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The best of Miami’s Seed Food & Wine Festival

Mon, 20 Oct 2014 16:45:27 -0400

This weekend, a city, famous for pork-filled Cuban food put aside its meaty traditions to celebrate plants—at least for a while. Miami, Fla. wrapped up the first annual Seed Food & Wine Festival, a five-day, food extravaganza focusing on plant-based foods. From a film screening to a beachside brunch to swanky dinners, the festival featured a lineup of sophisticated soirees.

The main attraction was Saturday's festival day, when thousands of attendees poured into Midtown Miami for eight hours of eating, drinking and listening to celebrities, experts and chefs promote the power of plants. Plenty of celebs and sports stars were on hand too, including actress and author Alicia Silverstone, NBA great John Salley and triathlete Brendan Brazier --plus a host of restaurants and brands showcasing environmentally-conscious culinary creations.

Here's the best of Seed in photos:

1. Make-your-own meatless tacos from Beyond Meat

Silicon Valley-based Beyond Meat had a make-your-own-taco bar stocked with beef-free zesty crumbles, chicken-less chicken, guacamole, salsa, slaw and cilantro.

2. Lentil salad lunch from Lunchology

Meal delivery service Lunchology served up colorful, one-bite spaghetti squash lentil salads.

3. Vegan cupcakes from Bunnie Cakes

Bunnie Cakes vegan bakery had a whole host of cupcake flavors on hand, including banana chocolate chip minis -- plus brownie and cookie bites.

4. Organic quinoa burgers from Mi Vida Cafe

Mi Vida Cafe featured rainbow-hued, organic quinoa burger bites with fresh cucumber, tomato, avocado and alfalfa sprouts on a bed of hummus.

5. Veggie jams from Jammy Yummy

Jammy Yummy showcased gourmet veggie jams in flavors like red pepper, carrot, tomato, jalapeno, caramelized onion and baby mushroom.

6. Gluten-free muffins from Peace-a-Cake

Peace-a-Cake's gluten-free muffins were lined up in flavors like white chocolate cranberry almond, chocolate walnut, double chocolate and oatmeal raisin.

7. Coconut milk ice cream from So Delicious

Dairy-free So Delicious served up coconut milk ice cream in mint chocolate and other flavors including gluten-free cookie dough, plus pumpkin spice and nog-flavored holiday milks.

8. Creamy coconut butters from Sweet Spreads

Sweet Spreads creamy coconut butters were offered to attendees in flavors including cinnamon roll, maple pancake, dark chocolate mint, chocolate brownie and vanilla cupcake.

9. Plant-based ceviche from Temple Kitchen

Temple Kitchen offered a plant-based take on traditional ceviche using oyster mushrooms in lieu of fish.

10. Almond milk risotto balls from The Roasted Fig

The Roasted Fig's almond milk risotto balls were made with homemade fig paste and a sweet and savory fig reduction, coated in seasoned almond meal.

11. Soda from Virgil's Sodas

Virgil's Sodas had a full roster of their different drinks on display, from orange cream soda to root beer to "Dr. Better".

12. Alicia Silverstone talks plants

Actress Alicia Silverstone, author of the bestselling cookbook, The Kind Diet and new tome, The Kind Mama, spoke to a packed house about the virtues of a plant-based lifestyle.

Top late-summer food festivals

Fri, 15 Aug 2014 14:42:57 -0400

Summer is on its last legs, which means it’s time to pack as much fun, sun and leisure time as possible into the next few weeks. And what better way to wile away a summer day than by drinking and eating your way into a food coma?

Luckily, there are lots of opportunities to do just that, from the hills and valleys of Virginia to the backlots of L.A. Check out this list of end-of-summer food and drink fests and plan your last hurrah:

1. Epicurience -- Loudoun County, Va.

This Labor Day weekend epicurean extravaganza is all about the finest wining and dining in Washington, D.C.’s Wine Country. From farm-to-table cuisine to award-winning Virginia wines, it’s an edible adventure. The weekend’s main event is the Epicurience Virginia Grand Tasting, a day-long showcase on the grounds of historic Morven Park featuring winemakers and farmers; beer, wine, spirits and gourmet food tastings; demos by chefs including Nathalie Dupree and Scott Drewno. There are also wine and cider seminars and a wine blending competition where attendees can work with a Loudoun winemaker. The rest of the weekend will feature a whole host of other events including a Summer of Spain wine dinner at North Gate Vineyard, a twilight tour and dinner at 8 Chains Vineyard, a picnic at Greenhill Winery & Vineyards and more.

The festival runs Friday, Aug. 29 through Monday, Sept. 1 at various venues in Loudoun County, Va. Tickets to the Grand Tasting are $85 for general admission, $125 for VIP. Tickets for each of the other weekend events range from $65 to $150, and can be purchased on the Epicurience website.

2. 2014 Los Angeles Times Taste -- Los Angeles, Ca.

In true L.A. style, this three-day foodie fete has everything from celebrity chefs to movie sets. Popping up on the Paramount Pictures Studios’ backlot, the event includes a whole series of soirees, including a Field to Fork dinner co-hosted by James Beard Outstanding Chef Nancy Silverton; a Dinner with a Twist culinary/cocktail mash-up and a Sunday Brunch with revered chef Thomas Keller of French Laundry fame -- in addition to opening and closing night parties. Plus, some of the city’s best-reviewed restaurants (Girasol, Plan Check Kitchen + Bar, Fishing with Dynamite & more) will be dishing up signature dishes, L.A. Times foods staffers will lead culinary conversations and renowned chefs will showcase their kitchen skills.

The festival runs Friday, Aug. 29 through Sunday, Aug. 31. Opening Night tickets are $150. Tickets for each of the Saturday and Sunday events range from $100 to $125, and can be purchased on the event website.

3. BrewMasters Craft Beer Festival -- Galveston, Texas

The fifth annual installment of this Galveston Island beer bash features a whopping 400+ varieties of craft brews. The festival festivities include the two signature events -- BrewLicious Brews and Foods Pairing and BrewHaHa Grand Tasting, plus a whole host of others like the BrewMasters PubCrawl, Beach, Brews and Bands, Texas Brewery Tasting Tours, educational events, industry experts and much more. Plus, a live music and fireworks finale at Palm Beach.

The event takes place at various locations across Galveston, Texas, from Friday, August 29 through Sunday August 31. Tickets are $75 for BrewLicious Brews and Food Pairing, $35 for general admission, $85 VIP for the BrewHaHa Grand Tasting, and range in price from $6 to $25 for other events. Tickets are available on the event website.

4. A Taste of Colorado -- Denver, Colo.

This end-of-summer celebration is a four-day tribute to Colorado cuisine, boasting more than 500,000 attendees, food from 50 area eateries, 250 vendors, six entertainment stages and a whole host of educational programs about the state’s history and culture. They’ll have traditional festival food, plus a slew of more exotic offerings. There’ll also be a kid’s zone, a lineup of country acts on a dedicated stage, a pep rally, Navajo artisans, the Wallflowers, the Commodores, David Cook of American Idol fame, R&B group En Vogue, fireworks and lots more.

The festival runs from Friday, Aug. 29 through Monday, Sept. 1. Admission is free, and tickets for food/drink can be purchased a la carte.

