Archive: February, 2011

POSTED: Friday, February 11, 2011, 8:07 PM
Filed Under: Food and Holidays
Photo | Drew Lazor
Still stuck for Valentine's Day plans? (How could you be, what with Adrian Pelliccia's beast-mode dinner roundup and all?!) If you are, here's a cool opportunity to check out a super brand-new spot — Opa (1311 Sansom St., 215-545-0170), which officially opened to the public as of literally yesterday (peep our coverage here and here), is rocking a special $35 prix-fixe on Feb. 14. Check out what's what after the jump. Choice of: - Roasted Beet Salad with local red and gold beets, fennel, arugula, herbed citronette and goat cheese - Horiatiki prepared with tomatoes, cucumbers, green peppers, kalamata olives, shaved red onions and feta Choice of: - Fried Kalamari with olives, peppers and harrisa aioli -Keftedes, herbed veal meatballs in tomato sauce 1 of the following per couple: - Grilled Whole Fish served with horta and lemon potatoes - Lamb Shank for 2 served with orzo Dessert, served with complimentary Greek coffee or herbal tea
Posted by Drew Lazor @ 8:07 PM  Permalink | Post a comment
POSTED: Friday, February 11, 2011, 5:47 PM
hammondpretzels.com
When William Lichty lost his job to the Great Depression in 1931, he went to his own grandfather, William Hammond, who had been a pretzel baker in the late 1800s. The two men founded their bakery on Hammond's original recipe in their adjacent garages. Today, the fourth and fifth generation continue the tradition of hand-rolling and twisting sourdough pretzels in the same location in Lancaster. And what fine pretzels they are!  Shatteringly crisp but not overly hard, with a subtle bready tang from a slow rise, they put machine-made treats by the same name to shame.  The 3-pound box I received as a birthday gift (thank you, Miss Lou!) was stuffed with Hammond's "Regular" version, but I am already eager to order up a can of "Dark" and a can of "Light Salt," to say nothing of the hand-dipped milk and dark chocolate-covered iterations available as a special order. Sodium fiends may be interested in the "Extra Salty" offering, so coated with crystals the pretzel becomes invisible. Prices range from $26.50 for 2.5-pound box to $48.50 for 5-pound can; prices include shipping to the continental U.S., and may be ordered online at hammondpretzels.com.  Locally, the Pennsylvania General Store at the Reading Terminal Market (12th and Arch streets) stocks Hammond's products.
Posted by Felicia D'Ambrosio @ 5:47 PM  Permalink | Post a comment
POSTED: Friday, February 11, 2011, 4:19 PM
Filed Under: Openings
Courtesy of Kitchen at Penn
Not many restaurants are born by way of an undergraduate independent study, but that's exactly what happened in the case of Kitchen at Penn (4529 Springfield Ave.). Penn senior Nate Adler was working on a project with Operations and Information Management professor Eric Clemens when he drew up a business model and realized that his far-flung concept had serious potential. The idea: a service — delivery and pick-up only — that traffics in healthy, affordable, locally sourced comfort foods. After securing funding, a location and a chef, Kitchen was born. The service is run entirely out of a kitchen space on 45th and Springfield, where Jersey Shore native Jordan Miller has taken the reins. (Adler and a rotating cast of assistant chefs will be helping out most of the time, too.) The menu is full of staples that any college kid in want of Mom's cooking can lean on — or, as Adler puts it, "Mom's cooking kicked up a notch." Their website will be updated daily with specials and is a good source of info on the minds behind the meals.
Courtesy of Kitchen at Penn
I was treated to a comprehensive cross-section of their menu, which, while still in the development stages, seems well on its way. Even though some items were still being perfected (they were working on upping the crispiness of schnitzel when I stopped by; lots of kosher/vegetarian options are in the works), but others were damn near perfect, especially considering the delivery format. There's a turkey burger on housemade foccaccia with lettuce, gouda (or cheddar) cheese, avocado, tomato, and a honey mustard aioli — a lighter alternative to a traditional beef cheeseburger, it's satisfying and non-greasy. The signature side item, though, are the tater tots. They kill: The center is mashed potato, bound together by a layer of shredded potato, which is then fried (very quickly). The end result is one of the airiest potato-based treats I've tried, and would recommend that any takers eat them with the requisite sriracha aioli.
Courtesy of Kitchen at Penn
Chicken pot pies are made on a small scale, in muffin tins, so as to accommodate easy delivery. Tastewise, they're modeled after those of Standard Tap (901 N. Second St.). In other poultry news, Adler says he foresees the brick chicken (a pressed half chicken butchered in-house) as his biggest seller, outstripping the perennially popular chicken platter at Penn mainstay Greek Lady (224 S. 40th St.). Elsewhere, they're doing a solid breadcrumb-topped mac 'n' cheese, as well as other pastas made in-house. The most unreal delicious Kitchen item I tasted: banana bread pudding. Like banana pudding interspersed with delicious chunks of banana bread, it's light and fluffy in ways that you'd never expect. Sweetened only with condensed milk! Eff it's good. Delivery will be outsourced to a new bicycle delivery service started by a former employee of Milk and Honey Market (4425 Baltimore Ave.). It'll run from 5 to 10 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays, starting on Wednesday, Feb. 16.

