Food news antipasto

Fans of the Hulu series The Bear may have noticed that fictional chef Carmy Berzatto has a cookbook collection at the new restaurant he opens in Season 2. Kat Kinsman and Chandra Ram did some sleuthing – including taking screenshots and enlarging them, CSI-style – and put together a list of the books Carmy has displayed. They are what you would expect from a chef who did stints at fine-dining establishments around the world.

Gastro Obscura always has fascinating articles, and one that recently caught my attention has to do with fanouropita, a Greek cake that has a “mystical reputation” that is connected to St. Fanourious, the Greek patron saint of lost things. The EYB Library contains seven recipes for fanouropita, including two online recipes (pictured above is Cake for lost things (Fanouropita) from Serious Eats).

I feel that watermelon is one of summer’s underrated joys, and when they are in season I eat more than my fair share of them. That’s why I was thrilled to see that Southern Living had put together a list of 28 recipes that feature this summertime fruit. I am intrigued by the watermelon ice cream and the pickled watermelon rind slaw, but they all look pretty good to me.

Speaking of fruit, if you are like me you end up with too much of it when summertime rolls around and all of your favorites are hitting store shelves at the same time. Try as I might, sometimes I can’t eat it all before it starts to turn. But I don’t have to let the excess go to waste, however. As The Guardian’s Tom Hunt explains, you can use overripe or wonky fruit to make ice lollies aka ice pops.

It took a while, but cottage cheese has finally made the comeback that was predicted back in 2019, because in July, Google searches for “cottage cheese” rose to the highest levels in twenty years. Dani Blum of the New York Times discusses the current cottage cheese renaissance. but it is a shame that the article focuses so much on the health benefits of the product instead of its versatility, keeping qualities, and mild flavor that pairs well with a variety of savory and sweet foods.