WebProNews

Tag: Food

  • Here’s What 200 Calories Looks Like in Different Foods [VIDEO]

    We know that humans (depending on many factors, of course) require somewhere between 2000 and 2700 calories per day to maintain. But sometimes it’s hard to know just how many calories you’re putting in your body. Volume simply isn’t a good measurement. That’s because some foods are more calorie dense than others.

    So, what’s a good unit to know? How about 200 calories. What does that look like in different foods? For instance, did you know that you could eat and entire heaping plate of broccoli before you hit 200 calories, but just half a slice of pepperoni pizza?

    Ok, let’s face it. We’re all just making bad choices. You know that sugary cereal looked good.

    [AsapSCIENCE]

  • Paula Deen: Racist Accusations Bring Shocking Admissions

    Paula Deen–who has built an empire out of Southern cooking, charm, and butter–is involved in a lawsuit by one of her former employees, and now the 66-year old is facing backlash after portions of her deposition were leaked.

    Deen is accused by Lisa Jackson–who used to work at Paula’s Oyster House in Georgia–of using the “N” word more than once and says Paula’s brother, Bubba, sexually harassed her. Deen admits to using the racial slur, but never towards Jackson.

    According to TMZ, one portion of the depo reads:

    Lawyer: Have you ever used the N-word yourself?
    Paula: Yes, of course.

    Lawyer: Okay. In what context?
    Paula: Well, it was probably when a black man burst into the bank that I was working at and put a gun to my head.

    Sidenote — Paula was held up at gunpoint during a bank robbery in 1986.

    Lawyer: Okay. And what did you say?
    Paula: Well, I don’t remember, but the gun was dancing all around my temple … I didn’t — I didn’t feel real favorable towards him.

    Lawyer: Okay. Well, did you use the N-word to him as he pointed a gun in your head at your face?
    Paula: Absolutely not.

    Lawyer: Well, then, when did you use it?
    Paula: Probably in telling my husband.

    Lawyer: Okay. Have you used it since then?
    Paula: I’m sure I have, but it’s been a very long time.

    Lawyer: Can you remember the context in which you have used the N-word?
    Paula: No.

    Lawyer: Has it occurred with sufficient frequency that you cannot recall all of the various context in which you’ve used it?
    Paula: No, no.

    Lawyer: Well, then tell me the other context in which you’ve used the N-word?
    Paula: I don’t know, maybe in repeating something that was said to me.

    Lawyer: Like a joke?
    Paula: No, probably a conversation between blacks. I don’t — I don’t know. But that’s just not a word that we use as time has gone on. Things have changed since the ’60s in the south. And my children and my brother object to that word being used in any cruel or mean behavior. As well as I do.

    So far, Deen has not commented publicly, but this could be a huge blow to her brand, her rep, and her career.

  • Watermelon Oreos to be Offered For a Limited Time

    A new flavor of Oreo cookies is coming for summer, and it might not be what you expect.

    The cookie brand is now selling a limited edition run of Watermelon-flavored Oreos. The cookies have Golden Oreo cookies on the outside and a pink-and-green cream center.

    According to a review by the Junk Food Guy food blog, the cookies do not taste too much of artificial watermelon flavoring. Instead, the creme filling was described as watermelon mixed with cream, like some sort of watermelon ice cream.

    Watermelon Oreos are another in a long line of experimental limited edition Oreo flavors that include Strawberry Milkshake Oreos, Gingerbread Oreos, Lemon Twist Oreos, Neapolitan Oreos, and Birthday Cake Oreos. Last fall, Nabisco released Candy Corn-flavored Oreos for the Halloween season.

    For those that are still wary of mixing fruit and cookies, YouTube user Big D Pitchas has produced the most definitive Watermelon Oreo review to date:

    (via Junk Food Guy)

  • Nigella Lawson Leaves Husband After Abuse Photos Leaked

    Nigella Lawson, the popular English cook who found success both in cookbooks and with her own Food Network show, has reportedly left her home after photos were leaked showing her husband choking her as they engaged in heated discussion at a restaurant.

