Food news antipasto

Finally, a piece of good news we can pass along regarding restaurants: menu prices slowed substantially in December. While year-over-year numbers had climbed about 8.3%, the monthly figure was down to a range of .1% to .4% depending on the type of eatery. Inflation as a whole slowed too, giving hope that the relentless prices increases we have been experiencing are not going to continue unabated. Although this article only covers the US, I have seen similar reports for other countries (but some are still reeling with dramatic increases).

Longtime bread bakers are likely familiar with the term hydration, which is a measure of the water content of dough. As King Arthur Baking Company explains, home bakers and seasoned professionals alike have plenty of questions about this topic, which is why they assembled a Q&A for some of the most common ones. Among the questions addressed are how to calculate hydration and which ingredients besides water are counted.

Even if you don’t know how to pronounce it, you probably have eaten it before and if you are like me, it’s one of your favorite sauces. Worcestershire sauce originated in Worcester, England in the mid-1800s. Its origins are shrouded in mystery, which adds to the sauce’s allure. Believe it or not, the total value of the Worcestershire market is roughly $1 billion USD annually! Today’s sauce likely has fewer ingredients than the first one to appear nearly 200 years ago, but it’s still a funky, umami-filled powerhouse.

What’s in a name? McDonald’s in Australia stirred up a bit of controversy when it announced that it would be introducing “potato scallops” to its menus. The controversy stems from the fact that the dish – potatoes wrapped in a crunchy tempura-like coating and deep fried – is called by different names in various states of the country, where it is known as potato cake or potato fritter. In a recent Instagram post, McDonald’s made clear they think only one name applies: “New potato scallops with chicken salt are here. And yes, it’s scallops, not cakes or fritters … cause Grimace [McDonald’s character] said so.”

Award-winning Bay Area chef David Kinch may have shuttered his Michelin-starred restaurant Manresa, but that does not mean he is out of the restaurant business. In fact, he is set to open not one, not two, but three new restaurants this year. He and his partners plan to open a second location of Mentone, Kinch’s popular Italian restaurant, an additional Manresa Bread, and a third, yet unnamed restaurant.

In other US restaurant news, famed Italian chef Massimo Bottura is bringing another restaurant to the country, this time to Miami. The owner of World’s 50 Best Osteria Francescana in Italy, plans to launch a stateside version his successful Torno Subito brand sometime this year. According to Eater, the restaurant will be located on the rooftop of Julia & Henry’s.

This is not a link to a specific article, but rather to the landing page for The Guardian’s food-related writing. I just wanted to give props to whoever writes the bylines for the linked articles – they are among the most succinct and clever bylines I’ve encountered. You have to love the title “Best of Friands” linking to Benjamina Ebuehi’s recipe for vegan orange friands. Other clever titles this week include “Basque in it” and “Ground control” for an article describing how to make a kombucha from spent coffee grounds. Yes, I am a sucker for puns. You might say I enjoy the pun-ishment.