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grocery store meat counterPhoto: Emmanuel Dunand, AFP / Getty Images


Walking into your average supermarket is a lot like being a contestant on "Jeopardy!" If you think hard, choose wisely, and give all the right answers, you can go home with a carload of cash and prizes. But make a few mistakes and you'll leave with an empty wallet-not to mention a lot of empty calories.

In fact, even the lowest-priced supermarket in your neighborhood is brimming with complete rip-offs-health foods that aren't healthy, gourmet foods that aren't gourmet, specialty items that just aren't that special. Here are just some of the foods you're overpaying for, compliments of Eat This, Not That! Supermarket Survival Guide and Cook This, Not That!.

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]]>bad dealseat this not thatEatThisNotThatsupermarketsthe editors at Men's HealthWed, 23 Mar 2011 12:00:00 ESTFood Draws Customers to the Mallhttp://www.slashfood.com/2011/03/09/food-draws-customers-to-the-mall/http://www.slashfood.com/2011/03/09/food-draws-customers-to-the-mall/http://www.slashfood.com/2011/03/09/food-draws-customers-to-the-mall/#commentsFiled under: ,

shopping mallPhoto: Getty Images

Quick, what's the first thing you think of when you think of malls? The Gap? Pottery Barn? The ever-present surplus of Twilight t-shirts at Hot Topic?

Whatever you think of, it probably has nothing to do with homegrown tomatoes, locally raised veal, and artisanal cheese. But mall owners across the country are looking to change that.

Forget roving bands of disaffected teenagers gnawing on giant pretzels. Today, malls are looking to attract a decidedly more lucrative demographic: foodies.

According to Bloomberg News, "grocery is the next frontier" for those once-iconic behemoths of American commerce now struggling against obsolescence. In May, mall operator Macerich Co. will open The Market at its Santa Monica Place mall, where vendors will hawk things like heirloom coffee, small-batch vinegars, and artisanal meats and wine. It will also feature a cooking school and a soufflé bar.

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]]>featuredmallsJason BestWed, 09 Mar 2011 16:00:00 ESTGrocery Chain Announces Price Freeze on Everyday Itemshttp://www.slashfood.com/2011/02/25/grocery-chain-announces-price-freeze-on-everyday-items/http://www.slashfood.com/2011/02/25/grocery-chain-announces-price-freeze-on-everyday-items/http://www.slashfood.com/2011/02/25/grocery-chain-announces-price-freeze-on-everyday-items/#commentsFiled under: ,

Wegman's frozen foods sectionPhoto: Adam Kuban, Flickr

It's becoming harder and harder to believe the ubiquitous promises made by grocery stores everywhere: "Thousands of low prices!" or "Low prices every day!"

What with food prices hitting record levels around the world, what does "low" mean anyway?

But the surprise gambit by one regional grocery chain caught our attention: Wegmans has announced that it's freezing prices on 40 products through the end of the year.

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]]>Wegmanswegmans freezing pricesJason BestFri, 25 Feb 2011 15:00:00 ESTIs Our Food Too Cheap?http://www.slashfood.com/2011/02/22/is-our-food-too-cheap/http://www.slashfood.com/2011/02/22/is-our-food-too-cheap/http://www.slashfood.com/2011/02/22/is-our-food-too-cheap/#commentsFiled under:

packaged meat at the grocery storePhoto: Anthony Albright, Flickr

"Family packs" stuffed with pork chops. Jumbo boxes of breakfast cereal. Gallon jugs of orange juice. The aisles of our huge mega-marts and wholesale food retailers are filled with enormous quantities of food. But do we really need it? Michelle Madden at The Huffington Post asks: Is food too cheap? Do we eat too much (in particular low nutrient-density food -- the cheapest of all), and waste too much, because we pay so little and therefore don't value it?

Read the whole essay at The Huffington Post.

