Food news antipasto

It is amazing how 2023 has flown by, and now it’s that time of year to make our lists and check them twice. If you have been nice, you might want to check out the kitchen equipment year in review for 2023 at Epicurious. The editors have compiled their list of “Kitchen MVPs” which are those products that they found the “most exciting, useful, and innovative” this year. From “smart” thermometers to new lines of cookware to basics like the best dishwashing spray, they have covered a wide array of kitchen tools.

Super-hot peppers seem to be having a moment. From the One Chip Challenge to ghost peppers appearing in a bevy of fast food items like the Burger King Ghost Pepper Whopper, these fiery capsicums are turning up everywhere. The popularity of these super spicy items even leads to competitions to see who can eat the most hot peppers or who can grow the hottest pepper in the world (currently Pepper X, rated at an astonishing 2.63m Scoville heat units). The Guardian’s Tim Dowling takes a look at the current fascination with extra hot peppers, talking to some of the pepper-eating champions on why they sign up for so much pain.

In other cookware news, Eater just launched its branded cookware line called Eater X Heritage Steel. The cookware is made in the USA by Heritage Steel, a Tennessee-based company that has been making cookware for over 40 years. The pans are 5-ply and come with a lifetime guarantee. The prices are what you would expect from high-end cookware (or maybe that is just because I have become desensitized to the prices of Staub and Le Creuset I’ve been buying the past few years). A two-quart saucier is $119.95 USD while a 12″ skillet is $99.95.

It wouldn’t be much of a stretch to call Martha Stewart the queen of Thanksgiving. She is an icon of seemingly effortless entertaining where the tablescape is always amazing and the food is utterly delicious. Fans of Martha will want to set a reminder for November 16, because on that date they have a (slim) chance of being the one person who books a stay at her Bedford farm on November 18 and 19 for the shocking price of only $11.23 (the date of Thanksgiving this year). This event is happening exclusively on Booking.com, and the reservation is on a first-come, first-served basis starting at 12 exactly p.m. EST on Thursday, November 16. You’ll have to arrange your own transportation to New York if you live outside of the state, but everything else is included.

Providing a counterpoint to the extreme pepper eaters, Susie Burrell at the Sydney Morning Herald is here to provide us with a template on how we can reduce inflammation in our bodies through our diet. She says that the key is to “refocus your efforts on eating more fresh food, eating out less and paying more attention to the oils slipping into your diet courtesy of processed snacks and fast food,” and offers suggestions on how to get the right mix of fats and avoid sugars and other foods that increase inflammatory responses.