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According to breaking news from fanzine TMZ, a rep for Gatorade told CNBC, "I can confirm that we no longer see a role for Tiger in our marketing efforts and have ended our relationship."
Gatorade is the third company to drop the golfer in the wake of the extramarital scandal, after Gillette and Accenture. Gatorade is owned by PepsiCo.
Premium chocolate manufacturer Lindt USA and New Hampshire's largest electric utility, Public Service of New Hampshire (PSNH), have partnered to produce renewable power in New Hampshire. The chocolate company will provide PSNH with cocoa bean shells which will be burned to produce electricity.
Lindt, based in Stratham, N.H., is one of the only U.S. chocolate manufacturers to manage the chocolate making process from raw material to final creations. During chocolate production, raw cocoa beans are roasted and crushed, with the resulting pulp blended with a variety of ingredients. As a result, the cocoa bean shells become a byproduct -- and in the state of New Hampshire they are a designated biomass fuel source. Lindt will now deliver the shells to PSNH's Schiller Station power plant in Portsmouth, N.H., to be used as a supplementary fuel source.
Carolyn Phenicie, Contributing Writer, Food Culture
Although the formal diet business in this country still pulls in a whopping $40 billion a year, that aspect of our food culture may be slowly changing as Americans shun the latest fad diet -– be it low-fat, cabbage soup, or cookie –- in exchange for a regimen based on whole, natural foods.
This is perhaps best exemplified by the success of Michael Pollan, a journalist and the author of The Omnivore's Dilemma, In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto, and most recently, Food Rules: An Eaters Manual. While his previous books are lengthy examinations of the food system currently in place in this country, Food Rules is less than 150 pages and focuses on simple, easy-to-follow rules for eating better. Food Rules was ranked number one among paperback advice books on the New York Times bestseller list. In a review of the book, columnist Jane E. Brody wrote, "In the more than four decades that I have been reading and writing about the findings of nutritional science, I have come across nothing more intelligent, sensible and simple to follow" than the 64 rules listed in the book. Pollan also recently appeared on Oprah -- who quite humorously deferred giving opinions on beef, after her 1998 lawsuit with the beef industry -- to tout the book and his rules.
Darden Restaurants (NYSE:DRI) today announced that it has begun a system-wide sustainable restaurant design initiative involving the use of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards in its restaurant design process for all new restaurants and, where feasible, restaurant remodels. The initiative is part of Darden's broader sustainability efforts aimed at limiting business impact on the environment while also enhancing the operational efficiency of its restaurants.
Darden's three largest brands - Red Lobster, Olive Garden and LongHorn Steakhouse - are designing eight restaurants to achieve LEED certification from the United States Green Building Council (USGBC). The company plans to apply learnings from those eight restaurants to new restaurants and remodels across its portfolio in the future.
The Olive Garden in Jonesboro, Ark., which opened for business last month, is the first of eight restaurants the company is designing to meet LEED standards. One more Olive Garden and two Red Lobsters are scheduled to open in 2010, followed by one Olive Garden, two Red Lobsters and one LongHorn Steakhouse in 2011.
Each new restaurant takes at least two years to develop, according to a Darden spokesman.
"Our goal with this initiative is to utilize each of the eight restaurants as a learning lab," said Suk Singh, senior vice president of development for Darden. "While we may not seek LEED certification for every restaurant we build or remodel, we can make a positive impact by learning from the eight restaurants where we are seeking LEED certification and applying best practices across our entire portfolio."
The Olive Garden restaurant in Jonesboro, Ark. that will be seeking LEED certification
Smithfield Foods, Inc. (NYSE: SFD) today announced that it has promoted Dennis H. Treacy to senior vice president of corporate affairs and chief sustainability officer, as part of the company's long-term focus on corporate social responsibility and sustainability.
Indeed, such a focus is clearly communicated on the company's homepage, "Good food. Responsibly."
Mr. Treacy joined Smithfield Foods in 2002 and last served as vice president, environmental and corporate affairs.
"Our business has become much more complex as we confront increasing government regulation and rising public and customer awareness of corporate social responsibility practices and sustainability. We understand that our long-term success directly correlates with our ability to effectively address these factors and that these programs must be managed from a senior level within our organization. The appointment of Mr. Treacy to this new role demonstrates our continuing commitment to operate our company in a socially responsible and sustainable way," said C. Larry Pope, president and chief executive officer, in a statement.
