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Archive for March, 2009

When Once Is Not Enough

Mar 31

Posted by admin in FDA, health | 1 Comment

pistachios_topSo pistachios are included in a number of trail mixes. When were we going to figure that the problem might be larger than a few pistachios? It looks like it’s taken several days to understand that the little kernels in the mixes are part of the problem, but it is best to recall pistachios themselves. Who’s in charge here? Who’s paying attention?

Whole and shelled pistachios got the salmonella scream today. It’s about time that a recall followed a more thorough process. Nut mixes are just a part of the story. If it’s a salmonella problem, a voluntary recall is nice, but as we have discussed before, slow decision-making hardly warrants headlines. Something is amiss. Several grocery chains decided to tackle the problem without waiting for further tests. They took pistachios off the shelf. Why wait?

Skip looking through the mixes for the little kernels. Recognize that Setton Pistachio, the country’s second largest supplier of pistachios, is voluntarily recalling bulk roasted and roasted in-shell pistachios for fear of the Salmonella outbreak. They are a proud company as their logo demonstrates. Yet their web site does not mention the recall. Not a good move. Information such as this needs to be a banner headline. They notified the FDA, now they need to make certain everyone knows that there is a health risk.

One bad nut does not spoil the party or does it?

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Strategy, Strategy

Mar 30

Posted by admin in Economy, food, life, Uncategorized | 2 Comments

Yes, that’s what it takes–a strategy, a plan that helps you get customers. Fine dining and casual dining are starting to step on the toes of the little guy and move into the realm of the fast foodie. I love when I get an announcement that says “due to popular response, our promotion has been continued.” Well that is either true that the response has been overwhelmingly successful or partially true in that the program needs to continue in order to drive business: getting people dining out.

Full-service chains do not want to be left out. T.G. I. Friday’s introduced “The Right Portion, the Right Price” menu with both lunch and dinner entrees from $5.99-9.99. Outback Steakhouse now has 15 items on a specialty menu starting at $9.95 and not exceeding $15. The menu even states the magic phrase, “lower prices.”

Look at The Palm, a very successful high-end restaurant, that has extended its lobster tail and steak dinner for $89. The program continues until April 12 either because it’s been so successful or because every night matters. It’s a lot of food; and a lot of money.

Sullivan’s Steakhouse, with locations throughout the country, has expanded its “affordable dining options.” There’s the John L. Prix Fixe,  a three-course $29 menu available daily until 6P and the Contender, a specialty menu with all items below $25.

This is not the world of a year ago and more problems seem to rear their ugly heads daily. Who else is playing today? Let’s see tonight (March 30) Lettuce Entertain You Restaurants, a major restaurant group headquartered in Chicago with restaurants such as Big Bowl, Mon Ami Gabi, and Wildfire in their nationwide portfolio, is rewarding its frequent diners with triple points. The success of this promotion may prompt a repeat performance as the amount of money a guest spends can immediately be used to take money off the bottom line!

All types of restaurants. All price points.restaurant-table Remember no one is immune. Sign up for email alerts, join frequent dining clubs at your favorite spots, and take advantage of good deals. Promotions are just beginning as spring dining is critical. It’s about more than Mother’s Day.

Keep ‘em coming; we will, too.

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It's Hard Work to Save Money

Mar 30

Posted by admin in Economy, life | No Comments

crowdEverybody is working so hard to keep dollars in their wallets, but the concept becomes difficult  to visualize after today’s visit to Costco. It began with parking lot bedlam, but the inside of the store made the lot seem deserted! With Easter and Passover coming up, and everyone clutching a coupon booklet, the chaos was inevitable. The store was insane. So was I. Why did I torture myself?

The line to purchase gasoline was maniacal. People merely needed to cross the street, spend one penny more per gallon, and get on with their lives. They used more gas waiting in the line to save the penny and surrendered precious moments of a sunny day.

Back to the insanity of the store itself. Baskets were piled high with an assortment of fresh and frozen foods, books, magazines, snacks, and other non-food “critical” items. The words” excuse me” truly fell on deaf ears as no one could hear anything. The aisles were jammed with adults trying to push mile-high piled carts. Screaming children wondered what they could taste next.

How much do you have to spend to save money? That is always a question when it comes to Costco. Buying $20 worth of toilet paper prompts the question: are you better off spending less money each week or taking advantage of the super-sized big-box universe? I think I saw the answer today: Spend the money; you’ll enjoy the savings.

The big initial cash outlay gets balanced against the need to run out and buy smaller products for less money. Sometimes that equation gets lost on me. I just wanted to make a beeline u-turn for the exit. But I was there, and the smoked salmon from Norway is delish. I needed organic eggs, grilled chicken strips, and, yes, toilet paper. Quality is high and well worth the investment as long as you can remain focused and not buy into impulse savings. After all how much mouthwash does someone use?

