Slashfood http://www.slashfood.com Slashfood http://www.slashfood.com/media/feedlogo.gif Slashfood http://www.slashfood.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/What Do Vending Machines Say About Corporate Culture?http://www.slashfood.com/2009/09/24/what-do-vending-machines-say-about-corporate-culture/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/09/24/what-do-vending-machines-say-about-corporate-culture/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/09/24/what-do-vending-machines-say-about-corporate-culture/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

A peak inside a vending machine.
Peek inside a vending machine. Photo: salimfadhley, Flickr.
What do AOL's vending machines look like? "White Castle burgers, five different varieties of Hot Pockets, Klondike bars and Oreo ice cream bars next to a sign offering a discount for Weight Watchers. I think it's safe to say that our vending machine area is being used as a Skinner box," reports Kristyn, a fellow AOL employee.

One employee's behavioral experiment is another's paradise. "I'm really, really jealous," says Jon over at MTV Networks, after being informed of AOL's snack excesses. Featuring far more pedestrian fare like Rice Krispies Treats, Nacho Cheese Doritos and Reese's Pieces, MTV's vending options won't turn any heads. Jon laments that the only real stand-out is the 25-cent can of Coke. "I guess that proves that international conglomerates are in cahoots!" he says. Or it's just a ploy to keep people awake and alert for optimum productivity.

Other big companies aren't faring much better. Jen gave us the scoop on IBM's snack selection, which was similarly standard, with plenty of chips, candy bars and the like. Still, they do try to push some healthier options. "There's a green leaf next to anything that is considered a 'balanced choice,' " says Jen. "It shows IBM's effort in trying to bring about some healthy options to a typically unhealthy way to get food." Don't expect to see any quarter Cokes, though. "The prices are really high, almost $2 for a small bag of chips," she notes. "Price alone would be the reason I wouldn't purchase from the vending machines." Maybe this is IBM's way of discouraging vending machine snacks in favor of fresh fruit or brown-bagged options?

For ramen-fueled college students, $2 might be all they're willing to spend on an entire meal. Taylor, who works on the University of Pennsylvania campus, informed us that their prices aren't so bad, but the selection isn't much better -- the unique highlights of which are Pita Chips, Swedish Fish and the oft-neglected Peanut Chews. What can we glean about Penn based on this selection? "People here like Cheez-Its," Taylor says. "We are always out ... on 2 floors."

Maybe a District of Columbia-based law firm can up the ante. A quick chat with Scott, a lawyer who works in our nation's capital, taught us that those in the legal profession still snack like the rest of us. After providing us with a complete list of their generic vending-machine contents, Scott offers his interpretation: "While we would like to project the image of a company that is progressive and catering to those who wish to eat natural foods [such as trail mix] or are health conscious [by offering Snackwells], at base we are a traditional, conservative firm which tends not to stray far from office staples [M&Ms, Fritos]." Can't get more Washingtonian than that!

What do the vending machines at your office say about your company? Tell us in the comments what snacks your vending machines offer -- and what you think they say about your place of business.

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]]>candycandy barschipscorporate cultureCorporateCulturesnacksvendingvending machinesMike Pomranz2009-09-24T14:00:00+00:0010 Dirty Little Restaurant Secretshttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/09/21/10-dirty-little-restaurant-secrets/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/09/21/10-dirty-little-restaurant-secrets/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/09/21/10-dirty-little-restaurant-secrets/#commentsFiled under:

dirty dishes at a diner
Photo: travelbex, Flickr.
There's a reason most restaurants keep the kitchen doors closed -- and it's not just because it's so hot back there.

It can be tough for restaurateurs to turn a profit and Slashfood has uncovered some of the ultra-dirty deeds even the best restaurants commit in order to pinch pennies.

Read on for 10 true stories about the subtle, sneaky and sometimes downright disgusting ways restaurants cheat to save a buck -- and how you might be paying the price.


10. Using Cabbage in Place of Seaweed

Says a former maître d' at an expensive Chinese restaurant known for its celebrity clientele: "The owner figured his customers knew nothing about Chinese food (he was right) and was a genius at saving money. A specialty supplier used to provide edible seaweed for the popular seaweed appetizer, but when that got too expensive the boss began experimenting.

"The 'seaweed' on the menu ended up becoming thin strips of cabbage leaf, deep-fried, and then rolled in equal amounts of salt and sugar. It's possible even cardboard would taste good if prepared like that, but the dish remained a bestseller."

9. Deep-Frying Everything

But that's not all! At the same celebrity-friendly restaurant: "In addition to the 'Chinese seaweed,' the other two most popular dishes on the menu were a 'Mongolian lamb' main course and caramelized banana dessert," the insider says.

"Often a diner would order all three, and not realize that every item was cooked in exactly the same deep-fry basket. Although the restaurant denied the lamb was fried, in fact the cabbage (ahem, 'seaweed'), lamb shank and sugared banana would all go into the same oil."

