Not just coffee

Archive for January, 2010

It’s A Wrap: Food News

Jan 31

Posted by admin in Michelle Obama, news

So many food leftovers as we close out this week and the month. That’s always a good sign!

–A week before the biggest snack game of the year and some new interesting products are ready for serving. Not officially G-F, but the new Quaker Baked Rice and Corn Crisps (Tortillaz, Zesty Guacamole flavor) give old-fashioned rice cakes a boot off the field. They are tasty, perfect snack dippers.images-1

–While we’re talking G-F snacks, look at what’s happening at delis and bagel shoppes, they’re stocking Cracklebred: a perfect crunch solution to an otherwise missed opportunity. Congratulations to all the traditional bread outlets for carrying this product.

–We’ve extolled the health virtues of wine, now we can add grape juice to that list. Not a big, logical jump but one affirmed as a memory booster. Now you have a perfect excuse to stay with Welch’s beyond your 12th birthday!

–Have you noticed that the humble French Fry has taken on a new persona: A highly visible accompaniment to multiple restaurant dishes or as an expensive side as in Truffle, Mole, or Sweet. It’s been deliciously elevated as a special flavor treat. I accept.

–What’s it mean when a restaurant of  multiple-star recognition decides to close down for a couple of years to reinvent itself and come out of the gate as a different persona? That’s the question the food world asked this week with the news that the impossible-to-get reservation at Spain’s El Bulli need not cause you anxiety until they reopen as ??  Molecular tapas?

–Have you noticed that the Happy Hour is back? Hardly an hour but a solid period of time to help bring in both after work diners and late night partyers. As in times of old, it works nicely as an early, inexpensive, affordable outing. Many places have decided on a double shift: afternoon and late nights.

–Not just a healthy garden project for the First Lady, but a role as the spokesperson on Childhood Obesity, sadly,  the growing, national health concern.

–Yes, not a week goes by without some food recall. This week it’s more on burgers and now peppers and noodle dishes are a concern, too.

If the weather starts to improve, you’ll see plenty more food trucks. Right now they are operating under extreme conditions in most of the country, but this mini restaurant at the curb continues to be an influential trend.

Now it’s time to think February and recognize the longest month of the year; no matter what the calendar says!

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February Food Holidays

Jan 30

Posted by admin in champagne, chocolate, lifestyle

This year the beginning of the Chinese Lunar New Year, the Year of the Tiger, falls on February 14. Does that date ring a bell, one that starts your heart a quiver or makes you panic that you haven’t realized we close out the month of  January this weekend? You could combine the two holidays with a night out at a Chinese restaurant on Valentine’s Day, or…

The list of possibilities to make this fun day, this year’s Valentine’s Day, extra tasty, after all this is a food blog, keeps on multiplying. No matter what last year was like; this is a new decade. Move on.

It may be too late to get personalized chocolate bars, but there are no shortage of Sweetheart candy messages. If it’s ice cream treats you covet, then Maggie Moo’s has two options to suggest: Pink Champagne Sorbet or a Dream Cake for two. That’s a small-sized cake of strawberry ice cream drizzled with chocolate ganache and topped with a chocolate covered strawberry.

What is it about strawberries and chocolate dips anyway? Just walking past Godiva windows should convince you that they have the market on the biggest berries out there. Yes, they are beautifully covered in chocolate!

Dairy Queen changes its cake shapes for the month of February. Not a round but a heart-shaped ice cream treat (chocolate soft serve topped with crunchy chocolate cookies pieces and then layered with vanilla soft serve). They also feature the Midnight Truffle Blizzard (chocolate truffle pieces, dark cocoa fudge and vanilla soft serve).

If you want more than just dessert, then restaurants have you covered with no shortage of options for special Valentine’s Day (evening) dinners. Prix-fixe menus are all the rage. Plenty of people will tell you that dining out that evening is a semi-hectic experience, but if you’re curious about its popularity, look at all the restaurants normally closed for Sunday dinner offering special dining packages. A great source for info is Open Table. Better hurry and reserve if dining out is your goal.

If you purchase by the 14th, you can extend the heart-shaped dining with Krispy Kreme’s assortment of heart and chocolate doughnuts, including the chocolate-iced heart doughnut with red drizzle. If you buy a dozen, they have a treat for you: “A Share the Love” card with a sweet surprise.

