Captivating Connections.

food shows are taking over.

Psh, please, I've been loving food shows (and Food Network!) for years.

"Holiday revelers might overindulge this weekend, but viewers are gorging on food television shows. Fox has made a cottage industry out of curmudgeonly Gordon Ramsay (Hell's Kitchen, Kitchen Nightmaresand next year's Master Chef). 

Networks not known as foodie havens have found solid ratings: Bravo's Top Chef and TLC's Cake Boss are their networks' top series, while others ranging from IFC to Planet Green are opening their cupboards to new food shows. CABLE TV 2009: Year's winners and losers And Scripps Networks, which saw prime-time ratings for its Food Network spike 29% this year to a new record, is turning its underachieving Fine Living Network into a 24-hour Cooking Channel next May. 

Scripps chief John Lansing says the sprouting of more food shows on other channels simply 'broadened interest in the category,' and much of the growth is coming from younger viewers. It's a long way from Julia Child— portrayed by Meryl Streep in summer's Julie & Julia — and her TV successors, Martha Stewart and Rachael Ray.

So why the surge in popularity? 

"Programmers say a recessionary trend toward home entertaining has driven the genre. 'Culturally right now, food is a comfort device,' says TLC chief Eileen O'Neill, who's peppered her network's schedule with shows about barbecue pitmasters, dwarf chocolatiers and that New Jersey cake guy, tapping more male viewers.

 The audience for Bravo's Top Chef, among the top-rated food shows, is the new norm. 'It tends to be people who enjoy eating and are interested in food (more than) people who want to do it themselves,'says programming chief Frances Berwick, who's prepping a spinoff built around desserts."

restaurant recovery still has a way to go.

"The restaurant industry will not begin recovery until the second half of 2010, according to a new forecast from The NPD Group.

Traffic and sales declines will slow during the year's first half and will turn slightly positive starting in the third quarter, predicts NPD. 'And it will take a year after that for the industry to return to where it was prior to the recession,' says Bonnie Riggs, the research group's restaurant analyst and author of the report, 'Restaurant Industry ... What to Expect When Economic Recovery Begins.'

NPD's forecast is based on data from Crest, which has been tracking the food service industry for 30 years. A consumer panel consisting of 3,000 adults and 500 teens are interviewed daily on their restaurant/food service behavior.

The longer and more severe the recession, the longer the restaurant industry's recovery, says Briggs. The industry took two years to recover from the 1980 and '82 double-dip recession, she notes, while it experienced only a couple of quarters of negative traffic as a result of the nine-month 1991 recession.

The current 'Great Recession' not only began two years ago, but has had unprecedented impact on consumer confidence and spending patterns, Briggs points out. In addition to high unemployment that has contributed to lowest-recorded consumer confidence levels, consumer spending on out-of-home dining has been affected by tightened credit, declining grocery prices and increased saving, she points out. Confidence levels and unemployment, in particular, will have to begin to show improvement before consumers begin to resume former eating-out habits."

2010 food trends.

Food & Wine has published their 2010 Trend Report, "a look at the key trends to watch for in the '10s."

So, what did they pick?

• Artisanal Breakfasts
• Farm Dinners
• Better Butter
• Great Frozen Foods
• Hot Dog Heroes
• Takeout Style
• Sommelier Challenge

What do you think is missing?

check it out: love what you do.

Recently, I had the pleasure of meting Dorothy Cann Hamilton, founder and CEO of the world-renowned French Culinary Institute (The FCI). She was also the creator/host of Chef's Story, a 26-part television series on PBS, author of the complimenting book, Chef's Story, and creator of The Fundamental Techniques of Classic Cuisine, which received James Beard Foundation Award in 2008. She’s now written the book, ‘Love What You Do’, an inspirational and educational book geared towards those not only looking to enter the culinary world, but anyone looking to start or change their career.

 

The book adopts a step by step process, demystifying the actual career decision process (both in general and within the culinary field), and guides readers through the job hunting process.

 

Dorothy, who has over 35 years of teaching under her belt, including in vocational education, is a major believer in the power of someone empowering themselves and transforming their lives. Especially with the recession that recently ravaged the country, as she explained, “you never know what’s in store for you. You can’t be afraid in life because there’s always something in the way.” Her belief, of being happy with what you do, is the reason she pushes people to “grab this life and get everything you deserve out of it,” a major driver behind turning her book into a workbook. It’s a powerful message that transcends age, sex, and current career/job/employment status. It’s an inspiration message, especially in this holiday season.

 

If you’re interested in checking the book out, you can find it here.

As a girl who enjoys eating oatmeal for lunch (or a snack), I totally get it...

"Nearly half (46%) of U.S. consumers would like to see full-service restaurants offer a breakfast menu throughout the day, and about a third (32%) would like the option in limited-service restaurants, according to recent surveys by food service industry consultant Technomic.

