Food news antipasto

The first time I stepped into the Dean & Deluca store in Washington, DC’s Georgetown neighborhood I was smitten. The dizzying array of imported cheese, quality olive oil, spices I hadn’t heard of before, and so much more deepened my nascent love of cooking. Now Dean & Deluca is just a memory and I can only reminisce fondly about it. Stories like this are why food writer Terry Durack says we should go out right now and spend some money at our favorite local food shops. Durack says “Good cooking is 80 per cent good shopping. Great food shops and markets are your support team, coach and personal trainers, validating your choices and urging you on to greater heights with your plans for dinner.” BRB, heading out to my favorite Italian import shop now.

Cookbook author Molly Baz was on Good Morning America a few weeks ago, talking about her billboard in Times Square promoting lactation cookies that caused a bit of a stir. Baz, who is pregnant, posed with her belly exposed, holding up two cookies that covered her breasts alongside a caption that said “Just Add Milk”. The ad, which aired just before Mother’s Day, was advertising her lactation cookies for Swehl and was aimed at celebrating breastfeeding moms. Baz said she was disappointed that the supportive message caused people to complain, noting that there were more risqué billboards nearby promoting lingerie. In an Instagram post she said “take one look at the landscape of other billboards in times square and i think you’ll see the irony. bring on the lingerie so long as it satiates the male gaze.”

The James Beard Foundation’s media awards might be history, but we are still waiting to find out who will win the restaurant and chef awards. The ceremony will be held tomorrow, and if you aren’t attending the ceremony in Chicago, you can view a live stream of the event on Eater.

June is Pride Month, and many food websites and publications are highlighting contributions by their LGBTQ+ members. This includes The Washington Post, which assembled a collection of favorite recipes from queer contributors and cookbook authors.

Students at South Carolina’s Clemson University enrolled in the Pulse Quality and Nutritional Breeding program have recently published an online cookbook aimed at tackling “hidden hunger.” Led by Professor Dil Thavarajah, the students created the Tiger Gardens: Pulse Cookbook, a collection of recipes highlighting legumes such as beans, chickpeas, lentils, and peas. The cookbook celebrates the 10th anniversary of the student-run Tiger Gardens, “a model for year-round access to nutritious vegetables, focusing on micronutrients and proteins.”

In a completely different vein, singer/songwriter Willie Nelson is set to release a cookbook dedicated to recipes using cannabis. This will come as no surprise to anyone even glancingly familiar with the 92-year-old performer. A synopsis of the book reads: “Each recipe provides a cannabis kick to ease the mind as much as the body, making their cookbook an exciting, comforting, and lively way to dive into their story, as they draw from meals shared with family, friends, and fans alike.”