Chef Costing

Database Application coming soon

2009-01-02T21:11:00.000-08:00

Nice run up for PBJ

2008-08-06T17:23:00.001-07:00

Corn falls for fourth day as dollar rises; wheat gains

2008-08-06T17:18:00.000-07:00

SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) - Corn futures fell for a fourth straight session Tuesday, with the benchmark contract briefly dropping to its lowest level in more than four months, as a stronger dollar put downward pressures on dollar-denominated commodities prices.

Whole Foods shares tumble on weak results

2008-08-06T17:15:00.000-07:00

CHICAGO (MarketWatch) - Shares of Whole Foods Markets Inc. fell to a six-year low Wednesday as investors digested disappointing fiscal third-quarter results and the company's decision to suspend its dividend.

Jalapeño Pepper Tests Positive for Salmonella

2008-07-22T10:47:00.000-07:00

A fresh jalapeño pepper grown in Mexico and processed in Texas has tested positive for the strain of salmonella that has sickened more than 1,200 people in recent months, food safety and health officials said today.

Corn Has Biggest Weekly Drop in 12 Years on Argentine Tax Vote

2008-07-18T14:45:00.000-07:00

July 18 (Bloomberg) -- Corn fell, capping the biggest weekly drop in 12 years, after Argentina revoked escalating taxes on some grain exports, ending a dispute with farmers that disrupted shipments. Soybeans and wheat also dropped.

FDA lifts warning on tomatoes

2008-07-18T07:06:00.000-07:00

(CNN) -- Tomatoes are again safe to eat, the Food and Drug Administration said Thursday, weeks after the food was blamed as a source of a salmonella outbreak in the United States and Canada.

Boston's 'Green' Dining Scene

2008-07-12T13:01:00.000-07:00

Taranta

Taranta's cassava-root gnocchi

The green scene: Taranta is just as known for its high-end Italian-Peruvian cuisine as it is for being green. Chef and owner Jose Duarte, who won this year's City of Boston Green Business Award, constantly combs his operations for eco-friendly opportunities, and blogs about improvements, which include a sustainable, organic and biodynamic wine list, energy-efficient appliances and composting of food scraps. The restaurant's truck, used to pick up produce and supplies, operates on fryer oil.

Click here to read the full W.S.J. article

Of course we could always experiment on how to make a more powerful foodborne illness in space!

2008-07-10T14:30:00.001-07:00

Space bugs become more dangerous

US outbreak of salmonella spreads

2008-07-10T14:27:00.000-07:00

More than 1,000 people in more than 40 US states are now confirmed to have become ill with salmonella since April, officials say.

Salmonella Infects Over 1,000; Peppers Now Eyed

2008-07-10T06:56:00.000-07:00

In some clusters of illnesses, jalapenos "simply were not on the menu," Tauxe said. "We are quite sure that neither tomatoes nor jalapenos explain the entire outbreak at this point. ... We're presuming that both of them have caused illness."

Restaurant uses waste oil to fuel trucks, save dough

2008-07-09T07:09:00.000-07:00

Libby Hill has entered a partnership with Patriot Biodiesel to refine the waste oil from its 11 area restaurants into B-100 biodiesel.

PowerShares Dynamic Food & Beverage (PBJ)

2008-07-08T11:16:00.000-07:00

PBJ maybe seeing a bottom as Daily chart shows signs of a reversal.

PowerShares Dynamic Food & Beverage Portfolio (the Fund) seeks investment results that correspond to the price and yield of an equity index called the Dynamic Food & Beverage Intellidex Index (the Food & Beverage Intellidex). The Food & Beverage Intellidex consists of stocks of 30 United States food and beverage companies. These are companies that are engaged in the manufacture, sale or distribution of food and beverage products, agricultural products and products related to the development of new food technologies. These companies may include companies that sell products and services, such as meat and poultry processing, and wholesale and retail distribution and warehousing of food and food-related products, including restaurants, grocery stores, brewers, distillers and vintners, as well as companies that manufacture and distribute products, including soft drinks, packaged food products, health food and dietary products. Its investment advisor is PowerShares Capital Management LLC

MILK PRICES RISE ABOVE $4 A GALLON FOR FIRST TIME

2008-07-08T10:56:00.000-07:00

Milk is about as expensive as gasoline nowadays.The monthly threshold price for milk -- the highest amount retailers can charge in stores -- shows a large increase for the month of July.