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]]>featuredgrocery storesHuffington PostSlashfood EditorTue, 22 Feb 2011 11:00:00 ESTA Fee for Using Plastic Bags: Is Your State Next?http://www.slashfood.com/2011/02/07/a-fee-for-using-plastic-bags-is-your-state-next/http://www.slashfood.com/2011/02/07/a-fee-for-using-plastic-bags-is-your-state-next/http://www.slashfood.com/2011/02/07/a-fee-for-using-plastic-bags-is-your-state-next/#commentsFiled under: ,

plastic bags being bannedPhoto: AlishaV, Flickr


Choosing not to bring a reusable bag to the grocery store might cost you in the near future. Lawmakers in Connecticut have proposed a bill that would charge 5 cents for plastic or paper bag use, with a hearing scheduled for Wednesday. Plastic bags are already taxed in D.C., and Oregon has similar legislation in the works.

The 5-cent fee proposed by Connecticut lawmakers would be used for municipal recycling efforts, reports the Associated Press, but it also serves as a deterrent. Now that resuable totes are easy to come by (most grocery stores have them for sale), environmentalists want plastics done away with.

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]]>banning plastic bagsplastic bagsshopping bagsJessie CacciolaMon, 07 Feb 2011 14:00:00 ESTThe World's Most Ridiculous Frozen Foodshttp://www.slashfood.com/2011/01/28/frozen-foods-worlds-most-ridiculous/http://www.slashfood.com/2011/01/28/frozen-foods-worlds-most-ridiculous/http://www.slashfood.com/2011/01/28/frozen-foods-worlds-most-ridiculous/#commentsFiled under: ,

obama fingers, dumb frozen foodsPhoto: fortinbras, Flickr

Dumb products show up in the supermarket every day (honestly, does anybody really need a box of frozen crustless peanut butter and jelly sandwiches?), but the folks over at Buzzfeed have a list of 15 products that take stupidity to another level. The microwaveable pork rinds and pickle juice popsicles are bad enough, but the breaded Obama Fingers are borderline offensive. However, we'll put in one tiny dissenting vote about the bubble gum ice cream -- most kids we know go wild for the stuff.

Read the full list of 15 WTF Frozen Foods at Buzzfeed.

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]]>breakfast pizzafrozen foodice creamObamaSlashfood EditorFri, 28 Jan 2011 16:00:00 ESTUSDA Food Map Tells Us How We Eat Across the Countryhttp://www.slashfood.com/2011/01/28/usda-food-map-tells-us-how-we-eat-across-the-country/http://www.slashfood.com/2011/01/28/usda-food-map-tells-us-how-we-eat-across-the-country/http://www.slashfood.com/2011/01/28/usda-food-map-tells-us-how-we-eat-across-the-country/#commentsFiled under: , ,

USDA food atlas mapsPhoto: USDA.gov/FoodAtlas


Last week the updated USDA food map was released, detailing our country's food environment by county -- who has better local food, more farmer's markets, better availability to grocery stores? What are people eating most per capita in each county? How much food assistance are we getting? And who goes out to restaurants more? It's all right here.

The updated tool is part of First Lady Michelle Obama's initiative to end childhood obesity, reports the Washington Post. And it's a treasure chest of information. According to the map, Oakland County, Michigan, had 983 fast food restaurants in 2009, and 1,042 in 2010. In 2009, Minnesota's Hennepin county had 15 farmers markets -- and by 2010, they had 39. Impressive. That's more than San Diego, which lost 7 percent of its farmers markets over the same time. Washington Post contributor Jennifer LaRue Huget spent an hour on the site and found some interesting facts about Montgomery County, Maryland, where she was born. Among other statistics, she discovered that in 2006, residents there consumed 230 pounds of produce per capita at home and 320 in prepared foods.

You can search by state or see the entire country lit up in color-coded categories. And the data is seemingly endless -- you can investigate anything from how far households are from the nearest grocery store to how many stores accept Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Lose a very investigative hour of your own at USDA.gov.

