Not just coffee

Posts Tagged life

Food News Wrap Up

Mar 7

Posted by admin in food recalls, health, news

Not only has it been a crazy, busy week in the food world, some of the issues are still front burner items. The hydrolyzed vegetable protein recall for fear of Salmonella has not been resolved. More companies are submitting recall notices. Be vigilant. Pay attention.

Food labels: The FDA has had a busy week with the various recalls and its announcement that it will be spending more time scrutinizing those so-called healthy food labels. We often grab food with a banner notation indicating its healthy properties. The FDA wants proof that these claims are accurate and not just marketing strategies. They promise to get tough on misleading labels. Time to understand a label and not just give it a quick once-over: Watch for saturated fat and sugar.

In other health news:

–Chocolate: A Harvard study says enjoying a few pieces of dark chocolate daily may lessen the possibility of certain types of strokes.

–Potassium-rich foods: Also related to issues of preventing strokes, foods that are high in potassium (potatoes, bananas, avocados, and leafy greens, for example) helped lower the risk for stroke and coronary heart disease. Sounds like a reminder to eat fruits and vegetables.

–Metal cans and BPA: Several environmental and scientific groups have called for the immediate banning of metal cans for their various health risks. Tests indicate higher BPA levels than originally expected and fears of overall exposure has heightened attention to this issue.

–Dieting. An Israeli study found that weight-loss diets, whether Mediterranean, low-fat, or low-carb, help reverse atherosclerosis. The probable benefit of these diets comes from reduced blood pressure. Great news. The type of diet is not as critical as the fact that one diets!

–Lessen salt intake. Now that’s a shocker! A government study found that billions of health dollars could be saved if salt intake could be reduced by 10 %. They are trying to get the food industry to understand the overall implications and get them to hold back on salting up foods. When dining in we can get a tighter grip on the shaker.

–Milk allergies. A simple blood test may determine if young children are allergic to all milk products or if they can tolerate heated milk. Knowing the severity of the allergy would make it easier in determining the safest foods. The test is not yet available, but it is definitely one to watch.

As with most weeks, it is fun to end on a good news coffee note. Several studies presented at the recent American Heart Association conference found good news in the coffee department! Coffee drinkers had a lower risk of getting heart rhythm problems. Another study found no link between coffee intake and atherosclerosis. The third significant study found that women who consume multiple cups of coffee daily had a lower risk of getting type 2 diabetes!3can_fine_200x135

Healthy coffee or coffee health: Works for me.

Tags: ,

No Comments

March Food Holidays

Mar 6

Posted by admin in food universe, gluten-free

It’s fun each month to see what important National Food Holidays are ripe for celebrating. This month is no different, and here is an eclectic mix of possibilities in case you need an excuse to try a certain food or arrange a themed gathering. Don’t forget the biggest green holiday of the year with so many food and beverage possibilities: St. Patrick’s Day, this year a Wednesday–how perfect is that!

So many of these month-long holidays have special promotions built around their celebrations. So many choices; these are just a taste of what’s in store. Check the linked websites for ways to participate.

–National Frozen Food Month. OK, I admit this is an odd one as we spend so much time talking fresh, just-picked, and farm-ready, but there are plenty of consumers who feel unfulfilled with a partially full freezer! The big news here is that both the organic and gluten-free markets have increased their frozen offerings so we are not in total wilderness space!  Check out the chance to win a prize in the Easy Home Meals section.frozenfoods

–National Nutrition Month. The American Dietetic Association uses this month to spread the word on nutrition education and information to help individuals make informed choices whether dining in or out. They also stress the importance of developing solid eating habits and participating in physical activities.

–National Peanut Month. The Southern Peanut Growers is hosting a recipe contest for foodservice employees, “PB&J My Way.” Here’s your chance to submit your favorite twist on the traditional. They are also donating a jar (up to 4,000 jars) of peanut butter to Feeding America for each recipe submitted. Be creative and help feed those less fortunate. That’s a double win. Plenty of great recipes on the site.

If none of these month-long celebrations excite you, pick a day, and you’ll find a food to celebrate. Try March 7, National Cereal Day or wait til the 14th to celebrate the Potato Chip. There’s at least a food a day and an organization happy to give you celebratory ideas.

