1. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Japanese Food & Drink Commercials: Your State Of California Ad Here – VIDEO (LA WEEKLY)
2. Bread of heaven: A curry house diner was amazed after spotting what appears to be face of Jesus on a naan bread (TELEGRAPH)
3. Fake Gatorade labels show Woods, say ‘unfaithful’ (AP)
4. ‘Drunk girl’ passes out, left locked inside Bombers restaurant (CBS 6)
5. The drinking man’s case for smaller servings (THE ATLANTIC)
6. The Specialist: Oyster Evangelists Rise Up (WALL STREET JOURNAL)
7. Cakeland – PHOTOS (TELEGRAPH)
8. Chocolate and Lobster? (NBC 40)
9. Poutine making culinary inroads in U.S. (THE STAR)
10. Elderly US couple marry in supermarket (9 NEWS)
11. Jane and Michael Stern talk Roadfood (SEATTLE TIMES)
12. Awesome Soft Drink Commercials From Around the World (INVENTOR SPOT)
13. Cupcake Maker makes mini cupcakes fast (COOLEST GADGETS)

1. Bringing Sophistication to the Kitchen: A profile of Williams Sonoma’s Founder – VIDEO (CBS)
2. Cultivating Failure: Alice Water’s Edible Schoolyard Program (THE ATLANTIC)
3. Chicken fight is on at KFC (NEW YORK POST)
4. A more mellow Bourdain: With young daughter in his life, bad-boy chef, author, TV host ‘less angry’ these days (PRESS DEMOCRAT)
   
5. Sushi fashion (SUSHI LIFE)
6. Michael Pollan Forages for Chanterelles, Doesn’t Sweat Unsustainable Sushi (GRUB STREET)
7. Obsessives: Cookbook peddler Nach Waxman is the owner of Manhattan’s Kitchen Arts & Letters – VIDEO (CHOW)
8. Revenge of the mistresses: Ramsay’s hooks up with Tiger’s (NEW YORK POST)
9. German chef jailed for butchering colleague (9 NEWS)
10. Filmed in Dominica, this clip demonstrates how to make a Creole, rum-pumpkin cocktail – VIDEO (FOOD TUBE)
11. Coke-powered Nokia cellphone concept by Daizi Zheng (THE DESIGN BLOG)
12. The Harper’s Index: Food (HARPERS)

1. Anyone can be a cooking show star — even Barbie! (SLASH FOOD)
2. Martha Stewart and Sandals Resorts International Team to Offer Destination Weddings (LUXIST)
3. Artie Lange used 13-inch Wolfgang Puck kitchen knife in violent suicide try; released from hospital after surgery (NEW YORK DAILY NEWS)
4. Snow storm creates food shortages in Scotland – VIDEO (CNN)
5. Evian Teams Up with Designer Paul Smith (GAYOT)
6. Tooth and nail meet over McDonald’s burger (THE LOCAL)
7. Gatorade bottles filled with honey delay flights (JOURNAL & COURIER)
8. Winemakers to watch: Arnot-Roberts (SF GATE)
9. Target Launches Giada De Laurentiis for Target Kitchen Gear and Specialty Food Collection (PR NEWSWIRE)
10. A wacky week in NYC Celebrity Dining (GRUB STREET)
11. San Francisco’s Mayes Oyster House Reopens (SF WEEKLY)
12. Enemies unite for world record hummus (NEWS.COM.AU)

Picking up a ready-to-go holiday special is an easy way to add cheer to your diet without slaving over the stove.

In Los Angeles, MILK Ice Cream Parlor & Bakeshop has a selection of charming holiday specials including Gingerbread Ice Cream and Candy Cane Cupcakes.

The shop also offers gift baskets laden with white chocolate-walnut crumbles, iced spiced molasses and oatmeal-cherry cookies.

In always-festive New Orleans, Cochon Butcher has a holiday season take-out menu including healthy Brined Whole Turkey.

If a holiday splurge is more to your taste, Butcher also offers super fatty Whole Grade A Foie Gras and Peppermint Ice Cream.

Krispy Kreme Doughnut stores throughout North America have several holiday products to choose from.

In addition to charmingly plump Snowman shapes, the chain offers seasonal holiday-colored sprinkles and a spiced Gingerbread Crunch doughnut glazed with white icing.

Chicago’s House of Fine Chocolates creates desserts to celebrate every season.

At Christmas you’ll find snowmen, Santa, nutcracker soldiers and entire houses made of fine chocolate — as well as European style pastries and an assortment of tortes.

