Take A Bite Out Of National Oatmeal Cookie Day

Mark this National Holiday with Quaker's New Line of Oatmeal Cookies

CHICAGO, April 27, 2012 -- Move over chocolate chip – it's the oatmeal cookie's day to shine. April 30 marks National Oatmeal Cookie Day in America; though the cookie's roots stretch all the way back to the 1800s as Rome attempted to conquer England. Nowadays, celebrating this lighthearted holiday is easier than ever as the Quaker Oats Company, a division of PepsiCo, has finally introduced a line of tasty oatmeal cookies.

Since creating the Quaker Oat Cake recipe more than 100 years ago, Quaker Oats have long been a key ingredient of oatmeal cookies baked in kitchens across the country. Inspired by the goodness of whole grain oats for more than 130 years, Quaker has introduced this new line of packaged Quaker Oatmeal Cookies that feature whole grain oats as a staple ingredient. With real pieces of dried fruit and crunchy nuts, new Quaker Oatmeal Cookies are available in two varieties and seven flavorful creations, to satisfy every cookie craving. This year, cookie fans can try Quaker's own line of delicious oatmeal cookies to savor the cheeky holiday.

"What better way to mark the launch of our new line of cookies than during National Oatmeal Cookie Day; we encourage everyone to celebrate with a glass of milk and a Quaker Oatmeal Cookie break on Monday," said Alberto Fernandez, Vice President of Quaker Foods & Snacks North America. "There's a Quaker Oatmeal Cookie for everyone – soft or crunchy, flavored with real fruits like dried cranberries and bananas, sweet chunks of chocolate and hearty nuts – they all combine the goodness of whole grain Quaker Oats."

Quaker Oatmeal Cookies come in Soft Baked and Crunchy Oat Granola varieties at a suggested retail price of $2.69 per package. With individually wrapped packets in each box, these cookies are great at home or on-the-go.

About Quaker's Cookie Varieties

Quaker's Soft Baked Oatmeal Cookies are palm-sized and individually wrapped, with six cookies per box.

Soft Baked Oatmeal Cookies come in five flavors: Apple & Cinnamon, Banana Nut, Chocolate & Almond, Cranberry & Yogurt and Raisins.

Quaker Crunchy Oat Granola Cookies are crispy in texture, with each box featuring seven individually wrapped packages of four cookies. Crunchy Oat Granola flavors include Apple & Cinnamon, Mixed Berry, Mixed Nuts and Raisins.

Whether soft baked or crunchy, both varieties of Quaker's Oatmeal Cookies contain the whole grain goodness of Quaker Oats in a sweet snack for every taste and time of day.

Quaker Soft Baked and Crunchy Oat Granola Cookies are available in most grocery stores nationwide.

About The Quaker Oats Company

The Quaker Oats Company, headquartered in Chicago, is a unit of PepsiCo, Inc., one of the world's largest consumer packaged goods companies. For more than 130 years, Quaker's brands have served as symbols of quality, great taste and nutrition. Holding No. 1 positions in their respective categories, Quaker Oats, Quaker Rice Cakes and Quaker Chewy Granola Bars are consumer favorites. For more information, please visit www.QuakerOats.com. Follow Quaker Oats on Facebook and Twitter.

About PepsiCo

PepsiCo is a global food and beverage leader with net revenues of more than $65 billion and a product portfolio that includes 22 brands that generate more than $1 billion each in annual retail sales. Our main businesses – Quaker, Tropicana, Gatorade, Frito-Lay and Pepsi-Cola – make hundreds of enjoyable foods and beverages that are loved throughout the world. PepsiCo's people are united by our unique commitment to sustainable growth by investing in a healthier future for people and our planet, which we believe also means a more successful future for PepsiCo. We call this commitment Performance with Purpose: PepsiCo's promise to provide a wide range of foods and beverages for local tastes; to find innovative ways to minimize our impact on the environment by conserving energy and water and reducing packaging volume; to provide a great workplace for our associates; and to respect, support and invest in the local communities where we operate. For more information, please visit www.pepsico.com.

SOURCE The Quaker Oats Company

Official Kentucky Derby Recipes From Churchill Downs

Levy Restaurants Executive Chef Jo-Jo Doyle Shares Southern-Style Recipes for Mint Julep, BBQ Shrimp & Grits

LOUISVILLE, Ky., April 25, 2012 -- For the 11th straight year, Levy Restaurants and Chef "Jo-Jo" Doyle have planned a feast for the tastes of all 300,000+ fans in attendance for the weekend, from Millionaires' Row to the Infield. The 138th Kentucky Derby will provide fans with plenty to savor and sip, serving southern innovations, traditional favorites and the world-famous Kentucky Derby Mint Julep. Chef Jo-Jo weaves his southern roots into the Derby menu, incorporating Kentucky flair, locally-sourced ingredients and racetrack staples.

For those that can't make it to the race, Chef Jo-Jo shares recipes for the legendary Kentucky Derby Mint Julep and his famous Churchill Downs Barbeque Shrimp & Grits.

Kentucky Derby Mint Julep
Serves 6-8 people

• 2 cups - sugar
• 2 cups - water
• 16 oz - Kentucky bourbon, 2 per mint julep
• Crushed ice
• 10 sprigs fresh mint
• 8 mint julep glasses

Chef Jo-Jo's Notes: Combine water and sugar in a pot and bring to a boil to make simple syrup. Boil for 5 minutes. Cool and place in a covered container with 2 sprigs of fresh mint and refrigerate overnight. To make your mint julep, start by filling each mint julep glass with crushed ice. Add 1 tablespoon of the mint flavored simple syrup then 2 ounces of Kentucky bourbon. Stir rapidly with a spoon to frost the outside of the glass. Garnish with a sprig of fresh mint. Sip and enjoy!

Churchill Downs Barbecue Shrimp Served Over Cheddar Grits
Churchill Downs Signature Barbecue Shrimp
Serves 10 people

• 2 pounds - jumbo shrimp, peeled, deveined, tail on
• 2 ounces - light olive oil
• 1 tablespoon - garlic
• 1/4 pound - unsalted butter, cold and quartered
• 10 ounces - white wine
• 4 ounces - Louisiana Hot Sauce
• 3 ounces - Worcestershire Sauce Salt
• 1 green onion, cut on the bias to garnish

Chef Jo-Jo's Notes: Add oil to a large saute pan, on high heat. Add shrimp and cook until very light pink on one side, about 3 minutes. Add garlic to the pan and stir. Then add white wine and cook until wine has reduced by half. Stir in hot sauce and Worcestershire. Remove cooked shrimp from pan and arrange on serving dish. Continue to reduce the sauce for about one minute longer. Remove pan from heat and add the chunks of cold butter. Swirl butter until the sauce develops a velvety texture. Pour sauce over shrimp on plate and garnish with green onion.

