Food Manufacturing

Top 5 Limited Edition/Seasonal Ice Cream Flavors

A terrific ice cream treat is an easy and satisfying end to a summer supper, but while you're at the store, scan the frozen cases for new ice cream flavors. Again lured by the "limited edition" label, I have been exploring the world of seasonal ice creams. Here are five to try: 5. Peaches 'N' Cream ... More >>

State House of Representatives Votes to Pass Texas Cottage Foods Bill

When HB 1139 -- also known as the Bake Sale Bill -- was signed into law in June 2011 by Governor Rick Perry, it set a precedent in Texas for so-called Cottage Food Bills that allow small, independent bakers and other culinary artisans to make and sell food from their homes. Former Houston Press foo ... More >>

How To Make Homemade Hot Giardiniera, My New Favorite Condiment

If you've never tried hot giardineira (pronounced jar-dih-NAIR-uh), I urge you to immediately. I first fell in love with the condiment -- made with pickled vegetables and spices -- when I tried it on Pappa Geno's ridiculously delicious Wicked Philly. It even prompted me to pick up a jar and make my ... More >>

Teach Your Kids That Cows Don't Make Artificially Sweetened Milk

Let's face it -- kids are not consuming enough milk today. Most children would rather drink sugary juice or a soda rather than a glass of milk. The reason for these choices can be attributed to the fact that kids like foods with lots of sugar -- one ingredient that plain milk does not have. Unfort ... More >>

Texas Cattle Ranchers Face a Trifecta of Worrying Issues, Which Means Higher Beef Prices in 2013

This year will mark the 136th time the Cattle Raisers Convention has met, but it's in a climate that these cattlemen haven't battled for a long time. More than 2,500 ranchers and landowners are convening in Fort Worth this March to discuss a trifecta of issues that won't easily be solved. Ranchers ... More >>

Sorry Houston, No Farm-Fresh Milk for You

Here's a riddle: why would a dairy choose to stop selling milk to Houston resellers for $5 a gallon and instead sell it all to a giant co-op for a mere $1.62 a gallon? The answer? Unbearable pressure. Local milk producer Way Back When Dairy, run by the Ganskey family, has become a valued resourc ... More >>

Sip On Some Chick-Fil-A Haterade Tonight at Grand Prize Bar...for Charity

In the wake of Beaver's pro-gay rights, anti-Chick-Fil-A sandwich going national -- even the anchors on CBS This Morning were talking about the Chick-on-Chick Filet at the Houston icehouse this morning -- Grand Prize Bar is getting in on the action, too. The Montrose dive bar, which has lately been ... More >>

USDA's Meatless Monday "A Slap in the Face!" Texas Ag Comish Says

In a blog post today, Texas Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples says the U.S. Department of Agriculture's call for Meatless Mondays as part of a green environmental effort is a gross betrayal of everything the federal government should stand for. He calls for the firing of whomever came up with ... More >>

2012 Metropolitan Cooking & Entertaining Show

Is There a Chocolate Factory in Houston's Future?

Tejas Chocolate is a young company. Scott Moore, Jr. and his partner Michelle Holland started making chocolate from scratch and working with cacao beans in 2010, and Tejas Chocolate began in earnest in 2011. Scott and Michelle are still working their day jobs running a railroad supply company, while ... More >>

Ben & Jerry's Greek Frozen Yogurt

It was only a matter of time. Lunch break at the Ben & Jerry's think tank: some enterprising young person looks at her carton of Chobani, then at the freezer, then at her Chobani...and voila, Ben & Jerry's Greek Frozen Yogurt. Greek yogurt has been all the rage (in the U.S.) since dieticians launc ... More >>

Meat Market

You'll probably be paying more for your rib eyes and Whoppers thanks to the great Texas drought of 2011.

Why Texas Should Reopen Its Horse Slaughterhouses

It's been five years since the nation's last horse slaughterhouse was shut down. The Cavel horse slaughterhouse in DeKalb, Illinois, closed after Congress banned USDA inspections of horse meat -- effectively ceasing operations at the few abattoirs in the United States that dealt in horses. If the me ... More >>

Greatest Grub: Best Non-Blue Bell Ice Cream Flavors

Carrie Applegate Jaeger​As promised, here's the follow up to the last Greatest Grub featuring favorite flavors of Blue Bell ice cream. I can only imagine how many gallons of that stuff are bought in the state during these unbearably hot summer months. I know that Blue Bell is the hometown fa ... More >>

Come and Bake It

Local movement fights for cottage food bill.

Chocoholics Unite: Chocolate Festival at Central Market

​Right in time for V-Day, Central Market is hosting its annual Chocolate Festival. The aisles are filled with chocolate products of all varieties. One of my favorite local chocolatiers, Araya Artisan Chocolates, recently began selling their products at Central Market, making it even easier t ... More >>

Comments of the Day

​Lauren Marmaduke reported on the blue stuff in some "blueberry" food products not being actual blueberries, and some of our commenters expressed their displeasure with the industry. Said Gaspar Ramsey: Horsehockey. Food manufacturers use fake ingredients because they are trying to scam the p ... More >>

Food Safety Modernization Act Passes, But at What Cost?

