San Francisco Examiner

Dreamcar cohorts bond over vegan diet San Francisco Examiner Bassist Tony Kanal can thank his vegan lifestyle for Dreamcar, the new side project he formed with fellow No Doubt members Tom Dumont and Adrian Young (while frontwoman Gwen Stefani stayed busy with her solo career and TV's The Voice). Otherwise ...

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Dreamcar cohorts bond over vegan diet - San Francisco Examiner

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Papa Johns, the nations third best-selling pizza chain, is introducing organic pizza toppings and gluten-free crusts in select test markets, it announced earlier this week.

The organic optionsRoma tomatoes, mushrooms, green peppers, and onionsare currently only available in the Lexington, Kentucky market, while the gluten-free crusts are being tested in Los Angeles, Phoenix, St. Louis, and Nashville. (And the chain notes the gluten-free crusts may not be suitable for customers with Celiac disease as cross-contamination with wheat can occur.)

According to the chain, the move toward organic is intended to align Papa Johns with changing consumer values.

We just think this is a trend that is going to be out there, and we want to be the first in our industry to have organic produce on our menu, chief ingredients officer Sean Muldoon toldFortune.

Papa Johns appears to be taking cues from other leaders in the fast-food sectorchains like Chipotle and Panera Bread have been tweaking menus, removing artificial ingredients, and in the case of Chipotle, spending years to reformulate genetically modified ingredients out of its menu items. But organic has yet to make a significantappearance on national fast-food menus with few exceptions like Chipotlesdabbling and Wendys organic tea options.

Demand for organic food, though, continues to rise in the U.S., despiterestaurant chains being slow to catch up. Earlier this week Organic Authority reported on a survey that found organic food in more than 80 percent of U.S. households, with placement by state increasing significantly between 2015 and 2016.

That was telling us this is where the consumer is going, Muldoon noted.

Muldoon saysthat while organic food is indistinguishable in taste from nonorganic, the perception of health, Fortune notes, matters significantly as it leads consumers to feel better about their purchasing habits.

Unlike the gluten-free crusts, which people will choose for health reasonseven if the taste is differentselling organic pizzas for a higher price will take some effort and scrutiny. And making the shift nationwide for a chain like Papa Johns, which has more than 3,400 North American locations, could be quite costly. The chain says it will be closely monitoring consumer feedback on social media and tracking sales to determine the programs success.

The moves come a little more than a year after Papa Johns announced it would remove artificial ingredients from its menu, includingartificial flavors and synthetic colors, in an effort toward offering better ingredients. In 2015 it announced plans to remove antibiotics from its chicken suppliers.

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Jill Ettinger is a Los Angeles-based journalist and editor focused on the global food system and how it intersects with our cultural traditions, diet preferences, health, and politics. She is the senior editor for sister websites OrganicAuthority.com and EcoSalon.com, and works as a research associate and editor with the Cornucopia Institute, the organic industry watchdog group. Jill has been featured in The Huffington Post, MTV, Reality Sandwich, and Eat Drink Better. http://www.jillettinger.com.

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Papa John's Tests Organic Pizza Toppings - Organic Authority

Canadas organic sector says its not getting its due.

Canada is the fifth-largest organic market in the world as well as leading exporter of several organic commodities but gets little assistance from government, says Tia Loftsgard, executive director of Canada Organic Trade Association (COTA).

Canadas organic sector should be positioning itself as a world leader, she told the Commons agriculture committee. However, the sector on its own cannot achieve this stature when it is continually having to fund its own standards, inspections, and certifications, and to assume all the business risks on its own.

She added that in their current state, proposed new food safety regulations carry many threats for the organic sector, and pointed out the lack of equitable crop insurance coverage and transition incentives for farmers, which are both offered in other jurisdictions. Just maintaining the status quo is costly too.

Maintaining the Canadian organic standards review process is going to cost our sector over $1 million by 2020, she said. This is a cost that the industry has to bear in Canada, yet it is funded entirely by governments in the United States and in the EU.

Organic is a unique subsector of Canadian agriculture and trade, as it is limited to traceable organic supply chains and is subject to regulations, standards, third-party inspections, and maximum residue level inspections beyond its conventional counterpart, she said.

