"forbes" news and stories

There's nothing like a good dose of hubris to spice things up.

Earlier this week, former Forbes.com CEO Jim Spanfeller announced that his company, Spanfeller Media Group, has secured funding to launch its first website, which will be all about food.

But, according to SMG's press release, the site won't just be about food. It will be the end all, be all website about food.

And we quote: "SMG's first foray into online publishing will satisfy a very apparent gap in the ever-expanding food media segment...Our initial launch will realize the medium's full potential."

Uh-oh.

Have you heard of molecular mixology? I hadn't until recently, but apparently it's moving from the high end bars to your kitchen, according to Forbes.com.

According to the article "molecular mixology, the method takes scientific principles and tools and applies them to the construction of alcoholic beverages." Gelatin, flames, freezing and flavored simple syrups are all a very big part of molecular mixology. There are generally a lot of steps involved, so prep time is high, but apparently these beverages translate well to home preparation, except the most "wildly dangerous" of course.

I don't know about you, but if I'm making cocktails at home, they're going to have to be simple. Anything with a lot of prep time can stay at the bar, as far as I'm concerned. Would you put a lot of time into drinks at home?

If ever you wondered how chefs pair wines with their favorite foods, you can stop wondering now. Forbes has put together a list of celebrity chefs and their favorite food and wine pairings with everything from fish tacos with a Viognier to osetra caviar and Champagne. If you don't have the patience to flip through the slideshow, here's the summary:

• Mario Batali - spicy fish tacos with a serrano chili crema with Argentinian Viognier
• Daniel Humm - nutty, cave-aged gruyere cheese with Krug or Dom Perignon Champagne
• Laurent Tourondel - spicy lamb merguez "burger" with rose from Navarra, Spain
• Michael Lomonaco - ancho chili-rubbed prime rib eye with Sonoma Syrah
• Wylie Dufresne - pigeon with smoked cocoa, black truffles and onions, served with a Barolo Chinatto
• Lachlan Mackinnon-Patterson - San Daniele prosciuttowith Edi Simcic Tocai
• Anne Gingrass - Bollinger Champagne Brut with osetra caviar
• Tony Esnault - Inniskillin ice wine with a dark chocolate
• Gabriel Kreuther - seared foie gras and litchis with a raspberry-flavored beer
• Will Goldfarb - chocolate parfait with chai, mango ice cream, dairyless coconut ice cream, mini India tuiles and spray-dried coconut with Syrah

Today, the board of health in New York is going to vote on whether or not the city will ban trans fats from restaurants. If the ban passes, eateries will have until July 2008 to eliminate all but 0.5g of trans fats per serving from their food. Restaurateurs are anxious, many worried that the quality of their food - by which they mean the taste - will suffer if the ban is accepted. While we wait to hear the ruling, what are some common sources of trans fats in our food? Forbes has named their five worst offenders in terms of the amount of trans fats they contain. They picked prepared and prepackaged foods; stick margarine; and chips and crackers fried in partially hydrogenated oils. Many breakfast foods, from donuts to pancakes, contain trans fats because they are either fried in type of partially hydrogenated oil or are claiming to be lower in cholesterol, since maybe breakfasters worry about the potential health risks of adding butter to their eggs. The most surprising item on the list is the fact that they name kosher baked goods as being at a high risk. The reason is that they are more likely to use partially hydrogenated shortening in place of dairy ingredients, like butter.

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Earlier this year, we saw our own lists of both the worst foods you can eat and the best foods you can eat, and now Forbes is taking a turn with their list of surprisingly healthy foods. Their list is based on the theory that most people still associate healthy foods with things that don't taste good, and while it is true that eating a giant bowl of undressed, unseasoned lettuce is boring, that doesn't mean that there are no foods that both taste good and can be good for you. If you're already into healthy eating, this might not be a complete news flash, but a reminder to keep us on track - especially with the holidays coming up - never hurts. Don't go overboard on any of these, but don't feel guilty for enjoying them, either:

• Chocolate - both milk and dark chocolates have been shown to have health benefits when eaten in moderation.
• Vegetable oil - low in saturated fats and high in vitamin E, which is good for the skin and can help protect against heart disease. The recommended maximum is only a few teaspoons each day.
• Potatoes - they are versatile and one of the foods richest in antioxidants. Frying can cancel out some of the benefits, so try baking them.
• Nuts and nut butters - high in monounsaturated fat and protein. They are also a good source of omega-3 fatty acids and are very filling.
• Coffee - it may help the liver, increase brain function and has been linked to a decrease in the risk of type 2 diabetes and Parkinson's disease. Use skim milk , rather than cream.
• Bruschetta - tomatoes, onions, garlic and olive oil, often with a touch of Parmesan, it is a snack that has the benefits of oil (see above) and a lot of lycopene, an antioxidant that has been linked to a decreased risk of heart disease.
• Spices - in large amounts, some have been shown to have healthy benefits, but in general it is hard to argue with anything that makes food taste better without adding fat or calories.
• Tea - both green and black tea can have healthy benefits as long as you aren't loading them up with sugar.
• Soups - vegetable and broth-based soups can pack a lot of nutrients into one serving with relatively few calories. Avoid cream soups, though, as they can be very high in fat and calories.

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