Consumers in general find breakfast fare comforting -- and women are particularly keen on the all-day option, Technomic found in surveying 1,500 U.S. consumers about breakfast preferences and behaviors for its 'Breakfast Consumer Trend Report.'

Given that women expressed significantly more interest than men in having breakfast items available at lunch and dinner, both in limited- and full-service formats, it's particularly important that restaurants that are considering the expansion of breakfast items to other dayparts understand women's flavor, ingredient and preparation preferences, points out Technomic EVP Darren Tristano.

Most consumers (63%) say that they expect their restaurant breakfast purchase patterns to remain the same in the coming year."

what really counts as home "cooking"?

Does microwaving count?

We know people have been eating home more, thanks to the state of the economy, but I never really bought that people were slaving away over the stove or oven all this time in order to eat.

I was right! :)

"Americans are doing more eating at home, but that doesn't necessarily mean more cooking, according to The NPD Group's' 24th Annual Report on Eating Patterns in America.'

'There was a lot of speculation last year as to how our eating behaviors changed as a result of the economic crisis. The truth is that consumer behavior changes slowly,' said Harry Balzer, chief industry analyst at NPD.' I've observed America's eating patterns in good and bad economies, and the constant is that there is no recession in eating -- and Americans don't want to cook what they eat.'

Microwaving has been flat for two decades, but it increased last year as Americans found a way to eat at home and not cook, Balzer added. 'We're using our microwaves to warm and heat more, but not prepare more dishes from scratch.'

According to NPD's food industry market research, Americans used their microwave ovens more last year, but actually used their stovetops less. About 20% of all meals prepared in U.S. homes from 1990 to 2007 involved the use of a microwave, until last year, when usage rose 10%."

Listen, I know there's a lot of magic you can make using the microwave. I mean,if you can cook fish using your dishwasher, who knows what culinary creations can be made...

$5 hero.

BusinessWeek has a great look at the success that is the Subway $5 footlong, and the "accidental hero" who thought of it.

what's your beer say about you?

Nope, this isn't one of those Facebook quizzes..

"The beer you drink says a lot about you -- even before you've had a few too many.

Your choice of beer can be as telling about your personality as what kind of clothing you wear or the car that you drive. And if you don't drink suds at all, or change brands depending on your mood -- well, that says something too.

The concept of beer-as-window-to-the-soul comes from Mindset Media, the market researcher specializing in psychographics. The company started out with a theory that with so many opinions and brand loyalty around beer, the choice people make must be connected to personality. Mindset interviewed more than 2,600 people online in August and September and found specific personalities and mind-sets 'popped' for more than half a dozen branded beer choices."

So what did they find?

"People who prefer domestic beers over craft beers or imports are generally middle of the road in their politics. They're not nearly as conservative as people who don't drink beer at all, but not as liberal as people who prefer more exotic beer.

People who drink a broad portfolio of beers are different than one-brand drinkers as well. Those 'indifferent' beer drinkers are more open-minded and emotional people who enjoy a variety of life experiences."

What do you drink? What do you think that it says about YOU?

a homemade holiday.

I've always believed in personal touches, especially when it comes to meaningful times like holidays or birthdays. It looks like other people agree, but those thoughts may have been driven by other economic reasons...

"While it's no news that Americans are likely to spend less this holiday season, a new survey suggests they will find more creative, personal ways to do it.

The survey, from the National Retail Federation/BIG Research, finds that while consumers say they will spend about $682.74 on holiday-related shopping this year -- a 3.2% drop from last year's $705.01 -- they will spend more on food and candy, up about $10 to $90.26.

'We're in new times,' says Phil Rist, EVP, Strategic Initiatives, BIGresearch, based in Worthington, Ohio. 'Homemade food gifts are a way to reduce the budget and show that personal touch, as opposed to simply buying someone a cheaper gift. And even people who give someone a fruit basket they bought at a grocery store are part of that new practicality. You know that gift is going to be used, as opposed to a sweater that will sit in someone's closet.'

With 65.3% of respondents saying the economy will affect their holiday plans this year, consumers will be laser-focused on price. Sales and price discounts are the most important factor to 43% of respondents in where they will shop, while factors like selection, quality, convenience and customer service all declined from last year."

fda looking at labeling.

"The Food and Drug Administration has announced that it is analyzing nutritional information systems developed by food manufacturers 'that appear to be misleading.'

In its 'guidance for industry' letter about front-of-package (FOP) labeling, the FDA also said that it is developing a proposed regulation that would define the nutritional criteria that would have to be met by manufacturers making FOP or shelf-label claims about the nutritional quality of a food, whether the claim is made in text or with symbols.

'FDA's intent is to provide standardized, science-based criteria on which FOP nutrition labeling must be based,' wrote Barbara O. Schneeman, director of the Office of Nutrition, Labeling and Dietary Supplements of the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition."