Have you heard about this? I think this is one of the funniest stories I've heard all day. Absolut Vodka pulled an advertisement it was running in Mexico because it offended some people in the US.

According to Reuters, the ad shows a map of the US and Mexico from before 1848, when Mexico lost a war and lots of territory to the United States, with the text "An Absolut World." It seems that some Mexicans are still a little sore about this, so the advertising makes sense in that country. Still, if you know the history, I suppose I can see why Americans would be offended.

I think it's pretty funny. I don't really know the history very well, and to me what's done is done. I am having trouble seeing what all the fuss is about, but I'm pretty entertained by Absolut's advertising woes.

[Via Reuters]

Earlier today, my mom called me to say she had sent me a link to an article she thought was interesting and might make a good Slashfood post (she's always looking out for me, that mother of mine). When I got home, I checked my email and found a link to this article, published on January 2nd, that discusses a study in which people in 13 countries were asked whether they agreed or not with the statement, "I like the taste of fast food too much to give it up."

Forty-five percent of Britons agreed with the statement, just barely ahead of the 44 percent of Americans who agreed. Canadians are in third place, with 37 percent of them unable to give up their junk food. Only 19 percent of people from France thought that junk food was too tasty to give up (and who can blame them, food in France is amazing).

They also asked questions about how people from the different countries thought it was best to lose weight, how often they weighed themselves and how often they went to the gym.

Researchers in the U.S. and Thailand have discovered that the more fruit you have in an alcoholic drink the better it is for you.

It's actually the ethanol that you find in drinks such as rum and vodka. When it is added to fruity drinks it actually makes the fruit part of the drink even healthier.

Is this really surprising news for anyone? We know that some alcohol, in moderation, can be good for you, so it stands to reason that if you add fruit to the mix they're going to add vitamins and minerals and nutrients. Though the fact that certain alcohol can actually increase the power of the fruit is interesting.

So there you go, another reason to have a Hump Day Happy Hour after work today.

The newest issue of Cooking Light, which is their 20th anniversary issue, has the magazine's choices for the top 20 cities in the US, based on 15 criteria that they feel embody their "Eat Smart, Be Fit, and Live Well" philosophy. They looked at fitness, health and exercise data from the Centers for Disease Control, the number of parks and recreation areas (and how often they're used) from the Trust for Public Land, restaurant ratings from the Zagat Survey and James Beard Foundation, and the USDA's farmers markets listings. Everything was evened out on a per capita basis and the cities with the most of everything made the top cut.

One of the top ten cities will be featured each month in the magazine this year, so readers will have access to information about all the things that got the city their ranking.

1. Seattle, WA
2. Portland, Ore.
3. Washington, D.C.
4. Minneapolis, MN
5. San Francisco, CA
6. Boston, MA
7. Denver, CO
8. Milwaukee, WI
9. Philadelphia, PA
10. Tucson, AZ

Ostensibly collected with reader input, MSN has put forth a list of 10 foods that make America great. This list is a step up from last year's, which included a wide variety of regional foods, but not necessarily ones that were "great" outside of their region. Shoofly pie, for example, might actually be considered to be declining in popularity, rather than standing up as an American icon.

This list left off foods like barbecue and pizza, which were deemed to be too broad, but included both regional and national favorites that are more recognizable than previous selections. Maple syrup and Philly cheesesteak are excellent choices, but what about Frito pie? Is that really a dish that makes America great? And isn't a Mission burrito a little specific? It's hard to narrow down the list of great foods to only a handful, but certainly there are things that should be added to the list, like apple pie. Any other suggestions?

1. Lobster Rolls
2. Maple Syrup
3. Philly Cheesesteak
4. Gumbo
5. Shrimp and grits
6. Frito pie
7. Wisconsin bratwursts
8. Hawaiian plate lunch
9. Banana splits
10. San Francisco's Mission Burrito

Tasty, less popular grains like amaranth and quinoa are the subject of a recent Associated Press article. Apparently these grains are starting to appear more often on the average American grocery shopper's radar. And with good reason, as the AP says, amaranth and quinoa both have more iron and protein than wheat. Sales of the grains rising in big was, the AP says, citing a 25 percent increase in sales last year for the well known Bob's Red Mill brand. While these grains are probably old news to anyone who's set foot in a health food store or a Whole Foods in the last decade or two, I'm looking forward to seeing more mainstream uses for them.

In the UK, the Food Standards Agency is considering implementing a program that would require fortification of white flour with folic acid. The reason for this is that folic acid has been linked to a decrease in birth defects such as spina bifida. In the US and Canada, white flour has been fortified with folic acid since 1998. Since that time, studies have shown a significant drop in stroke mortality when the rates were compared with data taken from the UK. This appears to have been an unintended benefit of the folic acid fortification, but is likely to be a contributing factor to the Food Standards Agency's move towards require the same policy in the UK. If they adopt the plan, it would be the first mandatory food fortification since the 1940s.

Folic acid is found in whole grain wheat, but is largely stripped away by the refining processes used to make white flour. Some bakers and other manufacturers in the UK voluntarily fortify their flour with folic acid already.

Food & Wine magazine has announced its list of Best New Chefs of 2006. The 10 chefs come from across the country--and surprise-- there's even a chef from New Hampshire, the first time a chef from the Granite State has appeared on the list. The chef is Mary Dumont from the Dunaway Restaurant at Strawbery Banke. Past chefs chosen in the Best New Chef category include Thomas Keller, Daniel Boulud and Nobu Matsuhisa. Eater has the full release.

