The funniest thing I’ve seen so far this week: Audrae Erickson, president of the Corn Refiners Association, telling the Wall Street Journal the other day that the mini-trend of food companies switching from high-fructose corn syrup to sugar is “nothing more than a marketing gimmick.” The Corn Refiners Association is little more than one giant marketing gimmick. This is the outfit that put together the ” Sweet Surprise... 

SPIT: good times Hard to tell which phrase would strike more fear in the heart of Napa: finances that are “very weak” or “on life support.” Even foreclosure has been the fate of 10 vineyards in the valley that once was called “Eden.” But probably the scariest phrase is this: “High-rollers are discovering that there are lots of drinkable $20 to $40 bottles of wine.” ["Vineyard Defaults Surge as... 

A recent survey by Foodminds , a PR firm working with food companies, provides some interesting  stats on the triangular relationship consumer-brand-regulator. Americans clearly welcome increased government involvement in food and nutrition issues, particularly when it comes to labeling. Among the interesting findings: 93% of shoppers ranked the Nutrition Facts panel as a very or somewhat useful tool, followed by front-of-pack information (low... 

Just looking at this picture, I’d say it looked I just took a trip to my beloved Provence. But I did not. This was taken at the Getty Villa in California last week, in between two workshops. If I did not know any better I’d think these were shot right outside the window of the house where I grew up. Cherry blossoms. Figs just starting to budd. Olive …  Read More →

Sautéed with prosciutto, garlic and crushed red pepper, broccoli rabe combines with Cannellini beans and small pasta to become a standout side or a satisfying meal in its own right. Recipe below,… [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]  Read More →

Yet another wave of food recalls has food safety, food additives and FDA’s changing role in food enforcement in the news. The argument for real food just keeps getting stronger. On March 4,… [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]  Read More →

An easy, homemade turkey soup simmered in a CrockPot. My favorite cure. A certain soup slurping and prickly individual (we won’t name names, to protect the innocent) has been feeling under the weather for so long now the sensation is in danger of becoming a habit. Yes, the tree pollen onslaught continues. Blessed by a wet winter, Southern California trees are celebrating with copious amounts of… © 2005-2010 Gluten  Read More →

Either one you choose would be a great option for breakfast, brunch or even a dinner. I love frittatas because the variations are endless and they’re cooked up and on the table in no time. A simple zucchini and onion frittata has graced our table many times. Mix your eggs with a little bit of milk, grated romano cheese, fresh basil, parsley salt and pepper. Pour over your sauteed zucchini and onions, when your egg mixture starts to set,... 

As some of you may have guessed from my column this week in the newspaper, I love Burgundy. I love to drink it, think about it, talk about it and write about it.  Read More →

Paul Draper is, without question, one of the world’s great winemakers. Even though he has every reason to be an egotistical blowhard, he remains humble and democratic in spirit, asking sincere questions of those around him and quick to point to his team as the reason for the winery’s success. It may sound absurd to think that a winemaker’s personality is as discernible in the glass as the terroir , but that combination of curiosity, humility,... 

Daniel Angerer, chef and owner of Klee Brasserie in Manhattan’s Chelsea district, has mounted a rather clumsy and fairly gross publicity stunt: serving cheese made with his wife’s breast milk . Great restaurants and great chefs don’t have to rely on gimmicks. And great chefs care more about food than they do about attention. Angerer is an Iron Chef winner. ” ‘I think a lot of the criticism has to do with the combination... 

Yoplait has a new Greek style yogurt out. There’s a massive marketing campaign tie in to the new Clash of the Titans movie and Athena portraying actress Izabella Miko . Strong woman eats good yogurt. Greek gods, Greek Yogurt, Yadda yadda… The yogurt pack prominently displays “2X Protein..of the leading yogurt”. Wonder what that means. We decided to take a look inside the nutrition label and ingredient list to see if this... 

The Ethicurean has been nominated for a TreeHugger.com Best of Green award, in the Food & Health category . The Best of Green Awards recognize “the people, companies and ideas doing the best in walking the sustainability walk within their respective fields,” and the candidates are suggested by readers and winnowed by the editors. Then you get to vote . Starting today and running until Friday, April 2, 2010, you can vote once... 

The “trade down” effect for fast-food restaurants is over in the United States. During hard times, companies like McDonald ’s (MCD) benefit from people eating on the cheap rather than at pricier sit-down restaurants. At least, they benefit for a while. If things don’t improve soon enough, the effect vanishes. It pretty much has for McDonald’s.  Read More →

Friday was a rare moment in the legislative sun for the subject of wine direct shipping in the Maryland, where, as we discussed, is a felony to ship wine . Consumers and wine industry experts gave testimony before a committee. Tom Wark, executive director of the Specialty Wine Retailers’ Association, who was there writes via email: “Huge turnout in favor of shipping. Largest contingent of consumers I’ve ever seen at such a...