8. Substituting Top-Shelf Alcohol with Generic Booze

One of the most common scams at restaurant bars is to replace premium vodka with generic brands, subscribing to the theory that most customers can't tell the difference. (We know of one restaurant which even did that with Scotch, but experienced whiskey drinkers could often tell and the scam was not so effective.)

A New York City bartender says, "The way of doing that is to start them on the bad vodka right away. You can't sub it in once they started drinking the top shelf brands or they'll notice. But if you serve the cheap stuff from the beginning they never know."

7. Topping Pitchers of Beer with Seltzer Water

Don't think the fiddling is restricted to top-shelf liquors, either. "In sports bars that sell pitchers of beers, the thing to do is to top the pitchers off with seltzer after the table has ordered like the third one," a source says. "The drunker the guys, the more seltzer they get."

6. Refilling Pricey Bottled Waters with Tap

It turns out not all water bottles are created equal. You might already suspect that some restaurants refill water bottles with tap water, but some places turn it into an art form. "Where I worked we served Voss water because it has the easiest screw top to re-seal," a waitress says. "You can't do that with the brands that have a bottle cap."

5. Recycling Baskets of Chips

One diner at a landmark cafe in Bethlehem, Pa., reported digging in to some bagel chips and finding they contained old pineapple rinds.

"Someone else got served the chips, didn't eat them all, threw their rinds from some other dish into the basket, the waiter picked it up without looking and threw more chips on top and re-served it to us," the customer claimed on an online ratings Web site. "Yeech!"

Management didn't seem to care and the patron says "they were trying to economize their chip ration, and it was probably standard practice to re-use uneaten chips."

4. Serving Rotten Meat

A steakhouse employee in New York says that sometimes not all the meat is as fresh as it should be. "It's an old trick to keep the steak that's past its prime and wait until somebody orders it well done or medium-well," the insider says. "The more you cook the meat, the more you disguise its flavor. When I'm eating out I never order anything higher than medium rare, because I know how the kitchen gets rid of bad meat."

3. Using Fake Creamer

A former waitress at an upscale restaurant in Philadelphia reports that one of the daily duties of staff was to mix a large pot of non-dairy, powdered creamer. When coffee or tea was ordered, the small milk jugs were to be filled halfway with fake creamer, and then topped off with the more expensive real milk.

2. Serving Caffeinated Coffee as Decaf

If your body has a problem with caffeine, it might be safer to make your own coffee at home. The same Philadelphia source also reports coming back to the kitchen with a cup of regular coffee when an elderly customer had requested decaf. "The head waiter took the cup from my hand, handed it right back to me and said, 'There -- now it's decaf,'" she says.

1. Souping Up Big Ticket Items

The most shocking story came from an internationally well-known West Coast restaurant -- trust us, you've heard of this place. Part of the shtick of this very fine-dining establishment is the presentation of a truffle at the table, so that customers have the opportunity to order some (super expensive) shavings to be added to their food. But while white truffles are more expensive than black truffles, their aroma is more subtle, meaning that they make less of an impression when presented during the sales pitch. "What the staff would do is add black truffle oil, which is more pungent, to the white truffle, to give it more 'pop,'" the insider says. "It's an absolute no-no to do, especially at those prices. But who's going to know?"


Got a gross-out restaurant kitchen tale you've been dying to tell? Share it in the comments below and we'll round up the best ones for a future post.

Ben Widdicombe is a former gossip columnist for the New York Daily News and Star and can be found dishing the dirt on fashion celebs at Stylelist.com. Click here for more annoying restaurant trends.

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]]>beerben widdicombeBenWiddicombebottled waterBottledWatercabbagechipscoffeecreamdeep fryingDeepFryingdirty restaurant secretsDirtyRestaurantSecretsfeaturedrotten meatRottenMeatseaweedseltzertap waterTapWatertop shelfTopShelfBen Widdicombe2009-09-21T16:00:00+00:00Homemade Chips - Tip of the Dayhttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/08/25/homemade-chips-tip-of-the-day/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/08/25/homemade-chips-tip-of-the-day/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/08/25/homemade-chips-tip-of-the-day/#commentsFiled under:

Leftover pitas, tortillas and other thin, bready products can make a superb, simple and salubrious baked snack.

fried pita wedges
Pita wedges. Photo: MontageMan, Flickr
Snack bags are sweetly hued bundles of caloric temptation, forcing those who love them to weigh their pros and cons before devouring -- addictive tastiness versus lack of healthfulness.

What many don't realize, however, is that it's quite easy to make a healthy, crispy snack without reaching for that fat-saturated bag of junk food. For a healthier option than most junk chips, just take your favorite tortillas or pitas, cut them up and bake them until crisp (350-375 degrees should do the trick). Soon, they'll be a perfect, crunchy snack when paired with hummus, raita and other healthy, tasty concoctions. If you crave a little more flavor, lightly brush or spray the slices with vegetable or olive oil and season with a touch of salt or tasty herbs before baking.

