evening meal a Queenslander edge in anticipation of a big game 2…

The Maroons

Mexican Salsa

Just like the Blues, QLD fans can represent their side with some corn chips; although this time they’ll be using giant dipping bowls of Mexican salsa to feel at one with the team!

Mexican Salsa

Butter Chicken

If you’d prefer to dedicate all of your energy to watching the game and screaming at the top of your lungs, you might want to order some food online instead, in which case we have the perfect suggestion; a fragrant Butter Chicken, with basmati rice in a thick and rich red sauce made from tomato puree, yoghurt, garlic, fresh ginger, cream and a mix a spices. The benefit is that even if Queensland doesn’t win you should get a kick from the sweetness of this dish!

Butter chicken

Tomato-sauce Pizza

A pizza with a tomato-sauce base – such as Pepperoni or Margherita –  is the perfect accompaniment to a rugby league ‘clash for the ages’. You can whip up one yourself or check out some of the great pizza delivery restaurants we have here on Delivery Hero – check out Eagle Boys Pizza to get started.

Pizza are colourful and great for sharing while watching the game

Fruit Salad

To make sure that this State of Origin meal is nicely balanced with a range of nutrients how about arranging a Queenslander salad made up with watermelon, cherries, raspberries, slices of red apple and blood orange…that’s a winning combination!

Strawberry salad with mint and chocolate

Tandoori Chicken

Tandoori Chicken is a great way to fill your plate with red, and you can choose to order it or make it at home yourself with a roast chicken covered in Tandoori paste.

Tandoori Chicken

So there you have it; a selection of foods that you can serve to represent your favourite State of Origin team! Which side are you going for? Do you plan on setting up a themed night for the next game in the series? Let us know in the comments; we’d love to hear from you!

Andre Dobroskok / Shutterstock.com

With State of Origin Game 1 just around the corner, sports fans across the country are champing at the bit to see Australia’s greatest display of strength and sportsmanship play out on the big stage (and hopefully watch NSW get one across the line after 7 straight years without a win!). While plenty of us will marvel at the athlete’s abilities, we’ve decided to have a look into the types of foods that these modern-day gladiators eat before and after each gruelling workout in preparation for the series.

What Rugby League Players Really Want

Aside from winning games, the primary drive for a top-flight rugby league player is to maximize his natural potential in order to perform at the very highest level. By the time they’ve reached the first-grade the separation in terms of skills and ability is relatively small, so the players have to do everything they can to buy some breathing room. That means training at 100% – and you can’t do that without eating the right foods, at the right time. This is what rugby league players really want:
- To keep body-fat percentage down
- Increase lean muscle-mass
- Maintain high energy levels
- Boost recovery

…And How They Achieve It

To keep their bodies operating at peak performance, rugby league players eat a wide variety of foods to provide the right mix of protein, fat, carbohydrates, fibre, vitamins and minerals. This means eating a balanced diet that mixes protein and carbohydrate-based meals with moderate amounts of fat (yes – fat can be good for you and is actually essential!).

A balanced diet is the key to success

Before a Training Session:

Eating prior to a training session or game is essential with the best time to eat around 60 – 90 minutes before the session. The best protein sources at this time are chicken, turkey, fish, beef and egg whites, while for carbs the best sources are brown rice, beans or sweet potato.

After a Training Session:

Athletes use the post-workout meal to replenish the nutrients that they expended during the session. In addition to rehydrating, eating a full meal around 30 – 60 minutes after the session is recommended, ensuring that muscle soreness and fatigue are kept at bay.

Types of Takeaway That Will Help You Get The Right Nutrients

Those of us watching from home may not burn the same amount of energy, but if you’re active in your daily life and don’t always have enough time to prepare the appropriate meals for yourself, here are some healthy takeaway meals that will make sure you’re performing at your best – even if that doesn’t mean scoring the winning try in Game 3!

