Subject:

U.S. Department of Agriculture

  • Blogs

    May 15, 2012

    The Texas Farm Bureau Applauds Domino's Support for Gestation Crates, Orders a Pizza

    Confining sows in small gestation crates has come under great scrutiny lately. Major companies like McDonald's, Burger King, Wendy's and most recently the nation's second largest grocery chain, Safeway, have announced a phase-out of pork supplied by farms that use gestation crates. However, recent ... More >>

  • Blogs

    May 14, 2012

    Maple Avenue's New Kroger Fresh Fare Store Channels HEB in One of Dallas' Food Deserts

    Recently a new 73,000 square foot Kroger Fresh Fare grocery store opened at 4901 Maple Avenue in what is considered an "economically distressed Census tract." It is also adjacent to two food deserts as defined by the USDA, a designation that indicates limited access to groceries, particularly fresh ... More >>

  • Blogs

    April 20, 2012

    Solving the Mystery of Melting Cheeses

    My recent investigation into the endless cycle of queso enjoyment promoted a question in the comments. After I described a bubbling plate of molten cheese primi timpano asked: A little surprised at the bubbling cheese as I thought cheese heated to these temperatures would result in broken proteins. ... More >>

  • Blogs

    April 12, 2012

    Skinnygirl Wine is Now Available at Sigel's. Let's All Get Wasted and Gossip.

    I don't know a ton about wine, nor do I know much about "real" housewives in New York City (shout out to Oak Cliff Housewives, who truly keep it real). But word on the street, according to Jasper Russo at Sigel's, is that Skinnygirl wine "HAS ARRIVED!" I pass along this information because I watche ... More >>

  • Blogs

    February 24, 2012

    Who's Eating All This Steak?

    Steak steak steak steak steak steak steak. The Dallas Morning News published a Pavlovian steakhouse slideshow the other day, with pictures and a link to a story published two summers ago that ranked Dallas' best steakhouses. There are some sexy shots in that slideshow, but they invoked deja vu: D M ... More >>

  • Blogs

    February 10, 2012

    Rowdy and Michelle Obama Visit a Dallas School To Promote Nutrition, Reality TV

    Michelle Obama joined the folks from Top Chef this morning, as part of her tour celebrating the second anniversary of her "Let's Move!" initiative. The folks from Bravo staged a mock cooking competition in front of scores of crumbsnatchers (who didn't look that fat to me, by the way) from the Nancy ... More >>

  • Blogs

    January 17, 2012

    Why Smashburger Sucks More Than It Has To

    Gratuitous macro depicting maximum crustiness.​Late last year, Forbes named Smashburger America's most promising company. The article describes an American population as burger-obsessed and compares the Denver-based smashers to other chains, including Five Guys Burgers and Fries, Jack in the B ... More >>

  • Blogs

    January 5, 2012

    $1.7 Million in State Grant Available for Your Snazzy Squash Marketing Campaign Idea

    The USDA has awarded the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) $1.7 million in federal funds for a Specialty Crop Block Grant Program (SCBGP). Through February 23 of this year, the TDA is accepting proposals for the funding of projects designed to raise awareness and consumption of state specialty c ... More >>

  • Blogs

    November 8, 2011

    The State of Pecan Pie in Texas: It Ain't That Good

    ​Texas Pecan trees have taken a punch. The USDA predicts our state's trees will collectively produce 40 millions pounds of pecans this year, which is 30 million pounds less than the 2010 crop. The Sunnyvale Pecan orchard east of Dallas is closed for the season. And today I spoke with Red Gra ... More >>

  • Blogs

    October 24, 2011

    Hammered by the Drought, Texas Ranchers Are Running Out of Cows to Send to Slaughter

    Brandon Thibodeaux​Since we started catching rain in pans and writing down measurements, Texas has never gotten so little rainfall as we have this year. As we reported in our recent story on the cattle industry, we're in uncharted territory. That's why, in August, experts were anticipating ano ... More >>

  • Blogs

    July 27, 2011

    How You're Drinking Tequila is Probably Wrong

    Jenny Block​Sunday was National Tequila Day, a time to celebrate a drink that has often gotten a bad rap -- at least among high-minded drinkers who disdain slushy, sugary, kiddie cocktails or knocking back a shot off a stranger's torso. And don't get us started about the hangovers. Please. (M ... More >>

