Slashfood

Nathan's Hot Dog-Eating Contest Ups Women's Prize Money After Uproar

by Slashfood Editor, Posted Apr 27th 2011 2:00PM

Photo: Michael Nagle / Getty Images

Nathan's annual hot dog eating contest is the undisputed brass ring for all competitive eaters, but recently, organizers of the event came under fire. Major League Eating, the arm behind the July 4 contest, decided to split the event into men's and women's brackets. However, the grand prize purse for the women's title was just one-fourth of what was offered to the men: $2,500 for the ladies, $10,000 for men.

After an uproar regarding the prize disparity arose, Nathan's changed their tune, and will now offer $10,000 to both the male and female winner of the contest, reports the New York Daily News.

Not everyone thought the solution was that simple. EatFeats, a competitive eating website, crunched some numbers and discussed the notion of women attempting to qualify for the men's event. Time magazine's NewsFeed blog suggested the prize money be proportional to how many hot dogs are consumed.

Everyone likes to get their fair share, of course, but the most well-known female competitive eater, Sonya "The Black Widow" Thomas, had an interesting take on the bruhaha. She spoke with Eater National (before the prize money was adjusted) and said she understood why the purse was smaller for women, who are relatively new to the sport.

"Of course I would like to see a larger purse," she told Eater. But this is the first year of separating genders, and it would be wrong and greedy of me to expect the same payout for the ladies as the men." But, she continued,"Once we women rapidly build on our fan base, the purses should grow accordingly."

In the end, gender equality won out. Nathan's Famous president Wayne Norbitz told the New York Daily News, "We were contacted by numerous fans of Nathan's who pointed out that despite the prize disparity in men's and women's divisions of other professional sports, the Nathan's prizes should be the same. We listened to that input."

Looks like even competitive eating circles understand they'd better pay attention to a Black Widow.

Filed under: Food News

Starbucks Jumps Burger King & Wendy's To Become No. 3 U.S. Restaurant Chain

COMMENTS 63

by Slashfood Editor, Posted Apr 27th 2011 1:00PM

Starbucks Photo: Justin Sullivan / Getty Images

Despite its coffee-centric menu, Starbucks is now the third largest restaurant chain in terms of domestic sales, according to Technomic's listing of America's top 500 restaurant chains in total 2010 U.S. sales. Completing the trifecta is McDonald's in the number one spot, followed by Subway at number two. USA Today explains that Starbucks' rise to the top signifies a shift in the American palate. For decades, McDonald's, Burger King and Wendy's dominated the top three, and all served a similar hamburger-focused menu. Now, within the new top three, only McDonald's serves burgers. Overall, the top 500 chains reported a 1.8% sales growth in 2010, with total estimated sales of $234 billion.

Here's the Top 5 list:
1. McDonald's
2. Subway
3. Starbucks
4. Burger King
5. Wendy's

Filed under: Food News, Chain Stores / Restaurants

The 7 Biggest Celebrity Fad Diets

COMMENTS 0

by Slashfood Editor, Posted Apr 27th 2011 12:00PM

baby food Photo: justmakeit, Flickr

We all know the "secret" to losing weight: Eat less and exercise more. But where's the fun in that? Celebs have been trying out zany alternatives to the sensible path to fitness for years, and The Daily Meal has a list of seven of the weirdest ways high-profile stars have tried to drop pounds. The Babyfood Diet is just sort of silly (though eating green-hued unseasoned purées would make anyone lose their appetite) but it was good enough for Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon. Brooke Shields preferred the Cabbage Soup Diet, while Kim Kardashian opted for the sounds-better-than-it-tastes Cookie Diet.

Want to see if you've tried the same fad diet as a celeb? Check out the full list at The Daily Meal.

Filed under: On the Blogs, Celebrities

Chipotle Facing Natural Chicken Shortage

COMMENTS 18

by Jason Best, Posted Apr 27th 2011 11:00AM

Chipotle chicken burrito Photo: Eric M. Martin, Flickr

Ay, caramba! Chipotle is running low on natural chicken, particularly at its restaurants in Southern California, reports the Orange County Register. This is a pretty big deal. After all, the chain likes to tout that its ingredients are a cut above your average fast-food fare, and let's be honest: to a certain crowd, part of the appeal of Chipotle is the side dish of sanctimony you get to enjoy as you imagine the chicken that's now the star of your burrito clucking around some bucolic barnyard somewhere while its KFC-destined kin were shivering in a cage waiting for their next mega-dose of antibiotics.

A spokesman for Chipotle told the Register that the chain had experienced a "disruption" in its supply of naturally raised chicken but that it's working to resolve the problem. There was no explanation as to why, all of a sudden, naturally raised chickens are in short supply. Alas, apparently the country doesn't keep a strategic reserve of the cluckers like it does for oil.

Filed under: Food News, Chain Stores / Restaurants

Chili-Rubbed Tilapia with Asparagus and Lemon

COMMENTS 0

by Slashfood Editor, Posted Apr 27th 2011 10:00AM

Chili-Rubbed Tilapia with Asparagus and Lemon recipe Photo: EatingWell

Tilapia, a relatively plentiful fish, has the unfortunate reputation of being dull. All it needs is a spice rub -- a familiar barbecuing technique that works just as well indoors. Here, we've paired the fish with the bright flavor of lemon and fresh spring asparagus. And with a prep time under 30 minutes, it's an ideal weeknight meal.

