"Because customers' opinions of restaurants are so subjective, depending on everything from their moods to their life experiences, our business can be brutal when people don't enjoy what they are paying for. Guests have become more educated and vocal over the past number of years. This certainly makes it harder for us, but it also forces us to continue to strive to be better."
--John des Rosiers, chef/owner, Inovasi, "Industry Voices," September 2010, Chef Magazine

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While Americans remain budget-conscious since the onset of the economic downturn, 68 percent say they did not decrease spending in the areas they are most passionate about--with food being the number-one passion cited, according to the latest American Express Spending & Saving Tracker. Sixty percent of the 2,025 Americans surveyed cited food as their passion, with electronics and gadgets (35 percent), sports (34 percent) and fashion (25 percent) following.

On average, foodies appear to spend significantly more on their passion annually ($2,447) compared to the other three groups. Consumers also prioritized spending on larger ticket items and ranked what they spend on most often to indulge in their passion. The top large-ticket items for foodies included fining-dining (35 percent) and culinary vacations (8 percent).

Moreover, 53 percent of foodies say they didn't cut-back spending on their passion at the onset of the economic downturn and 46 percent say they enjoy spending on their passion for food without ever feeling guilty.

For more information, visit http://about.americanexpress.com/default.aspx.
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The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has listed the shovelnose sturgeon (pictured, below) as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act due to its similarity of appearance to the endangered pallid sturgeon. This action effectively terminates commercial harvest of shovelnose sturgeon and shovelnose-pallid sturgeon hybrids where they commonly coexist with the pallid sturgeon.


Because shovelnose sturgeon and pallid sturgeon are difficult to differentiate in the wild and because domestic sturgeon fishing pressure has been driven by demand for sturgeon and their roe, the Fish and Wildlife Service believes that treating the shovelnose sturgeon as a threatened species will ultimately aid the conservation and recovery of pallid sturgeon. For more information, visit www.fws.gov/mountain-prairie/missouririver/moriver_pallidsturgeon.htm.

The goal of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. Visit www.fws.gov.
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Americans ate 15.8 pounds of seafood per capita in 2009, down 1.25 percent from the 16 pounds they consumed in 2008, according to the National Fisheries Institute (NFI). NFI's top 10 list for 2009 revealed that American consumers' seafood preferences remain largely unchanged; the only newcomer to the list was Pangasius at number 10, while flatfish dropped out of the top 10 list. The top 10 seafood of 2009 were:

1. Shrimp
2. Canned tuna
3. Salmon
4. Alaska Pollock
5. Tilapia
6. Catfish
7. Crab
8. Cod
9. Clams
10. Pangasius

"From a public health perspective, it's imperative that Americans eat more fish," said Jennifer McGuire, NFI's registered dietitian, in a statement. "This is a message we expect to see front and center when federal health experts release the new Dietary Guidelines for Americans this year--the familiar food pyramid program. While we anticipate hearing a lot about eating less salt and not as much saturated fat, when it comes to seafood more is better."

For more information, visit www.aboutseafood.com.
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American Farmland Trust has announced the winners of the inaugural America's Favorite Farmers' Market contest, an online contest created to promote the economic and social value of farmers markets in communities.

One boutique, small, medium and large farmers' market each were selected by more than 50,000 voters this summer. The winners from each category are:
Click here to see the top 20 U.S. farmers' markets selected by voters.
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September is National Food Safety Education Month. This campaign from the National Restaurant Association focuses on the importance of food safety education for the restaurant and foodservice industry, while raising awareness of the industry's commitment to food safety. The theme of this year's National Food Safety Education Month is "High-Risk Customers: Serve Your Fare with Extra Care."

The program offers five weeks of free training materials, available for download at www.servsafe.com/nfsem. The weekly training activities and posters can be used to supplement existing in-unit food safety training. All materials reinforce the theme and focus on the special needs of children, pregnant women, the elderly and people with weak immune systems.

The curriculum for National Food Safety Education Month is broken down into five weekly themes, with each theme stressing a different aspect of food safety and high-risk customers. These themes cover topics such as recognizing high-risk customers, children and food safety risk, foods to avoid, minimum internal cooking temperatures and food safety risk factors.

All NFSEM materials are based on the National Restaurant Association's ServSafe food safety training and certification program. The materials communicate food-safety concepts efficiently and all the activities can be completed in less than 10 minutes.
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The 2010 March of Dimes Chicago Chef of the Year Award will be presented to White House executive chef Cristeta Comerford at the Signature Chefs Auction of Chicago on Nov. 3 at the Swissotel.

Now in its second year, the award was created to recognize chefs with Chicago ties for their achievements in culinary arts. Comerford is being honored for her commitment to culinary arts as well as her dedication to the environment, the farming industry, healthy eating and an eco-friendly lifestyle. Accomplishments include bringing nationwide attention to healthy eating and reducing childhood obesity. Chef Rick Bayless, the inaugural Chef of the Year winner, is expected to present the award to chef Comerford during the March of Dimes Signature Chefs Auction of Chicago.

At the event, guests will sample dishes from more than 25 local chefs. Local restaurants participating in the Signature Chefs Auction of Chicago include: Benny's Chop House, Gabriel Viti's Gabriel's Restaurant and Miramar Bistro, Ristorante Prosecco, Province, Boka, The Signature Room at the 95th, Volare, Roy's, N9ne Steak House, The Palm Restaurant, The Purple Pig and Heaven on Seven.

For more information, visit www.marchofdimes.com/illinois.
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