YumSugar

Yummy Links: From Shore Food to Grilled Meats

YumSugar — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 10:27:25 PDT

Fifteen New England-style seafood dishes that are a shore thing. - KitchenDaily
Grant Achatz on why it's OK to charge $20 for a cocktail. - Chicago Reader
Wendy's will offer breakfast as part of a menu revamp. - USA Today
Must make: this grilled radicchio salad. - Food Republic
Food industry employees are the subject of a new weight-loss "docu-series." - Eater
Is celeb foodie Gwyneth Paltrow a liarexic? - Grub Street
How to host a Bastille Day celebration. - The Daily Meal
Which cuts of meat taste best when grilled? - TLC

5 Indulgent Fast-Food Frozen Treats Under 300 Calories

Leta Shy — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 17:23:59 PDT

The frozen yogurt trend has given us so many more options than calorie-rich ice cream, but sometimes you get the kind of craving that only a cheap fast-food frozen dessert can fix. Calorie-wise, a soft-serve cone is usually the best option (a reduced fat vanilla ice cream cone at McDonald's, for example, is 150 calories and 3.5 grams of fat).

If you're looking for something more indulgent, however, there are a few options that'll satisfy any bored sweet tooth. And no, they're not 800-calorie shakes - check out five fast-food frozen treats that are under 300 calories after the break!

Would You Rather Eat McDonald's or Wendy's Fries?

Susannah Chen — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 03:08:30 PDT

Burger King isn't the only fast food chain hoping to run away with a chunk of McDonald's sales; so is Wendy's. After overhauling its fry recipe for the first time in 41 years, Wendy's is claiming its newly reformulated natural-cut fries with sea salt have beat out McDonald's in a nationwide taste test. According to a statement from Wendy's, 56 percent of consumers taking the test chose Wendy's, compared to 39 percent who selected McDonald's. Are you inclined to believe the results of this survey?

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Do You Order Seafood From Fast Food Restaurants?

Susannah Chen — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 03:50:30 PDT

First there was the Lobster & Seafood Chopped Salad Sub at Quiznos. Then came Taco Bell's Pacific Shrimp, and now Wendy's has its own version of a fish fillet sandwich. Three's a trend, and we've officially called it for seafood in fast food and fast-casual establishments.

Seafood's never been as popular the in world of fast food as, say, a burger or fried chicken items. Presumably, this is because the taste of seafood never lies when the stuff is anything short of fresh. Yet call me crazy, because I've always sort of secretly liked the McDonald's Filet-O-Fish, and the new seafood sandwich at Quiznos really surprised me in a good way. What's your take?

In Review: Wendy's New Asiago Ranch Chicken Club

YumSugar — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 12:40:26 PST

As Taco Bell reels from recent publicity that its beef isn't real, another chain, Wendy's, is rising to the occasion with a new slogan, "You know when it's real," and a new line of Asiago Ranch Chicken Clubs.

The just-released sandwich, which comes in three variations of chicken - the healthier Grilled, the battered Homestyle, or the fiery breaded Spicy - maintains it's a "bold new take on chicken that's anything but boring." Slashfood put the sandwiches to the test. Did the line live up to its promise, or was it a snooze?

To find out the answer, read the full story at Slashfood.

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Yummy Links: From a Food Truck Sitcom to the Top Chef Index

YumSugar — Wed, 01 Dec 2010 14:00:13 PST

ABC is developing Family Owned, a food truck sitcom. - Eater
San Francisco's "best year for restaurant openings" may overshadow old standbys. - Grub Street SF
Shipping cookies: how to do it right this holiday. - Chow
Is it kosher to ditch a restaurant before ordering? - Inside Scoop SF
Marketing sham? Wendy's revamped fries are virtually the same. - Serious Eats
Simple truths about salt, straight from a Portland selmilier. - The Kitchn
Chef Susur Lee rethinks the sequence of the Western meal. - Huffington Post Food
The ultimate Top Chef Power Index.- The Stew

The Sea Salt Trend: As Hot as the Low-Carb Fad?