No one wants to be left out of this marketing maze.

Dining-in works, too. So many wonderful recipe possibilities and items from Sunday farm markets–what’s redder than a beet?

Don’t forget champagne!CHAMP_VEU12

Ok.

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Coffee Counts

Jan 29

Posted by admin in lifestyle, news

Let me just say, I always knew I was onto something good! Yes, my multiple cups of coffee in the morning, afternoon, and evening have been enjoyable parts of my day. They affect my mood: Good. My rhythm: Smooth, OK, a little bouncy. My lifestyle: Immersed.

Now I understand how a simple little comment can further validate my modus operandi. In flipping thru the channels this AM while doing treadmill hills, I heard a report that had me hit the pause, I’m with you on this channel button. The topic was the importance of having at least 9 glasses of liquid daily (12 for men), and guess what, the reporter said the magic words: Coffee Counts. All those years thinking that my all-important coffee was just a stand-in for all the water I was supposed to drink, had just been given validation. She did say 1-4 cups of coffee count. OK, so all coffee, all the time’s not gonna work, but hey, if the first 4 count: I’m well on my way.

This just proves you can find proof for your personal belief with just a little time and effort. Made my whole exercise regime pay for itself!

Push the magic button, here comes another espresso–they’re small, maybe 8 of ‘em go into the important liquid column.saeco

Love this type of report!

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Sustainable Action

Jan 28

Posted by admin in grocer, news

We talk about the importance of sustainability, the preservation of a food so that it is not depleted. Most often we are in the fish and seafood universe as we have done a wonderful job of depletion; a terrible job in the sustainability column. There have been numerous outreach programs from various chefs that have said NO More: As in no more tuna for fears of overfishing.

The problem is a global one. We can do all this wonderful work domestically from our top-tier US chefs, but the issue does not get resolved if only a few of the world’s major players are on the program. This week we had good news in the sustainability column from Target and Safeway: Target, with help from the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch guidelines, will no longer buy and sell farm-raised salmon. They plan to sell only wild-caught Alaskan salmon.

By following this road, they hope to contribute to keeping the ocean cleaner, free of pollutants from the myriad of factory fish farms. This is all part of Target’s growing emphasis on the food side of its business. Safeway turned to the marine conservation group, FishWise to have them help set up a stronger sustainability policy. They will no longer sell red snapper, monkfish, or grouper until there is a proven ample supply of these fish. They will also concentrate on providing traceability information. This latter fact is part of a growing food trend that says, tell me everything you can about a product. Give me its roots; its history.p_sushi

Here’s a little primer of connections that can serve as a fish road map: A new Pocket Guide is available.

As more companies get on board, we are more likely able to sustain our supply and enjoy fresh fish.

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Burger Business Piling Up

Jan 27

Posted by admin in dining out, food universe

It’s fun to walk the neighborhoods and find signs that indicate a new restaurant is in the works. One of my favorite taped messages says: “Coming as soon as we can.” Think that summarizes a lot of our dining emotions. We’ll be there if the price is right, if you can do a good job, if you understand your product…as soon as that is all in place, set our table.

Sometimes the news comes via an awning. Not every new enterprise has the money or feels the necessity to cover up the old tenant’s signature so the awning sends the message; this is especially true when a sibling is about to emerge across town. With burgers, the news seems to be most eagerly anticipated. As we’ve noted, the burger concept is alive and well and seems to have little difficulty welcoming the latest entrant. In this case, burgers are just a part of a rather extensive menu!IMG_1072

The number 5 seems to be a magical information conveyance. After all The Five Guys chain took over the Washington DC region before rolling out nationally. Not everyone favors the same 5 toppings so they offer free peanuts while you wait for their cooked-to-order menu. The strategy of filling cooking time seems to work if you judge the space by the crowds!

Plenty of big name chefs have found a second life in the burger business (let’s add to that list Michael Landrum, Marcus Samuelsson, Michael Mina, Hubert Keller, and…the list is long). Why not? After all we’re talking about one of the country’s most hyped food groups. Not everyone serves just the beef variety; there’s the lobster, the lamb, the turkey, the veg, and the house specialty, whatever that is. The price seems to go from reasonable to stratospheric. Plenty in the middle!