Healthy Takeaways for Active People:

Chicken Stir-Fry with Snow Peas, Mango, Bean Shoot and Tomatoes

Where to Get It: Tin Wong Palace, Melbourne

Thai Herbs, Lemon Juice and Chilli with Beef

Where to Get It: Tom Yum Thai Cuisine, Melbourne

Kadhai Chicken with Chopped Onion, Tomatoes, Coriander, Ginger and Garlic

Where to Get It: Sri’s Indian Eatery, Sydney

Charcoal Grilled Lamb Skewers with Hommus, Baba Gannouche, Garlic, Salad and Pickles

Where to Get It: Hanna’s Lebanese Cuisine, Sydney

Will you be watching State of Origin this year? Will the Blues finally have what it takes to get over the hump or will the Maroons prevail again? What’s your favourite meal for an active lifestyle? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section; we’d love to hear from you!

Spicy Molcajete

Australia is now in the throes of a passionate love affair with Mexican food. Across Sydney and Melbourne, from the beaches to the suburbs, Cantinas, Taquerias, food trucks and fancy Mexican restaurants are popping up all over the place. Why is this colourful cuisine taking off? And where are the best places to spice up your dinner? Let us wrap it up for you…

Tacos vs tacos

A lot of us grew up only knowing the Old El Paso taco packs from the supermarket. Crunchy taco shells, seasoning mix and a step-by-step guide to taco construction. We loved them, but have to admit that sometimes biting into those crunchy shells was a bit of a hazard to the roof of your mouth!

Taco confusion

When you meet real Mexican friends who make real tacos, you quickly realise that these are different to what you knew. Turns out that crunchy tacos are actually an American invention! So the rumour is that Glen Bell of Taco Bell made crunchy taco shells popular…

Flavour Explosion

It’s no secret here at Delivery Hero we’ve fallen in love with quesadillas, burritos, nachos and salsa washed down with a classy margarita, but we have to admit that we’re curious about why Mexican food is taking off now.

We asked Thang Ngo, food writer and commentator to give us the lowdown. Thang contributes to SBS Feast Magazine, the Sydney Morning Herald, and his blog Noodlies.com is one of Australia’s top food blogs.

Foodie culture in Oz is booming and Thang reckons that the rise of Mexican food is in part because we’re looking for the next big thing: “different food, different experiences and different flavours.” Thang says we’ve gone way past Thai (we will always love you Thai food!), we’re too familiar with Vietnamese and other Asian cuisines – except maybe Korean simply because it’s so different.

Well-known Delicious Quesadillas

Thang surmises that one reason we’re really getting into Mexican food is that it’s “full flavoured, relatively exotic and it’s social – like Mexico Food and Liquor or El Loco – it’s the sort of food you have with company and accompanied with a drink.”

The combination of fresh herbs like coriander, spices, limes and chilli used in Mexican cooking make it a celebration for your taste buds. In 2011 UNESCO awarded Mexican cuisine cultural heritage status, thereby acknowledging the culinary techniques, community customs and rituals of this unique food culture.

Where should you go for Mexican food in Sydney?

Thang rates El Loco whose menu, created by Dan Hong and Jowett Yu, is inspired by Mexican food trucks in Los Angeles. Thang is a fan of the “Secret Taco” which contains offal, although he admits that not everyone can “get their head around it”, despite the fact that liver, ox-tongue and intestines can be “relatively easily masked under the festival of flavours”.

Pico de gallo tomato and chili Mexican sauce

For a great atmosphere and modern Mexican fare head to Mexico Food and Liquor in Surry Hills. The walls are adorned with Mexican icons like Frida Kahlo and Day of the Dead iconography. They have a full selection of Mexican beers and cocktails to accompany their delicious quesadillas, tacos and tortillas.

The pop-up restauarant, La Lupita, has just moved to the Basement and boasts spit-roasted chipotle chicken wings, cowboy beans and watermelon salad with queso de Oaxaca (cheese) and chilli lime salt.