But if all you want is crisp flavor regardless of the fat, take a cue from the image above and fry the chunks until crisp!

What's your favorite chip-making method?

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]]>chipshealthyhealthy snackHealthySnackhomemade chipsHomemadeChipshummusnachospitaMonika Bartyzel2009-08-25T09:00:00+00:00Beets, Blondies and Betsy Ross - The Minneapolis Star Tribune in 60 Secondshttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/07/14/beets-blondies-and-betsy-ross-the-minneapolis-star-tribune-in/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/07/14/beets-blondies-and-betsy-ross-the-minneapolis-star-tribune-in/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/07/14/beets-blondies-and-betsy-ross-the-minneapolis-star-tribune-in/#commentsFiled under:

beets
Pile of beets. Photo: kthread, Flickr
  • Beets aren't solely for borscht. Care for a little sweet beet ice cream?
  • No-fuss, buttery blondies are ideal for cabin cooking.
  • Chips can be healthy? If you select the right ones, they can offer some health benefits in moderation.
  • Twitter recipes might not offer details, but they're a decent quick fix.
  • Minnesota residents are benefiting from an "abundance of wine wholesalers" with fantastic selections.
  • A paean to homemade ice cream and the ease of ice cream making machines.
  • Perfect for Betsy Ross wannabes: American Flag Potato Salad.
  • The Taste 50 -- 50 reasons why Minnesota is a great place for foodies.

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]]>beet ice creamBeetIceCreamblondieschipsice creamIceCreampotato saladPotatoSaladThe Minneapolis Star TribuneTheMinneapolisStarTribuneTwitterwine wholesalersWineWholesalersMonika Bartyzel2009-07-14T12:00:00+00:00Switch up Your Standard Chiphttp://www.slashfood.com/2009/01/26/switch-up-your-standard-chip/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/01/26/switch-up-your-standard-chip/http://www.slashfood.com/2009/01/26/switch-up-your-standard-chip/#commentsFiled under: , ,

banana chipsWhen snacking, the tendency is to automatically reach for whatever tortilla or potato chip is within reach. Pity, since there is a whole scrumptious world of other options. So, just in time to have everyone over to watch the big game, here are a few ideas to put something else in the basket on the coffee table and also a few suggestions about dips they might pair with.
  1. Lime Tortilla Chips - Light-years ahead of the plain kind. Tostitos makes the tastiest ones. There go very well with fruit salsa, usually mango or peach.
  2. Sweet Potato Chips - Everyone from Pringles to Terra manufactures these, though I would swing toward the latter, since the Pringles also have cinnamon. They match nicely with corn salsa or bean dip.
  3. Banana or Plantain Chips - Yes, I know they're not the same thing, but close enough for my purposes. Another standout with fruit salsa, though I also like them with guacamole.
  4. Pretzel Chips - A nice combo of two great salty snacks, the chips and the pretzel. Try with spinach or onion dip.
  5. Tabasco Cheez-Its - Don't put anything on these. You'll wind up devouring much of the box and you don't want anything to get in your way.

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]]>banana chipsBananaChipscheez-itschipsdiplime tortilal chipsLimeTortilalChipsplantain chipsPlantainChipspretzel chipsPretzelChipspringlessnacksweet potato chipsSweetPotatoChipstabascoterra chipsTerraChipstortilla chipsTortillaChipstostitosLissa Townsend Rodgers2009-01-26T10:55:00+00:00Forget potato chips: Try beet chips!http://www.slashfood.com/2008/09/22/forget-potato-chips-try-beet-chips/http://www.slashfood.com/2008/09/22/forget-potato-chips-try-beet-chips/http://www.slashfood.com/2008/09/22/forget-potato-chips-try-beet-chips/#commentsFiled under:

Golden Beet Chips
The minute I tasted Terra chips, I wondered why we've been saddled under a plethora of potato and corn chips. Yes, both are good, but they aren't the only vegetables that taste utterly sinful when fried. In fact, other veggies can offer a lot more flavor without the aid of ten gallons of salt and faux seasonings.

With that in mind, I set out to make beet chips. I took some gold beets, peeled them, thinly sliced them, and then pat them dry with a paper towel while a small layer of oil was heated in a frying pan. Once the oil was nice and hot, I put a layer in at a time, flipped them, and let them fry until darker and slightly curled. When done, they were transferred to a paper towel, spray with a little salt, and then devoured.

These chips are super easy, super tasty, and only one of the many chip alternatives -- sweet potatoes, parsnips, taro...

