Well, it’s certainly been an entertaining and thrilling World Cup, and at this time of writing, we’re not even in the knockout round yet, and that’s certain to add intrigue, frayed nerves and possible euphoria for any soccer fan. It can’t possibly be a better time than to gather the family and friends together and share in the excitement. And that means sharing in some great food.
But before we do that, let’s share in some surprising facts and figures about the World Cup. As a nation, we’re pretty much all consumed with the four major professional sports (Football, Baseball, Basketball and Hockey), and we tend to forget that there are 203 other countries and provinces where soccer rules supreme. In fact, the World Cup is broadcasted into 204 countries and provinces, and is purported to be the most widely viewed sporting event in the world. It’s estimated that the final match this year, lasting a mere 90 minutes plus stoppage time, might be seen by 1 billion people; to put this into perspective, 4 billion people watched the London Olympics over the course of 17 days. In the last World Cup in South Africa, attendees consumed 390,600 hot dogs and drank 2.4 million 12ounce beers. But in terms of consumption, we’ll head in a different direction.
In fact, we’ll start with one of the most featured recipes for a soccer ball cake. During the World Cup, Google searches for soccer ball cake are running at nearly 10,000,000 results and trending way up from what the searches regularly are. Here’s the number one recipe for soccer ball cake as of this writing: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Soccer-Ball-Cake/?prop24=hn_slide1_Soccer-Ball-Cake&evt19=1.
The German World Cup team is a perennial powerhouse having won the title three times. This German brisket recipe is really simple to make and since it cooks for four hours in the oven, you’ll be able to watch almost two complete matches, which means your appetite will be goal-worthy when the meat is ready. Try this recipe for your main course: http://www.cookingchanneltv.com/recipes/beer-braised-brisket.html.
And here’s a perfect compliment to the German-style brisket. It’s a Brazilian dish, the host nation, of course, in this years World Cup, and this recipe is called. Påo de Queijo, also known as Brazilian Cheese Bread. And remember, of the 19 World Cup titles awarded, Brazil has won five times, more than any other country. So try this recipe in honor of the soccer-dominant country of Brazil: http://www.azcentral.com/story/life/food/recipes/2014/06/16/po-de-queijo-or-brazilian-cheese-bread/10642533/.
So, keep on watching the World Cup with family and friends, and by all means, give these three World Cup recipes a try.
