Food news antipasto

This week’s news begins with information about one of our favorite cookbook authors, Diana Henry. She recently wrote about her experiences with breast cancer and an autoimmune disease, neither of which she has publicly discussed before. She spent lockdown recovering from the treatments, while still managing to make some progress in recipe testing. The good news is that scans show that the cancer is in remission, and she is managing the autoimmune condition.

Culture, the magazine that is all about cheese and cheese-related products, has produced a free digital mini-cookbook that is now available for download. Called Cooking with Jambon de Bayonne, the publication features information about Bayonne ham along with eight different recipes to make the best use of this delicious meat.

As vegetarian and vegan diets become increasingly popular, there is a corresponding change on restaurant menus that were welcomed by non meat eaters. But as veganism has blossomed, vegetarians have begun to notice a disturbing trend: vegetarian menu options that used to include cheese are now totally dairy-free. This trend has incited a “silent war” between vegetarians and vegans.

My friends and family know that it’s best not to talk to me in the morning before I have had my coffee. We drink plenty of the dark, delicious beverage in our house, but it looks like we might soon be paying more for the privilege. Bad weather in Brazil could lead to price increases for coffee, oranges, and cane sugar as crop yields drop due to drought conditions.

Maybe I should investigate whether I could grow my own coffee plants indoors. Similar to the rise in backyard gardening, indoor gardening has also seen a dramatic increase in interest. Growing food indoors, whether through window boxes, with grow lights, or via hydroponic systems, is more popular than ever. The great thing about indoor gardening is that you don’t need a sunny outdoor spot to grow your own greens, herbs, vegetables, and more.

If you dislike cleaning the coffee grinder after you use it for blending spices as much as I do, this tip will brighten your day. Put a few cubes of stale (but not hard) bread in the unit and blitz away. This creates seasoned bread crumbs while also cleaning the grinder. Win-win!

Photo of Perfect platter for one with Bayonne ham from Culture Magazine