"FastFood" news and stories

A few weeks ago, the nation found out about a California class-action lawsuit against Taco Bell, in which it was alleged that the Mexican-inspired fast food empire was serving a "meat mixture" containing less than 35 percent meat. In response, Taco Bell fought back with a very public statement (and full-page ads). Additionally, they rolled out the Quad Steak Burrito (and Quad Steak Quesadilla) to showcase the fact that they do, in fact, serve real USDA Select beef. Here's how they rate:

The Claims: The Quad Steak Burrito is a burrito with four times the amount of steak pieces than the Steak Burrito Supreme, all wrapped in a flour tortilla filled with seasoned rice, "fire-roasted" salsa, reduced-fat sour cream and cheddar cheese. Its quesadilla counterpart has the same ingredients -- with four times the amount of beef than a Steak Quesadilla -- although it's flatter and not as filling as the burrito. (Both contain 610-660 calories, according to a menu poster.)

Chick-fil-A's "spokes-cows" keep urging us to "Eat mor chikin," (ok, so they can't spell), and now there's yet another daily opportunity to do so: in the morning. The new Spicy Chicken Breakfast Biscuit is now available, so you can get your fried-chicken fix with your morning coffee, and with a spicy kick in the taste buds to get your day started. Here's how it rates:

The Claims: The Spicy Chicken Breakfast Biscuit is spicy chicken breast, breaded with spices and deep-fried, placed inside a buttermilk biscuit. (450 calories, 720 in the meal with tater tots)

The Price: $2.25 for the sandwich (in New Jersey); $4.19 for the meal combo.

After the jump, our verdict ...

It's that time of the year again, when that jolly old fat guy sweeps down chimneys around the world, bearing gifts to those who are not naughty but nice. And for some, it's a Christmas tradition to leave an offering for Santa Claus -- typically a sweet treat of cookies and milk -- in an attempt to bribe him for the really good toys, like Mattel's Sing-A-Ma-Jigs and XBox Kinects, which elves apparently know how to make. This season, unless you're in an area were the local government has banned Happy Meals, like stuffy grinches stealing Christmas, you can follow this Fancy Fast Food mock recipe derived from McDonald's popular kids' meal, for a Christmas treat for Saint Nick made entirely out of fast food items. (Why not? He's obese anyway.)

Although the name Santa Claus comes from the Dutch "Sinter Klass" (an abbreviation of Sint Nikolaas, or Saint Nicholas), it's the German Kris Kringle who's inspired this regional treat: apple strudel. Sure we could just easily buy him McDonald's strudel-like apple pie (or their baked cookies for that matter), but where's the artistic integrity or fun in that?

Get the recipe and the how-to after the jump.

Food writer/author Robert Sietsema certainly knows food (fast and otherwise), so his article for the Village Voice on the 10 fast-food items that are actually enjoyable is right up his alley. To make the list, Sietsema and colleagues polled friends and spent two weeks (too long) actually tasting the stuff -- from Wendy's to White Castle to KFC to Taco Bell.

Since the Village Voice is New York based, you won't find favorites like an In-N-Out burger on the list, but you will find a chicken biscuit from Popeyes.

Head over to the Village Voice for the remaining nine items.

For weeks we have been waiting to try Wendy's new Natural-Cut French Fries. After visiting numerous locations in search for these sea-salt wonders, we were told that Wendy's would not be serving them until all of the original fries had been cooked and sold. Yesteday (four weeks after the fries were announced) we were pleasantly surprised to finally see an ad for them in the window of our local Wendy's.