Organic trade faces many business risks due to our limited supply options, the unknown risks of any changes to NAFTA and additional testing required on maximum residue levels on Canadian organic products entering foreign markets, particularly because there is no tolerance within the organic sector, she said.

These non-tariff trade barriers are holding back the growth of our sector and the ability to capitalize on the opportunities that exist, she said. At a minimum, the Canadian organic sector should be able to keep pace with its major trading partners and eliminate the non-tariff regulatory barriers that exist.

There is little about the organic sector in all the agricultural production and import and export trade flows government collects, she said.

The lack of sound data limits the ability to assess market opportunity or the loss of market opportunity for Canadian producers, manufacturers, and businesses, she said.

As harmonized sales codes are used to negotiate trade agreements, maintain trade statistics, and identify goods and shipments that pose a risk to the health, safety, and security of Canada, the organic sector is very limited in its ability to track trends, evaluate trade flows, and have concrete data, she said. The last time census data was collected on the organic sector was in 2011.

Canada has organic equivalency agreements with 90 per cent of its major trading partners and is in the process of negotiating them with Mexico and South Korea, she said.

Wallace Hamm, general manager of Pro-Cert Organic, told the MPs the sector badly needs an overhaul of the eight-year-old federal organic regulatory regime to remove non-tariff trade barriers. The regime is being transferred to the Safe Food by the end of April.

Among the changes is no longer requiring Canadian organic products to be certified to U.S. standards as they only cover health food products and pet food. Another will permit Canadian products to use the EU organic label.

The new regime needs fraudulent organic claims, he said. U.S. organic rules contain robust penalties and fines and a five-year revocation period.

The biggest concern is the demise of the Canada Organic Office at CFIA, he said. Although underfunded and staffed, it was a highly effective and internationally recognized administrative body that was equivalent to the USDA national organic program office, Hamm said. The unheralded and unrationalized demise of the Canada Organic Office and the dispersion of the COO staff throughout the CFIA, coupled with the erasing of all organic titles from correspondence and legal documents, will send and is sending negative shock waves throughout the domestic and international organic community. The net message is one of lost emphasis and interest in the organic sector by the government.

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Organic food industry feels shortchanged by government - Manitoba Co-operator

If you like the idea of high-energy performances and are looking to incorporate fun and fitness for both individuals and teams, Introductory Aerobics might be for you!

We have developed a brand new 12 session resource pack, complete with supporting videos and music to help your club get started in aerobic gymnastics.

Any British Gymnastics level 1 coach (except Pre-School) can deliver the resource and no equipment is needed all you need is some floor space and you are ready to go!

Ideal for 11+ gymnasts, but suitable for all ages, Introductory Aerobics incorporates flexibility, strength and stamina, and gives gymnasts the opportunity to learn new skills and perform alongside their friends.

A new competition framework, Introductory Aerobic Code (IAC), has also been developed to enable participants to compete alongside their friends in teams of three to six. For more information, check out our competition handbook for routines and judging guidance.

To access the above resources, sign up to Introductory Aerobics on GymNET and the resources will appear in your resource centre ready for download.

If you would like to find out more information, require support with implementing Introductory Aerobics or organising an IAC competition, please email participation@british-gymnastics.org.

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Introductory Aerobics - British Gymnastics

Students from a number of secondary schools across Antigua will compete in the first schools aerobics competition slated for the JSC Sports Complex today.

The event, slated to start at 2:30 pm, is the brainchild of physical education teacher and sports enthusiast, Kelesha Antoine, who said the aim is to create an environment where such activities are the norm.

What we are trying to do is foster that whole physical activity within our students. Medical Benefits speaks about the prevention of the non-communicable diseases so the union has partnered to have this competition annually so in that way the schools themselves will prepare their participants for a yearly competition, she said.

Antoine, who is also president of the Antigua & Barbuda Fencing Federation, explained how the competition would work.

We are going to have 30 minutes of straight warm-ups during which no one can tap out. After the 30 minutes of warm-up participants get a break for water and so on and then the intensity goes up. When the intensity goes up and we see that the athletes and students cannot continue with the routine then we will pull them out. There will be some judges in the activity pulling out [participants] because they may not be able to continue because of breathing issues and many other issues, she said.

The initiative is supported by the Antigua & Barbuda Union of Teachers (ABUT) and 2nd Vice President Tessa Roberts said it falls in line with the Unions mandate of creating well-rounded students.

