News from the World of Food

The Venetian Origins of Mardi Gras

by postali21, 1 day ago

Few will surprised by the pagan origins of Mardi Gras. The indulgence in food and wine and the relaxed sexual mores that accompany the festival are akin to the bacchanalia of the pre-Christian era, when the Romans would celebrate the spring equinox with gusto and abandon.

But few are aware of the fact that Mardi Gras, as we know it today, originated not in New Orleans or France but rather in medieval Venice

Source: The Venetian Origins of Mardi Gras

Yesterday’s Moonshiner, Today’s Microdistiller

by postali21, 1 day ago

This is a story about a man named Marvin Sutton and how he proved that the road from criminality to commodity is sometimes shorter than it looks.

Source: Yesterday’s Moonshiner, Today’s Microdistiller

Eating meat, with a side order of conflicting emotions

by postali21, 6 days ago

Last month, McDonald’s devised a plan to wedge itself into the dense flow of self-promotion and micro-conversations that constitute Twitter. The fast-food giant had hoped to introduce some of the real-life farmers and producers who supply McDonald’s with potatoes, beef and other products under the organizing hashtags of #MeetTheFarmers and #McDStories.

But within the hour, the company had a social-media disaster on its hands.

Source: Eating meat, with a side order of conflicting emotions

Don’t Understand Indian Food? They’ll Break It Down

by postali21, 6 days ago

ALEXIS SUGRUE’S T-shirt promised “Simple food. Endless choices.” Like the stylized elephant logo on her black ball cap and the cheerful step-by-step menu on the wall here at Bombay Bowl, the slogan could have been developed by a corporate branding office. (“All for me and naan for you,” read the paper sleeves for the Indian flatbread, browned in a conveyor-belt oven.)

Source: Don’t Understand Indian Food? They’ll Break It Down

Study: Consumers to cut back

by postali21, 6 days ago

Dining out and spending may dip; operators should focus on value, convenience, menu quality to win customers

Read more: http://nrn.com/article/study-consumers-cut-back#ixzz1mYgMhtId

Source: Study: Consumers to cut back

When Winemakers Collaborate: Partners in Living Local

by postali21, 6 days ago

The marriage of fine wine with great food is practically an art form in some circles. So with talk of Valentine’s Day still ringing in the air, it’s somewhat apropos that The American Hotel recently kicked off a three part dinner series that focuses on pairings.

But this isn’t a series about how food melds with wine — rather it offers an inside look at the way in which local winemakers pursue collaboration to explore the endless wine making possibilities on the East End.

Source: When Winemakers Collaborate: Partners in Living Local

Extreme Cuisine:’ Florida is only place in US with a state chef who promotes local food

by postali21, 1 week ago

The air in the parking lot of Orlando’s Citrus Bowl smells like fresh cut oranges, shrimp and barbecue. A crowd has gathered before the game around a guy in a black chef’s coat. A camera crew orbits as he sets some shrimp and star melon kebabs on the grill with a flourish.

“Florida seafood — ya gotta love it!” the guy says, grinning. The crowd cheers. The cameraman is happy.

A man walks up and inquires about the hoopla. Someone in the crowd tells him the man in black is Justin Timineri, the state chef of Florida who’s filming a spot for ABC

Source: Extreme Cuisine:’ Florida is only place in US with a state chef who promotes local food

What's Harder: Winning the Olympics or Working at Noma?

by postali21, 1 week ago

If you've heard of Garrett Weber-Gale, it's probably not because of anything food- or cooking-related. Odds are, you were introduced to him sitting on the edge of your seat watching the 4x100 swimming relay race at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing when he and his teammates (including Michael Phelps) shattered a world record on the way to a gold medal.

Four years later the 26-year-old swimmer's name is resurfacing, this time in the restaurant world.

This weekend, Weber-Gale asked five of the country's top chefs to cook a private dinner at $1,500 a head for charity, and to make their food ... wait for it ... healthy.

Read More http://www.bonappetit.com/blogsandforums/blogs/badaily/2012/02/garrett-weber-gale-gold-medal-dinner.html#ixzz1mN5cA6Vv

Source: What's Harder: Winning the Olympics or Working at Noma?

Bourdain Wants Hawker Centres In NYC

by postali21, 1 week ago

Have you seen the Singapore episode of No Reservations? Tony Bourdain meets up with KF Seetoh, food blogger extraordinaire and author of Makansutra, the comprehensive guide to the tiny nation's insanely dynamic street food culture, who shows him that this is a country that makes our foodies look like nerds.

Source: Bourdain Wants Hawker Centres In NYC

IFA convention: Top 3 takeaways

by postali21, 1 week ago

Franchisees and franchisors gathered at the 52nd annual International Franchise Association convention in Orlando, Fla., expressed a collective sense of optimism that sales and unit counts would grow modestly in 2012.

Nation’s Restaurant News outlines the three top takeaways from convention attendees

Read more: http://nrn.com/article/ifa-convention-top-3-takeaways#ixzz1mN3SLCYj
Read more: http://nrn.com/article/ifa-convention-top-3-takeaways#ixzz1mN3P9JBw

Source: IFA convention: Top 3 takeaways