Food news antipasto

We start out this week with a tip from an EYB Member about a new reality show that is right up our alley called Clash of the Cookbooks. It’s brought to us by Roku, the same channel that hosts The Great American Baking Show. Comedian Phoebe Robinson and cookbook author and culinary historian Max Miller host the program, where “they put cookbook-obsessed chefs to the test with legendary cookbook-inspired challenges.” The show challenges chefs by using “history’s greatest and the world’s toughest cookbooks.” The six-episode first season dropped on December 6 and is available to stream now.

It’s the time of year for panettone to make appearances on holiday dessert tables. Starting with humble origins in Italy, its popularity has spread world-wide because as chef Mauro Calagreco says, panettone is “a shareable dessert, easy to transport, and makes for an ideal gift.” But now it has become something more than just a dessert, it is a fashion icon – or at least the packaging is. Collaborations with designers like Roberto Cavalli and Dolce & Gabbana have resulted in delicious panettone delivered a collectible tin or box to signify your good taste.

Do animals get drunk? You probably think that animals drinking alcoholic beverages only happens in cartoons or by accident, but recent studies say that is not true. Wherever ethanol occurs naturally, say scientists, it is consumed by a variety of species ranging from insects to birds to monkeys. Most of these animals are good at metabolizing alcohol, so they usually don’t display obvious signs of inebriation. However, one study found that fruit flies “drown their sorrows” by ingesting more alcohol following repeated romantic rejection, so maybe those cartoons were on to something.

You’ve heard of farm-to-table, but what about table-to-farm? It’s the brainchild of chef and climate activist Anthony Myint as a way to help restaurants and their patrons support regenerative farming. Myint is the executive director of the non-profit Zero Foodprint, which brings together restaurants and regional governments to provide funding that encourages healthier farming practices.

As we dive deep into the season for indulging in all manner of food and drink, we should give consideration to our gut – after all, we are asking to take on extra duty during this time. The Independent’s Hannah Twigg provides us with a list of traditional Christmas foods that can actually help our microbiome stay happy through the end of the year. Think more veggie sides and fewer sausages on your plate.

When Deb Perelman developed the recipe that is now known as “pizza beans,” she had no idea it would end up on a prison menu. But as we learned when alleged murderer Luigi Mangione was offered a choice of chicken parmesan or pizza beans for dinner at the correctional institute in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania, the dish has gone mainstream in the most unusual way. Will this attention make it even more popular?

Several weeks ago we wrote about a study finding that black plastic utensils contained high levels of toxic chemicals. It turns out the authors of the study made a mathematical error that made the problem seem worse than it is. They were off on the reference rate (the amount of the chemical that the FDA says is a safe daily limit) by a factor of ten. The amount of the concerning chemicals contained in the black plastic is correct as reported, but instead of it being 80 percent of the reference rate, it is 8 percent. The study’s authors say that despite the error, they still recommend that people discard black plastic utensils or containers.