Food news antipasto

Bobby Flay has been part of Food Network for almost as long as it has been broadcasting, joining the fledgling cable network during its first year on air in 1994. He has been part of some of Food Network’s most popular programs, including Iron Chef America, Chopped, Beat Bobby Flay, and others. After 27 years together, however, the celebrity chef and Food Network will be parting ways. Flay and the network had been in extended contract negotiations but were not able to come to an agreement.

Sydney restaurants were finally able to reopen this weekend following more than 100 days of takeaway. Restaurants are allowed to have their dining rooms at full capacity for fully-vaccinated customers, but it’s far from smooth sailing for the eateries. How to enforce the vaccination requirement is a conundrum plaguing restaurateurs. An Phan, co-owner of Bankstown’s An Restaurant, is frustrated by the situation, saying “We don’t want our front-of-house to have to debate politics. That’s not our business. Our business is to serve you a bowl of phở.”

This next bit is for the Ted Lasso fans. While the current darling of streaming services is not about food, there is a food connection in the pink box of shortbread (biscuits) that Lasso prepares for his boss every day. It has become one of the show’s recurring themes. Some fans living in NYC and LA got a chance to try some of those cookies – well, at least Christina Tosi’s interpretation of them. Coinciding with the season 2 finale, Milk Bar offered a pink box shortbreads inspired by the show.

The snap of crisp toffee, the crunch of a potato chip – there is something universally satisfying about crunchy foods. In addition to flavor, the texture of foods plays an important part of the eating experience. While crunchiness is beloved around the world, other textures are not enjoyed by all cultures. How and why some textures are pleasing while others are revolting isn’t well known, but scientists are busy studying the subject and have developed interesting theories about it. One experiment showed that participants wearing headphones that increased the sound of a potato chip they were eating thought that the chips were 15% fresher and crunchier than participants who had ‘normal volume’ chips.

Speaking of potatoes, it’s hard to imagine a food that has become more ubiquitous in many of the world’s food cultures. Mashed, fried, shredded, baked – there are many ways to enjoy the humble spud. You can utilize one component of the potato – its starch – in myriad ways as well. Serious Eats takes a deep dive into potato starch and its many uses.

Photo of The best shortbread in the world from Cook with Jamie by Jamie Oliver