Food Culture

Chicago's first pop-up restaurants pop up this weekend - ChicagoTribune.com

Posted by Monica Eng

via leisureblogs.chicagotribune.com

Talk about fast food. Chef's Bill Kim (Urban Belly and Belly Shack) and Jason Hammel (Nightwood and Lula Cafe) will add to their repertoire of restaurants when they present "Country Belly" and "Donuts & Coffee," respectively, this Saturday and Sunday (that's right, for TWO DAYS only) in the Logan Square Kitchen space (2333 N. Milwaukee Ave.)

According to Logan Square Kitchen, there will be limited seating, the restaurants will accept cash only and food will be prepared to travel so eaters can get back to the Milwaukee Ave. Arts Fest that will be going on outside. 

So what will they serve? Chicago Magazine's Dish newsletter is reporting that Kim will serve Asian elotes, lettuce wraps with lemongrass chicken, watermelon with spearmint and citrus salt and yuzu lemonade.

Hammel is serving up "jelly donut ice cream," and sno cones in flavors that include coffee, mocha, chai and peach, as well as bacon-butterscotch and blueberry-creme fraiche doughnuts. They'll be paired with hot and cold Intelly coffees and espresso drinks. All items will cost $2-$4.

The restaurants will be open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day and then they will be gone. LSK says menu updates will appear on its Facebook page and Twitter feeds.

Food Culture:  it's amazing how creative menus can be for temporary, pop-up restaurants.

Foodbuzz Calls on Food Bloggers Across the Country to Create Gulf Coast-Inspired Cuisine to Benefit the Greater New Orleans Foundation

Largest Online Food Community Harnesses Power of Social Media to Support Relief Efforts

As the Gulf Coast struggles to recover from the worst environmental disaster in U.S. history, Foodbuzz, the online food community, is calling on food bloggers across the country to cook up a Gulf Coast-inspired meal on July 24th -- and blog about it -- all in support of the Greater New Orleans Foundation (GNOF), which has been playing a key role in relief efforts in the wake of the tragic oil spill.

Each month, Foodbuzz' 24x24 section of the website showcases blog posts from 24 Foodbuzz Featured Publisher bloggers from around the world about meals they've prepared within one 24-hour period. This month, Foodbuzz has chosen 24 bloggers from around the country to serve as "Gulf Ambassadors" and host a Gulf Coast-inspired meal on Saturday, July 24th. A donation of $250 in the name of each of the bloggers will be donated to the GNOF, for an initial contribution of $6,000. Some of the participating bloggers from around the country include:

Passionate Eater - San Francisco
Cooking with Christen  - Louisiana
Fresh Local and Best - New York City
SheSimmers - Chicago
Le Grand Fromage - Florida
Don't (White) Sugar Coat It - Boston
Four Points Foodie - Austin
Wannabe TV Chef - Alabama
First, Make a Roux! - San Diego

For additional food bloggers -- up to 100 -- who would like to participate in the program by hosting their own Gulf Coast-inspired meal, Foodbuzz will also donate $25 in their name to the GNOF. Posts can be submitted to Foodbuzz on July 25th at editorial@foodbuzz.com.

The GNOF will give 100 percent of the proceeds to the fishermen and their families affected by the spill in the following parishes: Plaquemines, St. Bernard, lower Jefferson, Terrebonne, and Lafourche. The blog posts will be aggregated on Foodbuzz' 24x24 section and featured for one month.

Cook for the Cure, July 16-18, 2010

Though not as well-known as Race for the Cure, Cook for the Cure has quietly been a part of an ongoing partnership between Susan G. Komen for the Cure® and KitchenAid, that has raised nearly $7 million for the fight against breast cancer.

From July 16-18, home cooks can join such notables as cooking show host Jacques Pepin and Komen for the Cure founder/CEO Nancy Brinker by hosting anything from a Friday office or dessert party to a weekend barbecue or potluck dinner to support the cause.

Simply put, instead of bringing flowers, wine or other gifts to a party, guests are asked to show their appreciation by making a donation to the cause.

"This initiative, part of our broader Cook for the Cure program, allows cooks to throw their own fundraising party in a way that makes it easy for friends and family to participate," said Katrina McGhee, Susan G. Komen for the Cure senior vice president, global business development and partnerships, in a statement. "During a prime weekend for summer entertaining, this is a simple add-on that could really make a difference."

Pepin is among many food world celebrities - from Mario Batali and Bobby Flay to Lidia Bastianich and Emeril Lagasse - to support Cook for the Cure.

