I love my hometown. There are 36 parks across the five boroughs with areas designated for barbecuing, many of them with grills available for public use. Churches, block associations and other community groups often haul stoves onto sidewalks or streets on summer days, while friends and families camp out on apartment rooftops, in brownstone backyards, even on fire escapes. Whether they are grilling tempeh or T-bones, chances are it’s not just about the food. Happy Memorial Day Weekend!  (more…)

The iconic Girl Scout cookies continue to fall on hard times. News outlets are reporting that some boxes smell “stinky” due to denigrating ingredients (although the cookies are safe to eat). Just this week I brought home my usual 3 boxes of Thin Mints (hey they freeze well) and couldn’t help wondering if the cookie had gotten even smaller. It seems like every year the box and the product inside is a disappointment. Any product developer knows that cost optimized iteration after iteration doesn’t measure damage from the original. At some point, your loyalists will push back and find the product unrecognizable and the eating experience unsatisfying. For me, I have just about reached that point with my beloved Thin Mints. It will be pretty sad if this iconic part of American culture falls prey to poor strategic vision and planning.  

Kraft’s purchase of Cadbury might be a sweet deal for the big food manufacturer but it leaves a sense of uneasiness among Brits that I share. I do hope the quality and heritage that are hallmarks of Cadbury remain despite Kraft’s past track record. I really don’t want anyone messing with my Fruit and Nut Bar.  (more…)

Yup.  Bon Appetit has declared meatballs the top dish of 2010. I guess it is a natural extension from hamburgers and on trend for comfort food. The foodie mag listed many recipes with an ethnic twist on this favorite food but at the end of the day I just don’t see it. If I had to call it strictly from a restaurant trend viewpoint, I would go with fried chicken. I guess we’ll see who is right.

Even in tough times, you can’t keep the American entrepreneur down. Take the example of Sean O’Connor who has already tasted success from pancake batter in a can and is now cooking up a retro TV ad campaign to expand his reach, and profits. I’m going to have to track down these ready to cook all organic pancakes and try them. After all, who isn’t a sucker for alphabet or animal shaped pancakes during the holidays? (more…)  UPDATE: On our second can of Batter Blaster.  Can’t decide how I feel about this product but I will say it was a huge hit Saturday morning after a rowdy tween girl sleepover.

From Buffalo, NY to San Diego, CA tailgating rules. “Tailgating is the only gathering place of a community of its kind, like walking through thousands of backyards. It’s where the happy people are,” says Commissioner of Tailgating, Joe Cahn. “Tailgating creates the perfect American neighborhood.” Having spent 13 NFL seasons on the road, Commissioner Cahn knows firsthand what’s necessary to create a fantastic tailgating scene. “Parking space, tradition, and family are three of the top four ingredients,” Cahn says. “The first two are obvious. Family is a lot else—especially for kids, because sports is the only thing where a kid can argue toe-to-toe with an adult and get away with it.” The fourth main ingredient is great food. Cahn can rattle off a list of magnificent dishes he’s had across the country—bratwursts, chili, gumbo, homemade tomales, and Maine lobster—and remember the place where he ate each one. “It’s an honor to be invited into someone’s home to eat, and the tailgate is the home brought to the parking lot,” he says.  For the top 10 tailgating cities….

The ghosts and goblins are ready to go, and they are in for a treat: Despite the recession, Halloween candy sales are strong.Kids are about to get their hands on 600-million pounds of Halloween candy. That’s how many Smarties, Dots, Snickers, and other sweets will have been purchased this year. Candy sales are up nearly 2-percent this year with people spending about $18 on average. By far the most popular candy purchased is chocolate. Happy Halloween!

Meat-loving consumers in the United States are eating out less, but they are not forgoing taste and quality as researchers have found that more restaurant-quality prime- and choice-grade steaks are being served on family dinner tables. Beginning in 2008, cash-strapped consumers shifted to at-home dining. As a result, with restaurant business on the decline, meat companies are now shipping more of their restaurant fare to grocery stores and consumers are buying it, according to data presented on Thursday at the Worldwide Food Expo. The accompanying sales data showed sales remain strong for lower-priced meats such as ground beef, hot dogs, and chicken drumsticks. But, there was a noticeable increase in sales of higher-priced premium meats. The sales volume of the more expensive “premium” steaks was up 15.5 percent in the third quarter from a year ago, versus a 13.2 percent rise in “regular” steaks, they said.  (more…)

The religion of Southern fried chicken is spreading fast in New York City, with pilgrims making stops at the Redhead in the East Village, Locanda Verde in TriBeCa and Buttermilk Channel in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn. But, does it have to be Southern to be delicious? Absolutely not! “It was a long, arduous month,” said Kevin Pemoulie, chef at Momofuku Noodle Bar, whose dark-meat double-fried pieces, brushed with a spicy Korean-influenced glaze, was one of two winners. “It gave me new insight into the deep fryer.” Mr. Pemoulie said the chefs tried various types of flour, multiple fryings, turning the batter into foam, and adding vodka to it (that idea stuck). The final meal — available by reservation only, a few times daily, at Noodle Bar — is a vast feed that includes Mr. Pemoulie’s chicken and one by Peter Serpico, chef at Momofuku Ko, a relatively traditional American fried chicken with a bit of rice flour in the batter and a big salty shot of Old Bay seasoning. The mountain of chicken is accompanied to the table by four sauces; house-made Chinese-style mu shu pancakes for wrapping; and a bowl of raw vegetables like baby carrots, radishes and fushimi peppers, plus leaves of shiso, basil and mint. After devouring this feast, I couldn’t help thinking other fried chicken outposts would be opening soon. After all, you have to figure we have enough hamburger joints. (more…)

Cupcake shops have become as ubiquitous as hot dog stands in some American cities, and have spread to Rome; Istanbul; Berlin; Seoul, South Korea; and Sydney, Australia. Now Mr.Fadi Jaber, a son of Palestinian refugees has proved that even the Arab world is not immune to such a Western frivolity. Along with such all-American favorites as carrot cake and red velvet, Mr. Jaber, 31, also caters to regional tastes, offering specialty items like Blind Date, a sticky date cupcake with cream cheese frosting, and Ramadan cupcakes in flavors like pistachio with orange-blossom frosting. Cupcakes have also bridged the most contentious divide of the Middle East. In the last year, three online cupcake stores opened in Israel, all in Tel Aviv. Maybe there is hope after all.   (more…)