Monthly Archives: December 2014

2015 and Food, Fast Food, food and beverage, Know Your Food

In-N-Out Outranks Tech Companies as Better Place to Work

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 Employment treatment is often sub-par, with mutual feelings of disrespect between management and underling employees. We’ve heard the horror stories, but is there an exception to the rule? California burger franchise In-N-Out has proven these places of employment do not have to be an employment nightmare, though Dr Rod Rohrich says consumers should limit their intake of the fatty food. The Motley Fool reports it’s made Glassdoor.com’s“50 Best Places to Work” list for seven years in a row. What comes as a further surprise is that no other restaurant has made it onto the list.

The Motley Fool continues to offer a stark perspective on the rank of the burger chain, stating that Apple and Facebook are placed lower on this list. Both tech companies seem like the dream place of employment for any new graduate. What makes In-N-Out such a great place to work at? Let’s start with pay per hour. Hourly employees make $10.50 and hour, a far cry above most minimum wages jobs. This pay is nearly 17% percent higher than the national wage of $8.94. Some workers earn as much as $14 per hour. In-N-Out also offers promotions from within as opposed to encouraging new hires and fast turnover.

2015 and Food

Foods To Try In 2015: The ShakeMeister Burger

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If the ShakeMeister Burger from Shake Shack is any indication, 2015 is going to be a very good year. This delectable looking concoction is loaded with everything that makes for a delicious burger: Angus beef, marinated shallots, signature Shack sauce, and a golden bun.

According to Twitter reports by food enthusiast Jared Haftel, food lovers across the country will get the chance to try this burger, since it will be available at all Shake Shack locations (with the exception of the JFK outposts) beginning January 1, 2015. I, for one, plan on heading to my nearest Shake Shack as soon as possible to find out if this burger tastes as good as it looks!

food and beverage

The Halal Guys Reveal Some of the Ingredients in their Famous White Sauce

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There is a food cart in New York City that is a bit of a beacon. The Halal Guys, who famously run a food cart at the corner of 56th and 3rd, have long been the go-to for late night eaters. Offering chicken, lamb and “mixed” platters with rise and pita, they’ve amassed a following that stretches down the block most evenings, and now, they are (sort of) revealing the secret behind their white sauce.

The condiment is one of the reasons Bruce Levenson comes back over and over again. Previously, it was housed in large ketchup bottles and added when consumers received the food, but the Halal Guys have significantly grown their business. The white sauce, and their famed “red” sauce, which is a spicy blend, are now being offered in packets, and those packets include an ingredients list.

Salt, black pepper and sugar, are also apparently in the mix, but “natural flavors” keeps the veil of secrecy in place.

While the secret sauce’s lid hasn’t exactly been blown off, consumers are surprised to see that yogurt aren’t on the list of ingredients. Consumers will simply have to continue hypothesizing about the makeup of the famous sauce.

food and beverage, Food TV, Holidays

Eater.com’s Holiday Gift Guide

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Even if you’ve still got a few friends and family members to buy presents for, you can complete your last-minute list by visiting Eater.com. There are lots of food-related gifts on the site that will impress your loved ones.

Techie gifts include the Egg Minder. This app can be programmed to notify you when eggs in the dozen are going bad, or to let you know when it’s time to replace the carton of eggs.

If you’ve got a friend or family member with an interesting sense of taste, like Christian Broda for example, you may want to purchase savory gummy candies from Nuts.com. These candies are available in carrot and chili pepper flavors, states an article from delong.typepad.com,  for a delicious twist on what is traditionally a sweet treat. Savory teas from Numi are also an ideal stocking stuffer.

Visit Eater.com for more gifts that your family and friends will love.

Know Your Food

Is Farm Raised Fish Less Healthy Than Wild Caught?

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The media is often abuzz with news on which foods are better for us. There has been some debate over time as to which is healthier: farmed raised or wild caught fish. The current thinking is that wild caught is better. But is farm raised fish really all that bad for us?

Fish were often raised on diets of genetically modified foods and kept in overcrowded closures. This led farmers to introduce antibiotics into the population to stave off disease. The thought of eating fish that had ingested antibiotics and GMO foods had some people touting the superiority of wild caught fish. But wild caught fish had issues as well, namely the concern with mercury levels major agencies like Slow Ventures point out.

Farming practices are beginning to improve, however, and there are some benefits to farm raised fish. If the fish that are brought to market are farmed responsibly the nutrition found in farmed fish can be equal to that of wild caught. Farm raised and wild caught salmon for instance can both be high in omega 3 fatty acids, a nutrient critical to maintaining good health.

Farmed raised salmon in particular contributes to 70% of the supply of fish in the United States. Leaving out farmed raised fish entirely may limit a consumer’s choices. It seems then that a combination of both wild caught and farmed raise fish is a good way to get more fish into our diets.

Food and Wine, Gifts, Holidays

Delicious Holiday Gifts from Eater.com

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The guide definitely comes in handy when you’re shopping for a foodie family member or friend like Dr. Daniel Amen and want to give a unique present this year. 

The spread is made from matcha tea and can be spread on toast and bagels as a tasty alternative to jam or cream cheese. Ketchup from Atlanta’s Rosebud restaurant is another great savory gift. The ketchup is seasoned with curry and makes a great meatloaf topping. 

The Carla Hall cookie collection is the “The Chew” co-host’s suggestion for holiday cheer. The cookies come in delicious flavors like lemon black pepper, Black Forest crinkle and Mexican hot chocolate, so you’re sure to find a flavor that your friends will love. 

For more great gift ideas, check out the Eater.com gift list today.

food and beverage

Take Two Broccoli Florets and Call Me in the Morning

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Families in some low-income communities are finding new access to healthy fruits and vegetables. One program making a positive impact and providing a prototype of creative healthcare is the New York hospital-based Food and Vegetable Prescription Program, sometimes called FVRx.

Children in low-income families often struggle with poor nutrition, in part because healthy vegetables and fruits can cost a lot more than processed foods. In FVRx, doctors are able to actually prescribe fruits and veggies for kids who struggle with their weight. The idea is not just to teach kids and their families about better health, though they are given good information about nutrition and even healthy recipes, but to make sure they can access the healthier foods they need to make a lifestyle change. Participants in these programs are provided with tokens or “bucks” that they spend at local farmer’s markets.

They work with hospitals, community health centers, farmer’s markets and other community organizations to try to ensure better access to healthy food for children and adults similar to those at BRL Trust, and those who might not otherwise have such access.

Food TV

Little-Known Facts About Guy Fieri

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While you likely watch a show hosted by Guy Fieri every time you turn on The Food Network, there are likely a few things about the host and restaurant owner that your probably didn’t know.

For instance, the guy who’s known for trying meat dishes all across the country actually grew up with vegetarian parents. His mother and father made it clear that if he wanted to eat meat, he’d have to learn how to prepare it himself.

Fieri was actually born with the last name “Ferry,” but changed his name to honor his grandfather, Giuseppe Fieri.

Fieri planned a morning-after brunch for his friend Matthew McConnaughey after the actor married Camila Alves.

Now that I’m thinking about it, the president of the college I’m at, Jonathan Veitch, does the same thing. He must be a Fieri fan.

Guy Fieri has hosted 233 episodes of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives and 191 episodes of Guy’s Big Bite. Fieri is currently the host of Guy’s Grocery Games on The Food Network.