Burger King has introduced a McRib knockoff meant to rival the famous McDonald’s sandwich, but the new boneless pork sandwich won’t really offer much competition to the Golden Arches company.

The new Burger King McRib is part of the fast food chain’s summer menu, introduced this week along with 12 other new items including a Memphis BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich. Burger King didn’t specifically say its McRib sandwich was meant to rival McDonald’s, but many business analysts took it that way.

Even the description of the Burger King McRib sandwich sounded like McDonalds, a “juicy boneless rib patty with a sweet and tangy BBQ sauce” that is “topped with crispy bread and butter pickles” served on a “warm toasted artisan style bun.” The only difference appeared to be onions, present on McDonald’s version of the McRib and absent on Burger King’s imitation.

Though there may be similarities, Burger King doesn’t present much of a threat to McDonald’s version of the McRib. The McDonald’s McRib sandwich, which is intermittently on the menu, has cut out a niche audience.

“We know our customers love McRib and we won’t disappoint them!” said McDonalds spokesperson Ofelia Casillas. “It will be returning.”

The McDonald’s McRib has amassed a following so devoted that they even keep track of the sandwich with a McRib locator.

For McDonald’s, the scarcity of the McRib is part of the marketing plan. The absence builds up anticipation among fans, and the sandwich is then inserted into the menu during the slower winter period when it can boost sales a bit.

“The winter is seasonally a slower period,” said Howard Penney, restaurant analyst and managing director at Hedgeye Risk Management, told Ad Age in the fall when McDonalds announced the McRib sandwich delay. “A lot of people underestimated the massive impact the weather had on sales.”

The Burger King McRib may offer the same advantage to the fast food chain, but it’s unlikely to cut into the popularity — or the sales — of McDonald’s original version.

Burger King McRib Not Real Competition To McDonald’s is a post from: The Inquisitr

San Francisco, CA – A restaurant called Bacon Bacon is being forced to close after complaints of an intoxicating obnoxious bacon aroma caused the Health Department to shut the operation down.

The popular pork-based restaurant in the Upper Haight is being forced to shut down this week after months of failed negotiations with neighbors and the Health Department.

It started like this: A handful of really uncool neighbors of Bacon Bacon complained of a constant “porcine aroma,” which is a $10 way to say “we hate the smell of bacon.”

Since you can’t lodge a formal complaint with the Department of Public Health over the smell of bacon, the instead expressed concerns about … grease disposal.

Sounds pretty lame, but the complainants ended up having a real point. The Department of Public Health showed up and poked around, and wouldn’t you know it, they found that the Bacon Bacon restaurant wasn’t exactly up to snuff.

It was the permits that did Bacon Bacon in, but the Health Dept. gave the owners 75 days to set things right before they’d be forced to shutter the place for good.

Despite a swell of online support from Bay Area residents who love the restaurant, Bacon Bacon is closing and won’t be able to appeal at a public hearing until July.

Owner Jim Angelus has tried to work out his differences with his unhappy neighbors to no avail.

“It’s frustrating,” Angelus said. “Two weeks ago, the health department showed up saying we had no permits. So we had a hearing and one person showed up saying they were opposed. They told us we had long enough to resolve these issues — and as a result, we have to cease operations May 17.”

Those neighbors, who were not identified, alleged that the Bacon Bacon restaurant was pumping bacon grease directly into the sewer system and apparently even offered to pay for an air filtration system for the restaurant’s owners. That seems kind of sketchy, but that’s what their lawyer said.

But at the end of the day, Bacon Bacon needs to follow the rules to stay in business, says Ted Loewenberg, president of the Haight Ashbury Improvement Association. If they’d just get their papers in order, they could re-open, and there’s an online petition with about 1,800 signatures belonging to people who would like to see that happen.

Have you ever eaten at the Bacon Bacon restaurant? What do you think of the smell of bacon?

[Image via: Anna Hoychuk, Shutterstock]

‘Bacon Bacon’ Restaurant Closing After Bacon Aroma Plagues Community is a post from: The Inquisitr

So the rumored Taco Bell waffle taco actually exists … and while it’s being piloted in a select few Taco Bell locations, it may be nationwide soon enough.

Grabbing the breakfast abomination torch ignited by the unappetizing McGriddle at rival McDonald’s, the Taco Bell waffle taco is part of the chains slow wade into breakfast fare … or, as Taco Bell calls it, “FirstMeal.” (A reference to the chains shoehorning of a “fourth meal” into life, in general, dubbed “FourthMeal.”)

Taco Bell for breakfast in and of itself isn’t so scary, but the waffle taco — a waffle made into a taco shell and filled with scrambled eggs and sausage — seems to take the edge of a Taco Bell breakfast and combine it with the shaky territory of the McGriddle’s sweet/savory combo and combine it into something you really would have to be quite high to find tempting.

Of course, I love Taco Bell as much as the next person who pretends to eat like a thirty-something adult, but the waffle taco’s first pics are not all that tempting.

Captured by Instagram user @sarah1ch5, the in-the-wild Taco Bell waffle taco is a bit intimidating looking. After the Instagram refried beans were spilled (note: it is not apparent this particular dish actually includes refried beans), Taco Bell confirmed the waffle taco as a potentially nationally available item via its reps:

“We are testing the waffle taco in a handful of Southern California restaurants … We’re pleased with the initial reaction from our customers and if the waffle taco does well in testing, we’ll roll it out to all our restaurants that serve breakfast.”

Currently, Taco Bell’s waffle taco and other morning items are only available at 800 of the chain’s locations in only 10 states, meaning the rest of America is forced to fold their own Eggos until the items is rolled out nationwide.

Taco Bell Waffle Taco Piloted, Is Anyone Drunk That Early? is a post from: The Inquisitr

Pop-Tarts new flavors have been announced by the company, and peanut butter will headline their newest release due to popular request. Kellogs introduced “Pop-Tarts Gone Nutty!” as the pastry line is giving peanut butter another shot after giving up on their first attempt in 1986.

The new line will also feature a Frosted Chocolate Peanut Butter Pop-Tart along with the original flavor that will also include a unique style of wrapping. The new peanut butter flavors will be wrapped in gold foil, unlike the usual silver foil, to set them apart from the classic flavors.

“Peanut butter has long been the most requested flavor by our fans,” Pop-Tarts marketing director Dick Podiak said in a news release. “We think everyone will agree it was worth the wait once they taste these delicious new varieties.”

The popular brand has become a breakfast staple for youngsters around the world and has even grown on adults. Now Pop-Tarts new flavors will look to standout with traditional flavors like Strawberry and Chocolate.

To promote the new line, the company is sending a toaster-shaped truck across the nation to hand-deliver their new product to customers. The two highly anticipated flavors are expected to be a hit, and they’re already available to buy off store shelves nationwide.

The last time Kellogs tried a peanut butter flavored Pop-Tart, it didn’t go over as planned. According to Foodbeast, the Peanut Butter & Jelly Pop-Tart was discontinued in 1986, and fans have been waiting for it’s next installment ever since.

The wait is finally over, as the creamy goodness will return, hopefully for good. The original peanut butter flavor will be covered with sugar crystals while the other will have a chocolate covered shell.

Most believe the popular morning snack food’s peanut butter release is well overdue, but the company couldn’t have picked a better time. Peanut butter is a flavor phenomenon across the United States right now, and it’s been 27 years since the last Pop-Tart’s installment which should drive sales.

Will you give Pop-Tarts new flavors a try?

[Image via Creative Commons]

Pop-Tarts New Flavors: Peanut Butter Set For Release As Most Popular Request is a post from: The Inquisitr

Burger King just got its own McRib.

The restaurant chain unveiled its BK Rib Sandwich today and many have dubbed it a McDonald’s McRib buster. The sandwich features boneless ribs a tangy sauce and a sweet bun. It will make its national debut on May 21.

The McRib has gathered a cult following over the years largely because the sandwich is only available at certain times of the year. Burger King will be using a similar strategy with its own ribless sandwich. The BK Rib Sandwich will go on May 21 and will only be available until the end of summer.

Scott Hume, editor of BurgerBusiness.com, said: “That McDonald’s has been bringing back McRib for 32 years tells you it’s popular and important.”

Burger King will also be releasing a Memphis pulled pork sandwich and a Carolina BBQ sandwich next week. Sweet potato fries and a BBQ chicken salad will also be available this summer at BK.

Eric Hirschhorn, vice president of global innovation, said: “Our guests have grown to look for a variety of options … It’s not just about beef anymore, but other proteins like chicken and turkey and pork.”

Do you think the BK Rib Sandwich is a McRib buster? McDonald’s spokesman Danya Proud said today that she was confident that McDonald’s customers would continue to eat McRib sandwiches. Proud didn’t say when the sandwich would be back at McDonald’s but did say that it “will be returning.”

According to Burger Business, this is the first time that one of McDonald’s competitors has added a ribless BBQ sandwich to its menu.

Are you excited for the BK Rib Sandwich? If you live in Chicago, San Francisco or Los Angeles you’ll be able to use BK’s new delivery service to get your hands on the McRib buster.

Burger King Unveils McRib Buster is a post from: The Inquisitr

A $120 egg sandwich is being sold to celebrate Bacon Week in Sydney, Australia.

4Fourteen chef Carla Jones created the pricey sandwich as a nod to Australian bacon. The item will only be on menus for a week during the celebration spearheaded by Australian Pork Limited.

The $120 egg sandwich includes a number of ingredients. Those looking to properly celebrate Bacon Week 2013 will be treated to bacon, smoked tomatoes, English cheddar, pan-fried duck egg, foie gras, caviar, creme fraiche, and shaved truffles. All of this is served on a homemade bun.

“It’s not something I ever thought I’d be doing but it will be interesting to see how many we’ll sell. I reckon some people will buy it just to see what it’s like. I’m not sure I’d eat it – I’m not that into truffles and stuff like that,” Jones explained to the Daily Telegraph.

Since the expensive concoction sits in a league all its own, Bacon Week organizations have declared the sandwich to be “Australia’s most decadent bacon and egg roll.”

The $120 egg sandwich isn’t the only extravagant item being offered to those looking to celebrate a week’s worth of Australian pork. Organizers have challenged other area chefs to create something to top Jones’ impressive offering.

And these decadent little babies are ready to go @fourfourteen ! and I’m good for at least three on my very worse day twitter.com/Le_bon_vivant_…

— LBV (@Le_bon_vivant_) May 13, 2013

While the egg roll will definitely set you back a pretty penny, it isn’t the most expensive sandwich ever created by mankind. The Christian Science Monitor reports that the Bacon Bling sandwich offered by a cafe in western England can be yours for a whopping $235.