Foobooz » The Agenda
Posted 2011-02-14 16:45:29
[...] Kitchen at Penn is scheduled to start delivering this Wednesday, Meal Ticket has some [...] 

Notes from the Weekend: Feb. 14 :: Meal Ticket :: Food Blog :: Philadelphia City Paper
Posted 2011-02-14 21:58:32
[...] library, but when hunger pangs started setting in, I ran home and made an inaugural order at the (now soft-opened) Kitchen (4529 Springfield Ave.). I got the West Philly Banh Mi, punched up with house-pickled vegetables [...] 
Posted by Adrian Pelliccia @ 4:19 PM  Permalink | Post a comment
POSTED: Thursday, February 10, 2011, 11:19 PM
Filed Under: Chef Salad | Food News
Get the flash player here: http://www.adobe.com/flashplayer

Brian Ricci has an infrared thermometer, and he's not afraid to use it. The chef at Kennett (848 S. Second St.) has been working with his Forno Bravo wood-burning pizza oven for a mere two weeks, so their relationship is still in that awkward, giggly shoe-gazing phase. They don't know each other intimately just yet. That's why Ricci's kept his red-laser temperature gauge — literally point and shoot the thing, and it casts out a heat-sensitive crimson dot, like in sniper movies — to best ID the oven's various hot spots. The North Jersey native's very close to getting his flow down pat — a precise understanding of his oven-floor geography, i.e. exactly where he should slide raw dough off wooden peel, and when; how many times he should breach the oven's brick-lined craw to rotate a pizza as its crusty rim inflates with the heat; the precise right moment to yank a pie out and dress it up in his love.

Yes, the brick-oven operation at Kennett is young, but it's clear Ricci, who's worked with dough as a baker in San Francisco, has already got a feel for putting out some tasty pies reflective of the restaurant's all-local mission statement. The pizza operation here was instituted by happenstance: Before taking the Kennett gig, Ricci (Pub & Kitchen, Supper, Django, NYC's Tabla) was putting together a business plan for a mobile brick pizza oven he'd link up to the back of a truck to tour around Philly farmers markets. When Ricci hooked up with co-owner Johnny Della Polla, he suggested he integrate this operation with Kennett, though Ricci adds he'd still like to execute his oven-on-wheels idea in the future. Ricci is using high-protein Daisy bread flour milled in Lancaster, which gives his pizza a wheaty, quietly sweet flavor, with more backbone than closer-to-traditional Neapolitan crusts. For now he's doing just three individual pies, his way — a Jersey tomato marinara-slathered margherita that 86's basil for marjoram, one of Ricci's favorite herbs ("oregano's kissing cousin," he calls it); a salami-draped pie with Sicilian green olives, mozzarella and tomato; and what's sure to become a signature, a pulled pork white pizza with dollops of whipped lardo, housemade farmer's cheese, garlic confit (clutch!), herbs and a quick drizzle of honey. Ricci says there's talk of putting a bacon/egg/cheese pie on the menu for weekend brunch guests, but for now, these are his three babies. Check 'em out.


tim
Posted 2011-02-11 12:55:18
Had the porchetta pizza last night - it was excellent.  Looking forward to going back for more!

Foobooz » Weekend
Posted 2011-02-11 14:43:06
[...] Kennett for the first time. We couldn’t believe it was the same space as Lyon’s Den. The pizza oven is operational and they’re cooking up a mean breakfast pizza for [...] 

Tweets that mention The pizza situation at Kennett :: Meal Ticket :: Food Blog :: Philadelphia City Paper -- Topsy.com
Posted 2011-02-10 19:10:27
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Drew Lazor, Meal Ticket. Meal Ticket said: Check out the pizza situation at Queen Village's Kennett: http://ow.ly/3Uhxd [...] 

Sid Monge
Posted 2011-02-10 20:53:34
Wow. The pizza looks awesome! It's refreshing to hear about someone who is both passionate about his work, and clearly, very good at it!