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]]>Michelle ObamaSNAPusdaUSDA food mapJessie CacciolaFri, 28 Jan 2011 14:00:00 ESTPackages Shrinking: Why You're Paying More For Lesshttp://www.slashfood.com/2011/01/07/packages-shrinking-why-youre-paying-more-for-less/http://www.slashfood.com/2011/01/07/packages-shrinking-why-youre-paying-more-for-less/http://www.slashfood.com/2011/01/07/packages-shrinking-why-youre-paying-more-for-less/#commentsFiled under: ,

Haagen-Dazs ice cream containerPhoto: cafemama, Flickr


Yes, you've gotten bigger since your first carton of Häagen-Dazs but the carton's actually getting smaller. Or at least its bottom is caving in and air is being whipped in, dropping the contents by 2 oz. (a 12.5% reduction from 16 oz. to 14 oz.) with no change in price.

In the latest issue of Consumer Reports, senior editor Tod Marks found a list of products that are shrinking to raise company revenues in tough times, including Hebrew National hot dogs, Kirkland Signature (Costco) paper towels, Tropicana orange juice and Kraft American cheese packs, which now contain two fewer slices. And are none cheaper. It all started with a roll of toilet paper that claimed to be the "thickest ever," when in fact it was short 52 sheets.

"They've got a point," writes Marks. "Higher commodity and fuel costs are expected to spike in food prices by as much as 3 percent in 2011. But if manufacturers are skimping when costs go up, why aren't they more generous when costs hold steady or fall?" Companies claim they wanted to prevent sticker shock, so they decided to keep prices the same and instead charge us more for less product and hope we wouldn't notice.

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]]>groceriespackage shrinkingPackageShrinkingpackagingpricingshoppingJessie CacciolaFri, 07 Jan 2011 14:00:00 ESTHow the Supermarket Feeds Your Veggie Frenzyhttp://www.slashfood.com/2010/11/08/how-the-supermarket-feeds-your-veggie-frenzy/http://www.slashfood.com/2010/11/08/how-the-supermarket-feeds-your-veggie-frenzy/http://www.slashfood.com/2010/11/08/how-the-supermarket-feeds-your-veggie-frenzy/#commentsFiled under: ,

fresh producePhoto: edge of the continent, Flickr


You go to your local grocery store to buy a frozen pizza and walk out with a bag of frozen peas on the side. (Well, they were sitting right next to the Three-Cheese Pie.) Or maybe you visit the produce aisle and find yourself feeling as if you're in a cozy kitchen -- the lights are diffused, and they're shining right on those turnips. Why not buy turnips for dinner, you think. Huh? Where did that come from?

The marketers who tempt you with end-of-aisle displays of wildly colored cereal boxes and eye-level rows of boxed mac-and-cheese are now being employed by supermarkets to help customers select more fresh food, reports NPR. Moving fresh food to the front of the store works (the path of least resistance usually does), Brian Wansink, the co-director of the Cornell Center for Behavioral Economics in Child Nutrition Program told NPR. When stores change their marketing schemes, such as trading in the harsh fluorescent bulbs for softer, more direct spotlights, he says, they sell around 30 percent more.

Let's face it. Produce spoils and the markets have to move it or lose it. That it's also better for you than a bag of chips is the bonus. And consumers are trying to eat more healthy foods, or at least that's what we claim. Just remember when you reach for the veggies, that placement, lighting, and even signage (calling eggplant "French aubergine," for example), are now giving you a helping hand.

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]]>grocery shoppingmarketing strategypsychology of spendingSlashfood EditorMon, 08 Nov 2010 15:00:00 ESTWhat's Behind the Front-of-Package Labelhttp://www.slashfood.com/2010/11/02/whats-behind-the-front-of-package-label/http://www.slashfood.com/2010/11/02/whats-behind-the-front-of-package-label/http://www.slashfood.com/2010/11/02/whats-behind-the-front-of-package-label/#commentsFiled under: , ,

cereal box food labelPhoto: Colin Purrington, Flickr


The fight over facts presented on the front of packages are about to come to a head. The battle has long been over the selective truths and marketing ploys that riddle our cardboard boxes, from those that tout immunity to those that give a nondescript check of approval. Now, the Grocery Manufacturer's Association (GMA) has announced a front-of-package labeling initiative that will supposedly work to "inform consumers and combat obesity," as the organization's October 27th press release states.