According to the Guinness World Records, the most expensive sandwich recognized by the organization is the Platinum Club Sandwich found at Cliveden in Buckinghamshire, England. Chef Daniel Galmiche’s creation will cost hungry patrons around $200.

Would you pay $120 for an egg sandwich?

[Top Image via Shutterstock]

$120 Egg Sandwich Sold During Bacon Week In Australia [Photo] is a post from: The Inquisitr

Coke Formula Claim By Georgia Man Can’t Be Confirmed, Goes On Sale For $15 Million is a post from: The Inquisitr

McDonald’s is looking to boost sagging sales with the addition of 3 new Quarter Pounders to its menus.

Although folks in Sacramento, California and Toledo, Ohio are already enjoying the burgers, the rest of the country will be able to sink their teeth into the new offerings later this year. The company hopes to have them in restaurants across the nation this Summer.

McDonald’s has experienced a decrease in sales in recent months. The fast food chain said late last year that monthly sales figures had dropped for the first time in almost a decade. The company is also having a bit of trouble this year as well; sales at certain locations were down during the first part of 2013.

In order to get people back into the restaurants, McDonald’s has unveiled 3 new Quarter Pounders. The chain is hoping that a new twist on a customer favorite will help generate the sales necessary to recover from recent drop in sales.

According to The Huffington Post, the new menu items include the Habanero Ranch (white cheddar, bacon, ranch sauce), the Quarter Pounder Deluxe (lettuce, tomato, pickles, onion), and Quarter Pounder Bacon and Cheese (cheese, red onion, hickory-smoked bacon). The new burgers are essentially filling the void left by the Angus Burger. McDonald’s dropped the item from menus due to a lack of sales.

“Really, this is about the Quarter Pounder brand. We are bringing news to our core menu items and this is one of them. We think we have a way to bring great burger news to a brand that has been around for over 40 years [introduced nationally in 1972],” explained Greg Watson, Senior Vice President of McDonald’s USA’s Menu Innovation Team.

He added, “That’s why we’re taking some of the more popular recipes from the Angus line and bringing them over under the Quarter Pounder brand. That’s why we’re taking Angus out of the restaurants.”

Are you looking forward to trying the 3 new Quarter Pounders when they arrive at McDonald’s locations later this year?

[Image via Wikimedia Commons]

3 New Quarter Pounders Headed To McDonald’s Menus This Summer is a post from: The Inquisitr

McDonald’s recently cut its Angus Beef burger, but the company has already found a way to fill the meaty void. The restaurant announced today that it was adding 3 new quarter pounders to its menu.

According to the Chicago Tribune, the 3 new quarter pounders will make their debut this June. One of the new burgers will feature cheddar and a few strips of a thick apple wood smoked bacon.

Neil Golden, chief marketing officer of McDonald’s USA said: “We’ve had some feedback from our consumer that our bacon may not have been as high quality or met their expectations but we just in the process of rolling out a new bacon system wide. We feel like that bacon is a fabulous enhancement to many of our products.”

The Huffington Post reports that the 3 new quarter pounders will include a Habanero Ranch burger with hickory-smoked bacon; a Quarter Pounder Deluxe with lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles; and a Quarter Pounder Bacon and Cheese with American cheese and hickory-smoked bacon.

McDonald’s spokeswoman Danya Proud said that this is the first time in 40 years that the restaurant has tinkered with its Quarter Pounder.

McDonald’s has made several changes to its menu recently. The company is dropping less popular items like the Chicken Selects, Angus Snack Wraps and the Fruit and Walnut salad, and has added items like the Egg White Delight McMuffin and now 3 new quarter pounders.

The restaurant is also toying with the idea of extending its breakfast service past the morning hours.

According to Yahoo News, the new burgers have already been released in Sacramento, California and Toledo, Ohio. They will go nationwide this Summer.

3 New Quarter Pounders Added To McDonald’s Menu is a post from: The Inquisitr

Cicada snacks are back in the news, as Brood II of the 17-year cicada population begins to emerge all over the northeast. The noisy insects aren’t normally considered good for much but making a racket, but Drexel University entomologist Isa Betancourt has dubbed them “the shrimp of the land” in her attempt to promote the oversized bugs as a tasty source of protein.

Like shrimp, crab, and lobster, cicadas too are arthropods, she pointed out.

OK, but I don’t know about that logic. Cows and rats are both mammals, and probably more closely related to each other than a shrimp is to an insect…but that doesn’t stop me from feasting on hamburger and getting grossed out by the rodent.

However, I’ve tried other sources of alternate protein in an insect-cooking class at the New Orleans Audubon Insectarium, so who knows? Heck, our own Megan Charles has written a detailed description of all the tasty insect choices out there that you can eat.

Jenna Jadin and the University of Maryland “Cicadamaniacs” have published an online cookbook for many years called Cicada-Licious: Cooking and Enjoying Periodical Cicadas.

It’s jam-packed with all the recipes you might ever need, even during this summer’s expected emergence that will have billions of the 17-year Brood II cicadas bursting onto the scene from Georgia to upstate New York.

There are recipes for such delicacies as soft-shelled cicada snacks, Shanghai cicadas which feature a Cantonese twist, and cicada dumplings. The more traditional mid-Atlantic cook might try Maryland cicadas which includes classic Old Bay® seasoning in the list of ingredients.

Like soft-shell crab, a soft-shell cicada is at that stage where it has just emerged from its tough juvenile exoskeleton. Only, you know, it’s an insect and not a crab. Yummy. The picture up top shows a soft-shelled Peruvian cicada right after breaking free of the shell.

You could start your cicada cookin’ plans by checking out a YouTube video called “Cooking and Eating Cicadas — Yum!” from Tennessee Home and Farm. In it, you’ll see the chef prepare stir-fried cicadas, which he said have a “kinda nutty, kinda earthy” flavor.

You’ll also see the victim — I mean co-host — eat the stir-fried periodical insects followed up by chocolate-covered versions for dessert.

“If there was ever an insect I’d want to eat covered with chocolate, it would be cicadas,” he said. Well, that’s a rave review if I ever heard one. Not. The look on his face is priceless.

Since I’ve already sampled other stir-fried and chocolate-covered insects, I see no real reason to turn up my nose at cicadas. What about you?

Think you’d ever dare to try cicada snacks?

[soft-shell cicada emerges from juvenile exoskeleton by Ryan M. Bolton via Shutterstock]

Cicada Snack ‘Shrimp Of The Land’ Cooking Tips For All Your Cicada-Nibblin’ Needs [Video] is a post from: The Inquisitr

A $120 egg sandwich is the latest high, high, high-end item to hit a menu, this time in Sydney.

The $120 egg sandwich is part of a growing trend of simple menu offerings retooled to be uber-expensive — in recent years, we’ve seen burgers that cost hundreds of dollars and feature toppings like pricey truffles and lobster tail.

A New York restaurant has also promoted a sundae like the $120 egg sandwich — except with gold and diamonds, Serendipity3′s “Frozen Haute Chocolate” (a riff on their popular signature Frozen Hot Chocolate) rang up at a scary $25,000.

So what’s up with the $120 egg sandwich? 4Fourteen, a restaurant in Surry Hill in Sydney, is featuring the costly breakfast item for one week, and UPI describes the ambitious creation:

“The sandwich features award-winning bacon from Slade Point Meat Specialists in Mackay, Queensland, a pan-fried duck egg, semi-dried and smoked gourmet truss tomatoes, duck foie gras, caviar, creme fraiche, shaved truffles and English cheddar, squeezed between a handmade brioche bun. It will be served with a side of chips and shaved truffle aioli.”

The $120 egg sandwich is the idea of 4Fourteen head chef Carla Jones, but Jones herself isn’t too keen on eating it — she explains candidly:

“It’s not something I ever thought I’d be doing but it will be interesting to see how many we’ll sell … I reckon some people will buy [the $120 egg sandwich] just to see what it’s like. I’m not sure I’d eat it — I’m not that into truffles and stuff like that.”

While the $120 egg sandwich is only available in Sydney for a week, it seems the growing trend of uber-luxe menu items is here to stay.

Would you give a $120 egg sandwich a shot just to see if something so basic can really be worth such a high price tag, or will you stick with a $3 bagel shop version?

A $120 Egg Sandwich Exists On Aussie Menu is a post from: The Inquisitr

New York City — “Sweet!” is the only way to describe the giant Bloomberg cupcake made by House of Cupcakes.

The cupcake brand based in Princeton, N.J., celebrated the grand opening of its store in the West Village in Manhattan this week by unveiling a huge cupcake made in honor of Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

The store also gave away normal sized cupcakes to visitors to the new venue.

The NYC mayor is well known for his nanny state crusade against large sugary drinks, salt, smoking in restaurants, and possibly even earbuds among other things.

The ingredients of the mother of all cupcakes include about 12 pounds of sugar, five pounds of butter, four pounds of flour, six cups of cocoa power, two dozen eggs, and two cups of milk which, taken together, totals 36,000 calories.

House of Cakes owner Ron Bzdewka said that the Mayor Bloomberg cupcake was just a form of good-natured kidding around given the mayor’s well-publicized policies about personal behavior. “It’s just all in fun, it’s not like we’re trying to you know, go against him, it’s just a fun thing, like I said I’m a big guy, I do big things,” Bzdewka said. The store also gifted City Hall with some standard-sized sugar-free cupcakes

Bzdewka and his wife Ruthie, who co-founded the company with him, were the winners of Cupcake Wars on the Food Network and so they know their way around treats of all sizes.

Mayor Bloomberg apparently wasn’t amused, however, with the Bloomberg cupcake. “This is one of the dumbest things people have done.” Added the mayor in reference to the obesity epidemic: “This is not a joke; people are dying.”

Unlike Bloomberg, most of the store’s customers reportedly enjoyed checking out the display which has now been donated “to one of the local ‘harvest’ groups that takes food from area restaurants to feed the homeless and needy.”

Bloomberg’s ban on sugary drinks scheduled to go into effect on March 12 was blocked at least temporarily by a judge and is now on hold.

[Image via @MichelleFields]

Massive ‘Bloomberg Cupcake’ Weighs In At 36K Calories is a post from: The Inquisitr

Forget Doritos, a Taco Bell in South Carolina is selling waffle tacos.

Taco Bell is relatively new to the breakfast fast food game and they’re still playing around with the menu. The restaurant is apparently testing a waffle taco (egg and sausage wrapped in a waffle shell) at select restaurants in South California.

The restaurant hasn’t officially announced the new breakfast item but a photo was posted to Instagram this week showing the new 89 cent breakfast item.

Sarah1ch5 wrote on Instagram: “It was awesome!#itsdelicious #callitwafflebell Don’t Hate. It was awesome.”