Serve with Cheddar Cheese Grits and enjoy!

Cheddar Cheese Grits
Serves 10 people

• 2 cups - quick cooking grits
• 4 cups - water
• 1 teaspoon - salt
• 1/2 cup - heavy cream
• 1 cup - cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup - Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 stick - butter

Chef Jo-Jo's Notes: Add grits and water to a 4 quart sauce pan. Bring water to boil and allow grits to thicken, stirring occasionally. Add salt, cream, cheddar, parmesan and butter and remove from heat. Stir until all of the cheese is melted.

About Chef Jo-Jo
Born and raised in Tallahassee, with many summers spent in New Orleans and Mobile, AL, Chef Jo-Jo is truly a southern chef at heart and has worked with two well respected James Beard Award-winning chefs in Devlin Roussel at Michael's Seafood and Patricia Wilson, Chef Doyle's mentor in culinary school. The unique flavors of these regions have had a strong influence in his cooking and he continues to use his own family recipes with southern and Creole flavors, including his Country Succotash, Seafood Creole and Country Stewed Beans.

About Levy Restaurants
Levy Restaurants, founded in Chicago in 1978, is recognized as one of America's fastest growing and most critically acclaimed restaurant companies, and is the leader in premium sports and entertainment dining. Levy was recently named one of the 10 most innovative companies in sports in the world by Fast Company magazine. The company's diverse portfolio includes award-winning restaurants such as James Beard Award-winning Spiaggia in Chicago, Fulton's Crab House, Portobello and Wolfgang Puck Grand Café at Walt Disney World Resort, renowned sports and entertainment venues like Churchill Downs in Louisville, STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, and American Airlines Arena in Miami, and events including the Super Bowl, World Series, U. S. Open, Kentucky Derby, NHL and NBA All-Star Games and the GRAMMY® Awards. For details, visit www.levyrestaurants.com.

SOURCE Levy Restaurants

Naked Wines crams 85 winemakers into customers' pockets with FREE new iPhone App

Innovative UK wine retailer launches new mobile social platform

LONDON, April 24, 2012 -- The UK's fastest growing online wine retailer Naked Wines has just released a new, unique iPhone app, offering members personalised tasting notes, video content of all of the wines they've ordered plus direct access to the vineyards and winemakers they're supporting.

The app, which is free to download, also offers non-Naked customers a free 40 pound Sterling wine voucher to give the retailer a try when they download the app and register their details.

Since the app went live at the end of last week, Naked Wines have had 7000 downloads and have seen a 109% increase in the number of customers interacting with winemakers and recommending friends.

And 24 hours after launch, it overtook Amazon, Groupon, Asos and AutoTrader to become the third most downloaded Lifestyle App in the UK (behind Gumtree and eBay).

Naked Wines Founder Rowan Gormley explains:

"Rather than simply create a mobile version of our site, we wanted to put our winemakers in the palm of our customers' hands, supported with handy tasting notes and fun video content, to help bring their wines to life as they're drinking them," Gormley said. "Unlike any other wine app we've come across, customers can chat to the winemakers directly, see exactly where their wines have been made, and buddy up with friends and share deals and recommendations. Customers can also do all the usual stuff like rate, review and place an order, but the app's key purpose is to bring our proposition to life and encourage and empower customers and winemakers to interact directly, in real-time, from the vineyard to the sofa. The wines we sell wouldn't exist without customer investment and the app makes this relationship all the more real and all the more fun."

To find out more about the app visit www.nakedwines.com/iPhone or email app@nakedwines.com.

Android and iPad versions are due to follow in the summer.

SOURCE Naked Wines

Revel And Food & Wine Present "The Taste of Revel" On May 18-20 Throughout The Resort

A Weekend for Epicureans is hosted by Revel Chefs, Wine Expert Anthony Giglio and TRAVEL + LEISURE Features Director Nilou Motamed

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J., April 18, 2012 -- REVEL BEACH -- Revel is heating up this spring with the inaugural Taste of Revel, presented by FOOD & WINE and created in partnership with TRAVEL + LEISURE. This three-day epicurean extravaganza from May 18-20, 2012 will feature exclusive experiences developed specifically for the 6.3-million-square-foot beachfront destination.

Joining Revel's esteemed chefs Alain Allegretti, Jose Garces, Marc Forgione, Michel Richard and Robert Wiedmaier are FOOD & WINE's celebrated wine expert Anthony Giglio and TRAVEL + LEISURE's Features Director and Senior Correspondent Nilou Motamed for more than a dozen immersive experiences taking place throughout the resort.

"We are excited to partner with Revel on The Taste of Revel presented by FOOD & WINE, offering epicureans a diverse culinary experience," said FOOD & WINE VP/Publisher Christina Grdovic. "The programming features some of the most talented chefs and wine experts and this is sure to be a memorable weekend."

Highlights of FOOD & WINE presents The Taste of Revel include the following events throughout the resort:

• Start the weekend at the Kickoff Bash hosted by all five Revel chefs with two hours of fresh takes on favorite dishes from the Boardwalk
• Indulge in sensual sweets and cocktails at a Pastry Party hosted by Chef Michel Richard featuring fine confections with a wink of whimsy
• Start your morning with fresh Riviera cuisine and champagne as you learn about the art of preparing a whole fish at The Big Fish Breakdown with Chef Alain Allegretti
• Pair Belgian beer with fine cheeses at Chef Robert Wiedmaier's Beer and Cheese Pairing
• Iron Chef Jose Garces shares his technique and interpretation of lobster-and-seafood paella, one of his specialties during The Art of Paella with Jose Garces
• "Pig Out" with Revel chefs as they put their signature spin on pork

Tickets for FOOD & WINE presents The Taste of Revel are available for purchase on Friday, April 20 by visiting www.revelresorts.com/tasteofrevel. Tickets are priced starting at $65 for individual events.

Revel features more than a dozen restaurants from renowned chefs and restaurateurs who have a vested interest in Revel and bring their signature flair from their regional restaurants in Washington, D.C., Philadelphia and New York City. Strong entrepreneurial spirits and a tremendous talent to create gastronomic and lifestyle experiences are common threads among Revel's partners.

The beachfront destination is smoke-free and features over 1,800 rooms with sweeping ocean views. Designed to embrace its natural surroundings, Revel curated a collection of daylife and nightlife experiences crafted to bring the outside in and the inside out. Indoor and outdoor pools, gardens, lounges, and 32,000-square-foot spa provide the guest with a relaxing resort, while an outstanding collection of 14 restaurant concepts, live entertainment, nightclubs, an oceanfront dayclub, a casino that feels like a theatre and a collection of boutiques tailor to guests passions.