Prior to 2002, Mr. Treacy served as director of Virginia's department of environmental quality, held several positions in the private sector and also served as assistant attorney general in the natural resources section of the Virginia attorney general's office.
Meat production and consumption are seen as large contributors to global warming, and several groups have advised that individuals and businesses need to scale back. Dr. Rajendra Pachauri, who chairs the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), told BBC News over one year ago that the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) estimated that "direct emissions from meat production account for about 18% of the world's total greenhouse gas emissions." The next largest contributor is transport, which accounts for 13% of emissions, according to the IPCC.
Clearly, with all eyes on the meat industry, Smithfield is taking a judicious position.
With sales of $12 billion, Smithfield Foods is one of the largest processor and marketer of fresh pork and packaged meats in the United States, and is the largest producer of hogs.
I believe that every child in America has the right to fresh, nutritious school meals, and that every family deserves real, honest, wholesome food. Too many people are being affected by what they eat. It's time for a national revolution. America needs to stand up for better food!
-- Jamie Oliver
ABC has announced that Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution, a new reality series produced by American Idol host Ryan Seacrest and starring the British chef as he provides a healthy, culinary makeover of residents of the city of Huntington, WV, will premiere on Friday, March 26 at 9PM ET/PT.
Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution will follow Oliver as he travels to Huntington -- which was labeled "the unhealthiest city in America" by The Associated Press in 2008 -- to start a new initiative that utilizes local resources to improve eating habits.
"The time is right for people to rediscover the sense of pride, satisfaction and fun you can get from cooking for the people you love. There's an incredible community in Huntington, and I want this experience to be a celebration of what we can achieve when people come together," said Oliver. "I want to prove that turning around the epidemic of obesity and bad health doesn't have to be boring or dull in the slightest. Wonderful stories will unfold in Huntington, and hopefully this will inspire the rest of the States."
Judging from the trailer, Oliver will mostly focus on school lunches and children's nutrition as a way to tackle the problem. Clearly, the six-episode series is loosely based on Oliver's U.K. series Jamie's Ministry of Food and Jamie's School Dinners, which were both aimed at improving children's nutrition.
As told to the New York Times' Mark Bittman in the January/February issue of Cooking Light -- click on video excerpts of that interview here -- Oliver feels that, "if I'm really clever, in the next nine months we can tell a story that inspires people, upsets them enough, and makes them understand that change is easy and it doesn't necessarily involve spending more money."
According to Oliver, "proper food" is food from scratch. "If you could at least half of the time buy, or do yourself, something that was remotely scratch-based, you probably could fix 98 percent of the [nutrition] problems in America. It's so much more than just 'eat less.'"
He goes on to discuss how arming the public with basic cooking skills -- stewing, roasting, stir-frying -- and access to fresh or frozen ingredients can create simple, great meals.
Bittman asks Oliver what will happen when he gets people to cook proper food half the time. Oliver responds,
Well, this sounds a bit romantic, but if once, twice, or even three times a week people cooked, and sat around the table with their family, that would have a dramatic impact on the whole country. I think kids would be happier, marriages would fail less.
Let's bring on the revolution.
Marie-Louise Friedland, Contributing Writer, Food Culture
“Hand-crafted,” “artisan,” and “organic,” are words we are presented with every time we go to the grocery store. The one word we see more and more these days is simply “gourmet.” What does this word connote? What makes something “gourmet?” Everyday we are bombarded with this idea of gourmet food, drink, and restaurants. But has this word lost meaning over time? Is this gourmet movement all hype?
The word gourmet comes from the French term for a wine broker. Over the centuries the word came to mean someone with a “refined palate.” In the eighteenth century the term gourmet and gourmand came to be associated with gluttony and overindulgence. But over the past five years the term gourmet has come to mean a whole different thing. Now it means the accessibility of high quality products made with the best preparation.
In an article from the Summer 2009 issue of Cheese Connoisseur journalist Jacqueline Ross Lieberman said about pâte, “once the snooty reserve of the elite, pâte has regained its place as a regular food for daily enjoyment.” This is only one example that illustrates the growing sophistication of consumer’s palates, which fuels the increased demand for gourmet products.