Brand Eating reports that waffle breakfast sandwiches aren’t new but this appears to be the first waffle taco. Dunkin’ Donuts and Jack in the Box both have waffle sandwiches but Taco Bell is the first to have the idea of folding it into some sort of taco.

In 2012, Taco Bell ramped up its “First Meal” menu with the items like the A.M. Crunchwrap. Brian Niccol ,the Chief Marketing and Innovation Officer at Taco Bell, said: “Over the past four decades, Americans have lulled themselves into a breakfast routine … For those who have been stuck with boring breakfast sandwich options, Taco Bell now gives them a compelling reason to break their breakfast routine.”

What do you think of the waffle taco? Is this a stroke of breakfast genius or just another disgusting fast food item?

Waffle Taco Spotted At Taco Bell In South California is a post from: The Inquisitr

Do you want to try some lion tacos? Well, don’t go to Taco Fusion. The Florida restaurant has pulled the interesting item from its menu after several customers complained about using the exotic animal in a taco.

Ryan Gougeon, the owner of the Florida restaurant, said that he received several complaints and even threats about his lion tacos.

Gougeon said: We’re getting all kinds of threats over it … Now we’re getting bomb threats, and everything else. Some guy just called and said he’d kidnap me and grind me up for a taco. There are so many coming in we aren’t counting.”

Gougeon eventually decided that the lion tacos weren’t worth all of the hassle. The tacos, which were available for $35, were pulled from the menu this week.

Taco Fusion wrote in a statement: “Some of you were supportive, some of you were angry. We listened to everyone and decided to no longer carry lion.”

You may not be able to get lion tacos anymore at Taco Fusion but there are still plenty of other unique options available. The restaurant currently has beaver, otter, shark, rattlesnake and kangaroo tacos on the menu.

What do you think of the lion tacos? Are you surprised that the restaurant caved into the threats and pulled the item from the menu?

Lion Tacos Pulled From Menu At Florida Restaurant is a post from: The Inquisitr

Do you want a free meal this weekend? Hooters is offering free food to moms this Mother’s Day.

According to USA Today, the breastaurant will be giving away a drink and a free entree, up to $10, to moms this Mother’s Day.

Hooters, which has been in business for 30 years, is trying to change up its image and attract more women to the restaurant

Dave Henninger, chief marketing officer at Hooters, said: “It’s not as diabolical as you think … We know you don’t think of Hooters as a typical place to take Mom, but we want to make it more appealing for Mom to come in.”

NBC reports that the restaurant has made some progress with women over the last few years. In 2011, just one in four customers were women. Since then the restaurant has re-worked its menu, adding a few more salads, and now boasts one in three women customers.

Hooters is expecting to serve about 20,000 moms on Mother’s Day this year but Robert Thompson, the professor of pop culture at Syracuse University, is doubtful.

Thompson said: “For a woman to walk into a place called Hooters that new Cobb salad had better be awfully good.”

Yahoo Finance notes that Americans are expected to spend nearly $21 billion, or $168.94 per mom, this year on Mother’s Day. Of course, you can drop that total down to $158.94 if you decide to treat your mom to a meal at Hooters this weekend.

Hooters Giving Free Food To Moms On Mother’s Day is a post from: The Inquisitr

Public outrage led to lion tacos being pulled from the menu of a Florida restaurant this week. Taco Fusion is known for offering a revolving line of exotic meats such as ostrich, rattlesnake, kangaroo, and gazelle depending on availability.

The South Tampa restaurant has served meats not typically offered in American eateries since opening its doors in February. However, it was the recent decision to add lion tacos to the menu that led to controversy. Taco Fusion has now become the target of a severe public backlash, reportedly receiving bomb and death threats this week.

“Our whole thought process of bringing the exotic meats to the Tampa bay area was to give people the opportunity to try different things that they normally wouldn’t get to try,” explained Taco Fusion manager Brad Barnett.

On Thursday, the lion tacos were pulled from the restaurant’s menu following widespread criticism and threats of violence. “We’re getting all kinds of threats over it,” said owner Ryan Gougeon.

“Now we’re getting bomb threats, and everything else,” he explained. “Some guy just called and said he’d kidnap me and grind me up for a taco. There are so many coming in we aren’t counting.”

Selling lion meat as food is currently a legal practice in the United States. Taco Fusion reportedly purchases this particular type of meat from major domestic vendors, primarily in Illinois.

According to Gougeon, the lions were raised on a farm for the sole purpose of human consumption.

After the lion tacos were pulled, a substantially long statement was posted on what appears to be Taco Fusion’s official website. The restaurant vehemently defends its right to sell exotic meat and challenges the reasons behind the current controversy:

“Who decides which animals are worthy? If the argument is that a Lion is ‘Majestic’ so you shouldn’t breed them for meat consumption – then what is the lesson here? That only the majestic pretty girls get treated well and the ugly ones go to the slaughter pen? How pompous and idiotic does that sound?”

The statement also addresses the public’s reaction to the lion tacos:

“You can’t call for diversity, freedom, and choice- and then in the same token turn around and demand censorship, new laws, arrests, and businesses be shut down because you don’t agree with what someone else is LEGALLY doing. This isn’t Cuba; This isn’t North Korea; This isn’t Stalinist Russia; Just remember: This is America, baby.”

[Top image via Wikipedia]

Lion Tacos Pulled From Menu In Florida, Restaurant Responds is a post from: The Inquisitr

A Whole Foods salad mixup has been announced by the chain this morning, warning vegetarians and vegans about a labeling error.

The Whole Foods salad mixup stemmed from the transposition of labels on two separate products served on the chain’s popular hot and cold salad bars.

Across locations of the supermarket in the Northeast, the chain says, the Whole Foods salad mixup involved a chicken salad and its vegan version — “vegan curried ‘chick’n salad’ ” — retailed both on the hot and cold bars as well as behind glass in the prepared food sections in Whole Foods outlets in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York.

Though the Whole Foods salad mixup only affected salads sold Tuesday and Wednesday, the company issued the warning to alert customers who may have soy or egg allergies that could be triggered by a mislabeled product.

According to ABC, a Whole Foods worker discovered the mixup and a recall was initiated:

“Libba Letton, a spokeswoman for Whole Foods, said the salads were mislabeled at a company-owned commissary that supplies food to the stores. She said the mixup was discovered by an employee in the prepared food section at one of its stores. Whole Foods is issuing a recall in line with guidelines set by the FDA and plans to post signs in stores Friday alerting customers about the mislabeled salads, she said.”

No illnesses have been reported after the Whole Foods salad mixup, and, as a precaution, the stores will be posting a recall notice in the affected locations Friday in line with FDA recall guidelines.

Both the vegan version (with soy) and the meat version (with egg) involved in the Whole Foods salad mixup can present a danger to customers with allergies or sensitivities to soy and egg.

Whole Foods Salad Mixup Announced, Meat Added To Vegan Items is a post from: The Inquisitr

McDonald’s has cut the Angus Burger from its menu.

According to CTV News, McDonald’s started selling the Angus Third Pounders back in 2009. The news comes shortly after the restaurant announced that it was removing Chicken Selects and the Fruit & Walnut Salad from the menu.

MSNBC notes that McDonald’s is trying to make its menu more affordable as beef prices rise and the restaurant industry remains stagnant. The restaurant is hoping to boost sales with its dollar menu while cutting some of its more expensive items like the Angus Burger.

Richard Adams, a consultant to McDonald’s franchisees, said that the restaurant’s dollar menu has actually hurt the sales of more expensive items like the Angus burger.

Adams said: “When you can get four or five burgers off the Dollar Menu, nobody’s going to buy the Angus burger. The Dollar Menu has become a real problem for these chains.”

McDonald’s said that it was cutting the Angus Burger from its menu in order to “make room for new and exciting choices for our customers.”

Spokeswoman Danya Proud added that the Angus burger may find its way back on the menu someday.

Proud said: “While these burgers will no longer be available in our restaurants, they may still play a future role on our menu.”

McDonald’s decision to cut the Angus burger isn’t the only big change on the restaurant’s menu. McDonald’s recently unveiled an egg-white McMuffin, chicken wraps to compete against Subway, and the chain may soon start offering breakfast 24/7.

McDonald’s Cuts Angus Burger From Menu is a post from: The Inquisitr

Coca-Cola wants to change its image as a huge contributor to the obesity epidemic in America. Step one is to stop targeting kids under 12 in advertising campaigns.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Coca-Cola Co. is planning a huge overhaul of their public image which will include broader distribution of low-calorie and diet drinks and putting calorie counts on the front of its labels. The company has also promised to sponsor physical activity programs and will stop marketing drinks to children under 12.

They didn’t say when this campaign would go into effect or how much it would cost, but the announcement comes on the heels of an increasing amount of criticism pointed at sugary drinks and their contribution to the obesity epidemic.

“The key here is to ensure that in every market where we operate to have no- or low-calorie beverages of our main brands available,” said Muhtar Kent, Coke’s chairman and chief executive. “We do not have that consistently across the world today.”

But some are skeptical of Coca-Cola’s push to reform its image. Jeff Cronin, a spokesman for the Center for Science in the Public Interest, mocked the initiative and pointed to government intervention as the only viable solution. ”The company’s objective is to deflect criticism of sugary drinks and forestall meaningful government action to reduce soda consumption,” he said.

And soda makers are indeed a bit cornered in popular culture, what with an increased push by some government officials to regulate the sugary beverages. ”Soft drinks are the devil product at the moment,” said emeritus nutrition professor Jack Winkler of London Metropolitan University.

Though Coca-Cola lists its new initiative as having begun in 2010, the latest announcement is significant because it signals a broad, global approach to combating obesity, not just a domestic one. ”I think [Coke] realizes it’s a global thing,” said Caroline Levy, a global beverage analyst.

What do you think? Should Coca-Cola reform its image and help combat obesity, should the government intervene somehow, or should we stop drinking soda on our own if we don’t want the negative health effects? Sound off!

[Image via: PHOTO FUN / Shutterstock]

Coca-Cola To Stop Targeting Kids, Wants To Help Combat Obesity is a post from: The Inquisitr

A new caffeine gum product is on hold because of potential new government regulations, the Wrigley Company has announced.

The US Food and Drug Administration has initiated an investigation into the effects of caffeine, particularly on children and young adults, and the company has decided to take it off the market at least temporarily after consulting with federal regulators.

Earlier this year, Wrigley, a subsidiary of Mars, Inc., launched a caffeine-added product called Alert Energy Caffeine Gum. The new product was apparently meant to jump-start declining chewing gum sales as well as capitalize on the popularity of energy drinks. Each package of sugar-free Alert Energy Caffeine Gum costs about $3.00 for eight pieces, each one of which contains about 40 milligrams of caffeine, equivalent to a half cup of coffee or a 16-ounce soda. It is sold in either fruit or mint flavors.