5. Hawai’i Food and Wine Festival -- Islands of Hawai’i

This 10-day foodie fest extends from Hawai‘i to Maui to Oahu, showcasing a wide array of local cuisine and Hawai’ian culture. More than 80 internationally-renowned chefs, culinary personalities, and wine and spirit experts will be on hand for wine tastings, cooking demos, private dining events and more. Headlined by top names like Michelle Bernstein, Jose Garces and Masaharu Morimoto, the lineup of events includes a six course gala on the volcanic grounds of the Waikoloa Beach Marriott Resort; a dinner featuring dishes by 14 notable chefs, all inspired by the Lucky Buddha; a “Battle of the Brunch” chef showdown; a hands-on Laulima at He'eia event where participants can help restore an 800 year old fishpond or cultivate Taro side-by-side with chefs, and lots more.

The festival runs from Friday, Aug. 29 through Sunday, Sept. 7 at various locations throughout Hawai’i. Tickets for the events range from $5 to $1,000, and several packages are available. Tickets can be purchased on the festival website.

6. Southern Ground Music and Food Festival -- Hershey, Pa.

Nothing says summer like Jimmy Buffett and the Zac Brown Band and their toes-in-the-water tunes. The musical bigwigs are taking over Chocolatetown, USA (also known as Hershey, Pa.) for an end-of-season blowout. Buffett will take the stage Saturday night, the Zac Brown Band and guests Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, Blues Traveler and The Wild Feathers on Sunday. In addition to great tunes, the two-day event will feature a curated selection of food truck cuisine, plus Chef Rusty Hamlin manning 'Cookie', aka, Zac Brown Band’s tractor trailer-sized mobile kitchen.

The festival takes place Saturday, Aug. 30 through Sunday, Aug. 31 at Hersheypark Stadium in Hershey, Pa. Tickets range in price and can be purchased online.

7. New Mexico Wine Festival -- Bernalillo, New Mexico

This annual commemoration of all things vino will feature 20 wineries from around New Mexico, including sparkling wine purveyor Gruet and, for the first time, Skarsgard Farms showcasing their Hard Apple Cider. Attendees will also get to enjoy an arts and crafts show featuring local artists; an agricultural product showcase with green chile, pistachios, pecans, goat cheese and more; a whole host of edible options from pizza to tacos to BBQ; a hat contest; live tunes and more. There are activities for anyone and everyone (even the younger set -- read: Kid’s Zone).

The festival takes place Saturday, Aug. 30 through Monday, Sept. 1. at Bernalillo. Tickets are $16, or $40 for a three-day pass; free for kids 12 and under; $5.50 for 13 to 20, and can be purchased on the event website.

Best foods for the apocalypse

Thu, 17 Jul 2014 13:18:03 -0400

Despite our species’ good luck, lots of folks believe an apocalypse is in our future – maybe even our near future. Estimates are that 3 million people in the U.S. are filling their basements, bomb shelters and hidden locations with survival supplies to get ready for doomsday.

So if you don’t want to be left scrounging for scraps or eating radioactive rats, you might want to start stocking up. Here are seven handy foods to have on hand for the apocalypse:

1. Thrive Foods’ Emergency Cube

You can’t get much more prepared than having 32,000 servings of food on hand. This smorgasbord of freeze-dried, dehydrated eats can sustain four people for an entire year. The selection offers everything from elbow macaroni and chicken bouillon to sweet corn and cheese blend. The foods have varying shelf lives, from five years to 25 years, and at $3,999.99 for the lot, that’s less than 13 cents per serving. It’s delivered via pallet so you’d better have someplace to put it.

2. Astronaut Ice Cream

Even survivalists need something sweet every now and then. Astronaut Ice Cream, everyone’s favorite science museum treat, is also a wise choice for long-term confinement. The frozen and freeze-dried dessert was originally dreamed up for the early Apollo space missions. With a three-year shelf life, it’ll come in handy as society rebuilds itself. Neopolitan was always a popular choice, but it also comes in chocolate chip, mint chocolate chip and even ice cream sandwiches.

3. Meal Kit Supplies (aka rations)

The closest thing to military-issue MREs (meals ready to eat) on the market, Meal Kit Supply prides itself on making palatable provisions with a five-year shelf life. These pre-packed eats are hermetically sealed, impact- and water-resistant, and they include the likes of beef ravioli, chicken fajitas, hash browns with bacon and lots of other edible options. They even offer dishes like ratatouille and apple maple rolled oats, for the vegetarian survivalist.

4. Zombie Apocalypse Vodka

When the end arrives, it’s hard to say whether it’ll be via zombie, rapture or environmental disaster of biblical proportions. But however the apocalypse manifests itself, alcohol will likely be a key coping mechanism. This vodka was made specifically for the end of times. In addition to appropriately creepy packaging, it’s made with white wheat and Adirondacks water and promises to be super smooth.

5. Peanut Butter & Oats

Ask any survivalist and he’ll tell you peanut butter is a must. High in calories and fat, long-lasting and super easy to eat (not to mention delicious), it’s wise to have this old school favorite on hand. Add oats to the mix and you’ve got a sticky handful of protein and fiber. Pick up Peanut Butter Co.’s mega assortment of peanut butters, from cinnamon raisin swirl and white chocolate wonderful to mighty maple and crunch time. It comes with four bags of extra-thick rolled oats, and to make things even easier, a mug and spoon.

6. Spam

Even if humans don’t make it, Spam likely will. The “Miracle Meat” in a can has been around since 1937, and it has an impressive resume. Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev credited Spam with keeping Soviet forces alive during World War II, and it served as K-ration fare for American GIs and Allied forces during the same timeframe. Best to have some on hand in case the bomb drops and your mutant stomach starts growling.

7. Primal Strips Vegan Jerky

For those who don’t want to resort to cannibalism or try to hunt down the world’s last cow, Primal Spirits’ meatless jerky is a good option. It’s protein packed and made with soy, seitan and shiitake mushrooms (most of which will likely be pretty hard to come by in post-apocalyptic America). They sell a 24-pack stocked with flavors like hickory smoked, Texas BBQ, teriyaki, mesquite lime, Thai peanut, and hot & spicy.

Fit to Fight: Chefs who want to slim down

Wed, 02 Jul 2014 11:15:00 -0400

Miami chefs lose 137 pounds, raise more than $9,000 in charity weight loss competition

Wed, 01 Oct 2014 15:14:25 -0400

For the past 12 weeks a dozen top Miami chefs have been working out in boxing gyms, sweating through spinning classes and gulping down green juices, all in the name of philanthropy.

Now that it’s over, here’s the tale of the tape: 137 pounds lost, $9,000 gained for charity.

“I feel fantastic. I need a whole new wardrobe!” said Tim Andriola, chef/owner of Timó and Basil Park in Sunny Isles Beach, who won the Fit to Fight Challenge, shedding 28 pounds and raising $1,500 for cancer? “All my clothes just fall off me now.

“We all won from this. Everybody got healthier, and that was a neat by-product, aside from raising money for cancer.”

The competition was based on the last year’s Fit for Hope challenge in Washington, D.C., when more than a dozen chefs, including “Top Chef’s” Mike Isabella, raised more than $30,000 for the American Cancer Society.

Miami's version raised $9,000 – with additional donations still pending – for another non-profit, Live To Fight, started by martial arts enthusiast Kristen Brown, a cancer survivor.

