Brown baggin' not just for kids
Walking the aisles at Target collecting school supplies with my sons got me thinking about my school days. Selecting a new lunchbox was as exciting as picking out a new Mead Trapper Keeper.
While my Trapper Keeper is long gone, I still carry a lunchbox to work. Well, sort of. My Scooby Doo lunchbox gave way to a more grown-up tote some years ago (I love my neoprene Built NY tote) and it turns out I'm not alone in brown baggin' it, so to speak, at work.
A recent study by NPD Group, a Rosemont-based market research company, found that brown-bag lunches are increasingly popular in the workplace. The company reports weekday lunches carried from home hit a new high in 2007, with adults carrying some 8.5 billion brown bags that year.
Money seems to be the motivator, with the majority of consumers saying they bring lunch from home because it's cheaper than other options. Health and nutrition rank second as a reason to brown bag, with convenience, taste, diet, quality and environmental concerns rounding out the list. Among consumers who typically brown-bag, nearly half said they are doing so more often, the report showed.
"Consumers are definitely in a cost-cutting mode, and brown-bagging saves them money," says Harry Balzer, vice president at The NPD Group, and author of "Eating Patterns in America." "Making lunch at home and putting it in a bag also enables them to have full control over what goes into the bag, as many are concerned about eating better."
The study also found that adult males carry more brown-bag lunches than others, yet quite often, females are the preparers. Brown-bagging is more common among ages 35-54, white-collar consumers and professionals and more-affluent consumers.
What goes in the bags varies, but typically, it's fruit, chips and some type of sandwich. The man in the cubicle next to you is likely to have a chicken or turkey sandwich in his bag, while the woman across the aisle is more inclined to lunch on yogurt and veggies. Among all genders and ages, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches still reign as the most popular sandwich.
I guess there are some things we never grow out of.
Ode to herbs: It happened again. My best intentions to start an herb garden this summer fizzled in June when I realized the planting window was closed. The seed packets for various types of basil, cilantro, thyme and oregano still sit in a basket on the kitchen counter. Looks like I won't be making any pesto-dressed pasta, stir-fries or infused vinaigrettes this month.
Or will I?
Gourmet Garden Herbs and Spices are the next-best thing to herbs from your own garden, and this season the Australian company launched a handful of herb combo packs (called sachets), so you can stir fresh summer flavors into any dish.
The Mexican sachet, for example, contains half-ounce tubes of cilantro, garlic and red chile puree just waiting to be stirred with tomatoes into salsa or mixed with beef for spicy tacos. Try the Italian sachet of basil, parsley and garlic with fettuccine and grilled chicken.
I like these little packets better than the larger tubes because I never seemed to go through the entire 4 ounces before the "best by" date. Look for them in the produce section by the other fresh herbs.
Garden spirits: Head to the Chicago Botanic Garden today for an opportunity to stroll among the grapevines while sampling fine wines and beers.
From 6 to 8 p.m. today (as well as Aug. 27 and Sept. 3), you can try a variety of wines and beers and nosh on light fare at the event, sponsored by Sanford Winery, Sam's Wine & Spirits and Whole Foods Market.
The evening costs $10; $8 for Chicago Botanic Garden members and free for designated drivers. Parking is $15; free for Garden members. The Chicago Botanic Garden Trolley will take revelers between the Garden and the Glencoe Metra station during the event for $2 (round trip); CBG members and children 5 and younger ride free.
Details at www.chicagobotanic.org/grapeshops.
• Contact Food Editor Deborah Pankey at (847) 427-4524, food@dailyherald.com or c/o Daily Herald, P.O. Box 280, Arlington Heights, IL 60006.