Paula Deen Enterprises announced that the promoter of the tour, Celebrity Chefs Tour LLC, was unable to meet its financial obligations, and that it was necessary to terminate the promoter and cancel the shows "Celebrity Chefs Tour: An Evening With Paula Deen and Family."
"We've done many of these shows around the country with other promoters and they've been wonderful," said Nancy Assuncao, the spokesperson for Paula Deen Enterprises, in a statement. "But there were apparently too many financial and logistical issues for this promoter to handle and we had to make a painful decision after they could still not perform after giving them additional time to meet their obligations. We're aware that Paula's fans will be disappointed, but we'd rather ask them to be patient than take a chance that they'll be unhappy."
The canceled shows were scheduled to begin on February 20th in Charlotte, stopping in Durham, Los Angeles, Cleveland and Cincinnati, before ending March 19th in Indianapolis. The tour was to feature Paula Deen, her sons Bobby and Jamie, and other Food Network personalities as they told stories, cooked, and interacted with the audience.
According to the statement, Ms Deen said, "I love traveling the country sharing stories, cooking and visiting with folks, it's one of my favorite things to do. That's why I'm so sorry that those who bought tickets or were planning to attend are going to be disappointed. I apologize for that and I appreciate their patience. Right now my team is working on an alternative plan with new promoters and we hope to announce the details in the coming weeks."
The statement did not give contact information for ticket holders regarding refunds or credits for future appearances.
Robyn Tenenbaum, Contributing Writer, Food Culture
You know how people always say you’re supposed to find your perfect match when you’re not looking? Well, today that happened to me. I didn’t find my dream man but, I did, however, find the perfect place to satisfy my indecisive lunch craving. When you get tired of eating at the same old same old places for lunch, where do you turn? At that very moment of hesitation, I found the best-kept secret.
Nestled in a small, vacant lot between a pizza joint and a bohemian vintage shop, the “Bomb Taco” trailer is surely an unknown treasure. I don’t know if it was the ornate graffiti plastered on the side of the stand, or the thrill of buying my early afternoon lunch out of the side of a window that made my breakfast taco that much better.
Clearly, the Bomb
Joanna Bettelheim, Contributing Writer, Food Culture
The soul of a culture is in its food. You can spend hours wandering the streets of a city, but if you don’t eat, you’re just a visitor (and McDonald's doesn't count). In the herbs and the spices, the cream, and occasionally the grease, you taste the place. This sense tells you more than the viewing of its historical monuments, the sounds of the guided tours, or the smell of the streets.
Two years ago, I spent a semester abroad in Prague with NYU. The main driving force behind my choice of destination was in order to reconnect with the Czech half of my heritage, and in doing so I made sure to sample plenty of traditional dishes. Heaps of zeli, piles of dumplings, and several servings of svickova marked my time there. But for all these wonderful meals, I had yet to be involved in the cooking or preparing of them. It was not until I made potato pancakes, or bramborak, that I crossed the boundary between diner and cook – between visitor and bona fide Czech.
Though her two sons have moved out, my cousin Barbora still cooks weekly Saturday lunches for them and her father; during my stay in Prague, I joined the table for these weekly meals. She must cook for seven, however, as she also supplies the family with leftovers to heat up on Sunday. I became a part of these Saturday lunches, eating many meals made in a true Czech kitchen, but this was the first time I had stepped in to aid in the preparation of one. This is the story of how I learned to make potato pancakes.
Robyn Tenenbaum, Contributing Writer, Food Culture
A sandwich filled with cheesesteak, grilled chicken, mozzarella sticks, french fries and honey mustard? If there is any city in which such an eccentric hodgepodge of ingredients exist, it is the city of weirdness itself, Austin, Texas. Could this unlikely combo of fixin’s be the next big thing, or just a night spent in the bathroom with a bottle of Maalox?
Open until 4am, “Big Bite Pizza and Grill” offers thirty-four of these bizarre sandwiches to its customer base consisting largely of college students. While the night owls who eat at this joint probably can’t soberly read the menu anyways, its unique list of options is what keeps everyone coming…and talking.
If you were to mention the name “Big Bite” on the UT campus, you would probably get a respoe like “isn’t that the place where they have weird sandwiches?” Customers of all kind flock to this restaurant to dive into these cleverly named, “Phat Sandwiches.” The buzz about Big Bite is highly overwhelming – and with a menu as entertaining as theirs, there is no surprise.
