The Daily Dish: Which States Blow The Most Money On Food?

Which States Blow the Most Money on Food?

After surveying 2,000 people across the United States about what they waste money on, Hloom.com calculated that the top four financial flubs involve food. Nearly 70 percent of respondents admitted that they spend too much eating out, almost a third toss out uneaten food, a quarter say they spend too much on alcohol, and another quarter splurge on groceries. While the people polled claimed that they'd be willing to reduce their waste on eating out and alcohol, they were not interesting in curtailing their grocery habits or tossing out of expired or uneaten food. Which states drop the most cash on eating out? The study found that residents of Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, and Mississippi lead the pack; New Englanders are the most miserly when it comes to dishing out food bucks.

KFC Gives Away 3,000 Bottles of Fried Chicken-Scented Sunscreen

As if edible chicken-flavored nail polish weren't weird enough, KFC pushes the limits of fried chicken even further with chicken-scented sunscreen. Three thousand free bottles of the Colonel Sanders-approved Extra Crispy Sunscreen was released to the masses yesterday, and they're already all gone. Early testers said the sunscreen "smells more like urine or a baby's diaper than fried chicken."

The U.K. Challenges Its Food Industry to Cut Sugar Levels by 20 Percent

The British government has just published its Childhood Obesity Strategy, which among other things calls for a reduction in sugar levels in a wide range of foods. The document is already drawing harsh criticism, though, with the government accused of "caving in to the junk food lobby." The reason? Instead of putting mandatory rules in place to force companies into hitting a lower sugar target, the government is simply "challenging" the food industry to cut 20 percent of sugar content from children's food by 2020. This challenge focuses on foods that a government advisory group, Public Health England, says contain the most added sugar: breakfast cereals, yogurts, biscuits, cakes, pastries, puddings, ice cream, and spreads.

Lady Gaga Writes Foreword for Her Father's Cookbook

Singer, songwriter, and actress Lady Gaga — born Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta — is now diving into the culinary world with her foreword to her father's new book, Joanne Trattoria Cookbook: Classic Recipes and Scenes from an Italian-American Restaurant. Joanne Trattoria is the Italian restaurant on Manhattan's Upper East Side owned by Germanotta's parents, Joe and Cindy, and food writer Art Smith. The book features "a mix of time-tested family recipes and house favorites" and "never-before released family photos, heartwarming testimonials, and entertaining anecdotes." It is said to be aimed at "both fans and foodies alike."

The Willy Wonka Duo of Gastronomy Has Created a Psychedelic, Edible Wonderland

Pineapple-flavored mist, poured in unison by mysterious servers dressed all in white, cascades over long banquet tables.... This might sound like a drug-induced dream or a Fellini movie, but it's the scene at one of London's renowned Bompas & Parr events in collaboration with 45 Degrees (the people behind Cirque du Soleil), as sponsored and hosted by Stella Artois. Bompas & Parr is a company founded by Sam Bompas and Harry Parr, dedicated to making food art with edible gelatin. The entire event is basically a highly ornamental advertisement, albeit an effective one. The multisensory experience invited exploration of different elements, but there was only had one drink of the evening: attendees moved from station to station, tasting edible soil and sampling pork and glow-in-the-dark globes of gelatin, while chalices of golden Stella beer were flowing.