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Michael Phelps Will Be the New Face of Subway

YumSugar — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 12:30:14 -0800

Move over, Jared. Subway's got a new guy in town, and his name is Michael Phelps. The mega-medal Olympian continues to score endorsements faster than his swimming records. He's now landed an exclusive fast food deal to represent Subway beginning early next year. As Phelps puts it:

Subway restaurants have always given me the options that I am looking for - whether that's healthy sandwiches before a big meet or the tasty meatball sub that I treat myself with. I was ready to take my Subway fandom to the next level - I really think of Subway as a champion food option.

The exclusive fast food deal has left many industry experts puzzled, considering the swimmer unabashedly campaigned for a relationship with McDonald's during the Summer games. But the announcement isn't the first surprise move by Phelps, who shocked everyone when he declined to appear on the cover of the Wheaties box - as many Olympic champions have done - in favor of endorsing Kellogg's Corn Flakes and Frosted Flakes. Do you think Phelps is an appropriate fit for Subway?

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Michael Phelps Will Shine Again in Subway's Spotlight

YumSugar — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 11:51:11 -0700

Subway's ready to test the waters again with spokesperson Michael Phelps: This past Sunday during the US national swimming championships, the sandwichmaker began airing commercial spots starring the Olympic gold medalist. Phelps' year got off to a rocky start when a photo surfaced in February of him smoking marijuana out of a bong.

Within days, USA Swimming had suspended the Olympian from the sport for three months, and Kellogg's decided not to renew its contract with Phelps. Amidst the scandal, the swimming champion was able to hang onto his other major endorsement, Subway - by a thread.

The sandwich chain maintained it was sticking by Phelps, but removed all semblance of Phelps from its website as well as delayed his TV campaign slated for the beginning of the year. The commercials are to reveal that the swimmer - who, at the peak of training, eats as much as 10,000 calories a day - is a fan of Subway's meatball sandwich with jalapeños.

Do you think it's a smart move on Subway's part to hang onto Michael Phelps as a spokesperson?

Phelps Supporters Boycott Kellogg's Products

YumSugar — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 13:01:07 -0800

On Monday, a photo broke of Olympian Michael Phelps smoking marijuana out of a bong. The backlash was immediately palpable, with Kellogg's dropping its endorsement deal with the champion and USA Swimming suspending him from competition. Now supporters of Phelps, finding the reactions to be far too harsh, are taking matters into their own hands and petitioning to boycott Kellogg's products.

The online petition includes some amusing (and rather valid) points, such as the fact that "Kellogg's has profited for decades on the food tastes of marijuana using Americans with the munchies." Kellogg's was one of the first companies to bring Phelps on board for a mega-endorsement deal after he earned eight gold medals in last year's Summer Olympics. His splashy photo adorned boxes of Corn Flakes and Frosted Flakes.

Although non-food sponsors such as Omega and Speedo are standing by Phelps, I wonder if his other food sponsor, Subway, will do the same. What do you think of the scandal? Will you sign the petition to boycott the company's products?

Update: BuzzNewsRoom reports that Subway has removed all semblance of Michael Phelps from its website as it prepares to drop his endorsement deal.

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Subway Still Backs Michael Phelps - Sort Of

YumSugar — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 11:16:22 -0800

Sandwich chain Subway isn't dropping Olympian Michael Phelps as a sponsor yet - but it has removed all semblance of the swimmer from its website, and plans to delay its first TV campaign starring the gold medalist, which was originally slated for early 2009.

This is the fast-food chain's response after a photo broke last week of the Olympian smoking a bong. Immediately following the news, Kellogg's dropped its endorsement deal with the swimmer, and we wondered whether Phelps's other food sponsor, Subway, would follow the cereal maker's footsteps. Indeed, Phelps, who was all over the company's SubwayFreshBuzz website, which highlights "fresh celebrities," is no longer featured. The restaurant chain said in an official statement:

Like most Americans, and like Michael Phelps himself, we were disappointed in his behavior. Also, like most Americans, we accept his apology. Moving forward, he remains in our plans.

Considering the backlash that followed when Kellogg's dropped Phelps (a petition to boycott all of the brand's products), it's a smooth move on Subway's part to hang onto the swimmer, but have him lay low for a while. What's your opinion of the sandwich chain's strategy? Were you surprised they didn't end his endorsement deal?

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'Wich of the Week: Open-Face Ratatouille Sandwich

YumSugar — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 14:00:13 -0700

Sometimes even a sandwich lover needs a serious serving of vegetables, so the other night, I turned my nutrition attention to these yummy open-face ratatouille sandwiches, made with roasted eggplant and red pepper, among other hearty things.Initially, I made the sandwiches according to the recipe, and they were perfectly delicious with just a drizzle of balsamic vinegar and a dusting of herbs. But I thought they needed something to close up their open-facedness, so I also made a version with melted provolone, which I preferred. For more details and to get the recipe, read more.

