Food news antipasto

Vox Media, the parent company of a string of websites including Eater and Grub Street, recently laid off 130 employees (seven percent of its workforce). One of those getting the ax was Eater senior correspondent Meghan McCarron, whose work we have linked to many times. Jim Bankoff informed employees of the cuts in a memo Friday, citing “the challenging economic environment impacting our business and industry.”

Some foods are polarizing, with people either loving or hating it. One of those is the Australian spread Vegemite, which is celebrating its 100th birthday this year. The Sydney Morning Herald informs us that there’s no stopping this product, as its parent company enters into an agreement to produce a line of Vegemite frozen pizzas. Would you eat a Vegemite pizza?

We recently reported on Rene Redzepi’s decision to close Noma and how it would affect the world of fine dining. As some of our Members pointed out, Noma had a long history of exploitative business practices, including relying heavily on the use of unpaid interns. Writing for The Atlantic, chef Rob Anderson explains the problems with Noma, saying that the restaurant made fine dining “much worse” (possible paywall for this article).

Many of us in cold northern climes have are fighting the winter doldrums by poring over seed catalogues and planning our gardens. If you are looking for something different this year to brighten up your outdoor space, Southern Living has a suggestion: go vertical. They offer advice on vertical gardening, which is perfect for small spaces. The culinary applications include herbs, lettuces, and trellises for vining plants like blackberries and cucumbers.

Did you ever have a dish (whether at home or in a restaurant) that was so sublime you were afraid to eat it again for fear of being disappointed by it? That’s the issue The Guardian’s Rachel Cooke is facing. She recently dined at new restaurant led by a chef who made a transcendental mousse at a prior restaurant that Cooke adored. She asks the question “should I go looking for that perfect moment again?” noting that “Revisiting things we love often leads to disappointment.”