This week, another piece of scientific evidence hits the human ego. Apparently, we're not as emotionally superior as originally thought. Empathy, the ability to mirror another creature's emotions, was once considered a uniquely human characteristic. Now it is a province shared with birds.
Science can lag so far behind intuition. Anyone who has had a terrier loll beside her on a sick day will tell you that an animal can mirror your mood. Must we always wait for the empiric evidence to roll in?
In the study reported in the Telegraph, scientists studied chickens and their chicks-because empathy is thought to have evolved from the biological need to protect offspring. Scientists used air puffs to ruffle the feathers of chicks, and observed the responses of their mothers. They also used the air puff on chickens, and observed their chicks.
"When chicks were exposed to puffs of air, they showed signs of distress that were mirrored by their mothers. The hens' heart rate increased, their eye
Blog Posts by Sarah Fuss, Shine Staff
Chickens feel empathy, study says: Does that change your dinner plans?
By Sarah Fuss, Shine Staff | Shine Food – Thu, Mar 10, 2011 1:09 AM ESTWhich restaurant just beat McDonald's?
By Sarah Fuss, Shine Staff | Work + Money – Tue, Mar 8, 2011 11:36 PM EST
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Domino's?
Nope.
Pizza Hut?
Negatory.
Burger King?
Nah.
Starbucks??
OK! alright! It's Subway.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Subway took the world title last year with a total of 33,749 restaurants worldwide, while McDonald's had 32,737. Turns out Subway has been challenging Mickey D's for at least the last nine years when they established more American outlets than the burger venue
How did Subway grow so fast? Was it the introduction of breakfast items? Was it Jared? The Wall Street Journal explains that Subway's expansion is one example of how chain restaurants are investing overseas, especially in Asia, where opportunities for growth are more promising than here in the U.S., where the economy remains uncertain. The Journal adds another reason: "Subway has achieved its rapid growth, in part, by opening outlets in non-traditional locations such as an automobile showroom in California, an appliance store in Brazil, a ferry terminal in Seattle, a riverboat in Germany, aThe worst things to find in your lunchbox
By Sarah Fuss, Shine Staff | Shine Food – Thu, Mar 3, 2011 2:53 AM ESTWere you on the school lunch plan? Tell us the worst of what your school served you!
More to check out:
10 sandwiches to spice up a back-to-school lunch
Taste test: Jamie Oliver's food collection
Read More »from The worst things to find in your lunchboxWhat's your recipe for perfect toast?
By Sarah Fuss, Shine Staff | Shine Food – Tue, Mar 1, 2011 8:32 PM EST
Read More »from What's your recipe for perfect toast?
New York Magazine is reporting a restaurant toast trend, so if you thought that toast was just something you ate puffy-eyed in the morning and didn't talk about, well wrongo. We have to talk about it. And here's why we should: Over the years, through diligent practice, we've each silently developed the perfect toasting method for ourselves. This kind of practice and refinement directed at other skills is considered art. Shouldn't we share our hard-won techniques?
New York Magazine has Dan Kluger of ABC Kitchen laying out the art of his toast. You can tell he's a professional because he doesn't even use a toaster.
1. Slice a rustic sourdough loaf...into one-half-to-three-quarter-inch slices.
2. Pour a generous splash (about two tablespoons) of olive oil in a nonstick pan, and heat over medium flame.
3. Put slices in pan, rub the bread around a few seconds to absorb the oil, and flip over.
4. Let cook, under a small weight if necessary, until golden brown. ("It shouldn't be so crunchyWhat could McDonald's look like if it was really healthy? We'll soon find out
By Sarah Fuss, Shine Staff | Shine Food – Thu, Feb 24, 2011 1:48 AM EST
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What if fast food burgers looked like real food?I'm always hoping that the business minds behind projects like Burger King, cigarettes, and shopping malls would change jobs, and figure out how to make national betterment financially successful. What if there were as many urban tree-planting facilities as Wendy's? Or if after-school programs were funded better than jails? What if fast food aces sold healthy food, instead? Enter Lyfe Kitchen, a healthy fast food concept created by former McDonald's executives, including ex-president and COO, Mike Roberts. The first location of Lyfe, which stands for Love Your Food Everyday, is slated to open its doors this summer in Palo Alto, California, with 250 planned by 2016.