Roasting makes the veggies very moist, and the balsamic vinegar helps hold them all together. I definitely endorse the fresh thyme garnish, which makes it more interesting. Since the veggies are somewhat mild, I recommend using a high-quality artisan bread with a strong flavor, such as olive bread; I found a delicious chili bread at Trader Joe's, and the spiciness was a nice touch. I didn't have zucchini, so I left it out, but that doesn't mean you should. Check out the recipe below.

Open-Face Ratatouille Sandwich
Modified From Better Homes and Gardens

Ingredients

1 small eggplant, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 small zucchini or yellow summer squash, cut into 3/4-inch slices
1 medium red pepper, cut in strips
1/2 of a small red onion, cut in 1/2-inch wedges
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon herbes de Provence, crushed
6 cherry tomatoes, halved
4 large 1/2-inch slices artisan bread, such as chili bread or olive bread
1 clove roasted garlic, halved
2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
4 slices of provolone cheese
Fresh thyme sprigs (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Coat a large shallow roasting pan with nonstick cooking spray. Add eggplant, zucchini, red pepper, and onion to prepared pan. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with herbes de Provence, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon black pepper. Toss to coat.

Roast vegetables 30 minutes, tossing once. Add tomatoes to roasting pan. Roast 15 to 20 minutes more or until vegetables are tender and some surface areas are lightly browned.

Meanwhile, rub bread with cut sides of the garlic clove. Place one slice of the bread on each of four serving plates. Sprinkle balsamic vinegar over vegetables; toss gently to coat.

Spoon warm vegetables on bread. If desired, garnish with fresh thyme sprigs. Cover each sandwich with a slice of cheese and return to oven until bread is toasted and cheese is melted, about 5 minutes.

Makes 4 sandwiches.

Nutrition Facts (without cheese): Calories 250, Total Fat (g) 7, Saturated Fat (g) 1, Cholesterol (mg) 0, Sodium (mg) 328, Carbohydrate (g) 43, Fiber (g) 8, Protein (g) 7, Vitamin C (DV%) 90, Calcium (DV%) 5, Iron (DV%) 14

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Stefan: "I'm Not a Villain, I'm a Softy!"

partysugar — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 16:00:56 -0800

Although many people thought Stefan was a cocky bastard, I happened to like the quick-witted chef. Sure he was arrogant, but he had the skills to back up the ego. However, his impressive culinary expertise wasn't good enough for him to earn the title of Top Chef. When I spoke with Stefan yesterday, I was surprised at how funny he was. He happily endorses bloggers and is coming out with a clothing line. To find out what he had to say - yes he is still madly in love with Jamie! - read more.

On losing to Hosea: In my mind, I won Top Chef. No really, you know what happens? If you win the title of Top Chef, you get a $100,000 egg, but if you are the runner-up, you laid the egg. What I mean is I'm going to make a lot of money, hopefully. I know I will get something out of the experience, but Hosea? Sure he has the money . . . I hope Hosea sells himself properly and that he has a good shot to get himself somewhere.

Hosea won Top Chef. He deserved it. I love the guy. There's no bullshit going on between us. Really everyone should lay off of Hosea. He doesn't deserve the crap that people are giving him. He's actually pretty strung out about people picking on him.

On being confident: I've always been very confident. Some people call it cocky, some people call it arrogant, but everyone has opinions of those on Top Chef. I think I am pretty good. I thought I had a pretty good shot for it. You want to know the truth? I think it was partial editing. They wanted to create drama. Actually there is nothing that can faze me. I cook for a living! It's the only thing I know how to do. I'm a cook. If I wasn't a cook, maybe I would be a gardener, but I love food. I love people in the restaurant business. I have a very strong personality. It's my way or the highway.

On the judges: Toby is a funny guy. Tom is incredible chef, an incredible restaurateur. Padma is smoking hot. I will take her out anytime and Gail? She's cute. I gotta tell you, she's very cute.

On Bravo's portrayal of him as the villain: We all understand it's a reality show. I think people see me different now. I'm not a villain, I am a softy! Jeez, good Lord, Do I look like a villain? Maybe, but look over the entire season. I thanked every judge, I kissed every eliminated contestant goodbye, I shook all the winners hands. When I watched the finale, I had some tears in my eyes when Carla got choked up. I can't see women cry. It breaks my heart.

I am a softy! That's why I picked Marcel because, if I would have picked Casey, Carla would have had a really hard time. She wouldn't have done well with Marcel. I love Carla. Of course, I'm a softy.

On Fabio selecting Hosea's dishes over his: You get honesty from Europeans. I have absolutely no hard feelings. He stopped bullshitting. I love honesty. I love all you bloggers for your honesty. I take it like it is.

On Jamie: How could you not be in love with Jamie? I love Jamie. I've been asked that many times. It's not the first time I fell in love with the lesbians! She has the best laugh. She is beyond fun, she's a great chef. By the way, I love Leah though as well. Not as much as I love Jamie. If Jamie ever reads this: Jamie if you're ready for babies, I'm ready for it! She would make pretty babies, let me tell you.

On being friends with many of the contestants: I have made wonderful friends on that show, including Hosea, Jamie, even Lauren. I'm 36 years old. I've argued in kitchens, now I don't want to do that. I'm too old for constantly arguing. I want friends in my life. You can ride my bus if you want to, but if you don't, get off! I love them all. There is no bullshit behind the whole thing.

