Ripley Entertainment Inc.'s Blog, page 235
November 27, 2019
Stuff Your Face With These Weird Food Combinations
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
Contrary to what your parents told you when you were young, food is meant to be played with! Where would we be if we hadn’t discovered the incredible taste combination we received when we mixed chocolate and peanut butter together? Or when we realized sea salt and caramel could be blended with coffee to create a delicious, salty-sweet treat? Below are eight weird food combinations you may never have tried but that, according to those who swear by them, actually taste amazing!
1. Hot Chocolate and Cheese
It’s hard to imagine two foods more people love, but chocolate and cheese together?! Now that sounds weird. However, in Columbia, hot chocolate with cheese is a tradition and a delicacy that people in North America are only just starting to discover. The cheese used is called “queso compasigna,” meaning rustic cheese. The best translation you can find in US grocery stores would probably be a mild mozzarella or halloumi. Cook up a batch of hot chocolate and then add a cube of cheese on top. When it melts, you’ve got heaven in a cup.
2. Avocado and Chocolate
The concept of mixing these two disparate-seeming ingredients comes from the popularity of both and the ability to use avocado to make an otherwise decadent dessert—like chocolate mousse—into something considerably healthy. People absolutely love this combination, which often requires mixing equal parts of both ingredients together. The two flavors smooth and complement one another, rather than fighting for dominance as one would think.
3. Cheetos and Milk
What is slowly becoming a new—but somehow deeply disturbing—option for after-school meals is a combination of Cheetos and milk. Now, one can conceivably imagine eating Cheetos with milk, but many people are actually starting to enjoy the option of Cheetos in milk, like a cereal. This also led to the concept of Cheetos milk, which is the milk left over after the Cheetos are eaten. A Filipino website, Pepper, even offers a recipe one can make with the concoction: Cheetos milk fudge truffles.
4. Pickles and Ice Cream… or Bourbon… or Peanut Butter
Pickle-lovers are always trying to mix these tangy treats with everything under the sun, which may be why most of the weirdest food combinations have pickles in them. There are also dozens of pickle-flavored foods, such as chips, candies, even vodka! But why do people crave pickles to the point where they try to add them to every other food? It could be because your desire for pickles is actually an act of self-preservation: pickles are extremely acidic, which can help stomach issues and minimize bloating, and they have lots of sodium, which can help the body absorb water when dehydrated.
5. Peanut Butter and Hamburgers
Many people love putting condiments on their hamburgers—ketchup, mayo, mustard, sometimes all three! But have you ever thought of slathering a burger with melted peanut butter? The Wheel Inn restaurant located in Sedalia, Missouri, which first opened its doors in 1947, offered the Guberburger, which included a beef patty, lettuce, mayo, tomato, and peanut butter. Unfortunately, the Wheel Inn is now closed. Still, the idea of the Guberburger lives on, and you can find recipes for this savory meal online. 
6. Cheddar Cheese and Apple Pie
If you’re from the South, you may balk at the idea, but Northerners prefer a slice of cheddar cheese melting on top of their apple pies. According to Southern Living, this practice could date back as far as Medieval times and was perhaps carried over from Europe to the US, eventually connecting the so-named dairy country (the Midwest) with the apple country (New England).
7. Coca Cola and Red Wine
What may sound unfathomable to Americans is the combination cocktail that has become a huge part of the indigenous Basque culture in Europe. There’s even a name for it: Kalimotxo. The legend goes that the cocktail was invented when servers at the 1972 Basque festival Puerto Viejo realized their wine had gone bad, so they mixed it with Coke to hide the taste. Now, people enjoy the drink all throughout Basque country—with lots of ice, of course.
8. Peanut Butter and Onion
Perhaps the truest test of can-you-handle-this-food-combo is the peanut butter and onion sandwich. Most people state that sweet onions should be used, as they are less abrasive than the tangier varieties. It’s unclear where this sandwich originated, but during the Great Depression, the Bureau of Home Economics reportedly created a recipe for peanut butter stuffed onions. This amounted to baking an onion and then spooning peanut butter into its crevices. If you’re looking for a reason to try it, Hemingway apparently loved this combo.