Bravo Chef Ricci, BRAVO!!
Posted by Drew Lazor @ 11:19 PM  Permalink | Post a comment
POSTED: Thursday, February 10, 2011, 8:22 PM
Meal Ticket usually doesn't tackle these types of stories, but this particular one is so infuriating and indicative of our asshole- and moron-filled litigious circle jerk of a society that I can't help but say my piece. Via NPR I caught wind of this lawsuit (PDF), filed on Feb. 1, by a California woman who is suing the manufacturer of Nutella, claiming Ferrero U.S.A., Inc. misled her by suggesting the fattening chocolate/hazelnut spread is part of a "tasty yet balanced breakfast." According to the suit, plaintiff Athena Hohenberg, the mother of a 4-year-old child, "was searching for healthy foods to serve her family for breakfast or as a snack because she is aware that healthy nutrition is important for maintaining the overall health of her family." (You'll soon realize just how just how preposterous that statement is.) Hohenberg claims that Nutella's label, which depicts the product "in association with a picture showing fresh fruits, whole wheat bread, and orange juice," as well as website imagery and TV commercials, led her to falsely believe that Nutella "is a part of a healthy meal." "Ms. Hohenberg believed, based on these representations both individually and especially when taken together as a whole, that Nutella consumption is beneficial to children," the suit goes on to state. This may come as a shock to the plaintiff, but advertising, by virtue, is misleading — and that in NO WAY relieves you of your responsibilities as a consumer and as a parent. Sure, it's easy to blame Nutella for being sickly-sweet junk food — a mere two-tablespoon serving size contains 11 grams of fat, 18 percent of one's daily allowance of saturated fat and 21 grams of sugar — but in my opinion, Hohenberg's decision to file this lawsuit is infinitely more deleterious to our nation's expectation of personal accountability than some dumb hazelnut spread is to our stupid fucking love handles. Does the fact that Nutella is bad for your health excuse you from your role as an adult capable of making her OWN choices, Mrs. Hohenberg? Are you so incredibly susceptible to marketing that you were made unable to flip the jar over, note that the top two ingredients are SUGAR and PALM OIL, and realize that perhaps Nutella is not the superfood you idiotically assumed it was based on a phony-ass picture of three tow-headed children eating the shit spread on toast? Apparently this is PRECISELY what she is saying, based on the following passages from her infuriatingly elaborate flaming-pile-of-shit lawsuit!
In or around December 2010, Ms. Hohenberg learned through friends what ingredient were in the Nutella that she was feeding her family. She was shocked to learn that Nutella was in fact not a "healthy" "nutritious" food but instead was the next best thing to a candy bar, and that Nutella contains dangerous levels of saturated fat.
She had to have friends explain to her that CHOCOLATE HAZELNUT SPREAD COMPOSED OF MORE THAN HALF PROCESSED SUGAR was not nutritious. I feel so sorry for your friends.
Plaintiff is not a nutritionist food expert or food scientist; she is a lay consumers [sic] who did not possess the specialized knowledge Ferrero had which otherwise would have enabled her to associate high levels of saturated fat and refined sugar with disease.
I don't consider myself a food expert or food scientist either, Mrs. Hohenberg, but I am well-aware that EATING FAT MAKES YOU FAT.* You've got to be fucking kidding me. I cannot believe this is real.

* UPDATE [11feb11]: To those who have pointed out that caloric intake (in the case, coming mainly from sugar), and not literal fat intake, is what leads to one putting on weight, you are absolutely right. It was a figure of speech — "fat" meaning fattening foods in general — and admittedly not a clear one.

Plaintiff, in the exercise of reasonable diligence, could not have discovered Ferrero's deceptive practice earlier because, like nearly all consumers, she does not read scholarly publications or other materials describing the negative impact of consuming foods high in saturated fat and refined sugars.
I would LOVE to peruse the "scholarly publication" that contains the bombshell that saturated fat and refined sugars are — GASP! — bad for you! I'm guessing the pub is titled Food Facts Every Person With Their Spinal Cord Attached to Their Fucking Brain Is Aware Of, Except This Lady, Who Would Rather File a Frivolous Fucking Lawsuit Than Put in the .5 Seconds of Rational Thought It Requires to Make Sure Her Child Doesn't End Up On a "Fat Babies" Segment of Maury. For the record, I think Nutella is delicious in moderation, but I don't think I'll be eating it for awhile after hearing about this. All it'll do is remind me of Mrs. Hohenberg, who has decided to blame a supermarket product for her disturbing inability to think for herself.

Adam Fields
Posted 2011-02-11 12:51:49
The problem is that you have to have damages for a lawsuit. You can't say 'I'm too smart to fall for your blatant lying tricks, but more stupid people might be harmed.' If you do that, you'll get nothing. You have to actually show harm in order to even have a case, let alone get them to stop. . I'm not saying that that is the case here, but it seems like it.

KamikazeZombie
Posted 2011-02-11 12:17:19
I have to say this makes me mad when even my 4 year old daughter knows that Nutella isn't for everyday breakfast. My daughter gets it for her fun Saturday breakfast every other Saturday but she gets to choose a handful of healthy foods to eat with it. Aside from that she doesn't eat it because it is not healthy as an everyday breakfast, lunch and midnight snack. It is still a processed food and like all processed foods it is okay to have in moderation but it is still not healthy. If my 4 year old daughter knows its not healthy for everyday then any mother out there should know. Read the labels, they were put there for a reason!

FrankDNA
Posted 2011-02-10 16:49:52
Drew,

I agree that it's "up to us to make educated decisions," if only by necessity. But I part ways with you in that I think that using the law to keep companies honest is an appropriate action for a consumer. Yes, we all have "personal responsibility," and that includes the individuals who profit from Nutella and who create its advertising; it seems to me that they initiated this controversy by shirking their personal responsibility first.  

I'd happily be the Nutella spokesperson. I'd get in front of the camera and say "I eat a healthy diet, I exercise regularly, and when I want to splurge, Nutella is the most deliciously decadent treat in the grocery store. It's fattening, but it's SOOO GOOOOOD!" If they took that angle, instead of having a mom say it's healthy for her kids, we wouldn't have this problem now.

Joy Manning
Posted 2011-02-11 11:54:47
I think a lot of the way I feel about it comes from the fact that my parents were grossly uneducated about nutrition and literally let my sister and I select all the family's groceries from the time we were in preschool. And how do you think we decided what we wanted? You can't expect small children to have the kind of critical thinking skills to sort out advertising. I mean, we don't allow advertisements for cigarettes on TV for this very reason. You can't count on all parents to be like yours and as a society I feel like it's reasonable to at least try to protect vulnerable kids.

