Tom Petty is this year's halftime act? I hope he doesn't have a wardrobe malfunction....

So the Super Bowl is on, and like millions of other indifferent football fans out there, I'll be running back and forth from the TV room to catch the commercials. (Turns out I could just catch them later on Myspace.)

Seems this year KFC's parent company, Yum Brands, didn't want to spring for the cost of Super Bowl airtime—or thinks it has found a clever way around the expense, which, if you're wondering, is $2.7 million price for a 30-second ad. Presumably the company might have used the time to promote its Hot Wings product, pictured above.

Instead, KFC is offering to make a $260,000 charity donation in the name of any player who scores during the game and does the chicken dance in the end zone.

Mmmm hmmm. Right. There have been some pretty silly dances so far, but I don't think any of them qualifies as the Chicken Dance quite yet. (Instructional video included!)

KFC spokesman Rick Maynard was quoted in MarketingDaily earlier this week: "There are lots of ways to advertise. We think this is unique, and will get people talking about something that might take place during the game itself."

Talk about expensive: If you wanted to have your Super Bowl experience in person, ticket prices reached a record level this year—$4,190—although the average price was expected to go down closer to game day.

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This guy I dated a long time ago was an amazing cook. I learned much of what I know about cooking and wines from him and his mother. As my mom will tell you, I couldn't be bothered with learning to cook when I was growing up.

But whenever I was away for days at at time—on a business trip, say—this guy's place would be piled up with KFC buckets and pizza boxes. What in the world?

Fast-forward to today: When The Wonderful Husband is out of town (which, thankfully, is much less now thanks to a new job), fast food isn't what I want. If we've been having a good day and she deserves it, I'll take Baby A on a "date" to a yummy local pizza place. "I'm having some Mommy time!," she'll tell everyone in sight.

But most days, after twelve straight hours dealing with Hurricane A, I prefer to feed her an early dinner and put her to bed so I can relish a little time to myself.

It's then that I cook the things that TWH doesn't like so much, dishes with Asian themes like curry and fish sauce and fresh cilantro, with tons of veggies and maybe some tofu. You can't beat a big bowl of curried noodles, especially when you're free to eat it on the sofa with full possession of the remote control and several episodes of "The Daily Show" on the DVR.

Case in point: the dinner pictured above, consisting of lo mein noodles, broccoli, scallions, finely diced sweet potato, and a home-made red curry coconut sauce with plenty of cilantro and lime juice. I wished for a little tofu or beef to add to it, but veggies were all I had on hand. Oh my GOSH it rocked. It was hard to stuff my face with it while laughing at Jon Stewart and crew, but somehow I managed.

So, no empty KFC buckets rattling around The Bungalow. Sadly, there are no curry leftovers, either.

How about you? What do you like to eat when it's all up to you? Do you reach for fast food, or would you rather cook?

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KFC announced that it has followed though on its promise to remove trans fats from its fried chicken and potatoes, without affecting the taste. Although the new cooking oil is more expensive, the company said it will not raise prices to cover the increased cost.

KFC has built a family-friendly cooking and grocery-shopping site here. And KFC fans can visit the KFC site to watch exclusive footage of the Colonel's recent promotional Zero Gravity experience and look for a secret message that could unlock a chance to win one of 10,000 $1 KFC gift checks.

You'd think they could've sprung for some entirely free items, but, anyway. This announcement is really good news. It shows chains can remove trans fats without affecting classic tastes, and that it's an investment, but a worthwhile one.

UPDATE: Oops! Taco Bell, too.

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The anti-trans-fats ball keeps rolling. On Monday KFC joined Wendy's and other chains by announcing it would significantly reduce trans fats in its foods

As the AP reports, just an hour before New York City held a public hearing to discuss banning trans fats there, KFC dropped a bombshell. After two years of secret R&D and taste-tests, the company announced all 5,500 U.S. KFC restaurants will switch to low-linolenic soybean oil, a zero trans-fat cooking oil, by April 2007.

Apparently a handful of restaurants have already switched oils, in a test to see whether customers would complain or notice a difference. It didn't happen, KFC says.

This transition affects the chain's most popular items—Original Recipe and Extra Crispy fried chicken—in addition to fried menu selections such as Crispy Strips, Wings, Boneless Wings, Buffalo and Crispy Snacker Sandwiches, Popcorn Chicken, Twisters, and Potato Wedges.

But, biscuits will still contain some trans-fats. KFC says it couldn't change those oils without affecting taste or texture.

My take? This move, and the way it was announced, took a lot of nerve—the good kind. See, the national and state restaurant associations insist that switching to healthier oils is too much of a burden on restaurant operators. And those groups are like 800-pound gorillas in the restaurant industry. They're education and certification sources, lobbyists, megaphones.

The NY Restaurant Association was prepared to protest vehemently against the trans-fat ban at the

Continue reading "All But the Biscuits: KFC will greatly reduce trans-fats" »

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KFC is convening a panel of moms to seek their advice. Good news.

The company today announced it's forming the KFC Moms Matter! Advisory Board. Mothers from different backgrounds and parts of the country will join a group of mothers employed by KFC on the new Advisory Board.

Julienne Smith, founder and author of "Food For Talk," a recipe box of conversation starters that promote family bonding, will join the Advisory Board as an expert contributor.

KFC says the Advisory Board will meet in person bi-annually, hold quarterly conference calls, and host monthly dinner meetings in their hometowns to gain information and advise KFC on everything from trends that affect families to new product ideas. Its first task will be to work with the company to establish an online community (hey!) aimed at reducing everyday stress for moms. The online community will roll out nationally next year.

KFC's follows in the tracks of McDonald's, which created its Global Moms Panel in May. As I said when I posted about McD's, here's hoping KFC's move is more than a token gesture. The chains really need to listen—and if they do, together we can create better options and better business for everyone.

What do you think? Will this be more than a trend? And should it be?

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SoCal readers take note: Pat & Oscar's Restaurants announced its menu is now 100-percent trans fat free.

After extensive development and testing, the company will make the change in locations throughout Southern California later this month. (Which, um, is tomorrow. Am I the only parent who lives in some kind of time warp? Is it actually almost July? Sheeez. Anyway.) CEO John Wright attributes the move to market demands for healthier menu options.

Pat & Oscar’s announcement comes on the heels of a lawsuit filed by the CSPI against KFC complaining of the levels of trans fats in the chain’s fried foods, and shortly after Wendy’s declared it will go trans-fat-free by the end of August.

Continue reading "Pat & Oscars Joins Wendy's in Going Trans Fat Free" »

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