cookiesinheaven

Effective Sunday, the California department of food and agriculture has set the price California dairy operators will be paid at a record $1.98 per gallon of milk, up from $1.06 a year ago. The minimum retail price for a gallon of low-fat milk, said the Department, will be $3.10, compared to $2.10 in January.

The State posts the "lowest reported lawful retail price'' for milk due to a law that says milk cannot be sold below cost.

The price spike -- the result of a drought in Australia, tightening supplies from Europe, higher demand in asia and the diversion of feed corn to ethanol plants -- also threatens to jack up the cost of cheese, lattes, chocolate bars and pizzas. - SFGate

Labels: California, Cows, Milk

• Workers haven't received a pay raise since 2002
• The stores want to up (some by 100%) their medical co-pays
• The stores want to add a third tier for paying lower wages compared to the current two tiers
  
• They are trying to drive out older workers then hire younger, much lower paying employees

Attorney General Bill Lockyer today won a landmark court ruling that holds grocery chains are liable for any antitrust violations arising from a profit-sharing agreement they entered prior to the start of a months-long labor strike in Southern California that ended February 2004.

"This ruling, the first if its kind in history, is a significant legal victory for consumers and law enforcement officials, not just in California but potentially across the country," said Lockyer. "The decision stands for the principle that businesses cannot violate the most basic tenet of antitrust law, conspiring to keep prices artificially high, and then escape accountability just because they broke the law during a labor strike." - California Office of the Attorney General

Ralphs pleaded guilty in July to felony charges including indentity theft, money laundering, obstruction of justice, false use of a social security number and conspiracy arising from the company's ill-fated plan to secretly rehired striking or locked-out workers during a work stoppage in 2003 and 2004. The court imposed a $20 million fine and ordered Ralphs to pay $50 million in restitution to an 19,000 workers and their unions.

..Judge Anderson remarked that the company's conduct displayed a "pervasive and powerful corporate culture that exalted the value of profits and win at any costs above the rule of law." - California Wage Law blog

Labels: strike, Supermarkets

Aguas frescas (Spanish for "fresh waters") are a fresh juice drink whose popularity in Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean has finally reached the U.S. Their irresistibly refreshing and simple combination of fruits, sugar and water make them the perfect antidote to the heat of summer or to complement a spicy meal. Jimmy Shaw, owner of the Loteria Grill (at the Farmer's Market) recently brought a sampling of aguas frescas to the Good Food studios, where he discussed his favorite flavors for this thirst-quenching drink.

Labels: Beverages, Los Angeles, Mexican, NPR

After the Four Seasons he talked his way into a job at Le Pavillon in Washington, D.C. He then went to work in Italy at Villa Mozart.

After six years of working and eating in Italy and Germany, Mr. Carsberg moved back to Seattle where he met his future wife, Hyun Joo Paek. Together they opened Lampreia, maxing out their credit cards, working for no money, establishing a restaurant the old-fashioned way.

"It's heaven or hell. Chef Scott Carsberg is a genius or he's nuts. In dozens of online reviews, Lampreia's ultra-expensive dinners are described as dreamy or an absolute nightmare.

...Why would anyone put up with this nonsense?

Well, the food is extraordinary. Pristine ingredients cooked beautifully and painstakingly plated as if they were edible sculpture.

It was the black truffle gnocchi that convinced me of the kitchen's capacity to dazzle. These pillowy soft pasta look a little like a Hershey's Kiss, a flurry of snow-white shredded sheep's-milk ricotta nestled against the intensely flavored, whimsically shaped gnocchi. For days I couldn't stop thinking about this dish."

He also helped develop a gorgeous "on-line" cookbook, coming from Washington you knew it had to be "All About Apples."

In an era of virtual reality, it was only a matter of time before someone came up with a virtual cookbook. What wasn't to be expected was that the first virtual cookbook would be not only useful and informative but drop-dead gorgeous. The joint creation of Lampreia chef Scott Carsberg and Hillel Cooperman's food blog, tastingmenu.com, All About Apples is a step-by-step 100-page manual that, if every meticulous instruction and illustration is followed to the letter, will allow an average cook in an average kitchen to re-create an eight-course tasting menu, every course employing apples in a different fashion. Crab rolled in paper-thin Red Delicious tissue; Buckeye apple stuffed with foie gras; red-cabbage soup with apple gelée; red prawns with cooked and raw Zumi apples

Labels: celebrity chefs, Chef Blogging Friday, Cookbooks, Washington

Labels: Music, Top Chef

McDonald's fish sandwich is more sustainable than Nobu's menu (the restaurant for the stars), because it is sourced from an Alaskan fishery certified by the Marine Stewardship Council. McDonald's, though, does not advertise the MSC label because then it would have to pay a licensing fee.

Labels: McDonalds, Nobu, Sustainable

• Dr. Oetker Cake and Icing Mixes - available at health food stores across the country in chocolate and vanilla ($5).
• Goodbaker Chocolate Cake and Cupcake Mix - whole-wheat vegan version ($5).
• Pamela's Products Luscious Chocolate Cake Mix - gluten-free goodness ($5).
• Ma snax Carob-Peanut Cake Mix - organic cake-mix for your pooch ($8).

Labels: Birthdays, Cyberculture, Environmental, Organic

King Corn is a humorous and touching documentary about two best friends who decide to move to Iowa to grow an acre of corn – after finding out (through laboratory hair analysis) that their bodies were made primarily out of….corn. But this is not your typical buddy picture. While it does trace a year in the life of two friends, the film is really about the history of corn in modern America and the filmmakers’ relationship with the crop they’ve decided to grow.