A booming business in 'low-mileage lettuce'

2008-06-23T21:45:00.000-07:00

Until now, it has been nearly impossible for small local farmers to supply major supermarket chains because of costly food safety requirements, restrictions that grew more stringent following the 2006 E. coli outbreak in spinach. But with an investment from a group of entrepreneurs under the age of 30, along with a $250,000 grant from Maine's agriculture department, Locally Known built a processing plant that washes, dries, and packages the greens to meet industry standards.

If you want to trade food and beverage on the market, PBJ is your stock

2008-06-18T14:59:00.000-07:00

PowerShares Dynamic Food & Beverage Portfolio (the Fund) seeks investment results that correspond to the price and yield of an equity index called the Dynamic Food & Beverage Intellidex Index (the Food & Beverage Intellidex). The Food & Beverage Intellidex consists of stocks of 30 United States food and beverage companies. These are companies that are engaged in the manufacture, sale or distribution of food and beverage products, agricultural products and products related to the development of new food technologies. These companies may include companies that sell products and services, such as meat and poultry processing, and wholesale and retail distribution and warehousing of food and food-related products, including restaurants, grocery stores, brewers, distillers and vintners, as well as companies that manufacture and distribute products, including soft drinks, packaged food products, health food and dietary products. Its investment advisor is PowerShares Capital Management LLC.

More information on the ETF can be found here:

http://www.invescopowershares.com/products/overview.aspx?ticker=PBJ

http://www.invescopowershares.com/pdf/P-PBJ-PC-1.pdf

Wine, meat and bananas all see prices surge

2008-06-18T11:34:00.000-07:00

Wine, meat and bananas have all becomes victims of surging prices due to a combination of rising fuel costs, poor harvests and weak currency.

Five operators share counter-attack strategies for the rising costs of doing business.

2008-06-17T14:10:00.000-07:00

It’s no secret that rising food costs have affected everyone in the retail and restaurant industries, and with reason: 2008’s big picture doesn’t look favorable.

New data from Chicago-based researcher Mintel suggests that more consumers have moved from spending less on food away from home to curtailing restaura

2008-06-17T14:07:00.000-07:00

restaurants still can fare well. “By highlighting cost savings, all restaurants can maintain steady business.”

U.S. Corn Belt Under Siege By Flooding

2008-06-17T14:04:00.000-07:00

In the state’s capital city of Des Moines, which is surrounded by corn and soybean fields, a levee holding back rising flood waters broke this weekend and swamped the city. It is the worst flooding the city has seen in 15 years.

FDA News

2008-06-13T09:51:00.000-07:00

FDA Warns Consumers Nationwide Not to Eat Certain Types of Raw Red Tomatoes

Restaurants pull tomatoes after Salmonella outbreak

2008-06-09T18:40:00.000-07:00

OAK BROOK, ILL. — Several of the nation’s top quick-service restaurant chains and supermarkets have begun pulling certain types of tomatoes over concerns about Salmonella food poisoning linked to uncooked tomatoes.

Chef Grant Achatz wins top James Beard award

2008-06-08T21:58:00.000-07:00

Grant Achatz of the Chicago restaurant Alinea, who last year overcame a mouth cancer that threatened his life and his ability to taste, was named the country's outstanding chef Sunday night at the 18th James Beard Foundation Awards in New York.

Wine service: Eleven Madison Park, New York.

Wine/spirits professional: Terry Theise, Estate Selections, Silver Spring, Md.

