Archive for December, 2008

The History of Candy Canes: The Myth, and the Legend

Peppermint sticks were originally among the food decorations that were made exclusively for Christmas tree beginnings well over 400 years ago.  They were long sticks of peppermint, rather than the canes we are used to now.  The sticks were simply balanced on the Christmas Tree branches.
The hooked candy cane came later:
The first historical reference to the [...]

December 11, 2008  Tags: ,   Posted in: Fun Food Facts  One Comment

Is Afghanistan Ready to Trade Poppies for Pomegranates?

Infrastructure Problems Say All Answers Lead to No
The Afghanistan economy has been described as a 19th century model lodged into a 21st century world.  It is a net importer of food and a net exporter of just one product–poppy derivatives like heroin and opium.  So far this has kept the country afloat.  But, the market for the local poppies [...]

December 10, 2008  Tags: , ,   Posted in: Politics  No Comments

Burger King Pops Whopper Virgins’ Cherries. Says He’ll Call, Doesn’t.

What could Burger King’s PR people be thinking? Probably that if they produced something outrageous, everyone would write about it, as I am now doing. Burger King spent a fortune to go to the ends of the earth and ask people who supposedly had never eaten a hamburger before whether they preferred a Whopper to [...]

December 9, 2008  Tags: ,   Posted in: Fun Food Facts, Science & Technology, Uncategorized  No Comments

Brazil Allows Some Illegal Deforestation?

Following-up my post about deforestation and shade-grown coffee, I came across this gem in the Economist:
Brazil’s government pledged to cut the amount of illegal deforestation in the Amazon over the next decade to 5,000 sq km (1,930 square miles) a year, or less than half the current rate. This followed the release of data showing [...]

December 8, 2008  Tags: ,   Posted in: Politics  No Comments

KFC Challenge: 0, Home-Made Meals: 1

I don’t know about you, but I am tired of fast-food restaurants billing themselves as the go-to answer for all of our food concerns.  Take the recent string of commercials by KFC: they challenge an “average family” to procure items needed to make a KFC dinner at lower cost than at the restaurant.  Needless to say, the family is stumped.  [...]

December 8, 2008  Tags: , , , , ,   Posted in: Health, Uncategorized  No Comments

Saving the Rain Forest One Latte at Time with Shade-Grown Coffee

You know that slightly annoying, hippy-ish/yuppy-ish guy who visits the trendy coffee shop every day, who brings his own cup and always tips the barista? Well, if he’s ordering the organic, fair-trade, shade-grown coffee, you can add saving the forests to his list of virtuous habits.
Jane Goodall, scientist turned environmental activist, has seen first-hand the [...]

December 7, 2008  Tags: , , ,   Posted in: Uncategorized  One Comment

Health Halos: How Eating at Subway Can Make You Fatter than Eating at McDonald’s

Health Halos
Researchers Pierre Chandon and Brian Wansink investigated whether the perceived healthiness of particular fast food restaurants influenced consumer perception of the calories they consume there.  This umbrella effect caused by health branding is called a health halo. Over the course of several experiments, the researchers discovered that Subway’s branding as healthy fast-food leads consumers to consistently underestimate the number of [...]

December 5, 2008  Tags: , , , ,   Posted in: Health, Science & Technology  One Comment

The Hunger Challenge–Could You Live On $21 a Week?

Lessons for Us All:
The Hunger Challenge:
Taking the Hunger Challenge meant living for a week on the same budget allotted to those in the Food Stamp program.  Gayle Keck, from the San Francisco Food Bank, challenged bloggers and politicians alike to eat healthily and to not go hungry on $21 over 7 days, which is about [...]

December 3, 2008  Tags: , , , ,   Posted in: Health, Politics  5 Comments

Jones Soda Holiday Flavors Are Back!

Some rejoice, others remember the sensation of reguritated liquid ham or unpleasant aftertastes.  However you celebrate it, Jones Soda has brought back their holiday flavor packs.  They have ditched the Turkey and Gravy flavor in favor of tamer holiday spirits–Candy Cane, Pear Tree, and Mele Kalikimaka (a pineapple and coconut combo).
I ask Jones Soda, where is [...]

December 2, 2008  Tags: ,   Posted in: Fun Food Facts  2 Comments

Why Aren’t There Nutrition Fact Labels on Alcohol?

Background
On November 8, 1990, George Bush Senior signed into law the Nutrition Labeling and Education Act (see NLEA or for an abbreviated description of the act click here).  The act made nutrition facts commonplace on packaged foods.  The problem is that the NLEA covers foods only under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Food & Drug Administration, and alcoholic beverages are not under [...]

December 1, 2008  Tags: , , ,   Posted in: Politics  4 Comments