For more information on Revel or to start your experience, visit www.revelresorts.com. To receive the latest updates on Revel, become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/revel and follow @revelresorts on Twitter. Revel is located on the Boardwalk at Connecticut Avenue in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

About FOOD & WINE
FOOD & WINE is the modern, stylish, trend-spotting, talent-seeking epicurean brand. Created by American Express Publishing, the luxury-lifestyle authority, FOOD & WINE includes a monthly magazine with a circulation of 925,000, digital editions on the iPad, Kindle Fire, and Nook Color, a books division and website foodandwine.com, with updates on Twitter (@fandw) and Facebook reaching over 500K followers and fans.

About TRAVEL + LEISURE
With an eye for the authentic, the innovative, and the irresistible, TRAVEL + LEISURE (www.travelandleisure.com, @travlandleisure) fuses expert reporting on culture, food, style, and design with stunning photography, transporting readers to the places—and the travel experiences—that matter now. T+L, the monthly title from American Express Publishing and the long-standing authority in its field, has the largest audience of any travel magazine and is an indispensable guide for global nomads. TRAVEL + LEISURE has a network of international editions, including Travel + Leisure Mexico, Travel + Leisure Turkey, Travel + Leisure China, Travel + Leisure South Asia, and Travel + Leisure Southeast Asia.

SOURCE Revel

Pilsner Urquell's Master Home Brewer Competition Coming to San Francisco

Brewlab San Francisco to Conduct Competition on July 28

Winning Home brewer will receive a trip for two to Prague and Plsen and will brew a special batch of Pilsner Urquell with Brew Master Vaclav Berka

CHICAGO, April 18, 2012 -- The Brewlab and Pilsner Urquell announced today that San Francisco will play host to a Master Home Brewer Competition this summer . The second annual competition will challenge home brewers in San Francisco to recreate the classic Czech-style pilsner. The winning home brewer will not only receive a trip for two to Prague and Plsen, but will also have the amazing opportunity to brew a special one-time only batch of Pilsner Urquell with the Brew Master, Vaclav Berka.

Revered for its importance in the history of beer, Pilsner Urquell will celebrate its 170th birthday later this year. It was Oct. 5, 1842 that Josef Groll brewed the world's first golden beer and changed the way the world enjoyed beer. Vaclav Berka, just the sixth Brew Master in Pilsner Urquell's history, continues the tradition created by Josef Groll. He will be on hand for the competition again this year.

"Last year, I experienced firsthand, the passion and expertise shown by many of these very talented home brewers," Berka said. "As the popularity of home brewing continues to grow, we expect this year's competition to be even more spirited. I'm looking forward to judging the competition again this year and brewing with the winners when they visit the brewery later this fall."

The San Francisco event will take place on Saturday, July 28, and will be held in conjunction with Brewlab San Francisco. Brewlab (http://brewlabsf.com) is a San Francisco bay area home brewer's collective dedicated to supporting the local home brew scene and connecting home brewers to beer fans. The organization plans tasting events and competitions throughout the year to help home brewers get quality feedback on their beers. Brewlab also hosts classes, runs an equipment sharing program and seeks out creative new ways to improve the craft of brewing beer at home.

"The pilsner style is a pinnacle beer style for home brewers and Pilsner Urquell is the quintessential bohemian pilsner," said Emily Ford, Co-Founder of Brewlab. "We're thrilled to be partnering with Pilsner Urquell to discover how well our regional home brewers are able to conquer such a difficult style."

As was the case with last year's competition, a panel of experienced judges, including Vaclav Berka, will judge the entered home brews. Contestants are required to bring three 10 to 14-ounce bottles of their home brew. The judges will select winners based on the following criteria:

• 75% -- Accuracy to style (Czech-style pilsner)
• 25% -- Cleanliness (absence of off flavors)

Brewlab is limiting the San Francisco competition to the first 75 home brewers who reserve a spot by emailing their name, phone number and competition city to PilsnerUrquelUSA@gmail.com. Contestants will then receive details, including the exact time and location of the competitions. More information and official rules are available at Facebook.com/PilsnerUrquellUSA .

No purchase necessary. Contestants must be 21 or older, and a legal resident of the United States. Void where prohibited by law. Begins at or about 04/15/12 and ends on 07/28/12. Log on to Facebook.com/PilsnerUrquellUSA for entry details and official rules.

About Pilsner Urquell
Created in Plzen, Czech Republic in 1842, Pilsner Urquell revolutionized the brewing industry as the world's first golden beer, creating a new style of beer that became known as pilsner, named after its city of origin. For more than a century and a half, Pilsner Urquell has been offering discerning beer drinkers a balanced and refreshing beer that has become the standard against which all others are compared. Nearly 90 percent of the world's beer is a variation of the original golden beer, making pilsner the most popular beer style in the world and further establishing Pilsner Urquell as a true original. For more information visit www.pilsnerurquell.com .

SOURCE Pilsner Urquell

Bear Naked 100% Pure and Natural Soft-Baked Granola Cookies Win Better Homes and Gardens Best New Product Award

Leading Natural Food and Lifestyle Company Ranks First in Cookie Category

LA JOLLA, Calif., April 18, 2012 -- Bear Naked, the natural food company for the everyday adventurer, today announced its 100% Pure & Natural Soft-Baked Granola Cookies were awarded the 2012 Better Homes and Gardens Best New Product Award in the cookie category. The winners were determined based on an analysis of the BrandSpark International/Better Homes and Gardens American Shopper Study that surveyed more than 66,000 independent consumers who voted in 67 categories.

The Double Chocolate and Fruit & Nut cookies are one of the newest additions to Bear Naked's existing lineup of all-natural granolas, cereals and trail mixes. Baked with whole grains and simple ingredients, each cookie supplies natural energy to fuel the everyday lives of active people.

"Bear Naked's cookies are both energy-dense and deliciously tasty, making them terrific food for active people to enjoy during their day," said Ryan Therriault, associate director, brand marketing and innovation for Bear Naked. "We are pleased that Better Homes and Gardens has recognized this innovation as a leader in the cookie category."

Known as "The People's Choice Awards" for consumer products, the Best New Product Awards are North America's pre-eminent gauge of habits, trends and key insights into the minds of consumers.

"Thousands of products are launched every year – no wonder Americans look to independent consumer endorsements like the Best New Product Awards," says Robert Levy, President of BrandSpark International, the market research firm responsible for developing and managing the Best New Product Awards. "Winning a Best New Product Award means that many independent consumers have purchased and endorsed Bear Naked's100% Pure & Natural Soft-Baked Granola Cookies as the best in its category."

The Bear Naked cookies are available in two delicious and nutritious flavors: •

• Double Chocolate combines 10g of whole grains with chocolate chips and cocoa for a double dose of decadence •
• Fruit & Nut blends 10g of whole grains with plump raisins, cranberries, walnuts and flavorful almonds to give you a delicious source of energy in every bite

Like all Bear Naked products, the cookies are minimally processed and crafted without any preservatives, artificial flavors, trans fats, hydrogenated oils or high fructose corn syrup. Bear Naked 100% Pure & Natural Soft-Baked Granola Cookies are available on www.BearNaked.com, at select Target stores and fine retailers nationwide.