Great Lakes region chef: Carrie Nahabedian, Naha, Chicago.

New York chef: David Chang, Momofuku Ssäm Bar, New York.

Southwest chef: Lachlan Mackinnon-Patterson, Frasca Food and Wine, Boulder, Colo.

Mid-Atlantic chef: Eric Ziebold, CityZen, Washington, D.C.

Northeast chef: Patrick Connolly, Radius, Boston.

South chef: Michelle Bernstein, Michy's, Miami

Pacific chef: Craig Stoll, Delfina, San Francisco

Midwest chef: Adam Siegel, Bartolotta's Lake Park Bistro, Milwaukee

Northwest chef: Holly Smith, Café Juanita, Kirkland, Wash.

Southeast chef: Robert Stehling, Hominy Grill, Charleston, S.C.

Brilliant young chef battles tongue cancer

2008-06-07T16:57:00.000-07:00

Culinary master conquers tenacious disease; his cutting edge cuisine thrives

As Costs Keep Rising, Restaurateurs Find Creative Ways to Cope

2008-06-06T14:51:00.000-07:00

The last delivery of 100-pound sacks of flour cost $7 more apiece than the previous load had, said Ms. Levin, whose restaurant runs through 1,000 pounds a week. Blueberries trucked down from Maine will cost $38 per flat, up from $24 last summer, she said. And a five-gallon jug of maple syrup from Canada recently leaped to $250 from $200, she said.

Whole Foods halts tomato sales amid salmonella scare

2008-06-06T14:30:00.002-07:00

Whole Foods Market Inc. has halted sales of fresh Roma and large field-grown round tomatoes at all its stores after the Texas Department of State Health Services warned of a salmonella outbreak linked to eating uncooked tomatoes.

Corn Rises to Record as Rain Threatens U.S. Crop; Soybeans Gain

2008-06-06T14:30:00.001-07:00

June 6 (Bloomberg) -- Corn rose to a record for a second day, and soybeans reached a three-month high, as excessive Midwest rains flooded fields, delaying completion of spring planting and increasing the risk of U.S. crop losses.

Oil Rises to Record on Weakening Dollar, Morgan Stanley Outlook

2008-06-06T14:28:00.000-07:00

June 6 (Bloomberg) -- Crude oil surged more than $10 a barrel to a record as the dollar weakened after the U.S. unemployment rate grew the most in two decades and Morgan Stanley said prices may reach $150 within a month.

'Green' menu items have potential for success

2008-06-06T14:26:00.000-07:00

Environmentally friendly menu offerings have the potential to help boost a restaurant’s bottom line and provide competitive differentiation if marketed aggressively, according to market researcher The NPD Group.

Unilever Looks To Offload Bertolli

2008-06-05T10:59:00.000-07:00

Anglo-Dutch consumer goods group Unilever is considering selling its Bertolli olive oil business according to the group's Finance Director.

Upward Trend World Olive Oil Consumption

Smithfield Foods income slides 23% in '08

2008-06-05T10:54:00.000-07:00

SMITHFIELD, VA. — The rising cost of grain coupled with falling prices for hogs led to lower earnings at Smithfield Foods, Inc. in fiscal 2008.

Salmonella outbreak linked to raw tomatoes

2008-06-03T15:55:00.000-07:00

preliminary data suggest that large tomatoes, including Roma and red round, are the source.

Italian pork strike imminent! Get your prosciutto while you can!

2008-05-30T15:20:00.000-07:00

You heard it here first! As of June 1, the pig farmers of Italy are going on strike . That puts Parma ham, prosciutto, and Piacenza pork neck salami, as well as other Italian pork products, under threat.

Wheat Falls to 9-Month Low as U.S. Starts Harvesting More Grain

2008-05-29T19:43:00.001-07:00

May 29 (Bloomberg) -- Wheat fell to the lowest price since August as farmers in parts of the U.S. begin harvesting what the government predicts will be the biggest winte r crop in a decade.