If you’re feeling a little adventurous, head to El Topo for the roast crickets with garlic, chilli and lime, or the braised beef tongue taco. Don’t worry there are also vegetarian options and make sure you save room for dessert! Try the Mexican doughnuts with chocolate sauce, or the warm chocolate and chipotle cake, strawberry soup, burnt milk ice cream and chickpea.

Finally, if you feel like a cosy Mexican dinner at home, order with us from The Original California Burrito Company. Their Taco platters are to die for!

Where do you go for Mexican food? what do you love about it and what’s your favourite dish? We’d love to hear from you.

By Louisa Peterson

John Ralley

We’re all passionate about food. But some of us bring this passion to another level. We spoke with John Ralley, Head Pastry Chef at Wildfire Restaurant and Pastry Chef of the Year 2010 & 2012. The rising star of Sydney’s pastry scene talks about his experiences, passion and what makes Australia such a great place for young chefs to cut their teeth. Oh, and he also shares a few of his secret baking tips and recipes, so watch out!

What brought you to pursue a career in bakery and patisserie?

I discovered a passion when I started my pastry apprenticeship in a patisserie, and I knew this would be my career, I wanted to be a pastry chef. This apprenticeship made me the chef I am today because my mentor always pushed my limits and taught me all the basics I needed to succeed.

What do you think makes Australia’s pastry industry special in comparison to other countries?

It’s hard to compete with countries like France or Japan but the pasty industry in Australia is growing and there are many good young pastry chefs around. I think we are younger and more modern when it comes to pastry and it’s a great asset. The industry is evolving, we have a pastry club in Sydney which consists of the best pastry chefs in Sydney. We gather once a month to share ideas and show some of our best creations. It is good to see so many passionate pastry chefs. I think the future is bright for the Australian pastry industry.

John constructing a sugar piece

What’s your biggest success in the kitchen?

Probably being part of the Australian Pastry Team but also being awarded Pastry Chef of the Year in 2010 and 2012.

And… what’s your biggest disaster?

During my apprenticeship at the Gumnut patisserie, my fingers got crushed in the dough sheeter while rolling short pastry, at that moment I thought lost my fingers but after a few weeks I could use them again.

What’s your favourite ingredient to work with?

Sugar. I love making sugar sculptures, they require time, patience and a high level of skill, but every piece I undertake gives me so much satisfaction. The things you can do with sugar are unbelievable!

Impressive Sugar Sculture

 What are a few of your favourite flavour combinations?

Apple and caramel, strawberries and cream, I like classic flavours because I know they work but I always try to put a modern twist on it. I like deconstructing classics.

What are the top three tips for culinary success you would share?

Passion, patience and hard work. Less is more, keep it simple but make it perfect. Use good ingredients and take care while making the product.

Deconstructed Peche Melba by John

Can you name some of your most well used and loved cookbooks?

On patisserie, The Roux Brothers and Alain Ducasse. For sugar, Stephane Klein and Ewald Notter.

Do you have a favourite recipe to share with us?

At the moment I’m really into making bread so I thought I might give you a recipe to make sourdough bread.

Home-made Sourdough by John Ralley

Starter
250 grams of water
250 grams of flour
5 grams of dry yeast
Mix together and leave for 24 hours at room temperature

Bread dough
1kg of bakers flour
250 grams of starter
50 grams of salt
8 grams of oil
10 grams of dry yeast

Mix in mixer with dough hook for 9 minutes at medium speed
Rest dough for half an hour
Divide and mould in portions
Let proof for 2 hours approx.
Bake at 220 degrees for 45 minutes

What’s your favourite patisserie? Have you ever tried home-made bread? Any special recipes you’d like to share?

Eurovision 2013: Skrillex has a lot to answer for.

