
Bacon has surpassed cupcakes as the food of the moment: In the past year, we've seen it appear in everything from
chocolate to
vodka to
pork-flavored floss.
Its latest incarnation?
Baconnaise, made by
J&D's, the brand best known for its
Bacon Salt.

Happy National Candy Corn Day! This
Halloween, grocery aisles have been stocked with two distinct types of my favorite seasonal
candy: the traditional version made by Brach's, as well as a newer
Hershey's rendition.
Last year, when I
first tried the Hershey's candy corn, I thought it had a cloying aftertaste, and despite giving them a second chance, I still didn't care for them.

Last week YumSugar and I got our hands on
Domino's recently
released hot submarine sandwiches. The sandwiches, which come in four flavors — chicken bacon ranch, Philly cheese steak, Italian, and chicken parm — filled our office with a delicious smell of fresh-baked bread. Each sandwich comes in a neat box that effectively retains the heat.

As colossal coffee chain
Starbucks struggles to keep up with past profit margins, its competitors continue to move in for the kill. Earlier this month, breakfast chain
Dunkin' Donuts introduced
its version of a recession deal. Now, in its latest ad campaign, the chain is
claiming it beat Starbucks in a blind taste test.In the campaign, Dunkin' Donuts, which is currently in the middle of a
national expansion effort, airs a new TV spot and launched a website,
Dunkin' Beat Starbucks, that will highlight the results of the taste test.

Last year, I sung the praises of a small chocolatier,
Chuao, for its unique and delicious flavor combinations, like strawberry balsamic and spicy Cabernet caramel. I had a chance to try their newest bar, the Firecracker, and it was no exception.The chocolate smelled typical enough — bittersweet and slightly smoky. But once I took a bite, my experience took a turn for the bizarre.

Starbucks has been keeping itself busy. Not only has it developed a
whole new line of food items, but
the company has been working on a bigger product launch: its Clover Small Batch Coffee, a new offering that highlights high-end coffees. The new coffee program has two important elements: high-quality beans from varying origins, and specific coffee equipment known as
Clover machines to brew the beans.

Since it's easy to prepare and so versatile, I cook
pasta at least once a week. Lately, I've been experimenting with various sauces and pasta shapes to see how the factors make a difference in taste, so I gave
La Famiglia DelGrosso a try.
I sampled three of
eight different sauces, all of which have kitschy titles named after family members.

Last Friday after hearing
the news that Hershey's had changed its chocolate formula, YumSugar and I decided to perform a taste test. Luckily we had the perfect place to host a chocolate taste test —
CasaSugar's space at Park(ing) Day! For the taste test, we pitted
Nestle's Crunch against
Hershey's Krackel.

In case you weren't aware, today is
Park(ing) Day, a yearly event where businesses and volunteers take the time to construct parks in parking spaces in an effort to make the world a greener place.
We'll be hosting a special taste challenge at
CasaSugar's Sweet Spot Park, so stop by between 12 p.m. and 1 p.m.

Last Friday night, my sister surprised me with a new trivia game by publishing house
Chronicle Books. Created for serious food lovers, the game is addictive and informative. The
Foodie Fight ($18.95) is like Trivial Pursuit but with questions related to food history, celebrity chefs, cultural cuisines, cooking techniques, and more.