South Korea to Resume U.S. Beef Imports Next Week

2008-05-29T19:41:00.000-07:00

May 29 (Bloomberg) -- South Korea, the third-biggest buyer of U.S. beef before curbs were imposed because of mad-cow disease concerns, will resume imports of the meat after announcing today terms for re-opening the market.

World Bank offers $1.2bn food aid

2008-05-29T18:52:00.000-07:00

The World Bank is to offer immediate financial help to countries worst hit by sharp rises in food prices as part of a $1.2bn (£608m) assistance package.

Great Culinary Podcasts

2008-05-27T10:10:00.000-07:00

Starchefs.com now features culinary podcasts you can download. Great for when your on the train going to work!
Newest podcast features Chicago Chef Takashi Yagihashi as he covers the basics of sharpening Japanese-style knives and the right way to cut tuna and salmon sashimi from both filet and whole fish.

Podcasts can be downloaded here:
http://www.starchefs.com/podcasts/

-ChefCoster

Added Toronto Star Food section to RSS News Feeds section

2008-05-27T09:23:00.000-07:00

http://www.chefcosting.com/News/

-ChefCoster

South Koreans take to street to protest against imports of U.S. beef

2008-05-26T15:18:00.000-07:00

SEOUL, South Korea — South Koreans spooked by fears of mad cow disease took to the streets again Monday night to protest a beef import deal with the United States.

Slow Food USA Partners with LocalHarvest

2008-05-25T13:33:00.001-07:00

Local Harvest is an easy-to-use site that helps consumers all over the country find the sustainable food in their area–that means farmers’ markets, family farms, CSAs, retailers who sell free range poultry, grass-fed beef purveyors, etc.

The next Kobe?

2008-05-21T20:25:00.000-07:00

Japan to probe whale meat 'theft'

Stocks slide as Fed, oil fuel inflation worries

2008-05-21T11:54:00.000-07:00

With oil and food prices surging, Fed officials seemed to have lost their appetite for more rate cuts, the minutes revealed.

U.S.D.A. forecasts a record world wheat crop of 656 million tonnes

2008-05-19T21:59:00.000-07:00

The U.S.D.A. projected the 2008-09 world wheat crop to be 8% larger than that harvested in 2007-08. The department cautioned its forecasts were highly tentative given spring crops were only now being seeded

Dairy co-op faces investigations

2008-05-19T21:48:00.000-07:00

The Kansas City-based dairy cooperative, the nation's largest, also faces antitrust lawsuits by farmers and retailers for allegedly conspiring to suppress prices it paid for raw milk in the Southeast, while raising prices to the region's retailers, according to The Journal.

Lemon production slow to recover from 2007 freeze

2008-05-19T16:33:00.000-07:00

"After the freeze in January 2007, fresh lemon prices shot up 130% between January and February, and have remained above average, in the high $30 per 76-lb box through the remainder of the season," the U.S.D.A. said. "While prices have moderated from the peak ($48.04 per box in October 2007), they still are above last year’s freeze prices and about three to four times higher than during the 2005-06 season."

Tomato Prices

2008-05-17T21:35:00.000-07:00

Tomatoes prices have followed in the footsteps of many other foodstock commodities such as wheat and corn for many of the same reasons: increasing prices for energy , farming chemicals , water , and labor have all contributed.

French truffles are in trouble

2008-05-17T21:18:00.001-07:00

Said to have aphrodisiac properties, this fragile species is suffering from drought on Southern European farms and will continue to suffer if predicted temperature increases come to fruition.