Alan Haggard
Posted 2011-02-11 08:45:15
Wow. First off, who would be dumb enough to actually believe Nutella is health food? Pretty much anything that has one healthy ingredient, and a sh!tload of unhealthy ingredients will make this claim. It's nothing new. 

Use some common sense, and maybe, just maybe you should actually read nutrition facts before you feed it to your kids by the handful.

That said, Nutella isn't going to kill you. It's not any worse than eating most brands of peanut butter. Just don't eat more than you should and you'll be fine.

Db
Posted 2011-02-11 11:07:29
hahaha nice comment, people are so succinct.

muchadoaboutstupid
Posted 2011-02-11 09:52:15
This is a perfect example of the abdication of responsibility that modern fox-news watching, god-fearing, money-grubbing american parents have.  According to them, it's up to teachers to discipline and raise their children, the media/clergy to tell them what to think and food producers and advertisers to tell them what to eat.  And if those people don't live up to their fairytale standards? Why, sue them of course!  This is Ameri-kuh, and money and fame are the be all and end all of everything!

Has anyone here seen "Idiocracy"?  This special breed of brain-dead moron is precisely what is wrong with the US of A, and they won't be going anywhere unless their less-brain-dead counterparts stand up and get counted.

CJ
Posted 2011-02-11 10:07:28
BEST. RANT. EVER. My sis posted this to facebook..and I'm going to share it with everyone I know. Stupid people and the willfully ignorant piss me off in ways that I can't even describe without developing a stutter.  And zombies aren't real. pah.

BradyDale
Posted 2011-02-11 10:16:52
Is it really that bad for you? It's basically exactly the same as peanut butter, which isn't exactly a junk food. About the same amount of fat and calories, but not as much protein.

HannibalLecterCannibalKing
Posted 2011-02-11 10:26:11
Does the fact that this chocolate product is manufactured by a CANDY COMPANY not also piss anyone off?

Kevin
Posted 2011-02-11 04:57:55
It's healthy if eaten straight out of the jar with a spoon. Because then it doesn't count ;)

Steve
Posted 2011-02-11 21:02:22
Of course the key is right there.... "be a up to us to make educated decisions". Educated decisions require education, which, is sorely lacking in so many areas.

I had a health class in school. That health class was 90% sex ed. Not complaining, it definitely had real advantages to have a strong sex ed class and not just hearsay from the street or my parents non-existent treatment of the topic, but.... the class was not really a full every day sort of class, and it was only part of the year, the rest being "home ec" where we were basically introduced to sewing. 

In more traditional cuisine, as was what people generally ate up until a few of generations ago, you didn't need to worry as much about nutrition so much, as people ate a variety of things, which varied with seasonal availability. 

Now, processed food and particularly processed sugar, it simply makes up a HUGE percentage of what food is even available. Never mind sugar, salt too. 

Now, luckily, I learned to actually cook in a kitchen, and I make good money, so i can buy and cook raw food myself. Not everyone even gets that, never mind nutrition education, that I had to learn on my own, and is still only rudimentary. 

This stuff is hard, it really is disonest for companies to use peoples ignorance to sell sugary product as "healthy".

Ticket Stubs: Meal Ticket Weekly Recap, Feb. 7-11 :: Meal Ticket :: Food Blog :: Philadelphia City Paper
Posted 2011-02-14 10:52:07
[...] with Hammond's Pretzels• PREVIEW: Kitchen at Penn• The pizza situation at Kennett• If you don't know Nutella is bad for you and your kids, then you are a total idiot and a bad...• WEEKLY CANDY: Coconut M&Ms• IN PRINT: City Paper Food and Restaurants, Feb. [...] 

Strike
Posted 2011-02-11 14:17:32
that's a load of bunk ma'am. it is just another example of letting people to shirk their personal responsibility in order to "protect the children"

Implying there need to be stricter laws in place about ANYTHING to let parents avoid parenting is completely ridiculous.

Drew Lazor
Posted 2011-02-10 20:25:05
Thanks Pete. All good things in moderation.

FrannyZooey
Posted 2011-02-10 20:43:21
Classic American, blame everyone but yourself for your own ignorance! Something for nothing always right? Hey Frank, in a perfect world the Nutella advertisements would be exactly as you said, but lets be realistic. companies are big stinkin liars because they want to make the most money possible. Nothing is ever going to change this. Not saying I agree with it, it's actually total bullshit, but that doensn't mean this lady is not accountable for knowing what she is eating

In conclusion Nutella is DELICIOUS.

Cristine
Posted 2011-02-11 01:28:19
Jif peanut butter:
Serving Size 2 Tbsp (32g)
Calories 190
Calories from Fat 130

Nutella:
Serving size 2 Tbsp (37g)
Calories 200
Calories from Fat 100

What is the big commotion about? Nutella is hazelnut butter with a bit of cocoa. I don't see anyone suing Jif because of PB&J sandwiches.