Launched in 2003, the Best New Product Awards have grown to become the most credible Consumer Packaged Goods awards program in North America, operating for the past nine years in Canada and for four years in the United States. "Because the award is 100% consumer-voted and not juried by a panel, when consumers see the Best New Product Award logo on packaging or in advertising it's like receiving a direct endorsement from thousands of everyday shoppers," adds Levy.

For more information about the Best New Product Awards, please visit www.BestNewProducts.biz.

About Bear Naked
Bear Naked, today's leading adventure food and lifestyle company, offers a full line of all-natural granolas, cookies and trail mixes. Launched in 2002, the company is passionate about creating great-tasting, natural foods to fit today's active, on-the-go lifestyle and is best known for its homemade granola made from 100% Pure and Natural ingredients. Today, Bear Naked has evolved into a nationally recognized consumer brand that is available in more than 10,000 retail stores across the U.S. For more information, visit www.bearnaked.com, www.facebook.com/LiveBN, www.twitter.com/LiveBearNaked.

About BrandSpark International
BrandSpark International is an independent market research and brand strategy firm with a strong grasp on consumer segmentation, innovation, new product research and global consumer trends. BrandSpark developed the Best New Product Awards program to be the most credible consumer voted awards program for Consumer Packaged goods. www.BrandSpark.com.

About Better Homes and Gardens
Reaching nearly 40 million readers every month, the Better Homes and Gardens brand extends across the web, tablet, mobile, broadcast, broadband and numerous licensed products, serving and connecting women who are passionate about their homes and the lives they create there. Better Homes and Gardens inspires women to dream and gives them the confidence to move from dreaming to doing. For more information, visit www.bhg.com .

SOURCE Bear Naked

World's Most Downloaded Recipe App -- Allrecipes.com Dinner Spinner -- Gets Major Upgrade With New Grocery Scanner

Dinner Spinner's New Scanner Keeps Track of Groceries, Adds Items Quickly to Shopping Lists and Finds Recipes Based on What's Been Scanned

SEATTLE, April 9, 2012 -- Allrecipes.com, the world's #1 digital food brand, today announced the most downloaded food app, Allrecipes.com Dinner Spinner for iOS and Android, received a major upgrade with a new Grocery Scanner. The feature, available for both Dinner Spinner and Dinner Spinner Pro, enables home cooks to scan grocery barcodes directly from a smartphone to find recipes, add items to shopping lists or save items in a scan history, creating a "virtual pantry" to keep track of items at home. Pairing the Grocery Scanner feature with the #1 recipe app, offering thousands of recipes rated and reviewed by millions of home cooks, is a match made in kitchen heaven.

According to the comScore MobiLens report, 58 percent of smartphone owners use a phone while in brick and mortar stores to shop, and 1 in 5 use it to scan barcodes. "We are thrilled to launch this update to our Dinner Spinner app as a barcode scanner that connects to our recipe database is a convenient feature we know our time strapped community will love," said Lisa Sharples, president of Allrecipes.com. "With more than 11 million global downloads of Allrecipes' Dinner Spinner, developing innovative new features that meet our community's needs and complement our apps is a top priority for Allrecipes."

Top 5 Ways to Use the Grocery Scanner

1. Quickly scan a grocery item's barcode to search for recipes with related ingredients.
2. Manage shopping lists with the touch of a finger. Out of milk? Scan the carton's barcode before it hits the recycle bin to add milk to the list.
3. Scan groceries to easily keep track of what's in the kitchen. Home cooks can check their scan history at the grocery store so they don't buy something they already have -- creating a virtual pantry on their phone.
4. Save money by scanning sale items to find related recipes. For example, if Greek Yogurt is on sale, but a home cook isn't sure what to do with it, a quick scan reveals nearly 100 matching recipes ranging from an easy Tzatziki Sauce to a delicious Garlic Feta Dip!
5. Search the fun and easy way! Home cooks can now add a custom panel to the Dinner Spinner's slot-machine-style search feature. Quickly scan or manually add favorite ingredients such as quinoa or sour cream to find recipes with ingredients that match. Undecided? Let the spinner choose!

In addition to the new Grocery Scanner features, Shopping List, previously only available for Allrecipes.com Dinner Spinner Pro, is now available on the free version of the app. With the new and improved Dinner Spinner Apps, home cooks will have everything they need at their fingertips to keep a well-stocked pantry and a full happy family.

For more information about Allrecipes.com Dinner Spinner's new Grocery Scanner check out the video on YouTube and to download the new apps, visit the Apple App Store, Amazon Appstore or the Android Marketplace Google Play .

About Allrecipes
Allrecipes, the world's largest digital food brand, receives 750 million annual visits from family focused women who connect and inspire one another through photos, reviews, videos and blog posts. Since its launch in 1997, the Seattle-based social site has served as a dynamic, indispensable resource for cooks of all skill levels seeking trusted recipes, entertaining ideas, everyday and holiday meal solutions and practical cooking tips. Allrecipes is a global, multiplatform brand providing insights into the lives of women everywhere based on activity from 17 websites, 16 mobile sites, 9 mobile apps, and 13 eBooks serving 22 countries in 11 languages. Allrecipes is part of Meredith Corporation, the leading media and marketing company serving American women. For additional information regarding Meredith, please visit www.meredith.com. For additional information regarding Allrecipes, please visit www.allrecipes.com.

SOURCE Allrecipes.com

"Sing & Dance For Your Snack" as Pretzelmaker® Celebrates With Free Soft Pretzels on April 26th For National Pretzel Day!

ATLANTA, April 10, 2012 -- Pretzelmaker® announced today that it is, once again, giving away free pretzels on the official National Pretzel Day holiday. On April 26th, customers are invited to visit their local Pretzelmaker®, sing a snippet from a song of their choice or, for the first time, show off their latest dances moves and receive a FREE soft pretzel (standard salted or unsalted) while supplies last. Patrons who prefer not to sing or dance... have no fear - you can simply say "National Pretzel Day" to receive their free pretzel. Pretzelmaker® is managed by GFG Management, LLC, a subsidiary of Global Franchise Group.

Television star and winner of The Glee Project, Damian McGinty, will be on hand to support Pretzelmaker® through a variety of activities, including promoting the day's celebrations through a nationwide radio media tour on April 26th. McGinty can currently be seen on the hit show Glee and is excited to inspire fans dancing and singing this holiday.

