Healthy

Dave’s Coffee Syrup, photo by Brad Smith Photography

Current news releases—Eat Drink RI is not the source for these items—please follow any links for more information.

Reed Urges Kids to Submit Their Favorite Healthy Lunch Recipes for a Chance to Attend Kids’ “State Dinner” at the White House

Recipes may be submitted through April 5

U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) wants Rhode Island kids to show off their culinary skills and win a trip to the second annual White House Kids’ “State Dinner.”  Reed is urging Rhode Islanders ages 8-12 and their parents or guardians to submit their favorite lunch recipes to First Lady Michelle Obama’s third annual Healthy Lunchtime Challenge nationwide recipe challenge.  The deadline for entries is next Wednesday, April 5.

First Lady Michelle Obama, in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Education, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and Epicurious.com are offering kids a chance to participate in a nationwide recipe challenge to promote healthy school lunches, and the winner from each state will be invited to a White House Kids’ “State Dinner” this summer.

The Healthy Lunchtime Challenge & Kids’ “State Dinner” invites kids between the ages of 8 and 12 to work with their parents or legal guardian to create an original, nutritious lunchtime recipe that is healthy, affordable, and tasty.  Entries should represent each of the food groups, either in one dish or as parts of a lunch meal, including: fruits, vegetables, whole grains, proteins, and low-fat dairy foods.  Details may be found at: http://www.recipechallenge.epicurious.com/

Entrants are encouraged to reference the nutritional guidelines of the USDA’s site, ChooseMyPlate.gov, to ensure recipes meet the primary criterion of being healthier.

“This is a great opportunity for kids and their parents to work together to promote healthy living and to win a chance to attend the third annual Kids’ “State Dinner.”  The contest is a fun way for kids and their parents to share recipes for good food and healthy eating habits,” said Reed, who helped increase federal funding for school breakfast and lunch programs through the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act so more kids will have access to a stable source of nutritious food.

Last year, Samantha Mastrati, a 12-year-old from Cranston, was selected as the winner from Rhode Island for her recipe for Italian garden salsa with crunchy chicken tenders.  This marks the second time in a row a Cranston resident won the right to represent Rhode Island.  Then-twelve year old Cranston resident, Caroline Cowart, was the inaugural winner for her recipe for a broccoli and cheese egg white omelet.

The winning recipes from last year’s challenge are available free online in a downloadable cookbook named the Healthy Lunch Challenge Cookbook that also features nutritional analysis, and photos and drawings of the recipes.

Recipes may be submitted now through April 5, either online at or via mail at:

The Healthy Lunchtime Challenge & Kids’ “State Dinner”
c/o Epicurious.com
1166 Avenue of the Americas, 15th Floor
New York, NY 10036

Winners will receive free round-trip flights and hotel accommodations for the winning child and parent or legal guardian.  For more information and contest rules, visit:http://www.recipechallenge.epicurious.com/

Dave’s Cold Brew Coffee Syrup Goes National with Crate & Barrel

Dave’s Coffee is starting 2014 with nationwide distribution of its award-winning coffee syrup. Crate & Barrel, specializing in housewares, furniture, and home accessories since 1962, has selected Dave’s Original Cold Brew Coffee Syrup and Dave’s Vanilla Cold Brew Coffee Syrup to compliment its retail stores as a gourmet food item, now available in 89 locations across the United States.

“At Dave’s Coffee our focus is on quality and exceeding customer expectations. In this way, Crate and Barrel is a perfect fit for our product line,” commented Dave Lanning, Senior, CEO of Dave’s Coffee. “We could not be more pleased to roll out national availability of our coffee syrup with Crate & Barrel. This is a real success for our team, especially as we work to expand the brand.”

Crate and Barrel is a regarded retailer of fine housewares and gourmet offerings. With more than 105 stores in North America and 8,000 locations globally, the company is the cornerstone of modern home décor and interior trends.

Dave’s Cold Brew Coffee Syrup is available at Crate and Barrel stores across the country and online at www.CrateandBarrel.com. Made in Rhode Island in small batches, Dave’s Cold Brew Coffee Syrup is a gourmet ingredient that adds flavor depth and coffee notes to cocktails, baked goods, meat marinades, desserts and recipes.

To learn more about the product line and additional flavors of Dave’s Cold Brew Coffee Syrup visit www.davescoffeesyrup.com.

Food & Wine’s The People’s Best New Chef 2014 Nominations for Rhode Island Chefs Nemo Bolin and Matthew MacCartney

Food & Wine has announced the nominees for this year’s The People’s Best New Chef and in the New England region the nominees include Rhode Island Chefs Nemo Bolin of Cook & Brown Public House and Matthew MacCartney of Jamestown Fish. This is Bolin’s fourth nomination for the award and MacCartney first. You can vote for Bolin or MacCartney here. The following is information from MacCartney.

Chef Matthew MacCartney of Jamestown Fish

The People’s Best New Chef program is an annual contest now in its fourth year. The award, an extension of the Food & Wine Best New Chefs award, honors talented up-and-coming innovators who have run their own kitchens for fewer than five years.

The field of 100 nominees for The People’s Best New Chef® includes 10 chefs in 10 regions across America. The chef with the most votes in each region will be named a finalist; the finalist with the most votes overall will be named The People’s Best New Chef. The finalists and winner will be revealed on April 2 online at foodandwine.com.

Chef MacCartney has been with Jamestown Fish since its inception in December 2011. Jamestown Fish is a casually elegant Rhode Island restaurant serving a European inspired seafood based cuisine. The restaurant has enjoyed tremendous success and critical acclaim thus far. In 2012 and 2013, Jamestown Fish won the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence, Rhode Island Monthly’s Best of Rhode Island in 2012, and numerous OpenTable Diners’ Choice awards.

MacCartney has worked in the dining rooms and kitchens of New York’s finest establishments, such as Restaurant Daniel, Gramercy Tavern, and Craft. He opened Craft in 2001 as the Beverage Director and was voted Best Wine Director in 2003 by the readers of Time Out NY magazine.

Early in his career, MacCartney worked in European kitchens that included Michel Guérard, a Michelin three star restaurant in France, and the world renowned Cibrèo in Florence, Italy.

MacCartney earned his B.T. in Hospitality Management/Culinary Arts from NYC College of Technology and studied at the Birmingham College of Food, Tourism & Creative Studies in Birmingham, England. He also earned a Level 4 Diploma in Wine and Spirits from the Wine and Spirit Education Trust in 2002, and in 2008 was published in Wine & Spirits magazine.