Matt
Posted 2011-02-10 23:54:57
"This may come as a shock to the plaintiff, but advertising, by virtue, is misleading — and that in NO WAY relieves you of your responsibilities as a consumer and as a parent."

I agree that this particular case is misguided and the plaintiff should lose, but your statement implies that truth in advertising is irrelevant.  It's a very, very gradual slope from complete truth to outright lies, especially when it comes to advertising.

The whole *purpose* of advertising, as you point out, is to mislead people -- to convince them to buy things they don't need, to sell them on the idea that all their problems can be solved with simple, easy actions.  Basically, we have a multi-billion dollar industry spending *all of its time* distorting the truth to everyone, with big, loud, mostly unavoidable messages that, even if you consciously reject every one, still have an effect on you.  And not everybody has that luxury.

Adam Fields
Posted 2011-02-11 13:14:11
The problem is that you have to have damages for a lawsuit. You can't say ‘I'm too smart to fall for your blatant lying tricks, but more stupid people might be harmed.' If you do that, you'll get nothing. You have to actually show harm in order to even have a case, let alone get them to stop. . I'm not saying that that is the case here, but it seems like it.

Adam Erace
Posted 2011-02-11 00:32:30
So does this mean stirring Nutella into my whole-grain oatmeal isn't healthy? Man...

Dan
Posted 2011-02-10 22:17:35
I am appalled.  Why so much hate for the ignorant?

Let's assume that person X is in fact a "total idiot" and therefore has trouble differentiating between reasonable and ridiculous advertisements.  I understand your anger that such a person's actions may be harmful to their children, but the way in which you express it, is likely to stop people from asking questions and become better parents (who wants to be attacked for ignorance?).

Advertisement campaigns are rarely continued when they are not effective.  Are you suggesting that those people that struggle to tell truth from fiction are fair game to be preyed on?

Alejandro
Posted 2011-02-10 21:12:18
Shes suing for false advertisement, I know people know that hazelnut and choco are bad, but these guys are plainly saying "this stuff is good for you and is in no way bad for you"

Mike McNally
Posted 2011-02-10 21:26:31
I agree pretty much 100% with your article, *except* that eating FAT does not actually make you FAT. What's fattening about Nutella is the sugar, and that sugar served in concert with a bunch of other starches (probably white bread toast).  Fat is problematic in the diet because it, along with salt, focuses the appetite and helps a person concentrate on packing away the simple sugars and low-fiber carbohydrate bulk.  *That* stuff is what bodies make fat from.

Anyway, suing the Nutella people is obviously retarded, but they left themselves wide open to this eventuality by talking about nutrition *at all*. It's candy, and they should just be honest and sell it as such.

FrannyZooey
Posted 2011-02-10 21:27:42
point taken Alejandro but the way im reading it this girl is saying she had absolutely NO CLUE that sugar and fat were bad for you, and took the company's "suggestion" to eat it as part of a "Balanced" breakfast as 100% true gospel. im sorry but that is sad and pathetic. if we were all like this woman and automatically believed everything every company said and did and didnt learn anything on our own, it would be the movie Idiocracy. not that far off now that i think about it...

Again... Nutella is delicious

poncho
Posted 2011-02-10 15:28:46
hahaha nice rant, people are so dumb.

Joy Manning
Posted 2011-02-10 15:35:31
I agree that a lawsuit is not a good way to address this problem, but the fact is that the Nutella TV spots in particular are extremely deceptive, more so even than a lot of other ads. 

The solution, in my opinion, is strict regulation on marketing processed food of any kind, especially to or for children. This women doesn't seem to be that bright and is obviously dropping the ball on the nutrition part of parenting, but when I read about it, I hoped it would draw attention to the problems of junk food deceptively marketed for kids. Food manufacturers should have to be more straightforward on the labels and in their ads.

ThadS
Posted 2011-02-10 15:36:22
You don't have to be a food scientist to read a nutrition label. I hate people.

nicodemus
Posted 2011-02-10 15:40:09
Im going to go home, eat Nutella and not feel guilty because like any rational persons who consumes fat and sugar - I exercise. What a dumbass trying to get a free lunch.

Drew Lazor
Posted 2011-02-10 16:23:32
FrankDNA:

Thank you for your comment. I'm not defending the backhanded dealings of the company that produces Nutella as much as I'm demanding that people like this woman take personal responsibility for her health and the health of her family. Stricter regulation re: truth in labeling/marketing is an ambitious and honorable goal, but I think we can both agree it ain't happening overnight. Perhaps I'm a cynic, but companies have been lying to consumers for centuries and I don't think that's ever going to change. That's why, in the now, I think it'll always be up to us to make educated decisions, instead of pushing the brunt of the blame outward.

FrankDNA
Posted 2011-02-10 16:02:00
I get your point, but I don't think that big corporations should be let off the hook for lying just because the lie seems obvious to most of us. 

Here's what's on Nutella's website, in a section called “Nutella & Nutrition”:
“Create a meal of whole wheat toast or a whole-grain toaster waffle with Nutella® hazelnut spread, a small bowl of sliced strawberries and a glass of 1% milk for a good mix of morning nutrients.
When used in moderation with complementary foods, Nutella® can form a part of a balanced meal. It is a quick and easy way to encourage kids to eat whole grains, such as whole wheat toast, English muffins, toaster waffles and bagels. With the unique taste of Nutella®, kids may think they are eating a treat for breakfast while moms are helping nourish their children with whole grains.”

