Lately, there have been some raised eyebrows in BK's direction, mainly because they won't agree to pay their tomato pickers an extra penny per pound of tomatoes.
The tomato pickers have to pick 125 buckets worth of the fruit in order to get $50-60 per day, and work 10-12 hours in the hot Florida sun. The new measure would only cost BK an additional $300,000 per year, out of their $11 million yearly revenue.
Other fast food joints have already agreed to pay their workers more, but BK continues to stall. Some people are afraid that tomato growers would wind up with the money, instead of the pickers, and others are worried the new agreement will violate antitrust rules.
But the shadiness doesn't stop there. BK execs admitted that they have a relationship with Diplomatic Tactical Services, a security firm with a creepy, amorphous name, which helps BK spy on its clients.
Eric Schlosser, author of Fast Food Nation, recently wrote an op-ed for the Timeson the subject, shedding light on BK's Big Brother tactics.
I always knew there was something hiding behind that awful molded plastic King in the commercials...
If you read one magazine article this week, definitely check out the New Yorker profile of Chicago chef Grant Achatz. The wunderkind behind the molecular gastronomy mecca Alinea, Achatz is currently running the show without a sense of taste. In what must be one of the worst cases of irony ever, the 34-year old was diagnosed with Stage IV tongue cancer earlier this year. Though he refused the standard treatment that would have involved removing most of his tongue, radiation therapy has nonetheless zapped, at least temporarily, most of his taste buds.
Still, Achatz presides over the Alinea kitchen, guiding his employees in the creation of his trademark outrageous confections - desserts of strawberry, olive, and violet essence; squab candy bars; pea and smoked salmon lollipops. Slowly, his sense of taste is returning - he can now taste salt and sugar again, and expects regain the ability to detect more subtleties as the months pass. He even hopes the experience will make him a more creative, edgier chef. Though coming from the man who served dehydrated bacon suspended from a silver scaffold during opening week, I'm not sure what that means.
The New York Times seems to think so. Indeed, many grocery stores in urban areas are closing up shop, and all that's left is a big open lot and a smattering of mom and pop convenience stores left in their wake. But despite the name, convenience stores aren't always, well, that convenient, especially when you're in need of fresh fruit and veggies, low-fat snacks and fresh poultry or seafood.
A study by New York's Department of City Planning estimated that over 750,000 New Yorkers live five blocks or more from a supermarket. And when that's the case, most people opt to drive or cab it to the store, especially if they have lots of shopping to do or little ones in tow. And at the end of a long work day, many people just don't have the energy - or the time - to stroll down to the grocery. (The study also found that there is enough need for 100 additional supermarkets across the city).
So what's a hungry person to do? Most people simply go without fresh produce and other things that are carried by larger supermarkets. Others are currently shopping at a store, but worry about it closing, because the only other option is miles away.
What about you? Did you or someone you know ever have trouble getting to a decent grocery store, especially if you live in a populated urban area?
Irvine Robbins, the co-founder of the ice cream chain that boasted of "31 flavors," has died at age 90. Robbins died yesterday in Rancho Mirage, CA.
The first Baskin-Robbins ice cream store (called Snowbird) opened in Glendale, CA in 1945. Robbins and business partner/brother-in-law Burton Raskin wanted to give American more flavors to choose from than the usual chocolate and vanilla. They wanted a new flavor for every day of the month (that's how they came up with 31). Some of the flavors they've had over the years include Beatle Nut (for the Beatles invasion in 1964), Lunar Cheesecake (for the moon landing), Chocolate Mint, Plum Nuts, Jamoca Almond Fudge, and ChaChaCha.
Also check out the Baskin-Robbins quiz and see how much you know about the flavors.
Chili's, The Cheesecake Factory, Outback Steakhouse: they're as considered bland, middlebrow, as totally, tackily suburban as comb-overs and high-waisted mom jeans. Their menu items are ridiculed for their cheesy names (Bloomin' Onion, anyone?) and absurd calorie content (1,700 calories for a Chinese Chicken Salad!). For a certain stripe of self-considered sophisticate, a date suggesting dinner at Olive Garden would be a bigger deal breaker than a heroin habit.
But is the food at the mid-range franchise restaurants of America really bad?
The New York Times sent testers out into the suburban wilds (intrepid!) to find out, with very mixed results. T.G.I. Friday's goopy ribs disgusted even to a 12-year-old; Chili's buffalo wings were cloyingly sweet. The Cajun lime tilapia at Applebee's was nicely grilled and flavorful. Bertucci's had a surprisingly good list of microbrews.
