Find an answer to the eternal “What’s for dinner?”

What’s for dinner tonight? When am I going to have time to plan, go grocery shopping, and cook the turkey for Thanksgiving dinner? How often do these questions come to mind?

It is difficult for working people to spend time in the kitchen and eat balanced meals. In addition, the economic downturn makes people more careful about eating out.

So what is the alternative?

What are meal assembly kitchens?
Meal assembly businesses or meal preparation businesses -- offer meals that are assembled and ready to cook. For a small cost (from $2.00 to $7.00 per serving), it is an easy alternative for busy people who wish to eat healthy meals at home, without having to go grocery shopping or assemble the ingredients.

Jim Eddy, owner of Dream Dinners in Wheat Ridge, Colo., explains what drives customers to his store.

“We answer the age old question: what’s for dinner?” Eddy wrote in an e-mail interview. “When you consider how much time the average family spends in planning, shopping and preparing dinner, it’s no wonder that more and more people have turned to fast food.  We offer a simple solution.  Guests who use our service will find that most of our meals are ready in 20 minutes or less!  That leaves time for the important things in life: family, fun, and self.”

How does it work?
Meal assembly kitchens provide their customers with ingredients, and recipes. Their customers make an appointment to assemble their meals in the professional kitchen provided by the meal assembly store. At the end of the session, customers go home with a month worth of meals that are freezable.

Meal preparation businesses assemble the meals for their customers. Then, customers can stop by the store at any time, and pick up a meal than is ready to cook.

Four storeowners explain the particularity of their businesses.
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How did it start?
According to Bert Vermeulen, a consultant to the meal assembly industry operating www.easymealprep.com web site, the concept of meal preparation business originated in the Seattle area in 1999.

This business was called Month of Meals. Its creator, Kay Conley, had a web site for people to sign up, and then meet to cook a month worth of meals.

In 2002, Stephanie Allen and Tina Kuna started a business called Dream Dinners, based on the same concept.

“Stephanie and Tina decided to franchise this and promote it,” said Vermeulen. ”Their idea became the largest
franchise in the industry. Their promotion of the concept helped establish the industry in its present form.”

Overtime, the business model has evolved from the meal-assembly kitchens options to the pick-up ready-to-cook meals.

“People choose the ‘Suppers to Go’ option more often now,” said Diane Herman, owner of Supper Solutions in Fort Collins, Colo.

According to Vermeulen, it is much harder for storeowners to retain customers with the meal-preparation business.

 “Pickup meals work for a while, but it is much harder to establish customer loyalty: there are so many other places where one can pick up meals to be cooked at home,” said Vermeulen.

Has this industry been affected by the economic slow down?
The meal preparation industry seems to be thriving during a time when most businesses struggle to make ends meet.
Meal preparation businesses buy ingredients in bulk in order to provide low servings cost.

“The economy has forced many people to change the way they eat,” said Eddy. “They eat out less, but still want high quality, simple meals: we are the next logical step. “

Diane Herman, owner of Supper Solutions in Fort Collins, Colo., agrees:

“The economy has been interesting this year,” Herman said. “I have seen it drive many people into looking more closely at their food budget. This has actually helped me when they see that they can actually save money using Supper Solutions.”

However, some report a slow down in their business. Beckie Hemmerling, owner of The Organic Dish in Boulder, Colo., says that she is down 5 percent, even with having a close relationship with her customers:

“We are pretty close to our customers, so we have a huge retention rate,” Hemmerling said in a phone interview.

All storeowners expressed the difficulty to market this unique business model, as people still don’t really understand to concept.

“People don’t understand our concept: it’s difficult to get more new people in,” Hemmerling said.

At this time, word-of–mouth seems to be the best advertising option for meal preparation businesses.

Who uses meal assembly kitchens?
Andy Potter, founder of Hand it to Mom in Evergreen, Colo., summarized the typical profile of meal assembly/preparation customers.

Where can I find a meal assembly kitchen?
“There are currently about 650 meal assembly businesses distributed around the US and Canada,” said Vermeulen.


View Meal Assembly Businesses in a larger map

For meal assembly kitchen outside the Front Range area, please check the following web sites:
Easy Meal Prep
Meal Assembly

Other Meal Assembly Businesses

Contemporary Cook 
Super Suppers
Let's Dish
Dinners Ready
Dinner My Way
Entrees Made Easy
Dream Dinners
Supper Thyme USA


Related Articles
Meal-assembly franchise offers customers hands-on dinner role 
Gourmet Stockpiling
Meal-Assembly Kitchens Feeling The Heat 
Pre-prepared meal companies entice time-starved families
Meal-assembly kitchens aim to make life a little easier 
Bring the restaurant home  
Putting a Trend To the Test 

2009 Beaujolas Nouveau is almost here!

As every year, the third Thursday of November marks the release of Beaujolais Nouveau. And, as always, Beaujolais Nouveau will display the very first bottles with the 2009 vintage label.

This young wine is made from the gamay grapes in the southern part of Burgundy. The grapes are fermented quickly, which results in a light, fruity, festive and inexpensive wine. It usually marks the end of the harvest, and was originally created to use the excess grapes that were not used for other wines.

Beaujolais Nouveau will be available for retail on Thursday, November 19th.

Related articles:

Beaujolais Nouveau is Coming

It's Nouveau and Novello time in Toronto again

Rootstock: Peace, love & beaujolais nouveau

Good Food Around Fort Collins, Colorado

Here is a map of my favorite places to eat around Fort Collins:


View Good Food Around Fort Collins in a larger map

Comments on Meal Assembly Businesses?

I am working on a story about meal assembly businesses such as Super Suppers, Dinners Ready or Dream Dinners. I would love to hear your comments on your experience with meal assembly kitchens: which franchise/ business did you try? How was the food? How often do you use prepared meals?

Please share your experience with the rest of us!

A deeper look at Raw Foodism

Listen to the story



Raw foodism is a dietary trend and way of life promoting the consumption of uncooked food (food that has not been heated above 118 °F). A person is considered a raw foodist if, at least, three-quarter of his or her diet consist of uncooked, unpasteurized, unprocessed and often organic food.



There are three major types of raw foodists:


•    Raw vegetarians – exclude meat, fish and poultry, but consume eggs and dairy; most foods consumed are raw

•    Raw vegans – exclude all animal products; most foods consumed are raw

•    Raw omnivores - both plant-based and animal based foods are mainly consumed raw



Michelle Finley, a 34-year-old mother of two, adopted the living-food lifestyle almost a year ago.



“I would say I have been raw since December, but I have not been one 100 percent raw,” Finley said. 



Raw foodists believe that heating food above 118°F destroys food's protein and vitamin content, food's natural enzymes, good bacterias and nutrients present in raw food. Furthermore, raw food dieters claim that raw food is “living food”, and add many health benefits to one’s life, such as increased energy, weight loss, reduced risk of heart disease and improved skin appearance. 



“The whole idea is that your body cleanse itself instead of spending time digesting,” Finley said.



Furthermore, raw foodism fans maintain that this diet delays aging, prevents or cures virtually all life-threatening diseases, and increases spiritual enlightenment and inner contentment

.

“If anyone had told me about the spiritual aspect of it, I would have gone raw sooner,” Finley said. “What I experienced is that I feel happier.”



Some may think that raw foodism is a low maintenance diet. It actually requires a lot of preparation time and the right ingredients can be difficult to come by outside major cities. Because ovens are banned, raw food dieters use dehydrators, food processors and juice extractors for the preparation of their meals.

Most of us could probably loose a few pounds, and could eliminate the consumption of unnecessary processed food such as refined sugars or fast food, in order to feel healthier and more energized.

However, nutritionists do not recommend this diet for the long term.

April Brigham, nutritionist and owner of Super Suppers in Fort Collins, Colo., recommends adding raw food to one’s diet, but in moderation.

"I think everybody can use a little bit more raw food in their diet in general," said Brigham. "It is not going to hurt the average person to go on a raw food diet for a week, two weeks, a month even. But you can really get into health problems in the long term."

Nutritionists warn raw food dieters against risk of malnutrition and vitamins and minerals deficiencies.