Wrigley President Casey Keller issued a statement about suspending the production, along with sales and marketing, of Alert gum: “After discussions with the FDA, we have a greater appreciation for its concern about the proliferation of caffeine in the nation’s food supply. There is a need for changes in the regulatory framework to better guide the consumers and the industry about the appropriate level and use of caffeinated products.” Keller also noted that the gum is intended for consumers over age 25. Responding to Wrigley’s decision, an FDA official said in part that “The company’s action demonstrates real leadership and commitment to the public health. We hope others in the food industry will exercise similar restraint.”

Energy drinks containing caffeine in particular have come under scrutiny of late as they are being aggressively marketed  to all demographics including young people. These kinds of drinks have sparked controversy and lawsuits over the alleged health risks. But it’s not just caffeinated drinks that are at issue. “Food manufacturers have added caffeine to candy, nuts and other snack foods in recent years.” The American Academy of Pediatrics reportedly announced in 2011 “that children and teenagers should avoid caffeinated drinks , since caffeine boosts heart rate, interferes with sleep, and increases anxiety.”

[Top image via Shutterstock]

Caffeine Gum Pulled Off The Shelves By Wrigley is a post from: The Inquisitr

If you just shuddered some, it’s probably not just a caffeine crash hitting you late this afternoon. It might be over the Food and Drug Administration’s new investigation into caffeine, which some coffee aficionados fear may lead to eventual regulation of your morning starting pistol.

The FDA’s caffeine investigation is meant to study ”particularly its effects on children and adolescents,” but the federal regulatory body skips a few steps straight into 1984 with it’s ambiguous preparation ”to go through the regulatory process to establish … conditions on caffeine use.”

“We have to be practical; enforcing age restrictions would be challenging. For me, the more fundamental questions are whether it is appropriate to use foods that may be inherently attractive and accessible to children as the vehicles to deliver the stimulant caffeine, and whether we should place limits on the amount of caffeine in certain products.”

Thanks, Michelle Obama!

In all seriousness, this could be kind of scary to coffee lovers everywhere, and hell, coffee businesses everywhere. Though people will always purchase a cup of brew no matter how taxed or regulated it is (it’s like gasoline that way), caffeine restrictions could have dramatic implications for the market.

We might just be looking at something basic like an FDA-imposed age limit on caffeine to keep 7-year-olds from getting their hands on a mocha frappe. Additionally, the FDA’s true target seems to be energy drinks and bizarre product hybrids moreso than coffee.

Problematically, “‘energy drinks’ with caffeine are being aggressively marketed, including to young people. An instant oatmeal on the market boasts that one serving has as much caffeine as a cup of coffee, and then there are similar products, such as a so-called ‘wired’ waffle and ‘wired’ syrup with added caffeine. … The proliferation of these products in the marketplace is very disturbing to us.”

What should we make of this? Depends on where you’re sitting. This might read excessive Bloomberg-esque government nanny state intervention to you, or maybe you figure that the FDA caring about how caffeine, which is a drug, is marketed to children.

Either way, I see thousands of college students desperately clutching a cuppa screaming “when you pry it from my jittery, caffeinated fingers!”

Do you think the FDA should regulate caffeine?

[Image via: somchaij, Shutterstock]

FDA Caffeine Investigation May Lead To Regulation is a post from: The Inquisitr

Sounds judgmental, but a mental health expert said recently that the number of Instagram food pictures on your thread directly correlates to your health. You might even have an eating disorder.

Though many think that the urge to photograph breakfast, lunch and dinner and post the pictures to Instagram is strange to annoying, Canadian Obesity Network chair Dr. Valerie Taylor argues that the practice could be evidence that something deeper is going on.

Speaking at the Canadian Obesity Summit in Vancouver Wednesday, Dr. Taylor said that while many people post pictures of their meals because they genuinely like food, others do so because food is significant in their lives. Too significant.

“You don’t take pictures of who you’re with, you take pictures of what you’re eating,” Dr. Taylor said. ”For some people who have the predisposition for weight behaviors, it just goes that one step further, and they start to develop unhealthy weight disorders and they start to have weight problems.”

There are a lot of implications in there, but number one is that people who obsessively post Instagram food pictures might have medical issues like obesity.

She also pointed out that people don’t just eat food for its nutritional value. Food plays a psychological role in our daily lives, which is one of the main causes of obesity today.

Dr. Taylor’s presentation at the conference was titled “Food Fetish: Society’s Complicated Relationship with Food.” In addition to being the mental health chair of the Canadian Obesity Network, she is also an associate professor at the University of Toronto and psychiatrist-in-chief at Women’s College Hospital in Toronto.

What do you think? Is the habit of posting Instagram food photos unhealthy? Could it signal the rise of an eating disorder? Sound off!

[Image via: mama_mia, Shutterstock]

Instagram Food Picture Poster? You Have An Eating Disorder is a post from: The Inquisitr

“Gee, I could really go for a cheese and onion chocolate bar today.” That’s exactly what you said when you woke up this morning, right? Right? Well, you dreams have come true. Such a thing really does exist and by some reports, they’re actually not that bad.

We’re not sure if Tayto’s cheese and onion chocolate bars deserve a medal for innovation or if they’re just evidence that mankind is, by and large, completely out of fresh ideas, but if the title piqued your somewhat nauseous interest, then the Irish candy company has done its job.

Believe it or not, the company actually started making these bars by request. They’ve already sold out of the 100,000 bars they originally made to meet the request, too. Probably because they never imagined they’d need more than 100,000 to satisfy the curiosity of their followers on Twitter.

Well, they were wrong.

Tayto boss Eamon Eastwood said that customers have already reacted pretty strongly to the bars which, as you have probably put together by now, are flavored with cheese and onion.

“I couldn’t believe the reaction,” he said. “It went off the Richter scale with almost half a million impressions.”

He explained that the bar offers a “crunchy chocolate” taste with a “lingering taste of cheese of onion.”

Let’s find out how the bars are faring on Twitter, shall we?

Just had my first taste of the Tayto (cheese and onion crisp) Chocolate Bar, very nice actually

— Noel McGrath (@bfdetiger) May 8, 2013

On the other side, and in the interest of journalistic integrity:

I tasted the cheese and onion tayto bar today it was horrible..

— A l a n n a h (@AlannahHurley) May 8, 2013

Are you bold enough to try one of Tayto’s cheese and onion chocolate bars?

[If you want to send Dusten a Tayto cheese and onion chocolate bar so he doesn't miss out on this culinary phenomenon, you can reach out to him on Twitter.]

Cheese And Onion Chocolate Bars Actually Not Bad, Says Twitter is a post from: The Inquisitr

The price of wholesale beef hit an all-time high on Friday, and there are no signals that the cost will decline this year. The news is certainly disappointing for backyard cooks hoping to fire up the grill for cheap this summer.

The price will likely dissuade outdoor chefs from cooking as much as they want to. The price of beef alone is up at least five percent this year, not to mention the cost of buns as well.

Once all the fixings are counted, from brisket and chicken to coleslaw and salad, the cost of a backyard barbecue has doubled from just a few years ago. Jim Early, founder and president of the North Carolina Barbecue Society, added, “The only thing that stayed the same is cabbage.”

There are several causes for the increase in beef prices, which have slowly been edging higher and higher. The wholesale price of USDA beef reached $201.68 per 100 pounds on Friday.

The previous high of $201.18 was set in October 2003. At that time, all Canadian beef imports were prohibited after the first confirmed case of bovine spongiform encephalopathy — also known as mad cow disease.

But now it’s a different scenario. Cattle producers were hit hard by poor pasture conditions, a bad hay crop, and drought in the Southern Plains. Late freezing weather also played a part. Because of these reasons, the US cattle and calf herd is at its lowest level since 1952.

And the problems are expected to continue until early 2014. Until then, beef prices are expected to remain high, especially for better cuts of meat. Early added that corn prices are a factor as well, because the use of corn ultimately results in a better tasting barbecue if the kernels are mixed into the cow’s diet. He explained, “That’s what they feed to the cows for the white fat, which is what we want. If they feed them $8 corn, that’s going to run our prices up.”

But not everyone will see their beef prices go up, especially if they get their meat from factory-raised cows. Factories often rely on growth hormones to speed up their fattening process and cut other costs.

[Image via ShutterStock]

Beef Prices Hit All-Time High is a post from: The Inquisitr

George Jones’ sausage led to an unusual celebration of the 81-year-old singer. In the aftermath of his death on April 26, George Jones was remembered in Thursday’s memorial at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville.

That evening, the Brooks Shaw’s Old Country Store in Jackson, TN gave away over 1,000 free samples of sausage balls from a recipe originally created by George Jones.  The key ingredient was  his own George Jones branded country sausage that was sold to restaurants in Tennessee.

Now, you vegans out there are welcome to chuckle, but sausage is a traditional health food down here in the south. I’m not sure that I need any better argument for the life-prolonging evidence of the miracle food than to point to George Jones himself.

The Possum lived a rock star life even before there were rock stars, yet he lived into his eighties and was working and performing almost to the end. In fact, he was in the middle of a year-long concert tour when he passed. So don’t laugh too hard.

Food blogger Libby Murphy said that breakfast was George Jones’ favorite meal of the day — even if he sometimes may have eaten it after partying all night. Hey, maybe that’s when it tastes best, right?

Her blog Twirl and Taste published his step-by-step recipe. For Southerners already familiar with sausage and cheese balls, it’s a classic Bisquick based mix with a twist. Be sure to use Hot George Jones Sausage to get the full flavor.

This is usually just a Christmas season treat for our family. The balls work well as country-style appetizers, and they still taste good even if they cool off.

But there’s no reason why they can’t serve as a tasty breakfast too. You’ve got cheese, sausage, and Bisquick — pretty much all of the food groups except alcohol and caffeine. You can fix that with some Irish coffee on the side.

We’ll remember him first for his music, but the George Jones sausage is a legacy that brings a smile.

[George Jones photo by s_bukley / Shutterstock.com]

George Jones Sausage Results In Tasty Tribute is a post from: The Inquisitr

Frozen pizza containing plastic shards was recalled this week after one person reported chipping a tooth on a small piece found inside.

Four different kinds of frozen pizza were recalled after the plastic shard was found, all of them containing spinach.

“The fragments are of clear, brittle plastic, in irregular triangles, and may have sharp edges,” the company said in a release.

The incident is one in a string of spinach-related recalls in the past year, though most have been related to E. coli. In the fall there was a nationwide recall, and another early this year related to an E. coli contamination. Salad processor Taylor Farms Retail, Inc. announced in February a recall of organic spinach sold across the country.

