Food news antipasto

While those of us in northern latitudes can only dream of luscious, ripe tomatoes, those in Australia, New Zealand, and other Southern Hemisphere countries are entering peak tomato season. SBS Food will help those lucky ducks take advantage of the bounty with a roundup of great recipes that make the most of tomato season.

We may not have tomatoes, but US Members can look forward to something sweet: Girl Scout cookies. The Girl Scout cookie season is officially underway, featuring everyone’s favorites as well as new flavors. Depending on where you live, your Girl Scout cookies are made by either Little Brownie Bakers or by ABC Bakers. What’s interesting about the split is that it is not based on geography – it is up to each Girl Scout council to choose which bakery to partner with. I’ve had both and in my opinion, the Little Brownie Bakers cookies (Samoas, Tagalongs, Do-si-dos, and Trefoils) are better than those supplied by ABC Bakers (Caramel deLites, Peanut Butter Patties, Peanut Butter Sandwich, and Shortbread). Even the names are better! You can find copycat recipes in the EYB Library, but this is the one time I don’t even try to replicate the real thing. Every year I buy my favorites from an officemate whose kids are selling the cookies (there’s always someone). While I am no longer in Little Brownie Bakers territory, I hold out hope that the local council will one day switch bakeries.

Fans of Stanley Tucci’s CNN show “Searching for Italy”, were saddened when the network did not renew for another season, but this week they have a reason to celebrate. National Geographic confirmed that it is filming a new program starring Tucci. Like “Searching for Italy”, the show is set in Italy and features Tucci as the host. “Tucci — The Heart of Italy” is a ten-part series featuring ten different regions of the country.

A few months ago we reported that Michel Roux Jr. was shuttering the Michelin-starred Le Gavroche to have a better work/life balance. The last day for the restaurant, which was started over 50 years ago by Roux’s father and uncle, was January 13. We now know what the chef will be doing now that Le Gavroche is no more. He’s taking his restaurant to the ocean, opening “Le Gavroche residencies at sea” beginning in July, on Cunard’s Queen Anne and Queen Mary 2 cruise ships from the UK to Norway.

GenX-ers faced some disappointing news this week as they learned that Fruit Stripe gum is being discontinued after 54 years of production. The gum’s flavors – Wet n’ Wild Melon, Cherry, Lemon, Orange and Peach Smash – were as fleeting as they were fantastic. Chewing your way through a pack of Fruit Stripe gum was a rite of passage for kids of the 70s and 80s.