"National Pretzel Day is our favorite day of the year at Pretzelmaker® and we're looking forward to providing our customers fresh baked pretzels once again this year. Pretzelmaker® fans love this celebration and we are delighted to continue with the tradition of free pretzels for our fifth year in a row," said Julie-Ann Reid, Pretzelmaker® Brand Director for GFG Management, LLC.

To find a participating Pretzelmaker® location near you visit www.nationalpretzelday.com. Join in the National Pretzel Day conversation on Twitter® by Tweeting @Pretzelmaker with the hashtag #NationalPretzelDay. To stay up to date on all of Pretzelmaker®'s products and promotions, join Pretzelmaker®'s exclusive e-mail fan club at www.pretzelmaker.com or become a fan of the brand on Facebook® www.facebook.com/pretzelmaker.

*Limit one offer per guest during the day of the promotion. Counts vary by store.

Valid only at participating U.S.stores. No purchase necessary. No cash value.

Some fun pretzel facts include:

• In 2003 Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell declares April 26 National Pretzel Day to acknowledge the importance of the pretzel to the state's history and economy
• In A.D. 610, while baking bread, an Italian monk decided to create a treat to motivate his distracted catechism students. He rolled out ropes of dough, twisted them to resemble hands crossed on the chest in prayer, and baked them. The monk christened his snacks pretiola, Latin for "little reward
• Pretzelphyte is the name for a lover of pretzels, often called a pretzel aficionado
• More than $550 million worth of pretzels are sold in the United States annually
• The average U.S. citizen consumes up to two pounds of pretzels per year
• The phrase "tying the knot" came from the Swiss, who still incorporate the lucky pretzel in wedding ceremonies. Newlyweds traditionally make a wish and break a pretzel, in the same way people in other cultures break a wishbone or a glass
• There is a dance move in swing dancing called the Pretzel Dance

About Pretzelmaker® www.pretzelmaker.com
Since 1991, Pretzelmaker® has specialized in serving fresh baked, hand-rolled soft pretzel products, dipping sauces and beverages. Long recognized as an innovator in their industry, the brand is credited with inventing the popular Pretzel Dog, Mini Pretzel Dogs, and the portable Pretzel Bites. Following integration in 2010, the Pretzelmaker® brand now also includes Pretzel Time®. Pretzelmaker® is currently the second largest soft pretzel concept in the United States and is also rapidly expanding worldwide with locations in Canada, Guam and Mexico.

About Global Franchise Group, LLC www.globalfranchise.com
Global Franchise Group, LLC is a strategic brand management company with a focus on franchising. The company owns a portfolio of franchise brands that includes four quick service restaurant (QSR) franchise concepts: Great American Cookies®, MaggieMoo's®, Marble Slab Creamery®, Pretzelmaker® as well as two retail franchise concepts: TAF® and Shoebox New York®. The brands are managed by GFG Management, LLC, a subsidiary of Global Franchise Group, LLC. Global Franchise Group, LLC is an affiliate of Levine Leichtman Capital Partners, an independent investment firm, with $5 billion of capital under management and substantial franchise management experience.

SOURCE Pretzelmaker

Hooters® Kicks Off Coast-to-Coast Wing-Eating Competition

World Champion to be Named During Finale Event in New York City

ATLANTA, April 10, 2012 -- Chicken wing expert, Hooters of America, LLC, announced that it has engaged Major League Eating (MLE) to sanction and produce a circuit of wing-eating contests across the United States that will conclude at the Hooters Wing-Eating World Championship in New York City. The finale will take place in late July as part of a weekend celebration of National Chicken Wing Day.

 

"For nearly 30 years Hooters has been known for our original, world-famous hot wings and it's only natural that we establish this inaugural coast-to-coast wing-eating competition," said David Henninger, chief marketing officer, Hooters of America, LLC. "At Hooters, we're all about great food, great fun and this competition exemplifies that spirit."

Chicken wing eating has never previously been a championship circuit to identify and crown an official world champion. This tour will allow Hooters wing-eaters to test their skills against Major League Eating superstars like Joey Chestnut and Sonya "The Black Widow" Thomas.

"We are thrilled to be working with this iconic American restaurant," said Richard Shea, president, Major League Eating. "While each contest will feature well-known Major League Eaters, I am confident we'll find Hooters wing lovers with amazing wing-eating talent in each host city."

The Hooters Wing-Eating World Championship tour kicked off in Augusta, Ga., host city of the Masters Golf Tournament, on April 5 with Sonya "The Black Widow" Thomas. Weighing in at a mere 100 pounds, "The Black Widow" is the world's top-ranked female eater and current five-time National Buffalo Wing-Eating Champion.

Hooters will go on to hold 9 additional wing-eating contests across the country including events in Baltimore, MD; Detroit, MI; Indianapolis, IN; Jacksonville, Fla.; Mesquite, TX; Oklahoma City, OK; San Diego, CA; St. Louis, MO; and Miami, Fla., with the tour concluding in New York where the first Hooters wing-eating world champion will be crowned.

Hooters wing fans can follow each contest, keep track of the local winners and see a schedule for future events through Hooters' Facebook page.

Major League Eating will register competitors at www.IFOCE.com. All competitors must be at least 21 years old.

About Hooters
Hooters of America, LLC, is the franchisor and operator of over 430 Hooters restaurants in 44 states and 27 foreign countries. The first Hooters opened in 1983 in Clearwater, Florida. Hooters is well-known for its brand of food and fun, featuring a casual beach-theme atmosphere, a menu that features seafood, sandwiches and Hooters nearly, world famous chicken wings, and service provided by the All-American cheerleaders, the Hooters Girls. For more information about Hooters visit www.Hooters.com, www.twitter.com/Hooters, www.YouTube.com/Hooters, or www.Facebook.com/Hooters.

About Major League Eating
Major League Eating (MLE), the world governing body of all stomach-centric sports, conducts more than 80 events annually, including the Nathan's Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest in Coney Island, N.Y. and the CP Foods Biggest Eater Championship in Bangkok, Thailand. The competitive eating community is made up of more than 8,000 veteran and rookie gurgitators who travel the world in search of top titles and the glory that they provide. For more information, visit www.IFOCE.com , www.facebook.com/eatfast or Twitter @eatingcontest.

SOURCE Hooters of America, LLC

How to Celebrate National Jelly Bean Day - The Jelly Belly Way

Events Around the Country that Every Candy Lover Will Enjoy on April 22nd

FAIRFIELD, Calif., April 4, 2012 -- National Jelly Bean Day is Sunday, April 22, and Jelly Belly Candy Company, the maker of the world's favorite jelly bean, has the inside scoop on where to celebrate this sweet holiday.

In honor of National Jelly Bean Day, Jelly Belly compiled this list of its top places in the world to celebrate this special day in candy. Here is a sampling:

1. Lubbock , Texas: Kick off your jelly bean celebration early and visit the Lubbock Arts Festival in Lubbock, Tex. From April 13-15 to see artist Kristen Cummings exhibit Jelly Belly Art made entirely of Jelly Belly® jelly beans. More information.