The chefs hosted fundraisers and group workouts to support the cause, from a high intensity spinning class at Flywheel to training drills led by former NFL player Jason Rader at the boxing gym SoBe Kick.

The group’s fitness regime was under the overall direction of strength and conditioning coach Ben Isabella (Mike’s brother), but the participants were free to design their own routines.

On Monday night the entire group gathered at Tongue & Cheek, challenge leader Jamie DeRosa’s Miami Beach restaurant, for the final weigh-in. DeRosa kept track of weight loss and fitness regimes.

DeRosa, who lost 11 pounds, said he gained some muscle – largely due to his spinning workouts.

“I’m a little older, so at 40 it’s a little easier on the joints,” he said. “I think it’s a good workout – 45 minutes, 800 calories, over 20 miles.

He said the competition became a bonding experience for several chefs.

“It’s been life-changing for sure,” he said. “I think as far as all of us together, we were friends before but there’s a certain bond between us now.”

Todd Erickson, chef at Haven in Miami Beach, also touted the camaraderie of the challenge.

“It’s helped us out on so many different levels. It’s given us all an excuse to hang out,” he said. “We tend to lock ourselves in our kitchens, and the only time we really see each other is when we visit or do a dine-around. To be able to hang out on a different level has been cool.”

Erickson said he lost a little weight and gained some muscle, but mostly he was just looking to get healthier.

“I’m making healthier choices as far as what I’m eating…. When I get home I’m hungry at 11, then I go to sleep – that’s not the healthiest thing. It’s about working out and eating at the right time of day.”

Andriola credited green juices, vegetables and a little grass-fed meat for his victory, and he said he plans to keep up with his new lifestyle.

“I will definitely continue. I’m not done. I want to continue to keep working on it just because the way I feel – you can’t put a price tag on that.”

Isabella, who didn’t participate in the competition, said he’d been paying close attention from Washington.

“They’ve had a lot of fun,” he said. “One of the biggest things is a lot of them have been doing dinners together, working out together – building relationships.

“Some of them were friends, but I think those got stronger with a lot of the chefs in the city. They’re helping each other’s restaurants get more notoriety, more business. It’s been a really positive challenge.”

Up next in the list of participating cities is Philadelphia, where Isabella will kick off a challenge led by fellow Top Chef alumnus Kevin Sbraga next year.

“It’ll be an evolution – we’ll be working on more fundraisers, getting more food and restaurants involved in cooking classes and things like that, so we can make more money for the foundation (Fit for Fight),” he said. “You always want to raise more and more.”

Table scalping on the rise with apps that let diners buy and sell hottest restaurant reservations

Wed, 06 Aug 2014 05:00:26 -0400

Back before there were smartphones, reservations at the finest restaurants went to VIPs, celebrities and walk-ins carrying a wad of greenbacks to grease some palms.

But now reservations are becoming a saleable commodity, as increasing numbers of companies create apps that, in partnership with some of the top restaurants in town, hold a table for anyone willing to shell out some extra cash.

For around $20 (prices vary), companies like Table8 in San Francisco and Zurvu and Resy in New York secure reservations at the hardest-to-get restaurants – then sell them to people looking to dine there.

It’s gotten so trendy, it’s earned a name – “table scalping.” And it’s not without controversy. While some apps work directly with restaurants to book the reservations, others have been using more surreptitious methods.

One app, ReservationHop, recently ignited a firestorm of controversy. Its founder, Brian Mayer, dubbed himself “the most hated man in San Francisco” after he was hit with a barrage of online derision – he earned the hashtag #Sleezeball – for his pay-for-reservation platform.

His technique was to make the reservations himself under pseudonyms, then sell the reservations (he says he’s now working with restaurants directly).

KillerRezzy, in New York, showcases restaurants in Manhattan, Brooklyn and the Hamptons on Long Island, listing tables at dozens of top hotspots, including Bar Boulud, Navy and Nobu – each for $25 a pop.

But Bar Boulud and Nobu said they were listed without their knowledge and were asking to be removed.

KillerRezzy owner Sasha Tcherevkoff told FoxNews.com that his company will always remove restaurants that request to be taken down from his site.

In addition to partnering with restaurants, KillerRezzy books tables and offers members reservations based on their user profile. If the table is declined, it becomes publicly available inventory --which KillerRezzy can sell.

Tcherevkoff says he has a series of protocols and algorithms set up to make sure reservations from one or a group of restaurants aren't overly targeted. But he believes success doesn't come strictly with the restaurant's cooperation.

"Working in network, it limits the consumer," he says. "There are some restaurants that are never going to accept a pay-to-play arena."

Table8 co-founder Santosh Jayaram says restaurateurs understand the difference between apps that work behind eateries' backs, and those like his that operate transparently through partnerships.

"We strongly believe that companies doing this in a scammy fashion will be shut down by the restaurants, and the conversation will once again turn to value,” explains Jayaram, whose app is in beta in San Francisco with plans to expand to New York in the fall and other cities next year.

“People want this,” he says. He adds that Table8 has been selling out at the nearly two dozen restaurants with which it’s partnered so far.

Jayaram and partner Pete Goettner launched Table8 when they realized that many travel and entertainment outlets base their price on demand – so why not restaurants, which face the lowest profit margins?

“If you wanted a flight to San Francisco tomorrow, you would probably pay $1,800 on Virgin Atlantic, and chances are you’ll sit next to a guy who paid $400,” says Jayaram. “These guys (restaurant owners) make 5 percent if they’re lucky. It doesn’t make sense.”

The logistics of the different apps vary. Table8 works with restaurants in San Francisco to set aside a block of elite reservations. Customers then use the app to pay a “reservation fee” that Table8 shares with the restaurant. Zurvu and Resy have similar models.

Shout is another app, but its model is different. It allows consumers to exchange reservations directly, with no restaurant involvement. It's up to the users whether to list a price or offer the reservation as a courtesy to other "Shouters", as the app's users are called.

Co-founder Zachariah Reitano calls his service “a safe, mobile Craigslist,” where people often give up their reservations at the last minute simply because they can’t make it.

“They’re usually looking to get some small return on the time investment they put in to get the reservation,” Reitano says.

While there's always the possibility for abuse, he says, they're constantly tweaking the system to keep it free from exploitation by keeping an eye on how many reservations a person is selling, prices, how far in advance it's offered and other factors.

As of now, Shout doesn't take any cut of the transactions.

A recent search showed Shouters listing tables at New York restaurants including Empellón Taqueria, Craft and Babbo Ristorante, selling the reservations for $5 to $20.

Most of these restaurants aren't cheap, and adding $20 to the tab annoys many diners. Some argue that this makes it harder to go out and try the new, hip spots, unless they can pay extra for a reservation.

That’s why New York’s popular ABC Kitchen is not opting in. Instead, Michelin Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s eatery uses a team of staff members and OpenTable to make reservations.

"We like that there is another way for people to access the reservations, but it is concerning to us because people are paying for something that we give away for free," says general manager Ryan Armstrong. He decries the notion that people often "stalk" ABC Kitchen’s online system and phone lines to acquire reservations, then sell them illegally.

"Imagine someone sitting at home spending the whole day booking reservations a month out,” he says. “That’s their 'job,' so to speak. They use fake names and phone numbers and we have no way to police. Then they sell the tables. This, in our opinion is wrong."

