Snack chips are spicier. Chewing gum is mintier. Energy drinks are fruitier. In short, American cuisine is adrenaline cuisine.

Some food companies are hitting their labs to try to torque up flavorings to appeal to the country’s expanding palates, and, of course, boost sales of snacks, drinks and even main courses. Arugula and ancho-chile sauce now appear at restaurants like Chili’s where there was once only iceberg lettuce and mayonnaise. PepsiCo Inc.’s Frito-Lay brand recently introduced Doritos chip flavors labeled First-, Second- and Third-Degree Burn. Gum-maker Wm. Wrigley Jr. Co. is using new technologies like textured crystals it calls Micro-Bursts to deliver a more intense flavor as well as new sweeteners to make flavors last longer. At home, seasoning company McCormick & Co. Inc. says Americans now keep an average of 40 different spices, a figure that has grown roughly twice as fast in the past two decades as it did in the previous 30 years.

The American taste palate is changing, and brands are getting on board with changes to their products to statisfy our hunger. Read more at the Wall Street Journal

How many times a week do you get Chinese take out? I know in my family it’s definitely once but probably twice. Even though I enjoy this food quite frequently I have little knowledge about the culture and society it comes from. Amnesty International has started to use chopstick inspired pencils to increase awareness about the human rights violations in China. Instead of directions for using chopsticks, these packages include directions for writing letters to the Chinese government asking them to stop torture. These pencils are not only original and creative but they help a great charity promote their message.

Source: The Inspiration Room

The ketchup packet has been around for more than 40 years, and complaints about it for nearly as long: too messy, too small, too hard to open. Now ketchup giant H.J. Heinz Co.is unveiling the first major packaging change to the to-go condiment.

The new design has a base that’s more like a cup for dipping and also a tear-off end for squeezing, plus it holds three times as much ketchup than a traditional packet.

”The packet has long been the bane of our consumers,” said Dave Ciesinski, vice president of Heinz Ketchup. ”The biggest complaint is there is no way to dip and eat it on-the-go.”

Condé Nast is giving the axe to Modern Bride, Elegant Bride, Gourmet and Cookie.

It’s not a huge shock to see some of those titles go: Cookie, for instance, wasn’t a prestige title for Condé–like Domino, which the publisher closed down earlier this year, it was founded in 2005.

But Gourmet is one of Condé Nast’s most famous titles, and editor Ruth Reichl is one of Condé’s best-known editors. Most observers would have figured that Bon Appétit would go instead. CEO Chuck Townsend says the Gourmet brand will live on, zombie-style, via TV and publishing deals.

Read more here

Ever open your fridge, stare at the meagar foods on the inside and wonder what to make with mayo, ketchup, and perhaps old cheese? Well, now thanks to MyFridgeFood.com, you can make a meal with everything you have in your fridge.

Conceived by a man who “looks at his freshly stocked fridge….and still ends up eating string cheese because I don’t know what do to with the rest”, MFF lets you click-select what you’ve got lying around from a list of foods, spices, and beverages (e.g., mayo, bacon, ramen, ranch packet mix, bourbon, etc), then shoots back a rundown of potential recipes that use specifically that stuff (and suggests more that require 1+ additional ingredients) — so with a little work, you’ll be gorging on Cheez-It-encrusted Cheez-Its in no time. 

Stop shopping, and use all the food in your fridge first at myfridgefood.com 

Source: Thrillist

Fed up with existing high-fat, high-sugar (and boring) post-workout pick-me-ups, a Chicago-based company has broken the bar down to basics. It’s bars are focused around a core of natural ingredients and the input of a highly selective, tastemaking palate–yours.

Each design-your-own bar begins at the Element Bars website, where you choose a base texture (such as chewy or crispy), then add your favorite nuts, dried fruits, sweets and boosts (like soy protein, fiber and omega-3s). After that, all you need to do is come up with a name for your bar, and the bespoke snacks (12 bars for $36) will be at your door in days.

Need inspiration? Take a quiz to get suggestions for a combo that best suits you, or crib some ideas from past bar-chitects here.
If you’re happy with your creation, submit a description of your masterpiece to the site so others can order it–and rate it. Who knows: Maybe you’ll become the next natural-foods billionaire.

Source: Tasting Table