Winemaker Robert Mondavi Dead at 94

2008-05-16T14:56:00.000-07:00

BERKELEY, California (AP) -- Robert Mondavi , the pioneering vintner who put California wine country on the global map,

NEW NEWS FEEDS

2008-05-15T22:06:00.000-07:00

Now you can scan the food sections from around the usa.

http://www.chefcosting.com/News/

If there are other newsfeeds you would like to see, please send me a message via the communicator.
Also, please feel free to use the communicator to leave instant feedback about the site.
Thank you,
ChefCoster

Paul Haeberlin, 3-Star Chef, Dies at 84

2008-05-15T19:45:00.000-07:00

Paul Haeberlin, whose restaurant, the Auberge de l’Ill, has long been a shrine to classical French cuisine and has served as a training ground for such renowned chefs as Jean-Georges Vongerichten , died Saturday at his home in Illhaeusern, France . He was 84.

Working on new videos

2008-05-14T14:34:00.001-07:00

Food Costing videos in production. Should be up in the next week or so.
Stay tuned.
Thanks for all the support on the site
-ChefCoster

Whole Foods reality check

2008-05-14T14:12:00.000-07:00

Shares of Whole Foods Market Inc. got crushed at the open Wednesday, down 12% as the market digested its latest quarterly results.

Soybeans unchanged; hit one-month high earlier

2008-05-14T14:01:00.000-07:00

Soybeans futures ended unchanged Wednesday after rising to the highest price in one month on expectations that farmers in Argentina, the world's third-largest soybeans exporter, may extend their strike.

Foie-gras ban lifted in Chicago

2008-05-14T13:53:00.000-07:00

Warm up the saute pans, ice down the Sauternes and make ready the toasted brioche: Foie gras is back.

Strawberry season is here

2008-05-13T19:14:00.000-07:00

Last week, my local produce market devoted an entire shelf of their display space to these pint boxes of fresh, local strawberries. They were selling for $3 a basket

Another reason to hate (or love) this chef

2008-05-12T14:41:00.000-07:00

Chef Ramsay wants to fine restaurants for using out-of-season veggies

Media Statement: How Spiking Food Prices Impact Restaurants

2008-05-10T10:29:00.000-07:00

(Washington, D.C.) The National Restaurant Association's Senior Vice President of Research and Information Services Hudson Riehle today made the following statement about how increasing wholesale food and commodity prices impact restaurants:

World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) report

2008-05-10T10:15:00.000-07:00

This report presents USDA's initial assessment of U.S. and world
crop supply and demand prospects and U.S. prices for the 2008/09
season.

WHEAT:

The 2008/09 U.S. wheat outlook is for higher
production, lower exports, and increased domestic use.
Total production is projected at 2.4 billion bushels, up 16
percent from 2007/08.  The survey-based forecast of winter
wheat production is up 17 percent as area and yield are
higher than last year.  Spring wheat production is expected
higher with seeded area up 10 percent in the March 31
Prospective Plantings report.  Durum and other spring
wheat production is projected at 614 million bushels, up 12
percent from 2007/08, based on 10-year harvested-to-
planted ratios and trend yields.  Total wheat supplies are
projected up only 4 percent because of historically low
carryin.

Total wheat use is projected down 5 percent for 2008/09 as
lower exports more than offset increased domestic use.
Food use is projected at 960 million bushels, up 10 million
from the current year reflecting steady growth in domestic
demand.  Feed and residual use is projected at 230 million
bushels, up sharply from the 60 million projected for
2007/08.  Larger supplies of soft red winter wheat and
higher corn prices boost wheat feeding.  Exports are
projected at 975 million bushels, down 24 percent from
2007/08.  Ending stocks for 2008/09 are projected at 483
million bushels, more than double the current year's
projected 239 million.  The national average farm price for
2008/09 is projected at $6.60 to $8.10 per bushel,
compared with the current year forecast of a record $6.55
per bushel.  Wheat prices will be supported by farmer
forward sales and early season export demand.

Global wheat production for 2008/09 is projected at a record
656 million tons, up 8 percent from 2007/08, and up 5
percent from the previous record in 2004/05.  Higher
production is projected for most of the world's major
exporting countries including Australia, Canada, EU-27,
Russia, and Ukraine.  Strong world prices and favorable
weather in most of EU-27 and FSU-12 raised production for
2008.  Production is also projected higher in Brazil, China,
and India.  Partly offsetting are reductions for Argentina and
Kazahkstan.  The only significant weather problems for
winter wheat remain in drought-stricken Middle East and
North Africa countries.