    Lawson married millionaire businessman and art dealer Charles Saatchi in 2003 after her first husband died of throat cancer, and the two have reportedly argued in public before; Saatchi allegedly put his hand over their mouth while they were having dinner together last year. She’s spoken of his fiery temper before, but there haven’t been any indications that her marriage is in trouble.

    In 2007 she said, “I’ll go quiet when he explodes, and then I am a nest of horrible festeringness.”

    Onlookers were horrified as they watched Saatchi put his hands around his wife’s neck no fewer than four times during their argument, and that Lawson was trying to pacify him to avoid a big scene.

    “I have no doubt she was scared,” an onlooker told The Sunday People. “It was horrific, really. She was very tearful and was constantly dabbing her eyes. Nigella was very, very upset.”

    The incident was captured on film and the photos, which were published on The Mirror , are being investigated by Scotland yard. Lawson was seen leaving her home on Sunday with her son, and both were carrying suitcases. Sadly, Lawson was the victim of abuse as a child at the hands of her mother and has said she has a “relentless need to please people” as a result, because she never felt good enough.

    “While it is shocking to see someone as high-profile as Nigella Lawson linked to an alleged attack by her partner, it is vital to remember that domestic violence is actually extremely prevalent, with one in four women being abused by a partner at some point in her lifetime. Many women do not tell anyone because they feel embarrassed or ashamed. Having this story in the news is likely to resonate with many women currently living with abuse, and it is important to remind everyone that there is help and support out there,” said Polly Neate, Chief Executive of Women’s Aid.

    Neither Lawson nor Saatchi have commented on the incident or their relationship so far.

    Image: Nigella.com

  • Father’s Day Freebies Becoming Increasingly More Common

    Father’s Day freebies are something that any father on a budget can appreciate. The holiday only comes once a year, so why not treat yourself, right?

    According to a recent report, those in the business of celebrating holidays with promotions are just starting to offer Father’s Day specials. The offers, mostly available at restaurants, are trying to bring in customers on a day that’s not normally associated with deals.

    Marketing consultant Tracey Riese told USA Today that Father’s Day is not normally considered a holiday for deals because “children are not expected to treat their fathers on Father’s Day.” Restaurants are trying to get those families, including children, into the doors with the allure of free food and other goodies. It’s hard to say if it will work, however, as most fathers would probably just want to stay home and relax on Father’s Day.

    If you decide to head out on Father’s Day, you’ll want to check out the following places:

  • Spaghetti Warehouse – Free spaghetti or lasagna entree with coupon.
  • Shoney’s – Free fudge cake with purchase of entree.
  • TCBY – Free six-ounce cup or cone of frozen yogurt.
  • Hooters – Buy 10 wings and get 10 free.
  • Buca di Beppo – Free cannoli with coupon.

    • There are undoubtedly more deals than this at businesses around the nation. If you miss out this year, you might be able to convince businesses to hand you a freebie for being a stellar day. If not, there’s always next year. Father’s Day isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

  • Wendy’s Frosty Licker Joins the Recent Trend of Fast Food Social Media Snafus

    Who really knows what goes on behind the scenes at fast food restaurants? I mean, who really knows? Sure, we all just assume that the people handling our food aren’t deriving pleasure from making it as disgusting as humanly possible – but hey, once again, who knows?

    Sure, we can all just suspend out sense of better judgement and pretend that everything we’re getting meets passable quality standards. And for the most part, it probably does. The vast majority of fast food workers are just trying to do their jobs, and the thought to lick, pee on, or otherwise contaminate the food they serve never crosses their minds.

    But then you have these people. People that not only like messing with the food they serve, but apparently like posting it all over the internet. Seriously. What do you think is going to happen when a photo like this goes viral?

    The photo of the Wendy’s employee helping himself to the Frosty machine went viral on reddit on Thursday. After commenters chastised the original poster for being complicit in the gross action (who took the picture, right?), he deleted his account.

    Wendy’s gave a non-specific statement that the employee was no longer working for the company.

    Obviously, the employee broke the rules He is no longer at the restaurant. The franchisee is meeting with the restaurant team to reinforce proper procedures. We have a daily regiment in each restaurant that stresses proper food-handling procedures. The manager follows a disciplined process. When mistakes happen, we try to respond immediately and take corrective action.