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]]>beet chipsBeetChipschipsMonika Bartyzel2008-09-22T16:34:00+00:00Pringles are not chips in Englandhttp://www.slashfood.com/2008/07/07/pringles-are-not-chips-in-england/http://www.slashfood.com/2008/07/07/pringles-are-not-chips-in-england/http://www.slashfood.com/2008/07/07/pringles-are-not-chips-in-england/#commentsFiled under: , ,

View of the top half of a Pringles can against a blue background.
This is kind of like when the US Supreme Court ruled that tomatoes were not fruit.

The High Court in London decided that Pringles do not count as "crisps" (that's chips to us in the USA) for tax purposes. The VAT (value added tax) in England isn't applied to most foodstuffs, but potato crisps are subject to the tax. Lawyers for Prinlges, however, argued that since they are made from only 42% potato flour and their shape isn't based on anything natural, they are not really crisps and should therefore be exempt from the VAT.

According to Times Online, the High Court in London agreed, but don't count on that being the last word on the matter. England's Department of Revenue and Customs isn't happy about missing out on that tax money and is considering an appeal.

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]]>chipscrispsEnglandpotatoesPringlesVATShayna Glick2008-07-07T10:02:00+00:00Engobi snacks for your caffeine fixhttp://www.slashfood.com/2008/05/06/engobi-snacks-for-your-caffeine-fix/http://www.slashfood.com/2008/05/06/engobi-snacks-for-your-caffeine-fix/http://www.slashfood.com/2008/05/06/engobi-snacks-for-your-caffeine-fix/#commentsFiled under:

Engobi caffinated snacks.
All I can say is, "wow". I came across these Engobi snacks on Cakehead, and I couldn't get over it. I mean, caffeinated snack chips? It doesn't sound very good to me, and Cakehead didn't give the snacks a great review. Surely you can't be so hard up for a caffeine fix that you can't grab a cup of coffee, or even bring some chocolate covered beans with you.

One commenter in Cakehead mentioned some caffeinated Japanese candies. What do you think? Is this a good product? What are some of your favorite caffeine products?

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]]>caffeinecakeheadchipsEngobisnacksShayna Glick2008-05-06T11:01:00+00:00Potato Chip Taste Test - Plainhttp://www.slashfood.com/2008/04/27/potato-chip-taste-test-plain/http://www.slashfood.com/2008/04/27/potato-chip-taste-test-plain/http://www.slashfood.com/2008/04/27/potato-chip-taste-test-plain/#commentsFiled under: , ,


When we set out to find the best of the bunch, we don't go spuddin' around. With the help of Anchor's Chip of the Month, AOL Food's panel munched, crunched, nibbled and gobbled our way through nearly 5 dozen kinds of plain potato chips in search of the tip top chip in all the land. See if you agree with our findings, or if we totally skipped over your favorite tater.

(Note to folks who are writing in saying they can't find the winner -- just use the arrows to navigate through the gallery. The results are ranked down from 15-1. And we hear ya! Cape Cod will definitely be in the next batch of reviews.)

The flavored chip tasting will follow in a few weeks, after our sodium levels normalize.

Read the Plain Potato Chip Taste Test

Buy 'Em at Anchor's Chip of the Month
Sampled chips included...

Brand Style
Wise All Natural
Lay's Wavy Original
Wise Ridgies
Bachman Golden Ridges
Ruffles Natural Sea Salt Reduced Fat
Kettle Lightly Salted
Lay's Classic
Lay's Natural Thick Cut Sea Salted
Ruffles Baked Original
Poore Brothers 40% Reduced Fat Original Kettle Chips
Mike Sell's All Natural Groovy
Good's Original
Zapp's Regular
Mike Sell's 30% Reduced Fat All Natural
Good's Home Style Potato Chips
Utz Natural Lightly Salted Kettle Cooked
Ballreich's Marcelled Original
Ballreich's Marcelled No Salt Added
Utz Kettle Classics Crunchy Reduced Fat
Utz Kettle Classics Crunchy
Utz Kettle Classics Crunchy Krinkle Cut
Utz Crisp All Natural
Madhouse Munchies Sea Salted
Backer's German Style
Beer Chips Beer Chips
Shearer's 40% Reduced Fat Kettle Cooked
Shearer's Kettle Cooked Extra Crunchy
Shearer's Unsalted Kettle Cooked
Martin's Kettle Cook'D
Mrs. Mike's Always Fresh
North Fork All Natural Sweet Potato Chips
Spudmaster Colossal Chips
California Chips Sea Salted All Natural
Door Country Kettle Cooked Original
Troyer Farms Kettle Cooked Original
Ole Salty's Regular Salt
Utz Natural Gourmet Medley Kettle Cooked
Mister Bee Original
Utz Classic Russets Gourmet Dark
Route 11 Lightly Salted
J.P.'s Old Fashioned Extra Crunchy Kettle Cooked
D.W. Mikesell Kettle Cooked Original
Utz Kettle Classics Sweet Potato
Rachel's Naturally Baked
Kettle Classics Natural Kettle
Vitner's Plain
Rusty's Island Chips Hand Crafted
Rusty's Island Chips Hand Made
North Fork All Natural Kettle Cooked
Tri-Sum Original Style
Deep River Snacks Original Salted
Better Made Original
Terra Yukon Gold
Terra Red Bliss
Boulder Canyon Totally Natural
Fox Family Plain
Michael Season's Reduced Fat
365 Organic Organic Classic Sea Salt
365 Lightly Salted Homestyle