It will be difficult to hear that Costco did not have a good financial quarter.  If it doesn’t do well, I sure do wonder how many more people have to load their carts to the hills before they can have a blow-out quarter?

My money’s on record sales. I saw ‘em.

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Here a Food, There A Food; Everywhere a Recall

Mar 26

Posted by admin in Administration, FDA, food | No Comments

A day, scratch that, make that a half a day, barely goes by without a new food recall or food scare. This stuff just keeps on pumping out. Sara Lee recalled Ball Park Beef Franks because someone was not paying attention and they may not even be beef. They may contain meats not listed on the label such as pork or poultry or may even be cheesy. Products need to match labels. Labels need to tell the whole story.

Case in point:  Back to Nature Foods recalled the Nantucket blend trail mix this week because they  may contain pistachio nuts. You can be allergic to one type of nut and fine with all the others. The ingredient list needs to be thorough and accurate. Mistakes like this can be life-threatening. Yes, you could eat every nut in the world except the pistachio which could do you in. You need to know.

Of course, we have plenty of knowledge about peanut butter, or do we, since this is an old problem that’s still with us. The first reports came out in January, and that is the problem with a potential salmonella outbreak. Costs are excessive and trust can be lost for a significantly long time. Remember the tomato scare of summer 2008?

Who do we trust? How? What about the report that says many food problems cannot be traced to the source. Swell.

The new FDA holds the promise. The Administration has found well qualified individuals who hopefully will be able to right this disaster of an A09_09_22_thumbgency.

Let’s remember the first word of the FDA’s name–FOOD.

We can no longer sidestep our safety.

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Health News Scares

Mar 25

Posted by admin in food, health | 1 Comment

OK, if it’s not one food, it’s another. This week health reports attacked red meat and all its cousins in the deli case. I’m beginning to believe that whatever your favorite food is, no matter how local it is nor how humanely it is cared for, we are doomed.

I have to admit, a big juicy steak gives me quivers. That’s a positive. I have always been a steak and baked potato gal . Now, it’s been a while since the whole meat industry has been villainized. I bet the folks at Capital Grille didn’t see a drop in customers from this latest negative piece of news. From the economy maybe, but not from the red meat lovers.

What are we supposed to do with all these news reports? If we follow them, there’s nothing left but the raw food diet. Unappealing.

grillChicken has had its negative encounters. Fish scores plenty of bad headlines, and so does every other substantial protein. Now in the midst of the biggest economic downturn in our lifetimes, when burgers are big, juicy substitutes for steak, we get a big chest pain. Fear shouts: Don’t take out the steak knife or turn up the grill. It’s bad, dangerous, life-threatening.

What are we to do?  How many vegetable dishes can we enjoy? How many health reports can we swallow?

OK, compromise. Meat, but not nightly. Less on the charred side, but not avoided altogether. Slice it thin.

Eat slowly. It has to last longer.

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No Immunity–The Big Guys Feel it, Too

Mar 25

Posted by admin in Economy, food, life | 1 Comment

kellercookbookNo restaurant is immune to the current economic climate. It’s neither hot nor cold but difficult to maintain a just right feeling. The biggest decision for a restaurateur or chef to figure out is what adjustments are possible without losing the whole enchilada.

In a high-priced restaurant, (translate: business lunch and dinner crowd in addition to strong independent dinner sales and private dining), those adjustments are ever more critical. Cutting too far back makes the guest fearful that quality has been sacrificed in the name of survival. Finding a strategy that communicates to the diner that we hear you is the winning way.

So much of that strategy is in place throughout the country. The New York Times dining blog first reported how quiet some restaurants have become. This week Thomas Keller’s famous New York outpost Per Se will begin serving what they call a “salon menu” during dinner in the 24-seat front lounge area. The 7-9 a la carte offerings will range in price from $24 to $46, a veritable bargain over the more extensive, expensive tasting menu, that often comes in at over $250 a person. Those expense account dinners may be going the way of the two-martini lunch. Remember those? It’s been a while.

The price is still not a bargain, but a taste of a very high-end restaurant that is responding to its customer’s needs. His other big-name restaurant, The French Laundry in Napa Valley, has been a chart-winner for years and may not be suffering the same pressure as his expensive location in the Time Warner Center in New York. Keller is considered the master of fine dining and attention to detail and a passionate chef. He will strive to find a harmonious solution to the current fear that grips the high-end dining market.

No one willingly surrenders.

Reality holds the strongest suit.

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Drink Up: It's Spring

Mar 25

Posted by admin in Environment, restaurants | No Comments

With the high price of everything, it is not hard to give up bottled water. That is unless you go to Costco. A 35-bottle case of 1/2-liter Deer Park will keep you hydrated for under $6. That’s pretty hard to pass up especially as we move to the hot days of summer when carrying a bottle of chilled water is in itself comforting. Their Kirkland waters cost even less. 