According to BrandChannel, Lyfe will be designed as a calming oasis, an alternative to the harsh energy-sucking lighting and colors at most fast food chains. In this oasis you will not find butter, cream, fried foods, high-fructose corn syrup, nor items over 600 calories. Art Smith, a former chef for Oprah, and chef TalThe small plate conspiracy: How nice restaurants are swindling us
By Sarah Fuss, Shine Staff | Shine Food – Tue, Feb 15, 2011 9:01 PM EST
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If the '80s were all about high-end restaurants serving tiny food in huge white plates, and the 2000s were all about small-plate (tapas-style) restaurants, then I'm afraid the 2010s might be about some terrible merger and magnification of the two where nice restaurants serve even tinier food inside extremely small plates.
This Valentine's Day started out dreamily. I got a tropical flower bouquet delivered to my office cube. I received the sweetest note in a rugged recycled card. My boyfriend even made dinner reservations, which is a strain on the partner of a food writer. I mean this was a big-deal good day.
We went to a new restaurant by the beach, Vu, in Marina del Rey. There's some line about the quality of food being inverse to the quality of the view from the restaurant. Whatever, we said. We were just looking to be together, to be in a pretty place, and to get full.
No go. We ordered five dishes of various sizes. We ate several nice Lamb Lollipops, but the food droppedThe future is now, and you can eat it
By Sarah Fuss, Shine Staff | Shine Food – Wed, Feb 9, 2011 1:53 AM ESTAll the ways Taco Bell's official beef response disapppoints us
By Sarah Fuss, Shine Staff | Shine Food – Sat, Jan 29, 2011 12:45 AM EST
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Picture it. Taco Bell's public relations team, and probably an emergency out-of-house PR team that they hired, have just heard about Amanda Obney's class-action lawsuit over the veracity of their ground beef. Employees are racing around their offices, throwing papers in the air, pushing past each other, making calls to the USDA, congress, real scientists, fake scientists, and their lawyers. Maybe a top exec is in the hallway yelling at someone, and his anger management consultant is on hold. The hired writers pound away at ergonomic keyboards working on a script that Taco Bell's president Greg Creed can deliver to the public ASAP. They decide to go with the below video. Watch it, then see if you agree with our disappointments below addressed to Mr. Creed.
1. So, Mr. Creed, Taco Bell has an Australian accent? We thought Taco Bell was the Yo Quiero chihuahua.
2. The place between a smile and laugh where this video is shot, the "it's all been such a funny misunderstanding" look thatInsider predicts William and Kate's royal wedding menu
By Sarah Fuss, Shine Staff | Shine Food – Wed, Jan 26, 2011 10:31 PM EST
Read More »from Insider predicts William and Kate's royal wedding menu
Darren McGrady, the once royal chef who oversaw "the wedding of the century" for Charles and Diana, recently told People his predictions for this year's royal wedding menu. Although 1981 was a long time ago, McGrady knows things most people don't, like what Prince William's favorite childhood dish is and the order of eats on the big day.
"Guests will be invited back to Buckingham Palace for a wedding breakfast of Champagne, canapés and heavy h'ors d'oeuvres, such as smoked salmon, paté and mini sausage rolls," People explains. A formal dinner will follow later in the day.
With the slow economy and complaints about the monarchy draining the country's tax revenue, McGrady expects that, "[t]he royal family will not want to be seen as going backwards and actually having a big, seven-course meal with a soup course and a fish course," he says.
McGrady expects that they will be a mix of modern and traditional English cooking. He said he wouldn't be surprised if William's favorite childhoodWhat would you think about a ban on new fast food restaurants in your neighborhood?
By Sarah Fuss, Shine Staff | Shine Food – Wed, Jan 19, 2011 10:09 PM EST
Read More »from What would you think about a ban on new fast food restaurants in your neighborhood?
Fast-food restaurant line the streets in the Figueroa Corridor area of South Los Angeles.Last month the Los Angeles City Council approved a policy that keeps new fast food restaurants from opening their doors in South L.A., a lower-income portion of the city where healthy eating options are difficult to find.
The Council passed a temporary ban in 2008, which the recent decision builds upon. Established fast-food restaurants will not close but new ones will be kept from opening. However, "fast-food casual" restaurants without drive-through windows, such as Denny's and Subway, will not be effected.
If you think this isn't the government's business you're not alone, but here's what complicates the situation (Quotes and statistics from The New York Times' related story):
1. There are already about 1,000 fast food restaurants in the 30 square-mile area in question, according to the City Council.
2. Obesity rates in the area are double that of more affluent parts of the city, and residents over 65 are much more likely to be diabetic or have heart disease.
3. "If people don't
