Food porn reflections, $5 lunches, bargain lobsters
• Restaurants are slowly finding their way through the quagmire of the economic downturn. The latest development? Many chains have discovered that the key to keeping customers while still making a profit is to serve lunch for $5 or less. [Chicago Sun Times]
• A Concordia University master’s student delves into the topic of food porn—the relatively recent tendency of food-themed magazines and TV shows to present impossibly perfect meals that the reader or viewer is meant to watch voyeuristically, and not actually make and eat. [Canada.com]
• In his new book, The 150 Most Effective Ways to Boost Your Energy, nutritionist Jonny Bowden notes some forgotten yet very healthy foods that Canadians should be eating more often. Kiwis are good for vitamin C, kale for antioxidants, coconut for lauric acid and dark chocolate for flavanol (a phytochemical that aids in cardiovascular health). [CBC]
• Hyatt Hotels now has a Twitter account that allows guests to ask questions about places to eat and drink near their hotel. A Toronto writer finds himself impressed by the efficiency of the service, but he discovers some kinks. Apparently, 1,500 followers require a staff of call centre agents who rarely have time for follow-up questions. [They Inspire]
• Due to low demand, lobster prices have sunk to $3.50 a pound, the lowest in 20 years, leaving fishermen struggling to break even. The feds announced a $10-million plan to help promote the industry, and Nova Scotia’s premier pledged $250,000. [Cape Breton Post]
