Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Monday, March 29, 2010
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Monday, March 22, 2010
Sunday, March 21, 2010
"A Southern Season, award-winning source for gourmet gift baskets and fancy foods."
Note the link to Cooking School (which for some reason is blocked from being linked here).
There are huge opportunities to learn more about food and cooking in NC. Some is expensive and aimed for a top strata and I wonder what interesting and compelling opportunites exist for people who never shop at Southern Season?
Is that collected anywhere and - more important - marketed well?
There are huge opportunities to learn more about food and cooking in NC. Some is expensive and aimed for a top strata and I wonder what interesting and compelling opportunites exist for people who never shop at Southern Season?
Is that collected anywhere and - more important - marketed well?
Drug stores morphing into grocery stores?
Each time I visit a chain drug store, I am struck by how much food is available there. What's the trend look like?
Gas stations, too.
At the same time, I find that Target, for example, seems to be marketing its food line less prominently than in the past.
Do these perceptions seem correct?
Gas stations, too.
At the same time, I find that Target, for example, seems to be marketing its food line less prominently than in the past.
Do these perceptions seem correct?
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Friday, March 19, 2010
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Monday, March 15, 2010
"Why Making Healthful Foods Cheaper Isn't Enough" - NPR
What do we know in NC about trend lines in the sale of processed foods, or other foods that generally are not so good for us, compared to the sale of organic items and those that are generally good for us? What is the trend line for those two categories if we were to divide up total food consumed on an average day in NC - and then imagine another day, say, 10 years ago? In other words, take 100% of the food we consume on a day in NC, and then divide it into generally good food and generally bad food. What is that split? 50/50? And then how has that split - and perhaps including the overall total amount - changed over 10 years or more?
What do we know, collectively, about the food served and available at schools in NC?
What do we know, collectively, about the food served and available at schools in NC?
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Friday, March 12, 2010
Thursday, March 11, 2010
"Kitchen Nightmares Television show" - Kitchen Nightmares TV Show - Yahoo! TV
I wonder how many people in NC watch this show? It would be really interesting to know how big the NC audience is.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
"Kroger’s Sales Rise, but Profit Slips 27%" - NYTimes.com
I wonder what the impact on us as customers is of news like this? Does it translate into anything we see, what's available, how it is priced, etc. -- what are the actions that directly impact us?
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
"Foursquare Introduces New Tools for Businesses" - Bits Blog - NYTimes.com
I can imagine a device automatically enabled in a car - no digit distraction for the driver - that is programmed in such a way that if someone is out driving, it will announce that a right turn in 300 feet will bring the vehicle to a $1/lb sale on tomatoes at the X supermarket.
Monday, March 8, 2010
"Bertolli presents “Into the Heart of Italy” on Yahoo! Video"
Check back on or after 14 March, it appears.
Mancini Packing Company
I called them today because we had some sweet roasted pepppers in the fridge that had been there longer than the refrigerate-and-use-within-5-days admonition on the label. I had to leave a phone message for customer service asking them if this was a health issue or simply a quality of product matter.
A woman called me back - sorry, I did not note her name - and was very helpful. Because there are no preservatives, a mold tends to form after 5 days in the fridge. To retard this by 10 days or so, one can add a teaspoon of vinegar or olive oil on top after openings.
A woman called me back - sorry, I did not note her name - and was very helpful. Because there are no preservatives, a mold tends to form after 5 days in the fridge. To retard this by 10 days or so, one can add a teaspoon of vinegar or olive oil on top after openings.
Lactaid milk
I called the 1-800-LACTAID number today because I had inadvertently left some Lactaid milk out of the fridge for longer than normal. Well, I had to go through a bit of a phone tree - and the annoying "all our representatives are busy now (doing whatever they do and not mentioning that the antidote to that problem is to hire more people to do the job!), but on balance the wait was acceptable and the person on the phone really was helpful. Don't worry, she said - because of the UHT treatement of the milk, it should be fine, since it had not yet been opened.
This gave me a chance to offer some feedback on one of their products and she seemed genuinely interested and reassuring in saying that she would pass it along.
I wonder what percentage of purchasers of products wind up in such conversations and what the overall value/effect of this is. She wanted to know where I had found the number.
She asked for no other information, and I sure would like to know what happens to the fact of my call and what we discussed.......
This gave me a chance to offer some feedback on one of their products and she seemed genuinely interested and reassuring in saying that she would pass it along.
I wonder what percentage of purchasers of products wind up in such conversations and what the overall value/effect of this is. She wanted to know where I had found the number.
She asked for no other information, and I sure would like to know what happens to the fact of my call and what we discussed.......
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Saturday, March 6, 2010
"France crafting prestige for skilled workers" - latimes.com
Note the film at the Duke documentary festival.
"Quick Bite - Williston Park - At Marzullo’s Pasticceria, Biscotti Reminiscent of Sicily" - NYTimes.com
Where is the best biscotti in NC?