World wheat imports, exports, and consumption are
projected higher for 2008/09.  Imports are generally
projected higher throughout the world with EU-27 the major
exception.  Imports are expected to fall sharply for EU-27 as
wheat production rebounds from weather-reduced crops in
the 2 previous years.  EU-27 exports and wheat feeding are
expected to rise sharply.  World wheat ending stocks are
projected at 124 million tons, up 13 percent from the current
year's projection.

U.S. Wheat Farmers Not Counting Bushels Yet; Eyes on Weather

2008-05-10T10:07:00.000-07:00

“It all depends on June,” said the 67-year-old Shields, who has been farming near Lindsborg, Kansas, more than 40 years.

If hot and dry weather settles into the U.S. Heartland as the newly emerging hard red winter wheat crop moves into the crucial grain filling period of development, kernels will likely shrivel and yield potential could shrink. But if mild conditions continue, the new crop could be a bin buster.

Free Markets and Food Markets: The Ugly

2008-05-09T15:09:00.000-07:00

The food crisis is bad, and getting worse. The Washington Post calls it “the worst food crisis sine the 1970’s,” and both they and the New York Times have series on the jump in food prices.

What foods are endangered?

2008-05-09T09:47:00.000-07:00

This book offers the first ever list of foods at risk in America.
Just ordered it and looking forward to reviewing it.
Supported by slow food

Momofuku Ko NYC

2008-05-08T23:03:00.000-07:00

Here is the link if you want to try!

https://reservations.momofuku.com/

Best of luck. Be strong. Be forewarned.

You can’t fixate on a specific night. You can’t fixate on a specific hour. You must have patience, an efficient computer and nimble, fast-moving fingers, because the way to grab one of the 12 coveted seats is to click-submit a reservation request at precisely 10 a.m. precisely six days before you aspire to dine there and then hope against hope and dream against dream and promise the cyberspace gods your firstborn male child if they speed your electronic wish to Ko before all the other electronic wishes get there.

We're Number 1! North Americans least green in world

2008-05-08T22:17:00.000-07:00

The study, conducted for the National Geographic Society, asked people in 14 countries about their lifestyles, including questions on housing, food, and transport, and then gave them a green score on a scale of one to a hundred.

Win 2lbs of morel mushrooms - $113.50 value

2008-05-08T21:41:00.000-07:00

Got a magnificent mushroom recipe?

Email response from King Arthur Flour about the types of wheat they use

2008-05-08T07:41:00.000-07:00

Thank you for your email. Our Flour Sales Support team has responded as follows:

There are three main wheat boards: Minneapolis (Hard Red Spring Wheat,
which is used in our Bread, Whole Wheat), Kansas (Hard Red Winter Wheat
which is used in our All Purpose Flour) and Chicago (Soft Red Wheat,
which is used for pastry and cake flour). Our White Whole Wheat is
Hard White Spring Wheat, but for pricing purposes our contacts use the
Hard Red Spring Minneapolis Board. The two most influential boards seem
to be Chicago and Kansas, due to volume. Minneapolis is the smallest
board due to the fact that they have the smallest volume of wheat. Many
factors affect price; amount of wheat available, overall money being
poured into commodities (like wheat, corn, soybeans, oil, silver, etc.),
a weak dollar compared to the rest of the world (making our products
less expensive to other countries).

Panera Bread Company (PNRA): Share price defines bullish 'flag' consolidation

2008-05-07T20:41:00.000-07:00

Benefiting from the price drop of flour

One of America's Leading Chefs

2008-05-07T17:44:00.000-07:00

A Man of Taste

Rising food prices begin to impact school lunches

2008-05-06T15:05:00.000-07:00

Some districts are cutting staff in order to make ends meet and others are foregoing pricey items like the ever-popular baby carrots and replacing fresh veggies with frozen.

