UK food labels are set to distinguish between goods from Palestinians in the occupied territories and produce from Israeli settlements

Food packaging guidelines advise a change from labels usually naming only Israel or West Bank as the source.

The government said it was opposed to a boycott of Israeli goods, but that the settlements posed an obstacle to peace.

The Palestinian general delegation to the UK welcomed the move, but Israel said it was “extremely disappointed”.

All Jewish settlements in the West Bank are illegal under international law, though Israel disputes this.

The new guidelines recommend that food labels in supermarkets should bear the phrases “Israeli settlement produce” or “Palestinian produce”.  Read more

*Courtesy of BBC News

The previous post left me wanting.  Not enough photos (bad blogger!).  Luckily, Krista Simmons published several images for the LA Times yesterday of Bouchon’s soft opening on Monday night.  There is even a small blog post about the event.  Check it out below!

S N A P S H O T S   O F   T H E   B O U C H O N   O P E N I N G   P A R T Y

November 17, 2009 – 12:36pm

“Beverly Hills was abuzz Monday night for the much-anticipated opening of Thomas Keller’s third outpost of Bouchon. Celebrities and foodies mingled in the palatial dining room, sipping Champagne and sampling charcuterie.

But as is the case with most gatherings, the real party was in the kitchen, where guests gathered to see just how Keller’s well-oiled machine works. Attendees passed through, picking up small bites and chatting with the Bouchon chefs. There was also a station where guests got a chance to make olive branch baguettes. Julia Louis-Dreyfus (above), quite handy with the scissors, was lucky enough to score a personal lesson from the master himself.

Of course, there were plenty of chocolate bouchons (pictured below) — along with a pyramid of countless other pastries — for the nibbling.”

Chocolate Bouchons:

Wild Mushroom Tarts:

Assembly:

*Courtesy of Krista Simmons. See more by viewing Krista’s photostream.

The title is pretty self-explanatory.  Thomas Keller’s third Bouchon bistro opened up this afternoon to a town that has been in eager anticipation for quite some time.  I have not eaten there yet, but will very soon.  For those who want to take a look at the restaurant during its very final stages before opening, check out the photos I took below.  Quite gorgeous.

The front entrance, complete with crisp awning and polished double doors:

Close-up of the signage:

Cute custom tiles at the entrance, marking the year of establishment:

Front desk and corridor:

“Un sourire imperceptible”:

Outdoor dining upstairs:

I bet dining al fresco on the roof during a summer evening would just be wonderful. Could kick myself for not taking photos of the raw bar, but that – along with a review – is sure to come soon.

*Check out Bouchon Beverly Hills online to learn more or make reservations

I heard about this on Tuesday, but am only getting the chance to post it up now.  Sad news for these publications – particularly Gourmet and Modern Bride, both of which I am still surprised were given the plug.  Why is it that writers and editors are always the last people to know about these life-altering decisions?  Seems almost an insult.

It is mentioned toward the end of the article that Bon Appétit will remain on shelves (which, personally, is little consolation because I am not a fan).  Just hope Food & Wine doesn’t slip through our fingers, too…  The country seems to be shifting toward Family Circle and Every Day with Rachael Ray.

S H U T T I N G   D O W N   G O U R M E T

Gourmet editor-in-chief Ruth Reichl (shown here next to Chef Masaharu Morimoto) is expected to leave Condé Nast, as the magazine is folding

By Laura Schreffler & Phyllis Furman

“Condé Nast’s glamorous building on Times Square felt more like a funeral home Monday as the company shuttered four money-losing magazines – including legendary food title Gourmet – and let go about 180 staffers.

In addition to Gourmet, the once lofty publishing house is also ditching Cookie, a parenting magazine, and Modern Bride and Elegant Bride, as it tries to boost profits in the wake of an extraordinary advertising downturn.

“People who were laid off are crying and angry,” an insider said of the scene Monday. “There isn’t a laugh in the building. Everyone is shocked and a little panicked.”

Gourmet’s editor-in-chief, iconic food writer Ruth Reichl, who’s been at the title since 1999, is expected to exit.

