Response 1
In my opinion, “best baked apples” is a befitting title for the apples I witnessed being cooked in ‘America's Test Kitchen’. As observed, the apples are properly prepared. The apples with the best cells suited for heat, which are the Granny Smith, were picked out, individually selected, peeled and cored to make a perfect filling. The apples to be staffed, also the Granny Smith type, were peeled and cored to leave a space of half an inch as the perimeter – for perfect heat intake. I think that maple syrup and apple cider vinegar that were added gave the apples a bitter sweet sensation. The staffed apples were baked in a heat of 375 degrees Celsius for 40 minutes to properly bake them and leave them succulent enough. I would say the preparation of these apples qualifies them to go together with any meal and be a snack at any time. The most impressive part about these baked apples is that they come out firm, intact and presentable-looking, tempting and ready to be devoured.
Response 2
Seeing the snakes being chosen for a meal in ‘Bizarre Foods’ gives me the chills. The step of eating a pumping heart – the revered part of the meal – from a freshly killed snake is quite startling. However I find it very commendable that the Vietnamese use every part of a snake right from its blood to the skin and bones. The variety of dishes produced from all the parts of a snake amazed me. They fry, grill and preserve every part. The main meal – fried snake spring roll – looks appetizing and one cannot tell that it is a snake unless they are told. I think that the fact that snakes are freshly prepared and every their part is utilized gives the locals a rich and healthy menu out of just one animal. The name ‘Bizarre Foods’ suits this dish; but then again, the world is filled with people of different practices and tastes differ from border to border.