    Our Frosty-licker joins a group of recent fast food snafus that played out on social media. Including, but not limited to…

    The Taco-Bill Taco Shell-Licker:

    The KFC Mashed Potato Licker:

    And the Burger King Lettuce Stomper:

    I would tell people to Just. Stop. Doing. This. But I know it’s an epidemic. Expect plenty more of this crap in the future. Ugh.

  • Soy Sauce Overdose: Dare Almost Kills 19-Year Old

    Something to think about next time your friends challenge you to eat an abundance of something: a 19-year old Virginia man overdosed on soy sauce and began having seizures from the insane amount of sodium in his system.

    The man drank a quart of the salty condiment before lapsing into violent seizures that sent him to the emergency room at the University of Virgina Medical Center.

    “He didn’t respond to any of the stimuli that we gave him,” Dr. David J. Carlberg said. “He had some clonus, which is just elevated reflexes. It’s a sign that basically the nervous system wasn’t working very well.”

    Doctors say he’s expected to fully recover with no lasting neurological problems, the first person ever to deliberately ingest that much sodium to do so. The danger, they say, is that too much salt in the blood makes the brain sacrifice its water to try and compensate. What results is shrinking of the most complex organ in the human body.

    To keep the salt from destroying his brain, doctors had to pump a sugar-water solution into his bloodstream; they ended up giving him 1.5 gallons of it. He was in a coma for about a week, but is now doing well.

  • ‘Farmer’s Market Cookbook’ Author Amelia Saltsman Speaks At Google

    Amelia Saltsman, author of The Santa Monica Farmer’s Market Cookbook, recently gave an At Google talk, which Google has now made publicly available.

    The talk, which took place on May 16, features Saltsman demonstrating some of her recipes.

    More recent At Google talks here.

  • Ben & Jerry’s to go 100% Non-GMO Ingredients in 2013

    Ben & Jerry’s to go 100% Non-GMO Ingredients in 2013

    Ben & Jerry’s has always been a progressive company. In addition to, until recently, heavily limiting executive pay, and publicly supporting the gay marriage equality movement, the Burlington, Vermont ice cream company has a social mission statement that includes “initiating innovative way to improve the quality of life locally, nationally, and internationally. Now, Ben & Jerry’s has jumped on the non-GMO bandwagon.

    Ben & Jerry’s recently announced that it will source ingredients for all of its products from non-genetically modified sources by the end of 2013. The company currently sources 80% of its ingredients (by volume) in Canada and the U.S. from non-GMO sources. It claims that all of its products in Europe are already GMO-free.

    Ben & Jerry’s has stated that its move to non-GMO ingredients was made to support smaller, sustainable, farming operations. The company is also supporting the movement for mandatory labeling of GMO foods. From a recent company blog post:

    Now, we aren’t scientists, we make ice cream, but we do know there are questions about whether GMO technology is truly living up to its promise of making bigger and better food, or whether it’s just simply another way to further industrialize and consolidate our food and agriculture system. Because Ben & Jerry’s has a long history of supporting family owned farms, we’re concerned that increasing GMO crops comes at the expense of smaller farms, which we believe is a more sustainable kind of farming.

  • Google Adds Nutrition Info To Knowledge Graph

    Google announced that it is rolling out new nutrition information to search, as the latest addition to its Knowledge Graph. If you can’t already, you’ll soon be able to query things like “How much protein is in a banana?” or How many calories are in an avocado?” and get direct answers (spoken to you, if you’re using Google’s new conversational search).

    Google will provide relevant nutrition info under an expansion, and will let you switch to other related foods or serving sizes.

    “Tempted by some popcorn at the movies?” asks product manager Ilya Mezheritsky. “Ask ‘how many calories are in popcorn’ and you’ll get your answer. [Hint: it’s 31 calories per cup]. Perplexed by a food label or recipe? Ask ‘what nutrients are in breadfruit?’ or ‘is there sugar in grenadilla?’ Big on a high protein diet? Ask ‘how many carbs in corn?’ or simply search for [corn] and you’ll see detailed nutrition info.”

    Google Nutrition results

    Google Nutrition 2

    Google Nutrition Results

    Suddenly it’s starting to seem like maybe Google shouldn’t have killed Google Health. Combined with this feature and Google Now, one could imagine some powerful dietary recommendations.

