“Do you have any Grey Poupon?”
July 24, 2008
If you are in Salt Lake City, you might want to think twice before asking your fellow driver a favor.
According to this article in the Salt Lake City Tribune, a motorist was unhappy with another driver’s request.
Apparently, the conversation went as follows:
Driver 1: (rolling down his window) “Excuse me, sir, do you have any Grey Poupon?”
Driver 2: (pulling out his black handgun from the car’s glove compartment and pointing it at the three occupants of Driver 1’s vehicle)
“Here’s your Grey Poupon, roll your [expletive] windows up.”
The police were not amused, and charged Driver 2 with aggravated assault.
Driver 1 remains at large, quoting bad 1985 television ads with impunity.
CHRISTINA DORAN, Assistant Legal Editor
Sphere: Related ContentWhat’s cooking at the old deli?
July 23, 2008
The lights are on today in the former home of the Court Towers Deli in Towson for the first time since the end of April. A cleaning crew has been inside all day scrubbing down the place, which has been undisturbed since it closed.
The deli closing and a possible replacement have been the topic of much discussion around Towson for months. The restaurant was popular among the legal community because of the good food and location next to Baltimore County Circuit Court.
Back in April, I heard a new tenant would be in place at some point during the summer. But despite today’s cleaning, there are no signs indicating new ownership or a scheduled opening date. We’ll keep you posted.
DANNY JACOBS, Legal Affairs Writer
Sphere: Related ContentRecession gourmet
July 10, 2008
Could you cook a gourmet meal for four on only $10?
If the answer’s No, don’t feel bad - neither could a round-up of celebrity chefs selected by Time magazine for a feature on eating gourmet meals during economic crunch time.
But, they came in pretty close.
For Time’s featured article, writer Joel Stein visits an LA supermarket with Tom Colicchio of Bravo’s Top Chef. Colicchio’s reaction to current food prices? “Wow, pasta is more expensive than I thought it was.”
The head judge finally settled on a pork loin ($4.49), spaghetti ($1.34) with fennel, eggplant, zucchini, onion and a can of tomatoes ($6.05 collectively). Although he spent only $11.88 on the meal’s main ingredients, Colicchio used some basil, a bit of parmesan cheese and, of course, cooked liberally with olive oil and garlic. The result: Fennel Pork Loin and Pasta Vegetarienne.
If Colicchio’s pork-and-pasta fare isn’t your cup of tea, there are five more recipes to chose from:
*Roast Chicken with Lemon, Garlic and Bay Leaves (Tyler Florence)
*Spaghetti with Pancetta and Chili Flakes (David Myers, Sona restaurant, Los Angeles)
*Rice and Beans, Green Salad and Banana Flambe (Eric Ripert, Le Bernadin, New York City)
*Orzo with Pancetta and Goat Cheese (Charlie Palmer, Aureole, New York City)
*Braised Chicken with Paprika Onions, Cous Cous and Date Relish (Suzanne Goin, Lucques, Los Angeles)
There’s a clear trend of what was used (pasta, chicken) and what was not (red meat).
Harry Balzer, who tracks food trends for a market-research firm, told Stein: “We’re seeing less meat and more pizza, sandwiches, Italian pasta and casserole-type dishes. The real change that occurred in the last bout of inflation was that one of the cheapest meats became more popular: chicken.”
Personally, I’m going for the banana flambe - with fire extinguisher at the ready.
JACKIE SAUTER, Web Editor
Sphere: Related ContentThe Nutraloaf taste test
June 25, 2008
Is the log of ground-up food served to problem inmates in prisons all over the country foul enough to constitute cruel and unusual punishment, as prisoners in lots of jurisdictions have charged? Slate has this piece in which the author made “Nutraloaf” recipes from three different states’ prison systems and invited friends for a taste test. The consensus among the writer and her friends appears to be that the loaves were terrible, but not unconstitutionally so.
Unfortunately, Maryland’s recipe — known as a “special management meal” — wasn’t one of the three the writer cooked, but if some brave blog reader wants to take the Free State’s loaf for a test drive and report the results back to The Daily Record, I won’t stop you.
Maryland was mentioned in the story. Slate links to what appears to be the Web site of a clerk for an administrative law judge who heard and dismissed an inmate’s grievance about Nutraloaf. The clerk has posted what looks like a draft opinion holding that it’s not arbitrary and capricious to serve an inmate this nasty stuff.
Hat tip: How Appealing.
CARYN TAMBER, Legal Affairs Writer
Sphere: Related ContentWild Goose changes are just skin deep
June 24, 2008
Having just completed a four-year stint (also known as college) in the great state of Maine, I’ve become a bit of a self-proclaimed microbrew enthusiast. So when Frederick, Md.’s own Wild Goose Brewery announced that changes to their product were on the way, I panicked.
Luckily, the only modifications in store involve the beer’s packaging, not its Pine Tree State-caliber flavor.
As Neal Stewart, director of marketing for Wild Goose and Denver-based parent company Flying Dog, explained, “There’s always a perception amongst consumers when the packaging changes, the liquid changes, and that just isn’t true.” By Stewart’s assessment, the brand hadn’t received a packaging facelift in over 10 years.