This...probably won't happen to your friendly local farm. Geez, Alex Jones...​Yesterday afternoon, President Obama signed what's being called "one of the most expansive food regulation bills in living memory," the Food Safety Modernization Act (FMSA), effectively creating a new arm of the Food ... More >>

Food Fight: Battle Gummi Bear

​Not all gummi bears are created equal. Some people - including certain unnamed members of my family - do not seem to be aware of this, and blithely purchase generic gummi bears from supermarket bulk bins. While it's hard to get angry at someone who buys you candy, off-brand gummis have a cons ... More >>

SunChips Compostable Bags "Too Loud" - Frito-Lay Says To Hell with Planet

howgreenworks.comAmerica's youth only interested in saving the planet if it's done quietly. ​ Frito-Lay first launched a new, innovative line of compost-able packaging made entirely from plants for their SunChips brand in April of 2009. Less than 18 months later, the company is returning to th ... More >>

The Green Scene in Fredericksburg

Photo by jonlThe Texas Organic Farmers & Gardeners Association at the 2008 Roundup.​Attention, Houston-area organic chefs, farmers and food producers: Fredericksburg wants you! The annual Renewable Energy Roundup and Green Living Fair, which takes place this year from September 24 to 26, is l ... More >>

Chef Chat, Part 1: Giancarlo Ferrara of Arcodoro

​We recently caught up with Chef Giancarlo Ferrara of Arcodoro. We visited with this native of Salerno, Italy to discuss his origins and theories for success as a chef and how he ended up in Houston. Eating Our Words: How did you get into cooking? Ferrara: Growing up, everybody in my family ... More >>

Health Dept. Roundup: Market Edition

​This week on Health Department Roundup, we visited the city's retail food markets. At Foodarama Meat (11502 Wilcrest), a May 17 routine inspection found a hand-washing sign was not visible at all hand-washing sinks used by food employees, and that floors were not kept clean in several areas ... More >>

Pola Artisan Cheeses

​We'd tried Pola Artisan Cheeses (1829 Colquitt, 281-414-2509) at the Urban Harvest Farmers' Market and even taken some to the St. Arnolds Brewery, but when we heard it was being made in a house in Montrose, we had to see it for ourselves. We called ahead to make sure it was cool to take a "ch ... More >>

Antonelli's Cheese Shop

​Specialty shops are not dead. Just ask Kendall and John of Antonelli's Cheese Shop in Austin (4220 Duval Street). On February 11 of this year, they opened Antonelli's Cheese Shop in the city's famous Hyde Park area. Not to worry, Hyde Park Grill and Dolce Vita fans. Antonelli's Cheese Shop ha ... More >>

Houston Company Hit With Claim Its Fish Contain PCBs

​A Houston-based fish-oil manufacturer might be exposing consumers to a harmful carcinogen, according to a lawsuit filed by environmental activists earlier this month.Filed in a California Superior Court, the suit accuses Omega Protein and seven other fish-oil manufacturers of failing to warn cons ... More >>

Late Night Scene: Waffle House

​We ventured out to the Waffle House at 11240 Westheimer for some pork products and waffles. There is something about this place that makes it a destination restaurant. We ordered a super "breakfast" with a pecan waffle, sausage, and our hash browns "smothered, covered and scattered." If you'r ... More >>

Artisan Chocolates at Whole Foods

​All-natural Lake Champlain Chocolates from Vermont are one of the stars of the Valentine's Day "Sweets for Your Sweetie" display at Whole Foods Market on Kirby. The company's chocolate blog is an amusing glimpse into life in a chocolate factory. I like the post about "frog day" on the manuf ... More >>

Top 5 Sweets of Sugar Land

Wrong, but right: Oreo Pizookie​Imperial Sugar may not actually produce sugar in Sugar Land anymore, but even as dust collects on the factory smokestacks and the museum leads tours through the old warehouse, there are still a number of bakeries, breweries and cafes making Sugar Land's namesake ... More >>

3rd Annual Chocolate Festival of Texas & Texas Wines

The Mayans and Aztecs were right about one thing - the fruit of the cacao tree is delicious

Not So Clear Cut

What are you really eating when you order fajitas in a Tex-Mex restaurant?

Harvard Elementary Kids, Get Your Butts Back To School

Another HISD school has declared total victory in the battle against swine flu (No political correctness here, pork industry!!). Harvard Elementary in the Heights, one of the first district schools to close down, will reopen tomorrow.The city's health department has given the OK for the move, HISD s ... More >>

Crunchy Bacon Chocolate Bar

Photo by Robb Walsh The best thing I got in my Easter Basket was this Mo's Bacon Bar from Vosges chocolate company. The texture is not unlike a Nestle's Crunch, but instead of crispy rice, the crunchy bits here are pieces of alderwood smoked bacon and coarse alderwood smoked salt. When you open up ... More >>

An Update On The Strand's Comeback, From George Mitchell

George Mitchell is pretty much the guy who saved Downtown Galveston and the Strand area as it was slowly deteriorating into oblivion; now he's leading the efforts to bring it back from Ike.Today he issued an upbeat assessment of where things stand and where they'll be going.The 24 historical buildin ... More >>

National Cancer Organization Wants Hot Dogs Out of HISD Schools

National Cancer Organization Wants Hot Dogs Out of HISD Schools

Imperial Sugar Hit Hard By OSHA

Chocolate Festival of Texas

Sweetness comes to town

Feature Photo

Richard Kaplan

His chocolate is hot

Free Sample

Free Sample

The Next Chef Boyardee

Wolfgang Puck, creator of Spago in Hollywood, has lost control of his name

Best Pasta

Best Ice Cream

Take Me Home

Bring On the Bovine

Beef-mad Houstonians keep eating steaks

Best Pizzeria

Pizza Bella

On a Whim

Tex-Mex adventures

Letters