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Is this a sign of deflation and recession? I was at the McDonalds and got a breakfast sandwich. With my receipt they give me a slickly put together 4" x 4" paper that says Big Mac and Quarter Pounder for $2 from January 12th to January 28th. Is Mickey Dee's clearing out stale hamburger inventory? Are they trying to drum up business? They always seem to hold the line on their two top selling hamburgers at $3.99. Now they are going for half price. For a limited time only of course

City to ban foam takeout, delivery food containers in environmentally friendly push The ban, which will start July 1, covers foam take-out containers, packing peanuts and plastic cups. New Yorkers’ beloved foam takeout and delivery food containers will soon be products of a bygone era. Mayor de Blasio — finishing off an initiative begun by his predecessor — will announce a ban on the environmentally unfriendly material Thursday, according to The New York Times. The ban will start July 1 and cover foam packing peanuts as well as plastic foam cups and takeout containers. City Hall declined to comment when...

Okay. Doesn't fall under "Breaking News" but, I don't post articles very often. So, I drop off my Alki friend so he can do some walk in/walk out bail thing at the Sheriffs Department. I'm bored and spy a Thai restaurant across the street. At first my thoughts were just about some delish lemongrass soup. So I walk in and order their lemongrass soup. But, they offered a twist I hadn't been offered at othe Thai restaurants "You want regular or spicy?". "Huh? Why I'll take spicy. I love spicy anything" I responded Well, they tried to talk me out...

Petco said Monday it has removed all remaining Chinese-made dog and cat treats from its website and stores nationwide because of concerns they have sickened thousands of pets and killed 1,000 dogs in the U.S. since 2007. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration says initial tests have not connected the Chinese jerky and rawhide treats to the illnesses, but the San Diego-based company and its rival PetSmart vowed in May to ban the snacks. Petco is the first national pet retailer to pull the treats from its 1,300 stores. Phoenix-based PetSmart Inc. said Monday that it plans to have them...

Though the study teased out factors such as family history, lifestyle, smoking and other dietary habits, it did have some limitations. Sun said that for one, it was an observational study versus a controlled trial. Additionally, the biggest difference in death risk was between the two extremes -- those who ate a lot of whole grains versus those that ate very little -- but wasn't much different for those who ate somewhere in between. However, Sun pointed out that each additional 28-gram increase in whole grains per day led to even greater protection.

Columbia? Taken. Mississippi? Taken. Sacramento? El Niño? Marlin? Grizzly? Sorry, they're all taken. Virtually every large city, notable landscape feature, creature and weather pattern of North America — as well as myriad other words, concepts and images — has been snapped up and trademarked as the name of either a brewery or a beer. For newcomers to the increasingly crowded industry of more than 3,000 breweries, finding names for beers, or even themselves, is increasingly hard to do without risking a legal fight. Candace Moon, aka The Craft Beer Attorney, is a San Diego lawyer who specializes in helping brewers...

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Ireland says the United States will permit imports of beef from the country—the first European Union state allowed to resume sales since the mad cow disease scare over 15 years ago. Simon Coveney, Ireland’s minister for agriculture, food and the marine, issued a statement Monday announcing that access to the lucrative U.S. market came after American authorities inspected Ireland’s beef production systems. Authorities estimate annual exports could be worth at least €25 million ($30 million). …

Onions are eaten and grown in more countries than any other vegetable but rarely seem to receive much acclaim. It's time to stop taking the tangy, tear-inducing bulb for granted and give it a round of applause, writes the BBC's Marek Pruszewicz. Deep in the archives of Yale University's Babylonian Collection lie three small clay tablets with a particular claim to fame - they are the oldest known cookery books. Covered in minute cuneiform writing, they did not give-up their secrets until 1985, nearly 4,000 years after they were written. The French Assyriologist and gourmet cook Jean Bottero - a...

LEIZHOU, China, - A Chinese court upheld a 13-year jail sentence for a man convicted of purchasing and eating three endangered tigers in separate incidents. Authorities told Qinzhou City Intermediate People's Court the man, identified by the surname Xu, organized three trips to Leizhou, Guangdong province, in 2013 for himself and 14 other people. During each trip, Xu purchased a tiger which was then killed via electric shock, dismembered and served to the group as food. One of the incidents was recorded on a cellphone camera and the video was handed over to police. Investigators said they searched Xu's home...