“Thank you all SO much for this outpouring of support,” Reichl told her Twitter followers Monday. “It means a lot. Sorry not to be posting now, but I’m packing. We’re all stunned, sad.”

Nearly all the editors and publishers of the other shut-down titles – including Cookie editor-in-chief Pilar Guzman – have been shown the door.”  Read more

For all the restaurant food lovers that can get to Los Angeles, here’s a link to the 2009 DineLA Restaurant Week.  If you’re looking to try something new I recommend perusing the list of participating restaurants.  Just click on the logo below.

the mightypen and I find that going out to eat can be expensive, but promotions like this allows us to sample what the restaurant has to offer without breaking into the piggy bank.      As for me, I’m looking forward to going out during the weekday!

Talk amongst yourselves.  I’m getting verklempt.

N E R O’ S   R O T A T I N G   B A N Q U E T   H A L L   U N V E I L E D

Superintendent Maria Antonietta Tomei, center, speaks to reporters in a recently unearthed brick structure, incorporating a 4-meter diameter pillar, seen at left, discovered during maintenance works in the Roman Forum in Rome, Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2009.

Nero’s Rotating Banquet Hall Unveiled in Rome
By Marta Falconi

“ROME — Not only was Nero a Roman emperor, it turns out he may also have been the father of the revolving restaurant. Archaeologists unveiled Tuesday what they think are the remains of Nero’s extravagant banquet hall, a circular space that rotated day and night to imitate the Earth’s movement and impress his guests.

The room, part of Nero’s Golden Palace, a sprawling residence built in the first century A.D., is thought to have been built to entertain government officials and VIPs, said lead archaeologist Francoise Villedieu.

Archaeologists believe the structure supported a rotating dining room imitating the Earth’s movement and used by Roman Emperor Nero to impress his guests in his Golden Palace.

The emperor, known for his lavish and depraved lifestyle, was born in 37 A.D. and ruled from 54 A.D. to 68 A.D.

The dig so far has turned up the foundations of the room, the rotating mechanism underneath and part of an attached space believed to be the kitchens, she said.

“This cannot be compared to anything that we know of in ancient Roman architecture,” Villedieu told reporters during a tour of the cordoned-off dig.

She said the location of the discovery atop the Palatine Hill, the rotating structure and references to it in ancient biographies of Nero make the attribution to the emperor most likely.

Archaeologists work near the area atop Palatine Hill, where Emperor Nero built his Domus Aurea, or fabled Golden Palace.  The Golden Palace rose over the ruins of a fire that destroyed much of Rome in 64 A.D. and was completed in 68 A.D.

The partially excavated site is part of the sumptuous residence, also known by its Latin name Domus Aurea, which rose over the ruins of a fire that destroyed much of Rome in A.D. 64.

The purported main dining room, with a diameter of over 50 feet (16 meters), rested upon a 13-foot (4-meter) wide pillar and four spherical mechanisms that, likely powered by a constant flow of water, rotated the structure.” Read more

*Images courtesy of Domenico Stinellis for the Associated Press
*Please refer to the following sources for more information, sketches, and photos:
“Nero’s Dining Room Found” (ANSA)
“Roman Emperor Nero’s Legendary Rotating Dining Room Uncovered By Archaeologists” (Nick Pisa, Daily Mail UK)
ROME ARCHAEOLOGICAL NEWS: Palatino / Vigna Barberini: Riemerge una Imponente Struttura di Epoca Neroniana (Flickr user Martin G. Conde)

Pepsi Japan will be debuting a new seasonal flavor on October 20th – Azuki (or Red Bean)!  Personally, I could see it working well enough on the taste buds.  Couldn’t be any stranger than Pepsi Ice Cucumber or Pepsi Shiso, which actually sounded pretty good!

P E P S I   A Z U K I

Unfortunately, we in the States will still be limited to Wild Cherry (or for those of us who are even more alternative, Pepsi Jazz in French Vanilla, Black Cherry or Caramel Cream).  Who knows, perhaps some specialty shops in Los Angeles will bring in Pepsi Azuki for the American masses.  We will certainly make some phone calls, and update you if this happens!

*Click here to learn more about Pepsi Azuki