Sara Lee (SLE) gets hit by volatile commodity prices

2008-05-06T13:58:00.000-07:00

Shares of consumer goods giant Sara Lee (NYSE: SLE ) have been taking a beating today after the company failed to meet analyst estimates for its fiscal third quarter.

The Lost Supermarket: A Breed in Need of Replenishment

2008-05-06T11:41:00.000-07:00

A continuing decline in the number of neighborhood supermarkets has made it harder for millions of New Yorkers to find fresh and affordable food within walking distance of their homes, according to a recent city study.

Sara Lee raises prices. Sees profits

2008-05-06T11:35:00.000-07:00

Sara Lee posts profit, trims full-year forecast

India may impose a ban on trading in food futures

2008-05-05T19:57:00.000-07:00

India is reportedly considering a ban on futures trading in food commodities, as the government struggles to curb soaring inflation and the rising cost of food has become a major international concern.

India has already banned futures trading in rice and wheat.

This is the whole reason for this site. Futures trading dictates our food prices which directly affects what we pay in the restaurant. - chefcoster

Watch out for Butter

2008-05-04T14:54:00.001-07:00

Butter trading up to 1.42 per pound.
I am currently paying 1.99 per pound.
Could butter go up soon?
Stochastics looking seriously oversold

What King Arthur Flour is doing to keep the cost of flour down

2008-05-04T11:01:00.000-07:00

Letter from Tod Bramble regarding the rapidly increasing cost of flour

US wheat, soy, rice rally as fund buying resumes

2008-05-04T09:59:00.000-07:00

CHICAGO, May 2 (Reuters) - U.S. wheat, soybean and rice futures rose on Friday, tracking a rally in crude oil as recession fears eased and investors returned to commodities, traders said.

Wheat, soybean futures fall on stronger dollar, crude slides

2008-05-04T09:55:00.000-07:00

Wheat and soybean futures fell sharply Thursday, driven lower by a stronger dollar that prompted investors to sell hard assets. Corn futures rose.

Bush calls for $770 million in food aid

2008-05-01T19:19:00.000-07:00

Asks Congress to approve package to alleviate food shortages

A Run on Rice in Asian Communities

2008-05-01T19:06:00.000-07:00

“Thirty-three years I’ve been living here, and I’ve never seen the price like that,”

Want to buy butter in Japan? Good luck!

2008-04-30T21:43:00.000-07:00

The shelves in Japanese supermarkets that normally hold butter are turning up bare these days.

Wheat Falls Below $8 as Investors Expect Rate Cut Will Be Last

2008-04-30T21:35:00.000-07:00

April 30 (Bloomberg) -- Wheat fell below $8 a bushel for the first time in five months as investors speculated the U.S. will slow the pace of interest-rate cuts, boosting the dollar and reducing grain exports that surged as the currency weakened.

UN sets up food crisis task force

2008-04-29T10:28:00.000-07:00

The United Nations Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon, is setting up a task force to tackle the global food crisis.

UN chiefs hold food crisis summit

2008-04-28T20:54:00.000-07:00

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon is due to announce details of new measures to tackle the global food crisis.

Recession? McDonald's is Lovin' It

2008-04-28T20:45:00.000-07:00

Winds may decide red tide outbreak

2008-04-28T16:12:00.000-07:00

New England's seabed has all the ingredients for a severe red tide outbreak this year – but

Ingredient Spotlight: Piment d'Espelette

2008-04-28T15:15:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite spices.

Amazon has it for a great price

Wheat Production World Map

2008-04-28T00:13:00.000-07:00

Map from 2005
scale is 1 million metric tons
more information here

Salt takes a lickin'

2008-04-27T15:11:00.000-07:00

The 20 saltiest foods in America

Calamari Anyone?

2008-04-26T17:47:00.000-07:00

Colossal squid out of the freezer

Environmental Cost of Shipping Groceries Around the World

2008-04-26T15:13:00.000-07:00

Cod caught off Norway is shipped to China to be turned into filets, then shipped back to Norway for sale.