In New York, Manhattan’s chic Payard is the perfect place to pick up a hostess gift.

The shop sells cookies, Kosher truffles and chocolates, and a classic Buches de Noel. Another elegant offering is this Sablé Breton, Manjari Chocolate Mousse, Berries Crèmeux and Black Chocolate Sponge.

If you’re the hostess, Payard also sells pre-made mini-Hors d’oeuvres.

Back in California, Willow Glen’s Bertucelli’s La Villa Italian Deli makes their cannoli fresh each day. During the winter holiday season, La Villa’s spectacular cannolis are topped with festive green and red sprinkles.

The deli also offers a homemade cheesecake assortment and homemade biscotti (plain and chocolate flavors).

HAVE YOU SEEN other special holiday treats? Please add a link to what you’ve found by posting a comment!

This year I’ve found a number of interesting products that will probably send these chocolate lovers into a cocoa-dazed coma.

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Hotel Chocolat has a Liquid Chocolat Selection Gift Box full of drinking chocolate in flavors including Aztec Chili ($25).

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Endangered Species Chocolate offers decadent and delectable gift boxed collections (including a vegan option for $25) — but that isn’t all that’s good.

The company donates 10% of net profits to help support species, habitat and humanity — so you can have your candy and feel good about it too.

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Ghiradelli Chocolate is offering 12 Days of Christmas specials including a four pack of blue ornaments filled with premium Ghirardelli Squares™ Chocolates ($23.80).

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CocoaMill Chocolates makes hand crafted St. Nicholas sculptures to order ($75.95).

Sculpted in White, Milk or Bittersweet Chocolate, each piece is over 20-inches tall and weighs 4-and-a-half pounds!

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Neiman Marcus’ Chocolate Hanukkah Candy Set features specialty chocolates, handcrafted by Golda & I, in the shape of dreidels, the Star of David and a menorah ($55).

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La Maison du Chocolat by Robert Linxe — 176 pages of chocolate recipes and beautiful photos of the chocolates of La Maison du Chocolat ($55).

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Recchiuti’s Chocolate Obsession Club sends monthly shipments of the company’s renowned handmade candies.

Available at three levels: three-months ($155), six-months ($305) and twelve-months ($605).

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CELEBRATE the Tillamook County Creamery Association’s 100th Anniversary with this limited edition replica of “Tillie” ($8.95) — Tillimook’s happy cow mascot from the 1950′s.

Also available: a two-pound, wax-dipped wheel of Vintage White Extra Sharp Cheddar cheese ($17.99) and 100th Anniversary T-shirts ($12.50).

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SPONGIOLI ($10.99) are super absorbent ravioli-style pop-up sponges.

Strong, long-lasting, anti-bacterial — and low in carbs!

Six compressed sponges to a package.

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COOKEYS™ ($4.99) — sweet key covers — are the perfect non-caloric stocking stuffer for the Oreo lover on your list.

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BETTY CROCKER Sugar Cookie Lip Balm ($2.50) tastes like the homemade cookies of your youth — and may send you running toward the refrigerator for a cold glass of milk…

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FRENCH TOAST™ stamps ($3.99) dress drab American bread up as sophisticated haute couture pain grillé français!

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FOOD FACE™ ($11.99) allows kids of all ages to get away with making faces at the table.

Crafted from “hotel-quality, food-safe, high-fire ceramics,” FOOD FACE™ is gift boxed with inspirational — and wacky — examples of fine food art.

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BACON BOY — a tasty super hero for the bacon lover in your life!

T-shirts ($12.95) and hooded sweat shirts ($15.95) are available in kids- to Adult-XXXX sizes.

Matching coffee mugs ($10) would make the perfect bacon grease container!

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CORN DOG CAR AIR FRESHENER ($2.00) has the sharp aroma of bright yellow mustard — and arrives with the promise to make all of your passengers drool.

Star Fleet Spork
Boldly eat where no man has eaten before with a Star Trek Titanium Spork — laser engraved with the Starfleet Academy emblem.

Hello Kitty Sushi Plush

The Hello Kitty Sushi Plush, a Toys R Us Exclusive, is available in three different styles packed with chop sticks “to wear in your hair.” [Look out Princess Leia!]

Food Shaped Flash Drives

Want some fries/pizza/ice cream/cabbage with that laptop? USBmemorySticks.net sells a flash drive in just about any flavor your heart desires (except Space Food [see below]).

Space Food Sampler

Make like an AstroNUT with Pillsbury’s Space Food Sticks — a “non-frozen balanced energy snack in rod form containing nutritionally balanced amounts of carbohydrate, fat and protein.” Flavors include strawberry, peanut butter and chocolate.