The spinach recall early this year covered a wide area, with the listed products sold from Alaska to Tennessee to Pennsylvania.

The latest recall was not related to contaminated spinach, but instead ones containing sharp bits of plastic. The plastic pieces found in the pizza were in small, clear fragments with sharp edges. The fragments were originally found in CPK Crispy Thin Crust White Pizza, but three other varieties using the same spinach were later recalled.

The frozen pizza recalled for plastic shards includes the following brands:

• California Pizza Kitchen® Limited Edition Grilled Chicken with Cabernet Sauce, UPC 71921 00781; production code is 3059525952.

• DiGiorno® Crispy Flatbread Pizza Tuscan Style Chicken, UPC 71921 02663; production codes are 3057525922 and 3058525921.

• DiGiorno® pizzeria!™ Bianca/White Pizza, UPC 71921 91484; production code is 3068525951.

• California Pizza Kitchen (CPK) Crispy Thin Crust White®, UPC 71921 98745; production codes are 3062525951, 3062525952 and 3063525951.

All of the pizzas were produces between February 26 and March 9 this year, and have been shipped nationwide to grocery retail stores.

Consumers with questions about the frozen pizza with plastic shards can contact Nestlé USA Consumer Services at 800-456-4394 or nestlepizza@casupport.com.  Representatives are available Monday through Friday, from 8 am to 8 pm, ET and this Saturday, May 4, from Noon to 8 pm ET.

Frozen Pizza Recalled After Plastic Shards Found Inside In Another Spinach-Related Incident is a post from: The Inquisitr

Taco Bell’s new low-end menu really makes us wonder how the humble Bean Burrito or Fiesta Potatoes prompted the impulse to aim lower.

While Taco Bell’s low-end menu is certainly no disincentive to patronize the irresistibly tasty chain’s bargain offerings, it really does make you wonder what could possibly go on an even more inexpensive offering list of fast food Mexican fare. Lettuce soft tacos? Nachos without cheese?

While Taco Bell’s low-end menu seems to totally contradict the brand’s Live Más campaign (an attempt to compete with non-competitor Chipotle with knock-off burrito bowls and more veggie-infused offerings), the Bell appears to be looking to simplify its ”Why Pay More” menu’s variable pricing with a ”$1 Cravings” menu.

Fast food restaurants on the same spectrum like Burger King and McDonald’s too have flirted with dollar menu fluctuations, adding and removing items from the value offering lists and occasionally bumping up prices for certain sometimes-a-buck foods.

The more low-end Taco Bell “$1 Cravings” initiative is currently being test marketed in Kansas City, Missouri and Sacramento, California locations of the chain, and offerings on the more cut-rate list include “shredded chicken mini quesadillas, churros, triple-layer nachos, a Beefy Nacho Loaded Griller, a cheesy bean and rice burrito, a spicy beef mini quesadilla, a Beef Crunchito, a Beefy Cheesy Burrito, a spicy potato soft taco, a Cheesy Roll-Up, a caramel apple empanada and Cinnamon Twists.”

Taco Bell chief marketing and innovations officer Brian Niccol explained to a trade mag that the reasoning behind the Taco Bell low-end menu was simple:

“Consumers want a $1 solution, and they want variety at a dollar price.”

If the snack-centric new Taco Bell low-end menu resonates in test markets, value conscious Bell lovers can expect to see the new initiative rolled out in national markets as soon as late 2013.

Taco Bell Low End Menu Coming Because Potatoes And Beans Are Too Fancy is a post from: The Inquisitr

The reports of fungus in Capri Sun pouches have been circulating the web for some time now, and the issue indeed has been verified — though the contamination is “mostly harmless.” (Where have we heard that before?)

News of fungus in Capri Sun pouches is certainly alarming, giving their ubiquity and attractive, low price point relative to fancier juice box drinks.

A common emailed warning has urged parents to be on the lookout for fungus in their children’s Capri Sun drinks, with one popular version of the missive even making it to the pages of popular debunking site Snopes, and reading:

“WARNING TO ALL PARENTS: my friend Jennifer gave her son a [Capri Sun] Saturday and he told her it tasted funny. She took a sip and said it tasted like straight alcohol. Cut it open and it was nothing but mold inside. Evidently, this happens a lot. They say the lack of preservatives leaves them susceptible to fermentation. I will never let Delo drink another.”

Kraft later acknowledged the issue regarding fungus in Capri Sun pouches in a statement to consumers reading:

“The recent case of a “worm” found inside a Capri Sun pouch was, in fact, mold (the consumer actually returned to our page to confirm this). While this is not a common occurrence, it does happen from time to time because the product is preservative free. That’s why we recommend discarding leaking or damaged packages and have included a statement on our cartons for consumers. … It would be great if foods stayed fresh forever. But the basic laws of science and nature dictate that most foods eventually spoil and get moldy.”

Indiana State University recently delved deeper into reports of fungus in Capri Sun pouches, confirming that five different types have been growing in compromised units of the popular cafeteria drink.

But the researchers also say that unless a person has a pre-existing health issue, the fungus is unlikely to cause illness — though it may taste awful:

“The significance of this is that for the majority of people, other than being grossed out when you open a package and it has a large fungal mat, which is a really nasty looking thing, it will probably not hurt you … However, in patients who are immune-compromised and some other underlying diseases, this could create a health concern for them.”

Both Kraft and the researchers noted that fungus in Capri Sun is an issue largely specific to damaged or leaking units of the beverage, and most pouches do not contain any mold.

Fungus In Capri Sun Confirmed As Five Types, But ‘Mostly Harmless’ is a post from: The Inquisitr

A New York City school cafeteria has become entirely meatless, one of the first schools in the US to eschew animal flesh entirely in its menu.

Students at P.S. 244, the Active Learning Elementary School, won’t find Grade D “burgers” or chicken-ish nuggets on their school’s monthly lunch calendar.

Instead, kids will have options like black bean quesadillas, tofu dishes with Asian sesame sauce, and falafel. It wasn’t a sudden switch for P.S. 244, where veggie options were the standard in the school’s grub hub three of five days a week — but the meatless every day thing is new.

Bob Groff is the Active Learning Elementary School principal, and he says that kids aren’t displeased with the new vegetarian cafeteria.

Groff says comprehensive education including health curriculum has schooled the tots on why a meatless diet may be good for them, and he says:

“It’s been a really great response from the kids, but they also understand it’s about what is the healthiest option for them … Because we teach them throughout our curriculum to make healthy choices, they understand what is happening and believe in what we’re doing too.”

Groff says it’s not just about meatless fare, but opening up kids’ minds about healthy options. He adds:

“The big thing I would like people to know is, this isn’t just about a vegetarian menu … It’s about living a healthy lifestyle and educating students on what options are out there.”

Amie Hamlin is the executive director of New York Coalition for Healthy School Food, and Hamlin says science may support a meatless cafeteria:

“We know that when students eat a healthy diet, they’re able to focus better. Their immune systems are stronger, so they’re sick less, and then they’re in school more and they’re able to focus and concentrate better, and therefore learn better. There’s research about that.”

Do you think more schools should follow the Active Learning Elementary School and go vegetarian?

NYC Elementary School Cafeteria Goes Meatless is a post from: The Inquisitr

An all-vegetarian menu has been introduced at a New York City elementary school, offering students veggie chili and tofu wraps.

There’s not a horse burger or Turkey Twizzler in sight at Public School 244. The Queens elementary school is the first in the city to go all-veggie, and animal-welfare group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals thinks it could be the first in the nation.

The school, which was founded in 2008 and now educates 400 students in pre-kindergarten through to third grade, has moved gradually towards a vegetarian menu for some time.

It began by offering healthy food options and offering a veggie lunch three times a week. When that proved popular, the school introduced the meal four days a week. It has now gone all-vegetarian.

Kids at the school have voted with their dinner tickets. Principal Robert Groff told The Associated Press that students favored the vegetable offerings which include black beans and cheddar quesadillas served with salsa and roasted potatoes. In a New York Daily News report, he says:

“We believe that, if we taught kids to make healthy choices, it would help them to grow as students and well-rounded children.”

Schools Chancellor Dennis Walcott adds that he is proud of the “trailblazing” school. He tells the Daily News:

“I don’t eat fried foods. I don’t drink soda. I try not to have sweets too often. And that’s what we want for our students [...] to make sure they eat healthy both at home and school.”

Meals in New York City public schools have undergone a dramatic change since Mayor Michael Bloomberg took office. Most schools in the city now only serve wholegrain breads and pastas, while salad bars have been installed in 1,000 schools.

What do you think of an all-vegetarian school menu? Can such a move benefit students in the long-term?

All-Vegetarian Menu Introduced At New York School is a post from: The Inquisitr

Seeing a calorie count next to a bacon cheeseburger doesn’t exactly convince you not to eat, it does it? No, it doesn’t. That’s why there’s a push to put an “exercise cost” next to unhealthy food items to get you, the diner, to make a better choice.

An “exercise cost” is exactly what it sounds like. Let’s say you’re eyeballing a tasty dessert after dinner. The calorie count says, let’s say, 575 calories. That might not be enough to stop you from ordering, but imagine that next to the calories, there is another number: Two hours.

That’s the amount of “intensive walking” you would need to do in order to burn that dessert off. Now maybe you’re second guessing.

The reason is that the “exercise cost” puts calories in context, and that’s exactly what researchers at Texas Christian University thought when they performed a study on “exercise cost.”

The study followed 300 men and women under the age of 30, separated into three groups. Each group got menus with the same food choices. One group had just the food listed. The other had the food and calories. The third group had the food, the calories, and how many minutes of “brisk walking” it would take to burn off each selection.

They found that when confronted with the “exercise cost,” diners ordered less and ate less than those who just received food menus.

Maintaining proper nutrition requires fitness and wise food choices, but calorie intake can be deceptive, since it can be different for everyone. Besides, if all of your daily calories are carbs, you’re missing other vital food groups. So what good is the “exercise cost,” except to unfairly scare restaurant diners?

Well, it will probably help you avoid making nutritional choices that you believe to be harmless.

“If you were to go to a coffee shop and you saw that that muffin that you were going to have with your coffee would take two hours on a treadmill to burn off, you would probably think that’s hardly worth it for a muffin,” registered dietician Leslie Beck offered as an example.

What do you think? Would you make better eating choices if restaurant menus listed the “exercise cost?”

[Image via: Oleg Golovnev, Shutterstock.com]

Menus Could Print ‘Exercise Costs’ Along With Calories is a post from: The Inquisitr

Rejoice! McDonald’s may serve their breakfast menu all day, every day at some point in the near future.