“ If you are first starting a raw diet, you can experience malnutrition pretty quickly," Brigham said. "The most balanced diet that I have seen throughout my studies is one where you get 30 percent of your calories from fat, at least 30 percent of your calories from proteins, and about 40 percent of your calories from carbohydrates,” Brigham said. “And you can take all your carbohydrates from raw food. That would be great.”



Some of the ingredients used in raw foodism include:

• Fresh fruits and vegetables
• Agave syrup (a natural sweetener)
• Raw cacao
• Nuts and seeds: almonds, cashews, hemp seed nuts, macadamia nuts, pecans, pine nuts...etc
• Coconut oil and butter
• SeaweedBee pollen and honey
• Goji Berries
• Sprouts




 

Restaurants serving raw food



• 105 Degrees

• Pure Food and Wine

• Tasty Harmony

• The Tree of Life Rejuvenation Center

• 118 degrees

Twitter embarks into the wine business

Twitter, the social networking and micro-blogging site, is embarking into a new venture: wine!

Twitter is launching a wine label called Fledgling Wine in partnership with Crushpad, custom winemaking service based out of San Francisco, and Room to Read, a non-profit organization promoting global education.

Twitter's fans can now pre-order the 2009 Fledging Pinot Noir and the 2009 Fledging Chardonnay for $20.00 per bottle. For each bottle sold, $5.00 will go to Room to Read in order to bring books, libraries and literacy to people in the poorest areas around the world.

With this initiative, Twitter hopes that, by increasing literacy, Twitter will grow as well.

The wine will not be bottled until the fall of 2010. In the meantime, buyers will be able to follow its progression through twitter.com

Twitter breaks into the wine biz 

Twitter Chooses Room to Read as Their First Corporate Social Innovation Partner

Twitter Will Sell No Wine Before Its Time (But They Will Sell Wine)

World Food Day

World Food Day, observed each Oct. 16, is a worldwide event designed to raise awareness about hunger.

World Food Day also marks the anniversary of the day the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, which was founded in 1945. The first World Food Day was observed in 1981.

The World Food Day website gives tips on how each one of us can help:

♣    Increase Awareness -- provide a briefing on the issues for the media; promote WFD.
♣    Increase Understanding -- work with schools and colleges; plan a community seminar.
♣    Increase Information -- help in coordinating a research project on community food security.
♣    Increase Support -- hold a fund raiser for local and/or international projects
♣    Increase Advocacy -- seek policy commitments from public officials (or candidates).
♣    Increase Networking -- use WFD to bring together people, ideas and resources.
♣    Increase Year-Around Action-- seek to involve people in on-going service/support.
♣    Increase Impact -- devise a means to measure the year to year progress you are making; consider World Food Day the "annual meeting" for hunger activists.

Colorado State University's Cans Around the Oval Expands to Denver, Castle Rock and Steamboat

The end of Gourmet Magazine

Gourmet Magazine is closing its doors after a 68 years old publication life.

The culinary magazine had been the pillar of upscale recipes since 1941.

The culinary magazine was a pioneer in the food magazine industry for defining sophisticated cuisine, for featuring celebrity chefs and for illustrating elegant recipes.

It combined articles about gourmet food, wine, travel destination, hotels, restaurants and purveyors, and simply ignored frugality.

But the loss of subscribers and ad sales contributed to its severe decline.

Gourmet magazine will remain on the Internet at www.gourmet.com for the time being.

Times have changed, and younger generations don’t have much time to spend in front of the stove anymore. The new trends in cooking seem to be the “quick, easy and cheap” recipes.

A Step Back to Subjectivity

I love eating great food and drinking good wine, but I think what I love even more about the fine dining industry is what is going on behind the swinging doors of a kitchen.

Having worked in fine dining restaurants for many years, I have learned that it takes more than good recipes and techniques to make a great dish: it takes passion, attention to details and a lot of hard work.

Unlike many chefs that I met along my time working in restaurants, Jason Shaeffer seems to have evaded “catching” the well known “chef’s attitude”, or the “I never mess up” syndrome.

What I like about Jason is that he does not claim talent, but he attributes his success to hard work and dedication.

Looking through his steps, one can easily see that Shaeffer was not afraid to step down just so he could learn from the best chefs. He went from being at the top of the food chain (executive chef) back to sous chef, many times in his career.