CNN Launches Eatocracy

CNN.com today announced the launch of Eatocracy, a blog created to feed the minds, hearts and stomachs of food fanatics across the world.  Covering the pulse of food news – from its culture and trends to the politics and economics of eating -- Eatocracy will aim to be a destination for passionate dialogue and debate about food.

 

 

 

QUESTIONS for Maralyn Hill, President of the International Food Wine & Travel Writers Association

Helming a trade association with the words "food," "wine" and "travel" in the title may seem like a dream gig for anyone interested in pursuing the good life. (And nowadays, let's face it, who isn't?)  Food Culture recently caught up with Maralyn D. Hill, President of the International Food Wine & Travel Writers Association (IFWTWA), http://www.ifwtwa.org, to learn more about the challenges of being a lifestyle journalist, how food and luxury goods companies covet this elite group, and why the average person is reading more about food. 

Maralyn D. Hill, President, International Food Wine & Travel Writers Association

Hometown     Chicago

First Job        Flight Attendant, American Airlines

Favorite Food Personality      Julia Child (deceased); Paul Bocuse (living)

What I'm Reading Right Now   WordPress 24-Hour Trainer, by George Plumley; Roadside Crosses, by Jeffery Deaver

As President of the IFWTWA, how have you seen membership change over time?

The International Food Wine & Travel Writers Association was aptly named, as we hold the unique distinction of covering the three aspects of a destination and culture -- the food, wine and travel. The changes I’ve seen over the past three years while serving on the Board are a more diverse membership with respect to age and writing genre, increased involvement of more members, and a full Board of Directors. 

Has it grown, and why? 

There are many reasons for our growth. 

When I was elected to the Board of Directors in 2006, we brought in a new webmaster to redesign our IFWTWA and Global Writes ezine sites so they were not static. They are a work in progress as everything is being changed to meet current needs of our members and potential members seeking a professional organization. 

We started offering media trips again.

Global Writes started publishing on a regular basis with new articles by our members going up weekly. The articles are promoted through RSS feeds, TravMedia.com, Food4Media.com, Travel4Press, Tripatini, and Linkedin, among other sites.

We started social networking. This has added a tremendous awareness of IFWTWA being an organization on the move. Our social networking groups are open to members and those interested in learning more about what we do.

French Fries and Dumplings: Two Unlikely Winners of Scharffen Berger's Third Annual Chocolate Adventure Contest

Chef Elizabeth Falkner and a Panel of Experts Select Two $10,000 Grand Prize Winners for Creating Recipes Using Scharffen Berger Chocolate and at Least One of 16 "Adventure" Ingredients

Two very creative home cooks were awarded a Grand Prize of $10,000, each, in the third annual Chocolate Adventure Contest sponsored by Scharffen Berger Chocolate Maker and TuttiFoodie.com. As part of the contest, daring cooks -- amateur or professional -- were invited to develop original and creative recipes combining Scharffen Berger chocolate products with one or more of 16 enticing "adventure" ingredients.

New York's Karin Lazarus and Edwina Gadsby from Great Falls, Montana out-cooked 15 other finalists with their imaginative and delicious uses of Scharffen Berger chocolate and the adventure ingredients. Judged in two categories, sweet and savory, Lazarus' Chocolate-Filled Pandan Dumplings and Gadsby's Smoky Cocoa-Dusted Pommes Frites with Peanut-Cumin Dipping Sauce came out as the winners.

Karin Lazarus paired adventure ingredients, pandan leaves and rice flour, with Scharffen Berger 62% semisweet chocolate baking chunks for a delicious dessert that infuses a truffle-like treat with Asian influences. 

 

Chocolate-Filled Pandan Dumplings

Edwina Gadsby chose to work with raw honey, peanut butter, cumin, paprika, smoked sea salt and Scharffen Berger unsweetened cocoa powder to give a sophisticated makeover to one of America's favorite snacks: French fries and ketchup.

Smoky Cocoa-Dusted Pommes Frites with Peanut-Cumin Dipping Sauce 

Recipe Contests: Menu Development or Publicity Stunts?

We currently live in an age of recipe contests.  Normal, everyday home cooks can now have a chance at money and stardom with a winning cookie recipe or creative use of some branded ingredient.  The Food Network, in addition to every cooking magazine, offers some type of recipe or cooking contest.  

The winners usually receive a cash prize, along with recognition in a press release, an introduction at an event, and the recipe posted on the website or perhaps in a cookbook.  But the ultimate prize:  getting your winning recipe on the menu of a national fast casual or casual dining chain.

