Food

Consumer Reports rates hot dogs and light beer
[Jun. 19, 2007] Just in time for summer, the July issue of Consumer Reports rated the quality of hot dogs and beer for consumers watching their calories. Savvy consumers in search of a lower fat frank can fill their buns with a relatively flavorful dog, though the pickings are slim. Of the seven hot dogs that received the “Very Good” Rating by Consumer Reports for flavor and texture, two were of the lower fat variety: Hebrew National Kosher Reduced Fat Beef Franks (120 calories/10 grams fat) and Boar’s Head Lite Skinless Beef Franks (90 calories/6 grams fat).

Summer grilling success with pure honey
[May 22, 2007] Kick off this grilling season with the ultimate barbeque by adding pure honey to your grill glazes. Beyond adding flavor, pure honey has many beneficial characteristics that improve the look and taste of grilled food. Honey is hygroscopic, so a rich honey glaze helps lock in moisture during grilling, resulting in sweet moist foods.

December 2006 Chatham County restaurant health ratings
[Jan. 22, 2007] The Chatham County Health Department inspected the following restaurant in December 2006.

Chicken soup for the cold
[Dec. 26, 2006] Medicine isn’t the only remedy that can provide relief for a cold this season. Research has found that chicken soup seems to reduce congestion, so Consumer Reports screened 26 varieties to determine which were the better brands to test. The Original SoupMan’s refrigerated chicken vegetable soup was the only variety to garner an excellent rating.

8 out of 10 chickens tested by Consumer Reports harbor dangerous bacteria
[Dec. 21, 2006] Consumer Reports recently tested fresh, whole broilers bought nationwide and found that they are dirtier than ever. Consumer Reports tested 525 chickens from leading brands, as well as organic and other brands raised without antibiotics, for two of the leading bacterial causes of food-borne disease-campylobacter and salmonella.

November 2006 Chatham restaurant health inspections
[Dec. 10, 2006] Here are the restaurant health ratings for eating establishments that were inspected during the month of November.

Spicing up Thanksgiving
[Nov. 17, 2006] As far as food goes, Thanksgiving is the most traditional of holidays.The Christmas season offers weeks of opportunities to try new dishes and explore international food traditions at parties and family dinners. Hanukkah covers eight days. But the Thanksgiving table must bear the weight of family custom all in a single day. Riots can ensue if a Thanksgiving meal at home doesn’t include Aunt Hattie’s sweet potato casserole or Mom’s oyster dressing. By Sylvia Pfeffenberger

Water facts of life
[Oct. 10, 2006] There is the same amount of water on Earth as there was when the Earth was formed. The water from your faucet could contain molecules that dinosaurs drank.

Winning the grocery game: How to shop smarter, cheaper, faster
[Sep. 26, 2006] The Consumer Reports National Research Center surveyed 24,000 readers about their grocery shopping experiences and found that while respondents were generally happy with the supermarket they used most often, they still had complaints.

Food safety: Avoiding food poisoning
[Aug. 29, 2006] To avoid food poisoning, people need to prepare, cook, and store foods properly.

Consumer Reports reveals that farm-raised salmon is often sold as "wild"
[Jul. 5, 2006] Salmon that is labeled “wild” may actually be farmed-raised. Consumer Reports bought 23 supposedly “wild” salmon filets last November, December and March—during the off-season for wild-caught salmon—and found that only 10 of the 23 were definitely caught in the wild. The rest of the fish was farm-raised salmon.

Great grilling secrets for summer
[Jun. 27, 2006] Grilling season is upon us. Fire up the grill and enjoy outdoor meals -- everything from dinner on the backyard patio to a picnic in the park. Grilling is great because it is a delicious way to cook a variety of recipes, involves fairly easy clean up and doesn’t heat up the kitchen.
Also: Famous Dave’s BBQ

Consumer Reports ’ survey of chain restaurants finds best values
[Jun. 6, 2006] Consumer Reports’ latest survey of restaurant chains shows that readers were especially happy with meals at some of the newer chains—and that casual restaurants usually offered the best bang for the buck. Readers told Consumer Reports that they found the especially good value-$15 to $19 for a very good meal—at seven casual-dinner chains: Claim Jumper, Romano’s Macaroni Grill, Johnny Carino’s Abuelo’s Mexican Food Embassy, Texas Roadhouse, Red Hot & Blue, and Famous Dave’s.

Welcome to spring . . . a great time for eggs!
[Apr. 6, 2006] It's spring — the season to enjoy the great outdoors and celebrate special occasions, like Easter, Passover, and graduation! While eggs are used all year 'round, they are especially important for many spring and summertime activities. They are used for cooking festive delights and for decorating and hiding just before the big Easter egg hunt.