As America’s Love for the Grill Grows, Sara Lee Adds New Bun to Its Bread Basket

As Memorial Day weekend approaches, more Americans than ever before will be firing up the grill according to Sara Lee North America, the makers of the best-selling hot dog and hamburger buns in the country. More than 80 percent of American households now own a grill (up from 71 percent in 2003), according to NPD Group data. The overwhelming majority of Americans – more than three quarters – are GRILLING hamburgers and hot dogs. To help feed this growing demand, Sara Lee Fresh Bakery is tossing a new bun on the grill right before the biggest-selling bun weekend of the year.

The company, which sold 6.4 million packages of buns for Memorial Day Weekend 2007 according to Information Resources, Inc., is expanding its successful Soft & Smooth™ bread line to include new Sara Lee Soft & Smooth Wheat Hot Dog and Hamburger Buns made with Whole Grain. Debuting in stores today, the buns feature the hallmarks of the Soft & Smooth line – soft texture, great taste and some whole grain nutrition. These buns offer:

A blend of enriched (76%) and whole-grain (24%) flour
6 grams of whole grain per serving (health professionals recommend most Americans consume 48 grams, or three servings, of whole grain per day)
Good source of calcium and vitamin D
No artificial colors or flavors, and 0 grams trans fat
Eight-count, 12-ounce package

“While more Americans are turning to grilling as a quick and easy way to get a family meal on the table, we’re finding that they are also looking for more choices in buns to go with those hot dogs and hamburgers,” said Tim Zimmer, vice president, Sara Lee Fresh Bakery. “Our sales statistics show that the popularity of wheat buns is increasing, and our new Soft & Smooth Wheat made with Whole Grain buns give families another bun choice to make the summer grilling season more delicious and nutritious.”

Carneros Heritage Fest: Wines, Vines, Woolies, and Wetlands, May 31

Wines & Vines: It’s All About the Grapes! New this year, guests at the Carneros Heritage Fest will have a rare behind-the-scenes opportunity to meet the grape growers whose vines produce the region’s stellar wines. A special “Growers-Vintner’s Pavilion” partnering Carneros grape growers with the wineries that make wines from the grower’s vineyards will be a unique feature of the May 31 celebration. Many of the Carneros Wine Alliance grape growers are among the industry’s leaders, notable for their roles in sustainable agricultural practices, organic vineyards and concern for the environment.

The 3rd Annual Carneros Heritage Fest takes place Saturday, May 31 from noon – 4 pm at the rustic ranch and vineyards of The Donum Estate, 24520 Ramal Road in Sonoma. All inclusive tickets are $75 per person (children under 12 accompanied by parent are free) and may be ordered at www.carnerosheritagefest.com or 707.253.2678.

Biologists and educational specialists from the California Department of Fish & Game will join the Growers & Vintners, sharing their knowledge about how Carneros’s unique environment affects the wildlife and habitat, forming the ecological footprint of the region and affecting the terroir, or sense of place, reflective of the appellation’s wines. The Donum Estate lies directly across from one of the largest marshlands in the San Pablo Bay, is off the beaten track away from the Napa-Sonoma wine trails, and offers a unique look at Carneros and its environment.

WONDERFUL FOOD! A LAMB BBQ, led by Executive Chef Jeff Jake of The Carneros Inn and grilled by the Napa County Farm Bureau “Grillers” will feature butter flied legs of lamb, lamb burgers, and lamb sausages.

Twelve young Bay Area chefs will face-off against defending champion Preston Dishman, Executive Chef of The General’s Daughter in Sonoma, in a heated “Young Iron-Chef” Cook-Off with each contender preparing a lamb recipe. The Cook-Off will be hosted by television personality Laura McIntosh of the acclaimed travel and cooking program, Bringing it Home with Laura McIntosh. The competition is sponsored by the American Lamb Board, with the winner receiving an all-expense paid trip to the 2009 Taste of Vail Wine and Food Festival.

Local Carneros olive oil producer, The Olive Press will lead a group of olive oil producers in showing how olive trees, and the fruit and the oils made from them flourish in this environment.

Pre-Fest – “Next Gen” Winemaker Dinner: On Friday evening, May 30 eight “next generation” Carneros winemakers will serve as hosts at a four-course lamb dinner created and prepared by Carneros Inn Executive Chef Jeff Jake. Tickets for the Pre-Fest “Next Gen” Winemaker Dinner at The Carneros Inn are $125 per person (Note: dinner ticket does not include Fest admission) and are available at www.carnerosheritagefest.com.