Read the Potato Chip Taste Test

Buy 'Em at Anchor's Chip of the Month

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]]>chipspotato chipspotato-chipPotatoChipsKat Kinsman2008-04-27T13:30:00+00:00Munchos -- That '70s chiphttp://www.slashfood.com/2008/04/27/munchos-that-70s-chip/http://www.slashfood.com/2008/04/27/munchos-that-70s-chip/http://www.slashfood.com/2008/04/27/munchos-that-70s-chip/#commentsFiled under: , ,

I don't have much of a relationship with potato chips these days. I consider them a guilty treat, to be eaten at parties but never at home. It's like having soda in the house -- if I buy it, they will eat it. And if they eat it, chips, I mean, they'll be hooked, and I'll never hear the end of it. The best I can offer my kids is the occasional package of tortilla chips, something to dredge up the salsa with.

Ah, but I have a past. And my past is filled with processed foods of the sort that I'd never let my kids near, lest they come to understand the dark pleasures of Hostess products.

My parents had no such compunction with me. I grew up on Wonder Bread and TV dinners and Uncle Ben's Converted Rice. I ate a Hostess Fruit Pie almost every day. But among my most treasured taste memories: Munchos brand potato chips.Light, airy, salty. All in a clever orange foil bag. My dad bought me a bag whenever he went to the liquor store for more beer.

My entire association with Munchos is of a happy time in the mid-'70s when I lived with my Dad in his apartment, after my parents split up. We'd go grocery shopping, and along with a comic book or a sketch pad, he'd always pop for a big bag of Munchos for us to share. Or I'd go with him on his route as a pool man, tooling down the dusty streets of a then less crowded L.A. in his old truck, snacking on Munchos and Slim Jims as we went.

Introduced by Frito-Lay in 1973, the company still makes the brand but doesn't distribute it widely. I guess the field is so much more crowded, and the company's marketing dollars are better spent elsewhere. No matter, those of us who were kids in the '70s can be relied upon for the nostalgia buy.

In the interest of AOL's great Potato Chip taste-test, I recently ran to my neighborhood liquor store to buy a bag of Munchos and relive my childhood. From the first salty, over-processed bite, I was right back there in my Dad's old apartment, watching Soap and listening to Dire Straits, and wishing for the life of me for just one more sip of Dad's Mickey's Big Mouth.

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]]>chipsfood memoriesFoodMemoriesMunchospotato chipspotato-chipPotatoChipssnacksJulie Tilsner2008-04-27T13:04:00+00:00RRRuffles Have Ridges, but I can't say ithttp://www.slashfood.com/2008/04/27/rrruffles-have-ridges-but-i-cant-say-it/http://www.slashfood.com/2008/04/27/rrruffles-have-ridges-but-i-cant-say-it/http://www.slashfood.com/2008/04/27/rrruffles-have-ridges-but-i-cant-say-it/#commentsFiled under:

RufflesWhen Ruffles came out with its famous "RRRuffles Have Ridges" commercial, the three Rs (reading, writing, and arithmetic) were not nearly as important as the Rs of Ruffles. Rolling your tongue was suddenly the cool kid thing to do.

I tried, but no matter how many tips people gave me, I couldn't roll. I still can't!

I can't blame Ruffles for the lack of popularity I suffered back then (I wasn't popular to begin with), but I can thank them for salting the wound.

Ruffles' ridges are tasty, but can we maybe call them hills instead?

Did Ruffles inspire you to practice learning how to roll your Rs? Could you figure it out?

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]]>chipsRuffrufflesStefani Pollack2008-04-27T08:00:00+00:00Road trips and Kettle Chipshttp://www.slashfood.com/2008/04/25/road-trips-and-kettle-chips/http://www.slashfood.com/2008/04/25/road-trips-and-kettle-chips/http://www.slashfood.com/2008/04/25/road-trips-and-kettle-chips/#commentsFiled under:

bag of Kettle ChipsI grew up in a household that was nearly devoid of junk food. My sister and I each got a single box of sugar cereal each year (on our birthdays), Halloween candy was strictly rationed and bread was dark and made from whole wheat. Potato chips were very definitely a special, once-in-a-very-great-while kind of treat.

Because of the chip control that went on during my childhood, the moments when they did appear on the scene remain present in my memory, even 20+ years later. They became especially associated with roadtrips for me, as my dad would insist that we have some "car snacks" and my mom, who actually loves potato chips, would cave to the special occasion energy.