Then we have angst about damage to the planet. So what is one to do? Buying reusable containers are OK as long as they are free of harmful plastics-they have to be BPA-free (bisphenol A). That often means you will be making a major investment in a storage container. They move from OK to disgusting when they lie around and wait for someone to clean them out. Yuck. Disgusting.

Brita and Pur water filters are fine for at-home consumption, but they make it more difficult to carry out the pledge to drink gallons of water daily. Or the filtered water gets put into the BPA-free container and never gets washed out. You get the picture.

Then there are the dining-out dilemmas. For years restaurants did well charging astronomical prices for bottled waters. No one seemed to know how many bottles ever got poured, but the bill reflected fountains flowing with expensive water. Now restaurants seem to have figured out that the consumer is not as gullible as he might have been when the world was more flush nor is the international water brand that all-important. In all my dining out lately, I have heard very little about expensive water. No one seems to hover and say with a tone of disgust, TAP? Yes, pour it. Bring it on.

Then there are the new specialty water systems such as Natura that restaurants have installed. They rent the equipment and purify tap water to offer guests still or sparkling. Bottles are reusable so there is little waste, and most restaurants that use the service charge customers a minimal fee for unlimited purified water. Stay tuned, a home version is due out soon.

So the point is: it’s spring, we’re thirsty.

Drink water. Make wise choices. bottle_sparklingnaturastill

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Cheers–Drink Wine and Beer Today

Mar 23

Posted by admin in alcohol, health, life | 2 Comments

wine-glassesIn the confusing world of health news, there are few topics more confusing than those that deal with the affect of alcohol consumption. One day wine, specifically red wine, is good for you. The next day, it is a leading cause of some type of horrible cancer. Then there are the wavering days: It’s good but not that good.

Seriously. What is the average, what does that even mean, drinker to do? Think it’s drink up and enjoy. Today we’re back to the good news column with a report from the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition finding that moderate drinking of wine or beer, defined as a glass or two a day, improves bone health. Now that’s really good news.

Bad news for those who prefer to align themselves in the spirits column as hard liquor does not have the same positive effect. Also if one or two daily drinks is too few for your lifestyle, then you move to the  problem column. The findings are hopeful as men with moderate consumption had stronger bones than non-drinkers. One of the more interesting findings of the study dealt with silicon, a mineral necessary for bone health and one that is in beer. Who knew?

One study says good; one says bad. One lists problems for one type of disease and another follows with a rebuttal that stresses something different. It probably won’t be too long before we find the downside article to this one on improved bone mass, so in the meantime, strengthen your bones and enjoy that glass of beer or wine.

Stand straight and drink up.

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A True Victory Garden

Mar 20

Posted by admin in First family, gardening | 1 Comment

whitehousegardenEvery foodie with a computer has been encouraging the Obamas to take the lead in locavore headlines and pick up a shovel. Today, the official first day of Spring, the wish has become a reality. With the help of White House chefs and a legion of followers, the new First Garden will be dug.

Not since Eleanor Roosevelt have we had such a proactive first female head of the country. Michelle Obama knows what she wants for her family and has a national forum to share her ideas. The so-called “kitchen garden,” which will be on the South Side of the White House, will be an 8-foot garden plot with 55 kinds of vegetables, but there’ll be no beets. She said as the President does not like his beets–hope this doesn’t turn out to grab attention like the no broccoli administration!

The 1,100 square-foot organic garden will be a model for the nation that in  these times, planting a garden is a good project. Eating local, First Lady Michelle Obama believes, is critical to the concept and not that difficult. Nothing will be more local than hopping out past the new swing set into the garden to pick the bounty of the season.

Shovels ready. The time is now.

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The White House Rocks

Mar 20

Posted by admin in Administration, First family, Michelle Obama | No Comments

First Lady Michelle Obama is like a magician who appears out of nowhere and electrifies the room. She’s everywhere with her smile encouraging everyone in the city. Washington, DC, as a city, needs the boost, and certainly as a nation we need her vibrancy. Yesterday she demonstrated her understanding of “how tough things can be” by visiting Anacostia High School, a school that often makes negative headlines, and sharing her beginnings with a small hand-picked group of juniors and seniors.

Her message was clear: You can succeed. To drive her point even further, she, in celebration of National Women’s History Month, enlisted other famous woman to go out into the communities and help young people understand that success can be reached. With the likes of Alicia Keys, Sheryl Crow, and Alfre Woodward and a host of other successful women, the message emanated from the White House to the schools. Accomplished women showing other young women that their future does not have to be bleak, that they can overcome obstacles.

The women traveled to 11 nearby schools to show that The White House is not just a building in a history book, but that it is nearby and is a place with a strong message: success can be achieved. Students were chosen for their athletic and academic achievements and included young men and women who had the opportunity to meet headliners and sit with them and ask questions.

The day concluded with a special dinner for 110 young women who shared dinner with the luminaries who had taken their message around town earlier in the day.

Lots of Firsts in this new Administration.

This First Lady gets it.

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