    The feature will be rolling out in English in the U.S. over the course of the next ten days. Google will also be adding more foods and languages. It’s starting with over 1,000 foods.

    In related news, Google has also introduced two new tools for webmasters to provide structured data to Google, which can then be used in Google offerings like the Knowledge Graph and Google Now.

  • Katherine Webb Reportedly Eats Only 1,120 Calories Per Day

    After sports commentators oogled her at a college football game, Katherine Webb, the current Miss Alabama, found fame on social media. Since that time, Webb’s modeling career has taken off and she has starred in the ABC reality TV show Splash. Webb quit Splash, a televised high-dive competition, last month after suffering a minor injury.

    All of this success is heavily based on Webb’s good looks, which it turns out she is very disciplined about maintaining. Webb this week told People magazine that she has been “eating healthy for about six or seven years.” This means, according to People, that she eats only about 1,120 calories a day. “It’s all about self-control,” the 5 foot, 11 inch tall Webb told the magazine.

    As for what those 1,120 calories consist of, Webb mentioned smoothies, salad, fruit, chicken fingers, and sweet potato fries. Not on the menu are any sweets, such as as cake and cookies, as well as any type of bread.

    Though 1,120 calories may not seem exorbitantly low, Webb is also reported to work out (with a focus on cardio) at least three times per week. With that in mind, People has also quoted a nutritionist as stating Webb could easily bump her daily calories to around 1,700.

    Though the People report quotes Webb, the beauty queen has now used her Twitter account to contradict the story, stating that she loves chocolate too much to eat so few calories per day:

  • NASA Is Funding A 3D Food Printer, May Be Used In Future Space Missions

    NASA Is Funding A 3D Food Printer, May Be Used In Future Space Missions

    Making food with 3D printers is not a new concept, but it is still largely in the realm of science fiction. NASA wants to make science fiction into reality sooner than later, however, and it’s throwing plenty of money towards those at the cutting edge of the technology.

    Quartz reports that NASA has awarded Systems & Materials Research Corporation a $125,000 grant to continue work on what company head, Anjan Contractor, calls a universal food synthesizer. As currently envisioned, the technology would use cartridges of powders and oils to create complex foods one layer at a time.

    NASA is understandably interested in the technology as it would provide plenty of inexpensive food to space travelers. The current goal is to have the food cartridges last up to 30 years. It would ensure that any long distance space travel plans to Mars and beyond wouldn’t suffer from food spoilage.

    Of course, space travel isn’t the only thing that this particular 3D printer would make easier. Feeding the world’s population would be a cinch if everybody owned a 3D printer and a number of inexpensive food cartridges that only doled out what a person needs so no food is wasted. It seems impossible with our current food production methods, but Contractor’s plans could very well end world hunger.

    The first step in space travel and ending world hunger may just lie in the humble pizza. America’s favorite food seems to be perfectly suited to the 3D printing process as one layer of food is added at a time. In the case of pizza, the dough would be extruded onto a heated plate that bakes the dough as its being printed. Afterwards, a tomato powder would be added while being mixed with water and oil to create the sauce. Finally, a “protein layer” made up of plants or animals would be added to the top.

    A 3D pizza printer may sound like some kind of revolutionary new concept, but NASA has been playing around with 3D printers for quite some time. The agency is even looking into whether or not it could deploy 3D printers to the surface of the moon to build 3D printed structures out of lunar soil.

    As for 3D food printers, NASA may also want to look into Burritob0t or Google’s 3D pasta printer. There’s probably nothing quite like space travel accompanied by a steady diet of starches.

  • Chef Killed Over Meal In German Restaurant

    One of the realities of working in the food service industry is that sometimes you have to deal with dissatisfied, angry customers. Every server, cashier, or chef in the world could probably tell you horror stories about customers who have reacted poorly to a meal or service they found less than satisfactory. Almost never, however, do such incidents come to violence, and even more rarely do they end in a death.

    Unfortunately, though, once such incident on the German vacation island of Sylt came to just such a tragic end. Two as-yet-unidentified men ate in a restaurant owned by 57-year-old Miki Nozawa, a highly-regarded chef known primarily for his particular Japanese-Italian fusion style. For unknown reasons, they were unhappy with the beef and fried noodle dish Nozawa prepared. After a brief confrontation, they left the restaurant without paying.