"Chain Disdain" - Laugh Lines Blog - NYTimes.com
What are the food stereotypes that get used most often in NC?
"Westchester Dining - Mamaroneck - At Limoncello, New-Traditional Italian and Old-Style Manners" - Review - NYTimes.com
Which are the very best Italian restaurants in NC? Which are the NC Italian restaurants where one can pay the least for something really authetically Italian?
"Long Island Dining - Hewlett - Kumkapi, a Turkish Restaurant, Makes Seafood Its Specialty" - Review - NYTimes.com
Do we have any Turkish restaurants in NC?
Friday, March 5, 2010
"Les fromages français en perte de vitesse sur le marché mondial"
If France is the country of cheese, NC is the state of what?
Trader Joe's fish
I bought some frozen turbot at Trader Joe's recently. It was very good cooked on the grill.
Two things surpised me, tho.
One was that the salt content was at 18% of the "daily value". Why do they need it to be that high?
And the other was my surpirse is finding NO contact information on the package.
Two things surpised me, tho.
One was that the salt content was at 18% of the "daily value". Why do they need it to be that high?
And the other was my surpirse is finding NO contact information on the package.
Drawn to the center
I keep reading that supermarkets design their stores to draw us into the center where one finds the food that is the most processed and worst, generally, for us.
As I think about my own shopping, I don't find this to be the case. My natural entry into most supermarkets and food stores here is to the right - which is where we seem directed to go - and that is usually the fresh produce section. In order to get to the middle you have to divert from a circle around the store picking up good basics and winding up with even good frozen basics near the end of the circle.
How do people get drawn to the center?
As I think about my own shopping, I don't find this to be the case. My natural entry into most supermarkets and food stores here is to the right - which is where we seem directed to go - and that is usually the fresh produce section. In order to get to the middle you have to divert from a circle around the store picking up good basics and winding up with even good frozen basics near the end of the circle.
How do people get drawn to the center?
"Shaw's Supermarkets Laying Of 967 In Connecticut"
What has happened to food employment in NC in recent years?
Thursday, March 4, 2010
"New Supermarket In a Neighborhood That Needs One" - City Room Blog - NYTimes.com
How many underserved areas do we have in NC?
What food information reaches whom in NC?
I wonder if anyone has studied what information about food that people in different places, with different means and backgrounds, actually receive or choose to receive? The information that a lot of us may see through the web, newspapers and other publications, radio, television and visits to stores and restaurants, etc. may be and likely is very different for other people. What do we know about this across the state and across our wonderfully diverse populaitons?
"About That Garden …" - You're the Boss Blog - NYTimes.com
How interesting it would be to profile the food entrepreneurs of NC! What a group it is, not including this fellow, but many others with interesting and informative stories to tell about their experiences....both the ones that succeeded and those who did not.
Jillian MICHAELS on UNC-TV
"Festival Excerpt: "Jillian Michaels: Master Your Metabolism"--North Carolina NOW presents an excerpt of "Jillian Michaels: Master Your Metabolism." The program features health and wellness expert Jillian Michaels who offers ways to remove anti-nutrients from your diet; restore foods that speak directly to fat-burning genes and rebalance energy and your hormones for effortless weight loss. "Jillian Michaels: Master Your Metabolism" is featured as part of "Festival 2010" and will air on Thursday, March 4th at 9:30 p.m. on UNC-TV."
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
"Kashi : Our food : Kashi Frozen Entrees, Chicken Pasta Pomodoro"
I bought one of these. It is quite good.
What struck me was the packaging. So much information; it looks impressive and even authoritative.
There is a footnote about weight that does not seem connected to any other text. A second footnote mentions "minimally processed", whatever that means.
They claim they have reduced the packaging by "11%". Oh, I see the footnote asterisk now. It qualifies the packaging reduction by saying its 11% off the average weight of previous packages. Not sure what that means.
There is a bunch of high-sounding rhetoric claiming the wonders of the food.
It's a lot to consume and I suspect most people don't.
I wonder why they don't speak about what's recyclable - the paper carton, the plastic wrap but not the plastic tray? At the least they ought to tell us on the package what type of plastic is inside so we don't have to hunt for it.
It mentions Project Spark and sill have to look that up. Here it is but I don't have time to, ahem, digest it all.
After all of that, how is the saturated fat (1.5 grams) good for our health and how are the 470 mg of sodium serving our best health interests?
I was going to share this with them, but they insist on knowing my birthday before I can send them an e-mail. That's too high a price to pay and an unnecessary request. They must not be interested in hearing from many people.
I subsequently called Kashi at 1-877-747-2467 an was told that they require the birthdate because of the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act I would sure be interested in knowing why that applies to them - in their view - and not to other similar businesses. One of them is not understanding the law properly, I think.
It's curious why they choose to tell me over the phone that this is why they ask, but they mention nothing on the page that requires the birthdate in order to proceed.
What struck me was the packaging. So much information; it looks impressive and even authoritative.