Too bad, though, that it actually comes after the FDA-sponsored memo from the Institute of Medicine, "recommending that FOP [front of package] symbols only mention calories, sodium, trans fat and saturated fat," writes nutritionist and NYU professor Marion Nestle in a recent article for The Atlantic Food Channel. But rather than advertise what could be bad in a product, companies would much prefer to let you know what's good about it, notes Nestle.

According to the press release from GMA, "This program will add important nutrition information on calories and other nutrients..." and "to appeal to busy consumers, the information will be presented in a fact-based, simple and easy-to-use format." We would hope they'd be fact based, but don't think this means you shouldn't look to that table on the back. Companies will focus on the nutrients they do provide, but may choose to omit those facts that can harm.

Continue reading What's Behind the Front-of-Package Label

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]]>fdalabelsnutrition labelsJessie CacciolaTue, 02 Nov 2010 16:00:00 ESTTarget $3 Appliance Deals Include Toasters, Coffeemakershttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/11/13/targets-black-friday-appliances/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/11/13/targets-black-friday-appliances/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/11/13/targets-black-friday-appliances/#commentsFiled under: ,

target black friday appliances

Photo: j.reed, Flickr

Target plans to slash prices on toasters and coffeemakers, selling the appliances for $3 on Black Friday, the huge day of sales the Friday after Thanksgiving, according to one of the chain's advertisements.

Gotadeal.com obtained a leaked circular for the Target Black Friday appliance sale, which revealed $3 Chefmate appliances -- from toaster ovens to coffeemakers and sandwich makers, CNN reports.

A Target official did not confirm the prices to CNN. The flyer will officially be released the week of Nov. 22.

[Via CNN]

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]]>coffeemakerstores-and-shoppingtarget 3 dollar appliancestarget black friday appliancesTargetBlackFridayAppliancestoasterSlashfood EditorFri, 13 Nov 2009 11:15:00 EST7-Eleven Pizza, Wings Added to Hot Food Menuhttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/10/16/7-eleven-pizza-wings-added-to-hot-food-menu/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/10/16/7-eleven-pizza-wings-added-to-hot-food-menu/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/10/16/7-eleven-pizza-wings-added-to-hot-food-menu/#commentsFiled under: ,

7-Eleven
Hot Food Display, Photo provided by 7-Eleven.
7-Eleven is taking a "big gulp" out of the fast food industry. The convenience store will sell pizza and chicken tenders in 1,400 stores nationwide to offset lagging tobacco sales.

The new hot food program offers items such as whole or by-the-slice four-cheese and pepperoni pizza; chicken tenders; sausage, egg and cheese breakfast quesadillas; hash brown potatoes and three flavors of chicken wings.

The chain will be able to serve the pizzas using high-speed TurboChef ovens, which combine radiant heat, microwave and convection cooking methods to cook foods 12 times faster than the standard oven, the company says.

Margaret Chabris, a spokeswoman for 7-Eleven, told Slashfood Friday that each oven is equipped with a credit-card sized card that automatically programs the method and the cooking time for the various menu items. The ovens cook a 7-Eleven pizza in 90 seconds and the wings in 3 minutes.

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]]>7-117-elevenchicken wingsChickenWingsconvenience storeConvenienceStorefast foodFastFoodpizzastores-and-shoppingtobacco salesTobaccoSalesSarah LeTrentFri, 16 Oct 2009 14:30:00 ESTDrink for the Curehttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/09/29/drink-for-the-cure/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/09/29/drink-for-the-cure/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/09/29/drink-for-the-cure/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Riedel CrescendO glasses
Photo: Riedel.
October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and now you can support the cause in style with Riedel's limited-edition pink glasses.

Crescendo ($70, pictured) is a set of four glasses, each in a different delicate shade of pink. Since they're stemless, the glasses are great for non-alcoholic drinks as well as white wines, and they're dishwasher-safe.

