Giant Food, Shady Brook Farms Donate 11K Turkeys to Food Banks
Giant Food Representatives Donate Shady Brook Farms Holiday Turkeys to Capital Area Food Bank
Giant Food, the leading greater Washington, D.C. regional grocery chain, has announced its annual holiday turkey donations. In partnership with Shady Brook Farms, Giant Food will be donating 11,000 turkeys to its local Feeding America food banks partners as well as local organizations including Martha’s Table, Men Aiming Higher, THEARC: Building Bridges Across The River, Greater Washington Urban League and Greater Baltimore Urban League. Since 2011, Giant has donated 62,000 turkeys during Thanksgiving and this year, Shady Brook Farms is generously providing additional turkeys to make an even larger impact.
“At Giant, fighting food insecurity in the communities we serve is one of our top priorities,” said Dyani Hanrahan, vice president of marketing and community relations, Giant Food, and Maryland Food Bank board member. “We are proud to support over 20 community organizations this Thanksgiving in partnership with Shady Brook Farms to make sure our neighbors in need enjoy their holiday celebrations with family and loved ones.”
“At Shady Brook Farms, we take great responsibility in not only giving back during the critical holiday season, but also throughout the year to ensure families and local communities have access to delicious and nutritious meals,” said Hannah Kern, Shady Brook Farms marketing manager. “Partnering with a like-minded organization such as Giant Food to provide turkeys to those in need is incredibly meaningful and we’re beyond appreciative of their collaboration on impactful initiatives such as this.”
Additionally, Giant launched the annual “Lend a Hand for Hunger” campaign to benefit five area Feeding America food banks – Capital Area Food Bank, Maryland Food Bank, Food Bank of Delaware, Fredericksburg Regional Food Bank and Blue Ridge Area Food Bank – and other area nonprofits.
The campaign, running from Oct. 27 to Dec. 31 in all 164 Giant stores, offers customers an opportunity to support their neighbors by rounding up their change to the nearest dollar amount during checkout in-store or selecting a donation of $1, $3 or $5 during checkout in-store or online. Last year, through the generous support of associates and customers, over $1 million was raised to fight food insecurity.
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Yam or Sweetpotato? Sweetpotato or Sweet Potato? Answers Here
It happens every Thanksgiving. You head to the grocery store to shop for the big day. Of course, you’ll need to buy yams for the family’s favorite casserole. But when you get to the produce department, the display sign says “sweetpotato.” Or perhaps some are labeled as “yams” and others are “sweetpotatoes.” Which should you buy? And what’s the difference between a sweetpotato and a yam anyway?
This Thanksgiving, California sweetpotato farmers are on a mission to end this confusion once and for all. Their message is really very simple: Yam = Sweetpotato
“Sweetpotatoes come in all kinds of colors – red, orange, white, and, even purple. You may see them labeled as yams in the grocery store, but they’re actually sweetpotatoes,” explains Sarah Alvernaz, who farms sweetpotatoes in the heart of California’s sweetpotato growing region.
Alvernaz and other California growers who make up the California Sweetpotato Council are working to educate consumers and put an end to all the confusion about sweetpotatoes versus yams, particularly for younger consumers who may not be interested in eating yams but have heard that sweetpotatoes are a superfood.
“True yams are very different from sweetpotatoes and are a starchy, tuberous vegetable mostly grown in Africa,” explains Alvernaz. “You are unlikely to find true yams at a U.S. supermarket, despite what you might see on display signs.”
Unlike yams, sweetpotatoes are native to the Americas. The United States produces approximately 1.7 million tons of sweetpotatoes each year. California is the second largest producing state for sweetpotatoes because the warm dry climate and sandy soils of California’s Central Valley provide the optimum growing environment for quality roots. Some 90 percent of California’s sweetpotatoes are grown within a 20-mile radius of the small town of Livingston and the remaining 10 percent are grown near Bakersfield.
Alvernaz also explains that it’s common to see some sweetpotatoes at your grocery store labeled by varietal names such as Covington, Garnet or Jewell. But growers actually produce dozens of different varieties.
“We’re encouraging retailers to label sweetpotatoes according to color,” notes Alvernaz. “Most varieties we grow can be accurately categorized as either red, orange, white or purple sweetpotatoes. All four types have similar cooking times and can be used pretty much interchangeably in recipes.”
“We just want people to know that sweetpotato is a modern, more accurate term than yam,” says Alvernaz. “Even if they’re labeled as yams in the store, they are sweetpotatoes! Whether they’re red, orange, white or purple – all can be used in any recipe that calls for yams. Sweetpotatoes are a versatile, delicious superfood available every day of the year.”
To help support this message, the California Sweetpotato Council is working with retailers to correctly label sweetpotatoes in their stores. Shoppers can find simplified, updated information about sweetpotatoes here.
