Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Monday, November 29, 2010
Red lentils and Beaujolais Nouveau
I tried to search on places to by red lentils and also Beaujolais Nouveau in Chapel Hill and got absolutely nothing of value in Google. Is there any search engine today that would answer the question of where one can buy either/both of these items in Chapel Hill, NC? If not, why not?
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Friday, November 26, 2010
Thursday, November 25, 2010
Import Alert: Government Fails Consumers, Falls Short on Seafood Inspections | Food & Water Watch
I am anxious to understand how this is all handled at each of the places where I buy or eat fish, including in France. One of the reports I saw said that the country of origin for seafood was not important to most customers. Federal law requires, nonetheless, country of origin information on fish sold in supermarkets but not in restaurants?
"Bless the Orange Sweet Potato" - NYTimes.com
So in what way has North Carolina been involved in this research and development - pushing, if you will, the sweet potato beyond its normal skin? What, if any is the impact on the sweet potatoes grown and eaten in NC?
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Monday, November 22, 2010
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Pumpkin tarte - Trader Joe's
I bought one yesterday; last year's was excellent.
There is nothing on the package about how best to store it, especially if one wants it to keep until Thanksgiving.
So I picked up the receipt when I got home and the phone. Alas, no phone on the receipt. I had had this problem perhaps 6 months ago and when I mentioned it in calling, the person on the other end seemed surprised and said that they would fix the problem.
When I looked up the number and called this time, the person on the other end said they were "working on it", and something about it not being an issue that could be addressed at the store level. I told him that was not the answer I expected.
Imagine if he had said, "this is a problem that frustrates us at the store, too, and I will call our corporate technology people again and tell them that yet another customer has complained.". That would have shown that the guy was really listening to me instead of trying to get rid of me.
In any case, the pumpkin tarte.
I asked what the recommendation was, and he proceeded to tell me what he does or would do. I told him I really was not interested in what he did but rather in what Trader Joe's recommends. He said Trader Joe's says do whatever you like.
Irritating? You bet. Bad taste? Absolutely. A need to Trader Joe's to focus on customer relations at the Chapel Hill store? Apparently.
There is nothing on the package about how best to store it, especially if one wants it to keep until Thanksgiving.
So I picked up the receipt when I got home and the phone. Alas, no phone on the receipt. I had had this problem perhaps 6 months ago and when I mentioned it in calling, the person on the other end seemed surprised and said that they would fix the problem.
When I looked up the number and called this time, the person on the other end said they were "working on it", and something about it not being an issue that could be addressed at the store level. I told him that was not the answer I expected.
Imagine if he had said, "this is a problem that frustrates us at the store, too, and I will call our corporate technology people again and tell them that yet another customer has complained.". That would have shown that the guy was really listening to me instead of trying to get rid of me.
In any case, the pumpkin tarte.
I asked what the recommendation was, and he proceeded to tell me what he does or would do. I told him I really was not interested in what he did but rather in what Trader Joe's recommends. He said Trader Joe's says do whatever you like.
Irritating? You bet. Bad taste? Absolutely. A need to Trader Joe's to focus on customer relations at the Chapel Hill store? Apparently.
Friday, November 19, 2010
Food taxes
Why is olive oil taxed at 2% in Durham, NC while bread is taxed at 7.75%? That does not seem right to me. This explains some of it, saying that if you buy from a small artisan bakery, you pay only 2%.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
"Danish Bakery Chains Prove Carbohydrates Are Good in Hard Times" - NYTimes.com
Shouldn't there be something this good in NC? Have I missed it?
Frequently Asked Questions about Eggland's Eggs
I called them to ask about "best by" date on the carton. She said that it could read "sell by" and means the same; it depends on where they are sold. Three weeks is the answer, but the answer to the first question here makes it more complicated. I urged them to straighten it out! The big test, she said, is to put them in a pot of water. If they sink, they are good. If they float, bad!
Friday, November 12, 2010
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Monday, November 8, 2010
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Saturday, November 6, 2010
"Combiné «happy breakfast»" - L'Homme Moderne : Objets originaux du monde
I guess this is for real. It was advertised today in the Nice Matin newspaper.
"Foods For Long Life: Dr. Michael Greger Gives An Update On Latest Nutritional Research In Santa Rosa"
This fellow seems to be getting a lot of attention in France, too, especially because he seems to say that garlic is one of the foods that can do the most for us. It's curious that he works for the Humane Society but focuses his speaking on human nutrition.
Subway
The above link is for nutritional information for the Subway menu in France. Here's the one for the US. A lot of the comparisons are pommes and oranges, but some seem to be pretty much alike in name; I don't know about quantities, etc.
"While Warning About Fat, U.S. Pushes Sales of Cheese" - NYTimes.com
This is hard to swallow, and there is only one meaningful response. Get the government out of the business of promoting more of what the country needs to do less. It is pretty simple, and it ought to be done yesterday.
"Quick Bites" - NewsObserver.com
Note the Farmers' Market commitment. It would be nice to try to quantify that. How much of all the food that he buys come from NC?
"Tanger Outlet Centers - Mebane, North Carolina"
This just opened. I wonder what the relationship is between food and these outlet centers. We have several around the state.
And I wonder how much "made in NC" product any of them sells?
And I wonder how much "made in NC" product any of them sells?
Friday, November 5, 2010
One Restaurant, Chapel HIll
Their website is broken and there is no e-mail contact information here or any way to post a comment. Not very impressive, I must say.
Carrefour Kid's Club - Inscris-toi
A kid's club at one of France's (and the world's) largest supermarket chains. Alas, there is no contact information and when I look at the recipes page, there is no nutritional information.
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
"Another Reason to Scour Your Debit Card Statement" - NYTimes.com
Aldi has at least one - Burlington - and maybe more stores in NC.