And that follows 4 paragraphs about the importance of a nutritious breakfast, complete with academic citations & quotes from a registered dietitian!

rascal b. schuylkillian
Posted 2011-02-10 16:36:45
TV advertising and marketing is generally about the art of deception.  Nutella isn't made of veggies; if you've ever called or dealt with an employee of comcast - you know its not comcastic; douching isn't a streamside stroll with your moms; and Taco Bell doesn't make you smile, it gives you the squirts.

Peter Woolsey
Posted 2011-02-10 16:42:00
As an American parent raising his child to eat like a French kid (french mother), Nutella is common in our food. The question is when does the child eat it and by how much. We eat at most a table spoon a day  spread over whole wheat toast (just like the commercial!). Other terrible French breakfast habits include cookies for breakfast and entire bowls worth of hot chocolate. Then again I have a three year old who is not a fiend for sugar and candy because it is not part of an award system but part of his reasonable diet. That parent is out of her mind.

Drew Lazor
Posted 2011-02-10 15:54:47
Joy:

Thanks so much for sharing your opinion. I agree that a large portion of food marketing in this country is misleading by its very nature, particularly to kids — we invented the Happy Meal, after all! But my hang-up is, where does the importance of individual nutritional education/ decision-making end and the need for macro-regulation begin? I've always felt strongly that it HAS to begin at the kitchen table. I was extremely lucky to grow up in a family that cared about eating right, but I am well-aware that not every kid out there is going to have the same situation. Do you think stricter regulation from the government would in turn influence folks on the ground level to make the proper nutritional decisions for their families? I'd like to think so, but the cynic in me fears that even a strict, wide-spanning crackdown wouldn't nip the issue in the bud (see the forever-duplicitous marketing in the tobacco industry).

Tweets that mention If you don't know Nutella is bad for you and your kids, then you are a total idiot and a bad parent. :: Meal Ticket :: Philadelphia City Paper -- Topsy.com
Posted 2011-02-10 15:59:43
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by E.F., Meal Ticket. Meal Ticket said: ILL-ADVISED RANT FACTORY: If you don't know Nutella is bad for you/your kids, you are a total idiot and a bad parent. http://ow.ly/3Ub84 [...] 
Posted by Drew Lazor @ 8:22 PM  Permalink | 1 comment
POSTED: Thursday, February 10, 2011, 6:00 PM
Filed Under: Weekly Candy
Photo | Erin Finnerty
Once a week, Team Meal Ticket shares its latest sugar-laden fixations. Do not tell 0ur dentist. IN QUESTION: In one of last month's Notes from the Weekend, Adam Erace suggested testing out Coconut M&Ms in the name of Weekly Candy. Ask and ye shall receive, AE! Originally marketed as a "limited edition" back in 2009, these robust chocolate morsels have been upgraded to a Mars mainstay. Upon first bite, I anticipated a grainy coconut shred center and I was shocked to find no real coconut within; instead, each brown, green or white candy-coated chocolate button is laced with a pleasantly authentic toasty coconut flavor. WHERE TO BUY: Picked up a couple bags at Rite Aid at 17th and Chestnut that were consumed before they could be properly documented. Re-upped my stash a few days later at Target off Columbus Blvd. Also spotted at several area Wawa stores. HOW MANY DO WE TYPICALLY EAT IN ONE SITTING: Unlike the highly overhyped Pretzel M&Ms, they hook you up with more than 10 pieces per pack, so one bag is just right. FINER POINTS: Check out Green on the package, lampin' on the beach in go-go boots and putting Yellow to work! Perhaps he fell under the spell of the green candy-shelled aphrodisiac. I hate it when that happens! Also, although this remains untested, I'm pretty sure dumping a bag or two into a bucket of popcorn would make for an extra-special tropical theater salad that would pair nicely with a viewing of Cast Away or some Lost reruns.

Erin
Posted 2011-02-10 13:33:41
Thads - They're like glorified Crispy M&Ms (hence the blue bag), except a bigger ripoff. I demand my $.88 worth.

ThadS
Posted 2011-02-10 13:14:12
Overhyped (pretzel M&M's)? I am sorry that you fell prey to fake coconut flavor, while I sit back and enjoy the satisfying combination of crunchy, salty, and sweet. Blasphemy!

cybele
Posted 2011-02-11 12:40:36
If you like real coconut, I really suggest the superior Almond Joy Pieces though they're not sold in individual bags like this, just the big 4 ounce peg bags. (I picked up one at the 99 Cent Only Store earlier this week.) They have real coconut, passable milk chocolate and almond bits in a candy shell. 

Mars is bringing out a Coconut Twix in a few weeks, look sharp, I hear some stores already have them on shelves.

ThadS
Posted 2011-02-11 10:16:14
Did the taste off last night. Pretzel all the way. Coconut tastes like tanning oil. Case closed.

ThadS
Posted 2011-02-11 14:00:09
So what's wrong with rock salt and cheap chocolate? It's like winter in Hershey.

