February 16, 2010 – 5:01 pm
by Charlotte Beal
Valentine’s Day fell on a Sunday this year, but also on a three-day weekend for some lucky workers, and we bet that meant more people just focused on food and relaxation, staying home to cook a romantic dinner or going out to a low-key restaurant. Or they went to White Castle, which has [...]
February 12, 2010 – 6:53 am
by Charlotte Beal
WHAT’S HAPPENING
When a cook has a need for a specific ingredient, how does she know if trudging to the farmers’ market will be a waste of time? Enter WhatIsFresh.com, an online guide to the greenmarkets in the boroughs of NYC.
Consumers can use the site to search by market location, day of the week, [...]
February 4, 2010 – 10:12 am
by Tory Davis
WHAT’S HAPPENING
It’s hard to speak pretentiously about terroir with secret sauce dripping down your chin. Los Angeles-based Learn About Wine’s Blind Date tastings pair a variety of respectable reds with beloved In-N-Out Double-Double cheeseburgers (UrbanDaddy.com 1.5.10).
The tastings are held on assorted Friday nights in a downtown loft and boast 20 one-ounce blind pours. [...]
January 22, 2010 – 12:28 pm
by Tory Davis
WHAT’S HAPPENING
More husbands are eagerly navigating the dinnertime waters, as their spouses waver between gratitude and irritation in this latest evolution in gender roles. Though many wives are relieved another household task is knocked off the list, they’re unsettled when their culinary skills are criticized (DoubleX.com 12.15.09).
Writers Sandra Tsing Loh and Hanna Rosin [...]
January 5, 2010 – 6:27 am
by Abelardo de la Peña Jr.
WHAT’S HAPPENING
MarketMakeovers.org, a Los Angeles-based website, is transforming food deserts by motivating teens (Epicurious.com 12.4.09).
The site focuses on South Los Angeles, a neighborhood where fast food restaurants and convenience stores are king. Supermarkets, farmers’ markets and fresh produce are almost impossible to find.
The folks behind Market Makeovers got a group [...]
November 12, 2009 – 11:47 am
by Charlotte Beal
WHAT’S HAPPENING
Four popular “cookie diets” are the latest quick-fix weight-loss fads. Followers eat special cookies about six times a day, and sometimes an additional “normal” meal of low-fat foods, for less than 1,000 calories total per day (NYTimes.com 10.21.09).
Dr. Siegal’s Cookie Diet has been endorsed by Kim Kardashian, Jennifer Hudson and Kelly Clarkson. [...]
By Iconoculture
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Also posted in Consumer Trend
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Tagged Charlotte Beal, Consumer trends, Cookie diets, Diet trends, Dr. Siegal's Cookie Diet, Fad diets, Hollywood Cookie Diet, Iconoculture, Iconowatch, Smart for Life, Soypal Cookie Diet
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November 11, 2009 – 8:44 am
by Abby Shannon
WHAT’S HAPPENING
What’s your sign? Do you come here often? Pickup lines are a thing of the past for Pepsi’s AMP Energy Drink, after their ill-conceived iPhone app, dubbed “AMP Up Before You Score,” drew massive public criticism.
Intended to help dudes on the prowl, the app suggested pickup lines for different categories of women [...]
November 10, 2009 – 5:10 pm
by Abelardo de la Pena Jr.
Like many parents, I’ve dreaded the teen years, when sons and daughters start their experimental phases. My wife and I learned a lot of lessons with our older kids, so throughout 17-year-old Alicia’s life, we’ve encouraged openness. Let’s talk about it first. Please.
The moment of reckoning finally came this [...]
October 29, 2009 – 6:00 am
by Charlotte Beal
WHAT’S HAPPENING
New York Observer contributor Joe Pompeo coined a new word to describe the 20- and 30somethings who are obsessed with food talk: foodiots (Observer.com 9.22.09).
You know the type: constantly posting status updates about eating and drinking, blogging about cooking (the more pedestrian concoctions, the better), sending digital pics of last night’s restaurant [...]
October 23, 2009 – 6:00 am
by Tory Davis
WHAT’S HAPPENING
Artist Laura Parker’s newest installation, “Taste of Place,” is part art, part culinary experience and is shifting how people relate to the food they eat.
Visitors experience a dirt “tasting,” where Parker provides wine glasses full of carefully chosen terroir, adds water, swirls and then passes them for a sniff. Attendees discuss the [...]
October 20, 2009 – 4:00 pm
by Charlotte Beal
Three years ago, the family dinner began to come back in style. Research about the developmental/mental/societal benefits emerged, consumers said they were doing it more, food makers and marketers talked it up, and one company even came out with conversation-starter flashcards to keep the party rolling.
Now, as we approach 2010, some tired families [...]
October 9, 2009 – 6:00 am
by Tory Davis
WHAT’S HAPPENING
The beach plum is a fruiting shrub native to ocean dunes from Maine to Virginia. Since colonial times, locals have collected the wild fruit to make desserts, preserves and jelly — and there’s been a resurgence in interest in the last few years (NPR.org 9.9.09).
Trees range from around 2-10 feet-tall and produce [...]
September 24, 2009 – 6:00 am
by Tim Barlow
WHAT’S HAPPENING
It all started with coffee, then energy drinks. Later arrived everything from caffeinated potato chips to donuts. Now Perky Jerky, the caffeinated beef jerky, is here, stopping meat cravings and drowsiness in one savory snack.
Made with guarana, each Perky Jerky bag contains 150mg of caffeine, or almost two cans of Red Bull [...]
September 11, 2009 – 6:00 am
by Tim Barlow
WHAT’S HAPPENING
Market rules apply at Broker’s Bier Borse, where the price of each of the bar’s sixteen brews is determined by its popularity: The more a particular beer is purchased, the higher the price climbs, while the less desirable fall cheaper.
A large electronic ticker overlooks the bar, updating prices every three minutes, allowing [...]
September 1, 2009 – 2:00 pm
by Charlotte Beal
Iconoculture recently published two trends, “The Recession 15″ and “We Are All Fat Now,” detailing the continued struggle with obesity as compounded by the Great Recession. Last week, a few fascinating pieces of data added color to the situation.
70% of consumers say healthful foods are more difficult to afford; 53% say they often [...]
