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Yummy Links: From Grant Achatz to Pepperoni Pizza

partysugar — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 06:50:40 -0800

Super Chef Grant Achatz has plans to open a bar in Chicago. - Eater
Endless Simmer has launched a recipe database. - Endless Simmer
On Valentine's Day, make dumplings with your little dumplings. - Chow
What are your top five favorite food smells? - The Epi-Log
Are California wines too pricey for recession drinking? - Grub Street SF
Learn how to make abstract chocolate garnishes. - Hostess With the Mostess
Find out which national delivery pizza chain's pepperoni pizza tastes the best. - Slice

California Restaurants Free of Trans Fats Beginning Friday

YumSugar — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 11:45:39 -0800

With a new year come healthy new resolutions - and one key state is hoping to give its residents a jumpstart. This Friday, Jan. 1, a new California state law takes effect; it mandates that all restaurants in the state must be free of trans fats. Despite their connection to coronary heart disease, trans fats, or solidified fats that contain added hydrogen, have been favored in many establishments that claim they add flavor and have a longer shelf life than other oils. While select cities like New York have passed ordinances against trans fats, California will become the first state in history to do so. The bill, which was passed in July 2008, bans restaurant oils, margarines, and shortenings containing more than 0.5 grams of trans fat per serving. This will be enforced by local health departments, who could fine establishments up to $1,000. The one exception? Bakeries, which have until Jan. 1, 2011 to comply.

While I'm generally happy to hear about the health improvement, I can't help but wonder how different restaurant food will taste. Do you foresee other states soon following suit?

Must-Read: Chez Panisse Desserts

YumSugar — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 15:00:18 -0700

I'm crazy about Summer for many reasons, a major one being the season's amazing selection of stone fruits and berries. So I was beyond excited when a close friend surprised me with a new cookbook that takes advantage of my love for fruit: Chez Panisse Desserts ($20.70). This book, which is over 20 years old, is one in a series of seven cookbooks from the kitchen of Chez Panisse, the legendary Alice Waters restaurant that's known as the birthplace of California cuisine. It's authored by Lindsey Shere, who was the pastry chef at the restaurant for more than two decades. Did its seasonal dessert recipes make for a compelling cookbook? Find out when you read more

Organics Industry Plagued by Recession and Scandal

YumSugar — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 05:30:45 -0800

It's only January, and the organic industry is already having a bad year. Not only have producers been losing consumers due to the hefty price tag of organic food, but the industry has struggled to maintain its integrity.

With organic feed prices at an all-time high, farmers in the UK are lobbying the government to temporarily relax organic feed standards to assist livestock producers who are currently paying twice as much for organic feed as they would conventional. In California, state investigators have discovered that California Liquid Fertilizer, an organic farming treatment, had been spiking its fertilizer with a synthetic product banned from organic farms. The tainted fertilizer infiltrated up to a third of the organic market, including produce giants such as Earthbound Farms, for up to seven years. Following the incident, investigations have begun into other organic fertilizer distributors in different states.

With these issues now in the spotlight, it's my feeling that consumers will be left confused about organic standards of quality, and distrustful of industry practices. Does this affect your preferences about shopping organic?

Source

Come Spring, Avocado Prices Will Be the Pits

YumSugar — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 14:00:16 -0800

Guacamole lovers, beware: The crystal ball isn't looking so bright for avocados.

Hot weather at the peak of avocado-growing season last June means this Spring California farmers expect to have the smallest avocado crop in the last 10 to 20 years. Americans buy almost 1 billion pounds of avocados annually, and this number is increasing.

Unfortunately, California farmers, which normally supply 85 to 90 percent of domestic avocados, foresee harvesting approximately a third less fruit than they did in 2008. This increased demand and smaller supply will mean a rise in prices.

While avocados will abound during bowl season, the California Avocado Commission predicts they'll be in short supply by the time Cinco de Mayo rolls around. Experts are guessing that the shortage will come late Spring to early Summer, when imports from other countries, such as Mexico and Chile, are at their lowest levels.

I'm wondering if this anticipated price increase will mean a rise in cost at restaurants and dining establishments as well. Come Cinco de Mayo, will you still make guacamole if it means paying $2 for an avocado?

Source

Animal Rights Proposition Passes in California

YumSugar — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 10:15:24 -0800

Yesterday, California passed the most far-reaching farm animal treatment measure to ever be placed on the ballot.