There is a footnote about weight that does not seem connected to any other text. A second footnote mentions "minimally processed", whatever that means.
They claim they have reduced the packaging by "11%". Oh, I see the footnote asterisk now. It qualifies the packaging reduction by saying its 11% off the average weight of previous packages. Not sure what that means.
There is a bunch of high-sounding rhetoric claiming the wonders of the food.
It's a lot to consume and I suspect most people don't.
I wonder why they don't speak about what's recyclable - the paper carton, the plastic wrap but not the plastic tray? At the least they ought to tell us on the package what type of plastic is inside so we don't have to hunt for it.
It mentions Project Spark and sill have to look that up. Here it is but I don't have time to, ahem, digest it all.
After all of that, how is the saturated fat (1.5 grams) good for our health and how are the 470 mg of sodium serving our best health interests?
I was going to share this with them, but they insist on knowing my birthday before I can send them an e-mail. That's too high a price to pay and an unnecessary request. They must not be interested in hearing from many people.
I subsequently called Kashi at 1-877-747-2467 an was told that they require the birthdate because of the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act I would sure be interested in knowing why that applies to them - in their view - and not to other similar businesses. One of them is not understanding the law properly, I think.
It's curious why they choose to tell me over the phone that this is why they ask, but they mention nothing on the page that requires the birthdate in order to proceed.
Lowes, Harrist-Teeter and Food Lion
The normal Wednesday food circulars arrived today with the morning papers.
One thing worth nothing today is the difference in transparency between Lowes and the other two. All three have buy one, get one free promotions, but only Lowes provides the price. The other two appear to be more interested in sucking you into the purchase than in informing you of a good deal. Perhaps their deails are just not as good?
One thing worth nothing today is the difference in transparency between Lowes and the other two. All three have buy one, get one free promotions, but only Lowes provides the price. The other two appear to be more interested in sucking you into the purchase than in informing you of a good deal. Perhaps their deails are just not as good?
Kiwis from COSTCO
I am very impressed with the information on this site from the supplier of kiwis to COSTCO that I bought yesterday in Durham. Why doesn't every supplier do this?
"Spoonfuls of Southern Cooking for Obama" - The Caucus Blog - NYTimes.com
Mr. President, you can do so much better than this! Please try harder.
USPS Food (for thought)
Imagine if food was added to this mix, or at least community food information - current and non-biased.....
""Post Office Forced To Rethink Model In Digital Age" - NPR
I wonder if there is not an opportunity to set up all US Post Offices as a franchise not primarily for the handline of mail, but for the purpose of having a profit-making community connection service. Imagine all of the elements that one might incorporate into USPS offices that are not there now - using electronics and stuff to eat and drink as the means of connection. Think of the Irish bar - Kildare's - that makes all of its interiors in Ireland and then ships them to the US. Imagine the style one could adopt for a traditional community center and all of the profit-marking services that could be offered from coffee and newspapers to analyses of the community and possibly a bunch of products as well."
""Post Office Forced To Rethink Model In Digital Age" - NPR
I wonder if there is not an opportunity to set up all US Post Offices as a franchise not primarily for the handline of mail, but for the purpose of having a profit-making community connection service. Imagine all of the elements that one might incorporate into USPS offices that are not there now - using electronics and stuff to eat and drink as the means of connection. Think of the Irish bar - Kildare's - that makes all of its interiors in Ireland and then ships them to the US. Imagine the style one could adopt for a traditional community center and all of the profit-marking services that could be offered from coffee and newspapers to analyses of the community and possibly a bunch of products as well."
"Cheese Thief Jailed for 7 Years in California" - The Lede Blog - NYTimes.com
I wonder what the state of food thefts is in NC?
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
"Cheeseburgers and the Common Man" - The Caucus Blog - NYTimes.com
A lot of people in NC can relate to this!
"For Pennies, a Disposable Toilet That Could Help Grow Crops" - NYTimes.com
Sometimes, we take such things so much for granted.
"In Obesity Epidemic, What’s One Cookie?" - Well Blog - NYTimes.com
Eating the right things, exercising the right amount, and making related health decisions is not only hard it is about as confusing as anything I could imagine!
Monday, March 1, 2010
Food prices and preferences
CNN reported the other day that a study had shown that when the cost of junk food is increased, people buy less, but when the price of better food is lowered, people use the savings to buy more junk food, or something close to that.....
"When Is the Price Right?" - CBS Sunday Morning - CBS News
Imagine how much money could be saved by consumers in NC if we all understood these sorts of things better.
"Really? - The Claim - Fruit Juice Can Prevent Kidney Stones" - Question - NYTimes.com
Imagine how much more we all need to know about juices of all kinds.
"Guide Michelin 2010 : la Provence oubliée" - La Provence
What is the best Guide Michelin for NC? Any stars?
"‘Crop Mob’ takes over Triangle" - dailytarheel.com
Note the mention of the New York Times story previously posted here.