So, before consider yourself a daring eater, maybe try out a few of the above and let us know what you think.
By Julia Tilford, contributor for Ripleys.com
November 26, 2019
Three People Thankful For Survival – Ripley’s Believe It or Notcast Episode 25
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
Whether it be surviving a fall in the remote mountains of Himalaya, fighting through an inferno engulfing your hometown, or spending a lifetime preaching lightning safety only to be struck yourself, surviving in many situations is not only against the odds, but also takes unbelievable effort, skill, and even luck.
This week on the Notcast, we talk to three incredible people who are thankful to have survived some of the most horrifying incidents in history.
Dr. All’s Video From Inside The Crevasse
For more weird news and strange stories, visit our homepage, and be sure to rate and share this episode of the Notcast!
Source: Three People Thankful For Survival – Ripley’s Believe It or Notcast Episode 25
November 25, 2019
Thin Crust Or Spin Crust? It’s Pizza Acrobatics!
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
It’s a show on its own: watching the pizza chef at your favorite restaurant toss freshly-made dough into the air before serving it up to your table—and your tummy. But this particular pizza shop owner certainly dishes up a different set of looks with his spinning talents. As a thirteen-time World Pizza Champion acrobat, Justin Wadstein knows how to put the “oh!” in dough.
From what started as a side-act in a family show, blossomed into many fiery performances. Every year participants from all over the globe compete for the title of World Pizza Champion at one of two competitions in Italy and in Las Vegas, Nevada. The elaborate two-to-three-minute routines set to music resemble a similar act to that of rhythmic gymnastics—but, instead of colorful ribbons, the competitors use pizza dough!
During his first competition, Wadstein competed in Las Vegas, bringing home first place in the United States and fourth in the world. It was during this contest that he met 13-time World Champion, Tony Gemignani. As a seasoned pizza spinner, Gemignani has been a great friend and inspiration for Wadstein’s work. Eventually, he even added the element of fire.
Wadstein has now integrated his love of performing with his love of cooking. His day-to-day life as a chef has allowed him to express his pizza-spinning abilities alongside his delicious pizza-making skills. This thirteen-time champion is certainly bringing home the dough with his thin crust and his spin crust.
The Last Pit Stop On The Way To Area 51
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
EDITORS NOTE: This article serves as a recommendation from Ripley’s contributor and Believe It or Notcast host, Ryan Clark. From vampires in New Orleans to Skunk Apes in South Florida, Ryan has seen it all on his many Notcast adventures.
RACHEL, Nevada — I guess I wanted to go out there because of the so-called “Storming” of Area 51.
No, I didn’t want to storm Area 51 myself. But, I was fascinated by those who did, and I followed from afar.
Back story: In September 2019, more than a million people on Facebook planned to “storm” Area 51 to attempt to find out what’s going on at the secret government facility. It didn’t really happen. People showed up. Two were arrested. No one stormed anything.
Of course, I knew no one could really storm the area—they’d get mowed down by men in black. But the desert, and everything around the Extraterrestrial Highway—Nevada Route 375, which was given the out-of-this-world-name by characters in Independence Day—really made me want to visit. Luckily, a trip to a marketing conference for my day job provided the opportunity. I got to Las Vegas and hopped in a rental car around 8 a.m. With an entire day to explore, off I went.
Here’s the deal: There really isn’t a lot out there in the desert.
Like, there’s nothing. Well, aside from the one lonely landmark. The one shining beacon—or is it a mirage?— sitting and waiting for every UFO and alien buff to drive in from the West Coast or the Four Corners.
Welcome to The Little A’Le’Inn, a hybrid motel-bar-diner located 45 miles from Area 51 in little Rachel, Nevada. Open since 1988, the oasis has been slinging beers and burgers—and providing beds and an RV parking lot—for travelers interested in investigating the paranormal of the Nevada desert.
I read on the internet that someone said it takes two hours to drive to Rachel from Las Vegas. Think again, internet! It’s a solid three-hour trip; so turn on the podcasts and settle in. The sights on the way are also pretty few and far between. Make sure you’ve got a full tank of gas and a car that won’t break down. And also: Watch out for the cattle, which frequently cross the road at any time of day.
