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Shrunken Packaged Foods' Slow Return to Their Original Size

YumSugar — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 11:45:01 -0700

In a small indication that America may be on a slow road to economic recovery, consumer foods marketers are beginning to reintroduce larger packages at the same price. Last year, manufacturers were hit by high fuel and commodity prices, so to avoid blatantly transferring cost increases to consumers, manufacturers such as Hellman's, Tropicana, and Kellogg's quietly began downsizing packages.

Ben & Jerry's even went after the size of Haagen-Dazs in its marketing campaign, pointing out that the rival company had downsized its "pints" from 16 to 14 ounces. But recently, some consumer products, like Pringles Super Stacks, and certain bags of Frito-Lay's chips, have shot back up to their original sizes. It's unclear whether increased package sizes are going to be part of limited-time promotions or permanent reversals.

Which products have you noticed products increasing in size lately?

Boston Market Latest Chain to Promote Cheaper Meals

YumSugar — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 16:15:42 -0700

Boston Market is the latest restaurant chain to succumb to sluggish spending. The Golden, CO-based corporation announced yesterday that it will offer a larger discounted menu of 11 meals for $5.

Boston Market joins a list of food chains - such as Subway, Quizno's, and Domino's - that have been promoting meals for $5. The company's chief brand officer, Judy Cantrell, said:

The $5 price point is an important part of the new vernacular in the restaurant industry. It’s become a price point that consumers respond to, and we see an opportunity to increase the quality of choices with our slow-roasted rotisserie chicken meals.

The value menu includes the chain's popular one-quarter rotisserie chicken, classic chicken salad, and rotisserie chicken pot pie, which come with a side dish and a drink. The company will promote its newly-priced menu with a TV commercial and online campaign. Will you try one of their $5 meals?

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Yummy Links: From Lobster Rolls to Berry Pizza

partysugar — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 07:45:27 -0700

I would be a lot happier if I had this cold Corona and a stuffed lobster roll in my hands! - H.O.G. Food Blog
Should you put oil in pasta water? - Chow
Catch up with Top Chef season two villain Marcel Vigneron. - Serious Eats
How to roast tomatoes under the broiler. - The Kitchn
Hershey's plans to raise the prices of its products by 10 percent. - Slashfood
Take a break from work and watch one of these oddly compelling food videos. - The Epi-Log
Turn mismatched China into a beautiful wall decoration. - CasaSugar
Tips for making the best homemade ice cream. - Baking Bites
A berry pizza is a delicious and different take on grilled pizza. - GlamDish

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Food Sizes Shrinking, Prices Stay the Same

partysugar — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 10:15:02 -0700

On Friday afternoon I was in the ice cream aisle at my local grocery store. Since food is incredibly pricey these days, I was searching for the cheapest vanilla ice cream. As I reached for what I thought was the cheapest, my bff pointed out that it was actually a smaller container with a more expensive price tag! As we all know, ice cream cartons aren't the only items on grocery store shelves that are shrinking, and Time magazine reports on the growing trend:

Soaring commodity and fuel prices are driving up costs for manufacturers; faced with a choice between raising prices (which consumers would surely notice) or quietly putting fewer ounces in the bag, carton or cup (which they generally don't) manufacturers are choosing the latter. This month, Kellogg's started shipping Apple Jacks, Cocoa Krispies, Corn Pops, Froot Loops and Honey Smacks containing an average of 2.4 fewer ounces per box.

Other brands that are offering consumers shrunken products at unchanged prices are Tropicana, Wrigley's, Hellman's, and Country Crock. Have you noticed any of these smaller products at your supermarket?

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13 Under $20 Wines Perfect For Hostess Gifts

partysugar — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:15:34 -0800

Do you have an iPhone? Then stop what you're doing right now and download the Nirvino (my preferred online drinking community) wine ratings guide. With over one million wines listed by name, price, grape varietal, flavor profile, region, and producer, the wine application is an amazing resource to always have at your fingertips.

Not only does it provide food pairing suggestions, but there's also lots of fun lists to browse. Food Network's Aida Mollenkamp shares her favorite wines to drink while cooking, Sommelier Mark Bright rounded up his top bottles from Whole Foods, and yours truly has even created a list!

I headed to Safeway to pick out the best wines - all of which are under $20 - for hostess gifts. I've tasted and enjoyed these wines and would bring them to a party. Be it a birthday bash at Hog Island oyster farm, an intimate Thanksgiving dinner, or an upcoming holiday soirée, there's a bottle for every occasion. To check out my list, keep reading.

While Casual Chains Drop Prices, Fast Food Trades Up

YumSugar — Fri, 01 May 2009 08:00:37 -0700

Regardless of its location, price point, or popularity, no restaurant has remained untouched by the deteriorating economy. While many high-end restaurants have made adjustments, some of the most drastic changes taking place are happening between fast and casual food chains.