Pink Vinum Rosé ($59) is a set of two pink-stemmed glasses specifically designed for rosé wine. They're also dishwasher-safe, and the color of the wine isn't distorted, since the pink tint is limited to the stem.

Riedel is donating 15 percent of their pink sales to Living Beyond Breast Cancer, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering all women affected by breast cancer to live as long as possible with the best quality of life -- now that's something we can all raise our glasses to. Order online or find them at Bed, Bath, and Beyond.

For Slashfood readers who don't want to drink pink, the Pink Ribbon Shop is offering "Around My Mother's Table: Stories and Recipes Celebrating Lives Lost to Breast Cancer" ($16.95), the Breast Cancer Awareness Pink Ribbon Cookie Cutter, and more.

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]]>breast cancercookbookcookie cuttercrescendoglassespink ribbonpink vinum rosePinkRibbonPinkVinumRoseriedelstores-and-shoppingwineGretchen RobertsTue, 29 Sep 2009 14:00:00 ESTDoes Your Digital Camera Have a 'Food' Setting?http://www.slashfood.com/2009/07/22/does-your-digital-camera-have-a-food-setting/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/07/22/does-your-digital-camera-have-a-food-setting/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/07/22/does-your-digital-camera-have-a-food-setting/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Tomato and Olympus camera. Photo: Emily Farris.
These days, food porn seems almost to be giving the old-fashioned kind a run for its money. Everyone with a digital camera and an appetite fancies him or herself an amateur food pornographer, which is to say there's a lot of bad food photography out there alongside the good stuff.

Camera companies are catching on to the trend and trying to make a buck, with digital point and shoot models that are manufactured with food photography settings, like this Olympus which has a "cuisine" option, and this Sony, with its "gourmet food" mode. Chances are good that if you purchased a camera recently, it has some kind of food photography option and you don't even know it. If your food photographs are less than porntastic (like the tomato shot here), it might be worth your while to consult your camera's manual or look online to find out.

If you don't have a food setting, don't rush right out to buy a new camera that does.

One pro shutterbug's opinion, after the jump.

Continue reading Does Your Digital Camera Have a 'Food' Setting?

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]]>bloggerscuisinedigital camerasDigitalCamerasemily farrisEmilyFarrisfood bloggersfood bloggingfood photographyfood settingsFoodBloggersFoodBloggingphotographystores-and-shoppingEmily FarrisWed, 22 Jul 2009 13:00:00 ESTFontainebleau - Le Cheese Coursehttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/07/21/fontainebleau-le-cheese-course/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/07/21/fontainebleau-le-cheese-course/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/07/21/fontainebleau-le-cheese-course/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

fromage
Fontainebleau. Photo: Marie-Anne Cantin
This summer Slashfood blogger Max Shrem is apprenticing at renowned Paris cheese shop Fromagerie Trotté. For the next two months, in 'Le Cheese Course,' Max will share his impressions and opinions of French cheese à la francaise!

This odd-looking fromage is oh-so-French (and, in fact, available solely in that country). Those planning a trip there would be wise to look up the delicious Fontainebleau, which is here pictured with the net that covers it when it is sold.

France has many varieties of creamy cheese, from crème fraîche and fromage blanc to petit-suisse and Chantilly. Combining characteristics of all four mentioned above, Fontainebleau, which must be eaten the day it's put out for sale, is especially worth trying for a rich, sweet taste and fluffy, light texture that's similar to whipped cream.

It's so light, in fact, it requires strange packaging. "The reason for the cloth is to protect the very light structure and to maintain the freshness," says Thomas Le Goff, cheesemonger at fromagerie Marie-Anne Cantin.