According to a news release from public relations firm Object 9, the packaging overhaul is meant to “revitalize the brand.” It reads:
“The clean, contemporary packaging is further refined and reflects the brand’s premium craft beer image. Also, the brand’s quirkiness particularly shows through in its fun ‘Goose Facts’ and seasonal beer packaging. Just looking at the Pumpkin Patch Ale 6-pack carrier makes you want to load up a little red wagon on Halloween and stroll around the neighborhood eating candy and drinking beer.”
You can check out the snazzy new packaging at your local liquor store come August. Also this summer, the Maryland brewery will release two new varieties, a brown lager and an extra pale ale. Let’s toast to that!
ANNE RILEY, Business Writer
Sphere: Related ContentVideo: Local restaurateurs react to tomato scare
June 11, 2008
A recent spate of salmonella cases has caused some retailers and restaurants throughout the country to stop selling – and serving - tomatoes. The federal government has narrowed the affected tomatoes down to three varieties: fresh Roma, plum, and red round.
Authorities said yesterday that Maryland-grown tomatoes are not associated with the outbreak. However, some Maryland supermarkets and restaurants buy their tomatoes from outside the state, and have been forced to take them off the table.
Multimedia Reporter Richard Simon went up and down the streets of Baltimore talking to managers of local restaurants about how the outbreak is affecting businesses.
This is what some of them had to say…
Litigation on the menu for Applebee’s
June 5, 2008
A Seattle law firm says it’s filing a national consumer-protection class action against Applebee’s Neighborhood Bar & Grill, following media reports that the chain misstated the fat and calorie content of items on its “Weight Watchers” menu. “Applebee’s is capitalizing on consumers’ desire to eat healthy, but not taking the steps necessary to provide consumers with reliably healthy food,” plaintiff Anne Paskett says in a news release put out by her lawyers.
The report, which aired on several ABC-TV news stations in May, also found other chains were overly optimistic about the nutritional content of their “healthy menu” items, but apparently Paskett was partial to eatin’ good in her neighborhood.
After the report aired, Applebee’s issued a statement defending its Weight Watchers menu, saying an independent lab had verified it was “94 percent compliant.”
I don’t pretend to know what “94 percent compliant” means, but just for fun I ran some numbers. Assuming you can maintain your current weight with 2,000 calories a day, being off by 6 percent comes to 120 calories a day — roughly the amount in six ounces of white wine. Which, in all too round figures, comes to about 12.5 pounds a year.
BARBARA GRZINCIC, Managing Editor, Law
Sphere: Related ContentMd. pizza supplier donates to week-long food drive
March 4, 2008
Maybe I’ve just been hungry at work, but I feel that pizza’s been in the news a lot lately.
Yesterday, I ran an Uncover story about the rising cost of wheat used to make pizza crusts, which is leading some pizza makers to offer alternative menu choices and consider raising prices. The cost of cheese has also grown.
But that didn’t stop Joe Corbi’s from donating 10,000 pizza kits this week to the Harvest for the Hungry spring food drive. The drive runs through Saturday.
From the press release:
While our country continues to enjoy high economic prosperity, there are still 31 million Americans who are at risk of hunger or malnutrition. To date, Harvest for the Hungry campaigns have collected food and funds worth more than $30,000,000.
“We are thrilled about our ongoing partnership with Joe Corbi’s,” comments Deborah Flateman, CEO of the Maryland Food Bank. “They are one of the organizations that continue to give to the Maryland Food Bank. In these times of financial uncertainty, we must remember that we are all fragile.”
Joe Corbi’s was founded in Columbia, Md., 25 years ago, and has become a popular source of fundraising for PTAs, little league teams and clubs. According to the company Web site, Joe Corbi got his start at the Baltimore Pizza Crust Company, which produced and distributed pizza crusts throughout Maryland.
To participate in this week’s Harvest food drive, leave a bag of non-perishable food by your mailbox and local Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts or Postal Service carriers will pick it up.
JACKIE SAUTER, Web Editor
Sphere: Related ContentBaltimore baker’s tasty treats hide secret ingredient
February 29, 2008
When I was little I always looked forward to my mom’s zucchini bread loafs in the late summer, when her garden gave her more squash then even she could reasonably force us to eat. And although I have grown to love my vegetables — even in their natural form — I still almost always choose baked goods over good-for-you.
Baltimore’s WJZ-TV aired a segment Thursday morning on baker/businesswoman Lowry Martin, who has made a business out of blending veggies and treats into one tasty snack.
Lowry’s business — Have Your Cake and Eat it Too! — began production in 2000 and now markets low fat, high fiber muffins made from fruits and vegetables to schools, grocery stores and cafes.
From her squashyalicious muffin to the yamzy, a look at the nutritional contents (available on her Web site) shows each muffin is worth about one serving of fruit or vegetable, l50 calories or less and between 4 and 5 grams of fat.
Not bad if you or your kid’s got a sweet tooth like yours truly. But 12, 2-ounce muffins at about $22 a pop can get a bit pricey — do parents think it’s worth it? Or does anyone else out there have other tricks or recipes they’ve tried to get their kids to eat their veggies?
LIZ FARMER, Business Writer
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