Sacha Inchi are hot nuts; Al fresco objection; High-def Doritos; $6,514 on food & drink

Nibbles is a compendium of food, dining and beverage information from the U.S. and the world edited by John Lehndorff . Top searches today at http://johnlehndorff.wordpress.com/: monkfruit, monk fruit, food trends for colorado, homer simpson’s grilling tips, molecular burger

Reported by Tastingtable.com:
Earthy, nutlike Sacha Inchi seeds are harvested in the Amazon rain forest and possesses a vegetal flavor and natural saltiness. The “Incan peanuts” – the richest meat-free source of omega-3, omega-6 and omega-9 – are sold roasted, sugar-sweetened and tamari-seasoned by TerrAmazon (the company that also popularized goji berries and Himalayan salt).

By Mitch Albom in Parade magazine:
“Why are we so fascinated with open-air dining? Cows have been doing it for years – but maybe cows don’t know any better. … We leave the comdort of a climate-controlled, gently lit indoor restaurant to sit in 90-degree, humid sunshine that makes us squint. Doesn’t matter. We’re outside! … Eating outside is mostly an art that Martha Stewart or folks in English countryside understand and the rest of us badly imitate. But hey, it’s that time of year. So enjoy yourselves.”

Reported by the Wall Street Journal:
“The Doritos consumer likes action-packed video games and late-night partying and wants that extreme experience to translate to the chips as well. So, its new First-, Second- and Third-Degree Burn chip varieties are made with jalapeno, buffalo and habanero flavors, respectively. “Consumers expect more from a flavor. It’s kind of like moving from regular TV to high-def TV,” says Stephen Kalil, corporate executive research chef at Frito-Lay’s Culinary Innovation Center. Kalil helps brainstorm new flavors. Sweet and Spicy Doritos is an Asian-inspired product with soy, garlic and ginger flavors.

Reported by Bundle:
Bundle, a social money comparison site, released its inaugural annual consumer spending report: “The Average American Household Spent $37,782 in 2009. Last year, U.S. residents averaged $8,668 on shopping, $6,514 on food & drink, $8,026 on health and family expenses, $5,477 on getting around, $2,699 on travel and leisure, and $6,398 on house and home expenses.

Eat In, Eat Out: a magazine-style, full-color business-to-business white paper on food, dining and beverage industry trends. www.americanforecaster.com.)

Visit: www.johnlehndorff.com
Complaints, tirades, comments, critiques? lehndorffj@aol.com

2010 TRENDS: Reverse spherification; Paula Dean skinny-dipping; 7-11 beer; Punishment by cheese

Nibbles is a compendium of food, dining and beverage information from the U.S. and the world edited by John Lehndorff

Reported by Seattle Times:

Chefs are adopting new methods not just because they are adventurous, but because things like sous vide cooking (in a bag under pressure), foam siphons (nitrous oxide-filled whipped-cream dispensers) and anti-griddles (quick-freezing surfaces) make it possible to produce fascinating sensory delights. The white balsamic vinegar traditionally used to spike strawberries with extra acid and sweetness takes on a new character if it’s lightly thickened with gelatin and whipped with air to garnish those same berries. Sweet corn rendered into a creamy liquid and then encapsulated through reverse spherification to form cherry-tomato-sized balls becomes an entirely new vegetable.

Reported by Convenience Store News:
7-Eleven is planning to launch a new private label beer brand, reportedly called Game Day brewed by City Brewing in LaCrosse, Wis. 7-Eleven has visited private label brews more than once in its history. In 1969 7-Eleven offered its own brand beer in 12-ounce pop-top cans.

Reported by MSNBC:
Between 2005 and 2009, the number of bacon-topped burgers at 580 restaurants (measured by Mintel) rose by about 35 percent. A bacon zeitgeist has sprouted. You can sample bacon maple lattes, $14 cocktails with bacon, caffeinated bacon lollipops, gummy bacon, deep-fried bacon with gravy, bacon-flavored chocolate and dental floss, and a chicken stuffed inside a duck that’s crammed into a turkey — all encased by bacon and called a turbaconducken. On May 8, San Francisco is hosting its second annual “BaconCamp,” billed as “an ad-hoc gathering born from the desire for people to share and learn in an open environment about bacon.” (More at the Bacon Today blog.) As Paula Dean said: “A bacon-free diet is like going through life without seeing the Eiffel tower, or without ever skinny-dipping under a full moon. The smell of bacon cooking is in everybody’s memory.”