LIVE MUSIC: Sizzling on stage will be The Back Burner Blues Band, led by Joey Altman, Chef and Host of TV’s Bay Café. Altman will sign copies of his new book No Reservations, with 10% of all sales donated to the Carneros Land Stewardship Foundation.

WOOLIES: Families can watch sheepherders Sandy Milberg and Jack Mathieson and their amazing border collies, as well as learn about falcons, owls, beneficial insects, worms and compost and enjoy carriage rides through the vineyards.

WINERIES: Carneros Wine Alliance wineries participating this year include: Acacia, Adastra, Artesa, Bouchaine, Buena Vista Carneros, Castle Vineyards, Ceja Vineyards, Clos Du Val, Cuvaison Estate Wines, Domaine Carneros, Folio Winemakers' Studio, Fotinos, Generations of Sonoma, Gloria Ferrer Caves and Vineyards, Havens Wine Cellars, MacRostie Winery, Merryvale Vineyards, Ravenswood, Donum/Robert Stemmler, Saintsbury, Schug Carneros Estate Wines, Toad Hall Cellars and ZD Wines.

The 3rd Annual Carneros Heritage Fest: Wines, Vines, Woolies & Wetlands, partners the Carneros Wine Alliance with the Sonoma County Winegrape Commission, the American Lamb Board, the Napa Farm Bureau, and the California Department of Fish and Game. Proceeds will benefit the Carneros Land Stewardship Foundation, dedicated to the conservation and preservation of habitat in the San Pablo Bay wetlands adjacent to the Carneros region.

For information and tickets, visit www.carnerosheritagefest.com or call (707)253-2678.
 

Bonappetit.com Launches New Website from the Editors of Bon Appétit Magazine

Bonappetit.com presents The Bon Appétit Top 100 Dishes in a virtual cookbook that goes live May 13. This new website introduces each dish in a 360-degree universe of links to recipes, menus, videos, ingredients, tips, tools and serving pieces to instill the cook with confidence and to ensure they enjoy their food.

The Bon Appétit Top 100 Dishes are what every cook wants as part of their kitchen repertoire of iconic dishes, from fruit pie to fish tacos, from roast chicken to lemon tart. The recipes will vary with the season, user requests, cooking trends and, of course, the holidays. Bonappetit.com is easy to use and designed to provide cooks at every level—from novice to expert—a trusted culinary resource that can be accessed 24/7.

Users can browse The Bon Appétit Top 100 Dishes alphabetically or by cuisine type, food category or holiday. Each dish page offers all of the essential information the user needs, including seasonal recipes, slideshows, videos, podcasts, links to e-commerce sites to purchase cooking tools, utensils and serving pieces, links to articles, blogs and other web resources. Navigating the site is easy and there are no dead ends; each piece of information naturally flows into related content, making the site especially web-friendly. Optimized search using keywords and tags allows users to quickly find exactly what they need.

Healthy Fast Food, Inc. Is Represented at ICSC Convention by CBPR Broker, Ron Opfer

Healthy Fast Food, Inc. (OTCBB:HFFI), continuing its expansion efforts of EVOS© Feel Great Fast Food™, announced today that Ron Opfer, CCIM of Coldwell Banker Premier Realty, will represent Healthy Fast Food, Inc. at the International Council of Shopping Centers’ annual Global Retail Real Estate Convention to be held in Las Vegas from May 18th to the 21st. Ron Opfer is representing HFFI, which is a franchisee and area representative with an exclusive right to develop the healthy, environmentally conscious quick service chain, EVOS, in a 12-state territory: Arizona, California, Colorado, Kansas, Nevada, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas, Utah and Washington. The EVOS concept offers healthier burgers, fries and shakes, with 50-70 percent less fat and calories. HFFI is looking for opportunities to expand the EVOS concept within those states and is also currently soliciting EVOS franchise prospects.

EVOS is a restaurant chain that uses alternative cooking techniques and healthier ingredients, such as natural meats and organic products, whenever possible to produce a menu with 50-70 percent less fat, calories and cholesterol than comparable items at other restaurants. EVOS employs sustainable business practices that range from purchasing renewable wind energy to utilizing environmentally friendly materials in the building of its stores. The first EVOS location in Nevada opened in Henderson in October of 2006.

