Charcoal is notorious for its undesirable effects on the environment and human health, but for backyard grilling, there have been few alternatives. Just in time for summer in the northern hemisphere, a Wisconsin-based company has now launched a greener alternative.

Sologear's uGO FlameDisk is an eco-friendly grilling option that employs solid ethanol as its fuel source and lights instantaneously with the touch of a match, no lighter fluid required. Users simply peel off the device's protective film, place the disk in their grill and light it. The aluminum disk is ready to cook on in less than a minute—saving roughly half an hour in time that would ordinarily be spent waiting for charcoal to heat up—and will continue to burn for at least 40 minutes. Heat output from the FlameDisk is similar to that of charcoal, but it creates no ash or soot and it cools to the touch in just minutes. Perhaps best of all, the FlameDisk’s ethanol fuel produces 99 percent less carbon monoxide than charcoal does. For die-hard fans of charcoal-grilled flavour, there's even a “Smoker Plate” available to recreate that taste. The uGO FlameDisk is available for about USD 4.99 online, via the Home Shopping Network and at select supermarkets and hardware stores across the US.

In addition to rolling out the FlameDisk nationwide, Sologear is also working on a small, portable FlameDisk Grill, according to an article in the Wisconsin State Journal. Time to get involved and bring some grilling innovation to enthusiasts in your part of the world...? (Related: Beach barbecue on call.)

Website: www.ugogrill.com
Contact: info@ugogrill.com

Spotted by: Pat Bice

Bees seem to be capturing an increasing proportion of the virtual ink on our pages of late, playing center stage as they have in our recent stories about urban beekeeping at Fortnum & Mason's and Toronto's Fairmont Royal York hotel. Adding to the buzz—so to speak—we just came across yet another bee-focused hotel.

In honour of Earth Day a few weeks ago, Paris-based Pullman Hotels & Resorts partnered with Bee My Friend to sponsor a beehive on behalf of each of its French hotels. The "Pullman Is Bee Friendly" campaign, as it's called, aims to help maintain honeybee populations and protect biodiversity in general. It's also created some sweet new opportunities for guests. Specifically, customers at each hotel now have the chance to sample three different honey varieties from Burgundy produced by the sponsored bees: a delicately flavoured acacia honey, a spring flowers honey and an all flowers honey from Morvan, the taste of which is said to reflect the sunny conditions and acidic soil of that region.

Offering eco-credentials along with (still) made here appeal, Pullman's Bee Friendly campaign is sure to win over many a green-minded (and sweet-toothed) consumer. One to emulate locally in your own specialty shop, restaurant or hotel...? (Related: Honey without the mess — Sweet snobmoddity.)

Website: www.pullmanhotels.com
Contact: www.pullmanhotels.com/gb/contact/ask-question-form.shtml

With all the uses organizations are finding for Twitter—whether it's keeping political constituents up-to-date or alerting customers to fresh bread—there's no doubt the platform is becoming increasingly prominent in the corporate world. Little surprise, then, that Pizza Hut has created an internship position to focus specifically on Twitter and other social media.

Pizza Hut's new "twinternship" is a full-time, 10- to 12-week paid assignment to work with the PR team at the company's Dallas headquarters this summer. The intern will focus on new and emerging social media, including Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and others, and will be given "unprecedented access" to marketing meetings, brainstorming sessions, ad shoots and special events, the company says. He or she will be expected to collect and share the insights and experiences that result, as well as any pop culture news or notable stories they come across in the social media. Creating and posting videos, conducting media outreach and assisting with national PR programs will also be part of the job, as will managing the company's new Twitter page and watching for mentions of the company in the social media. Candidates are expected to be a junior or senior in college, with fluency in social media. The deadline for application is May 3rd, and the job will begin June 1st.

Besides focusing Pizza Hut's digital strategy, the twinternship position is intended to help the company connect with college students, one of its key demographics, senior PR manager Chris Fuller told PR Week. It's also apparently a sort of trial run to help Pizza Hut determine if the job warrants a full-time position. And although Pizza Hut's internship was reportedly already in the works before the Domino's YouTube disaster hit, that prank underscores the need for corporate vigilance, if nothing else. How long before every company has a dedicated twintern, tweetmaster or social-media maven...?

Website: www.pizzahut.com
Contact: www.pizzahut.com/contactus/contactlanding.aspx

Spotted by: Raymond Kollau

After all the attention cupcakes have received over the last few years, one could say they've had their share of time in the proverbial sun. We covered Fru Fru and Sprinkles back in 2007, but recently we were alerted to a new alternative: Tennessee T-Cakes.

Billed as "the ultimate Southern confection," Tennessee T-Cakes are diminutive delicacies with a big, romantic story behind them. They resemble cupcakes in size and shape, but feature a texture more like that of a brownie and a dusting of powdered sugar in place of the heavy frosting. Available by the box with prices starting at USD 10.95 per dozen, T-Cakes come in four variations—Key Lime, Luscious Lemon, Chocolate Truffle and Original—with Raspberry and crunchy Brittle coming soon. The closely guarded recipe for Tennessee T-Cakes dates back to ante-bellum Tennessee and a young belle's culinary talent—reputed to have won a Civil War captain's heart.

The world will never tire of interesting new desserts, just as it will never tire of a good story to go with them. Need some directed motivation? Find an old or little-remembered delicacy from your own region, upgrade and adapt it to modern tastes, and garnish with some skillful storytelling and a heaping helping of (still) made here appeal. Next, breathe deeply, for you will soon savor the smell of sweet success! ;-) (Related: Bakery focuses on bite-sized treats — Upgraded popsicles, Mexican style.)

Website: www.tntcakes.com
Contact: info@tntcakes.com

There's no doubt eating locally grown food benefits both the community and the environment, but without regular visits to a farmers' market, it can be difficult for consumers to make that happen. We've already covered a few innovative ways companies are helping homegrown produce get into consumers' hands—delivery by bicycle, to name just one—and recently we learned of another: Washington state's Ferry Farm Stand.

Beginning June 25, the Ferry Farm Stand will open every Wednesday evening at the Bainbridge Island ferry terminal, offering Seattle commuters a variety of locally grown produce in convenient USD 5 bags. Commuters arriving on the island via the busy 4:40 pm and 5:30 pm ferries will then be able to grab a bag of fresh local lettuce, some crisp sugar snap peas or a box of sweet, island-grown strawberries before they get in their car or board their bus or bike. The effort is a project of local nonprofit group Sound Food in partnership with Sustainable Bainbridge and the Chamber of Commerce, and is designed to encourage local residents to eat more food grown close to home. All of the food sold at the Ferry Farm Stand will be picked fresh at farms on Bainbridge Island and nearby North Kitsap. Sound Food is providing all of the staffing, organization and promotional support, allowing 100 percent of the proceeds to go directly to the farmers.

Sound Food founder Sallie Maron explains: “We wanted to find a way to make it easy for people to buy local food—especially those who can’t make it to the Farmers' Market on Saturday. What better place than right where they get off the boat on their way home to dinner?”

Indeed, bringing the produce to consumers—rather than expecting them to find it themselves—and then pricing it for a speedy transaction is a clever approach that looks ripe for emulation anywhere local produce is grown. Imagine the response in the subways of New York City, London or Singapore! Seems to us bringing *enough* produce would then become the real challenge.

Website: www.soundfood.org
Contact: info@soundfood.org

Spotted by: Chelsea Green