    Ordinarily, that would be the end of such a story – frustrating for all parties, but neither tragic nor newsworthy. Unfortunately, however, it seems that Nozawa encountered the two men later that evening in a bar. The men exchanged words, and then blows. Nozawa suffered at least one blow to the head and was rushed to the hospital, where he died of trauma to the brain and internal bleeding.

    Nozawa was, according to his ex-wife, good-natured man who would not have started a fight with the two men. She said that the men asked for a refund on their meal and believes that the attack was racially motivated.

    No charges have been filed against the two men, as authorities on the island are still investigating the incident.

  • Kentucky Man’s Overnight Grocery Party Involved Beer, Steaks, Birthday Cake, and 57 Cans of Whipped Cream

    Kentucky Kicks Ass. Seriously. It’s full of history, horses, mountains, rolling hills, great food, better bourbon, beautiful women, and we gave you George Clooney.

    But here in Kentucky, we also produced Trevor Runyon, whose overnight grocery party for one would make Barney Stinson rethink his criteria for legen…wait for it…

    A Mount Washington ValuMarket manager found an odd scene when he opened up the store on Monday morning. Little did he know, but he was gazing upon one of the most epic parties one could ever throw for himself.

    Here’s a brief list of everything Trevor Runyon reportedly did on Sunday night, according to WAVE 3 News:

    • Used (note, used, not necessarily consumed) 57 cans of Reddi-Wip whipped cream.
    • Cooked and consumed 6 steaks
    • Smoked an untold amount of cigarettes
    • Ate an untold amount of shrimp
    • Ate at least part of a birthday cake
    • Peed himself and found replacement clothes
    • Fell asleep in the rafters of the store

    Apparently, Runyon was able to sneak into the grocery store at closing time on Sunday. He’s been taken into custody, after the fire department was called to get him out of the rafters. That’s one nitrous party for the books.

    …DARY.

  • Oscar Mayer Bacon Dogs Now A Reality

    Oscar Mayer Bacon Dogs Now A Reality

    The “105-year-old bacon lady” is going to love this. Oscar Mayer revealed over the weekend that it is now making “Bacon Dogs”. These are hot dogs made partially with bacon. To be exact, they’re made with turkey, chicken, pork and bacon, but they’re called bacon dogs, so hopefully they live up to their name.

    Given that bacon is possibly the Internet’s favorite food, it seems that this should generate some excitement.

    Last week, a story about a 105-year-old bacon-loving woman went viral when Oscar Mayer took her for a ride in their Weinermobile. Of course, this was only the latest in a series of old-people-and-meat campaigns from the company.

  • Lion Tacos Pulled After Restaurant Generates Controversy

    There was a time when you could go into a restaurant in Tampa and get yourself some lion meat tacos. Those days are now behind us. Taco Fusion has reportedly pulled lion from the menu after causing a media stir.

    “There’s nothing like eating a predator to make you feel like a predator,” said one patron in the above Fox News report.

    “They’re surprisingly tasty,” another said about lions.

    Surprisingly, nobody said, “It’s like eating a cat, because that’s what it is.”

    As you can see from the video, otter and beaver were also on the menu. It’s unclear whether they’re still serving these meats, but here’s a page from their online menu, which indicates you should still have no problem getting a kangaroo taco:

    (image)

    Also, they deliver.

  • ‘Vietnamese Home Cooking’ Author Charles Phan Talks At Google

    Charles Phan, author of “Vietnamese Home Cooking” recently participated in an “At Google” talk, discussing his book.

    “In his eagerly awaited first cookbook, award-winning chef Charles Phan from San Francisco’s Slanted Door restaurant introduces traditional Vietnamese cooking to home cooks by focusing on fundamental techniques and ingredients,” says Google in the video description.

    Google offers the book itself on Google Play.

    More At Google talks here.

  • ‘Science Of Good Cooking’ Author Chris Kimball Speaks At Google

    Chris Kimball, author of the book, “The Science of Good Cooking,” recently gave an “Authors at Google” talk at the company’s headquarters. Google has now made it available for all to watch.