Star Wars Pepper Mill

Uh-oh. [beep].  It’s an R2D2 pepper grinder/Sesami Mill! Available in forceful white or evil dark-side black. As we all know from experience, “Once you set, Your android follows your right decision as he loves you madly anytime.” Word up?

USB Burger Mouse Pad Hand Warmer

Keep your right hand warm/out of trouble while increasing your productivity/game scores — and web surfing for a place to eat lunch!

Bacon Dome Lunchbox

Carry your BLT with pride inside this metal lunch bucket covered with photographs of “gloriously greasy strips of fried bacon.”

Atomic Food Containers

Think Geek’s containers for “Nuclear Waste” are guaranteed to stop the pilfering of lunch items from break room refrigerators!

The Death Star Cookie Jar

Available for delivery early next year, the Death Star cookie jar will possibly “hold an Imperial army of your favorite cookies.” Yes, this is the perfect gift for the nerd you’re hanging with now, but not quite sure will remain on your gift list in 2010.

In December 2009, order and send a nice pre-delivery gift card for The Death Star Cookie Jar, but make sure the actual gift delivery address (2010) is *your own*…

]]> http://www.somethingwedreamed.com/?feed=rss2&p=3386 0 http://www.somethingwedreamed.com/?p=3328 http://www.somethingwedreamed.com/?p=3328#comments Sun, 22 Nov 2009 22:55:35 +0000 admin http://www.somethingwedreamed.com/?p=3328 KOODIE IS SLANG for “kid keenly interested in food” — a term defined by food trends analyst Phil Lempert of Supermarket.com.

Gone are the days of Hasbro’s Easy-Bake Oven. Koodies are foodies in training who know the difference between Scharffen Berger and Valrona chocolate and spend more time watching the Food Network than Nickelodeon.

Even if your favorite koodie still pitches a fit when different food stuffs collide on one plate, budding gourmets will love these unique, koodie-sized gifts!

THE IMAGE OF A CHEF — dressed in pristine white jacket and toque — is recognized the world over (especially by admirers of Pixar’s animated film Ratatouille).

Chefware offers a snazzy Pint Size Chef’s Toque in six color choices including a sugary-sweet pink and white.

The Kids Pint Size Chef Jacket can be personalized with monogramming available in five different font styles and nineteen colors.

GROWING COOKS offers a Muffin Master Mix Set with apron, chef’s hat, mini muffin pan, whisk and rubber spatula.

Aprons and hats are available in seven colors including hot pink.

The company also offers kid-sized oven mitts, pizza party kits and adorable cooking party favors.

SERIOUS COOKS deserve seriously fun cookbooks.

Marion Cunningham (of Fannie Farmer cookbook fame) has written a classic — Cooking With Children: 15 Lessons for Children, Age 7 and Up, Who Really Want to Learn to Cook.

Cooking with Children teaches culinary skills as well as the importance of nutrition and families eating together. Recipes range from vegetable soup, to hamburgers and birthday cake.

Another timeless classic, 1957′s Betty Crocker’s Cook Book for Boys and Girls, was recently re-released and offers parents the opportunity to share memories — as well as technique — with young cooks.

Ice Cream Cone Cakes, Pigs in a Blanket and Sloppy Joes will never go out of style!

COOKING PROGRAMS for kids are popping up all over. For a hands-on experience, consider giving a gift certificate to a local program.

In the Bay Area, Kids Culinary Adventures is a professional cooking school for the entire family. Cucina Bambini teaches cooking technique, safe food handling, etiquette and nutrition.

On the East coast, Cupcake Kids! helps chefs-in-training learn to measure, sift, mix, whip, knead, zest and decorate. In addition to classes and parties, Create a Cook offers vacation programs based on local public school calendars.

Throughout the U.S., Young Chef’s Academy, teaches kids about science, math, reading, health, and social skills through hands-on cooking classes.

Just in case someone reading this is shopping for ME, please note that none of the following items — no matter how nicely wrapped — should placed under my Christmas tree.

THE HEINZ BEANZAWAVE — billed as “the worlds smallest microwave oven” — contains a USB port so snacks can be heated up at the computer “without expending excess power.”

The $160 device was devised for use with one product: Heinz Snap Pots — baked beans in single-serving containers.

THE EZ CRACKER egg cracker is truly baffling. Are there  people who are frightened of touching eggs?

