Food news antipasto

Another of David Chang’s Momofuku restaurants is closing, this time Momofuku Ko, a two-Michelin star eatery located in New York City. The closure comes as the company moves in a new direction under the leadership of Marguerite Zabar Mariscal, who took over the reins in 2019. Momofuku plans to open another restaurant in the same space, but in the meantime it is focusing on expanding its line of pantry products, currently sold in Whole Foods and Target.

With few exceptions, most pasta is beige to yellowish in color. While you may see the occasional green or red stripe on ravioli, for the most part, colored pasta is seen as a novelty item and nothing that pasta purists would consider using. One man is trying to change the perception surrounding colorful pasta with his new creations that bring art into the world of food. David Rivillo, a Venezuelan chemist and chef based in Porto Alegre, Brazil, finds inspiration in many areas. (Photo of his pasta above.) “Nature, art, architecture as well as textiles and fashion designs. I’m constantly thinking about making designs that might look interesting in pasta,’ he said in an interview. Rivillo sells his products online, shipping worldwide.

Speaking of colorful pasta, Seattle’s Linda Miller Nicholson author of Pasta, Pretty Please, sells her vibrant pasta offerings on her website, Salty Seattle. Right now she is offering her croissant shaped gnocchi for sale and plans to add other options in the future.

Bravo’s Top Chef isn’t the only longstanding food-based reality television show that has a host leaving the series. Masterchef Australia is losing Melissa Leong, leaving only Andy Allen (2012’s winner) returning to the hosting job. (The other host, Jock Zonfrillo, died unexpectedly in April of this year.) Leong is moving to a new reality cooking show called Dessert Masters, which features Instagram star pastry chef Amaury Guichon.

Alternative proteins continue to be a driving force in food scientists’ projects. One area of research involves harnessing sustainable insect protein. An Australian company is producing a cricket powder that can be added to any number of foods, from brownies to corn chips, instantly boosting the protein level while (allegedly) not changing the flavor or texture. The expected increase in Earth’s population to about 9.7 billion people by 2050 is prompting scientists to investigate more sustainable protein sources because traditional agricultural practices won’t be able to supply the world’s needs.

The espresso martini has been having a renaissance of late, and Epicurious is on board with the trend. The article provides a history of the drink, which was created in the 1980s in London, allegedly at the behest of a young partygoer who wanted something that would keep you awake but still make you inebriated. After rising in popularity for about a decade, it all but disappeared until the mid 2010s, when the craft cocktail movement intersected with the ascendancy of coffee culture. The drink allows for plenty of experimentation; unlike other cocktails, there aren’t purists out there claiming there is only “one way” to make it as you would find with a drink like an old-fashioned or Negroni. According to Eduardo Porto Carreio, the VP of Beverage for a large bar and restaurant group, the characteristic that “sets the espresso martini apart from those ‘classic classics’ is the notion that it’s more of a vibe.” The EYB Library bears out this idea, with 38 online recipes for espresso martinis that feature variations from orange to pumpkin spice.