Tweets that mention WEEKLY CANDY: Coconut M&Ms :: Meal Ticket :: Food Blog :: Philadelphia City Paper -- Topsy.com
Posted 2011-02-11 13:48:54
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Mr. Sweettooth, Meal Ticket. Meal Ticket said: Thanks to @candyblog for putting us on to COCONUT TWIX, coming out soon! *swoon* http://bit.ly/i48kJU cc @erinfinnerty [...] 

Felicia D'Ambrosio
Posted 2011-02-11 13:10:47
Pretzel M&Ms taste like rock salt surrounded by cheap chocolate, and the Coconut had so much of an SPF aroma the second bag went uneaten on the counter for weeks.  This does not happen in my house. 

Coconut Twix sound worth a trial run.

Adam Erace
Posted 2011-02-11 00:25:45
Coconut M&Ms yay yay yay yay yay yay

Tweets that mention WEEKLY CANDY: Coconut M&Ms :: Meal Ticket :: Food Blog :: Philadelphia City Paper -- Topsy.com
Posted 2011-02-10 14:25:28
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by E.F. and brian, Meal Ticket. Meal Ticket said: WEEKLY CANDY from @erinfinnerty: Coconut M&Ms (peep Green cold LAMPIN'!) http://ow.ly/3U543 [...] 

Michelle
Posted 2011-02-10 15:22:43
I adore coconut and can't wait to try these!
Posted by Erin Finnerty @ 6:00 PM  Permalink | Post a comment
POSTED: Thursday, February 10, 2011, 3:30 PM
Filed Under: In Print
Photo | Neal Santos
- The clubby atmosphere doesn't take anything away from the soulful food at Center City's Kokopelli, where chef Gina Rodriguez recreates family recipes and more to build interesting Southwest flavors. - What the hell is cold-smoking? It's a technique about as old as eating itself, and plenty of restaurants in Philly (Cafe Estelle, Sidecar, Brauhaus Schmitz, etc.) are practicing it. - In Feeding Frenzy, we run down a slew of new Philly openings, including Opa, Zaffron, Falafel Bar and much more.

Tweets that mention IN PRINT: City Paper Food and Restaurants, Feb. 10 :: Meal Ticket :: Food Blog :: Philadelphia City Paper -- Topsy.com
Posted 2011-02-10 22:36:12
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Lisa Chan-Simms, Stacy Martin. Stacy Martin said: IN PRINT: City Paper Food and Restaurants, Feb. 10: - The clubby atmosphere doesn't take anything away from the ... http://bit.ly/fxM8wS [...] 
Posted by Drew Lazor @ 3:30 PM  Permalink | Post a comment
POSTED: Wednesday, February 9, 2011, 10:00 PM
Filed Under: Snack Time
Photo | Dominic Episcopo
- Philly photographer Dominic Episcopo's series, Meat America, features American symbols shaped entirely out of steaks and various other raw meat options. He exhibited the collection at Bambi Gallery in Northern Liberties; you can view it (and purchase a print or two) here. - Sometimes, restaurants release their menus without editing them. Grammar errors and minor typos we can shrug off, but what about a "Hamen Eggen Chiz," baked backwash or an STD burger? Huffington Post compiles more than 20 of the most ridiculous menu bloopers out there. - Seems some restaurants need to have a word with their web designers. The Oatmeal pokes fun at the redundancy of flashy sites here, but let's be honest, this is really exactly what we are all working with.
Photo | Shaun Soole
- Grilled cheese and tomato soup is a classic meal duo. But how about a grilled cheese and tomato soup martini? How do you even do that? Clive's in Victoria, B.C. is steeping rum with actual grilled cheese sandwiches, adding smoky scotch and muddling tomatoes with basil to create such a thing, the New York Times reports. - Chicken wings and chicken wings and chicken wings. That's what people eat during the Super Bowl, right? President Obama's family and friends added a few more options to their game day smorgasbord, including kielbasa and twice-baked potatoes. ESPN shares with us here. - Biggest party school? Biggest campus? Highest dropout rate? Bard College takes the cake for being named America's top dinner party school, The Onion "reports." We think this is pretty rad. - If I were ever told to eat fewer oysters, I would punch someone. Sad news, because our indulgence is threatening the sea's most beautiful little creations. They are "becoming extinct" due to massive reef destruction, reports DailyMail UK. Farming is still the preferred method, but in their wild form, these mollusks serve a huge purpose in the oceanic ecosystem.

Laurel Rose Purdy
Posted 2011-02-10 12:32:28
I'm really into this series, but all of his work is phenomenal.

David
Posted 2011-02-10 10:53:00
Dominic Episcopo is an amazing photographer. He shot the Delilah's "pinup" campaign around ten years ago, and it was so effective Varga Bar stole the idea. And that proves Fred Allen's statement: "Imitation is the sincerest form of plagarism."