No reason not to be a participant in this trendy space. Bring on the toppings.

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A Study, A Study, A…Coffee

Jan 26

Posted by admin in coffee, health

With so many studies aligning the benefits of coffee with a reduced risk of certain diseases, someone finally asked the question–what happens when milk is added? Do the benefits disappear? The short answer is: No problem. No affect or even effect!

Now for the complexity part of the equation: It was instant coffee that was studied. the trial included 9 people–do 9 people constitute a trial?? The conclusion is sweet: Adding milk or cream does not affect the antioxidant benefits from the coffee.

Time to get serious. Coffee has a long list of benefits and, of course, some negatives. Nothing’s perfect! Yet a study with so few people and one that uses instant coffee grabs my attention just for the sheer joy of another eventual positive coffee report. Nothing else; nothing further.

Time to do a larger milk trial. Nestle sponsored this one: Think they should consider a bigger one as the teaser info works in their favor!coffee

Me, I drink it black. The stronger, the better.

Piling up the antioxidants!

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Grocers Tripping Over Each Other

Jan 25

Posted by admin in food universe

We can easily complain about the lack of competition, but now it seems we are inundated with interesting opportunities. The grocery aisles are alive with pricing possibilities. It seems no day passes without another announcement of daily specials, multiple online coupons, and new takeaway menu choices. The takeout category is literally exploding with selections that rival at-home preparation and restaurant options.

The consumer is finally in the driver’s seat, but that’s only because there are still too few people struggling to find economic solace. The latest dining out news from one of the country’s major food industry consulting groups says the restaurant recovery will not come until late 2011 or early 2012. That’s pretty bleak info.

Grocers have figured out how to tap into the carry-in market with $6 meals of an entree and two sides–that at least appears to be the midpoint pricing war among various grocers. It’s hard to dine out at that price, and grocery stores are hopping all over the burgeoning prepared meal category.wegsmushroomside

For the consumer, the shopper, the diner: This has real possibilities.

I think everyone would be happier with the world of not that many years ago; the one with fewer specials but more job and wage opportunities.

In the meantime, the philosophy is single-focused: Keep the offers coming from all sectors of the food industry.

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Round Up: Food News To Use

Jan 24

Posted by admin in food universe, news

So many leftovers. Time to consolidate all that information.

Yes, this was definitely the week that was; as in you were warned by Starbucks that prices would increase. They did. You may not have noticed the 5 cents here and there and some drinks jumped more than that, but it’s the caffeine that counts, right?

At the same time they got hit for the price jump, albeit with warning, they continued to tweak their healthy menu items. A few simple adjustments on your latte orders, like switching to nonfat milk, can keep the calorie count down. Actually they have lots of company in the new calorie-posting lifestyle. Look at Applebee’s new healthy choice list with the long title: “Unbelievably Great Tasting & Under 550 Calories.” That’s a mouthful.

Grocers continue to parade around their value-pricing deals and low-calorie combinations. FreshDirect, the online grocer in New York, touts its 500-calorie meals which they create in-house and have available for delivery.siteaccess_farms_02

Results are in that people do pay attention to calorie postings, but they are being questioned for their exactness. Several reports have questioned the validity of the numbers. Think this is where commonsense has to rein. If it looks too good to be true…Guess what the triple burger might actually have more than 100 calories! I see more fruit options as commonsense sides to accompany main courses.

Celebrity Food Shows have been touting the combination of waffles and fried chicken. Now that has become a menu buzz. Do you get two separate plates so they syrup does not run all over the crispy chicken? This is what we call a fad; not a trend!

As the weather continues lashing out at us with a full deck of impossibilities, (tornadoes in CA?), it’s time to begin the magical pre-spring daydream: Seed catalogs. This is the time of year to leaf through them and find the best possibilities for your eventual garden. Time to order and begin the slow sprout. So many catalogs and so many new veggie and fruit possibilities. This is your year to rotate and bring on some new choices. Skip the all-traditional garden and go for some of the newcomers–all well marked. Just verify the growing zone so CA crops do not sit idle in your mid-Atlantic garden! Can one really have too many tomatoes?

