Here's a bit of odd food-news. In Cumbria, the department of tourism has set up a dedicated telephone line, the Lakes' Escape Line, that is supposed to help people beat the winter blues when it is light out only a few hours each day. Callers will hear "cheerful sounds," including "a reading of Wordsworth's Daffodils [and] the sound of water lapping at Windermere." The sound of sizzling sausages - Cumberland sausages, of course - will also be prominently featured.

Daylight or no, you would think that people would be capable of comforting themselves with sausages at any time of year without calling a phone line to hear them sizzling in a pan. And wouldn't it be better to smell the sausages than to hear them anyway?

I got the impression that the Escape line would be a free-call, but if they charge for the sounds, residents might want to start saving up and stocking their freezers with sausages before winter sets in and they consider calling.

I have never been much of a zucchini fan, so I thought I'd just incorporate it into some comfort food. Since zucchinis are in season and I had a couple handy, I thought, "How about chocolate zucchini cake?" It's been done many times before, but how about a pseudo-healthy muffin? Well, the zucchini is a versatile veggie...I used a cake recipe from this slashfood page and fiddled with it a little.

Sure, the smell of apple pie is comforting and welcoming, but when I heard that some Sheraton Four Points Hotels were going to use the scent of cinnamon apple pie as a way to make guests feel welcome, I was a little skeptical. Luckily, it appears they're also using plenty of real pie as well. A Four Points exec has even joined the board of directors of the Pie Council of America (yes, it exists). Other hotels use food smells as well, including green and white teas, fig and bergamot, according to USA Today. Coincidentally, a recent episode of Good Eats also talked about how smell relates to memory and emotion.

[Via AdJab]

The Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook was selected as one of the best basic cookbooks you can have in your arsenal. It's extremely well-rounded and has recipes for every meal and every cooking technique, covering the basics like roasted chicken and bread pudding, though it doesn't stray too far from mainstream recipes and ideas. The book is exceptionally good if you're cooking for a family, since it's guaranteed to have something for everyone in it. The 75th Anniversary Edition of the cookbook adds a little something extra with a section at the back of the book that includes some favorites from past decades that are still worth a look. It is ring-bound, which allows the book to lay flat on your countertop, and has tabs that make for easy navigation. Recipes are also given notations like "low fat" or "best loved," so it's easy to find something to suit your needs.

The core market for Dunkin' Donuts is the segment of the population that feels uncomfortable with the word "panini." To accommodate them, the company changed the name of one of their new sandwiches to "stuffed melt," but this isn't the end of their push to make customers more comfortable.

In an article (subscription only) in the Wall Street Journal, the marketing and branding teams of Dunkin' Donuts revealed their research has shown there are two main groups in their potential customer base, dubbed "tribes." In the first tribe, there are people to frequent Starbucks. They like the atmosphere there and want their coffees with a couch; Dunkin' locations are too bare-bones for them. The second tribe is the Dunkin' tribe. These make up the core audience for Dunkin' donuts and are "bewildered and turned off by the atmosphere at Starbucks." When they do, perchance, wander into a Starbucks, they "don't get it." 

To keep the existing customers happy while bringing in new ones, Dunkin' Donuts is making some changes. In addition to renaming some of their products, they are bringing in new foods, like dough-wrapped pork and "Dunkin' Dawgs" to encourage customers to come in at lunch time, as well as cookies and other baked goods to bring them in in the afternoons. The pastry cases and espresso bars will be revamped to look flashier, but there will still be no couches. They don't want customers to feel too comfortable because it actually, according to their research, makes the Dunkin' tribe uncomfortable.

On those days where you are simply so frustrated you want to throw something, all you need to do is hop on a plane and fly to the Philippines. There is a restaurant just outside of Manila where, for a small fee, you can hurl plates at a wall to relieve stress. The wall is covered in writing with common aggravations, like "ex-boyfriend", "boss" and "perennially complaining customers." According to the owners of the restaurant, the three most popular targets are "boss", "wine, women and gambling" and "loan sharks." A plate costs about $0.30 and, for a mere $25 more, patrons can toss an old TV set at the wall, too. It's a small price to pay for the privilege of smashing up someone else's stuff, rather than your own.

[Image via Reuters]

 

Having spent a good part of my teenage life in the heartland of America, I know a good fried chicken when I eat one. Over the past weekend, I decided to make a stop at San Francisco's Blue Jay Cafe, one of those joints that tries to bring the comforting tastes of the South to the West Coast urban life. The decor of the place is simply amazing, and brings to mind a coming together of indie, vintage, and western.

After a quick sit at the bar, we were presented with the menus. But, I knew what I wanted--fried chicken, no questions about it. Here, they serve it up with a side of macaroni and cheese and a homemade biscuit. I immediately fell in love with their biscuit, which was crusty and moist. I'm salivating about it right now as I'm writing. The mac 'n cheese was serviceable. But the chicken--oh, the chicken. Their chicken reminded me of why I like fried chicken in the first place. The delicate breading on the outside meets with the lusciously tender and flavorful chicken on the inside. The two are a match made in heaven.

As I finished my last bite of the finger licking good chicken, I vowed to return once again to this southern oasis in San Francisco. They've convinced me that I don't ever really need to leave the tastes of the south behind.

Blue Jay Cafe
919 Divisadero Street
San Francisco, CA 94115

Meatloaf is the ultimate comfort food. It is hearty, flavorful and can be subject to nearly infinite variations. Some meatloaves are all beef, while some are made with turkey or even faux meat, which preserves the spirit of the dish, if not the meat. Meatloaves have been around as long as ground meat and are larger versions of meatballs.  Due to their size, they can easily be served as a main course and the leftovers sliced for sandwiches. Flavorings and some "filler," in the form of vegetables, egg, breadcrumbs or rice, are added to help the loaf maintain its shape. The practice of "stretching the meat" with filler was popular and widely practiced during the lean war years of the early 20th century.

After a decline in popularity, due in part to many years of inclusion in frost-bitten, over-processed, microwaveable meals, meatloaf is working its way back onto the plates and into the hearts of diners everywhere. It is on upscale restaurant menus, where it is recognized as classic American fare, as well as being a staple at diners and neighborhood restaurants across the country.