In order to make it through the Eurovision marathon, you will need sustenance. So don’t forget to order some appetizers, pizza or even Thai takeaway to fortify yourselves for the onslaught. Of course, you may also need a drink or two to make it through the Eurovision 2013 Grand Final – screening on SBS on Sunday May 19 at 7:30 pm. If you’ve been strong-armed into watching the event, there are ways to enjoy the hilarity. Take a sip every time a contestant sings the word: love, dreams, fly, wings, etc. Every time a contestant winks at the camera, take a sip. For more drinking game tips, click here.

Let’s look at some of the trends this year. Breakdancers are still hot. So are acrobats. A live string ensemble never goes out of style. In terms of music, Skrillex has come to the attention of Eurovision song tacticians. Yes, that means that every second track has a bit of brostep in it.

Let’s check out a few contenders…

Montenegro just got knocked out in the first semi-final, but they warrant a mention for their entry “Igranka” by hip hop duo Who See. The video is a crazy visual mash-up that makes absolutely no sense!

Pred Da Se Razdeni (Before the Sunrise) is F.Y.R. Macedonia’s entry. It’s a duet sung by Lozano and Esma Redzepova Teodosievska, also known for her humanitarian work and is a Nobel Peace Prize nominee.

The Ukraine’s entry “Gravity”, sung by Zlata Ognevicht is a soaring Disney-esque number. Trust me,  if there’s a new Lion King film on the cards anytime soon, this will be on the soundtrack!

Slovenia’s song “Straight into Love” is sung by Hannah. This track has a fat, brostep-intro and breakdown, and then leaps into a high-energy dance track. The neon pink lighting is edgy, capturing glimpses of the hot male breakdancers. Gay anthem? Check.

Getting away from the massive dance anthems and over the top ballads, is Malta’s entry “Tomorrow”. This irrepressibly catchy track is sung by Gianluca Bezzina.

While the bookies are backing Denmark, Norway and the Ukraine, speaking of dance anthems, we think Ireland could be in with a chance this year. And we also reckon Greece’s entry “Alcohol is Free” deserves an honourable mention.

No matter which way you look at it – whether you’re a die-hard Eurovision fan or an involuntary witness – the Eurovision Song Contest Grand Final is going to be a long night. To make it through, we recommend ordering takeaway, stocking up on beverages and just sitting back and enjoying the spectacle.

What’s your plan for Sunday night? Any tips to make the night even funnier? Which country do you reckon will win?

By Louisa Peterson

Our love of food began like this. Photo by D Sharon Pruitt

Think about it for sec. Your Mum has cooked literally THOUSANDS of meals for you! She’s made you breakfast, lunch and dinner, plus birthday cakes and desserts! If that’s not worth celebrating, we don’t know what is! Mother’s Day is a time to show your Mum that you care. Hang up her apron, bring her a cup of tea and let her relax. Cook her a special meal or order a takeaway feast!

For this week’s post we asked a few heroes at Delivery Hero HQ to tell us their favourite dishes from their Mum’s kitchen. The answers are a multicultural melting pot of amazing flavours and amazing love. And even though some of us now live on the other side of the world, we still call our Mums for cooking tips!

What’s your Mum’s most memorable recipe, and what makes it so special?

- So many to choose from, but chicken curry with smoked eggplant is special to me, as it not only tastes absolutely delicious, but is a recipe that Mum and I have made together many times and then enjoyed eating it together as well (Tracy, Australia)

- Rissoles. Why? Because every week we could count on them tasting the same, which is to say Righteous! (Stew, Australia)

- Bobotie. To me it’s the epitome of comfort food and brings back memories of South Africa! (Jeff, South Africa)

- Egyptian Macaroni Bechamel! I love this dish because it is simple but so tasty! Also it is a dish that we usually share with family or friends, so it always reminds me of good times spent together (Alex, France)

- My Mum’s homemade Falafel. I have eaten Falafel all over the world (Germany, Australia, Lebanon etc) and no one can beat my Mum’s recipe. (Mo, Germany)

Home-made Falafel. Photo by treehouse1977.