  • Blogs

    April 20, 2011

    Denny's Maple Bacon Sundae: When You're Ready to Throw in the Towel

    ​Recently I took the chickens out to Denny's to try their new Maple Bacon Sundae. When I was a kid I went to Denny's on occasion, but in the past 15 years I think I've been twice, and I had no idea what I'd been missing. From customers to the menu, Denny's keeps it real. This is no place for t ... More >>

  • Blogs

    December 13, 2010

    As Obama Signs Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, White House Sends Endorsement From DISD

    In March '08, Dora Rivas testified before a House committee on the need for better school nutrition.​Back in August we sneak-peeked the Dallas Independent School District's new-n-improved school menus, which offer a few more healthier alternatives than in recent years. But the district has long sa ... More >>

  • Blogs

    October 26, 2010

    How 'Bout Them Wineboys? (At Least Some Texas Competitors Had a Good Monday Night.)

    ​There's no dispute that Texas trounced New York in last night's Grape Gridiron Classic, a Texas Department of Agriculture-sponsored competition featuring wines from both states. What's debatable is whether it was a fair fight. "You guys killed us, and we deserved it," Albany Times-Union wine ... More >>

  • Blogs

    August 17, 2010

    Apple Juice Not Just for Kids Anymore, Though It Should Be

    ​Far be it from me to meddle in other people's hydration techniques, but I was surprised this weekend to come across an overheated valet chugging a gallon of frozen apple juice. I like apples, but I always figured there was an age limit on enjoying apple juice. I'd no sooner drink apple juice ... More >>

  • Blogs

    July 13, 2010

    School Lunches: How Can Something That Taste Like One be so Hard to Make?

    Low-sodium sauces​Editor's note: Apparently, feeding kids is a lot more complicated than tossing them a box of Pop-Tarts and a 3-liter jug of root beer. Who knew? For the breeders among you readers, here's a wrap-up of newsy, nutritional items Hanna shipped in from the School Nutrition Associa ... More >>

  • Blogs

    June 29, 2010

    Lion-Serving Restaurateur is King of the Bungle

    What kind of fool offers to serve Americans lion burgers? Bet he resembles this extinct species.​Food lovers, many of whom aren't inclined to get worked up about disallowed goals, have saved their World Cup-related outrage for an act of culinary one-upmanship that unfolded last week in Arizona ... More >>

  • News

    April 15, 2010

    The Humane Society and big agriculture slug it out over animal rights

    What kind of fool offers to serve Americans lion burgers? Bet he resembles this extinct species.​Food lovers, many of whom aren't inclined to get worked up about disallowed goals, have saved their World Cup-related outrage for an act of culinary one-upmanship that unfolded last week in Arizona ... More >>

  • Blogs

    February 16, 2010

    The Dallas Zoo Wants to Reassure You: This Gorilla Escape Wasn't Like the Last One

    Flickr user: Dallas1200am​Maybe you heard: On Saturday, Tufani, a 19-year-old female gorilla at the Dallas Zoo, got out of her holding area at the 2-acre Jake L. Hamon Gorilla Conservation Research Center. It was nothing as dramatic as the Jabari rampage in '04, which prompted PETA to demand the U ... More >>

  • Blogs

    February 9, 2010

    Impressions of Dallas with Matt Taylor of Motion City Soundtrack. Also: His Thoughts on Record Labels, Ric Ocasek and the Vans Warped Tour

    This here post is the first edition of what will be a weekly peek at what outside musicians think about the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Each week, we'll present a conversation with a touring act, and conclude it with a quick word-association game focusing on certain aspects of Big D and the surrounding ... More >>

  • Blogs

    November 18, 2009

    The New Faces of Hunger in North Texas

    ​When the U.S. Department of Agriculture released a report earlier this week that placed Texas second only to Mississippi when it comes to the swelling ranks of hungry residents, Jan Pruitt wasn't surprised. After all, the president and CEO of the North Texas Food Bank had just released her own da ... More >>

  • Blogs

    July 17, 2009

    Tequila and Sushi, Together At Last

    Patrick MichelsStrictly speaking, this is duck, not sushi. We'll explain...Hoping to prove his is a kinder, gentler brand of the Mexican ass-kicking liquor, Casa Noble Tequila's Jose Hermosillo invited local media to be his guests guinea pigs Thursday night for a pairing of his tequila with courses ... More >>

  • Dining

    January 29, 2009

    Cadillac Ranch Offers a Bumpy Ride for Diners

    Patrick MichelsStrictly speaking, this is duck, not sushi. We'll explain...Hoping to prove his is a kinder, gentler brand of the Mexican ass-kicking liquor, Casa Noble Tequila's Jose Hermosillo invited local media to be his guests guinea pigs Thursday night for a pairing of his tequila with courses ... More >>

  • Dining

    October 16, 2008

    Want More Beer? Change This Law!