Brandt Beef's Porterhouse Steak "Highly Recommended" and "Test Kitchen Favorite" by Cook's Illustrated

Brandt Beef - The True Natural, a single family owned, premium natural beef producer that is dedicated to sustainable practices, received a "highly recommended" ranking and was named "test kitchen favorite" in a blind taste test by Cook's Illustrated.

The May/June 2008 issue of Cook's Illustrated, which caters to chefs and aspiring chefs interested in understanding techniques of good cooking, features the results of a blind taste test in which representatives of the magazine's tasting lab compared several brands of mail-order porterhouse steaks. The article, entitled "Mail-Order Porterhouse Steaks: Prime or Just Pricey?" reported that the "highest marks went to test kitchen favorite Brandt Beef USDA Dry-Aged Prime Porterhouse (nearly $50 per pound), a bargain compared to the priciest sample in the lineup, Lobel's Dry-Aged American Wagyu Porterhouse Steak (nearly $129 per pound)." Brandt Beef was the only steak to be ranked in the "highly recommended" category. An electronic version of the article can be found at http://www.cooksillustrated.com/tasting.asp?tastingid=636.

The brands which Brandt Beef outranked in the taste test include: Lobel's dry-aged American Wagyu porterhouse; Lobel's natural prime dry-aged porterhouse; Allen Brothers dry-aged prime porterhouse; Peter Luger USDA prime dry-aged porterhouse; and an unnamed supermarket choice porterhouse.

"We are extremely honored to have our product recommended by Cook's Illustrated over several other well-known brands," said Eric Brandt, managing partner of Brandt Beef. "This accolade reaffirms our commitment to excellence and dedication to producing natural products that are unparalleled in taste, tenderness, and consistency."

"In addition to producing the highest quality natural beef, we maintain a 'farm-to-fork' philosophy which involves raising our animals humanely and naturally without hormones and antibiotics," added Tom McAliney, executive chef of Brandt Beef. "We also actively work to provide education and recipes to chefs and consumers to promote the use of the entire animal."

Traverse Bay Farms release downloadable, free fruit recipe book.

Enjoy the great taste and natural health benefits of antioxidant-rich fruit. Get healthy with simple and easy fruit recipes. Traverse Bay Farms is offering a free downloadable fruit recipe book to anyone that visits the company's website at http://www.traversebayfarms.com.

These great tasting fruit recipes are ideal for every occasion. This free downloadable recipe book is a compilation of some the best fruit recipes available today. In addition, there is no cost or obligation to purchase anything else from the company. It is a completely free offer.

You'll enjoy fruit recipes; from scrumptious dinner recipes to quick-n-easy recipes, you'll savor every bite. Best of all you know you are eating with every bite. Here is a sample of some of the types of fruit used in the recipes that you'll receive when you download this FREE Fruit recipe eBook:

- Blueberries
- Cherries
- Pomegranates
- Strawberries

In addition to the above fruits, you'll also receive free recipes for grapes, raspberries, oranges, bananas and apples.

Traverse Bay Farms offers complete line of fruit-based products including tart cherry juice concentrate, dried tart cherries, organic dried blueberries, Fruit Advantage Tart Cherry Joint Support formula and more. In addition, to the many different varieties of the fruit products, the company also was voted America's #1 fruit salsa and gourmet at the 2007 America's Best National Food Show.

Villa Mangiacane; a Tuscan treat to tantalize all the senses

Set amongst acres of vineyards, olive groves and Tuscan forests yet only a short Piaggio ride from Florence's bustling piazza's lies the serene 16th Century Villa Mangiacane, a 26 room blissful boutique bolt hole with the ambience and comfort of an informal private home.

A mix of elegance and charm, Villa Mangiacane offers the best of Tuscany and is a feast for all the senses. Indulge in the Taste of oil pressed from the olives of nearby trees and authentic regional recipes accompanied by a glass of the hotel's very own vintage. Marvel at frescoes painted by Michaelangelo himself and be enchanted by the villa's breathtaking views.

With nothing to Hear but birdsong and the occasional splash of water from one of the hotel's three swimming pools, you will soon see for yourself that Villa Mangiacane is the perfect place to unwind. And for the final Touch, enjoy holistic relaxation at the Nadushka spa and wellness area where the Smell of fragrant plants and herbs from the Chianti countryside will work their magic and soothe both body and mind.

For those with more than relaxation in mind, Villa Mangiacane can arrange a number of ways to explore the region, from helicopter wine tours and hot air balloon rides at dawn to hiking through hill-top towns and gentle bike rides to forgotten castles. In-house art exhibitions are the perfect way to while away the afternoon whilst cooking lessons in the Olive Oil kitchen will allow you to take a taste of Villa Mangiacane back home.

