http://www.isantemagazine.com/food.html Thu, 18 Mar 2010 08:53:23 -0400 Merchantz 2.32.2 2009-12-18 http://www.isantemagazine.com/WebObjects/Merchantz.woa/wa/detail?store=1000031&item=1032520 Foodnavigator.com – The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has launched a new online mapping tool to assess American food environments and how a range of factors may relate to diet-related illnesses. The tool, Your Food Environment Atlas, has been designed for the use of food policy makers, researchers, and the general public. Users can pick from a list of variables, such as proximity to grocery stores, food insecurity, physical activity levels, food taxes, health, and food prices, among others, and apply them to any American state. The launch comes at a time when obesity and possible public health interventions are high on the public and political agenda, with the recent announcement of Michelle Obama's 'Let's Move' campaign that focuses on physical activity and healthy eating to tackle childhood obesity, and taxes on certain foods and drinks being considered in several states. ]]> http://www.isantemagazine.com/WebObjects/Merchantz.woa/wa/detail?store=1000031&item=1032520 0.00 1032520 http://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/Science-Nutrition/USDA-launches-interactive-atlas-comparing-food-and-health/?c=GjkgkUxck5JuzHhlcxpDJw%3D%3D&utm_source=newsletter_daily&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Newsletter%2BDaily http://www.isantemagazine.com/WebObjects/Merchantz.woa/wa/detail?store=1000031&item=1032521 Foodnavigator.com – A National Institutes of Health panel has called for more research into lactose-restricted diets to better quantify their public health impacts, as more people are choosing to exclude dairy from their diets. Lactose intolerance is the inability to digest lactose, the sugar found in milk and dairy products, and affects approximately 25 percent of American adults, although the rate varies according to race and age. The intolerance, which can cause gas or diarrhea, varies in severity, so most people are still able to consume at least some dairy. The NIH Consensus Development panel said that very little is understood about the health outcomes of restricting dairy consumption, although it has been suggested that lactose avoidance could result in deficiencies of calcium and vitamin D, among other nutrients. Such deficiencies have been linked to chronic health problems, including increased risk of osteoporosis and decreased bone health. Chief of pediatric hepatology at Mount Sinai School of Medicine and panel and conference chairperson Dr. Frederick Suchy said: "It is startling and disappointing to learn how little we know about the consequences of avoiding lactose-containing products. Health care providers are concerned, but we don't have good data on bone health outcomes in people who have lactose intolerance or who avoid dairy products for other reasons."]]> http://www.isantemagazine.com/WebObjects/Merchantz.woa/wa/detail?store=1000031&item=1032521 0.00 1032521 http://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/Science-Nutrition/Dairy-avoidance-health-impacts-poorly-understood-NIH-panel/?c=GjkgkUxck5KocRBNttiSpQ%3D%3D&utm_source=newsletter_daily&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Newsletter%2BDailyDairy avoidance health impacts poorly understood: NIH panel http://www.isantemagazine.com/WebObjects/Merchantz.woa/wa/detail?store=1000031&item=1032557 Nrn.com – Restaurant operations impacted by the recent shortage of tomatoes brought on by severe winter weather won't see any relief until at least mid-April, when warmer weather returns and other regions can fill the need for supply, industry experts said. This winter's deep freezes across the East Coast wreaked havoc on tomato growers, and caused prices for viable and ripe tomatoes to skyrocket. Restaurateurs were forced to devise ways to use less of the product or find alterative sources for both economic and supply-related reasons. "This has really been the perfect storm for tomatoes," said Brian Kane, vice president of client services for ProAct USA, a Monterey, Calif.-based produce distributor. "Obviously, the key has been the Florida freeze that happened back in early January. It is now that everyone is starting to feel the effects of that damage; the blooms haven't been able to drop so the growers are not getting full-size tomatoes. ]]> http://www.isantemagazine.com/WebObjects/Merchantz.woa/wa/detail?store=1000031&item=1032557 0.00 1032557 http://www.nrn.com/breakingNews.aspx?id=380616 http://www.isantemagazine.com/WebObjects/Merchantz.woa/wa/detail?store=1000031&item=1032558 QSR.com – Women Chefs & Restaurateurs announced Friday its slate of learning opportunities for students and professionals in its 2010 Scholarship and Internship Program. "Our scholarships and internships allow WCR to fulfill its mission by offering women in the culinary industry invaluable educational opportunities," says Jamie Leeds, president of WCR and chef/owner of Hank's Oyster Bar and CommonWealth Gastropub in greater Washington, D.C. Last year, WCR awarded 38 scholarships and internships in six nations. Recipients gained professional skills and inspiration from industry leaders who donated their time and resources to advance the professional development of women in foodservice. "WCR thanks our members and sponsors across the globe who so generously and graciously open their kitchens, farms, schools, and other businesses in support of this program," Leeds says. New opportunities in WCR's 2010 program include: —-Internship at a five-star bed & breakfast in a 250-year-old coach house in Fife, the countryside near St. Andrews, Scotland.]]> http://www.isantemagazine.com/WebObjects/Merchantz.woa/wa/detail?store=1000031&item=1032558 0.00 1032558 http://www.qsrmagazine.com/articles/news/story.phtml?id=10474 http://www.isantemagazine.com/WebObjects/Merchantz.woa/wa/detail?store=1000031&item=1031996 By Christina DiMartino