    Patrick MichelsStrictly speaking, this is duck, not sushi. We'll explain...Hoping to prove his is a kinder, gentler brand of the Mexican ass-kicking liquor, Casa Noble Tequila's Jose Hermosillo invited local media to be his guests guinea pigs Thursday night for a pairing of his tequila with courses ... More >>

  • Blogs

    August 30, 2008

    Gustav Isn't Screwing Around, and Neither is the City of Dallas

    Patrick MichelsStrictly speaking, this is duck, not sushi. We'll explain...Hoping to prove his is a kinder, gentler brand of the Mexican ass-kicking liquor, Casa Noble Tequila's Jose Hermosillo invited local media to be his guests guinea pigs Thursday night for a pairing of his tequila with courses ... More >>

  • News

    July 3, 2008

    Pack a Trunk

    Despite efforts by animal welfare activists, the zoo decides to ship a problem elephant out of the country

  • Dining

    January 31, 2008

    Review: Bob's Steak & Chop House

    Bob's brings the beef to the 'burbs

  • Dining

    January 10, 2008

    Tex-Mex Horse Meat

    Horse slaughtering has stopped in Texas, but the horses are still dying—now in Mexico

  • News

    April 26, 2007

    Mayor, Mayor, on the Wall | Spell C-O-N-F-L-I-C-T| Got a Beef | Phat Girlz | Judge Roy Bean

    Horse slaughtering has stopped in Texas, but the horses are still dying—now in Mexico

  • News

    April 22, 2004

    Playing Coy

    Plus: Dude, You Owe Us, Like, $95,000; Edit Yourself

  • Dining

    November 13, 2003

    Wharf Arf

    The Wharf @ Bayview Marina floats and sinks

  • Dining

    September 18, 2003

    Eddie's Red Adventure

    Eddie Merlot's is a cliché with elegance

  • News

    December 5, 2002

    Green Giant

    Nobel laureate Norman Borlaug is credited with saving the lives of 1 billion people. So why is a small cadre of activists bent on tarnishing his legacy?

  • Dining

    November 28, 2002

    Horton Heard What?

    Find out Who's Who at Romano's latest venture

  • Dining

    February 21, 2002

    Food Foolery

    Shenanigans' sleight of hand is all thumbs

  • Best of Dallas

    September 20, 2001

    Best Steak

    Bob's Steak and Chop House

  • Dining

    August 9, 2001

    Shoal Shocked

    The Lighthouse doesn't quite work

  • Dining

    April 12, 2001

    Steak God Bob

    Thoroughly masculine

  • News

    February 22, 2001

    More, Please

    Quick, someone buy the county's juvenile authorities a copy of Oliver Twist

  • News

    November 23, 2000

    If Horses Could Talk

    The city alleges that horses at Samuell Farm's private riding concession were mistreated

  • News

    February 10, 2000

    Fooling with Mother Nature

    Plano-based Frito-Lay finds it's better to be safe than sorry with genetically modified foods

  • Dining

    May 27, 1999

    Tin tongue

    Tin Star's "salsa, smoke, and sizzle" fizzle

  • News

    April 22, 1999

    Cola kids

    Public school students become a captive audience for corporate advertisers

  • News

    April 1, 1999

    Hercules unchained

    Many mistakes were made the day a 340-pound gorilla got loose at the Dallas Zoo. One keeper almost paid for them with her life. But should the deputy zoo director have paid for them with his career?

  • Dining

    September 10, 1998

    I ate what?

    Tei Tei Robata pushes the envelope on foodstuffs, and does it very well

  • Dining

    July 17, 1997

    All shook up

    Doolittle's barely emerges from a martini-induced culinary fog

  • Dining

    April 4, 1996

    Hot Dish

    Doolittle's barely emerges from a martini-induced culinary fog

  • Dining

    March 14, 1996

    Sacred cow

    Bob's Chop House is a celebration of rich men's pleasures

  • News

    February 8, 1996

    At a Snail's Place

    Richard Fullington is trying to make a fortune in a slimy business

  • News

    July 13, 1995

    Snakes in the grass

    We're about to get bit again by deregulation

  • More >>
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