food

John Mackey's Whole Foods Vision to Reshape Capitalism

Danielle Sacks — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 13:00:00 -0500

Just to be clear, John Mackey isn't Moses. "It's not like you go up to the mountaintop and God talks to you: Here is your purpose -- execute," he says.

Researchers Pioneer Edible Cotton, Warn of Wicked "Cottonmouth"

Ariel Schwartz — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 16:32:12 -0500

Sure, the cotton industry wants us to think that the material is the fabric of our lives. But maybe it actually is--in more ways than one. Cotton can usually only be eaten by cattle, which have stomachs that can break down gossypol--a toxin that damages human livers and hearts. Now a team of researchers at Texas A&M University have figured out a way to cut down on gossypol, making nutrient-rich cotton edible for both humans and livestock.

Outback Copycat Recipes

Tiger Beef — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 04:28:31 -0500

Have you ever had a delicious meal at an Outback copycat recipes, and when you got home you wanted some more? The way the steak is cooked just right, and the way the Blooming Onion dish is represented...why it just makes you want some more! This article will explore cooking some Outback copycat recipes Recipes at home.

Hunch Confirms that Liberals Enjoy Vegetables, Conservatives Like Fried Chicken

Ariel Schwartz — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 12:18:12 -0500

Images of liberals as vegetarian, multi-grain-bread-loving hippies and conservatives as fried-chicken-idolizing McDonald's lovers are more than just stereotypes--they're based on real trends, according to Hunch's new "How Food Preferences Vary by Ideology" report.

Infographic of the Day: How Do Different Wines Taste?

Cliff Kuang — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 09:55:19 -0500

Here's an infographic that should help anyone who loves getting drunk drinking wine, but can't tell a pinot from a merlot from 7-Eleven's new cab sav.

Rising Dough: Why Panera Bread Is on a Roll

Kate Rockwood — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 14:00:00 -0400

Mention Panera Bread and fans are as likely to praise the free Wi-Fi as they are to gush about the Asiago cheese bagels. And that, execs at the $2.6 billion restaurant chain say, is the point. While its competitors scale back on upscale ingredients, trim portion sizes, and create value menus, Panera is selling fresh food and warm bread at full price, and encouraging customers to linger. That recipe is succeeding.

Cocoon Cooker Grows Meat and Fish from Heated Animal Cells

Ariel Schwartz — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 17:03:16 -0400

Here's a food-related invention that is even weirder than the notorious Beanzawave: The Cocoon, a concept cooker that grows meat and fish from heated animal cells in a process that looks disturbingly similar to magic animal growing capsules.

Keith Floyd - GONE!

Roger Andout — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 09:49:14 -0400

Keith Floyd has passed away - the day following a long awaited tv programme Keith meets Keith which showed the great man in all his glory.

It was a pleasure to see this interview, directed by Keith
Floyd / supported by Keith Allen. I felt I was 'there' and the timing of
airtime, and the timing of Keith's passing was uncanny. God bless an
amazing gourmet chef; will be greatly and sadly missed.

The Delicate Dance Behind Groundbreaking Gastronomy

Cliff Kuang — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 09:34:22 -0400

There's been plenty of ink spilled detailing the exploits of Grant Achatz and his revolutionary Chicago restaurant, Alinea. The man is one of the giants of molecular gastronomy, a true inventor, and one of the best chefs in the world. He's also battled with losing his taste altogether, owing to tongue cancer and chemotherapy. Much like Beethoven at the keyboard, composing the Ninth despite his deafness, Achatz never stopped inventing prefect new dishes.

The Global Food Crisis

Fast Company Calendar — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 01:00:00 -0400

Even as Americans talk about flab (see July 27), 15% of the world is going hungry and food prices in most developing countries are higher than they were a year ago. Profiteers are a problem; speculation on food prices has replaced speculation on mortgages, claims political scientist Susan George, author of How the Other Half Dies: The Real Reasons for World Hunger.

Weight of the Nation

Fast Company Calendar — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 01:00:45 -0400

Each year, the average American eats 16 pounds of fries, 23 pounds of pizza, and 26 pounds of candy. Let's just say the CDC may have bittenoff more than it can chew with this inaugural conference dedicated to combating the obesity epidemic.-- David Lidsky

Have an event to share? Email calendar[at]fastcompany[dot]com

The World's Most Horrifying Candy

Cliff Kuang — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 10:16:53 -0400

Inside the Most Successful Restaurant Chain in the World

Fast Company staff — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 14:45:04 -0400

Darden Restaurants is the world's biggest casual-dining operation and is still growing, despite the tough times. Here's a look at the restaurants that comprise the food behemoth.

