Food news antipasto

First up this week is a delightful interview with Jürgen Krauss, a semifinalist in the 2021 Great British Bake Off. Krauss discusses how his childhood in Germany’s Black Forest region influences his baking, and why he doesn’t hold a grudge against GBBO for his shocking exit from the program, which spurred over 100 to make complaints to the UK’s communications regulator.

Singer/songwriter (and restaurateur) Jimmy Buffett died this week at age 76. Even if you aren’t a fan, you’ve probably heard the song “Margaritaville”, which is his biggest hit. The tune not only propelled him to stardom, it also spawned a restaurant chain, resorts, a radio station, and more. If you feel like celebrating his life, drinking a margarita would be a fitting tribute.

Jamie Oliver has bounced back from a tough time, with a new book, being the first Brit to teach on YesChef, a worldwide series of online cooking classes, and opening a new restaurant. After nearly losing everything when his restaurant empire collapsed in 2019, Oliver is riding high again. He recently talked to the Evening Standard about how important having a restaurant was to him. “Without [a restaurant] I’m not fully happy, I’m not fully complete,” he said.

Earlier this week we wrote about pumpkin spice season, but we need to go back 20 years to get to the origins of that story. Food & Wine takes us to 2003 when Starbucks introduced the PSL (pumpkin spice latte), interviewing Peter Dukes, known as the “father of the PSL.” Dukes discusses the origins of the iconic drink, noting that it was initially called the “Fall Harvest Latte” which isn’t as catchy.

Chefs create awe-inspiring dishes by incorporating the finest ingredients with impeccable technique, using professional-grade appliances. You don’t need to have fancy ingredients or equipment to upgrade your cooking, however, says chef Marcus Wareing. He shares his favorite underrated ingredients that can make even a humble dish shine. You might be surprised at some of them.