The fast food industry is changing quickly, and McDonald’s is doing everything it can to stay in the lead. Tons of changes are coming to McD’s in the near future, but 24/7 breakfast might be the most appealing.

In a wide-ranging interview with CNBC, McDonald’s President and CEO Don Thompson talked at-length about new options the fast food chain is considering. When asked if all-day breakfast could happen, Thompson hinted that it wasn’t out of the question.

“Yes, we would consider it,” Thompson said, adding, “We have the focus on our existing menu, but we have looked at breakfast across the day. We have it in some markets around the world.”

He also said that they were looking at “innovative ways” to expand breakfast hours. “I think we’ll be seeing some of those things in the near future,” he teased.

Other new things on the way for McDonald’s include delivery services, which they are testing “in a big way” in densely populated area in the U.S. as well as other countries. According to Thompson, ”delivery is a big, big opportunity, particularly in areas where you don’t have drive-throughs.”

Burger King started offering delivery in Washington D.C. early last year, and has since expanded to Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, New York City and San Francisco.

They’re also thinking of implementing a potential customer ”rewards loyalty program,” with Thompson admitting he “loves the idea,” adding, “we might see something like that in the future.”

McDonald’s is also angling for the “millennials,” or digital age customers who prefer healthier options and more complex flavors. Thompson says that new items like the wraps and smoothies are meant to answer these demands.

“Tastes have been changing and it’s just that we as McDonald’s have continued to evolve,” Thompson said.

Would you be excited to have McDonald’s breakfast any time during the day?

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

McDonald’s CEO Might Approve All-Day Breakfast is a post from: The Inquisitr

Want some free pretzels today? Just head on down to your local pretzel maker to get your free salty snack in honor of National Pretzel Day.

According to ABC, several pretzel locations around the country will be honoring National Pretzel Day by handing out free pretzels today.

The Snyder’s in Cincinnati, San Diego, Philly and Baltimore will be giving out free samples of their honey mustard & onion, hot buffalo wing, and bacon cheddar pretzels and the Philly Pretzel Factory is giving away one free pretzel to customers today.

You can also get a free pretzel from the Pretzel Maker. There is a slight catch however. The Pretzel Maker is making customers tell a joke (or say Happy Pretzel Day) before they receive their free pretzel.

Auntie Anne’s won’t be handing out free pretzels today but they did say that they’d surprise customers with a free day in the future.

Auntie Anne’s wrote on Facebook: “Like any fun aunt, we like to keep a few surprises up our sleeve. Like we’ve done before, we like to host Free Pretzels when you least expect it. Make sure you stay tuned to find out more information on all the exciting things we have planned for the future.”

Are you going to get a free pretzel today?

If you can’t celebrate National Pretzel Day with a free pretzel today, here’s some free pretzel trivia from Snyder’s.

Free Pretzels Today For National Pretzel Day is a post from: The Inquisitr

Twinkies are returning to store shelves this July, according to the brand’s new owners, hedge funds Apollo Global Management and Metropoulos & Co., who formed the new Hostess Brands, LLC.

Twinkies stopped production in November when Hostess Brands Inc. filed for bankruptcy following a lengthy standoff with the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Union.

The old Hostess company has almost completely wound its operations down. Along with selling the bulk of Hostess Snacks and brands to the new Hostess Brands LLC, the company also sold other lines like Wonder Bread to affiliates of Flowers Foods. Meanwhile, the company’s Beefstake bread brand was purchased by Grupo Binbo, S.A.B. de C.V.

The new Hostess Brands LLC executive vice president, Michael Cramer, announced on Thursday that Twinkies will return to store shelves in the United States by late July. Cramer explained, “We expect to be making and selling in July. Probably the later half of the month before the product hits the stores.”

So, all you Twinkie hoarders out there, you can start carefully rationing out your remaining snack cakes to last until July. Also, you can stop selling them on eBay. The new Hostess will start hiring 200 workers this weekend for the Dolly Madison Bakery in Columbus, Georgia — one of the locations closed down in November.

Along with Georgia, the new company also purchased plants in Schiller Park, Illinois; Emporia, Kansas; Indianapolis, Indiana; and the Atwater Village section of Los Angeles, California. Emporia is already hiring and will likely be among the locations reopened. Corporate operations for the new Hostess will be run out of both Kansas City and Dallas.

Cramer added during a news conference in Georgia that the Columbus plant will eventually create more than 300 jobs. When the snack-cake factory closed last November, there were 420 names on the payroll. But then the Dallas, Texas-based Hostess Brands Inc. closed its entire US production and distribution network and filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy.

Along with the return of Twinkies, the other classic Hostess brands like Ho Hos, Zingers, and Ding Dongs, will return in August and September.

Are you excited that Twinkies are returning to store shelves?

Twinkies Returning To Store Shelves This July is a post from: The Inquisitr

Pizza Hut really wants you to like them.

When Consumerist tipster Jared collected his to-go pizza at his local Pizza Hut restaurant, he found the following printed notice taped to his box (complete with mangled capitalization and apostrophe abuse):

“$1 OFF Next purchase

“your next order for taking our survey! Just go online, take the survey and print the last page of your survey (shows “thank you for your feedback) or print the e-mail you will receive after you complete the survey (typically will say “we’re sorry… but you are not todays instant winner”), show it to us and we will give you $1 off your order. It’s that easy! Only 5′s count (Selecting Strongly Agree) so please give 5′s if you liked us!! It helps us out and is a credit to our store. Thank You!”

Given the homemade nature of the sign, I assume this $1 discount is coming from the pockets of management at this particular branch.

Having not worked in catering before, I had no idea those little feedback cards are so damned important.

So I have questions. Would this encourage you to give the restaurant a precious five stars? Sausage or pepperoni? And is Pizza Hut effectively bribing people to like them? Perhaps it’s not for us to say. Yes. Yes it is.

Pizza Hut Will Pay You $1 For A Compliment is a post from: The Inquisitr

Burger King is bringing its new delivery service to Chicago, San Francisco and Los Angeles.

Burger King started testing its new delivery service in New York, Miami, Houston and Washington D.C. last year and has now decided to expand the program into three new cities.

The company said in a press release that they have 20 participating restaurants in Chicago and LA and 15 more in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Alex Macedo , President of North America, Burger King Worldwide, Inc., said:

“BK Delivers is already performing well in New York, Miami, Houston and greater Washington, D.C.  As its popularity has grown, we have seen an increasing demand for the program in other markets … Los Angeles, San Francisco and Chicago have some of our most loyal guests and the BURGER KING brand is excited to offer them the opportunity to enjoy the food they love, delivered to them in the comfort of their home, dorm or office.”

Restaurants like McDonald’s, Taco Bell and Wendy’s have been re-working their menus as the fast food fight for national dominance continues. Burger King is hoping to separate itself from the competition with its new delivery service.

So if you’re hungry now, and don’t feel like getting up off of your couch, you can order delivery from Burger King at 855-ORDER-BK (855-673-3725). You can also order online at BKDelivers.com.

What do you think of Burger King’s new delivery service? Do you think other restaurants will follow suit? Is Burger King’s new delivery program an all-out assault on obesity?

Burger King Delivery Comes To Chicago, San Francisco And LA is a post from: The Inquisitr

Carl’s Jr. unveiled its Pop-Tart ice cream sandwich over the weekend.

And yes, it’s exactly what it sounds like. A scoop of ice cream sandwiched between two pop-tarts.

Who would eat such a thing? Well, judging by the fact that Carl’s Jr. unveiled its Pop-Tart ice cream sandwich on 4/20 this year it seems like the restaurant has a specific demographic in mind: Stoners.

The ice cream sandwich was spotted over the weekend in California. The restaurant hasn’t announced any plans to release the product nationwide.

Restaurants have been fighting over their fair share of the stoner market recently. Taco Bell clearly has the upper hand with its Doritos Locos Tacos but with innovations like the KFC Double Down, the Jack In The Box Waffle Sandwich, and, of course, Carl’s Jr. Pop-Tart ice cream sandwich, it’s unclear who will claim the title of Pot Smoker’s Favorite Restaurant.

Other restaurants, like McDonald’s, Wendy’s and Burger King, have been working to improve their menus with healthier options. Carl’s Jr. CEO Andy Puzder said last week that Carl’s Jr. would not be hopping on the health food bandwagon.

Puzder said: “It’s not our personality and it won’t become our personality … All of our products are indulgent, decadent.”

What do you think of Carl’s Jr.’s Pop-Tart ice cream sandwich? Do you think they’ll get Heidi Klum to eat one?

Carl’s Jr. Pop-Tart Ice Cream Sandwich Makes Its Debut On 4/20 is a post from: The Inquisitr

Kerry LowLow, a cheese spread company, has created a new ad that pokes fun at the cliched women we often see prancing around in diet commercials. The ad is titled “Adland Gal,” and it was uploaded to YouTube on April 3.

Since being released, the Adland Gal video has went viral with more than 461,000 pageviews.

Talking about the new ad, the company says it is attempting to set straight the stereotypes found on TV:

“What is it with food ads aimed at women? Why do they bombard us with cliches? Why do they presume that all women have a negative relationship with food?”

In the video, the company showcases three different women who are often found in diet and food commercials. The company claims, and accurately so, that low-fat food commercials often include the smug gal, the ditzy gal, and the muffin gal. We could probably add dozens of more stereotypes into the mix if we really thought about it.

According to Kerry, LowLow its main goal is to “support and encourage women everywhere to have a great relationship with food.”

The video is not just racking up views; the comments section for the video is receiving many positive comments from women who are also fed up with the cliches they witness in diet commercials.

Do you think women’s dieting cliches have gotten out of control? Should company’s no longer be afraid to sell a chocolate bar to female viewers?

Kerry LowLow is asking viewing to join them in an extended conversation on Twitter. On its Facebook page, Kerry LowLow writes:

“Thanks for your feedback everyone! We are delighted you love the video! Join in the conversation on Twitter too! #adland gal”

New Cheese Spread Ad Pokes Fun At Women’s Diet Ads is a post from: The Inquisitr

Starbucks is cutting prices on its packaged grocery coffee in a bid to win over consumers in the fiercely contested coffee industry.

The coffee chain may be more famous for its prepared drinks and food, but it also lends the Starbucks name to a selection of packaged coffee. From May 10, the cost of Starbucks coffee and Seattle’s Best packaged coffee will drop by 10 percent or more.

Starbucks is cutting prices after a number of rivals slashed the cost of their coffee.