We were asked by Antoine to partner with her concerning this aerobics competition and the union is very pleased to be associated with any effort that is going to encourage physical wellness. We are well into our

mandate to develop the whole person and to also develop sports in Antigua so we are very willing to partner with Antoine in this event, Roberts said.

Over 50 students are expected to take part in the competition. Admission to the event is free.

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While we will not post comments questioning moderators' judgement, we will take such suggestions into consideration as possible ways to improve the experience of all community members. If you feel your submission has been disallowed unfairly or if a breech slips through our net, please let us know by e-mailing customer_support@antiguaobserver.com.

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Students to compete in first schools aerobics competition - Antigua Observer

Just a few blocks south of Lower East Side deli mainstays Russ & Daughters and Katzs is a new modern deli counter and grocery: Orchard Grocer. Here, the shelves are filled with specialty products like Sir Kensingtons Ketchup and organic rice ramen, and theres a tidy case of packaged products that at first glance look like standard sliced salami and bricks of cheese. But theres just one thing missing: animal products.

Completely vegan, Orchard Grocer recreates iconic New York sandwiches without the formerly requisite dairy and meat. Sandwiches like The Edith, with house-made cashew cream cheese and carrot lox" on a toasted bagel, and The Marlowe, a "reuben" with beet-brined seitan, kraut, house-made Thousand Island, and melted Chao cheese on marble rye, reimagine what New York deli sandwiches can be. But do they stack up to the originals?

Orchard Grocer is co-owned by Sara and Erica Kubersky -- the proprietors (and sisters) of neighboring vegan shoe store MooShoes -- and Joya Carlton, who has created veg-centric menus for Butcher's Daughter and Buvette. The Kuberskys first came up with the idea for a vegan restaurant after realizing how frequently they referred shoppers at their shoe store to local eateries offering cruelty-free dishes. So, why not keep all the business in-house?

Growing up in Queens, the Kuberskys often schlepped down to the Lower East Side for Jewish food, a pastime that shifted when Erica went vegetarian, and then vegan as a kid. It broke my moms heart, just a little, Ericasays of her decision to stop eating meat-heavy Jewish foods. But her mother didnt give up: She sourced tofu cream cheese from Zabars, tried to recreate brisket from seitan, and cooked a vegan version of noodle kugel. Vegan Jewish food was indeed possible. And in 2017, when by CHLOE.s plant-based mac & cheese, burgers, and kale ice cream draw long lines of vegan and non-vegan New Yorkers alike, the Kuberskys vegan Jewish fare seemed like a no-brainer.

Since its early March opening, Orchard Grocer has mostly seen customers looking for the Jewish food they sacrificed after becoming vegan -- others, including meat lovers, are just coming in for a good-tasting sandwich.

No one expects a Katzs reuben on rye, dripping in pastrami fat and creamy Thousand Island dressing to be considered healthy by any means, yet labeling any sandwich vegan (even the fast-food-style veggie burger at by CHLOE.) seems to easily convince many that its a more nutritious choice. Still though, without meat and dairy products, a vegan sandwich is still a sandwich, loaded with high-calorie ingredients between two slices of bread.

We dont want to give the false impression that were healthy, but were definitely healthier, Erica says. Healthy-ish.

Because Orchard Grocer is a small business, all the products are small-batch, made fresh, mostly organic, mostly local, and palm oil-free, making the menu offerings healthier than bigger businesses producing vegan food en masse, like by CHLOE.

To develop the recipes, Carlton tested various vegetables and other ingredients that would not only re-create the appearance and texture of their animal-made counterparts (smoked salmons spongy texture was eventually made from carrots soaked in aquafaba, the juice drained from chickpeas), but would also evoke the feelings associated with standby comfort foods.

Theres a reason why lox and bagels and pastrami are so popular, Carlton says. Its the feeling. I know that our lox doesnt taste like salmon, but it has a lot of the same textures and looks, and it gives you the experience of eating a bagel with lox.

At first glance, the Marlowe reuben could easily pass for non-vegan: The beet-brined seitan looks like cured beef, and the vegan Thousand Island dribbling down the rye doesnt hint at being made from chickpea juice. And at first bite, though its obvious theres no meat on this sandwich, the pickled sauerkraut and salty, red-hued seitan combined between bread truly mimic the original.

