Chicago - A message from the station manager

Random Food Report: Breastaurants Are A Thing

Plus: Tacos In A Bag

1. Downsizing Deception.
“Various brands of popular snacks like potato chips and tortilla chips have just been downsized,” Mouse Print reports.
“In these cases, the price remained the same, but the new packages contain less. In other words, it is a hidden increase.”
Click through for revealing photos of the guilty parties, including Lay’s, Doritos, Ruffles and Pringles.


2. Game Over.
KFC Says New Boneless Chicken Is A ‘Game Changer.'”
Sure are a lot of those these days.
* Allergy To Husband’s Sperm Was A ‘Game-Changer’ In Marriage.
* Oil Execs Say Tax Bill Is A ‘Game-Changer.’
* Israeli Skylark Drone A ‘Game-Changer.’
In fact, the term has become so ubiquitous that Bloomberg News is cracking down.
So, no, boneless chicken isn’t a game-changer.
*
And this, from the Los Angeles Times article whose headline is at the top of this item, is laughable:
“Trying to tear meat off a chicken skeleton is an annoyance for many Americans, especially younger ones.”
The day drumsticks become an annoyance is a day when the game has truly changed. That day ain’t here.
3. Boston Market Game-Changer?
“Boston Market is expanding beyond its well-known rotisserie chicken offering for a new meat: ribs,” AP reports.
Didn’t Boston Market expand beyond its well-known rotisserie chicken years ago, precipitating the name change from Boston Chicken?
Also, click through to see a photo: the ribs include bones.
4. Chicago Food Blogger Escalates Her Battle With Kraft Over Food Dyes.
5. Quaker Oats Survey Finds It Is A Perfectly Ridiculous Company.
“What is the definition of a perfect mom? According to a survey by The Quaker Oats Company, a subsidiary of Pepsi headquartered in Chicago, more than 90 percent of moms say there is not one definition of the perfect mom or that it means different things to different moms.
“Whether it’s balancing work and family life or deciding what to serve during mealtime, today’s mom creates her own kind of ‘perfect.’ And now Quaker is providing a new option to help her customize the perfect breakfast for everyone in the family.”
Because making the perfect breakfast is still women’s work.
6.Crazy Smart or Over the Edge? Doritos To Bag Locos Tacos Tortilla Chips.”
Quite possibly a game-changer.
*
The laughable lead:
“This is enough to make your head spin, and maybe your heart burn. PepsiCo’s Frito-Lay is about to put Taco Bell’s Doritos Locos Tacos in a bag.”
We’re dizzy already.
7. Breastaurants.
“While the casual-dining segment has experienced sales pressures at many brands, it has been augmented by growth in the so-called breastaurant category,” Nation’s Restaurant News reports.
“Among the growing number of players is Twin Peaks, owned by Addison, Texas-based Front Burner Restaurants LP.
“Twin Peaks opened in Chicago in February, Las Vegas on March 4, and will throw open the doors April 1 to its 32nd restaurant in Olathe, Kan.”
From the Q&A with Front Burner CEO Randy DeWitt:

How do you view the increasing competition in the so-called breastaurant segment?
We like the fact that the segment is having a kind of renaissance.

The perfect breakfast and the perfect breasts; the game hasn’t changed at all.
8. Random Food Report Mail Call:
“I just wanted to quickly follow-up on my note about the Creamette Comfort Food Recipe and Essay Contest!
“The contest is now in full-swing and families from the Midwest region can submit their favorite comfort food recipe made with Creamette Pasta along with an essay explaining what makes the dish so comforting until May 30, 2013 at Creamette.com. After an online vote in June, one grand prize winner will receive $10,000 and nine first prize winners will receive $500 to continue creating their favorite mouth-watering dishes.
“To help celebrate their 100th anniversary, Creamette has teamed up with cookbook author, Midwest-native and ‘Hot Dish Queen’ Ann Burckhardt to encourage families to share the comfort. Ann has shared several of her favorite recipes with us such as Four-Layer Macaroni Casserole, Meatball Stroganoff Casserole, Penne ‘n Chicken Casserole Italiano and Southwest Macaroni, Tomatoes and Cheese.”

Comments welcome.

Permalink

Posted on April 10, 2013