Continue reading Fontainebleau - Le Cheese Course

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]]>chantillycheesecheese courseCheeseCoursecreamcreme fraicheCremeFraichedessertfontainebleaufrancefromage blancFromageBlancle cheese courseLeCheeseCoursestores-and-shoppingMax ShremTue, 21 Jul 2009 17:30:00 ESTFirst Peeps Store Will Open in Marylandhttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/07/09/first-peeps-store-opens-in-maryland/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/07/09/first-peeps-store-opens-in-maryland/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/07/09/first-peeps-store-opens-in-maryland/#commentsFiled under: ,

peep
Peep. Photo: Seaships, Flickr
The nation's first Peeps store, Peeps & Co, is coming to Maryland this fall.

These pudgy marshmallow chicks and bunnies have certainly racked up quite a following over the 50 years of their existence, so we can't say we're terribly surprised to hear they're getting their own shop in National Harbor in Prince George's County.

According to the Washington Post, the store -- owned by the preciously named company Just Born -- will be packed with Peeperphernalia including Peeps dressed as Village People, Peep pens, key chains and even fancy china.

And what of the "& Co" in the shop's name? Ah, yes. For those who are not happily drowning in a sea of Peeps, available wares will also include Hot Tamales and Mike and Ike's, two other brands owned by Just Born. Of course the puffy critters will be the star of this show.

Peruse our homemade faux-Peep recipe.

View Poll



[Via Washington Post]

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]]>hot tamalesHotTamalesmike and ikesMikeAndIkespeepspeeps coPeepsCostores-and-shoppingAlex Van BurenThu, 09 Jul 2009 16:00:00 ESTFromage Blanc - Le Cheese Coursehttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/07/07/fromage-blanc-le-cheese-course/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/07/07/fromage-blanc-le-cheese-course/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/07/07/fromage-blanc-le-cheese-course/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

fromage blanc
Fromage Blanc with pears and honey.
Photo: Marylise Doctrinal, Flickr
This summer, Slashfood blogger Max Shrem is apprenticing at renowned Paris cheese shop Fromagerie Trotté. For the next two months, in 'Le Cheese Course,' Max will share his impressions and opinions of French cheese à la francaise!

If you like eating thick, creamy French cheese such as Chaource, you're likely to enjoy fromage blanc. At Fromagerie Trotté, customers come in weekly for what at first blush resembles chunks of cream, large pieces of mascarpone or crème fraîche. They are not ordering cream, of course, but are lining up for fromage blanc -- also called fromage frais, which literally translates to "fresh cheese."

Fromage blanc is a young cheese that is made from cow's milk. It's essentially an un-aged fresh cow's milk cheese - that is, it represents the beginning stages of cheesemaking before the addition of rennet and salt. Therefore, its texture is soft and milky, similar to that of cottage cheese and yogurt. Like yogurt, it has a relatively low fat content (assuming that there is no added cream.)

Continue reading Fromage Blanc - Le Cheese Course

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]]>cheesecheese courseCheeseCoursedairyfrancefrench cheeseFrenchCheesefromage blancfromage fraisFromageBlancFromageFraisle cheese courseLeCheeseCoursemax shremMaxShremPascal TrottPascalTrottstores-and-shoppingMax ShremTue, 07 Jul 2009 15:00:00 ESTThe Traveling Foodie - Guatemala's Chichicastenango Markethttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/06/24/the-traveling-foodie-guatemalas-chichicastenango-market/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/06/24/the-traveling-foodie-guatemalas-chichicastenango-market/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/06/24/the-traveling-foodie-guatemalas-chichicastenango-market/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

AOL Food's photo editor Rachel Been travels the world in search of deliciousness. Her most recent journey brought her to Guatemala's Chichicastenango Market.

Chichicastenango

    Chichicastenango Market in Guatemala is one of the most vibrant markets in the country. Every Thursday and Sunday, vendors from around the region travel to Chici to set up varietal stands surrounding the Church of Santo Tomás. The assortment of food ranges from fresh produce to deep-fried chicken, and is available for only a few quetzales. ...

    Rachel Been

    A family of women make tortillas from blue- and white-corn masa, a dough paste composed of pestled corn. The women diligently pat out the thin, small dough discs throughout the day. Ten tortillas will cost you 2 Quetzales (50 cents).