Revenue numbers are for fiscal 2008, except when stated otherwise.

The pitch: "Service with a hop"
Size: A 10-stool lunch counter in Waycross, Georgia -- Bill Darden's first restaurant, opened in 1938

Creating the World's Worst Kettle Chip: A How-To Guide

Dan Macsai — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 12:52:29 -0400

By mixing highfalutin flavors, such as "yogurt," "blue cheese," and "fresh ground pepper," Kettle Foods--known for its Kettle Brand® Potato Chips, the biggest all-natural potato chip brand in the U.S.--has made Doritos sound like dog food. Now, for the first time, they're letting customers take control.

Not Your Typical Cuppa Joe: The Espresso Cup Reimagined

Cliff Kuang — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 15:13:29 -0400

Recently, students at Israel's Shenkar Academy of Engineering and Design were tasked by their teachers, Alex Padwa and David Spectre, to redesign the coffee ritual. Of, course, the ritual itself is extremely simple, but the designs that the students came up with accentuate the coffee, or reconsider the interactions you make in preparing it, in novel ways.

How Can We Feed 9 Billion People?

Ariel Schwartz — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 16:11:51 -0400

It's difficult enough trying to feed everyone on the planet now, but how much more difficult will it get when the world population balloons to nine billion people in 2050? That's the question Deutsche Bank tried to answer in a new study.

The 10 Most Creative People in Food

Denise B. Martin — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 09:00:00 -0400

World Food Business Summit Leaders Dish Future Trends

Theunis Bates — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 14:00:00 -0400

"You can't go into a supermarket and find a product that doesn't have a health claim on it. This makes the public confused about what to eat. At some point people will throw their hands up and say, 'We can't make any sense of this.'" -- Marion Nestle, NYU NUTRITION PROFESSOR

World Food Business Summit

Fast Company Calendar — Thu, 21 May 2009 17:29:57 -0400

These are turbulent times, even for the allegedly recession-proof food industry. Here are the trends three leaders are seeing as they prep for this gathering (June 17-19) in New York. --Theunis Bates

Top 100 Restaurants Fare Better Than Expected in 2008

Anne C. Lee — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 17:46:44 -0400

Independent restaurants, a sector that will be hard hit by the sour economy, fared better than expected in 2008. Revenues for the top 100 restaurants remained steady until the fourth quarter, according to Kelly Killian, editor-in-chief of Restaurants and Institutions.

Who's Winning--and Losing--in the Food Recession

Anne C. Lee — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 18:05:30 -0400

Upscale restaurants and gourmet labels may be hurting these days, but mega-manufacturers with a variety of brands (like Kraft and Nestle), along with club stores like Costco, are benefiting from the recession as at-home dining is on the rise. "It's not doom and gloom across food markets," says Bill Patterson, a senior analyst at consumer market research firm Mintel.

A look at some winners and losers:

Trace the Origins of Your Flour with Find the Farmer

Ariel Schwartz — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 13:07:07 -0400

It's easy to forget that food doesn't just magically appear on grocery store shelves. That's why it's important to have resources like Find the Farmer to remind us that real people grow the stuff in our pantries. FindtheFarmer.com, launched yesterday, lets you trace back any Stone-Buhr bag of flour to the farm where the wheat was grown and harvested.

The Many Shapes and Uses of Pasta

Cliff Kuang — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 07:16:59 -0400

Conventional Crops May Get Green Fungicide Boost

Ariel Schwartz — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 16:40:29 -0400

Twenty years ago,the health scare over the use of the chemical alar on apple crops effectively launched the modern organic business. Now the fungicide industry is ready to exact its revenge as a new class of green fungicides (yes, really) could potentially make expensive organic produce less attractive to money-minded shoppers.

Big Stretch

Kyle Berlin — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 13:00:00 -0400

Jamba Juice

2008 revenue: $317 million
Cult product: Made-to-order smoothies
What's next: Oatmeal, sandwiches, ready-to-drink beverages
New competitors: Starbucks, Coca-Cola
Why now: Breakfast is high margin and low risk. Plus, one $2.95 oatmeal is equal to six shares of Jamba's flagging stock.

Under Armour