ABC Kitchen's OpenTable listing shows no openings until Aug. 25, but Armstrong says the staff has more flexibility for bookings and the bar is used for walk-ins.

"Access shouldn’t be about fees, it should be about desire. It also sets an expectation that you paid 'more than this is worth' to an extent," Armstrong says of the apps. "We have designed an experience at ABC for dining, and we price for that accordingly.”

But the reservation selling services aren’t going away, as the competition to get into these fine restaurant increases.

“Some people say it’s not democratic, I get it,” Jayaram says. “But then again, when you look at the finer details, every pinnacle restaurant has tables they keep aside, VIP tables – they go to the Al Gores of the world. Is that democratic? By opening it up and putting a price on it, anybody can go.”

Editor's note: This story now includes comment from KillerRezzy owner Sasha Tcherevkoff.

Chef's Roll hopes to be the LinkedIn for chefs

Thu, 10 Apr 2014 14:50:56 -0400

The most important ingredients for a successful chef’s career used to be killer culinary skills and creativity in the kitchen.

But today, in the age of celebrity chefs and reality TV, having a digital presence and worthy television material is as important as knowing how to flambé.

That’s the idea behind Chef’s Roll, a professional networking website designed to let people in the culinary world tell their story, showcase their talents and connect with potential clients, employers – and even casting producers.

“They can showcase themselves and their talents through videos and pictures and links to everything they’ve done,” says Thomas Keslinke, a 13-year hospitality industry veteran who launched the site with tech expert Frans van der Lee.

It’s a mix of LinkedIn and Facebook that enables chefs and culinary professionals to set up profiles that include photo galleries, bios, education and experience, skills and expertise, press links, event affiliations and other assets.

Keslinke says he and van der Lee got the idea for the site when they were running a marketing agency and chefs started approaching them for help with self-promotion.

“Unfortunately our price point was a little too high,” Keslinke says, and the chefs also didn’t have time to devote to a lengthy branding process. Keslinke and van der Lee realized there was a niche that needed to be filled: providing easy and affordable professional promotion for culinary crews.

Chef’s Roll, which launched last month, already has thousands of members and has been endorsed by Cedric Vongerichten, David Burke and Fabio Viviani.

Ronald Hayes, author of "Creating Your Culinary Career" and director of career services at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y., says a digital presence is a must for culinary careerists.

"All of these chef-focused sites are really good if your goal is to work as a chef, and if your goal is to expand to opportunities beyond the kitchen, you need to be where your hiring managers, human resources professionals and recruiters are --and that's LinkedIn."

So why not just use LinkedIn? Profiles on the Chef's Roll, which cost $19 per month or $99 per year, can be viewed by anyone, anywhere with no restrictions. LinkedIn restricts viewing of profiles based on membership levels. Non-members might be able to see a photo and name, but generally the details are restricted or not viewable at all.

While it is important to show people that you know how to cook through pictures and recommendations, Hayes cautions that Chef's Roll may not land you on the next season of "Chopped."

“You have to do something with what you have -- you have to turn that from a tool in your tool belt to a tool in your hand,” he says.

South Florida-based personal and private chef Alain Lemaire says he jumped onto Chef’s Roll when a colleague told him about the site.

Praising the site for its user-friendliness, he called it “another tool that you can use to promote yourself to not just a certain demographic or area or region. It’s pretty much global, because there are chefs from all over the world that are part of this.”

Lemaire said he started using the site in January, and in addition to some search engine hits, he’s seen people reach out to him.

Visuals are a key part of Chef’s Roll. With the rise of reality TV and media opportunities, Keslinke and van der Lee say their site is already being utilized for casting purposes.

“We do have confirmation that those networks are starting to look at our network and find new talent,” Keslinke says. He says a casting decision for Food Network’s “Cutthroat Kitchen” was recently made via Chef’s Roll, though they have to stay mum about names.

But the Internet isn’t everything, Hayes emphasizes. The Culinary Institute of America hosts on-site career fairs at its campus that attract hundreds of employers looking to recruit. He also recommends students start networking as early as possible in order to build long-term relationships.

The job market looks good for those in the field, Hayes says. According to the National Restaurant Association, restaurant industry employment grew 2.4 percent in 2012 while U.S. employment grew only 1.5 percent.

Once Chef’s Roll reaches a larger scale, Keslinke and van der Lee plan to add a “recommendation” feature, so culinary pros can give each other kudos. Call it online culinary street cred, a must in an increasingly digital world.

“Even looking at today versus five or eight years ago, it wasn’t the same job market, it wasn’t the same expectations,” Hayes says. “Even three-star Michelin restaurants now – there are some that are owned by corporations and you have to apply online the same way you would with Sodexo. A digital presence really helps, because then you can showcase your work.”

The site, while still new, is rapidly growing. Soon, Keslinke and van der Lee will be launching a similar site for sommeliers dubbed Sommslist.com, with master sommelier Eddie Osterland as their adviser.

For now, though, Chef’s Roll is their primary focus.

“We want it to be the most professional network out there for the culinary industry,” Keslinke says. “We want to build a worldwide community.”

‘Healthy‘ alcohol whets whistles of the growing number of health-conscious drinkers

Thu, 03 Apr 2014 09:15:57 -0400

While healthful living and alcohol consumption haven't generally been synonymous, a spate of “healthy” alcoholic beverages is starting to hit the market. From post-workout beers to spiked seltzer to gluten-free brews, these products are trying to make imbibing synonymous with clean living.

While many of these products are sold as “healthy” or "natural"-- does it meant that these concoctions really any better for you, or are they just savvy marketing gimmicks?

Studies have long shown that moderate alcohol consumption has potential health benefits, including being good for the heart and circulatory system and offering protection against type 2 diabetes and gallstones.

“Alcohol is the perfect example of something that is best used in moderation. It has health benefits, but it can also be very detrimental to your health,” says Dr. Mike Roussell, author, speaker and nutritional consultant.

Last month, the announcement of Lean Machine brew garnered lots of buzz. The Canadian drink (which hasn’t hit the market yet) is formulated with L-Glutamine, protein, sodium, potassium, vitamin C and zinc, and it stands at 77 calories, significantly less than most other brews on the market. Dubbed a “recovery ale,” it’s designed to replenish the fluids lost during a workout.

This comes on the heels of a study that showed beer’s dehydrating effects could be canceled out by changing its electrolyte content (done by reducing the level of alcohol and adding salt)--which Lean Machine also provides.

Spiked Seltzer is another new market addition. This super-light tasting beverage was designed for athletes and others looking for a light, “healthier” buzz. Made with only water, yeast, natural sugars and citrus oil, the brew has been likened to La Croix carbonated water, says co-founder Dave Holmes. The drink has no alcohol bite, Holmes adds, and is all natural. Yet, it has an alcohol by volume (ABV) of 6 percent, about the same as a Bud Light.

“It tastes very, very similar to a lime-flavored seltzer water,” Holmes says. While currently available only in parts of New York and Connecticut, the brand will be rolling out to other areas of the East Coast shortly.

Yet the future of these drinks is unclear. Consider Bethanny Frankel’s much-hyped Skinnygirl line, which has seen better days. Beam, its parent company, reported in February that sales of Skinnygirl dipped 26 percent last year, making it the worst performing of its brands.