So really, at the end of the day, I believe that great human beings are the reason for great food and great wines.

A chef’s look at the restaurant business: Jason Shaeffer on the art of fine dining

By Julie Moore

Jason Shaeffer was the winner of a cooking competition that took place at the Sustainable Living Fair in Fort Collins, Colo., on Sept. 20, 2009. He prepared three dishes in one hour, and only used cooking ingredients from a 300 miles radius of Fort Collins, Colo.

Shaeffer is the chef and owner of Chimney Park Restaurant and Bar in Windsor, Colo. He purchased the business in July 2007. 

I was lucky enough to sit down and spend an hour talking with Chef Shaeffer about his career, the restaurant business and how he deals with the economic slowdown. So, who is Jason Shaeffer?

Jason Shaeffer sitting at the bar of Chimney Park Restaurant and Bar in Windsor, Colo., during the interview.

A businessman in a tough economy

In today’s economy, the food and wine industry is suffering as much as any other industries.

“Business is down somewhere in the neighborhood of 20 to 25 percent,” Shaeffer said.

As fewer customers are walking through the restaurants’ front door, Shaeffer had to adapt.

“We have been cutting back on cost, and the biggest cost that I can control is labor,” Shaeffer said.

Shaeffer is not only the owner and executive chef of Chimney Park Restaurant and Bar, but, in the last year, he has also become the general manager, the chef de cuisine, the party planner and sometimes the bartender.

“There are so many things that I can do myself: I can cut salaries and be able to survive,” Shaeffer said.

When looking at restaurants going out of business, Shaeffer says that some of those places may be too big, which requires them to spend too much money on salaries for managers.

From insurance to linen and phone services, Shaeffer is looking at every aspect of his business to save money. But the one thing he is not willing to sacrifice is food:

“We are not going to buy an inferior product; we are not going to compromise what we put on the table,” Shaeffer said.

A driven apprentice

Shaeffer, a Virginia native, started to spend time in restaurants’ kitchens while he was still in high school.

“I just fell in love with it, and I decided I liked it enough to pursue it as a career,” Shaeffer said.

By 18, Shaeffer had become a kitchen manager at a small restaurant called The Whaling Station, in Outer Banks, N.C.

“I learned then that you have to sacrifice things you want to do to pursue a career and that you have to be serious about it,” Shaeffer said.

Today, Shaeffer still remembers his early mentor, Glenn Perry, the manager at the Whaling Station.

“Glenn was the manager at the Whaling Station, and he is the first person that taught me how to cook; he taught me a lot of basics about the business,” Shaeffer said.

While pursuing an associate degree in culinary arts at Johnson and Wales from 1990 to 1992, Shaeffer worked full time, waiting tables and cooking.

From then, Shaeffer was not to be stopped from learning as much as he could. At 21, he became an executive chef at one of the largest hotels on the Virginia Beach oceanfront before spending four years at Elizabeth's Café and Winery in Duck, N.C., as an executive chef.

An experienced chef

After gaining experience in various environments, Shaeffer moved to San Diego where he worked for several acclaimed chefs.

He was first employed by Trey Foshee, who won the Food and Wine 1998 Best New Chef Award, at George’s at the Cove in LaJolla, Calif.

After that, Shaeffer worked his way up from sous chef at Laurel Restaurant and Bar to executive chef of Laurel Restaurant and Bar, and the Winesellar and Brasserie in San Diego, Calif.

A few years later, Shaeffer flew to New York City to work as chef de cuisine at Artisanal, under Terrance Brennan, for about six months.

Subsequently, Shaeffer opened the famous New York restaurant Per Se, as a sous chef, under Chef Thomas Keller.

“To eventually work for Thomas, not only was it a dream, but when it became a reality, it was just unbelievable that I worked for somebody that has such an influence on the way food is being done these days”, Shaeffer said.

Two years later, Shaeffer was back in San Diego, at the Hotel Del Coronado, to open 1500 Ocean.

“It was the first time that I was going to do my own food; I wasn’t going to work for another chef”, Shaeffer said.

Success was immediate, but two years later, Shaeffer was on the move again. This time, he became the sole owner of Chimney Park Restaurant and Bar, in Windsor, Colo., which he purchased in July 2007.

