| New top toque at Michael Mina
Change is in the air at Michael Mina on Union Square. Chris L'Hommedieu, executive sous chef at Thomas Keller's Per Se in New York, is heading west to become Mina's executive chef at his elegant restaurant in the Westin St. Francis. That means L'Hommedieu, 36, will be the nightly hands-on chef, in charge of executing Mina's intricate "trio" and classic menus. It's the first significant change in the kitchen since Mina opened in 2004. L'Hommedieu replaces Jeffrey Lloyd, who has been the executive chef since the beginning. L'Hommedieu, who has already left Per Se, is no stranger to Mina's kitchen. The two worked together at Aqua, where L'Hommedieu began as a line cook and worked his way up to sous chef. After that, he moved on to New York, where he opened Mix for Alain Ducasse, then Per Se, becoming executive sous chef under Jonathan Benno.
From $18000 Ralph Lauren Pet Carriers to Organic Dog Food, the $40 ...
MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The pet industry may be growing by leaps and bounds, but the business itself, though a $40 billion industry, remains highly fragmented and ripe for consolidation, providing opportunities for companies and private equity investors alike. That is the conclusion of an extensive report titled "Are You Barking Up the Right Investment Tree?," published by The Mercanti Group, a boutique investment bank headquartered here, with offices also in Los Angeles, New York and Seattle. The industry has been growing at a 6% annual rate, and some segments -- such as natural and organic pet food, veterinary care and products, and pet boarding and grooming -- are expanding at a 10 to 15 percent yearly clip, writes Jim D'Aquila, Managing Director and founding partner of The Mercanti Group, who co-authored the report.
Iowa City, Mexico
A neon sign flashes the word open alongside a multitude of advertisements in fluorescent bubble letters. Upon entering the first set of glass doors I have two choices - to the right there is a grocery store and to the left a restaurant. I go right.
The smooth cadence of Spanish coaxes me through the aisles of the small store. I am in Mexico - or the closest thing Iowa City has to offer.
The Legaspi family moved their small Mexican grocery store, La Reyna, from Columbus Junction, Iowa, to their 1937 Keokuk St. location nearly two years ago. It was an opportunity to expand their business, and to supply the area's large Latino community with hard-to-find Mexican foodstuffs. Carmen Legaspi and her husband, Carlos, opened the adjoining restaurant just four weeks ago.
Red-faced over 'dogfight'
NEW DELHI: It may have been just a line in FM P Chidambaram's 30-page budget speech, but sometimes a few words become indelible. It happened to BJP leader Yashwant Sinha when he was labelled "rollback FM" and it happened even earlier to Congress veteran N D Tiwari when he presented what came to known as the "bindi budget".
The budget announcement bringing down duty on pet foods from 30% to 20% seemed innocuous enough, but has now led to several red faces in Congress with even Prime Minister Manmohan Singh apparently somewhat taken aback by the "relief" finding mention in FM's speech.
If that was not enough, the sparring between minister of state for commerce Jairam Ramesh and Left over the minister's suggestion that Communists eat dog food has only made matters worse.
Calorie labels sought for fast-food menus
A whole new layer of guilt could be piled atop those steamy burger patties and super-sized french fries under a new city mandate proposed by Concord Mayor Mark Peterson. Known for pushing healthy living and fitness programs, Peterson wants to require Concord fast-food restaurants to post calorie information next to the lettering for each menu item. This way, people will not only know what they're getting into when ordering that extra-creamy chocolate milkshake, but could be persuaded to choose a healthier alternative. "So many of these meals are much worse than people even realize," he said. He acknowledges that many restaurants offer nutrition information on brochures behind the counter or even on Web sites. But that's not enough, he says. "If it's right in front of their eyes as they're ordering, staring right at them, it's hard to ignore," Peterson said.
What are discretionary calories?
It's a nutritional given: You need a certain number of calories to keep your body functioning and to provide energy for physical activities, for everything from walking to breathing to a workout. If you eat more calories than you burn through exercise and other physical activities, then you will gain weight. The health and nutritional center of the U.S. Department of Agriculture wants you to think of the calories you need for energy like money you have to spend. Each person has a total calorie "budget." This budget can be divided into "essentials" and "extras," just as your monetary budget or allowance is. With a financial budget, the essentials are items like rent and food and the extras, or discretionary money, would be movies, vacations and such. In a calorie budget, the "essentials" are the minimum calories required to meet your nutrient needs.
French club fricassee up a good time for Cajun celebration
The New Orleans Mardi Gras festival is often regarded as one of the greatest free shows on earth. Streets in New Orleans on this festive day are always filled with people throwing beads, eating the local cuisine, and simply enjoying the day. Trying to focus this nationally-known celebration into a more local perspective, Wests French Club held a Mardi Gras celebration of their own. This cultural experience was opened up to all students and staff members in the school.
I loved it! exclaimed sophomore Stephanie Begley.
Similar sentiments were apparent throughout the entire W-Wing on February 21 when the festival was held. Though not as grand as the New Orleans celebration, the French Club still put on quite a show.
In the French Club, we have many French-culture enthusiasts and talented cooks, said advisor and teacher Kate Robinson.
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