“Rest assured the Thanksgiving yam dish that’s been in your family for generations has always been made with sweetpotatoes,” says Alvernaz. “Probably with red or orange varieties but go ahead and buy whatever color you find in your store. And don’t forget that sweetpotatoes can be used in a variety of recipes not just for the holidays.”
Alvernaz adds that sweetpotatoes are, in fact, a superfood with each containing over 80 nutrients. They’re high in vitamin B6, vitamin A, carotene, and potassium, they’re rich in antioxidant vitamins C and E and are a great source of manganese and dietary fiber.
More information about sweetpotato nutrition, cooking facts and delicious recipes can be found at the California Sweetpotato Council website here.
For the record, the council says it’s sweetpotato, not sweet potato: On this one we admit there’s not a lot of agreement. But we believe that “sweetpotato” is correct because our product is not, in fact, a sweet potato. It’s not a potato at all, but botanically an entirely different vegetable, gifted with a totally different set of better-for-you nutrients, amazing taste, and incredible versatility. So sweetpotatoes—one word—is not only grammatically correct, but it helps make the distinction.
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Gordon Ramsay Burger Moving Into Flamingo Las Vegas
Flamingo Las Vegas just got hotter. Flavor and flames are coming to the resort this summer with the addition of Gordon Ramsay Burger.
The debut of Gordon Ramsay Burger at Flamingo Las Vegas follows the success of the restaurant’s first Las Vegas location, which opened at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in December 2012. It is the celebrated chef’s seventh restaurant at Caesars Entertainment’s Las Vegas Resorts and the fifth Gordon Ramsay Burger location.
“We are incredibly fortunate to celebrate the popularity of Burger inside Planet Hollywood,” said Gordon Ramsay. “So much, in fact, that we expanded the space a few years ago to meet the demand and accommodate more guests. Now, to add another location inside one of the most iconic resorts in Las Vegas is truly a dream come true.”
Gordon Ramsay Burger continues to push the traditional burger, fries and milkshake combination to the limit. Guests can expect some of their favorites on the menu at the Flamingo location, such as the Hell’s Kitchen Burger, Farmhouse Burger and Hellfire Chicken Wings. To achieve a complex flavor, all burgers are cooked over an open flame fueled by hardwoods. Sides include Just Fries with house ketchup and chipotle ketchup, Truffle Parmesan Fries with truffle aioli and house ketchup, and Sweet Potato Fries with vanilla powdered sugar and honey jalapeño aioli. Those with a sweet tooth can choose from a variety of milkshakes.
“Adding Chef Ramsay to our culinary roster creates a whole new dynamic at the Flamingo,” said Dan Walsh, SVP and general manager of Flamingo Las Vegas. “From delicious burgers and signature sides, Gordon Ramsay Burger will be a fun dining destination for family and friends to enjoy at our resort.”
The 8,000-square-foot space was designed by DEZMOTIF Studios and features a large exhibition kitchen, island-style bar as the restaurant’s social hub, expansive storefront windows, multiple dining zones, a nod to Britannia with Union Jack accents and dynamic flame displays throughout. Casual and inviting, the main dining room space has a warm and comfortable feel and offers views of the exhibition kitchen. The spectacular, open-air patio overlooks the bustling Las Vegas Strip and is anchored by a 25-foot-tall LED column showcasing Gordon Ramsay Burger imagery underneath the famous Flamingo neon.
Gordon Ramsay Burger at Flamingo Las Vegas will occupy the former Bird Bar space along Las Vegas Boulevard.
Gordon Ramsay North America comprises the United States and Canada restaurant business of acclaimed chef, restaurateur, TV personality and author Gordon Ramsay. In 2019, Gordon Ramsay inked a deal with private equity firm Lion Capital to expand Gordon Ramsay restaurant concepts across the U.S. and Canada. The company currently has 27 restaurants across Las Vegas, New York City, Washington D.C., Boston, Chicago, Connecticut, Indiana, Orlando, North Carolina, Atlantic City, Baltimore, Lake Tahoe, Kansas City, Miami, Oklahoma City, and Lake Charles, several of which are in partnership with Caesars Entertainment.
The group is scaling dining concepts as the company taps into several of Gordon Ramsay’s successful U.S. and international key brands including Gordon Ramsay HELL’S KITCHEN, Ramsay’s Kitchen, Gordon Ramsay Steak, Gordon Ramsay Burger, Gordon Ramsay Street Pizza, and Gordon Ramsay Fish & Chips.
In addition to the Gordon Ramsay North America restaurants, there are 52 international restaurants in the Gordon Ramsay Restaurants portfolio worldwide, where Gordon Ramsay holds a total of 7 Michelin stars. In total, the company is on track to open its 100th location by the end of 2024.
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