Carlton wouldnt know that though; she didnt conduct any taste tests with the non-vegan original sandwiches. No, no, gross! she laughs at the thought of trying beef. Still, she thinks her beef-like creations may help recent veggie converts acclimate to their new meat-free life.

Particularly for new vegans, this is the place, Carlton emphasizes. You can see that being a vegan isnt that hard!

The Kubersky sisters believe New Yorkers arent as timid about eating vegetarian, vegan food, and imitation meats as they once were, even as old veggie-fueled stalwarts like Angelica Kitchen leave town. [Vegan options] are definitely getting fancier, Erica says. Its going in a more gourmet direction, which is great, but we want to be a place where you can eat everyday.

Sign up here for our daily NYC email and be the first to get all the food/drink/fun New York has to offer.

Melissa Kravitz is a writer based in NYC who was a vegan for a couple of days as a teenager. Follow her on Twitter.

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This New Deli Is Making Vegan Jewish Classics That Look Like the Real Deal - Thrillist

At first glance, new dessert bar Girls & Boysis just like any other Melbourne scene-stealer. The deconstructed ice cream dishes with baklava toppings are prime Instagram fodder, and though slightly pricier than the norm, its beauty pageant of cakes could rival that of any local confectioner. But there is one rather vital ingredient missing here: animal products. No dairy, gelatine or egg has ever crossed paths with this gleaming array of treats.

The latest venture from local restaurateurs Laki Papadopoulos and Mark Price, nothing about Girls & Boys screams vegan and thats just the intention. The whole crux of this shop is it's got to be fun and oops it's vegan, explains Papadopoulos. We don't take a hardline approach.

Part of a movement thats gaining rapid momentum, vegan restaurants seem to be spreading through the city like wildfire. Australia is now said to be the third fastest-growing vegan market in the world, after the UAE and China. Last month a new local magazine launched, devoted entirely to vegan living.

Melbourne where more than 12 per centof the local populace eats little or no meat according torecent research has long boasted a stronger vegan offering than its Antipodean siblings. But over the past five years the scene has flourished beyond recognition thanks to a spate of interesting vegan-only openings.

New kids on the block include Supercharger, the takeaway joint in a ritzy mall thats been supplying shoppers and suits with buddha bowls since mid-2014. In March 2015, suburban cafe Serotonininjected some lightheartedness back into the plant-based landscape, with indoor swings replacing chairs and a tagline that reads, Happiness is a drug and we want to be your dealers.

The mavericks at Matcha Mylkbaropened their doors last March, introducing folks to the delights of spiced latte flights, matcha bao buns and mock eggs. This February, Melbourne welcomed the citys first 100 per centvegan pizzeria, Red Sparrow.

Behind the bar at Smith & Daughters (Nicole Reed/Smith & Daughters)

The only thing missing was healthy fast food, but the latest addition to Melbournes growing vegan family has that covered. Such was the clamour surrounding The Alleys opening that before opening last week, it had clocked up more than 800 Instagram followers swooning over its jackfruit burgers and squash spaghetti with lentil and mushroom meatballs. Its what the publics asking for, says owner Alexandra Pyke. Our unique selling point is everythings grab and go. People still want to snack and have soft serve [ice cream] and burgers. They just want it to be healthier.

Boundary-pushing outlets are popping up citywide, but hipster hood Fitzroy is Melbournes vegan heartland. Here, around the corner from Girls & Boys, is where Papadopoulos and Price started out almost thirty years ago with local institution,Vegie Bar. When we came here in 1988 there were no other veggie places around, shrugs Papadopoulos. Now Fitzroy said to be Melbournes smallest inner-city suburb features more than 100 vegan-catering eateries, from creperies to fish and chip shops to taco bars.

But if anything can prove how solid Melbournes plant-based scene is, its the increase in upscale establishments, offering more than just food that ticks boxes.

People come from Sydney just to eat at the restaurant, explains Shannon Martinez, head chef and co-owner of Smith & Daughters, which opened in Fitzroy in early 2014. The demand for their rocknroll brand of Latin-influenced vegan food has been so strong that the duo has since opened up an offshoot deli for daytime trade, launched a cookbook thats sold nearly 40,000 copies in just five months, and even spawned their own line of T-shirts and totes.