I need to conclude with a strange one: Caffeine Awareness Month. I personally believe each sip heightens your awareness and that a month-long promotional program devoted to making the public aware of how their lives are quite possibly negatively affected by use and misuse of caffeine is a whole other discussion. If you need to watch the caffeine, this is your month to learn strategies.

Think you know how that plays out in my universe!

Tags: , ,

No Comments

Food News: Wrap It

Feb 28

Posted by admin in coffee, gluten-free, news

It’s that time again; the time we look back and see all the stories we did not write about. Here are some of the highlights:

–Taxing junk food. The discussion goes on as it does with the soda tax. Some new studies indicate that people would pay attention if there were an additional charge placed on this “select” group of items. If that’d be the case, then we might have scored a victory in the obesity battle. At least a first round offensive.

–Memory loss. Now I’ve got your attention! Even though the study was funded by Welch’s Grape Juice, it bears watching. Findings from the British Journal of Nutrition say that Concord grape juice may help individuals with early memory changes. This is not the first such study, or I doubt the last, linking the benefits derived from grape products. If it works with wine, why not the basic grape juice beverage?

–Prices rising. Some grocery stores have decided enough with the reduced prices and multiple offers to get you in the door. They are increasing prices where they can. This is in response to some hopeful signs that companies are noting in terms of inflation numbers. One of the big problems will remain: Will national brands continue to suffer at the expense of in-house labels? Maybe we are just different consumers now, and the stores need to acknowledge that.

–Gluten-Free. The newest entrant in the gluten-free flour aisle is none other than King Arthur Flour, one of the oldest companies selling whole wheat flour. Do you need many more signals how strong and growing the G-F market is? When the big guys get in the space, someone has clearly done his homework. The market definitely expects to see more products. The company’s line includes multi-purpose flour, and seven mixes including chocolate cake.

–Food Rules. Michael Pollan owns the space of for elevating our food knowledge and thinking. His latest book, Food Rules, is literally a thumb-thru guide of quirky observations (”It’s not food if it arrived through the window of your car”) and logical comments (”Buy your snacks at the farmers’ market). His thought-provoking comments should  help us select better foods and eat healthier. We’re talking a fast read and a fun purchase for you and those you love. You will have lots to think about and most likely make some lifestyle adjustments.food rules

–Tomatoes. Now is the time to start your seeds. The Florida crop, as the markets can easily attest, has been hard hit. Prices are high and selection is unimpressive. Think spring.

–Coffee. Always a little news to perk you up. Coffee’s benefits are in line to help lessen diabetes (assuming you do not add a cup of sugar to each consumed cup). This latest study focused on Native Americans and uncovered a significantly lower risk of developing diabetes from those drinking multiple cups of coffee.

That’s the way I like to end a week!

Tags: , ,

No Comments

Counter-Intuitive Cleaning

Feb 19

Posted by admin in news

Somewhere along the road of life we learned that the way to clean items is to soap them up. This applies to both our use of dishwashing and washing machine detergents. The logic goes something like this: The more we add, the cleaner the results. WRONG.

Now our world has been turned upside down. First with dishwasher soap. It was not that long ago that the reports came out saying it is possible to add too much. We are actually better off adding less and running the unit on a regular cycle rather than many of the quick wash options so many of the new energy star machines tout. OK, we got that one.

Then it was recently uncovered that we are adding too much detergent to our washing machines, and they cannot run effectively and clothes suffer. Wait, they’re not cleaner? Nope. They’re falling apart sooner and quickly lose their luster.

Is this not all counter intuitive? Add soap; get clean results. Yes, but not with a heavy hand.

Maybe the culprit in the washing machine part of the experiment is the new lineup of heavy duty soaps: 2X and even 3X as strong. Most people seem unable to lessen their detergent amount even though the product clearly states its double strength properties. We seem to ignore the lines on the caps that indicate how much we should add and often add what we did before the 2X universe. Those are not suggestions, but guidelines that came about after testing loads of wash!