Those drinks, though, are artificially sweetened and marketed solely to women. Many of the newer drink choices offer a more natural taste profile, are gender-neutral, and tap into the growing demand for alternative beverages as dietary needs change.

Spiros Malandrakis, senior alcoholic drinks analyst with the market research firm Euromonitor, is nonetheless skeptical of the long-term viability of any alcohol billed “healthy.”

“People do not drink alcohol to feel healthier,” he says. “In any case, I think the health aspects are historically associated with moderation, which is something that tends to be forgotten.”

Rather than a focus on “healthy” options, Malandrakis sees the trend moving toward craft producers making drinks with locally sourced ingredients in small batches. These products often have less preservatives and are made with fresher ingredients.

Another new market addition on the healthy bandwagon is DuneSurfer Desert Beer, a soon-to-launch brand in the U.K. (and later, they hope, in the U.S.).

Co-founder John Hunt says his product is a response to consumers looking for natural food and drinks. The beer is billed as a tangy, light lager with goji, acai berry and yuzu fruit extracts, plus fresh herbs and minerals. It also has just 2 percent ABV per bottle and has just 60 calories.

“Drinks seems unable to cross the ‘alcohol divide’, i.e., drinks are either alcoholic or non alcoholic, whilst consumers face an ‘alcohol dilemma’ i.e., they want the sociability, the adult taste and sessionability of alcoholic drinks without all of the downsides,” Hunt told FoxNews.com in an email. “The alternatives (soft drinks, flavored waters, sports drinks) don’t taste good or are too sweet or are simply boring.”

Holmes agrees. Given the recent proposal to ban large sugary sodas in New York City, for example, he thinks the public is seeking less sugar and more nutritional value.

“Sparkling waters, waters and healthier beverages are totally on the upswing. I don’t think it’s a trend that’s going to stop. Given the continual increase of attention on public health, you continue to see a growth and demand for a lighter, better-for-you drink.”

Roussell says for more people calories is usually the biggest issue with alcohol. “These calories come primarily in the form of sugar-laden beverages that are mixed with alcohol.”

He advises opting for calorie-free mixers and minimal amounts of juice, or spirits served on the rocks.

“If you have a couple favorite beers, I would recommend that you take a minute to look their calorie content up online. Not all ‘healthier’ alcohol options are necessarily healthier. Gluten-free beer doesn’t provide any added health benefit unless you have a gluten allergy.”

Electrolyte-infused beer, which purportedly doesn’t cause a hangover, may be a good choice for the health conscious, he says. The beer has compounds commonly used in sports drinks and contains less alcohol, providing a third more hydration than a normal beer.

However, as with anything, moderation is key.

Wine makers, too, aren’t immune to the changing the way the drink is made. Mendocino County’s Frey Vineyards launched in the 1980s as the nation’s first organic producer and has seen a massive increase in demand, says assistant winemaker Eliza Frey.

“We get a lot of phone calls from people whose doctors have recommended that they drink and eat organic products,” she says.

“As we get more and more evidence of the pitfalls of the standard American diet – heavily processed foods, antibiotics in our dairy – as people learn more, it just makes sense that they’d want to feed themselves and their families the highest quality products available,” she says.

And as more people turn toward natural and organic foods, beverages will likely continue to fall in line.

As far as Euromonitor’s Malandraki is concerned, consumers are more interested in minimizing the negative effects of alcohol and seeking out authentic products than worrying about calorie counts.

“The natural conclusion of this authenticity narrative would be like the craft revolution we see across the West,” he says. “It’s about being able to trace your product, buying from small scale entrepreneurs and helping the local economy. It’s not about taking ingredients out; it’s more about natural, authentic products.”

GMO salmon may soon hit food stores, but will anyone buy it?

Tue, 11 Mar 2014 11:55:10 -0400

It’s taken almost two decades, but the U.S. Food and Drug Administration may be close to a ruling on the world’s first genetically modified animal protein.

AquAdvantage salmon is a product of the Massachusetts-based biotech firm AquaBounty Technologies. Designed to reach market size in about half the time of standard farmed salmon, the fish would be the first genetically engineered animal approved for human consumption. Producers say the salmon is safe to eat, environmentally friendly and can feed more of the population with less resources, compared to other farmed fish.

But last week two major store chains, Kroger and Safeway, joined a growing list of supermarkets that say that they will refuse to sell the salmon -- dubbed “frankenfish” by critics -- raising questions about whether consumers will buy it, even with the FDA’s approval.

The issue is highly controversial. Environmentalists, consumer watchdogs, select supermarket chains, Alaskan fishermen and various other groups have been voicing strong opposition to the potentially game-changing product since AquaBounty applied for approval in 1996.

“Before we say we’ve come up with a way to feed the growing population, what are we putting at risk in exchange?” says Dana Perls, a policy campaigner at the environmental organization Friends of the Earth. “We really need to know what we’re doing. We want to make sure we’re taking the right steps in the long run as opposed to wishing we’d done something later.”

The technology to build a better salmon has been around since 1989. Essentially, AquaBounty took an Atlantic salmon and added a growth gene from the Chinook salmon and a promoter gene from the ocean pout (an eel-like species) to create AquAdvantage.

AquaBounty CEO Ron Stotish touts the product’s benefits, including fresher product due to reduced travel distance, a lower carbon footprint and sustainability.

“This is a new way of growing salmon,” he says. “It’s land-based; it reduces the cost of transportation. Ninety-one percent of seafood we consume is imported. With this product we could grow these fish here in the U.S.”

Based on the FDA’s preliminary finding that an approval of AquaBounty’s application “would not have a significant impact (FONSI) on the U.S. environment,” many believe an approval is pending. But even if approved, it may take some time before GMO (genetically modified organism) salmon is available in stores, due to the growth of the fish and other commercial issues, Stotish says.

While the FDA has remained mum on the subject, environmental groups have been ramping up lobbying efforts to keep stores from stocking it if it is approved. More than 60 retailers have stated they won’t carry the product, totaling more than 9,000 stores nationwide.

The million-dollar question is, do consumers want to eat genetically altered fish?

“Public perception is not necessarily negative, but suspicious,” says Jon Entine, the author and founder of the Genetic Literacy Project who wrote an investigative piece for Slate in 2012 arguing that the science behind AquAdvantage is sound, and that the extended FDA delays are political maneuvers.

He believes AquaBounty will eventually overcome the naysayers.

In 2010 the FDA stated in a Veterinary Medicine Advisory Committee briefing that AquAdvantage salmon was indistinguishable from standard Atlantic salmon. “We have found no biologically relevant difference between food from ABT salmon and conventional Atlantic salmon based on the criteria evaluated,” it wrote.

And, according to Stotish, the GMO salmon tastes just as good. He testified in a 2010 FDA hearing that AquAdvantage won out over Canadian and Chilean salmon varieties in blind taste tests.

“I think consumers, once they have a chance to see these products and touch them and taste them, will say, ‘Gee, what was all the fuss about?’” Stotish says.

But groups like Friends of the Earth and the Center for Food Safety say consumers don’t want the product and have called the FDA’s initial scientific assessment flawed and incomplete. Opponents argue that, although they have been designed to be all female and sterile, the fish have the potential to escape containment, breed and decimate wild populations. (AquaBounty says its data debunks these claims.)