How can this wacky device be a money-making venture? (Then again,  four-million Snuggies have been sold… )

Perhaps tube-watching folks buy the EZ Cracker simply for the added “free bonus” of a Bacon Wave (as seen on TV!). It’s a $20 value!

THE SMOKING GUN adds “natural cool smoke” flavor to foods without the use of a heat source.

The manufacturer suggests using the gun to infuse meats, fish, vegetables, cheeses — and even cocktails — with different smoke aromas.

Is anybody ready for an Applewood-smoked Bloody Mary or a cigar-smoke infused Manhattan?

I didn’t think so…

THE FIZZ is a plastic cup you fill with ice cream, slap on the lid, add a straw and screw everything on the top of a plastic soda pop bottle.

Then you squeeze the bottle to fizz everything up.

I’ll hazard a guess that I might have found this type of thing of interest when I was six years old.

For the last few years, however, I’ve found there are much better ways to spend $7.99.

THE PUR FLAVORED WATER filtration system was voted “2009 product of the year” by the Consumer Survey of Product Innovation.

“Flavor cartridges” come in grape, strawberry, peach, lemon and raspberry.

Yummy preservatives are included at no extra charge!

THE HAM DOGGER.

What kind of sick mind came up with this?

There oughta be a law.

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HOLIDAY FOOD GIFT IDEAS

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1. Since 1848, Trappist monks located in the hills of central Kentucky have supported themselves by farming and sales of homemade fruitcake, cheese and bourbon fudge (both chocolate and butter walnut flavors). I’ve been sending this surprisingly devilish, high-alcohol content candy to friends (and myself) for a decade.



2. La Tienda.com is a family-run company based in Virginia that specializes in food products imported from Spain. If you can’t afford to send your Paella-loving pals to Valencia, why not surprise them with the next best thing: a Mini Paella Kit packed with a copy of Paella by Penelope Casas!
3. Regional Best.Com features “local foods that make America great.” If you’re looking for something unique in the Vegan category, Regional Best offers “Vrapple” — made with seitan, locally grown & milled cornmeal, buckwheat and a big pinch of black pepper. Meat eaters are equally well represented with Ham I Am! products and the All Natural Bachelor Pack (Black Angus steak burgers and frankfurters) offered by La Cense.



4. Oprah says, “Zingerman’s sandwiches are an ’11 on a scale of 1 to 5′” — so why not send your favorite deli-lover the delicatessen sandwich of her dreams? Zingerman’s Reuben Sandwich Kit consists of Black Angus lean corned beef, pastrami, roasted turkey, rye and pumpernickel breads,
   redskin potato salad, cole slaw, Russian dressing, Emmentaler Swiss cheese, garlicky pickles and magic brownies — packed in a canvas gift bag. Are you hungry yet?



5. The Spanish Table offers an inexpensive yet pretty (and delicious) Spanish turron gift pack containing bars of almond caramel with sesame seeds, crunchy almond turron, and almond crocanti with chocolate.
6. San Francisco’s Recchiuti Confections hand-makes exquisite candies including seasonal Key Lime Pears bathed in smooth, dark chocolate.



7. Less sophisticated candy-lovers will swoon over the “Decade Box Assortments” available from Hometown Favorites.com. Classic brands and flavors from the 50′s, 60′s, 70′s and 80′s include: Candy Stix Cigarettes, Cherry Mash bars, Necco Wafers, Pop Rocks and Bit-O-Honey.
8. Local Harvest.org (“real food, real farms, real community”) can hook you up with hundreds of small producers selling everything from Christmas wreaths to hickory-smoked rainbow trout. Use the website to find sources of sustainably grown food in your area or shop for shippable goodies on line.
9. Treat a homesick Canadian to a care-package filled with popular food products from Canadian Favourites.com including: Smoked Wild Pacific Salmon, Laura Secord candy, and Tim Horton’s coffee.



10. The BBQ-lover on your gift list will be in hog heaven when you send a combo package from Charlie Vergos’ Rendezvous restaurant in Memphis. Each pack contains one slab of their world famous ribs, two pounds of pulled pork shoulder, a bottle of Rendezvous barbecue sauce and a bottle of seasoning.
11. Those with a Southern sweet tooth — and fond memories of New Orleans — will appreciate Café Du Monde’s Chartres St. Gift Basket stuffed with packs of regular and chicory coffee, beignet mix, powdered sugar and a sugar shaker.



12. Give a truly meaningful gift by helping children and families around the world receive training and animal gifts that help them become self-reliant. After you donate, send a printable gift card or e-card to tell your friends and family that you’ve honored them with a Heifer gift.