On what's next: I'm coming out with a clothing line. It's called Cocky Chef Clothing you should check it out. It's panties and boy shorts. I have a book coming out, it's called Stefan's Dirty Dishes and it's about my life. Sure I want to open a restaurant, but I want to do it the right way. I don't want it to be high scale. I want it to be a cool hangout with a fireplace outside. I would love to do more TV. I'm working on it. I have a great agency working with me and I'm signing today. We are talking about some ideas, kind of something of Gordon Ramsay-like because of my attitude. We will see what happens. Fabio and I would be a hilarious show, but I think I should do a show with Jamie because she is more clever.

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Did Bobby Flay's Restaurants Violate Labor Laws?

YumSugar — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 11:00:36 -0800

Let's hope Bobby Flay is ready for his latest throwdown: a lawsuit from his restaurant employees.

New York-based employees of Bold Food, the celebrity chef's restaurant group, have filed a labor violations lawsuit, alleging that the company cheated its employees out of wages. In the suit, filed late Thursday night in New York federal court, the employees claim the company engaged in improper tip-pooling practices, didn't pay correct overtime wages, and failed to reimburse workers who bought their own uniforms. Although the food personality has yet to comment on the lawsuit, I hope he's able to come clean on the issue.

With multiple Food Network shows, a slew of restaurants, several cookbooks, a brand-new Sirius radio show, and other endorsements, it's clear that the celebrity chef has his hands full. What do you think of the lawsuit?

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Taste Test: Pizza Hut's The Natural Pizza

YumSugar — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 15:29:32 -0800

Oxymoronic as it may sound, fast food chains have begun marketing their latest products as nutritious, wholesome meals. One of the best examples of this movement is Pizza Hut's new health-oriented pie, the Natural.

The Natural pizza ($9.99 for a medium with one topping) has sauce "made from vine-ripened tomatoes," all-natural toppings, and a multigrain crust that has been endorsed by the Whole Grains Council. Find out what I thought of its taste - and how healthy it really is - when you read more.

The Natural comes in three flavors: Cheese, Natural Pepperoni, and The Rustica, a blend of all-natural sausage, fire-roasted red peppers, and marinated Roma tomatoes. I sampled the first two flavors. The crust was similar to a typical Pizza Hut pizza: It was not too thick nor incredibly thin. In fact, everything about the pie was typical of Pizza Hut, except for one major difference. The crust had the distinct grainy, rough quality of whole wheat flour. It was, as one Sugar gal put it, "like eating pizza on a whole wheat pita".

The texture meant the pizza had more personality, but are the pizzas actually better for you, or is the whole "natural" aspect simply a clever positioning tactic? I did some research, and if you opt for the Natural instead of a typical Pizza Hut pizza, you might shave a fat gram, consume 20 calories less, and gain some fiber. So I suppose if you appreciate the texture of whole wheat, the Natural is an attractive alternative to the, well, not-so-natural.

The bigger question is, if you were health conscious, would you really be eating Pizza Hut in the first place? Have you tried this pizza yet? What did you think of it?

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Oprah Winfrey vs. Organic Blue Corn Chips

partysugar — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 03:00:06 -0800

In December Oprah Winfrey publicized her weight gain, admitting that she's put on 40 pounds in the past couple of months. Among other things, the powerful talk show host is blaming organic, multigrain blue chips for packing on the pounds.

"My drug of choice used to be potato chips," she said. "Now this year, it was organic, multigrain blue chips - but a bag of them. So you eat a bag of those a day and see what happens if you're not working out." While Oprah's endorsements are normally positive, the people behind her favorite brand of blue tortilla chips - Hain Celestial's Garden of Eatin' - aren't jumping up and down for joy. In a statement, a spokesperson for Hain Celestial, "gently suggested that Ms. Winfrey try the single serving size."

However, Oprah's already moved on from blue chips claiming that she'll now eat sweet potatoes instead. Only time will tell whether the sales of either will be impacted by Oprah's extraordinary influence.

One thing's for sure: If Oprah were to attack the already-struggling organics industry, it might be a blow too big for them to overcome. What do you think about the matter? Does Oprah's opinion of a certain food affect your decision to eat it?

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What's Cooking at Slashfood

partysugar — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 04:00:27 -0700

While the Internet is full of fabulous food content, one website in particular - Slashfood - consistently churns out delectable recipes, interesting food news, and exciting articles.

I'm thrilled to announce a new partnership with these fantastic folks at Slashfood. Once a week I'll link to the best of their stories, so you can stay up to date on all the foodie goodness. Of course Slashfood thinks we're equally delicious and will being doing a roundup of our stuff. So without further ado, here's what's cooking at Slashfood:

Italian sausage soup makes a delightful midweek meal.
Will you buy celebrity-endorsed wine?
Meet Delish, the newest food blog on the block.
Are there such things as men's foods and women's foods?
Learn how to quickly defrost chicken.
Eight ways to cook with apples.
The television show Pushing Daisies is going on a pie tour.