Culinary mastermind Martinez ensures everything on the menu is made from scratch from plant-based cheeses to nougat to prawns to buffalo fried chicken pizza and plenty more beyond.

Such has been the restaurants draw that the majority of customers arent even vegan anymore. Youve got mums with expensive handbags coming in with kids for meatless Mondays, or just a healthy dinner, she says. Gone are the Hare Krishna vibes; veganism hasnt got that tainted image as it used to. A lot of fine dining restaurants are doing vegan degustations now theres no way they would have done that even five years ago.

The Alley was a sell-out joint even before it opened (The Alley)

Papadopoulos and Price launched their own take on upmarket vegan dining in March 2015. Transformer, housed in a former Fitzroy factory, is all about the dining experience. Also catering to vegetarians, it follows the small plates trend, serving a contemporary European menu against exposed white brick walls, recycled black timber panelling and pops of greenery.

The pairs vegan empire continues to thrive for two main reasons, says Papadopoulos. People are more mindful of what they're putting in their bodies now. That information wasn't there [before]. We've also got some amazing produce here and that's what helps drive it. I definitely dont think its a fad.

With almost any vegan taste virtuous, gourmet or otherwise catered to, theres no doubt Victorias capital is ahead of the game globally, Martinez says. I dont think theres anything you could possibly want thats not available. Were nailing it here.

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How Melbourne has quickly become one of the vegan capitals of the world - The Independent

Another vegan restaurant is about to shutter in Denver. Govinda's Garden Caf, operated by Nandini and Carlos Rossi at the Radha Krishna Temple at 1400 Cherry Street, will call it quitson Saturday, April 29. The Radha Krishna Temple is retaking control of the restaurant space and may operate a vegan eatery out of there as it has before the Rossis brought their business in.

Govinda's and its owners became an active part of the vegan community and its shutter adds to others that occurred recently. In early March, Handy Diner, a small vegan eatery located in the Cole neighborhoodwas closed by city officials for lacking the necessary permits. In August,Love Peace & Sol closed after a short stint in Park Hill.

This is what the owners of Govinda's posted for its patrons and fans:

Dear friends and customers,

It is with a heavy heart that we are writing this communication to all of you. You all are very dear to us and we have developed wonderful personal relationships, friendships and connections with you. It has been our deepest satisfaction getting to know so many and to serve you over the past years.

The Temple had informed us that they want to take over the management and running of the restaurant awhile back. This was unsettling to us and we were hopeful in our numerous meetings and discussions with the temple management that things might change, but this was not to be. So, the sad news; my husband Carlos and I will be closing our Govinda's Garden Vegan Caf as of April, Saturday the 29th and as of that date we no longer be serving our healthy vegan buffet to you all, as we have for the past three and half years. We are so sorry.

At this point we do not have any information about what the temple plans are. When they plan to open? How many days and hours? We do not feel they plan to continue to be a 100% vegan buffet. We hope that they provide us with this information so that we can pass it on to you all before our departure. Our prayer is that the temple continues to run their buffet successfully that it remains the special place.

As the saying goes, "that which appears to be the end, may only be the beginning". Our favorite spiritual songwriter George Harrison sang in his first solo album: "All Things Must Pass". We see the signs and humbly accept the plan of our Sweet Lord.

My husband and I will be taking some time for rejuvenation and healing and to take care of some personal things. When the time is right, we plan to open a vegan catering business... a cookbook book perhaps with all the Govinda's Garden Vegan recipes you love so much. We will be dividing our time between Denver and Dallas, so we are still looking forward to see many of you in the future.

We will have our last event on Saturday, April 22, Earth Day. A combination of a farewell and celebration for Mother Earth. We will post about this happienng soon.

We hope we can see you and give you a big hug perhaps on our Earth Day Finale Celebration, before our departure, and look so forward to seeing and serving you all in this our final month.

In closing, we want to thank you all so much for your support, encouragement, appreciation and yes, love.

Many blessings and best wishes for you all.With gratitude

Your friends and servants

Nandini and Carlos Rossi PS: On a side note: The temple does not wish to the beautiful mystical art that so many of you have asked to purchase. We will a post with the price we paid for each art piece and also post under each piece in the cafe.

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Vegan Emporium Govinda's Garden Vegan Cafe Will Close - Eater Denver

Turn off the Top 40.