The Method folks have a solution-no capfuls but a spray-on pump. Check it out with one of the site’s coupons, and you be the judge.method

What’s the solution: Simple enough mathematics: Decrease detergent amount; increase cleanliness.

Yes, counter-intuitive, but effective.

Tags: ,

No Comments

Here’s A Tip

Feb 18

Posted by admin in dining out, food universe

When travelers from other countries dine in the US, they are often confused by our restaurant system. “Tip not included” is a phrase they frequently see printed on menus and hear staff tell them that piece of info when they get the bill. Most people understand that restaurant workers in this country are underpaid and depend on tips. Since a tip is seldom included in the US, except for large parties, the system sometimes works to a server’s disadvantage.reserved

Many higher-end establishments do not add the customary large-group 18-20% tip in the hopes that the serving staff will excel that expectation and earn what the diner/host believes is an appropriate amount. Those places are often right, and servers benefit from the customer doing the math. After all, good service deserves recognition, which in this case amounts to an appropriate monetary tip. There’s the rub: The definition of appropriate can vary considerably.

Let’s step back a moment. Tipping should be the customer’s decision and not merely an expectation. Slovenly service which often involves favoring one table over another or more simply stated, not working each table uniformly, often leads to an end-of-the-meal debate among the guests. There are those who tip, no matter what. They often tip the same amount in the belief that the wait staff needs and depends on the tip. That’s true.

It’s the guest who takes out his angst on the server for not getting his food to the table expeditiously or even correctly that often makes restaurants rethink the need to include a tip in the bill. Stories abound about angry diners who are harassed by wait staff for not leaving a tip and then they create their own tirade explaining away their reasoning. It often translates loudly in the dining room with words such as I ordered a hot breakfast, not cold eggs…

The tip dilemma will not end here, but diners need to remember that they are being served, waited on, and not all fault rests with the person who brings the food to the table.

Remember the economy and the work force and consider your decision accordingly.

It is about the service.

Tags: ,

No Comments

Happy Valentine’s Day: Love News

Feb 14

Posted by admin in food universe, news

I’ve warned, OK, alerted ( a kinder, more in the mood word) you several times that this special day was coming. Hello. Good morning: It’s here.

Of course, you could sneak out of the house and buy something and say you always planned the day this way or you could just sit back and relax and soak in all the good vibes that this day brings.

First some newsy foods to consider:

–In honor of the sweetness of the day, consider some of the newest PEEPS such as the Marshmallow “I Luv U” or Mike and Ike’s Valentine Medley, a blend of colorful fruit flavors. Both good last minute choices to create a cheerful sweet bowl of love.peeps

–Bring a new melon home. Have you tried the wonderfully ripe yellow honey dew? Most packages are marked “ready to eat,” and they are absolutely right. A little squirt of fresh lime, and you have sweet ecstasy in the bowl.

–Tomatoes. Yes, I know tomatoes in the dead or dread of winter are seldom worth buying, but their health benefits are not deniable. A good one has a true red, love color. If you want to take advantage of their healthy pluses such as their cardiovascular properties or lessening the likelihood of prostate cancer or several other cancers,  now is the time to think tomato products such as tomato or tortilla soup as an easy canned solution until summer. Even a wonderful pizza topped with a great tomato sauce will do the trick. Or, think about your vegetable garden and the bounty of tomato bliss you can plant.

–Tea. So much has been written about the benefits of tea, especially green tea, and here’s one to ponder: weight management. Yes, the studies are still in the early stages but there seems to be a pattern to the research on compounds from tea and their benefits for weight control. You can tap off the great day with a cup of tea and hope you are on the right beverage track for weight management.

When in doubt, grab a sparkler and dark chocolate, and you have a match made for perfection.

Have a sweet, wonderful day.

Tags: ,

No Comments

Small Plate Action

Feb 11

Posted by admin in dining out, food universe

As we hold on to the big dining out bucks, more restaurants are feeling the pinch and fixing the leak by meeting us halfway. The popular food-laden drink game, affectionately called the happy hour, is back. Back in a big way as many places have extended it to daily happiness instead of just Mon-Fri. Also a number of spots are saying, be a night owl, have we got a deal for you!

