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Articles by Erica Strauss

Erica Strauss writes regularly on Northwest Edible Life.

Featured Article

When I read about the unique (and decidedly non-kosher) concoction of ground beef and vanilla ice cream that won the grand prize in a high-profile burger competition sponsored by the New York Beef Industry Council, it got me thinking: Is that as weird as it gets? After a bit of digging, I discovered the answer was a resounding “hell no,” so I compiled a list of other strange, real-life burgers. But that’s not all — I’ve also paired them with potential corporate sponsors and spokespeople who may want to exploit a lucrative, greasy cross-promotional opportunity. Yum!

Photo courtesy of Quick.

Dark Vador Burger

As a promotional tie-in to the release of The Phantom Menace in 3D, the Belgian fast food chain Quick developed the “Dark Vador” Burger (French spelling). The weirdest thing about this burger, obviously, is the bun. It’s black — black like Darth Vader’s helmet, a coal miner’s lungs, or the heart of the Monsanto legal department.

Dark Vador might be a simple ploy to sell more fast food, but give credit where credit is due: Black food dye, and a lot of it, is w... Read more