We'd make a stop at Trader Joe's or some other local natural foods store for thick-cut, kettle cooked potato chips (Kettle Chips play a prominent role in my memories, but the TJ's Hawaiian-style chips also showed up fairly regularly). Handfuls would be carefully doled out to my sister and me in the back seat of the station wagon and we'd slowly crunch our way through our portions. Raina would suck all the salt off the chips before eating, where I'd nibble along the edges, trying to make the treat last as long as possible. We'd ask for seconds and would get them, until my mom determined that we'd all had enough (typically determined by her own salt/grease satiation level), and folded up the bag, tucking it down by her feet for safekeeping.

These days, I occasionally buy a bag of Kettle Chips (I had a salt and vinegar phase during college) but I am untrustworthy around open bags of potato chips. They call to me until I surrender and crunch my way through the entire bag. However, while I do enjoy them, potato chips now are never quite as delightful as those measured handfuls of chips that we'd eat while criss-crossing the highways of the west coast.

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]]>chipsHawaiian style potato chipsHawaiianStylePotatoChipskettle chipsKettleChipspotato chipspotato-chipPotatoChipsTrader JoesTraderJoesMarisa McClellan2008-04-25T08:31:00+00:00The girl who only eats french frieshttp://www.slashfood.com/2008/02/12/the-girl-who-only-eats-french-fries/http://www.slashfood.com/2008/02/12/the-girl-who-only-eats-french-fries/http://www.slashfood.com/2008/02/12/the-girl-who-only-eats-french-fries/#commentsFiled under: , ,



Believe it or not, 15-year old Faye Campbell of Great Britain has eaten nothing but french fries ("chips" to the Brits) for the past ten years.

According to an article in the Daily Mail, Campbell suffers from a "bizarre physical condition which made her ill every time she tried anything other than chips."

This "bizarre" condition? Gastrooesophageal reflux...commonly known as heartburn.

For whatever reason, it took the girl's doctors way too long to realize the cause, and in the meantime, pardon me for being slightly insensitive, but she's been milking it for all it's worth.

I don't doubt that salty potatoes are easier to digest than, say, acidic fruits or juices. But how I'm impressed with how long this girl has convinced her parents to let her eat fries at every meal - every kid should be so lucky! And conveniently, french fries go down easier than say, Brussels sprouts or bananas...

The good news? To her parents' delight, Campbell has now moved onto foods other than french fries. Her diet now also consists of burgers, noodles, Chinese takeout, and waffles. (Don't you wish you had this girl's parents when you were 15?)

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]]>BritainchipsDaily MailDailyMailEnglandfrench friesFrenchFriesheartburnEllen Slattery2008-02-12T16:00:00+00:00Super Bowl Week: Peanut Chili Dip and Pita Crispshttp://www.slashfood.com/2008/01/28/slashfood-bowl-peanut-chili-dip-and-pita-crisps/http://www.slashfood.com/2008/01/28/slashfood-bowl-peanut-chili-dip-and-pita-crisps/http://www.slashfood.com/2008/01/28/slashfood-bowl-peanut-chili-dip-and-pita-crisps/#commentsFiled under: ,

If you're tired of the typical dips (and we don't mean that weirdo who chatted you up at the bar last night), check out a lighter, spicier alternative: peanut chili dip from The 15-Minute Gourmet: Vegetarian, by Paulette Mitchell.

Peanut Chili Dip
Makes: 2/3 cup

You will need: 1/3 cup organic or natural peanut butter, smooth or crunchy
3 Tbsp. water
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 tsp. honey
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. chili powder
Optional dash of cayenne

Combine pb and water in a bowl, stir to make a paste. Stir in remaining ingredients and serve. You can keep this baby in the fridge until you're ready to eat - it's great hot or cold.

And don't forget dippers - forgo boring tortilla chips for homemade pita crisps.Pita Crisps
Serves four

2 6-inch pita breads
2 tsp. butter
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tsp. dried oregano

Preheat broiler, and split each pita into two halves. Put them on an ungreased baking sheet , rough side up, and spread with butter (or olive oil, if you prefer).

Toss the Parmesan and oregano in a small bowl, and sprinkle over the pitas, and then use kitchen shears to cut them into 6 triangular wedges.

Broil for two minutes until crispy.

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]]>chipsdippeanutpitatortillavegetarianEllen Slattery2008-01-28T16:00:00+00:00Vote for the new Kettle Chips flavorhttp://www.slashfood.com/2007/11/12/vote-for-the-new-kettle-chips-flavor/http://www.slashfood.com/2007/11/12/vote-for-the-new-kettle-chips-flavor/http://www.slashfood.com/2007/11/12/vote-for-the-new-kettle-chips-flavor/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Kettle chips voting page screen grab
When I was growing up, we didn't get much in the way of junk food. My mother didn't believe in keeping chips, cookies or baked goods around the house. The only time we got the crap we craved was when there was a picnic or party. On those occasions, my parents would buy Kettle Chips, thinking that they were in some way healthier than all the others available.