After the somewhat shocking discovery about their bodily composition, Ian Chaney and Curt Ellis move to a small county in Iowa (where, coincidentally, both had farmer great-grandfathers) in order to find out how they (and most other Americans) ended up made out of corn. The two friends convince an Iowa farmer to lend them an acre of land to plant their corn crop. They purchase genetically modified corn for planting, and with the help of their neighbors, some heavy machinery, and lots of chemical fertilizers and herbicides, they end up growing a bumper crop of corn. But as Ian and Curt show us – this isn’t your sweet summer corn-on-the-cob we’re talking about – it’s corn bred specifically for industrial applications. The two friends decide to find out what happens to the corn they’ve grown after it leaves the grain elevator – and find that tracing their crop is easier said than done. Ultimately, however, they come to the conclusion that their corn is likely destined for one of two American industries: animal feed or corn syrup.

Labels: Corn, Movie

Roughly 2.5 million low-income adults in California can't afford to adequately feed their families, resulting in health problems and household stress, according to a UCLA report released this week.

The report measures food insecurity, which can range from reduced quality or variety of diet to skipping meals because of costs. In 2005, 30 percent of low-income adults statewide reported choosing between food and other basic needs, according to data from the California Health Interview Study. Among them, 9 percent experienced a disruption in eating habits or skipped meals. The study did not include the homeless.

In Orange County, the UCLA report says an estimated 190,000 low-income adults struggle to buy food, and about 36,000 people sometimes go hungry. The numbers don't include children. - OC Register

Labels: Food, Hunger, Orange County

Labels: Bill Johnson, Dartmouth

· Gilroy, Calif. is the “Garlic Capital of the World?”

· California produces 99 percent of U.S. garlic?

· Garlic is grown in Gilroy?

Answers: true, true, and false (almost).

“There is one garlic grower left in Gilroy — he has probably 30 acres in the corner of a vegetable field,” says (Bill) Christopher (of Christopher Ranch).

...China went from a measly 50,000 pounds of garlic a decade ago to 2 million to 3 million pounds last year, and for the first time more fresh garlic was imported into the U.S. than was produced in California.- Western Farm Press

Labels: California Agriculture, Chinese Imports, Garlic

Originally uploaded by j_jyarbrough

Labels: butterflies

Labels: Santa Barbara, Top Chef

Cucumber-Flavored Soda Sold in Japan

Japanese are staying cool as a cucumber this summer with "Pepsi Ice Cucumber" - a new soda based on the crisp green gourd.

The soft drink, which hit stores here on Tuesday, doesn't actually have any cucumber in it - but has been artificially flavored to resemble "the refreshing taste of a fresh cucumber," said Aya Takemoto, spokeswoman of Japan's Pepsi distributor, Suntory Ltd. - Detroit Free Press

Labels: Japanese, soda

Labels: Food TV, tyler florence

Published in 1982, The Silver Palate Cookbook became a beloved classic that changed not only American cooking traditions but also the way we entertained. It taught home cooks to be daring with food, and how to use fresh, seasonal ingredients and artisanal breads and cheeses in a style that made it seem we'd been entertaining in this smart sophisticated way forever. Included in the James Beard Who's Who of American Food and inducted into the Cookbook Hall of Fame, The Silver Palate is being re-issued to commemorate its 25^th anniversary. Authors Julee Rosso and Sheila Lukins talk to Evan about their process in creating the cookbook and how they feel about its legacy.

Labels: Cookbooks, Silver Palate

Labels: Filly, Horse Racing

Aurora Organic supplies milk for several private label organic milk brands, including Costco's "Kirkland Signature," Safeway’s "O" organics brand, Publix’s “High Meadows,”Giant's "Natures Promise," and Wild Oats’ organic milk. Aurora Organic received a failing grade from the Cornucopia Institute's survey of organic dairies for its practice of intensive confinement of dairy cows. For pictures of Aurora Organic's operations, follow this link. The Cornucopia Institute recently blew the whistle on Aurora Organic's greenwashing and its bogus certification of animal welfare.

Additionally, its been revealed that much of the soy for Dean Food's White Wave tofu and Silk soymilk products are sourced abroad, primarily from Brazil and China. Environmental standards and workers' rights are routinely violated in these two countries.

Demand for organic food in the U.S. is booming as consumers seek products that are more healthful and friendlier to the environment. Sales have more than doubled in the last five years, reaching $16.9 billion last year, according to the Organic Trade Assn. in Greenfield, Mass., which represents small and large food producers.

But with big companies entering what was formerly a mom-and-pop industry, new questions have arisen about what exactly goes into organic food. For food to be called organic, it must be grown without chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Animals must be raised without antibiotics and growth hormones and given some access to the outdoors.

..."Adding 38 new ingredients is not just a concession by the USDA, it is a major blow to the organic movement in the U.S. because it would erode consumer confidence in organic standards," said Carl Chamberlain, a research assistant with the Pesticide Education Project in Raleigh, N.C. - Latte Times

Labels: Organic

Dear Jill,

When I announced my cancer had returned, the outpouring of compassion and support I received was overwhelming.

I appreciate that you took time from your busy life to think about me. Your kindness lifts my spirits and your caring touches my heart.

I'm feeling strong and appreciate all your support. Thank you so much for the encouraging words.

Fondly,

Elizabeth Edwards

Labels: Class, Elizabeth Edwards, Flickr

Labels: Hawaii, Pineapple, Wine

Labels: Santa Barbara, Top Chef

Labels: ambassador hotel, blogs, rfk

The FDA is responsible for inspecting over 200,000 food processing facilities in the United States, but because their staffing is so inadequate, they can get to most only once every 10 to 15 years.

Labels: FDA, food safety

Labels: Idaho, Potatoes, YouTube

Labels: Breakfast, tacos, YouTube

Labels: food holidays

Labels: cake, Chocolate, Flickr