April 30, 2010
You know how people often go to the store to buy good old-fashioned dairy milk, and then buy this stuff called “soy milk” figuring it’s the same thing? Milk is milk, right? Yeah, I’d never heard of that happening either. But that’s exactly what the National Milk Producer’s Federation is alleging in their new campaign. […]
July 30, 2008
I don’t know about yours, but my neighborhood is suddenly covered in ads for Grape-Nuts. The marketing slant is one of bold refusals of common euphemisms and descriptions that have found their way into our vernacular. A billboard near my house reads, “I hope we can still be friends,” which is crossed out with red […]
July 23, 2008
Central coastal California is a heaven of fruits and vegetables in the summer. The Berkeley farmers’ markets showcase a kaleidoscope of luscious produce and a walk down the line will reveal some equally beautiful names. Many of the farm names have stories that are as organic as the vegetables, but they follow principles that are […]
In the fifties America was launching satellites into space and racing the Russians to the moon. High technology had come to the dinner table as well, and food branding took a cue from NASA. New food preservation technology inspired processed food products that were all about convenience and Swanson’s TV dinners were born. The sixties […]
March 4, 2008
Chips are awesome. I love chips. Salty, crispy, with the fat fried right in. Rarely buy the baked variety, or anything reduced in fat. If I’m chippin’, I’m chunkin. That’s what I say. So you can just imagine my frustration when the entrance to the carb aisle at Kings was blocked by a sample table […]