Always a few more food recalls to focus our attention. This week it was cheese logs, smoked beef brisket, and additional burger items. With the appointment of the new FDA deputy commissioner in charge of upgrading food safety, maybe, just maybe, we can start to see better focused attention and action.

Speaking of burgers: Here’s a new burger bar prototype to consider: Burger King and Budweiser have teamed up to open a Whopper Bar by mid-February in South Florida. If it works there…the rest is history: Tourist areas get ready to open a cold one! It’s a success in Germany and new one is planned for Spain.

Oatmeal continues to be everyone’s favorite bowl game. McDonald’s, Caribou, Starbucks, and Jamba Juice are all tripping over each other with the flavor possibilities and price wars. What happened to good Old Quaker at home–OK, the one minute kind in a to-go cup–even less expensive!

Rest up a new week in food is ready to entice.

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Bulk Is Big

Jan 23

Posted by admin in shopping

Hey, I’m not just talking the hefty look or the logical definition of bulk goods but the fact that everyone seems to be taking on the big box retailers. Hmm. Must be a reason for that. Let me think. OK, got it: We save money when we buy in bulk! Sure the corollary argument is that we waste money as we have spent so called “future” dollars on products we won’t be using for a while. We are spending ahead of ourselves is what the cynics cry!

Bulk purchasing is a case of simple math: Money saved today v. Money that’s out of pocket for a while or until the goods are used up. All depends on how you calculate savings. A simple message runs through these new big boxers: No need to pay a membership fee.

Grocers such as Wegmans decided a while ago that they could rearrange their stores and find room for big containers of everyday purchases such as toilet paper, paper towels, and dish detergent. They devote an aisle or two or a section of the store to these seductively priced items. Judging by the piled-to-the sky carts, seems it’s working.

Now, Target has decided it can be a major player in this multi-pak arena. The logic is quite simple: You’re here; let us capture those dollars; no need for you to run around. They call it “The Great Save.” The simple translation is:  Shop, spend, save. This is a limited time experiment (until the end of February) as in if it works, it will most logically be continued.targhetgreatsave

With the price of gas again on the upswing. Consolidated shopping seems to be more than a passing fancy. That’s why Target has also added to its grocery sections and continues to remodel its stores with greater emphasis on food items. At the same time, they are studying smaller in-city stores: Their new target audience.

Nothing complex here. Multi-paks save money.

Bring on the deals. We’ll figure out the math.

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More Food Highlights and Trends

Jan 22

Posted by admin in dining out

The one thing about predictions is that you can never go wrong: It’s just a prediction. You can always hide behind the change and blame barometric pressure as a contributing factor or whatever else comes to mind!

Following on the heels of the just concluded 35th Winter Fancy Food Show in SF, some of the trends that emerged from the large show with over 80,000 products are nothing new to readers of this blog:

–Gluten-Free, exotic citrus, coconut, good-for-you foods, and nostalgic foods. These are all topics and categories (check the search part of the site) we have seen evolve over the past year. Good to know we are on the right track!

The National Restaurant Association just released its Industry Forecast which has a more upbeat tone than last year with an anticipated increase of  2.5 percent in sales spending. Everyone in the industry has his fingers crossed for that to occur. Some other items of interest include:

–A greater emphasis on locally sourced food, sustainability, health, and nutrition will be the top trends on restaurant menus this year. Individuals say they are more focused on eating healthy in restaurants than they were even two years ago.whatshot8_thumb

–More restaurants are stepping up their efforts to go green and 4 in 10 consumers say they choose restaurants based on their conservation practices.

–Ethnic cuisines and flavors continue as a hot menu trend including regional ethnic cuisine and fusion cuisine. Interesting to watch the fusion idea which has come and gone any number of times! As for ethnic menus, they may also qualify as a more affordable price decision. I believe, price and value will continue to permeate much of our decision-making.

No matter which trend list jumps to the top of the pile, the most important takeaway is that diners are more savvy in terms of what they look for when dining out. Many arrive at restaurants after they have read reviews and studied the menu.

Expectations are high. The diner wants value and the restaurants need to focus.

That’s how tables get full and the buzz stays positive.

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