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The Cheese Map Kickstarter Campaign
"The Cheese Map" is an innovative graphic design project, pairing high-definition photographs of cheese with the shape of their country of origin. Donations to the artist's kickstarter campaign come with some pretty sweet prizes:
My goal is to create a world map where all countries with a cheese tradition are represented by a cheese they produce. I can't wait to see what this will look like and I really hope to be able to produce it so that I can share it with you as well.
Phantom Gourmet Taste Test: Cheese-Flavored Potato Chips
The anonymous, New England-based food critic known as the Phantom Gourmet decides how these cheesy chips (Kettle, Lay's, Pringles and Ruffles) stack up. Which do you think is the best?
Ruffles cheddar and sour cream was Phantom’s least favorite. This brand is famous for its ridges, which make it the ideal chip for dipping, but when it comes to flavor, Phantom was underwhelmed. The bag boasts that these chips are made with real cheddar, but Phantom just wishes they used a little more of it.
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Photo by theimpulsivebuy
NASFT Announces Year's Top Retailers
Congratulations to Mollie Stone's Markets, Pastoral Artisan Cheese, Bread & Wine, Eli's Manhattan, City Feed Supply and Caviar & Banana for earning NASFT's Outstanding Specialty Retailer award:
The winners range from a neighborhood storefront and café to a 20,000-square-foot gourmet emporium to a nine-store natural and specialty supermarket chain. They were selected by a national panel of specialty food experts including previous honorees, manufacturers, distributors and editors of Specialty Food Magazine.
“This year’s winners share a true commitment to providing premium service, well-edited choices of the latest new products, and a deep connection to their communities that are hallmarks of the specialty food industry,” says NASFT President Ann Daw.
How to Tell if a Brie Has Gone Bad
Listen to a chef gives tips on how to tell if a Brie has gone bad in this short, informational video.
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Photo by Brian Uhreen
World's Biggest Serving Of Nachos Weighs In At 4,689 Pounds
Wow, somebody really likes nachos. Arranged in a trough-like tray, the 1,700 pounds of beef and cheese, and 600 pounds of tortilla chips were assembled to raise money for LINK Kitchen, a charity that feeds the hungry. At least 70 percent of the nachos were consumed. Yum?
Even with 2,000 pounds of spoiled food due to warm weather, this nacho monstrosity easily trumped the previous record, a mere 3,999 pounds set in October 2011.
Low-Fat Dairy Could Lower Stroke Risk
A new Swedish study found that increasing your daily intake of low-fat dairy decreases your risk for stroke. We say bring on the cheese and milk!
Researchers think the fortified vitamin D may have something to do with it or it might be the milk protein, but more studies are needed. Some dieticians believe low-fat dairy products are just one piece of the puzzle.
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Photo by Tambako The Jaguar
Tasmanian Buffalo Cheese, Please!
Tasmanian farmers Phil Oates and Sheridan Lee want to produce cheese from their buffalo milk, firmly believing there is a public demand, despite the dearth of buffalo milk cheese in the area. They are currently in negotiations with local cheesemakers:
While he [Phil Oates] still will continue with meat at Preston, he believes that there is a definite demand for cheese made from buffalo milk. "The amount of butter fat and the thickness of the milk is a lot better for a higher grade of cheese. Things like mozzarella, yeah there are numerous things that are a lot better a lot higher in the buffalo milk, even though you get less per animal."
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Photo by Stig Nygaard
Food Fraud: 8 Hoaxes To Look Out For At The Grocery Store
According to this article, mislabeling food products at the grocery store happens more often than you think. In other words, you could be overpaying for that carton of milk because it might not be local or organic after all.
Avoiding fakes comes down largely to being an informed shopper and buying from trustworthy sources. Branded products tend to have more supply-chain safeguards, says Narrod. "It's their reputation on the line, so they have things in place," she says. It can also help to buy products with shorter supply chains which tend to be local or minimally processed, Spink says. And if the taste of an item seems off, or you get sick, it's worth alerting both the store and the local public health department.
Florida Cheez-It Cracker Attack
Cheese Crime Alert! Andy Gatz of Palm Bay, FL, reportedly flung a box of Cheez-Its at his wife during an argument. A single, square cracker eluded the box and stuck his wife in the eye, which resulted in a hospital visit. Yikes.
A cheez-it cracker attack sent a Palm Bay, Fla. woman to the hospital after she had the gall to go to an Earth Day concert, police said. WKMG reports that Andy Gatz confronted his wife about going to the concert and then threw a box of Cheez-Its at her, according to police.
Comté, Caramelized Onion & Tomato Tarts
Elegant and irresistible, these tarts are a surefire crowd pleaser. Serve them as an appetizer with cocktails, at a luncheon with a light salad, or pack them along for your next picnic.
Preheat the oven to 400˚F with a rack in the upper third of the oven. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