How important was your Mum in teaching you how to cook?

- I think the special thing about it is that when she cooks I can see the love and care she takes to prepare it and of course it tastes awesome when she finishes it! (Joao, Brazil)

- I garnered significant experience of cooking from Mum, but more importantly than that, she taught me how to clean up afterwards! (Stew, Australia)

- Pretty important! Both my parents are good cooks, but she usually did the cooking at home. Too bad for her, I have always been lazy when it came to cooking, so I wasn’t the best apprentice… However, I am starting to catch up now, I hope I’ll make her proud! (Alex, France)

- Very important. Growing up in a big family my mum taught me how to take care of my siblings and to cook for the family when she was busy. This came to the advantage of my housemates during uni. I always had to cook for my housemates because they didn’t know what to do! (Mo, Germany)

Do you remember any funny food related stories?

- It’s funny how every time I’m organising a dinner party for my friends in Sydney, I would pick up one of her recipes straight away. And even if we have 8-hour time difference, I always make sure to call her to confirm how long I should put my quiche in the oven for! (Guillaume, France)

- After making tea, Mum once put the milk back in the cupboard with the pots and pans, instead of back in the fridge – the stench tipped us off a couple of days later (total senior’s moment). (Stew, Australia)

- We used to own an Italian restaurant back in Germany which was next to our house. Sometimes when we were hanging out late at night at home with the family and some of us got hungry, we just robbed every ingredient we could get from the restaurant and then made a big feast at home. That resulted in mixtures of Lebanese/Italian/German food creations. (Mo, Germany)

Home-made Quiche

What would you cook for Mother’s Day?

- Slow cooked red wine lamb shanks (Jeff, South Africa)

- We will be cooking my Mum duck confit for Mother’s day – her favourite! (Tilly, Australia)

- As a child it would be breakfast in bed. Now I try not to cook! (Tracy, Australia)

- Probably not a dish, but a cake! My mother has always had a sweet tooth, so I know that the best way to please her would be a nice dessert. Macaroons would be a good match… I need to learn how to bake them now! (Alex, France)

- I would probably choose something Australian to teach her a little bit about Australia. Maybe a meat pie or kangaroo burger followed by some homemade Anzac biscuits (Mo, Germany)

We’d love to know what your Mum’s most memorable recipe is and what makes it so special!

Babaganoush – roast eggplant dip – with turkish bread is a picnic winner. Photo by jules:stonesoup

Sometimes you just don’t want to order big

You’re hanging out with your friends, enjoying the lovely afternoon and you’re feeling a bit peckish. But you’re not hungry enough to order a family-sized pizza and you really can’t be bothered cooking. What do you do?

Start at the top of the menu. Sometimes the answer is staring you right in the face! Remember appetizers and entrees? These tasty morsels go well with a boutique beer and better yet, they won’t break the bank. You can go as simple or as gourmet as you like. Entrees are great fun to order because you get to try a range of different flavours. We have a feeling this could be a secret trend, but if you haven’t tried it yet, here’s a challenge: for your next order, you’re only allowed to order entrees.

Take the appetizer challenge!

Every cuisine has it’s own delicious range of entrees. You just have to venture outside your comfort zone and make it your mission to try every single one!

So what are we talking about here? For starters, there’s the failsafe dips and Turkish bread option. Hummus, babaganoush, tabouli salad, olives and vine leaves. Delicious and completely snackable. Great for picnics in the park.

Ask yourself, how many different types of Japanese entrées have tried? Gyoza? Check. Agedashi tofu? Check. What about yakitori? Check. Edamame? Ok, if you haven’t tried steamed soybeans with salt, you really must. Oh but wait, there’s also tempura, karaage fried chicken, croquettes, or the lip-smackingly delicious soft-shell crab from Unoya in Sydney. But if you’re trying to avoid deep fried dishes, order a wakame salad and miso soup. Healthy AND tasty!

