ARTICLE: To salt or not to salt

An article was published over the weekend on NYTimes.com regarding recent campaigns on salt – http://nyti.ms/a3NYva.

As you may have noticed over the past few years, there has been lots of buzz over “newly discovered” super foods. Coincidentally, availability of these super foods has dramatically increased. Of course there are foods that were already available like blueberries, but now things like acai and goji berries are more widely known. It’s not just the occasional infomercial selling them either. They’re in smoothies (ex: Jamba Juice) or Starbucks stores or trail mixes and of course health shops (ex: GNC).

Alternatively, there’s also been news on what’s harmful to us as well. Trans fats have become enemy #1 to the extent that many US cities now ban all use of trans fat. This especially hit the fast food industry although I’m not sure what the financial impact has been. Another public enemy has become salt which studies have linked to high blood pressure. Of course the expectation is that there would be pressure on food producers and restaurants to reduce their use of salt. But it’s not as simple as, for example, reducing sugar usage by replacing it with artificial sweeteners. The article discusses this point in more detail, but what I find interesting is the difference between countries regarding food campaigns such as this.

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FOOD NEWS : The Cooking Channel

Hi All – in case you haven’t heard – The Food Network is launching a Cooking Channel!

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/21/dining/21network.html?src=twt&twt=nytimes

Exciting stuff! Let’s hope they’ll air it in the UK when I go back 🙂

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ARTICLE: Fast Food Chains Adapt to Local Tastes

CNN Article: http://www.cnn.com/2010/LIVING/homestyle/04/08/fast.food/index.html

As someone with a love for travel and culture, I’m embarrassed to admit that I’ve been to American fast food chains in other countries. Sometimes it was due to being homesick (studying in Spain), but sometimes it was due to convenience (in some airport or other). Gradually it became out of curiosity to see what ‘special menu’ items they had in that country. And you know – it kind of seems like Americans are losing out!

When I studied in Spain (several years ago), McDonald’s sold Spanish beer and various tapas like croquettes. I soon realized that McDonald’s was considered a luxury since it was a bit more expensive than some local restaurants. Like they mention in the article, I remember a burger being served with pita bread at an airport in Greece. In the UK, they offer curry dipping sauce with your chicken nuggets. They also have a veggie burger that is delicious. I remember studying abroad in Paris in high school and going to a McDonalds with other students. I ordered “un sandwich de poulet” or in French a chicken sandwich. Oddly, the French McDonald’s employee did not understand me. Maybe it was my poor French but when I said a McChicken (in a very American accent)? He replied “Aaaah Le McChicken”! 

In Hawaii (so I’ve heard), you can get a ‘big breakfast’ with spam and rice!

Am I the only one who finds this fascinating? To see what such a huge brand like McDonald’s or KFC comes up with as ‘local’. You know what’s unique to the US? Those McGriddle breakfast sandwiches (at least I haven’t seen them anywhere else). You know the absolute heart-clogging, cellulite-inducing sandwiches made with pancakes infused with syrup with sausage or bacon, egg and cheese in between? I won’t lie – they look good but they also look like they’d give me a heart attack instantly.

Anywho – hope you enjoyed these random little facts even if you don’t eat fast food. If you’ve seen any other cool ‘local’ menu items, please do share!

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ARTICLE: FIRST CAMERA, THEN FORK

Big thanks to my friend Teresa (FRESHisBACK) for sending me this NY Times article.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/07/dining/07camera.html?src=me&ref=homepage

It highlights the fact that we’ve become a food-crazy era. A fact that is hard to deny when you think about how there is an entire network devoted to Food and with more foodie shows leaking into prime time on other networks. Chefs are no longer hidden away in the back of the kitchen. They have become uber celebrities or “TV personalities”. Even people who aren’t chefs become famous (like food critics and bloggers) and make us believe their opinions matter. And I tell you – if you haven’t figured it out already – this phenomenon is happening all over the world with some chefs crossing boundaries to expand their celebrity empire (i.e. Jamie Oliver, Gordon Ramsey, Marco Pierre White).

As I haven’t officially started school yet (or worked in the industry yet), I don’t quite know what the overall opinion is of these celebrity chefs. Or what the pros think of shows like The Next Food Network Star where “regular” people are getting their own shows without any formal training or experience. But I do know that I love food and I can’t get enough of it 🙂

I could sit and watch the Food Network or BBC’s Saturday Morning Kitchen on BBC iPlayer all day. And I know lots of people who would and do the exact same. I even grew up watching cooking shows with my mom after school long before the Rachel Ray and Bobby Flay days. I buy food magazines frequently too – often choosing them over my other guilty pleasure of gossip mags. I also get weekly emails from sites such as MyRecipes.com and CookingLight.com. Food is everywhere. It’s amazing, isn’t it, that it took so long for food to become such an entertainment phenomenon. But it makes perfect sense. Food appeals to all of us. And with the vast array of shows, magazines and websites out there, there is something for everyone. Whether you are a professional chef or can’t boil an egg, you are sure to find something that appeals to you.

Back to the article though.. The article discusses the trend of photographing food. Some people do it professionally and some do it as a sort of photo-journal of their daily life. Either way, it is becoming more and more normal or accepted rather. At first when I started this blog, I was a little embarrassed to be taking a picture in a restaurant (always with no flash). But I soon realized that no one blinked an eye. I’m getting better too, slowly, at capturing what I try to convince myself are artistic shots. But for my sometimes embarrassed boyfriend and friends, read this article and you’ll see I’m not the only one! I’m not even the worst of it! In fact, I think I feel a little more encouragement to go out there and snap some more. It just goes to show that with the power of the internet – even if you don’t think anyone is going to care, someone, somewhere, will end up on your site  🙂

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Top 10 Food Trends Of The Decade

Hi Everyone ! Can you believe we’re almost a quarter of a year into the new decade? As I subscribe to MyRecipes.com I recently received an email with their list of the Top 10 Food Trends of the Decade. I thought this was a nice reflection of where food has taken us in recent years and also to have a little look at what it might bring to us in the future.

Top 10 Food Trends of the Decade (as per MyRecipes.com)

1. Sushi
2. Bacon
3. Cupcakes
4. Coffee
5. Gourmet Beef
6. Superfruits
7. Oils
8. Whole Grains
9. Artisan Foods
10. Sliders

Now that you have the list – a few comments from me on each.

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