My roommate has actually walked in on me sitting on our couch reading the Big Bite menu (for fun) and highlighting the craziest sandwiches I can find. If you don’t think your stomach can handle some of the combinations, I suggest you at least read through the menu, just for kicks.
Try the “Phat Mouse”: Chicken fingers, mozzarella sticks, jalapeno poppers, French fries, mayo and ketchup. How about the “Phat Elvis”: Gyro meat, mozzarella sticks, French fries and statziki sauce. Or a personal favorite, the “Phat Soprano”: grilled chicken, bacon, French fries and pesto sauce. Not only are such concoctions popular, they are surprisingly tasty. To its more conservative customers (those with the weaker stomachs), Big Bite also has other items in its expansive menu. Pizza, burgers, wraps, buffalo wings, paninis, and subs are among the other tame item choices on the menu.
When dissected, the ingredients that comprise a classic Big Bite sandwich, aren’t too abnormal by themselves. In fact, mozzarella sticks and French-fries happen to be two very common staple foods in most young people’s diets, and not to mention, two of my favorite comfort foods. The beauty that Big Bite gives to its customers is the sense of youth and joy provided by a sandwich comprised of such unlikely ingredients put together. Have you ever thought about how PB&J originated? I am almost positive that there had to have been people that considered the team of peanut butter and jelly to be a disagreeable duo for a sandwich. Now look how far PB&J has come. Furthermore, eating at Big Bite is almost like reliving those kitchen adventures we all had as kids. If my mother only had a penny for every time I bounced around the kitchen creating my own kooky dishes…
Big Bite offers more than just a “Phat Sandwich” to its consumers. It stirs up some lost sense of nostalgia from childhood that has long been tucked away. If you think about it, the restaurant ingeniously took everyone’s favorite foods (I call them happy foods) and fused them all together to create one big happy sandwich. No one should feel intimidated to try these menu items, but rather feel excited to explore a whole new realm of unique dining. I don’t think any professional chefs will be feasting there anytime soon, but for the average food lover, who could ask for more?
Carolyn Phenicie, Contributing Writer, Food Culture
I rarely test recipes from magazines, usually because they make too much for just me or because they call for ingredients that I use so rarely it wouldn't make sense to keep them in my tiny Manhattan kitchen. When I got this month's issue of SELF, though, I knew I had to try this recipe for quinoa stir-fry.
Quinoa has been appearing more and more on menus and in recipes. Unlike wheat or rice, quinoa contains a balanced set of essential amino acids for humans, making it an unusually complete protein source.
I love any food that's even vaguely Asian, and the texture of quinoa is always intriguing.
INGREDIENTS
3/4 cup quinoa, rinsed
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 small carrot, thinly sliced
1 medium red bell pepper, cored, seeded and chopped
2 teaspoons grated ginger
1 clove garlic, sliced
1 small red chile, chopped (optional)
2 cups snow peas, trimmed
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 egg, beaten
4 oz grilled chicken breast, chopped
2 scallions, chopped
1/2 cup cilantro
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1) Place quinoa in a small saucepan with 3/4 cup water and 1/4 tsp salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and cook, undisturbed, until quinoa absorbs water, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat, fluff with a fork and leave uncovered.
2) Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook carrot, stirring occasionally, until it softens, about 1 minute.
3) Add bell pepper, ginger, garlic and chile, if desired; cook, stirring frequently, about 2 minutes.
4) Add peas, sprinkle with remaining 1/4 tsp salt and pepper and cook, stirring frequently, 1 minute.
5) Remove vegetables and return skillet to heat; add quinoa, along with egg. Cook, stirring constantly, until egg is evenly distributed, about 2 minutes.
6) Add vegetables, chicken, scallions, cilantro and soy sauce; cook 1 minute more. Divide stir-fry among 4 bowls; serve warm.
I don't like spicy foods, so I omitted the chile, and I forgot to buy peas so I didn't include those either. Here's what my version looked like:
Although the recipe says it makes four servings, I made three. Plus, I don't have a wok, so I made it in a large skillet -- which wasn't quite big enough and so resulted in my getting quinoa all over my kitchen. It was delicious, but if I make it again, I'll likely add another egg, more ginger and less chicken.