2. Fairfield , Calif.: Celebrate National Jelly Bean Day at the home of the world's favorite jelly bean at the Jelly Belly Visitor Center in Northern California and see how this iconic bean is brought to life. More information.

3. Pleasant Prairie, Wis.: At the Jelly Belly Visitor Center outside of Kenosha, Wis., take a train ride through the colorful Jelly Belly Warehouse. See the special exhibit of a giant 10-foot sculpture covered in Jelly Belly jelly beans and Jelly Bean Chocolate Dips. More information.

4. Greenville , S.C. : Children's Museum of the Upstate displays the entire Masterpieces of Jelly Belly Art series from the Jelly Belly Art collection, including Leonardo da Vinci's "Mona Lisa". More information.

5. Orlando , Fla : Those visiting The Wizarding World of Harry Potter™ can enjoy more than a little magic. This state-of the art attraction offers Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans® from Jelly Belly. More information.

Only authentic Jelly Belly jelly beans feature the logo printed on each bean. Jelly Belly jelly beans are fat free, peanut free, dairy free, vegetarian, gluten free and OU kosher certified. For more information about celebrating National Jelly Bean Day with Jelly Belly jelly beans, visit www.jellybelly.com.

SOURCE Jelly Belly Candy Company

Food Network Star Returns for Eighth Season with Star-studded Challenges, Brand-New Format and a Fresh Cast of Hopefuls

BOBBY FLAY AND GIADA DE LAURENTIIS JOINED BY ALTON BROWN, EACH SERVING AS MENTOR/PRODUCER TO THEIR OWN HAND-SELECTED TEAM OF FINALISTS

Special Two-Hour Series Premiere Airs Sunday, May 13th at 9pm ET/PT; Preceded by Casting Special on Saturday, May 12th at 9pm ET/PT

 

Audience Vote Will Determine Winner, Announced in Season Finale Sunday, July 22nd at 9pm ET/PT

NEW YORK, April 2, 2012 -- Food Network's long-running hit primetime series Food Network Star returns to New York City this May with fifteen talented hopefuls and completely new twists for season eight – this year, returning stars Bobby Flay and Giada De Laurentiis move from behind the judge's table to square off with culinary favorite Alton Brown for a three-way team competition to find the next Food Network Star, beginning with a special two-hour premiere episode on Sunday, May 13 ^th at 9pm ET/PT.

Bobby, Giada and Alton, all television producers in addition to being culinary superstars, lead the charge to find and develop the new talent by each hand-selecting a team of five finalists, who they will produce and mentor through the 'Star' experience to find one winner who possesses personality and kitchen chops. Viewers can also glance into the 'Star' finalist selection process, with a casting special airing on May 12 ^th and in another turn to the series plot, viewers will vote online before the July 22 ^nd finale to determine who will receive the ultimate prize: their own Food Network show, to be produced by their 'Star' team leader.

"Having Bobby, Giada and Alton compete against each other to discover and develop the next Food Network Star took this series to a whole new level," said Bob Tuschman, General Manager and Senior Vice President, Programming and Production, Food Network. "These three iconic star/producers are ideal mentors for the talented hopefuls they found – but it's hard to say if the competition was more intense among the finalists or their three Star mentors."

Season eight finalists are: Philip "Ippy" Aiona (Kamuela, HI), Judson Allen (Chicago), Martie Duncan (Birmingham, Ala.), Emily Ellyn (Orlando, Fla.), Martita Jara (San Diego), Eric Lee (Petaluma, Calif.), Yvan Lemoine (Maspeth, N.Y.), Josh Lyons (Jupiter, Fla.), Linkie Marais (North Attleborough, Mass.), Nikki Martin (West Hollywood, Calif.), Malcolm Mitchell (Washington, D.C.), Michele Ragussis (Brooklyn, N.Y.), Cristie Schoen (New Orleans), Kara Sigle (Chicago) and Justin Warner (Brooklyn, N.Y.).

In the premiere episode, the fifteen hopefuls arrive in the Food Network Star kitchen in New York City to meet Bobby Flay, Giada De Laurentiis and Alton Brown - the culinary superstars who hand-selected them to compete on their teams. After meeting with their team leader, special guest Robert Irvine challenges the teams to their first "Star Challenge" - to create their own pop-up restaurant from the ground up, with an extremely limited budget and very little time. Each episode also features a "Producer's Challenge," where the contestants up for elimination each shoot a segment with their 'Star' mentor/producer to be presented to the selection committee in the "pitch room."

Returning judges Food Network executives Bob Tuschman and Susie Fogelson decide who stays and goes, along with a roster of guest judges scheduled to join.

Upcoming episodes feature amped-up challenges to see who has true Star quality, including a Chopped-style battle judged by Alex Guarnaschelli , Scott Conant and Marc Murphy ; a Ted Allen -hosted New York Fashion Week food makeover challenge with a cash prize courtesy of Discover Card; holiday-themed specials hosted by Guy Fieri ; and a Miami beachside competition where finalists shop at Target to style a VIP event for Paula Deen . Season guest stars also include Food Network's Sunny Anderson, Anne Burrell , Melissa d'Arabian, Jeff Mauro , Aaron Sanchez and Geoffrey Zakarian , along with Entertainment Weekly's Jess Cagle and Jill Bernstein , Entertainment Tonight's Christina McLarty and Serious Eats' Ed Levine .

For more Food Network Star, visit www.foodnetwork.com/star all season long for video recaps, exclusive interviews and blogs, behind-the-scenes footage, photo galleries, exclusive snapshots from the 'Star' house and the return of "Star Scrapbooks," a look inside the pages of the finalists' personal journals. Viewers can also join a season-long Food Network Star digital game, where players accumulate points and earn badges by predicting the outcome of each episode and participate in weekly fan votes. The series culminates with an unprecedented finale on Sunday, July 22 ^nd at 9pm ET/PT, when an audience online vote will determine which finalist will become the next Food Network Star.

Food Network Star is produced by CBS EYE Too Productions.

FOOD NETWORK (www.foodnetwork.com) is a unique lifestyle network, website and magazine that connects viewers to the power and joy of food. The network strives to be viewers' best friend in food and is committed to leading by teaching, inspiring and empowering through its talent and expertise. Food Network is distributed to more than 100 million U.S. households and averages more than 9.9 million unique web users monthly. Since launching in 2009, Food Network Magazine has tripled its rate base and delivers a circulation of 1.4 million. Headquartered in New York, Food Network has a growing international presence with programming in more than 150 countries, including 24 hour networks in Great Britain, India, Asia and Africa. Scripps Networks Interactive (NYSE: SNI), which also owns and operates Cooking Channel (www.cookingchanneltv.com), DIY Network (www.diynetwork.com), Great American Country (www.gactv.com), HGTV (www.hgtv.com), and Travel Channel (www.travelchannel.com), is the manager and general partner.