According to the CFS, during the FDA’s public comment period last year, 1.8 million people sent messages to the FDA opposing the approval of AquAdvantage.

“At the level of response that we’re seeing from grocery stores and consumers, I don’t think there is enough demand for this genetically modified salmon to make it onto the market. There’s no room for it on the market. Nine thousand stores have already said, ‘We’re not going to sell this,’” Perls says.

Already on the anti-GMO salmon bandwagon are Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, Safeway, Kroger and Target, among others. But other chains remain silent. Wal-mart, for example, said it had “nothing to add at this time” when contacted for comment.

“There is the potential for a total rejection of GMO salmon and also for broad acceptance,” says business research analyst Howard Waxman, who wrote a 2013 report for MarketResearch.com on non-GMO foods that addressed the growing market and labeling trends. “There will be a public relations war if the FDA gives approval.”

The FDA has said it likely will not require that GMO fish be labeled, so if retailers carry it, consumers may not know the difference.

“Consumers want to know what they’re eating and what the impact of what they’re eating has on their bodies and the environment and their families and children,” Perls says.

“This is a marathon, not a sprint,” Entine says. “Ten years from now the educated public is going to look back with a great sense of embarrassment at how fiercely groups that call themselves 'progressive' whipped up emotional concerns about whether GMOs are safe or sustainable. This opposition is based on ideology trumping science, at least in the short term.”

Perls disagrees, and thinks consumer demand will drive market behavior – straight to the rejection of genetically modified fish and other meats.

But Stotish thinks the market will bear out the opposite result.

“American free enterprise has always worked well and it will continue to work well,” he says. “If you have a good product, you will be successful.”

The future of high-tech meat substitutes

Mon, 27 Jan 2014 07:30:01 -0500

Today's average American hamburger comes from a cow – but it may not be long before it comes straight from a lab in Silicon Valley.

A growing number of companies are using high tech to create meat and animal product replacements that look like the real thing – but are made with anything but.

And their target market isn’t vegans -- it’s true blue carnivores.

From startups like Hampton Creek Foods and Beyond Meat (both backed by Bill Gates) to old-timers like Gardein Protein, the landscape of meat-free products is rapidly expanding. According to a 2013 study by the research firm Mintel, consumers are increasingly interested in beef, poultry and even fish alternatives.

“The data shows that 7 percent of Americans identify as being vegetarian, but 36 percent of consumers say they’re using meat alternatives,” says Beth Bloom, food and drink analyst for Mintel.

Meanwhile, global meat production has tripled over the last four decades, according to 2011 research by the Worldwatch Institute. But with increased production come concerns about greenhouse emissions, animal welfare and the health risks of eating red meat.

Meat substitutes are nothing new. Asian cultures have been using seitan (a protein made with wheat gluten) since the 7th century, and veggie burgers have been a supermarket staple since the 1980s.

More people become concerned about the environment and want to know where their food is coming from, and these foods reduce the risk of food-borne illnesses like e-Coli and Salmonella poisoning.

That’s why scientists and entrepreneurs see meat replacements not only as alternatives, but as big moneymakers, too.

Today’s next-gen products use everything from peas to non-GMO soy, wheat gluten, pea protein and grains to replicate the taste, texture and culinary viability of animal products.

“We’re looking at how we can create value-added products with benefits that far exceed what [consumers] get from just eating meat,” says Ethan Brown, CEO of Beyond Meat. It’s like “Beef 2.0” and “Chicken 2.0,” he quips.

Beyond Meat’s plant-based Chicken-Free Strips hit the market last year, boasting that they contain all the protein, taste and chew of chicken – but without the antibiotics, hormones, GMOs, transfats and cholesterol.

Next month the company will release a beef replacement, which Brown says is revolutionary both in its mouthfeel and the fact that it’s made with yellow pea protein, but without gluten or soy. Most beef alternatives now on the market include both.

The process itself is high tech. “We’re taking proteins and running them through a heating, cooling and pressure process that realigns them so that they substantially mimic the fiber structure that you find in animal flesh or meat,” Brown says.

“The outcome for the consumer is that it tears like meat, it has the same grams of force required to rupture and it has the overall mouthfeel of muscle,” he said.

Silicon Valley-based Hampton Creek, meanwhile, is focusing on its plant-based egg, created by taking the proteins and replicating what chicken eggs do on a molecular level. It aims to be a cheaper alternative, but just as tasty and just as good for you.

“From that we get insights about what works. Is it as good or better than a chicken egg in doing what a chicken egg does?” says Josh Tetrick, the company’s CEO.

From that they created a mayonnaise replacement, Just Mayo, on sale at Whole Foods. It even comes in a chipotle flavor. Its next rollouts will be a scrambled egg substitute called Just Scrambled and a cookie dough called Eat the Dough.

So how does this stuff taste? Some FoxNews.com reporters who got a sample of Eat the Dough and Just Mayo said they tasted pretty authentic.

Writing in Wired Magazine about Beyond Meat, celebrity chef Alton Brown said this about the Chicken-Free Strips: “My first thought was, 'If I were served this in a restaurant, I'd tell them they'd made a mistake and given me real chicken.'"

Even Bill Gates voiced his approval, both with funding and in a special report called The Future of Food.

But some people are turned off by the idea of “Frankenfood” processing and the image of Birkenstock-wearing hippies chowing down on Tofurky-like products.

The next-gen companies are trying battle these images by focusing on recreating classic recipes that appeal to meat-eaters, from beefless sliders to buffalo wings to chicken-free strips.

“Products in this category are not just appealing to vegetarians and those who don’t eat meat. Consumers who are meat eaters are becoming more interested,” says Mintel analyst Bloom.
And meat eaters are where the money is. According to Mintel, meat alternatives were a $553 million growing market in 2012. The red meat market alone is $58 billion, and the key to future success is taking a piece of that carnivorous pie.

Companies like Beyond Meat and Hampton Creek say they aren't looking to create niche, luxury products for vegetarians and vegans -- they’re looking to line the shelves of major markets like Winn Dixie and Wal-mart.

One company that knows how to do that is Gardein Protein.

Gardein founder Yves Potvin created a veggie dog back in the 1980s under the name Yves Veggie Cuisine. He sold the company and later started Gardein, whose products now are in more than 20,000 supermarkets, more than 50 universities, Epcot Resort at Walt Disney World, Knott’s Berry Farm, Wynn restaurants in Las Vegas and restaurant chains including Yardhouse.

“I compare it to an alternative source of energy. The hybrid car only came in the market in 1998-2000, and 14 years later every brand of car offers an alternative. Alternative protein, alternative energy,” Potvin says.

Yet some question whether meat substitutes will ever replace the real deal; most nutrition experts advocate that they adopt a “supporting cast member” status in people’s diets – not a starring role.

Dr. Walter Willett, Chair of the Harvard Department of Public Health, says there is a role for these products, but there are already lots of healthy meat alternatives.

“We don’t need to wait for new manufactured products, because there are already thousands of alternative traditional dishes and meals based on beans, soy products, and nuts that can provide healthy and tasty alternatives to red meat,” Willett says.

Yet research suggests that consumers are starting to buy these newfangled products in lieu of animal products. For now, they’re sold mostly at Whole Foods and other pricey, up-market food stores. But Beyond Meat’s Brown says he sees a bright future ahead.

“The mainstream consumer -- that’s the one I’m wholly focused on,” he said.