Casual restaurant chains such as Applebee's, Chili's, and TGI Friday's have desperately tried to keep sales steady with bargain deals. Applebee's started the trend by appealing to cash-strapped diners with a limited-time offer for a large appetizer with two entrees for just $20. Chili's joined in soon after with a "ten under $7" value menu. Earlier this week, TGI Friday's slashed the prices of all sandwiches and salads to a mere $5.Ironically enough, fast food chains have focused on premium items. Late last year, Burger King aimed to go higher-end with a new line of ribs, and this August, McDonald's is coming out with a one-third-pound Angus beef burger that's priced at $3.99. The number one fast food chain has also been selling specialty coffee drinks at its McCafé stores.

As both segments expand their food offerings, the casual chain and fast food sectors have become somewhat redundant. Have you frequented more fast food or casual chains lately? Which do you think has a better business model?

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Despite Other Rising Food Costs, Dairy Prices Have Fallen

YumSugar — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 10:15:12 -0800

From rising avocado prices to the McDonald's Dollar Menu falling on hard times, over the last year, every section of the food industry has paid the price of cost increases. One segment of the food world, however, seems to have taken an opposite turn.

Prices of dairy products have seen a downward trend, as the weakening global economy has caused demand to decrease for US exports like milk. This decline has hurt certain sectors, such as dairy farmers and cheese producers: The value of cheese has dropped 40 percent over the last month. On the other hand, quite a few companies have seen the silver lining of falling dairy prices. Companies like Kraft Foods and Hershey's, and chain stores such as Domino's Pizza and Starbucks Coffee expect higher costs to be offset by favorable prices of milk and cheese.

While Kraft and other companies wouldn't comment on future price cuts, the plummeting value of dairy could trickle down to the consumer segment. Does it come as a relief to hear that at least one aspect of the food industry is seeing cost decreases?

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Given Current Events, How Often Do You Eat Out?

YumSugar — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 09:00:57 -0700

Has the slowing economy and potential food crisis changed how often you eat out? Does it have to be a special occasion, or do you go whenever you feel like it?

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Yummy Links: From Burgers to American Cheese

partysugar — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 07:50:42 -0700

If you love burgers, you'll enjoy this guide to hamburger and cheeseburger styles. - A Hamburger Today
Whose side are you on? 10 recent food feuds. - Chow
Would you give your daughter Duff Goldman's Girl Gourmet Cake Bakery set? - Eat Me Daily
Use late harvest tomatoes to make a stunning herbed tart. - Saveur
David Chang's famed eatery, Momofuku Ko, has raised its prices, again. - Eater
What does a food critic do after retiring? He eats roast chicken. - The Atlantic
Is lamb the new pork? - Grub Street
An ode to American cheese.- Gourmet

Source: Flickr User fj40troutbum

Must Read: New York Cooks

partysugar — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 10:15:56 -0700

Everyone knows New York City is one of the country's top places for eating, so it comes as no surprise that a new cookbook, New York Cooks ($30), celebrates the city's chefs and restaurants. Since I don't live in NYC, I was very excited when I got my hands on a copy of the book. To find out what I thought of it, read more.

Pros:

Each chef has multiple recipes. Before the recipes, there are a couple of pages that describe the restaurant with interesting quotes and details from the chef.
From appetizers to entrees to salads, there's a wide variety of dishes.
Although the cover states there's 100 recipes, because many dishes have sauces or vinaigrettes, it seems like there are more than 100 recipes.
When I dined at Casa Mono, my favorite dish was the fideos with cockles and chorizo. The book has the recipe, so now I can re-create it at home!

Cons:

It's format is hard to follow - it's broken down into section by cuisine. Instead of listing out the recipes in the table of contents, only the cuisine, chef, and restaurant are mentioned.
New York's restaurant scene is forever changing and some of the chefs, for example Anne Burrell, are no longer working at the restaurants associated with their recipes.
Some recipes are complicated with lots of steps. They seem more suited to a restaurant than a home kitchen. Also, others lack detail.
There are no desserts.

Recipes: While I've never heard of a few of the restaurants or chefs, it is the recipes that are important. Here are the ones that caught my eye.

Anne Burrell's taleggio, speck, and egg pizzetta
Mikey Price's blood orange and red onion salad
Joey Campanaro's gravy meatball sliders
Michael Lomonaco's Philly cheesesteak sandwich

Imagery: This read is full of delicious-looking food images and fun restaurant shots. However, not all of them are in color. Every recipe does not have a corresponding picture. Some of the chef's photographs seem dated. After seeing her on Top Chef Masters, it looks as if the picture of Anita Lo was taken years ago.

Overall: This book is a wonderful collection of recipes. It would be an excellent gift to a foodie moving to or from New York. Any well-respected home cook who loves to dine out while vacationing in NYC will also enjoy this tome.

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