Jenni Havel, a former employee at Chimney Park, has good memories about working for Shaeffer.

“Jason is a really great person, and he is fun to be around,” Havel said. “I remember him as having a laid back approach to management. He always kept the staff involved in changes and was open for input.”

A community supporter

 “Part of our success comes from sourcing out fresh, local ingredients," Shaeffer said. "We are using ingredients that are grown right here in Colorado and that are at the peak of the season.”

Shaeffer supports local food producers such as Hazel Dell Mushrooms, Wolf Moon Farms, Northern Colorado Poultry, Spomer Ranch and Meyer Natural Angus.

Karen McManus, from Wolf Moon Farms, says that she is honored that her company is mentioned on the menu of Chimney Park.

“Growing good food for Chimney Park has been a great experience,” McManus said.

 Jim Hammond, owner of Hazel Dell Mushrooms, is equally flattered to see his company's name on Shaeffer’s menu.

“Having our name on the menu certainly increases the awareness in the community about our unique business, and that is a big plus for any company,” Hammond said.

Shaeffer also gives back to the community. Through Chimney Park Restaurant and Bar, Shaeffer offers apprenticeships for the Culinary School of the Rockies and donates his service to fundraisers such as Operation Frontline Colorado, Partners Mentoring Youth, and Sexually Assaulted Victims Advocacy Center (SAVA).

Bobby Hill, retired president of Universal Forest Products, and a patron of Chimney Park Restaurant and Bar, values Shaeffer’s contributions to the community:

“He is a good person that involves himself in his community through sincere philanthropic activity,” Hill said.

Four months after a violent tornado damaged part of Windsor, Colo. in May 2008, Shaeffer, along with other restaurant owners, organized the Ruby Slipper Progressive Dinner. The money raised by this event went to local storm victims.

An acclaimed chef and a humble man

Over the years, Shaeffer has accumulated many accolades and awards.

Bon Appétit magazine awarded Shaeffer’s gnudi recipe as Dish of the Year 2006, and the San Diego press covered every move Shaeffer made, especially during his time at 1500 Ocean.

Many of his customers also attest of his talents. Bobby Hill, a loyal customer, says:

“As a chef, Jason is talented beyond his years. The personality of the restaurant consists of quality, service and a warm atmosphere. Support of a local business with these characteristics is a pleasure.”

Despite his impressive resume and years of success, Shaeffer is a modest community member.

“I live a fairly simple life,” Shaeffer said. “When I am out of my restaurant, I am not that demanding. The best meal that I can have is one that is home-cooked and that I don’t actually have to cook."

Furthermore, Shaeffer usually signs his emails as “Champion Potato Peeler” and advertises that he will share his “cheesy” knowledge with customers attending his monthly cheese and wine tastings.

Despite the many years Shaeffer spent with top chefs around the country, he still likes to improve his skills by learning new recipes and cooking techniques in order to stay on top of his cooking game.


A restaurant owner

For Shaeffer, the key ingredients for a successful restaurant are “great food, great service and an inviting and warm environment,” Shaeffer said. 

Russ Donnan, Chief Information Officer at Kroll Factual Data and a patron a Chimney Park Restaurant and Bar, finds these attributes in Shaeffer’s restaurant.

“My wife and I love Chimney Park,” Donnan said. “We continue to go back to Chimney Park for the incredible combination of flavors and the freshest ingredients.  The hospitality of the Executive Chef and owner, Jason Shaeffer and his staff keep calling us back time and time again.”

Joanie Hill, Bobby Hill’s wife, agrees with Donnan.

“Jason has brought a whole new level of fine dining to the Northern Colorado region,” Joanie Hill said.

But Shaeffer also admits that, in order to reunite these key ingredients, it takes a lot of hard work, experience and dedication. Shaeffer confesses that, in this industry, cash flow can be tight, and staff turnover is often high.

“It’s a pretty tough business,” Shaeffer said.

According to Shaeffer, the actual profit margin in fine dining restaurant is quite low compared to other industries, usually around ten percent, which requires restaurant owners to run tight margins on food and beverages.