SOURCE Food Network

OpenTable Diner Reviews Reveal the Top 100 Dining Hot Spots in the U.S.

California, New York, Florida, and Illinois Restaurants Account for Two-thirds of the 100 Diners' Choice Award Winners

SAN FRANCISCO, March 28, 2012 -- OpenTable (NASDAQ: OPEN), a leading provider of free, real-time online restaurant reservations for diners and reservation and guest management solutions for restaurants, is pleased to announce the 2012 Diners' Choice Award winners for Top 100 Hot Spot Restaurants in the United States. These awards reflect the combined opinions of nearly 5 million reviews submitted by verified OpenTable diners for more than 12,000 restaurants in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

 

Winning restaurants are scattered throughout 18 states and Washington, D.C. California is king of the hot spot restaurants, taking 25 places on the list of winners. New York comes in second, with 20 winning restaurants. The sunny state of Florida is chock full of trendy restaurants, handily placing third with 15 winners. Illinois accounts for 11 honorees, followed by Nevada with seven standouts and Texas with six. Georgia restaurants earned three places while Tennessee boasts two. Colorado, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, and Washington D.C. are also represented.

"Going to any of these dining hot spots feels like you're at the hippest party in town, only you don't need an invitation – just a reservation," says Caroline Potter, OpenTable's Chief Dining Officer. "Beyond the buzz of innovative food and cocktails, each restaurant has electricity in the air that creates communal excitement. Diners feel like they're part of an exclusive experience."

The Diners' Choice Awards for the Top 100 Hot Spot Restaurants is generated from nearly 5 million reviews collected from verified OpenTable diners between March 1, 2011 and February 29, 2012. All restaurants with a minimum number of qualifying reviews were included for consideration. Restaurants were then scored and sorted according to the percentage of qualifying reviews for which "hot spot" was selected as a special feature.

Based on this methodology, the following restaurants, listed in alphabetical order, comprise the Top 100 Hot Spot Restaurants in the U.S. according to OpenTable diners. The complete list may also be viewed at http://www.opentable.com/hotspots.

2012 Diners' Choice Award Winners for Top 100 Hot Spot Restaurants in the U.S.

25 Lusk – San Francisco, California

Abe & Arthur's – New York, New York
Asellina Ristorante – New York, New York
B.B. King's Blues Club – Memphis, Tennessee
The Bazaar by Jose Andres – Los Angeles, California
Beaumarchais – New York, New York
Beauty and Essex – New York, New York
BOA Steakhouse – West Hollywood, California
Bond Street Social – Baltimore, Maryland
Broadway by Amar Santana – Laguna Beach, California
Buccan – Palm Beach, Florida
Buddakan – New York, New York
Burlap – San Diego, California
Campo – Reno, Nevada
Catch – New York, New York
Chino Latino – Minneapolis, Minnesota
Cleo-SBE – Los Angeles, California
CO-OP Food & Drink – New York, New York
The Darby – New York, New York
Del Frisco's Grille – Dallas, Texas
Departure Restaurant and Lounge – Portland, Oregon
do Restaurant at the View – Atlanta, Georgia
Dragonfly at Hotel ZaZa – Dallas, Texas
Drunken Fish – Kansas City, Missouri
Enso Asian Bistro & Sushi Bar – Charlotte, North Carolina
Fig & Olive – West Hollywood, California
Geisha House – Hollywood, California
Gilt Bar – Chicago, Illinois
Girl & the Goat – Chicago, Illinois
GT Fish and Oyster – Chicago, Illinois
HUB 51 – Chicago, Illinois
The Hurricane Club – New York, New York
Imperial No. Nine – New York, New York
ink. – Los Angeles, California
Jaleo-The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas – Las Vegas, Nevada
Katana – West Hollywood, California
Katsuya-Brentwood-SBE – Brentwood, California
Katsuya-Hollywood-SBE – Los Angeles, California
Katsuya-LA LIVE – Los Angeles, California
Katsuya-Laguna Beach-SBE – Laguna Beach, California
Koi – West Hollywood, California
Lavo – Las Vegas, Nevada
Lavo NYC – New York, New York
Linger – Denver, Colorado
The Lion – New York, New York
Lost Society – Washington, D.C.
Lulu California Bistro – Palm Springs, California
Manhattan Beach Post – Manhattan Beach, California
Marble Lane – New York, New York
Maudes liquor bar – Chicago, Illinois
Meat Market – Miami Beach, Florida
Mercadito – Chicago, Illinois
Mercato di Vetro – West Hollywood, California
Mr. Chow-Beverly Hills – Beverly Hills, California
Mr. Chow-Miami – Miami, Florida
N9NE Steakhouse – Las Vegas, Nevada
Nada – Cincinnati, Ohio
Nikko Japanese Restaurant – Charlotte, North Carolina
Nisen – Woodbury, New York
Nobu Miami – Miami Beach, Florida
The Office – Delray Beach, Florida
Paris Club – Chicago, Illinois
Picca – Los Angeles, California
Prato – Winter Park, Florida
Prime Italian – Miami Beach, Florida
Private Social – Dallas, Texas
The Pump Room – Chicago, Illinois
Red Ginger – Traverse City, Michigan
Red Lantern – Boston, Massachusetts
Red Rooster Harlem – New York, New York
Rocco's Tacos & Tequila Bar – Boca Raton, Florida
Rocco's Tacos & Tequila Bar – Fort Lauderdale, Florida
ROKA AKOR – Chicago, Illinois
Searsucker – San Diego, California
Sino Restaurant & Lounge – San Jose, California
The Standard Grill – New York, New York
The Stanton Social – New York, New York
STK-Los Angeles – West Hollywood, California
STK-Miami – Miami, Florida
STK-NYC-Meatpacking – New York, New York
STK-The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas – Las Vegas, Nevada
SUGARCANE raw bar grill – Miami, Florida
Sunda – Chicago, Illinois
SUSHISAMBA dromo – Miami Beach, Florida
SUSHISAMBA strip – Las Vegas, Nevada
Tao – New York, New York
Tao Restaurant and Nightclub – Las Vegas, Nevada
Tavernita – Chicago, Illinois
Toku Modern Asian – Manhasset, New York
Triniti – Houston, Texas
Trio Restaurant – Palm Springs, California
Twist – Atlanta, Georgia
TWO urban licks – Atlanta, Georgia
Uchi – Houston, Texas
Uchiko – Austin, Texas
Virago – Nashville, Tennessee
Wang's in the Desert – Palm Springs, California
Yardbird Southern Table & Bar – Miami Beach, Florida
YOLO – Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Zuma Japanese Restaurant – Miami, Florida

Diners can also read more about the Diners' Choice Awards for the Top 100 Hot Spot Restaurants in the U.S. by visiting OpenTable Chief Dining Officer Caroline Potter's "Dining Check" blog.

