By Laura Stec
E-mail Laura Stec
About this blog: I've been attracted to food for good and bad reasons for many years. From eating disorder to east coast culinary school, food has been my passion, profession & nemesis. I've been a sugar addict, a 17-year vegetarian, a food and en...
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About this blog: I've been attracted to food for good and bad reasons for many years. From eating disorder to east coast culinary school, food has been my passion, profession & nemesis. I've been a sugar addict, a 17-year vegetarian, a food and environment pioneer, macrobiotic, Master Cleanser, ayurvedic, and officially-designated health-nut or party-girl (depending on the year). Professionally, I've worn many industry hats including: line cook, corporate chef, Food Coach, caterer, product developer, restaurant reviewer, culinary school teacher, corporate wellness educator, food co-op clerk, author, and even Cirque-du-Soleil lead popcorn concessioner! For years I managed an outdoor kitchen, deep in the bear-infested woods of Tahoe, and also for hospitals (the most unhealthy kitchen I ever worked in?), Singapore high-rises, mule-pack trips, Canadian catholic rectories, and more events than I could ever recall. Yet I still keep discovering. Actually, I adapt everyday by new lessons learned from teachers, customers and students. However there is one food truth I now hold sacrosanct: Eaters are motivated by pleasure. So no matter what we discuss here - recipes or restaurants, food politics or pairings, local events, food as art, or even as God, I will always come from a high-vibe, party perspective. Oh I do still long to change the world with great tasting food, but know in my heart, "If it ain't fun, it don't get done!" So - wanna come to the Food Party? By the way - it's a potluck.
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It’s Halloween and I like that because I like candy! I like the chewy, gooey candies that get stuck in my teeth, and crispy ones that crackle when I crunch. Actually, my sweet-tooth instincts are in sync because one of my personal favorite is also the favorite of the entire state California. Any guess what the favorite Halloween candy of California is? Or how about Michigan for my hometown readers?
Where ever you live, check out the answer with this
interactive map listing the top three candies by state. Halloween candy sales are projected at 2.7 billion this year (!) and yes, someone out there who really likes candy has been tracking this, with ten years of aggregated sales data.
If you don’t want to click the link, get a hint by checking out the map below. California’s favorite changed this year from Jelly Bellies to the new winner (which California consumes about 1.5 million pounds of during the season.) And question to Michigander readers – WTH? Did they get this right? I wouldn’t have supported the lineup at all.
Looking at the list, I’ve realized I’ve never eaten one of the all time favorites – Twix. Time to go trick-or-treating and hope for the best.
Will YOU buy the right candy this year?