I, for one, have always been a big fan of the fried mac n' cheese balls at the Cheesecake Factory (what's not to like?) and the "Shanghai street dumplings" at P.F. Chang's - hefty, golden buns filled with savory pork and scallions and topped with sesame seeds. I was sad when they took them off the menu in my neck of the woods. What about you? Think mid-range chains are unfairly maligned? Have a favorite Chili's dish we should all go try?
If you're a bargoer, you know the feeling. At 1:30 every morning, the bartender bellows, "LAST CALL!" and a collective groan erupts from the hangers-on, as they order their last round. The lights go up, and everyone stumbles out.
In New York, it's different. Most bars don't close until 4 a.m., dragging the ruckus and partying late into the night. Turns out, not everyone is a fan of the late-night revelry.
Brad Linder, journalist and writer for sister site Green Daily, recently reported on this issue for NPR. He spoke to one woman who lives in the NOHO district and is a member of a community board that's trying to get liquor-licensed establishments to close at 2 instead of 4.
Community boards like hers now have so much pull that many bars and restaurants must ask permission before staying open 'til 4, like teenagers asking to extend their curfew.
I'm sure we'd all rather not experience loud arguments and car alarms at 4 a.m. But at some point, isn't the noise and general hubbub part and parcel of living in a trendy NYC neighborhood? If you don't like the scene, shouldn't you just...move somewhere else?
I made the grave mistake of ordering Pizza Hut online once, about eight months ago. I had a craving, I read about the online ordering, and I went for it.
...Big mistake. First, it was way too expensive. Second, I happen to live in one of those delivery netherworlds - between the boundaries of one delivery area and another - where the delivery dude refuses to visit. This, however, was not made clear to me on the website - I was easily able to enter my address, and the system informed me that my food would arrive shortly.
Two hours later, no pizza. I wearily called up my local Pizza Hut branch, and a pissed-off sounding teen answered. "...Yea? Pizza Hut?"
"Um...I ordered online, and it still hasn't arrived. Do you happen to know...?"
"Oh. Yea," she said, snapping her gum. "We don't deliver there." (This, mind you, was about .75 miles away). "You can come pick it up."
AOL Money & Finance has a feature on the origin of some famous brands named after people. Here are some of the ones that I found particularly interesting:
Arby's stands for R.B., the initials of the Raffel Brothers. Many people think it stands for roast beef.
Taco Bell was founded by Glen Bell. I thought they just liked the bell logo. Who knew?
Baskin-Robbins was a combination of two ice cream stores, one started by Irvine Robbins and the other by Burton Baskin. This one shouldn't have surprised me, but it did.
Wendy's was named after Dave Thomas' (the founder) daughter's nick name. He had 5 kids. You have to wonder what the other ones thought of his choice.
Just last week we had Arby's buying up Wendy's and this week, we learn that Mars (maker of M&M's and Snickers) has purchased Wrigley's (maker of Juicy Fruit and Lifesavers). Money-making expert Warren Buffet has his hand in the deal that has brought two of the nation's most storied (and, until now, family-owned) confectionary companies together.
I wonder how the residents of Chicago are feeling, having their long-time gum and candy company purchased and potentially moved. Any comment from the windy city locals?
The San Francisco Convention and Visitors Bureau wants you to have the greatest dining experience possible on you next trip to the Bay Area. They've added Taste as an additional website to the official visitors bureau site, and it's completely dedicated to food.
I was particularly interested in Taste, as I am going to San Francisco later this summer and I want any dining info I can get. Taste does offer plenty of dining information, especially of you have plenty of cash to spend on your trip. There's a mini blog, Foodie 411, and a calender of upcoming food events. Also, you can check out restaurants based on different categories like 'price', 'dining adventures', and 'al fresco', even the area of town. Overall the site is interesting and east to navigate.
There is one area that I think Taste is deficient in. Taste has a section dedicated to drinks, and it is awful. There is only one brew pub listed and no wine bars, even though they have several wineries listed. I'm not sure what's going on with that, but my guess is that the brew pubs didn't sign up with the visitor's bureau. Either way, if you're planning on going to San Francisco this website can help with dining choices, but definitely use as many resources as possible for the food aspect of your trip to San Francisco.