About OpenTable Reviews
Originally launched in November 2008, the OpenTable Reviews program helps diners find restaurants that best fit their dining occasions. Diners who recently honored an OpenTable reservation are invited via email to submit restaurant feedback using an online form. Visitors to OpenTable.com can access reviews for thousands of OpenTable restaurant partners across the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. The OpenTable Reviews program has generated more than 10 million reviews by verified diners, establishing OpenTable.com as one of the largest and most trusted sources for restaurant reviews.

About OpenTable, Inc.
OpenTable is a leading provider of free, real-time online restaurant reservations for diners and reservation and guest management solutions for restaurants. The OpenTable network delivers the convenience of online restaurant reservations to diners and the operational benefits of a computerized reservation book to restaurants. OpenTable has more than 25,000 restaurant customers, and, since its inception in 1998, has seated more than 280 million diners around the world. The Company is headquartered in San Francisco, California, and the OpenTable service is available throughout the United States, as well as in Canada, Germany, Japan, Mexico, and the United Kingdom. OpenTable also owns and operates toptable.com, a leading restaurant reservation site in the United Kingdom.

SOURCE OpenTable

Paul McCartney Launches The Meat Free Monday Cookbook

52 Weekly Menus Feed Meatless Monday Movement


NEW YORK, March 26 -- Starting today, Meatless Monday fans will get a year of enticing menus from one of the movement's most famous supporters. Sir Paul McCartney, along with his daughters Stella and Mary, are launching The Meat Free Monday Cookbook (Kyle Books), which features menu ideas for every Monday of the year, from packed lunches to comforting stews. The colorful hard-cover book features favorite recipes from the McCartneys along with contributions from some of their famous friends, including Mario Batali, Woody Harrelson, Vivienne Westwood, Kevin Spacey and Pink.

"We applaud the McCartney family's unwavering efforts to promote a healthier, more sustainable diet," said Sid Lerner, who founded Meatless Monday in 2003 with Johns Hopkins. "This beauty of a cookbook is truly a delicious way to help spread the global Meatless Monday movement!"

McCartney started Meat-Free Monday in the UK in 2009 as a simple and straightforward idea to show everyone the environmental value of eating less meat. Meatless Monday has since blossomed into a global movement, with 22 countries promoting the idea of cutting out meat once a week for our health and the health of the planet.

"We feel that the vast majority of people are conscientious and would want to do something in their own lives to help secure a happier future for the generations that follow," the McCartneys said of their decision to launch the campaign and do the cookbook. "While many solutions can be quite difficult to put into practice, the idea of one meat-free day per week is something that many people find do-able and something that can be achieved relatively easily," McCartney said.

Individuals interested in starting a Meatless Monday in the US can visit www.MeatlessMonday.com to learn more about the benefits of cutting back, get information kits to spread the movement in their community, and discover the growing international network of supporters.


Super Vegetable Salad by Paul McCartney

Recipe excerpted from The Meat Free Monday Cookbook (Kyle Books; 2012)

Serves 4

28 cherry tomatoes
3 florets of broccoli
12 green beans, cut into 1 inch lengths
2 carrots, peeled and sliced into 1 inch pieces
1 lettuce — I like Romaine
3 scallions, finely chopped
2/3 cup cornmeal
a handful of chopped herbs of your choice
9 ounces tofu, cut into slices
olive oil for frying

Dressing
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard (optional)
1 teaspoon maple syrup (if you like a bit of sweetness)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and roast the cherry tomatoes for 10 minutes.

Cover the bottom of a pan with cold water and place a steamer above it. Put the broccoli, green beans, and carrots in the steamer, turn the heat on quite high, and steam for about 15 minutes, occasionally prodding the carrots with a fork to see if they are done. Some people like them slightly crunchy, others prefer them a little softer.

While the vegetables are steaming, make a salad with the leaves and scallions.

Combine the cornmeal and herbs in a bowl. Heat some olive oil in a frying pan. Dip the tofu in the cornmeal mixture, then fry until golden.

Whisk together the ingredients for the dressing, but only pour over at the last minute.

Assemble your meal by first putting the salad on the plate, then the warm vegetables, and finally the tofu. Pour over the dressing then add a little seasoning sauce or a sauce of your choice.

SOURCE The Monday Campaigns

California Wines Get "Down to Earth" with New April Celebration

Month-long Campaign – Coinciding with Earth Day – Highlights State's Sustainable Winegrowing and Winemaking

SAN FRANCISCO, March 26, 2012 -- California is more than cool – it's Down to Earth! A new, month-long celebration, "California Wines: Down to Earth" shines a spotlight on sustainability. From "green wine trails" and Earth Day wine and food festivals to special eco-tours in the vineyard, California's winemakers and winegrowers are offering a wide variety of fun, sustainably-focused festivities throughout the month of April, which can be found at www.discovercaliforniawines.com/d2e.

Down to Earth Month events will be engaging and meaningful experiences that let wine lovers get down to earth – connecting to the land and the people who make the wines they enjoy in a manner that benefits the environment and the community.

"These experiences make April a great time to learn about our California wines and the environmentally and community-friendly practices used to grow and produce them," said Robert P. (Bobby) Koch, president and CEO of Wine Institute. "More than two-thirds of California's winegrape growers and winemakers have adopted our sustainable program and participation is increasing, making ours one of the most widely adopted in the wine world."

Wine Institute created "California Wines: Down to Earth" month to highlight California's leadership in environmentally and socially responsible winegrowing and winemaking practices – and the people and places behind them. The campaign – held the same month as Earth Day – is designed to inform and engage policy leaders, media, wine trade and consumers about the California wine community's major commitment to environmental and community stewardship.

"Sustainability is a vital part of the long-term future of California wine which contributes to California's economy, attracts 20 million tourists annually, generates 820,000 jobs nationwide of which 330,000 are in California, and allows vintners and growers to pass on their farms and wineries to future generations," said Koch.

California is a world leader in sustainable winegrowing practices. The California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance (CSWA) program has 1,700 wineries and vineyards that have evaluated the sustainability of their operations with CSWA's Code of best practices – representing 70 percent of California's wine acreage and 65 percent of the state's wine shipments. Certified California Sustainable Winegrowing and other statewide and regional programs such as Fish Friendly Farming, Bay Area Green Business Program, Lodi Rules, Napa Green and Sustainability in Practice (SIP) play an important role in the California wine community's efforts to produce high quality wine that is environmentally sound, economically feasible and socially equitable. To learn more, visit: www.discovercaliforniawines.com/d2e.

SOURCE Wine Institute