Edamame is a healthy snack that goes perfectly with beer. Photo by cyclonebill

Just thinking about Thai entrée’s make our mouths water. You can’t go wrong if you order one of every entree on the menu: Thai fish cakes, satay chicken, vegetable curry puffs, money bags, and don’t forget soups like Tom Yum Goong.

Chinese entrees are classics. Those prawn crackers take us back. Did your Mum ever rouse on you not to eat too many of those crispy treats? And what about pork wontons, prawn dim sims, and spring rolls? This is definitely an afternoon snack order.

Of course Indian starters are crowd pleasers too. Who doesn’t like pappadams and naan bread with a selection of dips?! And what about samosas and pakoras? Yum! Some places even do entrée platters so you don’t have to order everything individually. Make sure you check with the restaurant what kinds of combinations they offer.

We’d love to hear what you think. Have you ever only ordered entrees? If not, will you take the challenge?

“There’s rosemary, that’s for remembrance; pray you, love, remember” – William Shakespeare, Hamlet

While ANZAC Day is an occasion for remembrance and respect, that doesn’t mean that it isn’t without its lighter moments, and no Australian anniversary would be complete without lashings of laconic humour, a few games of two-up and a couple of beers. Balancing the serious side of things alongside a celebration of the freedoms that we enjoy is a perfect embodiment of everything that makes Australian culture so rich. One way to combine these two facets is by incorporating the symbolism of rosemary; sprigs of the aromatic herb are commonly worn on ANZAC Day as a marker of remembrance. By incorporating dishes made with rosemary you can pay a small sign of respect to the anniversary throughout the day.

There’s Something About Rosemary

Rosemarinus officinalis: rosemary; dew of the sea. So named because the herb can grow needing only the humidity carried by a sea breeze, rosemary is used as a symbol of remembrance and has long been thought of as a memory aid. Its strong scent and flavouring led rosemary to be used in a variety of dishes as stuffing and garnish. It works beautifully with meat, especially with roast lamb and chicken, and can also compliment fish dishes. Here are a few ways to incorporate rosemary into your ANZAC Day meals:

• Use rosemary as a seasoning for roast chicken: Combine a teaspoon each of dried rosemary, majoram, sage and thyme with 1/8 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 pepper, glaze the chicken with olive oil and then rub the seasoning over the top.
• The perfect match- Potato & Rosemary: This is a genuine Italian classic, made with tomato, mozzarella cheese, rosemary, sweet potato, parmesan cheese and grilled eggplant fillets. Yum!
• Use rosemary as a garnish to a roast lamb dinner: There’s nothing better than a traditional dinner of succulent roast lamb, crispy baked potatoes, steamed veggies and gravy – put it over the top by adding a sprig of rosemary to the mix.
• Add some flare to your BBQ: If you decide to have a BBQ on the day, you can really make your meat stand out by adding fried onions mixed with balsamic vinegar and a sprinkling of dried rosemary and sea salt.
• Take mushrooms to the next level: Fry some mushrooms with rosemary, a teaspoon of truffle oil, fresh pine nuts and goat’s cheese – the flavour is amazing!

Have you incorporated rosemary into your ANZAC Day ritual? How do you plan to spend this April the 25th, and what will you be serving up throughout the day (apart from ANZAC biscuits!!). Share your experiences in the comments section; we’d love to hear from you!

Last Friday we headed to Essen Restaurant and Beer Cafe for our weekly team lunch. Authentic northern European cuisine and beers are on the menu, but what seems to bring more attention is… the Jurassic Pork. Yes, you heard us.