Many of us are suffering today from last night’s overindulgence. In 2011, Gastro Lab offered its best take on a storied hangover food: the egg-and-cheese sandwich. The video is republished below. Slate V contributors Dan Pashman and Mark Garrison cook up some elaborate breakfast creations in this episode of Gastro Lab. (video at link)

President Obama and first lady Michelle Obama spent a leisurely couple hours at Vintage Cave Honolulu, dropping an estimated $1,000 on a meal with wine at an upscale restaurant that actually charges $500,000 for those who want to buy a membership. Mr. Obama passed on the membership at the Vintage Cave Honolulu, but he did order the price-fix menu at $295 per plate, Mediate reported. And, according to Honolulu Magazine, “the total bill for two, with wine, will approach $1,000.” The restaurant bills itself on its website this way:

The Obamas are closing out their Hawaii vacation at one of the ritziest joints on Oahu. President Obama and first lady Michelle Obama dined Thursday night for nearly three hours at Vintage Cave, an exclusive restaurant that charges up to $500,000 for membership. According to the restaurant’s website, guests are whisked into a “cave-like environment” and encouraged to “escape the ordinary.” The Waikiki restaurant’s interior is composed of granite “quarried in the mountains of India” and custom-crafted furniture in a space that evokes the “underground architecture of ancient Rome.” And the meal? About as fine dining as it gets. According...

WASHINGTON (AP) — For years, the government has been issuing guidelines about healthy eating choices. Now, a panel that advises the Agriculture Department is ready to recommend that you be told not only what foods are better for your own health, but for the environment as well. That means that when the latest version of the government's dietary guidelines comes out, it may push even harder than it has in recent years for people to choose more fruits, vegetables, nuts, whole grains and other plant-based foods — at the expense of meat.

President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama broke off from teenage daughters Sasha and Malia for a night out At the Honolulu, Hawaii, restaurant a 13-15 course, prix fixe meal costs a cool $295 a person and wine pairings add another $130 a head The total tab often nears $1,000 after taxes and tip Paintings that decorate the extravagant 32-seat restaurant are valued at more than $10 million a piece The president and first lady treated themselves to a five star dinner on New Year's Day at renowned Honolulu, Hawaii, restaurant Vintage Cave, where a 15 course, prix fixe...

The California Air Resources Board’s (CARB) plan to offer cap and trade offset credits to California rice farmers to change the way they farm is like chumming fish. The government’s upfront offer of cash is a scam to encourage rice farmers to invite bureaucrats into their business. CARB will undoubtedly later change the farming rules by mandating the type of severe regulations that will strangle rural community success. Sacramento Valley rice farming is a $5 billion industry that specializes in premium grains used in risotto, paella, and sushi. California rice commands a high price and is exported to more than...

President Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle Obama, spent the first night of the new year at Vintage Cave, an upscale restaurant in Hawaii. "At Vintage Cave Honolulu, one can enjoy exceptional food and wine at the hands of gifted masters of the culinary arts. ‘Chef’s recommendation’ commands a gravitas guaranteed to satisfy the most discerning palate. Seasoned sommelier’s conduct the process of pairing wine and food with true finesse and style. Secure in the natural embrace of the cave-like environment, guests are encouraged to relax, ‘hit reset’ and escape the ordinary," Vintage Cave's description reads on its website. As...

Queen of Mean” Michelle Obama has forced out another White House staffer – the First Family’s personal chef! Kitchen magician Sam Kass got fed up with Michelle’s snippy comments and told the Obamas to take his apron and shove it, insiders told The 
National ENQUIRER. “He just couldn’t take it – the relentless nitpicking, over petty little details that drove him insane. She thinks she’s Marie Antoinette!” a White House insider told The ENQUIRER. “It has nothing to do with Sam’s cooking, which is superb. But you could be Wolfgang Puck and Michelle wouldn’t be happy. She’ll find some reason...

Milton Friedman 1978. From a lecture given at Stanford University, he instructs students and faculty on how free markets are the number one tool in the universe to reduce poverty. In the video he disparages government programs that discourage productivity, undermine minority advancement, and actually create poverty...

Carnivorous fast food eaters are stunned by White Castle’s decision to add a “veggie” slider to their menu.