Tweets that mention SNACK TIME: Meat America, Hilarious menu bloopers, Food web gone wrong, Grilled cheese martinis, Obama's Super Bowl menu, Collegiate gourmands and the WORST NEWS EVER :: Meal Ticket :: Food Blog :: Philadelphia City Paper -- Topsy.co
Posted 2011-02-10 01:06:56
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Bill Stenson, Meal Ticket. Meal Ticket said: Check out @laurelro's SNACK TIME link roundup this week: http://ow.ly/3TvaA [...] 
Posted by Laurel Rose Purdy @ 10:00 PM  Permalink | Post a comment
POSTED: Wednesday, February 9, 2011, 8:56 PM
Filed Under: Recipes

I was recently invited to take part in a "Bean Swap" that involved a bunch of friends cooking hearty bean-based recipes and trading them to stock up fridges and freezers. Since Philly's been colder than Dame Judi Dench's countenance in Notes on a Scandal these past few months, my thoughts fixated on cassoulet, the soulful, soporific French white bean stew. Few places in Philly do this dish better than Bistrot La Minette (623 S. Sixth St.), where chef/owner Peter Woolsey offers a traditional Toulousain version swimming with a veritable barnyard of ribcage-insulating proteins — lamb, bacon, duck confit, sausage, pork belly. MEAT PARTY!

While factors like time, equipment and (distinct lack of) kitchen skill required that I craft a far less ambitious cassoulet, I feel the Woolsey-guided version Friend of Meal Ticket Kibby R. and I ended up with tasted pretty damn good. We dialed it down to feature just two meats, slab bacon and lamb shoulder (there is still duck fat in it, though — vital). Keep in mind that this recipe, while straightforward, requires patience — a rushed cassoulet is a sucky one. Check out the recipe, which feeds about eight hungry heads, after the jump.

Posted by Drew Lazor @ 8:56 PM  Permalink | Post a comment
POSTED: Wednesday, February 9, 2011, 7:33 PM
Filed Under: Booze | Menu Time
Manayunk drinkery Old Eagle Tavern (175-177 Markle St.), owned by Erin Wallace of South Philly's Devil's Den, is rolling out a brand-new food menu — apps, sandwiches and full-on plates (lamb mac 'n' cheese!) — this Friday, Feb. 11, to complement its solid craft beer program. Check out what's good to eat after the jump.

Appetizers

Soup  $7 cheddar, lager, potatoes, frizzled leeks

Pierogies of the Week  $MP from the Pierogie Kitchen caramelized onions & sour cream

Tuna Nachos  $8 pickled black beans, tomatillo salsa, sesame infused sour cream, wasabi guacamole

Caesar Salad   $7 grilled focaccia crouton, regiano

Wings   $8 8 wings, celery, carrots & blue cheese dressing  - mild or hot

Cheese  Steak Springrolls $8 sriracha ketchup

Old Bay Steamed Shrimp   1/2lb $7   1lb $14 bloody mary cocktail sauce

Artichoke & Spinach Dip  $6 tortilla chips

Cornmeal Crusted Fried Calamari $8 marinara sauce

Broccoli, Cheddar & Bacon Fritters  $7 chipotle sour cream

Fresh Cut French Fries $4 malt vinegar aioli

Sandwiches all sandwiches served with french fries

Grilled Cheese  $7 provolone, pepperoni, basil, marinara

Carolina Style Smoked Pulled Pork  $8 jiccama slaw, pepper jack

Lamb Burger  $9 minted tomatoes, parmesan cheese spread

Buffalo Chicken  $8 blue cheese, lettuce,  tomato

Turkey Club Panini  $9 applewood smoked bacon, avocado mayo, gruyere, frisee, tomatoes

1/2 lb  Beef Burger   $8 with lettuce, tomato, onions

toppings $0.50 each: caramelized onions, mushrooms, spinach,  apple wood bacon, pepper jack, cheddar, blue cheese & provolone

Plates

Vegetable Flatbread  $8 Mushrooms, spinach, roasted garlic, gruyere

Lamb Mac & Cheese  $12 lamb shank, applewood smoked bacon, tomatoes, scallions, toasted bread crumbs

Short Rib Flatbread  $10 short ribs, garlic, olive oil, tomatoes, fontina

Duck Enchiladas   $12 duck confit, green chili, cilantro, roasted peppers, monterey jack, salsa verde, chipotle sour cream

Stuffed Pork Belly  $14 Chorizo, apples, apple cider– framboise reduction

Chicken Pot Pie  $10 beer braised chicken, English peas, corn, pie crust


Foobooz » Quick Bites
Posted 2011-02-10 13:00:16
[...] This Friday the Old Eagle Tavern in Manayunk rolls out a new menu. [Meal Ticket] [...] 

Julie
Posted 2011-02-09 15:45:23
That's a pretty fun menu. I used to live 4 blocks from the Eagle from 2004-2007. This was just my favorite place in the 'Yunk, from the cheap food, the beer list (the manager at the time introduced me to Sea Dog Blueberry Wheat-thank you Chris), the Hoegaarden Wednesdays, and the adorable white German shepherd roaming the bar.

Tina
Posted 2011-02-10 14:34:49
Looks tasty!
Posted by Drew Lazor @ 7:33 PM  Permalink | Post a comment
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About this blog
Founded in October 2008, Meal Ticket is a City Paper blog about food, drink and assorted other things that make you go mmm. We do recipes, interviews, restaurant news, commentary and much more. We don't do restaurant reviews herethose are handled in print, mostly by our critic (and Meal Ticket contributor) Adam Erace. Got a tip, question, thought or concern? Just want to say hello? Please shoot a note to caroline@citypaper.net.

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