    Rachel Been

    Fresh carrots and vegetables line the walls of the indoor produce market.

    Rachel Been

    At the end of one of the main roads, a group of women sell clucking hens and other animals such as dogs and turkeys out of woven sacks.

    Rachel Been

    And eventually those clucking chickens end up deep-fried in the market's dining area, served with fresh beans and tortillas.

    Rachel Been

    Fresh watermelons are covered with a plastic tarp that attracts swarming flies, apparently attempting to camouflage themselves as vagrant seeds.

    Rachel Been

    Women sell freshly cut onions in the indoor produce market.

    Rachel Been

    The market is so vast that for every item of produce, there are dozens of vendors offering the same food. Onions, avocados, carrots and tomatoes are some of the most popular items sold throughout Chichi.

    Rachel Been

    Outside of the produce market, vendors sell nuts and seeds out of buckets used for seasonings and snacks.

    Rachel Been

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]]>Chichicastenango marketChichicastenangoMarketfood pornguatemalarachel beenRachelBeenstores-and-shoppingthe traveling foodieTheTravelingFoodieRachel BeenWed, 24 Jun 2009 17:00:00 ESTBklyn Larder - Specialty Shop Showcasehttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/06/16/bklyn-larder-specialty-shop-showcase/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/06/16/bklyn-larder-specialty-shop-showcase/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/06/16/bklyn-larder-specialty-shop-showcase/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Brooklyn Larder

There's no doubt about it: The cheese boom is in full swing.

Over the past several years, specialty shops have blossomed across the country, from southern California to Maine (including Blue Fog Market, Fromagination and The Cave), all with super-dedicated cheese selections. This month renowned Brooklyn, N.Y., restaurant Franny's became the latest eatery to open its very own specialty food shop, Bklyn Larder, just down the street.

Aside from an array of prepared foods cooked by chef Travis Post, Bklyn Larder has its own cheese room, with an appropriate humidity and temperature for aging and storing cheese. "This will enable us to carry larger amounts of cheese," says Francine Stephens, who, along with co-owner and husband Andrew Feinberg, co-founded the restaurant back in 2004.

In September of 2007, Feinberg attended the Slow Flood cheese festival in Bra, Italy to seek out unique and tasty cheeses to eventually carry at the still-in-the-planning-stages Larder. They can all be spied through the glass window of the shop's aging room. (Food voyeurs -- you know who you are -- beware!)

Continue reading Bklyn Larder - Specialty Shop Showcase

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]]>artisanal cheeseArtisanalCheeseBKLYN LarderBklynLarderBrooklyn LarderBrooklynLardercheesefrannysgelatoopeningspecialty retailspecialty shop showcaseSpecialtyRetailSpecialtyShopShowcasestores-and-shoppingMax ShremTue, 16 Jun 2009 16:00:00 ESTCulver City Cool - Surfashttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/05/07/culver-city-cool-surfas/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/05/07/culver-city-cool-surfas/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/05/07/culver-city-cool-surfas/#commentsFiled under: ,

surfa
Los Angeles has many things to recommend it to the enterprising eater, and Surfas is unequivocally one of them. Why? Well, for one, take a look at this photo. Mycryo Gelatine Substitute. Lots of it. While the vast majority of the population would have absolutely no idea of what to do with it -- sprinkle it? snort it? use it instead of NutraSweet? -- the fact that Surfas carries it in such large quantities is just very cool. So is the shop's eye-popping variety of spices, flours, sugars, extracts, chocolates, nuts, dried beans, butters and -- well, you get the picture.

Geared towards pro chefs who presumably have a need for things like mycryo gelatine substitute (used mainly by pastry toques, as discussed here), Surfas is also a paradise for the less ambitious homecook.

Find out why after the jump.

Continue reading Culver City Cool - Surfas

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]]>chefsculver cityCulverCitylos angelesLosAngelesshoppingspecialty shopsSpecialtyShopsstores-and-shoppingsurfasRebecca Flint MarxThu, 07 May 2009 14:00:00 EST