Because of those once-in-awhile indulgences, I always think fondly of Kettle Chips (especially the Yogurt and Green Onion flavor). They've currently got five new flavors on the market and are asking consumers to taste and vote for their favorites. You can choose between Mango Chili, Orange Ginger Wasabi, Death Valley Chipotle, Wicked Hot Sauce and Jalepeno Salsa Fresca. What's your new favorite?

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]]>chipsfire and spiceKettle chipsPeople's choicepotato chipsvoteMarisa McClellan2007-11-12T11:22:00+00:00Win a year's supply of Doritos for naming X-13Dhttp://www.slashfood.com/2007/05/22/win-a-years-supply-of-doritos-for-naming-x-13d/http://www.slashfood.com/2007/05/22/win-a-years-supply-of-doritos-for-naming-x-13d/http://www.slashfood.com/2007/05/22/win-a-years-supply-of-doritos-for-naming-x-13d/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

I'm an absolute sucker for novel junk-food packaging. Doritos X-13D stopped me dead in my tracks when I was at 7-Eleven the other night. The white panel read "This is the X-13D Flavor Experiment. Objective: Taste and name Doritos flavor X-13D." I felt as if it were my civic duty to name this flavor, so I purchased two bags. I also wanted to win a years supply of the orange-colored treats. Mmm...powdered cheese.

I munched on a few on the walk home. They tasted vaguely of something familiar. The front of the package has a line that reads, "All American Classic." After I thought about it for a while I figured out what X-13D tastes like, and it is indeed a classic. It also helps explain why beef tallow and pickle juice are among the ingredients.

I went to X-13D with the intention of entering my name for this experimental snack. The jet-black pages, creepy futuristic music and Flash animations including a 3-D rotating animation of the package that displays the name you've chosen led me to believe that is a Web site created by stoners for stoners. I imagine eight-year-olds kids typing "Monkey Poo" and such, laughing their heads off. Don't worry, that's not the name I chose for X-13D. Actually I never officially entered since I couldn't get the dang site to cooperate with my dinosaur of a PC. The contest ends July 14. Can't get X-13D where you live? Worry not, some genius is selling them on eBay for $9.99 a bag. I'm not sure if it's the large size or not. Either way, that's a ridiculous markup.

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]]>beef tallowchipsDoritosDoritos X-13DDoritosX-13djunk foodJunkFoodpicklespowdered cheesePowderedCheesetortilla chipsTortillaChipsX-13DJoe DiStefano2007-05-22T09:00:00+00:00Pop Food: The Battle of the New Doritoshttp://www.slashfood.com/2007/03/16/pop-food-the-battle-of-the-new-doritos/http://www.slashfood.com/2007/03/16/pop-food-the-battle-of-the-new-doritos/http://www.slashfood.com/2007/03/16/pop-food-the-battle-of-the-new-doritos/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

Every once in a while, a much-loved product introduces a couple of new flavors and asks the public to vote on which one they like better. Now it's Doritos' turn, with their "Fight For The Flavor."

Of course, Doritos has introduced new flavors before. They came out with ranch, and then they started making their chips "cheesier" and "nachoier" (is that a word?), and even redesigned their bags. Now they've come out with Smokin' Cheddar BBQ flavor and Wild White Nacho flavor. One is OK, but the other one...ahem.

I'm not sure what the difference Wild White Nacho is from other Doritos flavors that already exist. It's a pretty unexciting chip. It falls somewhere between a regular corn chip and something along the lines of ranch flavor. It's not bad, it's just that there's nothing "wild" about it.

On the other hand, we have the Smokin' Cheddar BBQ chips. Wow, I couldn't eat more than two. They are so barbecue-y (I'm inventing words today) that they're almost inedible. The cheddar flavor? It's lost in the BBQ taste, but still remains somehow and leaves a bad taste in your mouth.

You can vote at doritos.com for your favorite. Cool web site.

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]]>cheesechipsdoritosdoritos.comfight for the flavorFightForTheFlavornew doritosNewDoritossmokin cheddar bbqsnack chipsSnackChipswild white nachoBob Sassone2007-03-16T12:14:00+00:00Fat free, microwave potato chipshttp://www.slashfood.com/2007/02/14/fat-free-microwave-potato-chips/http://www.slashfood.com/2007/02/14/fat-free-microwave-potato-chips/http://www.slashfood.com/2007/02/14/fat-free-microwave-potato-chips/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

Potato chips are, as a general rule, fried, greasy and unfortunately addictive, as illustrated by the longtime Lay's slogan "bet you can't eat just one. All these traits make them the bane of many health food activists' existences, but those same activists might go a little easier on the popular snack food if they knew you can easily make a non-fried, fat free version that is just as crispy as the "real" thing at home All you need is a microwave.

