Food news antipasto

Earlier this week the James Beard Foundation released the finalists for its 2025 Restaurant and Chef Awards. There are three new award categories this year: Best New Bar, Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service, and Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service. Winners will be announced on Monday, June 16, during a gala ceremony at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. The nominees for the Media awards, which includes cookbooks, will be released on May 7.

Girl Scout cookie season may be over, but there is still a way to get your GS cookie fix – through a PopTart x Girl Scout mashup that is debuting this month. The collaboration features Thin Mint and Coconut Caramel flavors, borrowing tastes from two of the most popular Girl Scout cookies. This is a limited edition, so just like the cookies you need to grab ’em while you can! If you miss out, try a copycat Thin Mint recipe like the Homemade Thin Mint-inspired cookies from Food52 shown above.

Microplastics are everywhere, including in our bodies. We can’t get away from them since they are in water, air, and food, but a recent study indicates that eating certain foods can counteract some of the potential negative effects of the plastic particles. Published in the Journal of Pharmaceutical Analysis, the retrospective study found that colorful fruits and vegetables may combat the negative effects of microplastics in the body, specifically foods that are rich in anthocyanins. These include things like berries, red cabbage, and purple sweet potatoes – basically any food that has deep, rich red and blue coloring.

It’s no secret that I am an Aldi stan, but it turns out I’m in good company. Even top chefs shop there (and at low-cost rival Lidl), and they recently dished on their favorite finds from Aldi. The article is from the UK so it lists items they don’t sell here in the US, such as Nordpak butter and crumpets. Chefs like Aldi’s wine and liquor offerings, which are fantastic. I’m sad to report that alcoholic beverages are not offered in Aldi stores in Minnesota. My favorite items from Aldi are frozen organic fruit, snack-size guacamole cups, and the Mozer-Roth chocolate.