That's the takeaway from a study by the consulting firm Soundtrack Your Brand concerning background music in dining establishments. It found that certain types of playlists namely, those comprised of random pop hits arent as good for business as a curated playlist mixed with lesser-known, yet on-trend songs.

Before arriving at their conclusions, Soundtrack Your Brand experimented with four different types of background music at 16 chain restaurants in Sweden, where both the company and the HUI Research consultancy who helped with the study are based.

HUI Research confirmed to Fox News that those four types of background music included: 1) a mix of 100 songs from Spotifys Top 1,000 Sweden playlist that fit with the restaurants image, along with 260 more obscure songs that also fit the restaurants image; 2) a mix of 360 songs from Spotifys Top 1,000 Sweden playlist that fit with the restaurants image; 3) a mix of 360 songs from Spotifys Top 1,000 Sweden playllist, with no thought given to the restaurants image; and 4) silence.

NORTH CAROLINA RESTAURANT FEELING THE HEAT FOR BANNING YOUNG KIDS

After analyzing restaurant sales during certain playlists, as well as the data collected from more than 2,100 consumer surveys, Soundtrack Your Brand and HUI determined that customers are more likely to stick around for dessert if theyre listening to a curated mix consisting of music that isnt too mainstream.

On the other hand, playing music that didnt connect with the restaurants image, regardless of its popularity, was worse for business than silence, per a press release obtained by Fox News.

Our main result is that a brand-fit playlist that included less-well known songs (i.e., music treatment 1) increased sales (by) 9.1 percent compared to the no brand-fit music playlist (i.e., music treatment 3), study author and HUI researcher Sven-Olov Daunfeldt tells Fox News.

However, it should be noted that Soundtrack Your Brand, a company partially owned by Spotify, is itself a consulting firm that specializes in helping businesses create specialized streaming playlists, reports Quartz.

We have two goals," said Sven Grundberg, the VP of corporate communications for Soundtrack Your Brand, in a statement to Fox News. "One, if course, is to kill bad background music. We think a lot of businesses are quite mindless in what they play.To that end, we also want businesses to play good music music that helps them and has a real impact."

For us, this is of course vindicating, and in line with what we expected," he added of the results.

According to the site, Soundtrack Your Brand co-founder Ola Sars attributed the studys outcome to the subconscious mind, and suggested that overly familiar music is too distracting to be conducive to a relaxing dining experience.

Indeed, Daunfeldt reported in HUI's study that, for the most part, patrons aren't aware of what they're actually listening to.

"The survey responses also show that the customers often are unaware of the in-store music, suggesting that the effect of in-store music on consumer behavior is mostly on an unconscious level," the study states.

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Daunfeldt also told Quartz he considers this to be the coolest research hes ever done. But more importantly, Daunfeldt said he thinks more businesses should be paying attention to their playlists.

Its a highly underutilized area, and its very important for businesses to try to tell consumers who they are by the music they play, he told Quartz.

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Too much Ed Sheeran bad for restaurant business, says study - Fox News

Sophomore Christina Graves throws the discus and shot put for the York High track and field team. While she loves the competition, you get the feeling the sport serves as much as an enjoyable outlet as it is a competitive pursuit.

Following a recent practice, Graves took time to talk about herself and the sport.

Daily Press: What is your favorite television show?

A: Probably the Vampire Diaries. It's really dramatic and I like vampires.

Q: Who's your favorite musical group?

A: I don't really know. I don't listen to pop/modern songs. I listen to instrumentals and relaxing music. My favorite is (Mexican pianist) Jorge Mendez. I listen to it because it relaxes me and calms me down.

Q: What is your favorite food?

A: I love food. I really like Mexican food so my favorite restaurant is Plaza Azteca. I always order the same things. I get a burrito, a taco and rice and beans.

Q: Where do you like to vacation the most?

A: I like going to Tennessee because I was born there. I like going to the mountains.

Q: What made you go out for track and field at York, and why do you throw the shot and discus?

A: Last year, I did track and I really liked it. It just helped me with things and was a lot of fun. This year, I didn't make sprints, so I went to throwing. The team is like a family and they're so nice.

O'Brien can be reached by phone at 757-247-4963

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Five questions with York High's Christina Graves - Daily Press