Get the recipe for Chili-Rubbed Tilapia with Asparagus and Lemon.

Filed under: Recipes

Low-Alcohol Booze: The Next Big Thing?

COMMENTS 16

by Slashfood Editor, Posted Apr 26th 2011 4:00PM

vodka martini Photo: Jupiterimages

Is cocktail culture losing its buzz? Last fall, the San Francisco Chronicle reported that bartenders were mixing up a host of cocktails with a lower alcohol content -- drinkers are looking for beverages with fewer calories, and a lower alcohol level also means patrons can consume more without fear of the breathalyzer. The trick behind many of these cocktails? Fortified wines, which are substituted for stronger spirits.

Last week, Grub Street SF dug a bit deeper into the world of low-alcohol beverages by tasting an array of lower-alcohol spirits made without distillation. After sampling fermented vodka and agave wine (think tequila, but instead it hovers around the ABV limit for wine), they proclaimed themselves impressed with the flavor -- and the added benefits. ("You've got yourself a decent drink that, after a half dozen or so, will have your college-age cousin buzzed but not barfing," was one enthusiastic response.)

The trend carries over into alcohol levels in wine. In a market reversal, California vintners are pulling back after years of producing juicy, high-alcohol wines, writes ZesterDaily. NPR reports that Kutch Wines and Vineyards owner, Jamie Kutch, is lowering the alcohol content of his winery's pinot noir to balance our the flavors -- and also prevent people from falling asleep on the couch after dinner.

Though these low-alcohol drinks may be growing slightly in popularity and distribution, they are far from mainstream -- particularly in the realm of beer: The Sunday Times tried to find to find moderate-alcohol beer in London and struggled due to "low demand." Colorado actually banned the sale of low alcohol beers in bars, albeit for complicated political reasons (and legislators are working to overturn the bizarre measure).

As with most matters booze-related, it's largely a matter of preference. But if you like your cocktails on the lighter side, it's nice to know you have options.

Filed under: Trends, Drinks

Can Virtual Reality Make Foods Taste Better?

COMMENTS 1

by Jason Best, Posted Apr 26th 2011 3:00PM

Photo: YouTube

Call it the Keebler elf meets Bladerunner.

As MSNBC reports, researchers at the University of Tokyo in Japan have unveiled what is probably the coolest, wackiest and, hands down, most impractical high-tech diet contraption ever: "Meta Cookie."

Here's how it works: Users put on a ridiculously unwieldy virtual reality helmet that's outfitted with a camera, screen and seven pump-driven tubes filled with scented air. Then they reach for what is, in actuality, a dry and relatively tasteless cookie. But that's not what they see or smell. Instead, the helmet shows them, say, a delicious chocolate cookie, and the air-pump system gives them a whiff of cocoa beans.

Researchers say that the system regularly fools users into believing that they are eating a more delectable cookie than they really are, in part because the camera tracks the cookie as it gets closer to the user's mouth, allowing the system to adjust the sensory input.

It's obvious, though, that this is still in the development phase. Imagine peeking over your cubicle only to find your coworker salivating over an ordinary rice cake and outfitted to look like a creature from Aliens. Not only that, but it's clear the outsized gadget hasn't been through the marketing department yet.

"Enjoy augmented gustation with 'Meta Cookie'!" the promo video proclaims.

We'll give it a (virtual), yum!

Filed under: Food News

Doughnuts and Wine Pair Up on New Reality Show

COMMENTS 2

by Jessie Cacciola, Posted Apr 26th 2011 2:30PM

Psycho Donuts Photo: happyfunpaul, Flickr

Doughnuts and wine go together like... wait, that's insane, right? Not at a place called Psycho Donuts in San Jose, California owned by former techy Jordan Zwegoron. Set up like a "light-hearted" asylum, it's complete with lab coat-clad employees, a padded booth, straitjacket and group therapy area where customers are given plastic bubble wrap (for popping, natch) and donuts named "Cereal Killer," "Kooky Monster" and "Massive Head Trauma."

"When you walk in, you're our patient, and we make you better with doughnuts," Zwegoron told the Santa Cruz Sentinel. That all may not spell 'family friendly' but it's TV gold for producer Nicole Block of LA-based Highlighting Entertainment, who's shooting a sample episode of a doughnut-and-wine pairing reality show to pitch to TLC, the Food Network and the Cooking Channel, reports the Sentinel.

"There's a lot of cupcake and cake reality shows, but we haven't seen a doughnut show," says Block. "Zwegoron is a good character and the doughnuts are unique, so we think Psycho Donuts will be a good candidate." She's decided to match up the crazy confectionist with wine from Poetic Cellars on the hills of Soquel, CA. The cellar's shtick? Each bottle is labeled with a poem. We can't say what's in the paired-up doughnut, but it's four-pronged and goes by "the poetic psycho," like any good reality TV star.

Filed under: Television/Film, Restaurants