Flour Price Drop

2008-04-26T12:12:00.000-07:00

Last week we were paying 34.50 (50 lb bag). This week we are down to 23.99.
Nowhere near the 11.88 back in May 07

Futures wheat prices has dropped to 8.55 per bushel from over 12.50 in march

Grease Car

2008-04-26T09:05:00.000-07:00

Check out chef Jose from Taranta and his cool ride

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6dqKz0fmdM

Just added TarantaGreen blog to the site. you can scroll through different blogs with the arrow keys.

Jose is one of the leading chefs "going green" at his restaurant.

Serious take on Biofuel and how it affects food shortages

2008-04-25T09:24:00.001-07:00

The Biofuels Scam, Food Shortages and the Coming Collapse of the Human Population

U.N. chief calls food price rise a global crisis

2008-04-25T08:04:00.000-07:00

World Food Program faces 40 percent increase in food costs, new requests

Dollar rises most vs. euro since 2004

2008-04-24T21:18:00.000-07:00

http://www.bloggingstocks.com/category/economic-data/

2 cents.....
wooooo!

Gasoline could hit $7 a gallon in four years: CIBC

2008-04-24T21:09:00.000-07:00

Crude predicted to top $200 by 2012 on tight supplies, pushing gas higher

(RR K8) Rice prices hit record highs, purchase limits at some stores

2008-04-24T07:22:00.000-07:00

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/1310ap_wal_mart_rice.html?source=mypi

Whats with all the quotes??

2008-04-23T23:30:00.000-07:00

Being a chef, we mostly are not concerned about economic cycles and how the economy is. And that is not such a bad thing in some ways because it sucks. With commodity prices hitting new highs and the dollar hitting new lows, it can be frustrating to hear about our current state.
But because of this reason, I have decided that now is the time to be more involved than ever to keep tabs on what our current status is.

Im breaking it down like this:
Do you want your sales reps or purveyors telling you about the economy and why your paying so much for a bag of flower or imported olive oil?

Or would you like to be telling them on what the euro is or what the trends are for wheat prices.
Plus , I think it looks good be able to know factual data when it comes to the products we handle.

This is a piece of the pie that comes with being a creative chef. This knowledge can help you barter for your item prices.

I am not a futures expert and am quite new to it. I hope to mold this website according to the new knowledge that I learn.
Please feel free to email me or send me a message with website ideas, resources and suggestions.

Videos and more spreadsheets to follow soon

Fish Calculator

2008-04-14T14:56:00.001-07:00

Here is a a nice tool that we use in our restaurant to calculate how many pounds of fish we need to order to cover ourselves for the day.
Information needed is in the colored columns except for pounds needed which is in red.
Type in the portions needed and price and it will calculate the pounds needed for you.
The key column on the spreadsheet is the yield percentage. These are averaged yields in which we have fabricated tested.
You can add your own items, prices and yields.
F and W indicate whole and fillet.

Spreadsheet is here:

http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=pOg8VeP2diI7g0VotrlyCJA&hl=en

Google docs are free and can be used by all!
You can save or export into excel or other formats.

New Website

2008-04-13T15:51:00.000-07:00

ChefCosting.com is a new site dedicated to chefs around the world who are interested in learning how to run a more efficient, cost effective kitchen business. The site is run by me, Chef Ross of Lucca and Sasso restaurant. I have over 15 years of experience in the kitchen and 5+ years of executive chef.
This site is for anyone who is thinking about getting into the restaurant business all the way from experienced executive or corporate chefs.
This site will also be an exchange for people to share their templates and expertise as well.
I will also post videos that will demonstrate food cost tips.
Posting times in which i will be available for questions via the meebo communicator will be listed.
I cant write everything about the site in one post so there is so much more to come!
Get your sous chefs on this!
Please spread the word about OUR new website.
Thank you