“There are much better investments out there,” Shaeffer said. “Most people do this just for the love of food.”

Jason Shaeffer talks about the impact of the economy on the food industry

Glossary 

• Chef: A chef is a person who cooks professionally.
• Executive chef: In a professional kitchen setting, the term is used for the one person in charge of all things related to the kitchen such as menu creation, management, scheduling, and payroll of entire kitchen staff, ordering, and plating design.
• Chef de cuisine: Chef de cuisine is the traditional French term from which the English word chef comes, and is more common in European kitchens. Executive chef is more common in the U.S. and England. 
• Head Chef: Head chef is often used to designate someone with the same duties as an executive chef, but there is usually someone in charge of them, possibly making the larger executive decisions such as direction of menu, final authority in staff management decisions, etc. This is often the case for chefs with several restaurants.
• Sous chef: The sous chef is the direct assistant of the executive chef and is second in command. They may be responsible for scheduling, and filling in when the executive chef is off-duty. The sous chef will also assist the line cook when needed.

Related Articles
Ruby Slipper dinner gives tornado victims a night of decadent food, relaxation
1500 Ocean Review
The view is just a side dish at the Hotel Del's 1500 Ocean
Got game? Exotic meats gain popularity with cook
Chef Jason Shaeffer of Chimney Park talk and recipe

Jason Shaeffer’s Media Resources
Food Arts
RestaurantOwner.com
StarChefs.com
Create TV

Le Fooding D'Amour Paris-New York

P.S.1 Contemporary Arts Center in New York is showcasing an event called "Le Fooding D'Amour Paris-New York" this September 25-26.

Each night, the festivities will start with a taste of French cheeses paired with Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label champagne. Then guests will be able to sample culinary creation from  young and unknown chefs from Paris and New-York before attending a multimedia show at 9 pm.

Le fooding is a combination of the word food and the word feeling. Le fooding is a French company that was created in 2000 in order to influence young chefs to create casual food in relaxed atmosphere, and break away from the traditional French culinary scene.

"Le Fooding D'Amour Paris-New York" will gather chefs, mixologists, butchers, ice-cream maker, DJs and graphic designers in order to attract all senses.

Some of the innovative chefs that will be offering their gastronomic creations include: Daniel Boulud and Olivier Muller from DB Bistro Moderne's; Chef Alberto Herraiz of "El Fogon" in Paris; Chef Julie Farias of "The General Greene"; Chef Sean Rembold "Diner"; and, Yves Camdeborde of "Le Comptoir du Relais" in Paris.

All proceeds will be donated to Action Against Hunger.

Le Fooding d'Amour

•    When: Fri 9/25 - Sat 9/26 (7PM)

•    Where: P.S. 1 Contemporary Art Center

•    Address: 22-25 Jackson Avenue at 46th Avenue Long Island City, NY  

•    Cost: $30

Related Articles:
http://www.starchefs.com/news/press_releases/html/newsdetails.php?news_id=2373 
http://www.papermag.com/?section=article&parid=3407
http://themoment.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/09/24/for-the-moment-le-fooding-4/ 

Penfolds 1957 Shiraz St. Henri sells for U.S $6,991

At the annual Penfolds Wine Auction in Sydney, Australia, 1957 Shiraz St. Henri sells for U.S $6,991 against an estimate of $750-$1000.

Penfolds, one of Australia's oldest wineries, is mostly renowned because of its prestigious Grange. Grange was developed by Max Schubert, and is considered Australia's most desirable and expensive wine.

St. Henri, created by Schubert’s subordinate, John Davoren, was never valued as highly as Grange. It was usually drunk rather than being kept, which makes it rare today. This Australian wine, which was not considered a collectible item, sold at a record price.

Penfolds was founded in 1844 by British physician Christopher Rawson Penfold, and is now part of the beverage giant Foster's Group.

Food Safety Web Site

Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced the creation of http://www.foodsafety.gov — a web site designed to feature information from all federal government agencies that deal with critical food and food safety information.

The Web site is a joint effort between HHS, the Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to keep people safe from unhealthy food and critical food recalls.

Consumers can sign up to receive instant e-mail alerts and RSS alerts on recalled or potentially unsafe food for humans and pets. The web site also includes preventive tips about how to handle food safely and the latest news from the key agencies.