Reported by AP:

School administrators have found an effective way to crack down on students who engage in food fights: Students at Atlantic City High School were served plain cheese sandwiches for two days this week as punishment for a cellphone-coordinated food fight that broke out recently. One parent likened the American cheese between two dry slices of white bread to “a prison meal.” “I know it’s food they were throwing around, but some people are allergic to cheese,” said senior James Blake. “I can see if they served peanut butter and jelly. But just cheese? It’s ridiculous.”

Listen to Radio Nibbles, John Lehndorff’s weekly food conversation and  commentary program,  at 8:25 a.m. Thursdays on KGNU – 885 FM, 1390 AM, and online at  www.KGNU.org.

Complaints, tirades, comments, critiques?  lehndorffj@aol.com

Visit: www.johnlehndorff.com

Eat In Eat Out: Food trend forecast 2010: http://americanforecaster.com/

Lollipop pies; Medicinal fantasies; Paneer burrito; Steakhouse decine

A compendium of food, dining and beverage trend information from the U.S. and the world

http://luxirare.com/float/ has posted a visual recipe for making lollipop pies:

“After I’ve had a little view on one person’s blog, I move onto the next and the next. All different. All fast, all immediate gratification. Pies, they need to be the same. I want a couple of bites, and I want to be done with it. I want to pop open my bag when I’m hungry and taste a little sweetness. I don’t want commitment. I want to be promiscuous with my food. I want to eat pie, but I don’t want a whole slice- I want to try other flavors too, but for just a little, and move onto another. If I have one slice, I may have guilt hanging over me all day. I want little pies, yes, with more pie crust than filling. 50 calories or less, no guilt. Lolipop-Pies. Rotating flavors. Grab and go. In and out. Blackberry, pumpkin, apple, banana.” 

Reported by Health Magazine and ABC News:

Next time you’re wincing from a migraine, try thinking about rich, sweet chocolate. University of Wisconsin researchers found that people who fantasized about foods they love upped their pain threshold—they could bear more discomfort and anxiety.  Chocolate was the most common food fantasy, reported by 32 percent of the participants. Roast dinners were next (31 percent) followed by pasta (14 percent), pizza (8 percent) and fruit (4 percent.) According to Dr. Hamid Hekmat, lead author of the study:  “We found that food fantasies such as imagining eating your favorite ice cream, chocolate cake or meal had a strong pain-attenuating effect.” 

Reported by the Wall Street Journal:

Taco Bell is off to a promising start in India, with thousands of customers visiting the American fast-food chain’s first Indian outlet daily, even though most have never tasted a taco.  Yum Brands opened its first Taco Bell in Bangalore on March 16 attracteing an average of 2,000 to 2,500 customers each day since then. Taco Bell had to take all the beef out of its regular menu, using chicken instead, and it created many vegetarian options for Indian consumers. Its “Crunchy Taco—Potato” and “Paneer [cheese] and Potato Burritos” are attempts to give Indian consumers a Mexican fast-food experience without the meat.

Reported by Technomic:

Within Top 500 full-service restaurants, the steak category experienced a decline in sales in 2009 of 6.4%, a deeper decrease than the 0.7% decline seen in the prior year. This group continued to be affected by declining customer traffic and check averages, slowing unit expansion and closures. Seafood and Mexican categories also posted below-average results with sales declines of 4.2% and 4.0%, respectively.

Listen to Radio Nibbles, John Lehndorff’s weekly food conversation and  commentary program,  at 8:25 a.m. Thursdays on KGNU – 885 FM, 1390 AM, and online at  www.KGNU.org.

Comments: lehndorffj@aol.com

Visit: www.johnlehndorff.com

Eat In Eat Out: Food trend forecast 2010: http://americanforecaster.com/