This Japanese potato chip maker allows you to make chips in the microwave. All you need to do is slice up a potato into fine rounds and place in the stand, then microwave until crisp.

It sounds implausible, but microwaving chips really does work. I've done it myself with great success thanks to the recipe for Uncle Bill's Microwave Potato Chips, which doesn't require a potato chip stand to work. The chips actually do crisp up well, especially if you take care to slice them thinly and evenly. In the photo above, the chips that I made are on the left, while the chips made with the chip-maker (not made by me) are on the right. I cut my potatoes freehand with a sharp knife, but using a mandoline will produce results even faster and guarantee consistency. Make sure to season your chips with salt and pepper or seasoning salt before microwaving them, as it is difficult to get the salt to adhere to already crisp chips.

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]]>chipchipsfat freelightlow fatmicrowavemicrowavingpotatopotato chipPotatoChippotatoesuncle billUncleBillNicole Weston2007-02-14T09:04:00+00:00SuperBowl Dip-a-Day: Hot Artichoke Diphttp://www.slashfood.com/2007/02/01/superbowl-dip-a-day-hot-artichoke-dip/http://www.slashfood.com/2007/02/01/superbowl-dip-a-day-hot-artichoke-dip/http://www.slashfood.com/2007/02/01/superbowl-dip-a-day-hot-artichoke-dip/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

Even people who aren't big fans of artichoke seem to enjoy artichoke dips. The mild flavor of the vegetable and is tender texture blend perfectly with cream cheese, mayonnaise or sour cream - at least one of which is almost always a component of artichoke dip. The dips are usually served hot, enhancing the smoothness and the overall flavor.

Hot dips require a little more maintenance than cold dips. You will either need to head back and forth to the kitchen to reheat them, serve them in a chafing dish or try to motivate your guests to eat them really quickly. I like to use two or three smaller bowls, that way one will be ready to go if I need to switch them out. I also try to choose dips that will still taste good at room temperature - and this one definitely does.

The recipe comes from Eating Well magazine and is a little lighter than most artichoke dips, with most of the flavor coming from the artichokes themselves and a generous amount of Parmesan cheese, which is among the lower-fat cheeses out there. Some mayo is included to enhance the consistency of the final dip, which is heated in the oven to produce a slightly crisp top and creamy interior.

I try to buy artichoke hearts packed in water for this recipe, although you can simply rinse off most of the oil if that is the only version you can find canned. I have also made this with frozen artichoke hearts, which works quite well if you cook them and bring them back down to room temperature. You might not need to add salt, depending on how salty your Parmesan cheese is and whether you're going to be serving it with something salty, such as tortilla chips, or something plainer, like chopped veggies.

Hot Artichoke Dip
(from Eating Well magazine)
2 14-ounce cans artichoke hearts, rinsed and drained
2 cups Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
1/2 cup mayonnaise (regular or low fat)
2 cloves garlic
1 tbsp lemon juice
pinch cayenne pepper, to taste
Salt & freshly ground pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 400F.
Combine all ingredients in a food processor and whizz until smooth. Spoon into one or two shallow, oven-proof baking dishes.
Bake the dip until golden on top and heated all the way through, about 15 minutes.
(The dip can be heated in the microwave if you need to warm it up faster.)
Makes about 2 2/3 cups.

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]]>artichokechipsdipdipseasyfood pornmayonnaiserecipesnacksnackssuper bowlSuperBowlsuperbowldipadayNicole Weston2007-02-01T10:26:00+00:00Serve your SuperBowl Dips in stylehttp://www.slashfood.com/2007/02/01/serve-your-superbowl-dips-in-style/http://www.slashfood.com/2007/02/01/serve-your-superbowl-dips-in-style/http://www.slashfood.com/2007/02/01/serve-your-superbowl-dips-in-style/#commentsFiled under: , , ,

These avocado and chili pepper-shaped serving bowls are just the thing to present your favorite salsa, guacamole or other dip at your SuperBowl party. The covered bowls are made out of ceramic and hand-painted to add the vibrant colors that almost make them look real. Each one includes a cover, a coordinating serving spoon and recipes.

For hot dips, a, electric chip and dip set might come in handy. It has an electric power base that will gently heat the included 22-oz. stoneware crock in the center of the serving plate, ensuring that every dip you serve stays pleasantly warm regardless of how long you need it to sit out. The power base has an on/off switch so that it doesn't have to be left on all the time.

If you want something that is specifically designed for the big game, check out the Wincraft Super Bowl XLI Snack Helmet, which includes a realistic, logo-bearing helmet with two snack bowls: one on top of the helmet and one inside the facemask. It's best for serving chips, pretzels or other dry snacks, but the uppermost bowl has a lid if you choose to use it for a salsa or dip that might need to be covered.

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]]>appetizerappetizerschipsdipdipsguacamolepretzelssalsasnacksnackssuper bowlsuperbowlNicole Weston2007-02-01T09:04:00+00:00