"The highest mission of any government is keeping its citizens safe. In this administration, we see public health as an essential part of that mission and this new website as an essential way we will can help keep people safe from unhealthy food and food handling practices and up-to-date on critical food recalls," Secretary Sebelius said. "Consumers no longer will have to search around in different places trying to figure out which agency manages which food product. All the information that they will need will be one easy place at foodsafety.gov."

Related Articles

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_FOOD_SAFETY_WEB_SITE?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

http://www.catchannel.com/news/2009/09/11/us-website-to-include-pet-food-recalls.aspx

http://www.reuters.com/article/pressRelease/idUS157743+09-Sep-2009+BW20090909

Winemaking: An art or a science?

The University of B.C.'s Wine Research Centre has received $3.4 million in funding from Genome BC and Genome Canada in order to develop a hand-held device that would help winemakers monitor proteins in grapes throughout the seasons. This project will also study how yeast cells use genes to adapt the fermentation process.

In order to estimate harvest dates, growers have been monitoring pH and sugar levels at the end of the growth process. However, there are currently no ways to monitor the berry or vine earlier in the season.

"Essentially, we are trying to put more advanced tools into the hands of producers," says Dr. Steven Lund of UBC.

In order to understand what makes a great wine, I interviewed Porter Elliot, a professional wine lover, who works for Winegardner's Wines, a wine distributor, in Bozeman, Mont. 

In this podcast, he describes how he chooses wines, the difference in winemaking between old world and new world, and tells us a story about the birth of the winemaking art. His passion for wine is very inspiring so enjoy!

Porter Elliot (right) sharing a bottle of 2006 Montee de Tonnerre Chablis Premier Cru with friends.

Related articles: http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/Genome-British-Columbia-1041812.html

Lazy Labor Day

Simple, fresh and delicious is the program for a fun and laid-back weekend.

Labor day officially announces the end of the summer, so let’s make it count! 

Whether you are having friends over, a family gathering or a relaxing stay-in time, Labor Day should be a lazy day for everyone, especially the cook.

Here are a few links to easy and delightful recipes that should please most lazy gourmets:

•    Garlic Shrimp
•    Chevre and Artichoke Spread
•    Smoked Salmon Dip
•    Eggplant Caviar
•    Blueberry Soup

To top it off, I would recommend white wine sangria. Cocktail-Guru.com has a great recipe that you may find here.

Enjoy your weekend and be safe!

Asparagus helps fight hangovers

It seems that we should add an asparagus dish to our late summer barbecues.

A study conducted by the Institute of Medical Science and Jeju National University in Korea revealed that the amino acids and minerals in asparagus extract protect liver cells against toxins from alcohol use (a copy of this study can be found through the Institute of Food Technologists web site).

The Michigan Asparagus Advisory Board also recommends asparagus’ consumption because of its wealth of nutrients (folic acid, potassium, thiamin and vitamin B6) and its low sodium and calorie content.

Your guests can now eat healthy, drink safely and have fun at your next get together!

Tamara Sellman offers an asparagus gratin recipe: perfect for late summer asparagus.

Introduction...

 Hello,

My name is Julie, and I would like to briefly introduce myself and my blog in this first post.

I was born and raised in the beautiful region of Burgundy, France. At age 19, I traveled by plane for the first time and landed in Montana. There, I fell in love with a cowboy.

Ignoring language barrier and cultural differences, I quickly left my French life to live on a Montana ranch with my husband.

A few years later, my husband’s acceptance to Colorado State University Veterinary School brought us to Fort Collins.

At that time, my English had improved, and it was time for me to think about college. I first started studying computer science, before changing my mind:  I am currently pursuing a Technical Journalism bachelor with a concentration in computer-mediated communication.

In addition to my academic career, I have been working at Hewlett Packard as a software engineer intern since March 2008.

Graduation is only nine months away, and I am looking forward to new challenges. I love writing, photography, web and graphic design, and I hope to improve my skills in those areas.

My other passions include food, wine and cooking.

I will use this blog to talk about the many benefits of food and wine in one’s life.

So let’s eat, drink and be merry!