"I wish I had a steer with ten tails," says Michael Lenagar, president and CEO of the family-owned and family-operated Neola Farms in Brighton, Tennessee. That's because what are known as the lesser cuts—meat taken from the extremities and underbelly of the animal—are selling fast. "All chefs want are lesser cuts, including oxtail, short ribs, skirt steaks, flank, and liver." Forty years ago, this trend would not have been particularly newsworthy. Back then people used every part of an animal. An economic boom in the 1980s and 1990s increased the demand for luxury ingredients. High-end cuts were cherished while lesser cuts were ground, stewed, and marinated until they were nearly unrecognizable. Many chefs avoided the lesser cuts altogether because of their association with low-end restaurants. ]]> http://www.isantemagazine.com/WebObjects/Merchantz.woa/wa/detail?store=1000031&item=1031996 0.00 1031996 http://www.isantemagazine.com/WebObjects/Merchantz.woa/wa/detail?store=1000031&item=1031514 By Laura Taxel

A recent report titled A Look into the Future of Eating from the consumer research company NPD Group foresees a growing preference for healthier foods and beverages in the next ten years. Steve Schimoler is way ahead of the curve.

The chef has owned and operated six successful restaurants, developed products for major food manufacturers, and cofounded the Research Chefs Association (RCA), an organization that coined the term culinology to describe the intersection of culinary art and the science of food. For more than 20 years, he has been on a mission to improve nutritional quality while optimizing flavor. At Crop Bistro-Schimoler's upscale-casual Cleveland restaurant that opened in June 2007-the creative American cuisine coming out of his kitchen (and the rave reviews it's garnered from critics and patrons) is a testament to his achievements. "What I do," he explains, "is deconstruct the experience of enjoyment in order to make dishes high in 'craveability' without relying on fat, sugar, and salt."]]> http://www.isantemagazine.com/WebObjects/Merchantz.woa/wa/detail?store=1000031&item=1031514 0.00 1031514 http://www.isantemagazine.com/WebObjects/Merchantz.woa/wa/detail?store=1000031&item=1031122 http://www.isantemagazine.com/WebObjects/Merchantz.woa/wa/detail?store=1000031&item=1031122 0.00 1031122 http://www.isantemagazine.com/WebObjects/Merchantz.woa/wa/detail?store=1000031&item=1031440 By Emily Gold
Santé Associate Editor

At Fair Hill Inn in Elkton, Maryland, farm-to-table is a very short trip. Bypass the front door, and the tidy compact garden unfolds. Strawberries, including heirloom varieties, bear fruit throughout the season. The skeleton of a greenhouse supports creeping tomatoes that frame the myriad beets, carrots, herbs, and greens that spread out below. Hops grow for a local brewer whose beer is featured at a special dinner late in the season. If you keep walking, you'll see the rows of grapevines for making verjus, and a little farther, the beehives. Housemade is a given here; housegrown is a high probability. Most everything else comes from local farms in this agriculturally rich corner of Maryland. Among the most impressive of the restaurant's housemade products are the cheeses, which are presented with artful preserves made from garden-fresh produce. ]]> http://www.isantemagazine.com/WebObjects/Merchantz.woa/wa/detail?store=1000031&item=1031440 0.00 1031440 http://www.isantemagazine.com/food.html http://www.isantemagazine.com/WebObjects/Merchantz.woa/wa/detail?store=1000031&item=1031531 By Libby Platus

When Chef Thomas Keller enters the room, there is an air of excitement. This is the chef with more Michelin stars than any other American-born chef. He is the founder of The French Laundry in the little town of Yountville, California; per se, the jewel of New York City; and five other exceptional restaurants. Behind the ruckus of celebrity, Chef Keller is a thoughtful leader who, in his own quiet way, breaks many of the rules chefs are mandated to follow. He doesn't focus on how his decisions will affect sustainability or marketing or getting the best deal. He thinks of one thing: quality. But that single-mindedness, his determination, and a touch of reliance on fate have also worked to produce results in those very areas, while at the same time bringing him a world of success.

SANTÉ: What influences wine selection for the restaurants?
   TK: I've learned I don't know everything. At my first restaurant, I thought I did. I tried to control everything. When I opened The French Laundry, I said, "I'm a cook. I'm going to focus on the kitchen." I found people to do the accounting, run the restaurant, and handle the beverage program.]]> http://www.isantemagazine.com/WebObjects/Merchantz.woa/wa/detail?store=1000031&item=1031531 0.00 1031531 http://www.isantemagazine.com/WebObjects/Merchantz.woa/wa/detail?store=1000031&item=1032078 ]]> http://www.isantemagazine.com/WebObjects/Merchantz.woa/wa/detail?store=1000031&item=1032078 0.00 1032078 http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1440143056?ie=UTF8&tag=isantemagazin-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1440143056 http://www.isantemagazine.com/WebObjects/Merchantz.woa/wa/detail?store=1000031&item=1031535 A brief history of pasta in the introduction whets the appetite for an alphabetic reference to noodles of every shape and size. Each entry details the ingredients, how the dough is mixed, how the specific pasta is served, where in Italy it is found, and additional remarks about the traditions of the region and how that specific pasta was developed. History and gastronomy are fantastically married in this complete homage to the humble ingredients of flour and water.
]]> http://www.isantemagazine.com/WebObjects/Merchantz.woa/wa/detail?store=1000031&item=1031535 0.00 1031535 http://www.amazon.com/gp/redirect.html?ie=UTF8&location=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fs%3Fie%3DUTF8%26x%3D0%26ref_%3Dnb%255Fsb%255Fnoss%26y%3D0%26field-keywords%3Dencylopedia%2520of%2520pasta%26url%3Dsearch-alias%253Dstripbooks&tag=isantemagazin-20&linkCode=ur2&camp=1789&creative=390957