The recipe was packaged with a chart called "15 grains to eat more of," noting that carbohydrates are good for you and that those who eat at least 34 grams of fiber per day absorb up to 6 percent fewer calories. It seems that high fiber is the food modification of the moment, following in the steps of low carb and low fat.
Many foods, like fruits and vegetables, whole grains, beans, oatmeal and other grains are naturally high in fiber. But it's new additions to foods from Kellogg's Apple Jacks cereal to Splenda to Fiber One Yoplait yogurt that's really making a splash.
So where does this added fiber come from? Recently, food manufacturers learned to process inulin, a type of carbohydrate chain that doesn't break down totally in the digestive tract. It can be added to food without adding calories, and improves the taste and texture in addition to upping the fiber count. Most is derived from the chicory root. (It's the first ingredient in Fiber One Chewy Bars, which have 9 grams of fiber each.)
Although inulin is derived from a plant, it – like too much fiber of any kind – can cause gastrointestinal discomfort. Like everything else, it's probably best to eat a variety of produce and grains (like quinoa) to meet daily fiber needs.
The flip side of food (eating, indulging) is the weight loss industry, which reaps billions every year. Most of those dollars come from women, who often have a love/hate relationship with food, culturally speaking. While being expected to have a close relationship with chocolate, women are also faced daily with images which tell them not to eat too much of it.
But though there is still a strong base of dieting as a female-dominated activity, it seems that the fact that Americans overall, not just women, are so overweight that losing pounds has become a unisex need. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than two-thirds of the U.S. adult population is overweight and more than one-third is obese.
Jenny Craig will soon be adding a new spokesperson to its roster: Jason Alexander was recently announced as the newest celebrity sign-up. The Seinfeld star has apparently tried other diets in the past that did little to assuage the 30 pounds the actor was looking to shed. Nutrisystem is another weight loss program that's looking to convert beer guts into cash by appealing to a male customer. Its new campaign includes football personalities like sportscaster Chris Berman who are going "all the way" with their weight loss.
Restaurants are also joining in, selling lighter options to men as well as women, and expanding the options beyond simple salads. Applebee's launched its Under 550 Calories menu with one commercial which is decidedly male. It features four men out for dinner, ordering massive cheesy burgers and fries, when one shocks them all by ordering from the lighter side of the menu. He of course is ultimately triumphant when his plate arrives and his friends gaze in shock to see his tasty peppercorn steak with Asiago cheese. One goes so far as to try and steal a potato from his plate. The message is clear: this diet menu is masculine.
Asiago Peppercorn Steak from Applebee's
Subway is also pushing for the business of the health-conscious dude. Penning a deal with NBC Sports, they have been featuring athletes more and more as spokespeople, as well as the old favorite, Jared. And while obviously the audience for sports crosses most boundaries, football is the essence of raw, physical masculinity in American culture, and connecting it to subs with 7 grams of fat or less rather than just Doritos and beer signifies a change in the way men are relating to food, particularly when it comes to the lighter side.
With all of these changes to the way diets are being sold, one has to wonder: which came first? Are more men dieting, forcing companies to vie for the customer, or are these ads convincing men that they need to think about their waistlines?
On February 9th, seventy eight years of breadstick manufacturing in the Bronx will come to a close with the public auction sale of equipment from the Stella D'oro baking headquarters on West 237th Street. This announcement follows years' worth of struggle between the new owners of the facility and the employees, whom were all members of the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Union.
Founded in 1932 by Joseph Kresivich, an Italian immigrant, it was run by the family before being sold to Nabisco in 1992. Nabisco was bought by Kraft and in 2006, Kraft sold the Stella D'oro factory to a private investing firm, Brynwood Partners. A bitter labor dispute and year long strike ensued. In the end, Brynwood sold the company to Lance Inc. and they moved production to a factory in Ohio, leaving more than 150 people unemployed, some of which had worked there for over 30 years.
The auction sale is open to the public, featuring both the very breadstick line which made this factory famous, plus 200 ft ovens previously producing all types of cookies and Italian delights. Both buyers and curiosity seekers will have a chance to wander throughout the maze of departments and rooms in this famous bakery, with a chance to view and acquire equipment relics still remaining from when the factory first opened its doors.
