Category Archives: Food, glorious food

Recycle that cooking oil

Posted on November 29, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

A public service announcement from the city. The holidays are upon us and that means cooking turkeys, hams and other foods that either require cooking oils to prepare or that generate a surplus of grease when cooked. Used cooking oils … Continue reading →

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Bringing sriracha to Denton

Posted on November 8, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

It could happen. It’s not exactly trending — not yet, anyhow — but #Sriracha2Denton is a thing, thanks to a Denton City Council member who smells an opportunity in the wake of a Southern California dust-up involving the beloved hot … Continue reading →

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Good times for craft distillers

Posted on September 14, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Just as Texas’ craft brewing industry finally got legislation passed that will allow them to operate more freely, so too did Texas craft distillers. Gov. Rick Perry on Monday declared September “Texas Craft Spirits Month” as the state begins to … Continue reading →

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On selling junk food in Texas schools

Posted on August 28, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Every session, there’s at least one bill that gets passed with little to no notice that has completely unforeseen effects. The Lunch Tray breaks a story about one such bill from this past regular session, which has to do with … Continue reading →

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Food trucks going un-mobile

Posted on August 25, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

It’s a trend. Matti Merrell and Rodney Perry first parked their Green Seed food truck on a Third Ward street in 2011. Within a year Food & Wine named it the No. 9 vegan and vegetarian restaurant in the U.S. … Continue reading →

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No kids allowed

Posted on August 18, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

I don’t have a problem with this. Chef Aquiles Chavez said his decision to ban young children from his restaurant during the evening hours was not easy. And the decision wasn’t shared by his wife. On Monday, La Fisheria, the … Continue reading →

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A preview of the next beer battle

Posted on July 12, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Texas microbreweries are now officially selling their wares on premise. Woo hoo! In business for nearly 19 years, Saint Arnold Brewing Co. sold its first cold one directly to a customer [in June], thanks to a new law liberalizing the … Continue reading →

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There are limits to caffeination after all

Posted on June 3, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

No caffeinated gum for you. Wrigley’s new caffeinated gum, Alert Energy Gum, only lasted a couple of weeks on the shelves of supermarkets, grocery stores and convenient stores after the FDA became concerned about the amount of caffeine each piece … Continue reading →

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What does it mean to be a “craft” beer?

Posted on January 12, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron has a Q&A with beer aficionado Jenn Litz that raises an interesting question. Q: How are the major breweries responding to the craft beer trend? A: Mostly through the acquisition route. They know the milliennials are drinking craft, … Continue reading →

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Now you can drink for charity

Posted on January 1, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

The OKRA Charity Bar is now open for business. Charity Bar — like Warren’s Inn, its neighbor around the block — will be open until 2 a.m. seven days a week. “I think bars have a responsibility to people in … Continue reading →

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It’s a dog eat donut world

Posted on December 29, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

What interested me the most in this story about the locally-based Shipley’s Do-Nuts is what wasn’t said. The changes are coming at a time when competition in the breakfast industry is stronger than ever. Coffee chains are offering more breakfast … Continue reading →

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The Houston Food Bank could use your help

Posted on December 26, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Times are tough, y’all. Despite a growing demand, food banks, charities and pantries face a dwindling supply of products to distribute to Houston’s hungry this holiday season. Food banks in Houston and across the country have less to give away … Continue reading →

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Craft versus crafty

Posted on December 21, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Just because that beer you’re drinking has a quirky name and a whimsical label on the bottle doesn’t mean it came from a microbrewery. In a biting opening salvo, a trade group for the nation’s craft brewers on Thursday accused … Continue reading →

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The hospitality industry industry’s effect on the economy

Posted on December 7, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

I had the opportunity recently to attend a presentation by the Greater Houston Restaurant Association (GHRA) of a study they sponsored of the economic impact of the hospitality industry in Harris County. Here’s the high level view: The study found … Continue reading →

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Cracker Jack’d

Posted on November 25, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Buy me some peanuts and caffeinated Cracker Jacks… Coming soon to a store near you: Cracker Jack’D, a new twist on the popcorn candy that offers Power Bites with as much caffeine in every serving as a cup of coffee. … Continue reading →

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Where to eat if no one is cooking in your house

Posted on November 22, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

I figure most people are eating at home, or the home of a family member or friend, but if you’re not and you’re in Houston, Eater.com has a list of restaurants that are open today. Some pretty fancy places in … Continue reading →

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Beer is still a job creator

Posted on November 18, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

We really owe a debt of gratitude to beer, in particular to microbrewers. Saint Arnold Brewing Co., the city’s oldest craft, has 43 employees and is in the midst of hiring at least three more, founder Brock Wagner said. That … Continue reading →

