"MMs" news and stories

In ancient times, food was marketed primarily by "hunger." But in the modern era, it's not enough that we eat our food, we must also emotionally bond with it. This partly explains the enduring appeal of food mascots, those bright, colorful, affable characters who beckon us to consume.

In many cases, we choose a product simply because we have a bizarre attachment to the cartoon that represents it. There is no shame in trusting, say, a paranoid Leprechaun with a powerful marshmallow lust more than one's own family. These 10 icons are the awesomest in the pantheon of cheap food branding.

Momofuku Milk Bar Volcano Photo: Kat Kinsman

A few of the best stories spied elsewhere on the Web this week:

A new study from the University of South Carolina finds comfort food not as comforting as you'd think.

A snacking-while-driving invention makes talking on your cell phone while driving seem positively safe and sound.

Despite the recession, consumers are still willing to shell out as much as $999 per person to rub shoulders with celeb chefs at food festivals across the nation.

David Chang, of Momofuku fame, may open a Milk Bar in Georgetown.

More Americans are starting small farms, sometimes called 'hobby' or 'lifestyle' farms, which provide much of the food found at the nation's farmers' markets and roadside stands.

Now you can get your candy fix and your rock on with Kiss-branded M&M's.

Le Bernardin reservations out of your reach? Chef Eric Ripert launched a wine club, giving the average Joe access to his vino-expertise and recipe pairings to use at home.

Julia Child's 10 best bon mots. Photo: Chow

Chow sums up its 10 favorite Julia-isms in time for tonight's release of "Julie and Julia". Our fave? "When a sommelier asked her to name her favorite wine, she replied, 'Gin.'"

Holy adorableness, Batman: Bakerella's pie pops.

Bill Keller, editor of the New York Times, jumps on the Diner's Journal blog to weigh in on the non-anonymity of new critic Sam Sifton.

Freakishly beautiful Meneghini refrigerators, via Apartment Therapy.

Speaking of John Hughes, over at sibling site Moviefone they've summed up the 10 best cinematic moments in eating.

BoingBoing finds a great Snopes article about Van Halen trashing a concert venue after finding forbidden brown M&M's in the backstage area. Apparently David Lee Roth used the candies as a litmus test of a venue.

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?

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In Times Square one of the most noticeable landmarks is the Hershey's company store, where you can pick up chocolates, chocolate-themed toys and more chocolates. But Hershey's is about to have some competition because Mars, Inc. has opened its own store just across the street. The rival chocolate company's store, M&M's World, is 25,000 sq. ft., larger than the existing Hershey's store, and has a huge selection of M&Ms-themed stuff. In addition to the world's largest display of M&Ms candies, the store features a 21-foot Miss Green M&M dressed up as Lady Liberty and a M&M's(R) color mood analyzer, which should clear up any of those middles school rumors about the differences between red, yellow and green M&Ms.

This is actually the third M&M's World store, as one opened in Las Vegas in 1997 and another in Orlando just about one year ago. A spokesman said that they didn't intend to be across from the Hershey's store, although it's pretty clear that they weren't worried about the competition. He said, "We wanted to be in New York, we wanted to be in Times Square, and then we wanted to be in the best location we could find. Coincidentally, that happened to be across the street from another chocolate brand."

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