Food news antipasto

Earlier this week we learned some news from one of our favorite cookbook authors, the talented Nik Sharma. Nik informed us that he will be contributing a regular food science column to Serious Eats. In the tweet, he also shared that Daniela Galarza will be leaving Serious Eats and moving to The Washington Post. Congrats to Nik and Daniela – we’ll look forward to reading more from both of them!

You may be wondering how long all of those baking supplies that you panic-purchased earlier this year will last. The good news is that most baking supplies are good for at least a year when stored properly. Find out how long items like baking powder, cornstarch, flour, and other pantry essentials will last, courtesy of Taste of Home Magazine.

It seems that good news is rare these days, so we are happy to share another piece of uplifting news. This comes via students at Food and Finance High School in New York City who reworked their usual junior project to reflect current events and created a magazine called Pass the Spatula that celebrates chefs of color. The magazine was published online this week and will be going to print in a few weeks. The students wrote essays and articles, drew illustrations and designed graphics, created recipes, and interviewed chefs and culinary figures like Padma Lakshmi and Kwame Onwuachi.

Food waste is a problem the world over, but it may be a shrinking one thanks in part to the pandemic. As shortages hit grocery stores, people began to rethink their wasteful ways and started using up those less than desirable bits they once would have tossed in the bin. In The Guardian, Rebecca Seal discusses how the pandemic has changed the way we eat, and whether this will be a long-term shift or just a bubble.

We’ll end this week on a lighter note, with the world’s most popular tuber: the potato. Potatoes appear on menus from low brow to haute cuisine, depending on their preparation. Good Food (AU) has taken the liberty of ranking twenty ways to use the humble spud. Starting off at number 20 is the loaded jacket potato, which can be “agreeable enough topped with bacon and chives but deadset gross slopped with cold baked beans.” One of my favorites, hash browns, clocks in at number 11. Where does your favorite rank?

Photo of Skillet hash browns from Bon Appétit Magazine