Food news antipasto

Now that Cookbooktober has arrived, everyone is weighing on which recently released books are the best. We’re biased, of course, but we think Jenny’s take on the subject is definitive, but in the interest of fairness we’ll let you know that the NY Times has also published its list of the best 14 cookbooks of fall.

The pandemic isn’t the only thing wreaking havoc on the restaurant industry. Fires in California are also causing problems for both restaurants and the wine industry. The influential and award-winning restaurant at Meadowood recently burned to the ground. Chef Christopher Kostow confirmed the bad news, saying “we are all torn apart … [director of marketing and communications] Martina [Kostow] and I wish our broader, Napa community safety and courage during this devastating time.” Meadowood’s parent company Pacific Union vows to rebuild the resort and restaurant.

If you live in Ireland and plan to eat at a Subway franchise any time soon, be forewarned that you won’t be eating bread – at least not according to the courts. Ireland’s Supreme Court recently ruled that the fast food chain’s bread “contains so much sugar that it cannot be legally defined as bread.” The law says that any item called bread – which as a staple food is not subject to tax – must contain no more than 2% sugar by weight. Subway’s bread clocks in at about 10% sugar.

Do you love porridge, mashed potatoes, polenta, or hummus? If so, they you might enjoy an article by Margaret Eby at Food & Wine titled In Praise of Mush. Eby explains that “mush is an essential building block of all cuisines, and it deserves respect.” She’ll get no argument from me.

Photo of Sour cream mashed potatoes from Bon Appétit Magazine