Food news antipasto

Restaurant critics know a lot about food; it is an essential part of the job. That does not automatically mean they can cook, however. Knowing and doing are two different beasts, something that critic Ben McCormack well understands. Caught flatfooted when asked by his cleaner why there wasn’t any food in his refrigerator, McCormack decided that he should try to cook better so he and his partner enrolled in Leith’s Cookery School for an intensive one-week program. He documented how it went and what he learned – and whether he would do it again.

Most restaurants still rely on natural gas to power their cooking, especially Chinese restaurants that use high-powered wok burners to achieve the characteristic flavors and textures of their dishes. Environmental concerns have led for a push to switch to induction for commercial kitchens, but many cooks don’t think induction will allow them to achieve ‘wok hei’. Some chefs believe that the gas flames are necessary for wok hei, while others think high heat alone will do the trick. Food writer Akielly Hu dives into the topic, asking experts their opinions on whether electric woks can deliver the goods.

Food trends and fad diets often highlight the benefits or drawbacks of certain categories of food. In the 1980s and 90s, fat was bad, only to be replaced by carbs as the bogeyman in the late 90s and 2000s. Now the trend is toward a particular nutritional trait rather than away from it. Protein is currently the king, as getting the right amount can help build and preserve muscle mass and it is associated with other health benefits as well. Therefore everything from ice cream to bread has extra protein added to it. But is eating protein-enriched items the answer? Probably not, says Good Food’s Susie Burrell.

The annual Gloucestershire cheese rolling race was held this weekend, and an Australian man took home the top honor, beating everyone else down the hill. If you aren’t familiar with this food-related custom, each spring a wheel of cheese is rolled down a steep hill and participants chase after it, with the first person down the hill winning the prize (even if he or she doesn’t catch the cheese). It is estimated that the wheel, which gets a head start of a few seconds, travels up to 70 mph down the hill. Watching the video, I am amazed that more people don’t get injured as they tumble and bounce down the steep slope. Last year’s winner was knocked unconscious! The race has been going on for hundreds of years, making it one of the oldest food traditions known to man.

While nut milks have a somewhat longer shelf life once opened than traditional milk, there is a limit on how long they will last. Epicurious’ Hannah Lee Leidy discusses the tell-tale signs that will let you know if your almond milk is still drinkable or whether it needs to be poured down the drain. The TL;DR is that once opened, you have 10-14 days before you will notice off flavors or textural changes that are an indication that the milk is going bad, versus 4 to 7 days for dairy milk.

Forget hot girl summer, this year is shaping up to have hot food summer. Spiciness is dominating food products, with a new genre of “swicy” (sweet + spicy) as the trend du jour. Starbucks recently jumped in on the trend with spicy versions of their lemonade drinks and hot honey offerings. While I often enjoy the pairing of spicy and sweet together, I sincerely hope that portmanteau doesn’t catch on. Although I suppose it is slightly better than “speet”.