You'd think Starbucks isn't aware that our economy has tanked. The Seattle-based company has introduced a $7 cup of coffee - you know, just in case you have nothing to spend your money on, like say, oh, I don't know... Your mortgage maybe? How about Christmas presents?

The 16-ounce "grande" is Starbucks most expensive beverage to date. Made from Geisha, a "tough to grow bean," according to the Bucks, Costa Rica Finca Palmiera coffee sells for $40 a half pound. At that price CRFP better don a kimono and live up to the namesake of the bean it's derived from. Happy ending, anyone?

More »

Maybe the economy hasn't tanked after all. How else can you explain shelling out $26,000 for dinner?

hat's how much it costs to enjoy La Castagne's nine course truffle dinner for four. The Philadelphia restaurant conceptualized a dining event that is "the most extravagant and exclusive in the entire world," according to Anthony Masapollo, managing partner of Le Castagne, as quoted in a press release.

Of course, it would be hard to get anyone to shell out $26k just for din din, so La Castagne has included some incentives. Behind door number one, you have one full-day cooking class with La Castagne's executive chef, Michael DeLone. Behind door number two you have one "47mm Panerai Luminor Submersible 1950 Amagnetic 3 Days Automatic Titanio wristwatch, a limited-edition Italian time piece manufactured by Officine Panerai." Whatever that is... Kidding! I looked it up; it's an expensive watch.

The menu boasts the "rarest ingredients in the world." Follow the jump for a gander at the most expensive nine course dinner on the planet.

More »

The Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) has issued an open letter to Disney requesting the company stop allowing the images of its characters to be used on the packaging of holiday treats such as cookies and candy.

According to the Center, offending products include Pillsbury Halloween cookies featuring Cinderella's iconic glass slipper and packs of assorted candies including images of Buzz Lightyear.

Earlier this year, Disney proactively banned advertisements of unhealthy food items on all its television channels, websites, and radio shows in an effort to ban forces with others in the movement to improve the health of children.

As far as image placement, Disney's policy requires that 85 percent of food items marketed with its characters meet certain standards when it comes to nutritional content. According to CSPI director, Michael Jacobson, that is not enough.

More »

There's a bit of an uproar over California's Proposition 37 scheduled for the November 6 ballot. Another twenty states are considering similar measures.

It's a simple proposition requiring that all genetically altered foods be labeled as such. Genetic modification can mean anything from manipulating the genes of a tomato to cloning a cow. Advocates of the proposition feel everyone has a right to know if what they are consuming is natural, or not so much.

So what is the problem?

More »

More »

New Jersey high school students recently created a Facebook page to protest the new federal regulations requiring public schools to provide healthier lunches.

As a parent, I am well aware of how unhealthy these lunches are. My daughter would come home and tell me all about the wretched food served in Miami public schools -- lunches that no one in their right mind would feed to a child.

More »

Would you eat a dozen churros every day for pay?

Researchers at the Washington University School of Medicine are paying participants to eat, particularly fast food from McDonald's, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Burger King, Taco Bell, and Pizza Hut.

Participants are being compensated up to $3500 depending on how quickly they reach their weight goal. Encouraged to add a 1000+ calorie fast food meal per day to their regular diet, participants are supposed to gain between 15 and 20 pounds over the course of eight weeks.

More »

More »

More »

As Short Order reported recently, California's ban on foie gras finally went into effect earlier this month.

Unfortunately, due to the lax wording of the ban, restaurants have found it possible to circumvent the law and serve the item to customers. The California law specifies that restaurants cannot sell food derived from birds that are force-fed, so restaurants like Hot's Kitchen in Los Angeles began offering foie gras as a free side dish. Palio d'Asti in San Francisco encourages customers to bring in their own foie gras, which chefs will then prepare on the premises.

Clever and conscious-less restaurateurs, such as Chef Ray Tang of the Presidio Club is selling foie gras on federal land. Since the restaurant is located in a national park, California law does not apply.

"We don't even have a California liquor license," brags Tang, who researched what laws would and would not apply to his restaurant before he opened in 2006. After introducing his foie gras slider served on a brioche bun with pineapple confit, Tang says that the calls for reservations came flooding in -- as did calls from upset customers.

More »