From next month, the suggested retail price on 12-ounce packages of Starbucks coffee will drop from $9.99 to $8.99 in supermarkets. Meanwhile, Seattle’s Best will be cut from $7.99 to $6.99. If you buy your Starbucks grocery coffee in a Starbucks shop, the old prices will remain, spokeswoman Lisa Passe told Reuters.

The Starbucks coffee price drop comes after J.M. Smucker Co., the top US packaged coffee maker, cut suggested suggested retail prices on brands such as Folgers and Dunkin’ Donuts by an average of 6 percent.

That spurred Kraft into action, with a similar price cut introduced for its Maxwell House and Yuban brands.

Coffee makers have been able to offer discounts after Arabica coffee prices plummeted to their lowest level in nearly three years. By mid-March, prices had fallen to $1.3405 per lb, a 55 percent decrease from the 34-year high reached in May 2011.

The decreasing costs have encouraged makers of instant coffee, who usually buy the more bitter, cheaper robusta bean for their blends, have started buying Arabica beans instead.

With Starbucks cutting prices, will you be tempted to switch brands?

[Images via Shutterstock]

Starbucks Cutting Prices: Coffee Chain Discounts Grocery Coffee By 10 Percent is a post from: The Inquisitr

Are “sustainable fish” labels the real deal, or are they just another example of companies paying a little money to greenwash their activities? In the May 2013 journal Biological Conservation, a large team of scientists has called out the international non-profit Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certifications as “too lenient and discretionary…[they] allow for overly generous interpretation by third-party certifiers and adjudicators, which means that the MSC label may be misleading both consumers and conservation funders.”

Whoa. Tell us what you really think. The scientists noted that the MSC has existed for 15 years, during which time it has certified more than 170 fisheries as “sustainable” — at an annual cost of around $20 million.

Yet they come close to saying that the certifications are bought and paid for. They said that conservation and other concerned groups have brought more than 19 formal objections to MSC certifications — but only one of the wrongly labeled sustainable fisheries then had the certification revoked.

However, MSC scientists Nicolas Gutierrez and David Agnew told Nature that the authors of the paper don’t understand the purposes of the objection procedure. MSC is not necessarily looking to strip fisheries of their labels. Instead, on several occasions, the accused fisheries were required to make improvements to keep the sustainable fishery certification.

The two also claimed that several authors had a conflict of interest, since some of them had filed roughly one-third of the objections in question. There’s a strong implication there that they’re complaining because they’re bitter about not winning their own cases.

The issue of the accuracy of sustainable fishery labels has come under fire before. In 2012, a Marine Policy paper said that 25 percent of seafood sold as sustainable wasn’t.

With more and more sellers jumping on the sustainable seafood bandwagon, it’s important for the label to mean something. In 2012, Whole Foods said that they would no longer sell unsustainable fish. More recently, in January, McDonald’s said that they will now use only sustainable fish in their products.

Yet seafood fraud remains a public scandal. Leaving aside the question of “sustainable” versus “unsustainable” fishing, much seafood in grocery store fish cases isn’t even correctly identified.

In February, oceans conservation group Oceana revealed stunning evidence that up to 33 percent of all seafood wasn’t what the label said it was — and for some species, the numbers are even worse. For example, of 120 packages sold as “red snapper,” DNA tests showed that only seven of the fish were in fact “red snapper.”

If the industry isn’t even getting the name of the fish right, how can consumers feel confident that they’re correctly labeling sustainable fish?

[fish dinner photo by Muy Yum via Flickr]

Sustainable Fish Label Misleading And Too Generous, Scientists Say is a post from: The Inquisitr

It’s probably the cheesiest holiday, but what’s more celebration-worthy than cheese? April 12th is National Grilled Cheese Day!

At its most classic, a grilled cheese sandwich is cheese melted between bread toasted in butter. It’s a go-to solution for parents trying to feed a picky eater, and it’s comfort food for adults in need of a culinary hug.

Although it seems like one of the most American of food creations, it’s actually an ancient meal. Ancient Roman texts reference the practice of melting cheese between pieces of bread. The French have been selling croque-monsieurs (grilled ham and cheese) in cafes since the early 1900s.

The grilled cheese sandwich, in its most pop culturally significan manifestation, is a result of Kraft introducing processed cheese followed by the invention of uniformly sliced white bread in the 1920s.

According to The Food Timeline, the first time the words “grilled cheese” appeared together in a cookbook was in the 1960s. Before that time, people called them toasted cheese or melted cheese sandwiches.

Modern foodie culture brings us all kinds of wonderful, grown-up grilled cheese recipies that graduate the simple snack from just bread, cheese, and butter into options that are much more sophisticated. Here’s a recipe for a grilled blue cheese and pear sandwich, and here’s one by butter lover Paula Deen for a Grilled Apple, Bacon, and Cheddar Sandwich. There’s even a Grilled Cheese Food Truck.

I’m more of a purest. I believe you can use any bread you want, any cheese you want, and any fat you want, but if you add other ingredients, it’s no longer a grilled cheese sandwich.

My favorite is simple. I start with two slices of sourdough bread, extra-sharp white cheddar cheese, crumbled blue cheese, and Trader Joe’s Mayonnaise. I use mayo as an alternative to butter because it has a hint of citrus, and the egg in the mayo creates a crusty seal to keep molten cheese from leaking through the nooks and crannies of the bread.

Spread mayo (real mayo … not Miracle Whip) on the outside of the sandwich, sprinkle grated cheddar and blue cheese on one slice, and then fry it up like any other grilled cheese sandwich.

Do you have a favorite way to make a grilled cheese sandwich? Should it be smashed or un-smashed when cooking? I want to know your tips. Please leave a comment down below, and have a happy Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day!

April 12 Is National Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day is a post from: The Inquisitr

Things got spicy when a Steve Harvey guest disclosed an unusual food fetish that supposedly brings her to sexual climax.

A very personable woman by the name of Christina told Steve Harvey and his panel during a recent TV taping that food — especially  her all-time favorite, Popeyes fried chicken — really, really excites her.

In a preview clip (see below), Christina painted a vivid word picture of the connection between Popeyes Chicken and sex:

“When I get into the bedroom, then I start thinking of my favorite food of all time, which is Popeyes Chicken. Let me explain. It gets me so excited that I take that and put that in the special place in my mind. If he’s not doing what he’s supposed to in there, I start thinking, ‘Popeyes spicy, Popeyes spicy, Popeyes spicy,’ and it just gets me to where I need to be.”

Steve Harvey himself seemed pretty excited too as Christina told her story. This particular episode of the Steve Harvey Show is called “Is it Weird?”

Christina then asked what appears to be a rhetorical question that directly ties in to the subject matter of the episode: “Is it weird that just the thought of Popeyes spicy chicken gets me to climax?”

The FoodBeast website had this to say about Christina and her Popeyes Chicken-induced orgasm:

“In any case, the interview snippet is mostly harmless, unless you’re like Christina and the merest thought of food gets you all hot and bothered, like when she starts chanting ‘Popeye Spicy’ to herself and suddenly you’re imagining peeling away those delicious strips of skin and letting the chicken juices just swirl around your mouth . . . Ahem.”

Founded in 1972, Popeyes Louisiana-style fried chicken now has more than 2,000 restaurants around the country.

For many, fried chicken is a guilty “pleasure.” That being said, are you a fan of Popeyes Chicken and if so, has it ever made you very excited?

Steve Harvey Guest Claims Popeyes Chicken Gives Her Orgasms [Video] is a post from: The Inquisitr

The very words “supersized crabs” may have you reaching for the gumbo pot, but not so fast. At first blush, a bigger and better crab sounds like the one good thing that can come from oceans polluted by carbon and other emissions that pour out of factories and into our oceans. Crabs eat carbon, and more carbon does mean a bigger crab.

However, marine scientist Justin Baker Ries, who has studied the crabs in the threatened Chesapeake Bay, said that the super crabs hit the seafood chef with a one-two punch.

First of all, they eat oysters, and the bigger crabs can eat many more of them. That prevents vulnerable oyster beds from rebounding even after humans have poured millions of dollars into oyster bed restoration efforts.

Second, the supersized crabs themselves still have the same weight in meat as the smaller crabs. That’s right. They’re gaining all the size in their inedible shells.

Boo.

The Chesapeake Bay, the nation’s largest estuary, is expected to continue to suffer from the effects of too much carbon, which spurs the growth of the crabs while forcing oysters to grow more slowly, for as long as another century.

Clearly, that’s a problem, as it might be possible for the ever-growing supersized crabs to eat the oysters to near-extinction and then suffer a population crash of their own, destroying the seafood market for both foods.

Ries has been studying the problem for years. According to his research, if you’ve noticed that shrimp and lobsters seem to be getting bigger, that isn’t your imagination either. Those two crustaceans seem to get the same jolt from carbon pollution that the crabs do.

Meanwhile, oysters and scallops struggle. Their shells are actually thinner as a result of the pollution, so the bigger, stronger crabs have easier prey to crack into.

Sometimes a cloud really doesn’t have a silver lining. Who knew that a supersized crab could have a dark side?

[crab photo by Jeff Kovac and the Food Group via Flickr and Creative Commons]

Supersized Crabs Sound Tasty But They’re Really Bad News is a post from: The Inquisitr

Ben and Jerry’s underestimated the amount of traffic they would get for the company’s 34th annual Free Cone Day. The company’s website crashed today as people were searching the site to find their nearest ice cream cones.

Ben & Jerry’s holds a free ice cream day every year to celebrate its anniversary and say thank you to its customers. This year’s free cone day involved more than 650 stores in 20 countries.

The company wrote in a statement:

“Is there a better way to say thank you than free ice cream? Not if you’re Ben & Jerry’s! On Tuesday, April 9, Ben & Jerry’s scoop shops around the world will host the 34th annual Free Cone Day. Since its first anniversary in 1979, Ben & Jerry’s has thrown open the scoop shop doors and invited fans of all ages in for a free cup or cone.”

Dave Stever, the company’s chief marketing officer, added: “It’s free, it’s fair, it’s everywhere.”

Ben & Jerry’s spokeswoman Kelly Mohr told the LA Times that the company was working to fix the website. In the meantime, customers can head on down to their closest Ben & Jerry’s to get a free scoop of chunky monkey or cherry Garcia.

You can also try one of the company’s new flavors, like Liz Lemon, or one of the Greek Frozen Yogurt flavors. And if you aren’t a cone person, don’t worry, you can also get your free ice cream in a cup.

Is it #FreeConeDay yet? On Tuesday April 9th, we’re scooping the love at a scoop shop near you benjerrys.co/ScoopShop twitter.com/benandjerrys/s…

— Ben & Jerry’s (@benandjerrys) April 9, 2013

Ben And Jerry’s 34th ‘Free Cone Day’ Crashes Website is a post from: The Inquisitr

Environmentalists are lately suggesting a meat alternative to help us reduce our carbon footprint: Guinea pig. I know I’ve already lost half of you due to the “cute factor,” and I’ll likely lose the rest when I mention that the idea is actually to replace beef.

