| Whole Foods Market set to open at end of next month
Whole Foods Market has announced March 29 as the opening date of its much-delayed location on E. Houston St. between Bowery and Chrystie St., beneath the Avalon Chrystie Place apartment complex. The Lower East Side store, originally scheduled to open in 2006, will be more than 80,000 square feet and will employ more than 650 workers.
In addition to the natural and organic foods the chain is known for, the store will also feature a culinary center, natural cotton clothing and a line of body products. But, much to the relief of many nearby small businesses, it will not be selling alcohol.
Whole Foods was planning to open a wine store in conjunction with its Lower East Side location, but the State Liquor Authority has twice unanimously voted against its application for a liquor license.
Fruit mince tarts with brandy butter
To make the brandy butter, place butter and sugar in a Braun Food Processor and process until creamy. Add vanilla and brandy, and process until just combined. Remove and form into a log shape. Wrap in plastic wrap, twisting ends to form a neat parcel. Freeze until firm. To make the pastry, place the flours, butter and icing sugar in a food processor and process until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs. Add the egg yolk and 2-3 tablespoons iced water. Continue to process until the mixture comes together into a smooth ball. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Roll out pastry 5mm thick on a lightly floured surface. Cut into eight circles and use to line eight 8cm-diameter loose-bottomed tart pans. Chill for 10 minutes. Divide the fruit mince among the tart shells.
Even you can eat healthy, cheap food
Last year when Sen. Jarrett Barrios, D-Cambridge, proposed that marshmallow Fluff be banned from schools, the media had a field day. Perhaps none were was quick to laugh at Barrios than Somerville Journal editor Kathleen Powers, who argued that at-home meals, not school snacks, would shape kids’ nutrition. Although they have different takes on Fluff and nutrition, Barrios and Powers agreed that you can feed your family healthy meals without breaking the bank, if you know how to shop. Last Saturday, the two teamed up to go shopping at the Somerville Market Basket, 400 Somerville Ave., to get some idea for tasty, nutritious meals on a budget. Where do you buy your food? Know about any bargain markets? Post it on our blog. Besides his crusade against Fluff, Barrios has a background in nutrition.
Inside Entrepreneurship: Starting a business is like scaling steep ...
Q: My wife and I want to franchise a food business that "just hasn't been done." It is sure to explode nationwide, if not worldwide. We really just want to develop it, prove it, attract a few dozen franchise investors and sell out. I believe we could make millions in a few short years. Do you have any advice on how to proceed from here? -- R. and R. Sims, Jacksonville, Fla. A: I've always found a lot of similarities between entrepreneurs and mountain climbers. Both wake up each day eager to explore unpredictable terrain. Pioneering mountain climber George Mallory, who may have summited Mount Everest before Edmond Hillary, once described his climbing struggles as sheer joy. He said it was these daunting adventures that allowed him to enjoy life fully.
The Petri Dish: Chimps: culture and spear-slaughter
It seems that apes in Senegal have learned how to fashion sharp tools out of sticks. The chimps break off a tree branch, rip off its leaves, and then use their teeth to sharpen the end. They then use the spears to jab into hollow branches or tree trunks, hoping to skewer sleeping prey. The prey of choice is the bush baby, a tiny primate with huge eyes and bat-like ears. If the hunting chimps manage to stab one, the researchers say the resulting carnage “looks like the shower scene from Psycho." The attackers are mostly adolescent females. They are much smaller than adult males, and spend most of their energy caring for their offspring. Lacking the strength and time for conventional hunting, these females are forced to innovate. This is exciting from a girl power perspective.
Jimmy's Food Store debuts wine room
DALLAS The day started with a persistent gust of wind from the south. El Niño was pushing the cold weather back north. This was going to be a "Big Night" for East Dallas. Jimmy's was inaugurating their back room, their circolo, with Tuscan vintner Andrea Cecchi and a group of Italian food- and wine-loving insiders. Mercedes, Volvos, and exotics lined the parking spaces in this urban-fusion neighborhood. It's a part of Dallas that has some of the best Asian food, along with an encampment of several Italians, herb-brujo Tom Spicer, a community garden frequented by Cambodian and Vietnamese farmers, and Latino and hip-hop locals who call this place home. Everyone gets along well, no one has major turf problems, and Dallas is a richer place because of it. The foodies started piling in early, Smart Cars and Dodge trucks alike, filling in the spaces.
$2.99 is fast food's magic number
Frequent readers of this column know that I have an odd habit of watching fast-food joints for hints of change in the consumer's shopping temperament. As I've seen it, when a whiff of economic stress appears, the quick-serve food purveyors quickly tinker with menus, promotions or discounts. But despite the nimble nature of the fast-food trade, one constant has remained for nearly two decades: the 99-cent entre. Most burger barons were forced to play the buck-for-food game by Taco Bell in the late 1980s after the Irvine chain hawked a 39-cent taco. To this day, few chains can avoid bargain-basement pricing somewhere on the menu board. So I was intrigued when I saw price-focused TV ads recently from two industry heavyweights. Burger joint Wendy's is running a memorable spot with one dude showing off his miniscule burger-fries-drink meal by whispering "two-ninety-nine" to a guy with a larger Wendy's offering.
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