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More on the microbrewers’ legislative strategy

Posted on October 23, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

The Statesman returns to our favorite subject. The small brewers, generally a young and passionate group, always have been better at creating hoppy and original brews than navigating the Legislature and the network of big-money lobbyists who are experts at … Continue reading →

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The case against the food trucks

Posted on September 25, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Reggie Coachman, president of the Greater Houston Restaurant Association, tries to make a case against giving food trucks freer rein downtown. Currently there are more than 939 active mobile units permitted in the city of Houston, including 774 trucks and … Continue reading →

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MFU Houston encounters some resistance

Posted on September 20, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

No one ever said updating Houston’s food truck ordinances would be easy. On Tuesday, more than 50 mobile food truck owners and supporters showed up at a council committee hearing to push for changes to the city’s mobile food unit … Continue reading →

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MFU Houston

Posted on September 12, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

From the inbox: The Houston Mobile Food Unit (MFU) Collective will present City Council Members with stakeholder-driven Ordinance changes in September, which will further promote business growth and entrepreneurship in Houston. The proposed Ordinance changes will eliminate the 60-foot distance … Continue reading →

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Fort Bend Brewing

Posted on September 2, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Microbreweries sure are a growth industry around here. Chris Leonard came to Houston and was struck by the similarity with his hometown of Philadelphia. It was enough to convince him to move to Missouri City from the City of Brotherly … Continue reading →

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What does it mean to be a beer?

Posted on August 15, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Boy, is that a deep question or what? Until recently, beer drinkers who took their time to read the labels on their bottles or cans may have encountered some head-scratching fine print concerning Texas. Underneath the name of Brooklyn Brewery’s … Continue reading →

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Beer is a job creator

Posted on July 29, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Microbreweries are, anyway. Craft brewing in Texas could add 52,000 jobs and mushroom into a $5.6 billion industry by 2020 if state lawmakers next year ease restrictions on breweries and restaurants that make beer on-site, a study prepared by the … Continue reading →

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Wash hands or wear gloves?

Posted on July 15, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

There’s an interesting debate going on in Oregon about the best way to ensure food safety in restaurants and other eateries. Oregon restaurant owners and chefs recently earned a small victory, delaying by several months a new state rule that … Continue reading →

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Take the train to your dining destination

Posted on June 26, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Katharine Shilcutt writes about how she gets to some of her favorite restaurants. When owner Staci Davis decided on a location for her restaurant, Radical Eats, one thing was extremely important to her above all: Davis wanted her vegan paradise to … Continue reading →

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Our stupid beer laws in action

Posted on June 24, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before. Owners of the popular Eatsie Boys food truck will open their first stand-alone restaurant later this year on Montrose Boulevard, serving everything from breakfast items to sandwiches to house-made gelato. Closer to … Continue reading →

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Checking in with the cottage foodies

Posted on June 11, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Recall again that last year home bakers were able to get a law passed that allowed them to legally sell their products in the state – see here for all the background. After the law was passed there was another … Continue reading →

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“Zero waste” grocery store set to open

Posted on June 3, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Coming soon to Austin. The idea for a package-free organic grocery store started years ago when brothers Christian and Joseph Lane were discussing a simple business idea: refilling beer and wine bottles. From there, they decided to include other basic … Continue reading →

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If you can’t beat ’em, eat ’em

Posted on May 12, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

Texas Monthly proposes a way to deal with those bothersome invasive species. Keep your invasive species sweet; you may have to eat them. Late last week StateImpact Texasput together a list of the “Top Ten Invasive Species in Texas.” But what’s the best … Continue reading →

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Well, at least they’ll be able to burn off the calories

Posted on April 16, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

News item number one. Papa John’s pizza, Blue Bell ice cream, and fluorescent-colored Slushies. For some kids, those may be the ingredients of a perfect school lunch. But for at least one Houston school district trustee, they may be the … Continue reading →

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Pink slime

Posted on March 21, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

I don’t know if you’ve been following the “pink slime” debate, but Bettina Siegel, who is one of the main catalysts behind it, had an op-ed in the Chron that summarized the main arguments. Last week, the online publication The … Continue reading →

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Snorting caffeine

Posted on February 26, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

The next frontier in caffeination: Caffeinated air. U.S. Food and Drug Administration officials plan to investigate whether inhalable caffeine sold in lipstick-sized canisters is safe for consumers and if its manufacturer was right to brand it as a dietary supplement. … Continue reading →

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The next battleground for cottage foods

Posted on February 15, 2012 by Charles Kuffner

You may recall that last year home bakers were able to get a law passed that allowed them to legally sell their products in the state. (See here for all the background.) Now that the legislative work is done, the … Continue reading →

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