TGI Friday's has long been involved in recipe contests.  In November 2006, TGI Friday's partnered with Bravo's Top Chef (currently in its sixth season), in which the casual dining chain's Executive Chef served as a guest panelist to identify a winning entrée that was then added to the TGI Friday’s menu.  In January 2008, the company partnered with Food Network's Ultimate Recipe Showdown to launch six menu items inspired by winning dishes from the show. 

Janice Kollar was one of those winners.  Her "Really Good" Chocolate Layer Cake won the Ultimate Recipe Showdown episode on cakes, and in addition to the $25,000 in her prize package, the cake was to be added to the menu at TGI Friday's.

Well, not exactly.

For the winners, "these are not the actual recipes," explains Amy Freshwater, a spokesperson for TGI Friday's, "but rather inspired by winning recipes.  They are true to the spirit of the original recipe but had to be adjusted so we could introduce them to our 600 U.S.-based restaurants."

Healthy Numbers: World's Largest Natural and Organic Products Tradeshow Sets Record Attendance

In its thirtieth year, Natural Products Expo West/SupplyExpo, a tradeshow for the natural, organic, and healthy products industry, continues to grow in industry attendance, clocking in 5% growth in attendance over that of last year -- indicating no slowdown in the market.

Natural Products Expo West/SupplyExpo, (http://www.expowest.com, http://www.supplyexpo.com), celebrated its 30th anniversary, March 11-14, 2010, at the Anaheim Convention Center. The event drew nearly 56,000 attendees from across the industry, brining together entrepreneurs and established natural products alumni, indicating a strong market outlook for growth.

Nutrition industry sales totaled approximately $110 billion in the U.S. in 2009, up $10 billion from 2008, according to Nutrition Business Journal. 

"While the economy recovers, the natural and organic industry continues to grow," said Adam Andersen, show manager for Natural Products Expo West, in a statement.

Natural Products Expo West/SuppyExpo encompassed more than 1 million sq. ft. of education, community and business events and exhibits, including 654 new exhibitors for brands entering the market. 

This fall, Natural Products Expo East unites the natural and organic industry in Boston, October 13-16, 2010.

The event was produced by New Hope Natural Media, a division of Penton Media Inc.

Inviting Japan Over for Dinner

Cynthia Lin, Contributing Writer, Food Culture

The culture of American cuisine has long been a hodgepodge of various ethnic influences. Whether we merge regional elements and call it “fusion” or transform outlandish entrees into All-American icons, what’s eaten here is really a melting pot of global victuals. 

Take the hot dog and hamburger, each of German origin, yet so symbolic of the States. Then there’s the pizza, obviously Italian, but such a big part of our social diet.  Or, of course, General Tso’s Chicken – explicitly Chinese, but exclusively American.

At last week’s International Restaurant and Foodservice Show of New York, the showroom traffic at the grand culinary affair in the Javits Center seemed to perpetuate this trend. The crowds were disproportionately concentrated at the northern end of the grounds. It wasn’t the aisles exhibiting the latest in restaurant technology or innovative marketing. It wasn’t the lane displaying local farming. It wasn’t the gelato-packed dessert carts. 

It was the community of booths housed under a banner labeled “Flavors of Japan.”

Ted Allen's Rules of Cheapskate Dining

In the "Ask Ted" column in the March 2010 issue of Food Network Magazine, Ted Allen offers advice on how to take advantage of -- but also be respectful of -- restaurants that are offering dining specials.  Every major U.S. city now offers a "Restaurant Week" (such events held in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Washington, D.C. have already taken place this year, most likely to drum up business in the slow, post-holiday season), and most casual-dining chains are launching more specials than ever.  Here is a quick primer.

Ted's Rules of Cheapskate Dining

• Avoid discount menus for first dates, anniversaries or Valentine's Day.  Trust me:  It will cost you more in the end.
• Eat. Then, leave. Don't work on your journal when you're paying half of what the real estate normally commands.
• Don't penalize the waiter.  He's doing the same work, but now his tips are being calculated off shrunken checks.  Have a heart:  Base your tip on the regular price and give at least 20 percent.
• If you're getting an entree for half of what it would normally cost, don't be high-maintenance about substitutions, special requests or anything else.
• And, please: Don't steal the Splenda.

Oliver Twist: Jamie Oliver to Teach Americans About 'Proper Food'

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.

Paula Deen Abruptly Cancels Six-City U.S. Tour, Blames Promoter

Celebrity chef and iconic television personality Paula Deen today cancelled a six-city personal appearance tour that had been scheduled to begin on February 20th -- in two days -- and end on March 19th.

 

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.