We’ve noticed an increase in Mediterranean-type dishes whether you call them tapas, mezzes, or street food, the small plate revolution is thriving. Look at how many Indian restaurants, which have thrived well with lunch hour buffets, are now changing their menu to include common, Indian snacks, street food. The concept clearly has legs and crosses all dining borders.smallplates

California Pizza Kitchen has even figured out how to join the trend. They just introduced the Small Cravings menu with affordable ($4-7) pricing and a full range of menu options including dips, and the trend I see taking over menus: The Wedge. The company wants to fill the (small) plate and create a little buzz so they also have a new wine craving menu of half glasses for $5 and less.

Small plates and happy hours: Two trends that seem to have large, happy followings throughout the country.

Let’s just put a little squeeze on that to match the other time-starved notion: One-handed food on the go.

If it’s just a splash of a condiment, Heinz believes they have the solution: The new Dip & Squeeze Ketchup container. This should help them win over restaurants that do brand wavering! You can peel back the lid to dip or tear it off to squeeze: Double usage possibilities without excess packaging. A green approach to eat-and-go! BTW, the company is increasing its available sizes for the sugar, non high fructose corn syrup bottles.

Keep your eye on the prize: You’ll enjoy dining out more at this more affordable and fun price point!

All good news.

Tags: ,

No Comments

Yogurt: Food of the Decade

Feb 3

Posted by admin in news

We can take the guesswork out of the mystery. Seems the food of the decade has finally been announced: YOGURT. It wins for its popularity, health notes, calorie wars, price point, portability, and its extensive flavor profile! We should note that it comes in almost every imaginable type of container from squeeze to frozen: All strategies that broaden its appeal.

Sales of Greek yogurt can certainly attest to popularity. How many ever had Greek yogurt before Chobani emerged on the scene? OK, maybe once or twice as an accompaniment at a restaurant or as a mezze choice. Now it is a visible player on the shelves of grocers, quick service lunch counters, and big box retailers. The company has managed to take us from a limited world of yogurt understanding to one where they dominate in the small bowl category! Plenty of branded competition across the board even in the Greek section of the numerous yogurt displays.

I also think yogurt wins such an accolade because it is the leader in the one-handed food approach to life. We text, SMS, read, email, and eat all simultaneously. Oh, yeah, we drive under those conditions, too.

img_yoplaitsmoothie

So many choices. So many brands and styles.

I’ll take blueberry.

Tags: ,

No Comments

A Drinkable Solution

Feb 1

Posted by admin in beverages, news

Here we are at the beginning of overhype week with the Super Bowl of all snack foods and chicken wings ready for our super-sized HD televisions this Sunday evening. One of the original gets in the advertising blitz has always been Pepsi. Not so fast, Jones.pepsi

Pepsi decided to sit out the costly ad game and give back: Use their money for a good cause that has much more play time than just the game and the repeat circus of morning after ad quarterbacking.

This approach hopefully has wings. The Pepsi Refresh Project redefines the soft drink company’s thirst quenching ability with its new campaign aimed at getting ideas that will help move the world forward. This is the year that innovation jumps to the top of the pile as it moves from just a social media idea to a real funded program. Pepsi plans to award more than $1 million this month with grants from $5,000 up to $250,000 and the program continues to find and fund winners until the end of the year.

The first round of voting ends February 28 with winners announced Monday, March 1 (That’s one month from today). Here’s your chance to vote on the best idea or submit your own. They are lots of categories to help you peg your concept or find the best innovative idea and vote for its funding. Sign in to Facebook to vote for the best idea. As a side contest, both Demi Moore and Kevin Bacon are participating in the Celebrity Challenge with novel ideas to get people motivated and at the same time support their two charities: Bacon’s sixdegrees.org and Moore’s work with GEMS (Girls Educational & Mentoring Services).

You know all those ideas you have that you wanted someone to know about: Here’s your chance.

This is an excellent move on Pepsi’s part. A good idea is a good idea: They threw the first salvo in innovation with their campaign. Now it’s your turn to get involved.

Who remembers last year’s Super Bowl ad anyway?

Tags: , ,

No Comments

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.

Tags: , ,

No Comments