Susannah Chen — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 05:50:42 PST

If you pooh-pooh generic table salt, you're not alone. As USA Today reports, sea salt is so hot right now. In 2010 alone, it's been introduced to 1,350 new food products - a substantial jump compared to several years ago.

Trend analysts at research firm Mintel believe sea salt, which is known among culinary professionals for being flakier, crunchier, and larger in surface area than its table salt stepsister, "has the potential to grow as fast as low-carb did."

Campbell's, Whole Foods, and Target's Archer Farms all proudly offer products with sea salt on the ingredient label, be it in soups, chips, or sweets.

Wendy's is the latest to join the club, announcing it'll overhaul its fries for the first time in 41 years with a new sea salt-seasoned version, out in all its stores by the end of next week. Its explanation for the addition? "There's a halo around [sea salt]. People associate it with good, natural things." What do you think of the craze? Do you find the trend worth its salt?

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Yummy Links: From the Egg Recall to Homemade Tofurkey

YumSugar — Tue, 09 Nov 2010 11:30:16 PST

More eggs have been recalled. - Slashfood
Why the best wine for Thanksgiving is Pinot Noir. - Serious Eats
Barbara Fairchild talks dessert trends. - Feast
Hillary Clinton reveals how she and Bill negotiate what to order for takeout. - Huffington Post Food
Must make: Winter cobb salad. - Cooking With Amy
Wendy will star in the new Wendy's ads. - Eater
Chef recommendations: what exactly do they mean? - Grub Street NY
Learn how to make vegan tofurkey that tastes good. - Chow

Up Next For Wendy's: Boneless Chicken Wings

YumSugar — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 05:50:20 PDT

Hoping to boost this year's sales - and prove that it's still "waaaay better than fast food" - fast food chain Wendy's has announced plans to unveil a new menu item, boneless chicken wings, later this month. The boneless wings - which will compete head to head with KFC's new Kentucky Grilled Chicken - come in three different flavors: Sweet & Spicy Asian, Honey BBQ, and Bold Buffalo. "Our new Boneless Wings are as far as it gets from fast food," Ken Calwell, Wendy's chief marketing officer, said. "Sweet & Spicy Asian wings are something you'd find at an upscale restaurant."

The new item will set you back $3.99 for seven to nine wings (depending on weight), and will be available in a combo meal for $5.69. Since I'm a buffalo wing fiend, I'll definitely check these out - although I'm skeptical about the idea of them being "upscale restaurant" fare. Still, with McDonald's doing froufrou coffee drinks and Burger King barbecuing ribs, the fast food climate seems to be changing. Do fast food's newest items interest you?

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McDonald's and Wendy's Move Toward Cage-Free Eggs

YumSugar — Wed, 27 May 2009 09:00:13 PDT

It's still debatable whether America's in the midst of a food revolution, but a growing number of the country's biggest corporations are focused on promoting natural and local ingredients.

Late last week, McDonald's announced it will take part in a study in conjunction with animal welfare groups, academics, and egg suppliers that compares battery cage-dwelling hens to free-range hens. The following day, Wendy's proclaimed that two percent of its egg purchases will now come from cage-free hens. The response from the animal rights community has been mixed. Although the Humane Society called Wendy's decision "a modest but meaningful step in the right direction," it also maintains McDonald's is only conducting the study to delay reforms in its farming practices.

Both Wendy's and McDonald's have been under fire for failing to change their practices after many other competing chains, such as Burger King, Quizno's, Hardee's, and Denny's, have already converted to using eggs from non-caged hens.

I'm happy to hear that both chains are making a concerted effort to look into free-range eggs - although it's disappointing that only five percent of eggs in North America come from free-range hens. Do you find yourself hopeful or skeptical about the chains' efforts to go cage-free?

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