We interrupt a scheduled Food on Fridays post for a public service announcement, since time is running out.  It was announced last week that the Eurovision Song Contest Finals will be broadcast live in the U.S. — for the first time ever — on May 14. That’s tomorrow! Yes, the finale will be broadcast live in the U.S. Just think, you, too, can experience Eurovision live this year, just as Chris and I used to when we lived in Germany.

You’re excited. I can tell.

Now, the official announcement says that it will be broadcast at 3pm in the afternoon, EST. Which is a bit confusing, actually, since mostly we’re already on DST, so does it mean that it will be broadcast at 3pm EST in the few places that don’t switch, but at 2pm DST everywhere else?  Hard to say.  Ah well, there always has to be something wacky about Eurovision, other than the songs.

BTW, in case you have forgotten how the contest works, you can consult my old guide to the contest. It’s a little out of date, unfortunately, as this year  they have tinkered with the judging and awarding of points. They are trying to avoid having any country wind up with  the dreaded “null” points this year, apparently. But I think the gist of the original guide still applies. Here’s a link from a British perspective that includes a graphic that compares the old and new rules. Scroll down the page to find it.

Now, I haven’t actually kept up this week with the contest’s semi-final rounds. So, I don’t know if there are any songs that involve food to make this somewhat appropriate for a Friday post. But here’s a link to one that involved food from a few years ago: Cake to Bake.  Nothing wrong with cake.

And in further keeping with the Food on Fridays theme, here’s an unusual photo from a recent Japanese meal we had here in Seattle. It’s a slice of Japanese radish (daikon), topped with marinated (pickled?) seaweed and a thin slide of red radish. The wasn’t anything we’d ordered, just an amuse-bouche that the chef offered to start the meal. It was quite tasty.

Of course, the food and the photo has nothing to do with Eurovision, of course. Although, it was a an bit unusual … and Eurovision is that. So may there is a connection after all… 

Radish amuse-bouche, Miyabi restaurant, Seattle