Let’s hear them out.

Guinea pig is actually becoming a pretty common dish in South American restaurants (it’s what you get when you order “cuy”). The trend is taking off so hard that middle-class foodies are ordering, photographing, blogging and presumably Instagram-ing about the guinea pig. They’re cooked whole, can be grilled or deep-fried, and are otherwise sadly flayed and impaled on little sticks.

Lost your appetite yet? Wait until you hear the good part. Eating guinea pig is totally green, man.

Matt Miller, a science writer with The Nature Conservancy, says that eating rodents and other small livestock are a good low-impact meat alternative to beef, which costs quite a bit of carbon to put on your plate. He points out that Colombia ran into a problem years back when they cleared forest for cattle pasture, which caused erosion and water pollution.

“They were encouraging people to switch from cattle to guinea pigs,” he said. “Guinea pigs don’t require the land that cattle do. They can be kept in backyards, or in your home. They’re docile and easy to raise.”

And apparently, they’re very tasty. Miller says guinea pig is “delicious, very tender and hard to compare to anything else.” One chef describes guinea pig as possessing “tender flesh and very tender skin.” Another describes it as “very oily, like pork combined with rabbit.”

People who order it in South America clean the bones head-to-toe.

But will guinea pig catch on in the United States? Miller says no, unless we all get over ourselves.

“There’s a clear cultural prejudice against eating guinea pigs, and rodents in general, in the United States,” he said. “But finding ways to reduce our carbon footprint is a good idea, and so is eating small livestock, like guinea pigs.”

So if you want to reduce your carbon footprint from your dinner table, get comfortable seeing this:

As this:

Would you eat guinea pig?

‘Eat Guinea Pig, Reduce Carbon Footprint’ Says Environmentalist is a post from: The Inquisitr

A dinner with Spanish restaurateur Ferran Adria sold for approximately $23,000 during a recent Sotheby’s auction in Hong Kong.

Adria is considered by many to be one of the greatest chefs in the entire world. His restaurant elBulli was rated as one of the best eateries in the world by The Restaurant. Being able to dine with Adria would be an honor for many people.

Although bidding started at $5,000, it soon started to rise. An online bidder secured his dinner with the restaurateur for a cool $23,200. The lucky individual will enjoy a meal with Ferran Adria at his brother’s restaurant in Barcelona.

“Everybody knew there was just one chance to get this lot of spending time with the great chef Ferran Adria, in his hometown of Barcelona. And this will probably never happen again,” Sotheby’s Serena Sutcliffe explained to The Associated Press.

While this particular auction has come to an end, there’s still one on the agenda for later this month. Another lucky person will be able to bid on a dinner with Adria on April 26. The auction will reportedly take place in New York.

The restaurateur is hoping that the next auction is as successful as the one recently held in Hong Kong.

“I think the New York sale will also go as well as this one, so it’s going to be double the amount of money. This is a lot more than what I was expecting, so we are very pleased,” Adria explained to reporters after the auction.

Both winners will be able to visit the site of elBulli, the restaurant Adria ran for 27 years. All of the money generated from the auctions will help fund a culinary institute where Ferran will teach his techniques. The elBulli Foundation is expected to open in either late 2014 or early 2015.

“We have two missions. One is to keep the elBulli legacy and the know-how and the buildings. The second is to create the creators. I hope one or two of the 30 creative people we get each year will be the next generation of leaders of the culinary revolution,” he explained to Business Week.

Would you pay $23,000 for a dinner with someone you admired?

[Top Image via Shutterstock - Bottom Image via Wikimedia Commons]

Dinner With Ferran Adria Goes For $23K At Auction is a post from: The Inquisitr

Pizza Hut’s new “cheese pockets” pizza, or the Pizza Hut Crazy Cheesy Crust, manages to take the standard stuffed crust pizza and do the unthinkable — did you ever think a stuffed crust pizza would look like the salad bar option?

Pizza Hut’s Crazy Cheesy Crust pizza is a limited edition, like the regular stuffed crust option once was. And the pizza chain has, in recent years, taken to stuffing all manner of things in its crusts worldwide.

In Britain, a Pizza Hut hot dog stuffed crust was introduced at about this time last year. That same month, a Pizza Hut hamburger stuffed crust was rolled out in the Middle East.

Before that in the same region, Pizza Hut created a cheese cone pizza as well, the Mixed Cone Crust Pizza, and some deep fried dessert option “Kit Kat Pops.” Who knew the Middle East smoked so much pot?

Singapore’s Pizza Hut also got the Double Sensation, which was a super-sized cheese crust too. But when it comes to cheese bacchanalia, nothing can top the Pizza Hut Crazy Cheesy Crust, which, to our eyes, appears to take all the cheese one can possible shove into a dough cup and sticks it onto the crust of a pizza.

The Pizza Hut Crazy Cheesy Crust Pizza is the brainchild of Pizza Hut Executive Chef Wiley Bates III, who exists. Bates explains that the cheese blasted pizza was the product of much pizza experimenting, and explains:

“You notice how the dough actually nestles around … The hand-tossed [crust] lends itself to absorbing some of those wonderful flavors, while again maintaining the integrity of the cheese.”

While testing was time consuming, Bates says the Pizza Hut Crazy Cheesy Crust Pizza boils down to one core culinary rule — that pizza eaters “always want more cheese.”

Will you be ordering the Pizza Hut “cheese bowls” pizza when it’s introduced Wednesday?

Pizza Hut Cheese Pockets Pizza Shames Stuffed Crust Inadequacies is a post from: The Inquisitr

Peeps-flavored vodka. Now why didn’t I think of that? If you want to create a home-crafted vodka infusion with the power of Easter’s most notorious candy, the marshmallow chicks made by Just Born, then you need look no further than the popular food blog Baking Bites, where the creators have posted a step-by-step recipe, with photos, telling you how to create Peeps-Infused Vodka.

Without giving away too many trade secrets, I think I can safely disclose that the process involves at least 30 Peeps and an entire 750 milliliter bottle of the vodka of your choice.

I didn’t know about this recipe in time to whip up the Peeps-flavored vodka for Easter dinner, and I’m pretty sure that vodka is not a traditional part of the religious holiday anyway. However, I’m thinking about those after-Easter candy sales. Who’s with me?

I’ll freely admit that most of my vodka-infusing experience comes from making satsuma (mandarin orange) infused vodka each year when my citrus trees go into overdrive. In my recipe, I peel six to 12 satsumas, scrape the white off the fruit, chop ‘em up, and put ‘em in a glass container.

I also scrape the insides of the peel, so that the green part of the peel can also go in. I then pour the 750 ml bottle of moderately (but not too) cheap vodka over all and let it sit for up to four days to develop that citrus vodka flavor.

It isn’t a precise recipe, but hey. You’ll just have to taste test along the way to make sure it’s smooth enough.

However, there’s no real reason that the same basic procedure can’t work with candy. With vodka flavors out there like wedding cake and cotton candy, then it has become pretty obvious that a lot of people think sweets-infused vodkas are just delicious.

Vodka isn’t the first unusual place that Peeps have popped up. In fact, they’ve almost become more of an arts project than a food. Check out the gallery on the official Peeps website if you doubt me. I’m particularly stunned by the car owner in Texas who apparently thought it was a brilliant idea to cover the vehicle with Peeps — and mostly the pink ones. Sweet.

However, Peeps-flavored vodka is something I might actually make. What about you?

[peeps photo courtesy Evan-Amos via Wikipedia Commons]

Peeps-Flavored Vodka You Can Make is a post from: The Inquisitr

A leaked McDonald’s memo has revealed the fast food chain is concerned with losing young, health-conscious customers to rivals such as Subway.

Although the Golden Arches may be ubiquitous — the US alone has 18,590 McDonald’s restaurants — an internal company memo obtained by Advertising Age reveals the burger franchise doesn’t even rank among the top 10 restaurant chains for “millennials.”

Who are “millennials”? The definition seems to vary depending on who you speak to. McDonald’s defines them as 18-to-32-year-olds, while restaurant consultant Technomic classes them as 19-to-34-year-olds. But two things are clear, according to the McDonald’s memo: These young consumers are essential, and they’re leaving burger chains behind. There are also 59 million to 80 million of them in the US alone.

This is why McDonald’s is preparing to launch the McWrap. Referred to in the memo as a “Subway buster,” the company describes how the McWrap “affords us the platform for customization and variety that our millennial customer is expecting of us.” The memo adds:

“Our customers are consistently telling us, particularly millennials, they expect variety, more choices, customization and their ability to be able to personalize their food experience. [...] In fact, they have told us that if we did not offer McWrap, 22% of these incremental customers would have gone to Subway.”

The McWrap launches on April 1 (early reviews have already appeared) and will be offered in three varieties: sweet chili chicken, chicken and bacon, and chicken and ranch. The wraps will vary from 360 to 600 calories.

When asked to comment on the leaked memo by Advertising Age, McDonald’s simply said, “Millennials have and will continue to be an important audience for us at McDonald’s.”

Are you one of the “millennials” referenced in the McDonald’s memo? Could the McWrap tempt you back to the Golden Arches?

[Image via Shutterstock]

McDonald’s Leaked Memo Reveals Panic Over Losing Young Customers is a post from: The Inquisitr

Somersby Cider has joined the Apple attack movement. In the past, we have seen Samsung, Google, LG, and other smartphone and tablet manufacturers target Apple, but this is the first beer commercial we have seen do the same.

Danish based beer maker Carlsberg Breweries released the new parody ad this week, and it rather accurately portrays Apple product launches.

In the video, dozens of eager Somersby Cider fans stand outside of an Apple-style store where they eagerly await the chance to buy the newest delicious product from the beer manufacturer.

As customers enter the store, they are met with tables filled with actual apples and glasses filled with the Apple Cider drink.

Customers click their glasses together to stay “connected” to one another, and an employee says the drinks are completely wireless and “full of great content.”

The commercial also jokes that Somersby Cider works “perfectly in direct sunlight,” which is more than we can say about real Apple products.

Here is the full video for the new Apple Cider drink:

If imitation is truly the greatest form of flattery, then there is no company more flattered these days than Apple.

We hear the drinks mapping program gives better directions than Apple Maps, but that fact has not actually been confirmed at this time.

Would you prefer an Apple iPhone or a nice glass of Somersby Cider and a Samsung Galaxy S IV?

Somersby Cider Becomes First Beer Product To Make Fun Of Apple iPhone [Video] is a post from: The Inquisitr