As you get closer to Rachel and the diner, you’re also probably going to lose cell reception, so you may want to have a map with you.
I got there around lunchtime. And let me tell you, once you arrive, you’re beyond glad to see another human being—and to use the bathroom (which are clean)—that you don’t care how long it took you to get there. As a memento of your long and lonely journey, snag a picture of the wrecker outside holding up a little UFO next to the sign, after which you’ll probably want to go inside, say hello, and grab something to eat. If you haven’t picked up on it by now, the journey is a long, lonely, and hungry one.
I recommend the Alien Burger complete with lettuce, tomato, pickle, and alien sauce—really great. While waiting, you’ll notice the endless dollar bills that have been signed by patrons and attached to the ceiling. Very cool. You may also want to grab a T-shirt, plush toy, or sticker. There are tons of souvenirs to choose from—I mean, come on, you’ve driven three hours… and it’s three more to get back.
I also recommend you chat up Pat Travis, owner of the joint, who told me about the area. He may have some special insights on the totally random, sticker-covered mailbox you’ll see on the way to grounds. First of all, it’s hard to imagine anyone actually receives mail from this lonely box. And second, it looks totally out of place sitting in the desert about 30 minutes outside of Rachel, which makes it interesting on its own.
“Some say it’s a marker, and if you look, roads come together from two directions and they say it’s a runway,” she told me.
For UFOs? I asked.
“That’s what they say.”
So on the way back, with the sun creeping lower on the horizon, I took a picture of that, too.
Then I promptly got back in the car and hauled ass because there’s no way I was getting stuck…
In Nevada. In the middle of nowhere.
At night.
By Ryan Clark, contributor for Ripleys.com and host of Ripley’s Believe It or Notcast
November 24, 2019
November 23, 2019
November 22, 2019
Biblical Snake Fossil Found In Deserts Of Patagonia
Featured in Ripley's Believe It or Not!
This Week
[November 17-23rd, 2019] An ancient serpent with legs, an expensive broken tennis racket, and the rest of the week’s weird news from Ripley’s Believe It or Not!
Biblical Snake Skull Uncovered
Over 95 million years ago, an ancient snake slithered the sands of Northern Patagonia with a set of rear limbs helping to propel it along. Scientists have just uncovered the skull of this ancient serpent known as the Najash rionegrina—or the Biblical snake. “Nahash” is Hebrew for snake. A possible intermediary between lizards and modern snakes, experts hope it will reveal new information about the evolution of these creatures.
CC Fernando F. Garberoglio via Science Advances
A Broken Racket Racket
It was the 2018 US Open finals when Serena Williams smashed her racket in what resulted in a passionate tiff with the referee. The Wilson racket costs about $249 new but ended up costing the athlete $17,000 in fines. For close to a year, the broken racket belonged to tennis fan Justin Arrington-Holmes who was given the racket after a photo with Serena. He sold it to a sports shop for $500, but it’s now expected to earn upwards of $50,000 at a New York auction.
Credit: Leonard Zhukovsky/Shutterstock
Surf Proposal Wipeout
Christopher Garth and Lauren Oiye both love surfing. That’s why Garth thought the perfect place to propose would be on the waves of Hawaii. He brought them to the exact spot they had met years ago and dropped to one knee atop his surfboard. He pulled the ring from his swim shorts pocket and popped the question. In the turgid waters, however, he quickly dropped the ring. He couldn’t find it amidst the waves but, thankfully, thought ahead and kept the real ring safely ashore.
The Billy Bass Choir
The bar inside the Royal Palms Shuffleboard Club in Chicago is now home to over 70 Billy the Big Mouth Bass who sing and dance (or flop?) in unison. While getting 75 of these singing fish together wasn’t easy, programming them all to work in unison was even more challenging. Their bar, however, is the only one on Earth with a school of fish singing Bee Gees music.
Squirrels Gone Nuts
Holly Persic of Pennsylvania was on her way to the library when she noticed her car smelled like it was burning. Looking inside the hood, she was dumbfounded to find the engine bay stuffed with grass and walnuts. Chris Persic, her husband, spent nearly an hour cleaning an estimated 200 nuts from the car and reminds other drivers to check under the hood every once in a while.
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