Reported by http://www.foodnavigator-usa.com:
A survey released this week commissioned by ConAgra Foods found that many frugal consumer behaviors are likely to remain post-recession, as most consumers (79 percent) still do not feel that the recession is over, and 71 percent said they planned to continue the savings habits they acquired during the economic downturn.
Anthony Bourdain, reported by telegraph.co.uk
“I just had fettuccine cacio e pepe the other day in Rome. It’s basically olive oil, pecorino cheese and black pepper. Not even olive oil for some people – just starchy water. For me, it was a religious experience. I love eating with my wife’s family in Sardinia. And I’m besotted with south-east Asia, particularly Vietnam. I had a bowl of phô in Hanoi – it’s a life-changing dish, and has ruined Western breakfasts for me. If I have signed a book deal and I am giving myself a very special treat, I will go to a criminally, enragingly expensive sushi bar. I will go alone. Once you’ve had really, really good sushi, you can’t go back.”
Reported by UPI.com:
“The American palate has become much more sophisticated,” said Hudson Riehle, senior vice president for research and knowledge management for the National Restaurant Association.
“With the proliferation now of cooking shows on television, it really has resulted in more Americans being exposed to the restaurant industry. … The development and expansion of food preparation programs obviously serves to bolster that growth of the individual coming into the industry. If you just think back 20 years ago, the number of Americans who could name a professional chef would have been minimal.”
Reported by Slashfood.com:
McDonald’s has released a new television commercial in France that shows that its everyone-is-welcome ad campaign includes gays. The ad features a teen boy talking to his boyfriend on the telephone while looking at a photograph of their class. When the teen’s father returns to the table with a tray of McDonald’s grub, the teen hangs up and his father, who is unaware of his son’s sexual preference, tells him its too bad his class is all boys — he could really be a ladies’ man. The teen gives his father a bemused look, and the ad ends with the tagline “venez comme vous etes” or “come as you are.”
Reported by Elephantjournal.com:
“Let us take a look at our dinner plate tonight and ask ourselves, “Am I feeding myself and my family in a way that nourishes our minds, bodies, and spirits?” Then ask yourself, are you truly happy? Do you feel a deep connection with the people around you, with your fellow human race, and planet Earth as a whole? When I eat well and cultivate my highest self with a spiritual practice I feel part of the greater scheme of the Universe. We are all interconnected and take part in the evolutionary process. Our thoughts, actions, and reactions create our world. If we want to see love and compassion reflected around us we must change our hearts and change the kind of foods we feed ourselves.”
Reported by Charlotte Observer :
There’s something in the air along a busy Charlotte area road, and it’s not just exhaust fumes: It’s the smell of grilled steak, courtesy of what appears to be the nation’s first scented highway billboard. The Bloom grocery chain, part of Food Lion, hopes to catch shoppers by the nose by wafting black pepper and charcoal smells from the base of a sign along River Highway. And though businesses like bakeries have been employing aromas to boost sales for years, this is a different frontier designed to cut through the clutter.
Lehndorffj@aol.com
JohnLehndorff.com
Food trend blog: https://johnlehndorff.wordpress.com/
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