    More recent At Google talks here.

  • Square Register Gets Smarter for Restaurants

    Square Register Gets Smarter for Restaurants

    According to Square, the amount of restaurants using Square Register as their main point of sale system has tripled in the past year. Not only that, but the amount of money that they have processed has quadrupled.

    “There are already tens of thousands of merchants in the food industry are increasingly adopting Square for its simple interface, smart analytics, continuous updates, and low processing fees,” says Square.

    And with that, the’ve just launched an update to Square Register that helps “quick-serve” restaurants better run their kitchens.

    First off, food merchants can now utilize new order modifiers. “Orders are recorded more accurately and communication with the kitchen is faster, creating a seamless experience on both sides of the counter,” says Square.

    Plus, custom tickets are now available, giving kitchens a better way to make sure special orders are being processed correctly.

    “In an industry where speed, accuracy, and a great customer experience are essential to success, Square Register gives quick serve restaurants tools that are powerful, intuitive, and affordable,” said Square co-founder and CEO Jack Dorsey. “Square is focused on connecting businesses with customers and now, more than ever, merchants can concentrate on providing great food for their customers.”

    Back in February, Square unveiled a new “business in a box” package deal point of sale system. For $299, you can get two Square Readers, an iPad stand, and a cash drawer. Of course, Square Register has the ability to wirelessly print receipts and tickets, but that hardware will cost you extra.

  • Free Pretzels Today (That’s Right. It’s National Pretzel Day.)

    For pretzel lovers, today is a really big deal. All across the U.S. pretzel vendors are celebrating National Pretzel Day and giving away free pretzels.

    Still, you may want to check with your pretzel vendor of choice before you make the trip. It’s entirely possible that they’re still trying to make money today.

    Google’s Zagat has provided a slideshow of 11 places to eat soft pretzels today (it helps if you live in Philadelphia). Zagat’s Danya Henninger writes, “According to the Philly Pretzel Factory, Philadelphians consume 12 times the national average of pretzels per year – 18 pounds per person. It makes sense, since this is where German immigrants first brought the ancient snack to American shores. For National Pretzel Day, PPF is giving away a free soft pretzel to each and every customer at all locations.”

    The beloved pretzel brand Snyder’s of Hanover appears to be dominating the Twitter conversation. Here’s the a snapshot of that:

    Regardless of whether or not your’re getting your pretzels for free today, might I suggest a pretzel dog. Bucky knows what I’m talking about:

  • 14-Year Old Burger Defies Science

    14-Year Old Burger Defies Science

    A 14-year old hamburger has refused to comply with what we know of decomposition, according to a man in Utah.

    David Whipple says he bought a burger with pickles, mustard, and ketchup from McDonald’s in July of 1999 to use as a visual aid for a presentation about enzymes and reactions. After letting it “age” for a month, he showed it to a group of students and was surprised even then at how little time had affected it.

    “At the little meeting, I showed the hamburger and the pickle, which was just starting to disintegrate,” Whipple said. “There was no decomposition to the meat or bun, nor any mold, fungus or smell. It had no bad odor at all.”

    After the presentation, Whipple says he stuffed the burger in a bag and ended up leaving it in his truck, forgotten, over the summer months. It eventually landed in a closet in his home, and when he discovered it he says he was amazed. Lately, it’s gotten some attention and was even featured on the show “TV Doctors”. A photo of the burger, along with its story, has since gone viral.

    “This just came out in the last couple of months and it’s just been crazy,” he said.

    The burger hasn’t been dehydrated or refrigerated, and Whipple says he can’t understand why it’s survived as long as it has. He is currently working on a similar experiment with burgers from different fast food chains, to see if they hold up as well as the one from McDonald’s So far, he says, they’re right on track. As for McDonald’s, they can’t offer up an explanation as to why one of their burgers would hang around this long, either.

    “McDonald’s hamburger patties in the U.S. are made with 100% USDA-inspected beef. They are cooked and prepared with salt, pepper and nothing else — no preservatives — no fillers. Our hamburger buns are made from North American-grown wheat flour. These are the same foods that people buy every day in their local grocery stores,” they said in a statement.