Pine Nut Mouth

Why do pine nuts leave some eaters with a metallic or bitter taste lasting seven to ten days?

Boston Market tests $2.99 meal deals

Restaurant traffic was down three percent last year, according to the NPD Group.  To test the market for smaller portions and lower price point, Boston Market is offering for a limited time, "to match quantity of food at a great price, to give people an extra reason to come in," said CEO Lane Cardwell.

Rose Gray, chef at River Cafe in London, is dead at 71

Chef Rose Gray opened River Café in Hammersmith with Ruth Rogers in 1987.  She developed her love of Italian cuisine while bringing up her family in Tuscany.  Her Michelin-starred restaurant became the stomping grounds of two employees who went on to become famous:  Chefs Jamie Oliver and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall.

Canned pumpkin shortage mystery solved

Have you wondered why you cannot find Libby's canned pumpkin in most U.S. grocery shelves this winter?  Fresh butternut squash is readily available and is an easy substitute.

Two Austin, Texas, foodies launch Crave Communications

Cathy Cochran-Lewis, the IACP's recent past president, and Paula Biehler recently established Crave Communications, a public relations and marketing agency for the restaurant and hospitality industry.  Best wishes, Cathy!

TED

TED stands for Technology, Entertainment and Design, and it is a web site devoted to ideas worth spreading.
If you search for the topic "food," you can view15-minute videos by experts who discuss interesting culinary subjects.  For example, Peter Reinhart talks on artisan bread, Carolyn Steel on how food shapes cities, Jennifer Lee on General Tso’s Chicken, and Malcolm Gladwell on spaghetti sauce.

Portland restaurant serves wine from steel kegs

The Melting Pot restaurant in downtown Portland is the first to offer wine that comes from steel barrels.  Naturally occurring, non-toxic argon gas keeps the wine from oxidizing, a constant concern for restaurants that offer wine by the glass.

First Lady visits new grocery in former food desert

Michelle Obama visited a new north Philadelphia Fresh Grocer store to talk about the Let's Move campaign goal to increase access to healthy foods in impoverished neighborhoods.  

The Healthy Food Financing Initiative will invest $400 million a year to provide innovative financing to bring grocery stores to underserved areas and help places such as convenience stores and bodegas carry healthier food options.   This initiative is part of the President’s proposed FY 2011 budget.

Code brings clarity for pork country of origin

British pork producers hope that by clearly labelling their products with both the country of production and the country of origin of the pig, British consumers will choose to buy single country-based pork products.

Cookbook author first to decipher the Crock-Pot

The Crock-Pot came out in 1971, an innovation over an earlier slow cooker designed to cook beans.  With increasing numbers of women working outside the home, many were eager to try a device that would have dinner ready when they came home in the evening. Mabel Hoffman, a food stylist and home economist, published "Crockery Cookery" in 1975, and it was an instant success.

How Restaurant Menus Make You Spend More

Lynne Rosette Kasper describes a menu as an "invitation to pleasure" but a smart restaurateur uses menu design to maximize profits.  Francis Lam at Salon explores menu design psychology and why we spend more for dinner than we anticipated.

Portland Restaurants Receive 12 Beard Nominations

IACP's own Mike Thelin reports in Portland Monthly that the James Beard Foundation unveiled the first round of nominees for its annual awards.

He writes, "[Portland] contenders in national categories include Higgins Restaurant and Bar for Outstanding Restaurant, Le Pigeon’s Gabe Rucker and Castagna’s Matt Lightner as Rising Star Chefs, and Ping as Best New Restaurant. For the first time in a few years, Portland dominates Seattle in the Best Chef Northwest category with seven of all 20 spots. Nominees include Nostrana’s Cathy Whims, Gabe Rucker, Autentica’s Oswaldo Bibiano, Toro Bravo’s John Gorham, Beast’s Naomi Pomeroy, Pok Pok’s Andy Ricker, and Jenn Lewis of Lincoln."

Matching Wine to Music

The Telegraph says that matching wine to music may help create a seductive atmosphere on Valentine's Day.  Listening to certain music enhances the pleasure of drinking certain wines, as has been suggested by research at Heriot-Watt University.

IACP Conference Buzz from Nashville

The Nashville Scene reports on the upcoming 2010 IACP Annual Conference in Portland and the incredible, in-depth educational programming offered.  Nicki Wood writes, "the IACP is the awesomest [food association], if only for its incredible annual conference."  Thanks, Nicki!

2011 Budget Requests for FDA

According to 2011 federal budget requests, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration would see a 6 percent jump in its budget to $2.51 billion. In part, the funds would be spent on food safety, which has been flagged as a domestic priority.