Gigabiting

image via Madison Magazine
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They are trendy or inane, over-worked or over-wrought, misused and abused. These are the words that grate on our nerves.

Artisan

Wheat Thins artisan crackers? (Can’t you just picture them painstakingly rolled out and hand-cut by the master bakers of Kraft Foods Global, Inc.?) How about artisan flatbreads from DiGiorno’s Frozen Pizza? Like you’re back in the piazza in Naples. And pre-washed and bagged artisan salads? We’re not sure how lettuce can be artisanal, but leave it to Fresh Express, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Chiquita Brands, L.L.C., to figure it out.

Mixologist Read entire article.

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Everyone loves a bargain.

Just 21 months old, the online social shopping service Groupon has signed up 12 million subscribers, adding nearly two million more each month. It’s grown to more than 1,000 employees, has been profitable since June 2009, and recently attracted a $135 million dollar round of investment from the venture capital group behind Facebook. (Gigabiting first looked at the Groupon phenomenon when it reached the one million subscriber mark) Read entire article.

image via AppAdvice

Your Cheerios belong to a social network.

So do your Nestle chocolate chips, your Organic Valley Lowfat Sour Cream, and the box of Ronzoni linguine on your pantry shelf.

If you think about it, your groceries have always had a story to tell. The manufacturer provides a list of ingredients, nutritional content, what the package contents look like, where it was made, maybe a recipe or two if there is room on the box.

But what if that story wasn’t limited to the packaging? And the narration came from users? And the story could be told through images, video, tweets, and web links? Read entire article.

Pssst… wanna buy some contraband pickles?

First came the informal but still legitimate businesses like food trucks, pop-up restaurants, and CSAs. Now we have the appearance of their unlicensed brethren: the home bakers, canners, pasta makers, meat curers, and foragers that make up an underground food scene that’s gaining steam in cities around the world.

Mmm… that’s so good, I bet you could sell it.

It used to be a compliment. Now it’s a business plan.

Take the growing DIY movement. Throw in a high unemployment rate, some entrepreneurial spirit, the promotional capabilities of social media, and a dash of hipster hype. You end up with something like Anarchy in a Jar (jam maker), Brazelton Price (demi-glace), Bundt (cake baker), and Charcuterie Underground (bacon and sausage). Read entire article.

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When the word first appeared, who would have thought it would be used as a slur? Foodie has a pleasingly egalitarian ring to it with none of the haughtiness of gourmet or the implied gluttony of gourmand. It’s not effete like epicure, and doesn’t suggest the scholarliness of a gastronome.

The first Foodies were rebels. They broke with the old-guard, with its formality and its singular attachment to French cuisine. Appreciation of food and wine was taken out of its context of formality. A Chinatown noodle joint could achieve the same stature as haute cuisine on the Upper East Side. A single peach could be as sublimely pleasurable as a Grand Marnier soufflé. The true foodie could properly enjoy both.

Where did we lose our way? Read entire article.

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I was at this restaurant. The sign said Breakfast Anytime. So I ordered french toast in the Renaissance.

– Steven Wright

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Breakfast for lunch. Or dinner.

Breakfast is a meal best served all day. Few of us have the time or the inclination for much more than some nibbles of toast with our morning coffee. Better to save the calories and indulgent flavors for a midday break or even dinner when the day is winding down and we can take the time to savor them. Read entire article.