Chefs compete in a 'Biggest Loser'-style weight loss challenge

Wed, 02 Jul 2014 11:15:42 -0400

Professional chefs aren’t generally shining examples of good health. Grueling hours and their proximity to rich food make it hard for culinary stars to stay in shape.

But starting next week, 12 pre-eminent Miami chefs and one Washington, D.C. all-star are going scale-to-scale in a weight loss battle royal. Dubbed Fit to Fight, the challenge will pit culinarians, led by Mike Isabella of “Top Chef” fame, against each other, “Biggest Loser” style – and all for a good cause.

The contest is modeled after last year’s Fit for Hope challenge in Washington, where more than a dozen chefs, including Isabella, worked to lose weight for 12 weeks. Their efforts raised more than $30,000 for the American Cancer Society. Isabella didn’t win, but he was inspired to bring the challenge back and join the throwdown again – this time in Miami.

Click through the slideshow above and get to know the chefs.

“We raised a lot of money for a great cause and helped chefs get in shape, and we were looking to do it again,” says Isabella. “I lost a bunch of weight by really watching what I was eating, exercising, going to the gym to work out, riding my bike to go to work instead of my scooter – pushing myself a little more.”

The soon-to-launch Miami installment is collecting funds for Live To Fight, a non-profit started by martial arts enthusiast Kristen Brown, a cancer survivor. She and her board of directors (which includes Anthony Bourdain’s wife, MMA fighter Ottavia Bourdain) offer support to those in the martial arts and mixed martial arts communities facing life-threatening illnesses. Each chef is asked to raise a minimum of $1,500.

On Monday, participating chefs and foodies gathered at Tongue & Cheek, the chic Miami Beach eatery owned by chef Jamie DeRosa, the Miami regional challenge host. Contestants had an initial weigh-in, shot a series of “before” photos and indulged in what DeRosa called a “last night of gluttony.”

So why Miami and not, say, New York?

“It seemed like something we could do here. Miami is really starting to be a serious player,” DeRosa says. “We have a community now, we have chefs that support each other, we have restaurants that look out for each other.”

The competition kicks off on July 7 and will run for 12 weeks. (You can follow the chefs' progress at FoxNews.com and on their site.) On Sept. 29, a winner will be named at the closing event. In addition to bragging rights, the champ will receive a yet-to-be-decided prize and, even more importantly, a healthier approach to life, as the challenge is designed to help chefs find ways to incorporate healthy habits into their tight schedules and hectic lifestyles.

“We work a lot of odd hours,” Isabella says. “Nights, weekends, holidays. We’re around food and beverages, alcohol. If you work a long shift – 12, 13, 14 hours – you don’t always have time to work out.”

“You’re really doing things for other people all day long, whether it’s your staff or your guests – you kind of forget about yourself,” DeRosa adds.

Chef Dena Marino, who runs Miami’s MC Kitchen with her husband, Marcus Wade is the only female competitor. She works six days a week, 16 to 17 hours a day, and has a 7-year-old son. Between mom duties and working, she says she barely has time to drink a cup of coffee in the morning, much less eat breakfast.

“I’m probably at least 30 pounds over the weight that I should be and completely eat the wrong foods at the wrong times and never sit down and have a meal,” she says. “Always running and picking. We’re around amazing foods all day, but we never eat.”

Now she’s looking forward to the competition.

“I was thinking, being the only female, these guys are cocky, they’re already going back and forth on Twitter: Who’s going to kick whose butt. I’m going to take them all!” Marino said, laughing.

Isabella’s brother Ben, a certified strength and conditioning coach who owns a gym in New Jersey, is overseeing the program and working with Miami trainers and facilities to provide opportunities for the chefs to get moving.

In keeping with the charity of choice, mixed martial arts will definitely play a role. “It’s fun, it’s engaging. It’s something different all the time, versus a treadmill or bike,” Ben says.

All competitors will receive nutritional guidelines and counseling. “We’re basically putting together a smorgasbord of options so they can select and do what’s most comfortable for them,” Ben says.

But the competitors will decide how to use the assets they’re given.

“The one thing I want them to do is really have fun with it, just really enjoy the experience,” Mike says. “Bringing all the chefs together, doing something special for a good cause and losing weight – it’s really fun. I don’t want them to be too serious.”

Will 3D food printers catch on with America’s home cooks?

Tue, 13 May 2014 11:12:39 -0400

The food replicators of the "Jetsons" are still the stuff of fantasy, but a new generation of 3D food printers is bringing American consumers a step closer to computer-generated homemade edibles.

A host of new devices create dishes that take longer to make by hand – and they’re creating quite a buzz.

"It's like someone flipped a switch about a year and a half ago," says Terry Wohler, principal consultant and president of Wohler’s Associates, an independent consulting firm.

Foodini, unveiled in April, is a 3D food printer designed for home and pro kitchens that prints anything from pasta to pizza to chocolate vases.

3D Systems in January launched its ChefJet series -- two 3D printers that create small or large confections and cake toppers in single- and multi-color designs. The company also is partnering with Hershey to create candy, chocolate and other edibles.

Biozoon is using 3D printers to create easily dissolvable food in various shapes and textures for older patients who are unable to swallow properly, a condition called dysphagia.

While computer-processed food has been around for decades, advances in 3D printing have now made these devices cheap and available for home use.

All printers work essentially the same way. Using computer-aided-design software, a food model’s specifications are loaded into the machine, along with capsules filled with ingredients such as tomato sauce or chocolate. The dish is then built in layers by following the programmed pattern.

But it remains to be seen whether the public will buy these kitchen helpers.

Foodini plans to sell its printer for $1,300, and ChefJet will charge $5,000 for its smaller printer and $10,000 for the larger. For many consumers, these initial prices could be hard to swallow.

“My sense is that it will develop, probably not like some of us might think it will. I don’t anticipate everyone using this in their homes,” says Wohler. “I think it will be a niche market.”

Wohler sees 3D food printers being used mostly by specialty food companies for things like corporate logo creations, fancy chocolates or customized bride and groom toppers on wedding cakes.

“It’s quite easy to do that with digital cameras and 3D printing, to achieve that very thing,” he says.

R.J. Cooper, the chef at Rogue 24 in Washington, D.C., has experimented with molecular gastronomy and other modern culinary concepts and thinks the tool has merit, especially for connectionists and pastry chefs. But he questions whether it can be used effectively in a busy kitchen.

“We do 1,440 plates a night, 24 courses. I just don’t understand how we would be able to use that application in a process yet that would fulfill our food and our concept as this kind of level of restaurant,” he said.

Achieving complicated aesthetics is one thing, but what about the taste?

One of the biggest hurdles is convincing people that it is real food, says Lynette Kucsma, chief marketing officer and co-founder of Natural Machines, which makes the Foodini.

“We just have to get people over that hump of saying, ‘This came out of a printer.’ But it’s nothing funky or fake. It’s not laboratory food.”

In blind taste tests conducted in Barcelona, she said, some participants were unwilling to try the food when they were told it came out of a printer, but everyone who did try it loved it.

And then there’s the question of additives.

Kucsma said Foodini’s machines are designed primarily for fresh ingredients. While they will likely offer capsules with longer shelf lives, they won’t have preservatives or unfamiliar ingredients.

