Food news antipasto

Although we reported on food issues plaguing the Paris Olympics, the news from the Games is not all bad. For starters, Simone Biles shook off an apparent injury to qualify for the all-around gymnastics competition – not too shabby for the oldest American gymnast to qualify for the Olympics since 1952. Then there is cookbook author extraordinaire Ina Garten, who is reportedly “living her best life” in the City of Light. “It’s the city I’m the happiest in,” Garten told the Today Show’s Hoda Kotb and Savannah Guthrie on Friday. “It’s just wonderful.” For another fun Olympic + food themed story, visit All Recipes to read what gold medal-winning swimmer Katie Ledecky eats for breakfast every morning (the image below is a hint), along with her other menu mainstays.

Are you a fan of tequila? If you are really into the spirit, you can now buy perfume that is inspired by tequila. There are three fragrances in the collection (Blanco, Reposado, and Añejo) that are “inspired by the cultural significance of agave and its transformative journey into tequila.” Joseph D. Solís, Founder and CEO of Maison Solís says that he “developed this fragrance line to honor the nectar of the Gods and evoke the emotional journey it takes us on — from the crisp citrus notes of Blanco to the luxurious depths of aged Añejo.” 

The man who claims he invented Flamin’ Hot Cheetos has recently sued Frito-Lay after the company denied he was responsible for the popular snack’s creation. Richard Montañez has long claimed he invented the spicy snack while working as a janitor at Frito-Lay in California. According to the defamation lawsuit, the R&D department was “dissatisfied” that “Mr. Montañez – a poor, uneducated Mexican plant worker and janitor – had successfully developed a new product,” so R&D personnel “completely shut out Mr. Montañez from the development process.” The company says they interviewed many workers but haven’t found one who says that Montañez was in any way involved with creation of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos.

Here’s a bit of news we forgot to report last week: long-time NYT restaurant critic Pete Wells has decided to leave that role after 12 years and instead work in another department at the newspaper. Wells said that health issues were a major factor in his decision to step down. Melissa Clark and Priya Krishna will serve as interim critics in New York.

The Culinary Institute of America, located in Hyde Park, New York, recently served as the location for the filming of a new culinary competition program that is said to be part of Netflix’s “future menu of culinary based content.” Some students at the campus – who pay $60,000 per year to attend the prestigious school – are not happy with the disruption that the filming is having on classes. They say that changes in class locations to less desirable rooms make it difficult to work properly, and class cancellations could mean that students might not finish their studies on time.

At least two people have died and dozens more were sickened in a multi-state listeria outbreak linked to deli meat. So far, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has not been able to pinpoint which specific deli items contained the bacteria, which is difficult to kill. The CDC thinks many more people were likely affected by the outbreak because foodborne illness is generally underreported, plus the symptoms of listeriosis can take up to 70 days after exposure to develop, making outbreaks even more difficult to trace. The CDC is advising people to avoid eating meats sliced at a deli (this does not include prepackaged items) unless they’re heated to at least 165 degrees Fahrenheit before eating.