Food news antipasto

Fans of Mark Bittman probably already know this, but he has moved The Bittman Project from Substack to a new website. The site houses a new, recipe archive that offers searching and notes features (although far from as robust as what we have on EYB). Bittman promises that “what’s now a database of almost 400 recipes will soon be thousands.” We have indexed all of Bittman’s books plus his online content for a total (to date) of 33,712 recipes.

Fans of IKEA’s meatballs now have a mega meatball option. Earlier this month, IKEA announced that it’s making a turkey sized meatball available this holiday season. The massive sphere weighs in at 4.5kg and arrives in a box that includes lingonberry jam and a creamy sauce. Vegans, don’t despair: the company is also offering a Veggieball Christmas Tree. Of course, there’s a catch (well, a couple of catches). First, this product is only available in the UK. Second, you have to enter a contest in order to win one of 30 supersize meatballs and 30 Veggieballs.

Snack brands are always bringing out new flavors to keep people coming back, and Nabisco is no exception. They recently announced that they will release three new Oreo flavors in 2024. One, the Black and White, is based on the NYC cookie everyone knows and loves. It lands on January 1st, 2024, while two days later the cookie many have been waiting for debuts: the gluten-free Oreo. This will be followed by another flavor of Oreo Cakesters that features a peanut butter filling.

In Christmas dinner, the mains and sides get top billing while the desserts take on more of a supporting role. However, the stories behind iconic Christmas desserts offer a fascinating glimpse into history, as The Telegraph’s Andrew Baker shows us. He dives into the backstory behind three UK holiday classics: Christmas cake, mince pies, and Christmas pudding. On the subject of Christmas dinner, in case you missed it be sure to check out, How important is the tablescape to your holiday dinner?

Speaking of Christmas dinner, it looks like inflation will put a dent in the price of the holiday meal, at least in the UK, where it could cost as much as 13% more for the same ingredients as it did last year. The price increases reflect higher energy costs and poor growing conditions for vegetables. Prices in the US, however, are a mixed bag. Some items, like turkey and eggs, are down significantly from last year while others such as ham and roast beef are up slightly.

For Australian members who watch SBS Food – in case you missed it, the network recently announced a shift in how the channel is broadcast. SBS Food is a 24/7 foodie channel for all Australians, with a focus on simple, authentic and everyday food inspiration from cultures everywhere. Starting December 5, it moved to MPEG-4 broadcast format on free-to-air television channel 33. If watching on television, SBS Food is accessible on television sets, or devices using recorders or set-top boxes, which are MPEG-4 compatible.