Blog Page

As McDonald’s and Wendy’s introduce healthier options amid rising obesity levels and a general interest in healthier foods, some fastfood companies have been going in the opposite direction, introducing ever more calorific and fat-laden burgers in a bid to win customers. And these so-called “big food” products are proving surprisingly popular, as David Robertson reports.
Despite “fastfood made me fat” lawsuits and negative publicity from films like Super Size Me and books like Fast Food Nation, the American food industry continues to tempt consumers with massively calorific products. These “big food” products have become surprisingly popular given the recent backlash against the fastfood industry.

Read more at Just Food

Amid concerns about food safety and supermarket buying power, more and more consumers are choosing to buy their produce from other sources. Farmers’ markets, wholesale markets and community supported agriculture programmes are all proving successful, along with a new retail format – the fresh-food supermarket. David Robertson reports.

Full article on Just Food

Bar managers are getting creative with their cocktail concoctions, and it’s giving hotel bars a good name, says Dave Kelleher, Washington, D.C., area general manager for Kimpton Hotels. He oversees Bar Rouge, the Helix Lounge, and the Topaz Bar in Washington, D.C., each named for their Kimpton host hotels.

With Kimpton chefs painstakingly creating menus for the dining room, Kelleher says bar managers are looking to complement the food instead of overpower it. “Bar managers are bringing ingredients from the kitchen into the bars to make the drinks more palatable,” he says. “They’re trying to get away from sugared down drinks. They are pushing the envelope to find things in the kitchen that will enhance the flavor of the drinks.”

Many of his bar managers are mixing their own syrups to create natural flavors to add to their cocktails. “I see a lot of the bar guys actually making syrups with mint or ginger clove. They are using coconut milk, which will be big this year,” Kelleher says. “They are infusing tequila with jalapeños, things like that.”

Lodging Magazine

Taiwanese restaurateur Eric Wang has given new meaning to the traditional revellers’ cry of bottoms up.
His Marton eatery in the southern city of Kaohsiung delivers its food not on conventional plates and dishes, but in miniature Western and Asian style toilets, both the flush and non-flush variety.

For anyone missing the point, diners are encouraged to stir up mushy, earth-coloured offerings like curry chicken rice and chocolate ice cream to conjure up – well, the real thing.
Located in a downtown area with a variety of competing eateries, Marton – the name means toilet in Chinese – attracts its customers through its some dazzling bathroom decor.

https://news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=4641255]Full article