"taste test" news and stories

McDonald's almost got one by us. Earlier this month, we announced that the McRib would be returning to menus for a short time only, starting November 2nd. But we kept spotting massive McRib ads posted in the windows of various McDonald's locations, and our curiosity spiked. So we hit the McRib locator, made a couple of phone calls, and it was confirmed: McDonald's has sent the McRib into the world (at some locations) a week early.

For those of you who have been hiding under a rock, the McRib is a pork sandwich (not actually boneless ribs, so don't get your hopes up) slathered in BBQ sauce and topped with onions and pickles. After it made its last and brief appearance back in 2006, the McRib has gathered a cult following.

Who makes the best vanilla ice cream? In the hot summer months, walking down the ice cream aisle of a supermarket can make your head spin -- so many flavors and varieties to choose from. Slashfood decided to help you narrow those possibilities down. We took the most simple flavor -- vanilla -- and put it to the test. Did you know that vanilla ice cream is the most popular flavor of choice? In fact, "30% of Americans prefer vanilla over any other flavor," John Harrison, Edy's flavor guru, says.

We gathered 16 different brands from local supermarkets in New York and New Jersey (most brands are available nationwide), and rated them on a scale of one to five for creaminess and vanilla bean flavor. After the editors did a round of testing themselves, we decided to organize a blind taste test with our co-workers here at AOL. More than 20 people showed up to determine which vanillas were the best -- and which ones were deemed the worst.

In the end, we came up with two winners for the best -- the editors chose one and the testers chose another -- and one for the overall worst (we were all in agreement there).

After the jump, our picks for the best and worst vanilla ice creams ...

Each Thursday, we round up a selection of scrumptious links from our friends over at YumSugar. Here's what they've got cooking this week:

• Ice cream worthy of hysteria.
• Go to Fez for your rehearsal dinner without leaving home.
• Continue celebrating Spain's World Cup win with these dishes.
• The steaks are high with Cachaça marinated hanger steak.
• Are tomatoes really necessary in guacamole?
• Is Kraft macaroni and cheese explosive?

Our colleagues have been talking about a Pop-Tart commercial where you're shown how to sandwich ice cream between two Pop-Tarts, insert a popsicle stick, and voila -- you've got your very own ice-cream-truck-worthy concoction. Seriously? We immediately associated it with the fast-food gluttony exhibited by KFC and IHOP. Do we really need to be encouraging Americans (and specifically children) to combine a sugary pastry with ice cream?

Kellogg's brought back this marketing campaign (it first appeared in 2009) just in time for summer, presumably because toasted baked goods aren't as appealing when the temperature spikes. At least they're pushing the treats as a dessert, not breakfast. (We're not convinced the tarts should be considered "breakfast" to begin with.)

All that said, our curiosity got the better of us. With all the flavors of Pop-Tarts and the limitless varieties of ice cream, what sort of sandwiches could we create that would mimic our favorite desserts?

Click on the gallery below to see which eight combinations we tried; find our favorites after the jump.

For one lucky person in London, the 9 to 5 grind is about to be a thing of the past. Spitalfields Market, a collection of covered shops and dining venues just outside of London, has resurrected an age-old job, and they're taking applicants. The position? Beer taster.

Reps for the market call it simply, "the best job in the world." The employee would essentially stop at venues throughout the market and taste test the beers for quality. It's a role that's been around almost as long as the market itself -- almost 400 years. (King Charles I of England first gave permission for fish, poultry and produce to be sold on the site in 1638.)