Food

This 9-Year-Old Girl Told McDonald's CEO: 'Stop Tricking Kids'

editor — Thu, 23 May 2013 20:15:00 +0000

It's not every day that a 9-year-old girl chastises the CEO of one of the world's biggest fast-food chains.

Yet that's exactly what young Hannah Robertson did Thursday morning at McDonald's annual shareholders meeting in Chicago. When the meeting opened up to questions, Hannah was first up at the mic with a pointed criticism.

"It would be nice if you stopped trying to trick kids into wanting to eat your food all the time," she told McDonald's CEO Don Thompson.

Ouch.

Hannah, a native of Kelowna, British Columbia, didn't get to Chicago on her own, of course.

In Raw Milk Case, Activists See Food Freedom On Trial

editor — Wed, 22 May 2013 22:24:00 +0000

What is the case against Wisconsin farmer Vernon Hershberger really about? It depends on whom you ask.

To hear the prosecution, it's about licensing, not raw milk: Hershberger, a dairy farmer hailing from the town of Loganville, is on trial this week for operating without three licenses.

Weeknight Kitchen: Rustic White Bean Salad with Soft-Cooked Eggs

Chefs Collaborative and Ellen Jackson — Wed, 22 May 2013 15:52:31 +0000

This salad has much more than an assortment of flavors and textures. The beans and eggs can be cooked ahead, while the vinaigrette can be made several days in advance, leaving assembly of the salad for the last minute. It's lovely for lunch or as the anchor to dinner. Dress the beans in advance of eating to absorb the flavors of the vinaigrette.

Serves 4

How Genomics Solved The Mystery Of Ireland's Great Famine

editor — Wed, 22 May 2013 14:52:00 +0000

An international group of plant pathologists has solved a historical mystery behind Ireland's Great Famine.

Sure, scientists have known for a while that a funguslike organism called Phytophthora infestans was responsible for the potato blight that plagued Ireland starting in the 1840s.

Real Butterscotch: The Beauty Of Sugar And Dairy Transformed

editor — Wed, 22 May 2013 12:28:08 +0000

Butterscotch is going through something of a revival. So much so, that two Kitchen Window contributors wanted to write about it. Therefore, welcome to the more-than-you-ever-thought-you-needed-to-know-about-butterscotch special coverage. Today is the second in our two-part butterscotch series. Last week's column has more recipes featuring this resurgent flavor.

Poor butterscotch. It seldom gets the love and understanding it deserves.

Nutrition Group Says Chocolate Milk Is OK, No Need For Aspartame

editor — Tue, 21 May 2013 21:09:00 +0000

A controversial petition by the dairy industry to allow milk sweetened with aspartame or other alternative sweeteners to be labeled on the front of the carton simply as MILK is drawing criticism from the nation's leading group of nutritionists.

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics is urging the FDA to reject the petition, which we first Katie Shelly was craving an eggplant Parmesan. Small problem: She'd never made it before. But she remembered that a college roommate used to make it, so she called her up and asked for the recipe.

The friend told her she needed to start with three bowls — one for breadcrumbs, one for egg and one for flour, salt and pepper.

Weeknight Kitchen: Malaysian-Style Mussels

Heather Anderson — Fri, 17 May 2013 17:38:30 +0000

This recipe was inspired by our local Belgian beer place, which has several different versions of moules frites on the menu: an enamel pot of mussels comes with a cone filled with crispy French fries and a mayonnaise dipping sauce alongside.

Bringing Back Butterscotch

editor — Wed, 15 May 2013 14:03:25 +0000

Butterscotch is going through something of a revival. So much so, that two Kitchen Window regular contributors wanted to write about it. Therefore, welcome to the more-than-you-ever-thought-you-needed-to-know-about-butterscotch special coverage. Today is the first in our two-part butterscotch series. Check in next week (May 22) for more recipes featuring this resurgent flavor.

A few years ago, I took my mother to a restaurant I was reviewing.

Chris Hadfield: Space Chef In Chief

editor — Tue, 14 May 2013 18:54:00 +0000

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZx0RIV0wss

Maybe It's Time To Swap Burgers For Bugs, Says U.N.

editor — Tue, 14 May 2013 14:59:00 +0000

Yes, we talk a lot about eating bugs here at The Salt.

Tiny Mites Spark Big Battle Over Imports Of French Cheese

editor — Sat, 11 May 2013 09:30:00 +0000

The Food and Drug Administration is currently embroiled in a surprisingly heated culinary standoff — pitting French cheese-makers (and American cheese-lovers) against regulators, all because of one very small problem: cheese mites.

Cheese mites are microscopic little bugs that live on the surfaces of aged cheeses, munching the microscopic molds that grow there. For many aged cheeses, they're something of an industry nuisance, gently brushed off the cheeses.

Try A Do-It-Yourself Mother's Day

T. Susan Chang — Fri, 10 May 2013 13:38:16 +0000

My mother didn't plant a great many spring bulbs. But over by the pachysandra patch, there was a single lovely pink tulip, and I kept my eye on it for two weeks before Mother's Day. When that Sunday morning arrived, I rushed out, snipped it and ran inside to where she lay sleeping to present it to her. "Did you pick that outside?" she inquired, her expression shifting from sleepy surprise to something more complicated. I nodded proudly. "Oh ...

Homebrewing: Soon To Be Legal In All 50 States

Bill Chappell — Wed, 08 May 2013 21:23:00 +0000

The Alabama Legislature has approved a bill making it legal to brew beer at home, a practice that had been forbidden in the state. If Gov. Robert Bentley signs the bill, as is expected, home brewing will soon be legal in all 50 states.

Alabama lawmakers voted on the bill to legalize home brewing months after it was first introduced.

Weeknight Kitchen: Warm Goat Cheese Salad

Ethel Brennan and Sara Remington — Wed, 08 May 2013 17:22:17 +0000

With Warming Climes, How Long Will A Bordeaux Be A Bordeaux?

editor — Wed, 08 May 2013 16:37:00 +0000

Bordeauxs and Burgundys haven't changed much since the days when famous wine-lover Thomas Jefferson kept the cellars of his Parisian home well-stocked with both wines.

But now, some worry that the regional rules and traditions that have defined top winemaking regions like Champagne, Burgundy and Chianti for centuries could melt away as climate change takes effect.

The main concern is that grape varieties that have brought renown and reputation to certain appellations — the syrah

Sandwich Monday: Fried Peanut Butter And Banana

Peter Sagal — Mon, 06 May 2013 19:53:00 +0000

It's strange to find a Fried Peanut Butter and Banana sandwich, famous as Elvis Presley's favorite, on a restaurant menu, given its effect on Elvis. It's like finding a store selling an Isadora Duncan commemorative scarf.

Nonetheless, freelance radio producer Melissa LaCasse and I decided to try the one offered by The Breslin in New York, listed as "fried peanut butter & banana sandwich with bourbon & vanilla."

Melissa: How many of these do you sell?

How To Dip Without Breaking The Chip

NPR Staff — Mon, 06 May 2013 14:37:18 +0000

The Mexican army's May 5 victory in 1862's Battle of Puebla is a pretty small holiday in Mexico. But in the U.S., Cinco de Mayo has grown into a kind of Mexican St. Patrick's Day.

Chef Edward Lee Adds Korean Spice To Southern Comfort Food

editor — Fri, 03 May 2013 07:49:00 +0000

Korean and Southern food may not seem like a natural pair. But now it's one more example of traditions emulsifying in the great American melting pot.