Villa Mangiacane is a member of Home Like Collection, a luxury travel collection of small hotels representing the world's finest and most authentic destinations.

Home Like Collection, is to be away from home and yet to feel at home anywhere

For bookings and information, please visit http://www.hlc-hotels.com

JOHN WM. MACY'S CHEESESTICKS IS CALLING ALL CHEFS TO SUBMIT THEIR CREATIVE RECIPES TO THE "TWIST N' CRUNCH" RECIPE CONTEST

John Wm. Macy announced that he is looking for recipes that share the same, one of a kind quality as his famous CheeseSticks. John Wm. Macy's CheeseSticks, award-winning purveyors of gourmet snacks, is asking consumers to put their own twist on how they use their favorite variety of CheeseSticks, CheeseCrisps, or SweetSticks by submitting delicious and creative recipes to the "Twist n' Crunch" Recipe Contest.

"Over the years we have received many recipes and serving suggestions from CheeseSticks aficionados," said John Macy, creator of John Wm. Macy's CheeseSticks. "It's time to recognize the creativity of our customers, and give them some well-deserved praise."

Recipes may be submitted for any type of appetizer, entrée e or dessert. Some idea-starters for recipes include:
• Provide a new twist to spinach and artichoke dip by replacing tortilla chips with CheeseSticks or CheeseCrisps.
• Add crunchy texture to macaroni and cheese by crumbling CheeseCrisps on top.
• Serve chili with CheeseSticks instead of crackers for a contrast that will send taste buds soaring. Serve them cold or heat them in the oven.
• Rather than breadcrumbs, use crushed CheeseSticks or CheeseCrisps to bread chicken.
• Create mini-pizzas by topping CheeseCrisps with tomato sauce and shredded cheese and your favorite veggie.

The contest launched on Wednesday, April 2. Contestants can submit their recipes at http://www.cheesesticks.us through Friday, June 20. Starting Friday, April 27 through Friday, July 25 CheeseSticks fans and contestants can return to the contest Web site to vote for their favorite recipes. The winners will be announced Tuesday, July 29.

Aside from culinary superiority, the winning recipe will be awarded with snack fame and fortune. The grand prize winning recipe will be featured on John Wm. Macy CheeseSticks packages, accompanied by a picture of the proud creator. The top three finalists will be awarded a one-year supply of John Wm. Macy CheeseSticks products. The Grand Prize winner will be awarded a two night expense-paid trip for two to New York City, $500 spending and an opportunity to meet with John Wm. Macy, who will conduct a personal tour of the CheeseSticks factory. A $200 cash prize also will be awarded to an online voter, chosen at random, who voted for the Grand Prize winning recipe.

While the online votes by the public will determine the finalists, the Grand Prize winner will be chosen by a panel of three expert judges: Rick Tarantino, celebrity chef who has previously appeared on the Food Network, and television shows such as "Good Morning America" and "Today;" Carol Blymire author of the award-winning blog French Laundry at Home and Heather Batts, mom, wife and author of the popular blog The Domestic Diva.

Say Cheese! American Cheese Society Conference Brings 1,000 Cheese Makers and Aficionados to Chicago this July

Cheese aficionados in Chicago will have an opportunity to savor, sample and purchase some of the best cheeses in the world when the American Cheese Society (ACS) hosts its 25th Annual Conference and Cheese Competition in Chicago on July 23-26, 2008. More than 1,000 cheese makers, retailers and restaurateurs will convene to celebrate the widespread enthusiasm for American specialty cheese. In addition, approximately 1,200 cheeses will be judged during a national competition, while the Renaissance Schaumburg Hotel's acclaimed chef, Joshua Humphrey will have the opportunity to demonstrate signature Sam & Harry's cheese dishes during a live demo during the weekend.

While much of the conference is designed for members only, the public can participate in two stellar cheese events: the Festival of Cheese, which will be held on the evening of Saturday, July 26, and a Cheese Sale, which will be held the morning of Sunday, July 27.

"Because it is the 25th anniversary of our conference, we are planning these spectacular events for our members and the public to come and experience the finest array of hand-crafted cheeses ever assembled," said Marci Wilson, executive director of the American Cheese Society. "It's a rare opportunity for cheese lovers to peruse, sample, and purchase the top cheeses in North America all in one weekend."