In French 101 in college, we all had to do individual spoken exams at the end of the term. The idea was to demonstrate that we could converse simply in the language.
We had been learning kitchen and food terms, and my professor asked me (in French) to describe my mealtimes.
"Mes amis et moi," I began, "Nous nous asseyons sur la table."
My professor looked confused. "Ellen, sur la table? Vous vous asseyez sur la table?"
I nodded happily. "Oui."
I'd told him that my friends and I sat atop the table at mealtimes.
Luckily, you don't have to speak a Français to appreciate Sur la Table's new cookbook, "Things Cooks Love". It's the company's first of several - "The Art & Soul of Baking" and "A Cook's Guide to Knives" will be available this fall).
The book covers kitchen tools and basics, as well as simple recipes to practice on tools and cookware. (What's a cookbook from a gourmet cookware store without a little self-promotion?)
(Pssst - the book is only $25 at the company's website until May 31, when it'll be $35. Get it while it's chaud.)
Snowdrop Bakery says that some of the filled rolls and baguettes that they sell did not have a label on them warning customers that the product contains milk and soya (is that the same as soy?). They ask that customers not eat the rolls and return them to the store for a refund. The breads have a use by date on or before April 22, 2008.
They company is also calling stores that might have the food on their shelves, including stores in Pembrokeshire, Swansea, Carmarthenshire, and Ceredigion.
At Cornell University, The Center for Hospitality Research has released a study on communicating complaints, showing that the severity of complaints at restaurants often corresponds with the way in which people give the complaints. The study confirms what you probably guessed -- that the harshest complaints are frequently given face-to-face, though some people offer such complaints via written letters as well.
Additionally, study respondents reported that issues relating to food and food service were the "worst failures" that a restaurant could have. Researchers therefore found it "puzzling" that respondents also said that complaints about factors that unrelated related to food or service (such as atmosphere) were the main factors in determining whether a customer would choose to never return to a certain establishment. Though I might not speak up about it, I think a hair in my food or something is the number one thing that would prevent me from returning somewhere, you?
Krispy Kreme is in another battle, and this time it isn't with Dunkin' Donuts.
The beloved donut chain is being sued by a company called Caribbean Creme. Seems that the company has a fruit drink also called Caribbean Creme and they aren't happy that Krispy Kreme has come out with a drink and doughnut called Caribbean Kreme. It's part of their "Chillers" line.
I have as much legal expertise as Barney Fife, so I have no idea if this has merit or not. But maybe Krispy Kreme should have spelled it "Karibbean Kreme."
Pollsters are now looking at how consumer behavior, including eating, affects voter choice. Dr. Pepper is for Republicans, Sprite is for Democrats. Clinton supporters snack on Fig Newtons, McCain fans on stuffed-crust pizza. While some results are weird, others are predictable - Whole Foods is a dead giveaway of liberal orientation.
Cookbook author Susie Fishbein is providing observant Jews with gourmet Passover recipes, including turmeric, tomato and spinach matzoh balls.
**#!*@! souffle! *$*#*!* emulsification! Chefs like to curse in the kitchen. Really.
Eric Asimov talks kosher wine - you don't have to be Jewish to like them.
The Minimalist does Hangtown Fry - eggs, bacon and...oysters.
Cakes masquerading as muffins make breakfast less guilty. Includes a recipe for spicy ginger muffins with currants and toasted pecans.
Food, or lack thereof, in Holocaust concentrations camps is still a taboo subject for survivors, writes Jewish cooking maven Joan Nathan.
Cindy McCain shares her favorite family recipes. Except they were ripped off from the Food Network. A rogue intern is apparently to blame.
It sits alone and untouched at the end of a long buffet table -- a bowl full of apples and bananas, maybe a seedy orange tossed in as an afterthought. Don't let your fruit salad meet this awful fate, spruce it up instead!
Lately, there have been some raised eyebrows in BK's direction, mainly because they won't agree to pay their tomato pickers an extra penny per pound of tomatoes. 
The San Francisco Convention and Visitors Bureau wants you to have the greatest dining experience possible on you next trip to the Bay Area. They've added 
A bakery in Haverfordwest has 
At Cornell University, 
Krispy Kreme is in another battle, and this time it isn't with Dunkin' Donuts.
Creating the ultimate Mother's Day gift for the carnivorous mom
Create less clutter with your Mother's Day gifts
Gifts for the vegetarian (or vegetable-loving) mom