But other 3D printer capsules, like some being developed for NASA, could last as long as 30 years.

Kucsma believes Americans may embrace 3D printers slowly, as they did microwaves, which were first sold in the 1950s but didn’t become a household item until a couple of decades later.

“People were scared of it. Did it cause cancer? Was there radiation? They didn't understand it. How could it heat the food when the walls of the microwave didn't get hot? They had all these questions,” Kucsma said. “Fast forward 30 years, and 90 percent of households have them.”

But any way you slice it, plenty of questions remain. For Cooper, the biggest of them all is the question of value.

“What kind of value does it bring to the guests? The value it would bring to a cook, the value it would bring long-term?” he asks.

"What is it going to do money-wise for a restaurant to grow and be prosperous? They would really have to convince me that there’s value in it for distribution on a culinary level.”

Raw milk movement grows amid push to ease regulation

Thu, 01 May 2014 08:36:09 -0400

Jessie Grinnan, a stay-at-home mom from Palm Beach County, Fla., pays $13 a gallon for milk – and she couldn't be happier about it.

Grinnan drinks raw, unpasteurized cow's milk that she buys at a local farm. “It’s a full milk,” she says, “so it’s not watery and it’s not bland. It’s delicious, actually, and I’m not a huge milk drinker.”

Grinnan believes raw milk has health benefits. She says her husband couldn’t tolerate pasteurized milk and has found relief from his allergies since they switched to raw milk. She says she also doesn’t want her 23-month-old son drinking anything whose origins she can’t identify.

“I feel comfortable and confident giving it to my family. I’m very particular about where it comes from – it’s not some random miserable cow that’s lived in a box,” Grinnan says.

Fans of raw milk are going to extremes to get their hands on it, even if there are laws blocking the sale for human consumption. Called “moonshine milk,” they’re buying it on farms sold as "pet food" or through a cow or animal share program.

Florida is one state that blocks the sale of it in stores.

But there are some problems and liabilities surrounding the consumption of raw milk.

The Centers for Disease Control, the Food and Drug Administration, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and other government organizations say raw milk poses serious health risks.

According to the CDC, raw milk carries a host of germs that can make people sick, including bacteria like Salmonella and E. coli; parasites like Giardia and viruses like norovirus. It says the risk of getting sick is greater for babies and young children, the elderly, pregnant women and people with weakened immune systems.

"Raw milk can carry harmful germs that can make you very sick or kill you,” the CDC says on its website. “If you're thinking about drinking raw milk because you believe it has health benefits, consider other options."

The American Association of Pediatrics, too, strongly opposes raw milk consumption. It released a policy statement last December advising pregnant women, infants and children to consume only pasteurized milk, cheese and other milk products, and it called for a ban on the sale of raw milk in the U.S.

Nonetheless, a budding raw milk fad and a populist call for less food regulation have created a movement to get lawmakers to ease longtime restrictions on the sale and shipment of milk straight from the cow.

Laws about raw milk differ widely by state. Twelve states allow it to be sold in retail stores, and it can be purchased in almost every other state on farms, as "pet food" or through a cow or animal share program.

Laws to limit restrictions on raw milk sales were introduced this year in several states, including Louisiana, Maryland and Massachusetts. In Washington, Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) introduced two bills nationally: the “Milk Freedom Act of 2014,” which would overturn a ban on interstate shipment, and the “Interstate Milk Freedom Act of 2014,” which would allow shipment of raw milk between states where sales are legal.

Other states, including New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland and Virginia, have thriving black markets for raw milk, says Sally Fallon Morell, president of the Weston A. Price Foundation, a nutrition foundation that advocates for nutrient-dense whole foods.

Proponents of raw milk cite European research including the 2007 PARSIFAL study and the 2011 GABRIELA study demonstrating that unpasteurized milk from cows, sheep and goats provides a wealth of health benefits, including protection from asthma and allergies. They also refer to testimonials from people who say it helps heal osteoporosis, arthritis, digestive problems, fatigue, weight issues and even cancer.

They say the government’s stance is out of date and is designed to protect the status quo for milk processors.

“[The opposition] is really based on a paradigm that no longer has credibility, and that is that everything has to be sterile and that the body has to be sterile,” Morell says. “We now know that to be healthy we have to have lots of good bacteria inside of us. Raw milk is such a great food – it provides the components that we need to support good bacteria in the gut.”

Pasteurization heats milk to temperatures high enough to annihilate risky bacteria, but raw milk supporters say the process also destroys all the good bacteria and digestive enzymes that are necessary for gut health and anti-allergenic properties. Milk producers say there’s no scientific evidence to support claims that the pasteurization process has any negative effect on the milk.

According to the CDC, there were 2,384 illnesses, 284 hospitalizations and two deaths attributed to raw milk or raw milk products from 1998 through 2011. The two deaths were not caused by liquid milk, but by a Mexican-style queso fresco (a.k.a. “bathtub cheese”).

Critics note that there also were 2,181 illnesses, 32 hospitalizations and four deaths in those same years due to pasteurized milk and milk products.

But it is not a fair comparison. A FoodNet survey conducted by the CDC in 2007 found that only 3 percent of Americans said they drank raw milk.

Major milk industry groups are staunchly opposed to raw milk consumption. The International Dairy Foods Association and the National Milk Producers Federation recently penned a joint letter to state senators in South Dakota urging the rejection of legislation designed to ease restrictions on its sale. The letter stated, "Consumption of raw milk is a demonstrated public health risk. The link between raw milk and foodborne illness has been well documented in the scientific literature, with evidence spanning nearly 100 years. Raw milk is a key vehicle in the transmission of human pathogens, including E. coli O157:H7, Campylobacter, Listeria monocytogenes, and Salmonella."

Raw milk supporters say the claims of danger from unpasteurized milk are widely exaggerated. “And so much of this (raw) milk is not regulated,” Morell says. Referring to the numbers of illnesses, she says, “We think that could come down to almost zero if there were regulations.”

In California, where the sale of raw milk is legal and heavily regulated, Organic Pastures Dairy sells to 625 stores, 50 buyer's clubs, 20 farmer's markets and an estimated 80,000 customers a week, says founder Mark McAfee.

He says customers are clamoring for it, and his farm can’t keep up with the demand.

“People are choosing raw milk or no milk or almond milk because of the allergenicity of pasteurized milk. It’s the single most allergenic food in America,” he says.

McAfee cites the PARSIFAL study, a 2007 European analysis of 14,893 children aged 5-13 that showed the consumption of raw milk may offer protection against asthma and allergies.

He and Morell agree that research and regulations like the ones in place in California are key ingredients for the safe consumption of raw milk.

“There’s been a real stigma against studying it for fear you’ll lose your funding,” Morell says.

Supporters want to see the laws change so consumers can purchase -- and drink -- what they please.

“People are tired of the government telling them what they can do and what they can’t do,” says Morell.

But opponents say raw milk is not a prescription for good health.

“There’s no scientific reason in 2014 to even consume raw milk,” says Dr. Jatinder Bhatia, MD, FAAP, co-author of AAP’s policy statement.

“If you want to drink it, it’s a personal choice, that’s not for me to question. But if you get sick from raw milk, if you get E. coli for example, you then have the potential to give it to your children and husband ... it’s not only you, it’s those around you as well. If you’re pregnant and you do this, you put your fetus at risk.”