• Cathal Armstrong Restaurant Eve, Alexandria, VA
• Christopher Lee Striped Bass, Philadelphia, PA
• David Chang Momofuku, New York, NY
• Douglas Keane Cyrus, Healdsburg, CA
• Jason Wilson Crush, Seattle, WA
• Jonathan Benno Per Se, New York, NY
• Mary Dumont The Dunaway Restaurant at Strawbery Banke, Portsmouth, NH
• Michael Carlson Schwa, Chicago, IL
• Pino Maffeo Restaurant L, Boston, MA
• Stewart Woodman Five, Minneapolis, MN

 

Road trips are the best way to go outside of your comfort zone and dig up some new eats. It's hard to be choosy when there is only one dining option for 50 miles, but how do you know which one of the last 50 diners is the best one for lunch? And is fast food really your only dinner option? Because the Michelin guide is too conservative to take on the whole United States, New York Times writer Christine Muhlke decided to do it herself. With her boyfriend and a 1978 Porsche 911 Targa, they hit the road to eat burgers and fries and to see what local chefs are doing across the country.

Aiming for good food at the rather extreme price points, Muhlke compiled lists of low priced and expensive eats from magazines, chefs, friends and the Zagat guide before hitting the road. On the low side, highlights included a stop at the Cheeseboard Collective in Berkeley, CA and Shotgun Bubba’s BBQ in California, MO. Pricey favorites also popped up at every stop, from Metropolitan in Salt Lake City, UT to 40 Sardines in Kansas City, KS.

The short list won't make it into book form any time soon, but it's still a nice resource if you're traveling.

If you thought that the country most likely to have its residents eat pre-prepared food was the United States, you would be wrong. While the sheer number of people dining out in the US might be greater than in most countries, the average Briton will eat 365 meals a year out of home - one every day. In comparison, the average person eats out only 306 times per year in the United States, coming in third after Italy, where the Italians dine out 308 times each year. Also high on the list were the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, France and Germany.

The survey, conducted by the group Datamonitor, showed a link between a stronger work ethic and the likelihood of eating outside the home. The reasoning for this is that in countries where employees work longer hours and seem to have trouble tearing themselves away at the end of the day, the employees eat out more frequently. They also show a stronger inclination for fast, snack and pre-prepared foods that can beat eaten on the go or at a desk, as opposed to choosing to dine restaurants.

A chemical in Teflon and other cookware serves up more than just food. The US Environmental Protection Agency announced that they have asked the 8 largest manufacturers that use chemicals known as perfluorooctanoic acid, or PFOA, to reduce production by 95 per cent by 2010 and to stop using it completely by 2015 because they have been shown to cause cancer and reproductive problems. They are classifying the chemicals in the same way that they classify mercury and lead - as a poison that remains in the body forever - but it is disturbing to note that these are found in almost every American. It is possible that it is present in far more people around the world, but some countries do not monitor the presence of perfluorochemicals (PFCs). The chemicals are used in nonstick cookware, water and grease resistant products and packaging, microwave popcorn bags, in addition to non-food related items, such as textiles and carpeting.

Companies such as Dupont, which has been involved in lawsuits before regarding their use of the PFOA known as C8, have up until this time stood by a claim that their perfluorochemicals are nonhazardous, despite evidence that they knew it was harmful. Dupont and others are now publicly pledging their support to eliminate the use of potentially hazardous chemicals in their products.

Did you know that McDonald's is more profitable in France than any other European country? With over 1 million French men and women eating there every day, it is hardly surprising. It also is not surprising that the "French paradox," the term applied to the idea that the French are famous for eating rich and fatty foods without gaining a significant amount of weight, is falling by the "weigh"-side.

According to the New York Times, the adult obesity rate in France is rising steadily at about 6% per year, but the children's obesity rate is nearly triple that rate. With the nation currently reporting 42% of its population as overweight or obese - compared to 65% of the US population - France may meet or exceed the US rates in as few as 10 years.

Canned tuna has been tested safe by the FDA. After hearing increasing warnings about the levels of mercury in seafoods - particularly canned tuna - the United States Tuna Foundation (USTF) has reported that Food and Drug Administration tests have proven that canned tuna contains less mercury than the national allowance. It is recommended that no more than 1 part per million (ppm) of mercury should be consumed daily, and the canned tuna tested averaged 0.12 ppm, approximately 8 times less than the limit for commercial fish. The USTF director, David Burney, said that the "FDA's latest findings about mercury levels in canned tuna should end the debate over whether canned tuna is a safe and healthy food for all Americans. No one is at risk from the minute amounts of mercury in any form of canned tuna."

Tuna is high in omega-3 fatty acids and is an excellent source of lean protein. It is also a good source of a variety of minerals and nutrients, including selenium, magnesium, potassium, niacin, folic acid, B1 and B6. The national dietary guidelines and organizations such as the American Heart Association advocate eating at least two servings of fish per week, and canned tuna is perhaps the most convenient way of having it.

Global health authorities say that there is currently no bird flu in the Western Hemisphere and the most likely way for it to enter the United States would be through birds smuggled in as pets or for cockfighting, or else from migratory birds, particularly ducks and geese. Nearly every chicken consumed in the US is raised here. Commercially bred chickens, including many "free range" birds, are raised inside giant airplane-hangar sized complexes and almost never see the light of day. Outdoor-raised chickens are usually kept away from wild birds with netting. The birds that are most at risk are unconfined birds and home raised birds, which may mingle with wild or migratory birds that carry the disease.

Almost all US chicken farmers have joined a program to test chicken flocks for the deadly H5N1 bird flu virus, which has already killed millions of birds in Asia and 76 humans. The producers who have joined the USDA's program - under which chickens from every flock will be tested approximately two weeks before slaughter - account for 90% of the US chicken production. Should an infection be detected, the flock will be destroyed and all flocks in a two mile radius will be held for further testing. State and national officials strongly recommend that even privately raised birds be brought in for testing on a regular basis.