Bite of the Best

According to Supermarket News, the percentage of adults on a diet has decreased by 10 percentage points since 1990, while the number of Americans eating healthier has increased, according to NPD Group’s National Eating Trends report.

The average American, according to National Eating Trends, has at least two better-for-you products a day. “While dieting for both women and men remain huge markets, they are not growing markets,” said Harry Balzer, vice president, the NPD Group, in a statement. “The desire to lose weight really was a 90s trend. Today consumers appear to be making healthier food choices.

According to NPD, better-for-you products include reduced-fat, reduced-calorie, reduced-cholesterol, reduced-sodium, caffeine-free, fortified, organic, and whole-grain foods.

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"There's a reason why the tub of ice cream you bought last week looks a tad smaller than ones you bought last summer.

"It is," writes Bruce Horovitz, in today's USA Today.

He goes on to explain how instead of charging more, some manufacturers have "shrunk their standard containers." Some examples he provided:

• Some ice cream is now 1.5 quarts that used to contain 2 quarts (1/2 gallon)
• Across the line, Frito-Lay's chips that were 12 ounces are 10
• Mayonnaise is 30 ounces down from 32
• Kellogg downsized Frosted Flakes, Rice Krispies and Mini-Wheats in 2006; boxes shrank from 24.3 ounces to 24 and from 19 ounces to 18.

Bruce quotes many industry experts, including yours truly. My not-so-pithy comments:

Few shoppers notice subtle changes in product contents, says Bonnie Tandy Leblang, the syndicated supermarket columnist. "Most just toss things in the grocery cart."

To read the entire story go to USA Today.

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Word has it that they've banned fresh tomatoes at the Aspen Food & Wine Classic - a food festival about to start its 26th year. Stay tuned to see whether I get an update. But don't try to go unless you already have tickets — its been sold out for some time.

As you may have heard, there's a current out break of salmonella linked to tomatoes — and federal health officials haven't yet traced the source of those salmonella-tainted tomatoes.

By the way, canned tomato products are safe to eat as salmonella and other pathogens are killed at 145 degrees, according to the National Center for Food Safety & Technology of the Illinois Institute of Technology.

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Kim Cattrall (yes, that Kim) and Bobby Flay co-hosted the James Beard Foundation Awards ceremony last night, at a star-studded red-carpet event at Avery Fisher Hall, Lincoln Center. Some notable winners from last night include:

• Danny Mayer's Gramercy Tavern (NYC) - Outstanding Restaurant
• Central Michel Richard (Washington, D.C) - Best New Restaurant
• Gavin Kaysen, Cafe Bould (NYC) - Rising Star Chef of the Year
• The River Cottage Meat Book by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall (Ten Speed Press) - Cookbook of the Year
• Eleven Madison Park (NYC) - Outstanding Wine Service
• A special note about my friend Peter Reinhart's Whole Grain Breads: New Techniques, Extraordinary Flavor (Ten Speed Press) winning the best Baking and Dessert cookbook

For the complete listing of all winners visit JamesBeard.org

The eating frenzy that followed the very long (over three hours!!) ceremony celebrated "Artisanal America: the Craft of Cuisine" and included samplings from over 30 chefs from across the country for the over 1800 foodies who attended the gala. Some delectables included:

• Alexandra Guarnaschelli: Salt-Cured Local Foie Gras with Warm Strawberry-Black Pepper Jam and Arugula **
• Scott Peacock: Buttermilk Biscuit with Sweet Butter, Country Ham and Homemade Georgia Strawberry Preserves
• Sam Hayward: Maine Finnan Haddie Chowder
• Mourad Lahou: Bodeda Goat Cheese with Tomato-Citrus Jam, Pistachios and Argan Oil**
• Peter Hoffman: Rabbit Roulade with Fava Bean, Mint and Olive Salad

**PS: As you may have noticed from these food photos, the tastings weren't served on china - but on disposable (wood-like — not styrofoam) plates, served with a wooden fork. Unfortunately, the food doesn't look very attractive….but trust me — some were quite spectacular tasting!

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At an invitation-only reception in the spectacular Terrace Room at The Plaza in New York City, Ruth Reichl, editor in chief, Gourmet hosted a reception to welcome 2008 inductees into The James Beard Foundation's Who's Who of Food & Beverage in America.

Those of us lucky enough to attend slurped oysters from Totten Inlet Virginica (Taylor Shellfish Farms Shelton, WA) arranged for by Jon Rowley, sushi from Nobu arranged by Drew Nieporent, Mats Engstrom's Tsar Nicoulai Caviar on white bread toast points with crème fraîche and an assortment of nibbles provided by The Plaza including spiced lamb meatballs wrapped in eggplant leaves with a coriander yogurt sauce, miniature burgers on soft cocktail rolls with accoutrements and miniature lobster rolls— all while rubbing shoulders with the Who's Who of the food world. This was the first ever gathering of that prestigious group.

Susan Ungaro, President of the James Beard Foundation, and William Rice, Committee Chair, introduced the newest members of this group, selected by those already members. Th0se new inductees included:

• Dan Barber; Chef/Owner: Blue Hill (NYC) and Blue Hill at Stone Barns (Pocantino Hills, NY)
• Anthony Bourdain; Author and Chef (NYC)
• Nancy Oakes; Chef: Boulevard (San Francisco)
• Russ Parsons; Writer, The Los Angeles Times (Los Angeles)
• Zanne Early Stewart; Former Executive Food Editor, Gourmet (NYC)
• Steve Sullivan; Founder/Owner, Acme Bread Company (Berkeley, CA)

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