The Jurassic Pork is 1.6kg loaf of bread, overflowing with juicy slow-cooked pork, coleslaw and BBQ sauce, finished off with a side of chips. The rules are pretty simple: contestants must finish the entire plate within 40 minutes – without the help of their mates – to get their meal for free! The proud of winning also comes with a commemorative Jurassic Pork T-shirt and the honour to have your photo placed on the Essen Wall of Fame.

The brave Dennis went for the challenge, supported by our cheering team.

Challenge accepted?

Let’s face it. The amount of carbs is pretty filling and  the amount of sauce needed to soften the pork is quite impressive. Our fellow Dennis did a pretty good job at eating the meat but the bread let him down. Not surprising when only 7 people completed the challenge while 67 made it to the Wall of Shame!

Come on Dennis, you’ll do better next time!

Feeling like you can compete the Jurassic Pork challenge? Head to Essen Restaurant & Beer Cafe on Broadway then! And if you’re more into indulging at home with their delightful northern Europe food, order your dinner with Delivery Hero! Schnitzels, pork belly, veal, soups and tasty breads are just a few clicks away!

What is the most craziest food challenge you went through?

A little later the ancient Romans got in on the action, topping their flat, round dough with olive oil, herbs and honey. This ancient version of pizza had a bit of a makeover in the 16th Century after tomatoes made their way to Europe from Latin America.

In Naples in the 1700s, street food for the poor consisted of flatbread with different toppings like tomatoes, cheese, oil, garlic and anchovies.

That’s Queen Margherita of Italy. Yep, you guessed it, the Margherita pizza was named after her.

So where did the Magherita pizza get its name? King Umberto I and Queen Margherita visited Naples in 1889. According to urban legend they were bored as batshit with their usual diet of fancy French food and requested a selection of pizzas. The queen took a shine to a pizza topped with mozzarella, tomatoes and basil, and from then on this combo was called the Margherita.

While pizza was huge in Naples the rest of the world was pretty slow to catch on until Italian immigrants travelled to the United States and started tossing pizza dough in their new home. In the late 19th and 20th Century pizzerias began opening in Brooklyn and the Bronx in New York.

From there the rest really is history. Pizza’s popularity grew, not just across the United States, but to over 60 countries around the world. These days you can find those delicious traditional recipes alongside gourmet combinations of awesomeness.

You KNOW what we’re talking about!

At Delivery Hero we have a soft-spot for pizza and we’re stoked that we can share the best places with you!

Here are a few of our top tips:

Red Horn Pizza in Rockdale has been rocking the region with their mind-blowing gourmet pizzas for years. Try the Mediterranean lamb pizza with slow roasted marinated lamb, fresh capsicum, spanish onions, tomatoes, Feta, oregano, topped with mint yoghurt & wedge of lemon, on a garlic and olive oil base. Or how about the char-grilled eggplant pizza with mushrooms, Spanish onions, fire-roasted capsicum, baby spinach, Kalamata olives & brie topped with fresh herbs on their home style eggplant relish. Save room for a honey dessert pizza topped with fresh banana, grated orange zest sprinkled with icing sugar. That’s a party in your mouth.

For an entertaining pizza experience, head to Elvis Pizza in Rushcutters Bay. Let Elvis serenade you as you chow down on a Viva Las Vegas pizza with chicken breast, mushroom, capsicum, onion, BBQ sauce & cheese, or a Kentucky Rain pizza topped with tomato, bocconcini, roast pumpkin, potato & fresh rosemary. FYI: rumour has it their ribs are to die for.

Vinni’s Cafe Pizza & Pasta in Glenroy serves up those traditional classics like the aforementioned Margherita, Napolitana, Marinara and Cappricciosa. In addition to pizza, they also whip up a mean Carbonara pasta and Chicken Parmigiana. You know you’re in good hands because  Mum’s the boss in this kitchen and this place is all about the love.

What crazy pizza toppings have you tried that totally work? or are you a hardcore traditionalist? Send us your tips or give a shout out to your favourite pizza place!

By Louisa Peterson