Proposition 2 passed with an estimated 62 percent of the vote in early returns and will affect 20 million farm animals in California, America's largest agricultural state. It requires farmers to give animals space to turn around, spread their wings, stand up, and lie down.

This ballot measure, which was sponsored by the Humane Society of America, goes into effect in 2015 and will entail, among other things, phasing out gestation crates for breeding pigs and veal cages for calves. Opponents, however, fear that the measure will actually bolster the market for cheaper, out-of-state agriculture where farmers aren't under the same regulations.

Did you vote on this measure? How do you feel about this animal rights victory? Do you think it sets an example for other states?

Source

California Will Require Chains to Post Nutritional Facts

YumSugar — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 16:15:23 -0700

Will diners consider their health before ordering a super-sized hamburger value meal? California legislators are betting on it: Last night, the state became the first to require restaurant chains to post nutritional information for their menu items.

By 2011, roughly 17,000 chain restaurants will be required to post the fat, calories, salt, and carbohydrate values where customers can readily see them. Alternatively, they can hand out brochures with the information. Said California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger:

When people go to the grocery store now . . . they can already read the labels and make informed decisions about what they eat. But now they will also have that pleasure when they go to the restaurant.

While the bill currently only applies to chains with 20 restaurants or more, it sets a precedent for imposing more health regulations on the restaurant industry, and sets the example for other states to follow suit. Do you predict this measure will change the way America eats? Will customers alter their eating habits because of menu labeling - or will people just eat what they want?

Source

Father of The Vine?

partysugar — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 01:38:31 -0700

If he were still alive, today would be the 195th birthday of Agoston Haraszthy de Mokcsa (pictured, left). A Hungarian immigrant, Haraszthy was invited to the United States in 1840 by a group of Democrats that included Daniel Webster. Believed by some to be the father of the California wine industry, Haraszthy did much to promote and enhance the agriculture and viticulture of the San Francisco Bay Area. In 1857 he purchased a large plot of land in Sonoma and began planting grapevines sent from in Europe. At one point many people accredited Haraszthy with the introduction of the Zinfandel vine, however it is now an honor thought to be shared by several different pioneers. Still, Haraszthy's major contributions to the wine world were cemented earlier this year when he was inducted in the Vintners Hall of Fame. Happy Birthday ol' Haraszthy!

Source: Wikipedia
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Come Party With Me: Welcome Back - Menu

partysugar — Tue, 29 May 2007 11:13:18 -0700

My girlfriend Melissa is moving back to California and I'm in charge of planning her welcome back party. This morning I made invitations inspired by the route Melissa and her boyfriend will travel from Seattle to San Francisco. Now I have to put together a menu of passed appetizers that includes both vegetarian and meat-friendly hors d'oeuvres. The party not only celebrates the return of my friend, but it also highlights the local cuisine, culture, and atmosphere of the area that Melissa has desperately missed for the last two years. I'll be buying all of the ingredients for the menu at the farmer's market to ensure the produce is local and the cheese artisan. I'll use recipes from some of the Bay Area's most celebrated chefs so check out what I'll be cooking, just read more

Alice Waters and Thomas Keller are two names that come to mind when one thinks of Californian cuisine, so I'll be slicing up pieces of Water's Rainbow Tomato Pizza and serving slices of Keller's Caramelized Onion and Cheese Toasts. To round out the vegetarian portion of the menu, I'll make Napa's most famed pioneer Michael Chiarello's Bruschetta with White Beans, Sundried Tomatoes & Basil. For the meat lovers present I'll make Barbecued Bacon Shrimp and mini Spiced Pulled Pork Sandwiches with recipes from the west coast lifestyle magazine, Sunset.

To take a peek at these scrumptiously savory dishes click on one of the images below:

What are your favorite appetizers to serve at a cocktail party? Share your ideas with me below!

Taste Test: California Pizza Kitchen's Small Cravings Menu

YumSugar — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 05:50:55 -0800

Question: What happens when the small plates phenomenon catches on across America? Answer: The craze extends far beyond the reach of Spanish tapas restaurants, and into national chains like California Pizza Kitchen. This month, the casual dining spot unveiled a new menu, Small Cravings, with seven modestly sized (and priced) snacks to choose from. Anywhere from $4.50 to $7 can get you a moderate portion of buffalo chicken, fried artichoke hearts, a wedge salad, and ravioli. But how did they fare? We put them to the test. Read on for our favorites.

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