This picture from Singapore's Carnivore Churrascaria shows that meat lover's experience in action!

A big part of my daily work routine includes reading the latest news about restaurants, food products and ingredients so that I can write my quarterly food trend newsletter called Topline Trends. This reading also gives me ideas for recipes, articles, product development and now, information that I can share with you here in my blog.

Recently I've noted 3 developing restaurant trends that will be interesting to watch:

Studio Movie Grill condenses dinner and movie into one activity. This Texas chain offers swanking surroundings and a made to order kitchen that specializes in burgers and gourmet pizza. Drinks and meals are served right in the theatre so that you can nosh and watch simultaneously. Check out the video on their site to see how it works.

Melting Pot is a Florida fondue restaurant chain that's expanding with new locations in B.C. and Ontario. The concept is simple and, to me, surprisingly successful. I've never really gotten the appeal of fondue (even my food likes personal space) but apparently a lot of other people disagree since this chain has over 100 operating outlets and a now few dozen more in development.

Churrascaria are Brazilian rotisserie restaurants that feature rodizio service. Rodizio style restaurants are ideal for big meat eaters since you pay one price and then the waiters bring you food (usually displayed on a spit and then carved onto your plate) until you say you've had enough. A Dr. Atkin's dream come true! Already gaining momentum in USA cities such as LA and New York, check out Toronto's Red Violin Brazilian Steakhouse Rodizio, Vancouver's Samba Brazilian Steak House or Milsa in Montreal.


Comments

So, I'm going to be honest with you. I've lost my edges and I'm not happy about it. I don't mean that I'm not hip or cool anymore (that's another topic entirely). I'm being literal. Where I once had prominent collarbones and pointy hipbones, I now have substantial cushioning.
I'm not sure I'm mad enough to do anything about my weight gain but I'm definitely mired in a sad and pathetic pool of self-pity. It's really affecting my sunshiny demeanor.

For most of my adult life I was lucky to be long, thin and curvy in the right spots. Without bragging I can say that my body was my best feature. Today? Not so much.

Regrettably, I've fallen victim to a pernicious conspiracy. Gravity, my profession and two dirty, but much loved companions named chocolate and cheese have conspired to make me thick and doughy. In truth I'm 25 pounds heavier today than I was in 1997 after I returned to my pre-pregnancy weight only four months after my son was born.

I know I should go on a diet (not only for my health but so I can do up the size 10, white Holt Renfrew pants that went unworn last summer) but I really don't want to face the crushing guilt (™Alec Baldwin in 30 Rock) that ruins eating once you commit to a weight loss diet.

I'm not sure how the term “guilty pleasures" came into common usage but I think we use it mistakenly. I see nothing pleasurable about guilt. In fact, it ruins everything. I just want to eat, drink and be merry while I wear gorgeous clothes and look great. Is that really too much to ask?


Comments

Photo courtesy of Fiber Boost by Amy Snider.

Worried and frustrated parents frequently ask me how they can encourage their children to eat more vegetables and choose healthier foods. I try to give them good suggestions but often I feel like my ideas leave them wanting more.

My son, Oliver is a great eater who will try almost any food and who often needs to be reminded not to over-consume fruits and vegetables. I think watching him eat makes a lot of my friends feel like they haven't done a good job teaching their own children proper eating habits. Truthfully, I don't deserve any credit beyond stocking our pantry with a range of healthy foods. He just likes fruits and vegetables.

A recently published study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition should reduce parental guilt since it reveals that childhood food aversions are mostly inherited. The study considered the eating habits of 5,390 sets of twins between 8- and 11-years old and concluded that 78% of childhood food aversions are genetic and only 22% are environmental.

While this info explains why some children have poor eating habits, it doesn't make it any easier for parents to ensure that their children are eating a balanced diet. My best advice remains the same: model good eating habits yourself and make it fun for kids to try new foods. One way to amp up their interest in eating well is to let kids help make dinner. I've found that if a child makes the salad s/he is usually pretty likely to try it, too.


Comments

My generation is divided into two groups: women who had Easy Bake ovens as children and those who didn't.

I was in the ‘have' group and truly, I'm glad for it. I loved my turquoise Easy Bake oven! It was a present from Santa Claus the year I was in grade one and it gave me such a sense of maturity and accomplishment to make those little too sweet cakes and unnaturally flavoured cookies! Success with my Easy Bake oven encouraged me to try baking from scratch and gave me the confidence to master the full-size appliances in our kitchen. In retrospect, I think having an Easy Bake oven was an important step on my path to becoming a professional cook.

Launched in 1963 when many young girls still imagined their ultimate adult success to be landing a steno pool job at a prosperous company where one could easily snag a rich husband, I don't think the inventors of the Easy Bake oven ever expected someone to type a statement like that one!

Yet despite our modern society's very different attitudes about female success, Easy Bake ovens remain popular toys. Although today's Easy Bake ovens are still pretty girly (the newest model is pink, after all) it's no longer considered weird for a boy to play with one. Likewise, I'm sure no Canadian girl who receives one will imagine herself growing up to bake cakes all day long while her husband works.

I bought my son one of the modern models that look like a microwave several years ago and I was delighted and relieved to see that he and his friends enjoyed cooking by light bulb almost as much as I had! It's interesting to see that some pastimes can remain fun even after the type of person they were invented to please no longer exists.

Tip: Since 2006 Easy Bake ovens have been made to cook with heating elements and not light bulbs. These new machines have been the subject of at least 2 recalls so if you decide to buy an Easy Bake oven consider buying vintage. They often have great models at good prices on ebay.


Comments

Recently I realized that it's been ages since I made anything with coconut or written a new recipe featuring this sweet, toothsome baking ingredient. I cruelly abandoned coconut after nutrition scientists and reporters smeared its reputation. Their research discovered that coconut is high in saturated fat (a feat for a non-animal derived food!) and cholesterol and as a result, we were all told to avoid frequent use of coconut and coconut palm oil. Without thought I wrote coconut off, forgetting that it's no more nutritionally deficit than ingredients such as butter that I still bake with often.

The flavour of coconut is unique and pairs well with pineapple, mango and sweet meat nuts such as walnuts and pecans which makes coconut a popular ingredient for southern cooks like Nancie McDermott, author of a pretty new book called Southern Cakes.

I am both humbled and hungry after reading her book. McDermott not only includes coconut in many recipes, she celebrates it with an entire chapter of fluffy coconut cakes. Her homage to coconut-y goodness continues in latter pages with recipes for lemon-coconut filling and coconut pecan frosting. McDermott is an author who clearly understands that coconut is a splendid baking ingredient and a not-to-be ignored sometimes food!

Although I don't advocate going on an all coconut diet, I do encourage you to rediscover coconut. It's a retro delight that can be used to make many wonderful, comforting treats!


Comments