4FOOD AND FOR FEELING LUCKY

While tomatoes are botanically a fruit, they are considered a vegetable for culinary purposes (as well as by the United States Supreme Court, see Nix v. Hedden), which has caused some confusion. The fruit is rich in lycopene, a bright red carotene and carotenoid pigment and phytochemical, which many believe to have beneficial health effects, particularly lessening cancer risk especially with prostate cancer.

In 1978, Lucky’s Real Tomatoes was founded by Lucky, Tony, Al and the rest of the Marcelli family. Their goal and mission was and is to sell field-grown sun-ripened ready-to-eat juicy tomatoes to the top chefs in New York City. Their beefsteak tomatoes are hand-picked at the peak of ripeness and transported on their own trucks to their own facilities. They are NEVER picked green, NEVER gassed, and they are ALWAYS field-grown. Nothing impacts the flavor of their juicy tomatoes more than nature’s photosynthesis, which is why they insist that their tomatoes ripen in the sun! Lucky and her team oversee distribution in New York, Alan and his team run the growing and transportation, and their brother Marc is their Director of Food Safety. Family owned and operated… then and now! Their flavorful tomatoes are handpicked, ripe and ready to use so that no refrigeration is required as that would change their flavor and texture. They have learned to work with nature, not against it, and our reward is de-junked tomatoes that “taste the way tomatoes are supposed to taste.”

“That’s why they are Lucky’s Real Tomatoes!” And that’s one reason why and how we at 4food feel so very lucky indeed.

ON THE CHART/CHARTBEAT: BYE BYE SHEEP, DANCING THE BOMBA, AND GETTING READY TO RUMBLE

September took with it the fall of the mighty lamb trios - Lamb of God, Mediterranean-Inspired  Lamb Burger, and Lamchorgoat. Fresh in to start off October comes two new builds tied at #10 - DMAN531’S fantastic Brioche-Beef-Potato Chorizo Hash-Pancetta Bacon-Manchego-Lettuce-Tomato-Ketchup Fantastico alongside IAMTHEMATT’S Japanese inspired newest creation The Maki of Pressed Rice-Wild Salmon-Edamame & Sea Salt-Avocado-Lettuce-Onion-Mayonnaise. Falling from the top spot and landing tied at #9 is ANGELA1126’S Angela’s Veggie 2 alongside RENANGO’S only choice albeit The Healthy Choice. Sitting alone and understandably so at #7 is DOCKERYFARMS’S The Jerk Burger. Somehow sneaking into the chart and premiering in a tie for #5 is KYLEIDOSCOPE’S Multigrain-Beef-Mofongo-Sweet Plantains-Fontina-Lettuce-Onion-Pickle-Tomato-Sweet Chili and full-o-bomba El Puertorriqueno. The college football wolverines had a bye week and perhaps related RHA70’S Michigan Wolverine Burger falls into a tie for #5. AHARRIS’S platinum CaliBurger slips a spot to #3 while JFAVUZZA’S golden Better Turkey Burger, with November around the corner, makes a fluttering charge from #7 to #2. DING! DING! DING! Breaking news as JANINEDM’S Burger De La Hoya charges out of the corner to regain the title and its #1 ranking.