Food news antipasto

Lay’s brand potato chips (crisps) recently launched a bold new look for its packaging, but it wasn’t a flashy new font or logo. Instead, the new bags prominently feature an image of a potato. Lay’s did this because, according to research the company conducted, more than 50% of people did not know that Lay’s potato chips were made from actual potatoes. As the article states, that is both hilarious and troubling. Perhaps everyone thought Lays was like Pringles, which is a much more highly processed product.

It’s not unusual for coffee to feature in cocktails (a well-made espresso martini is one of my favorites), and there are many examples of cordials and liqueurs being used to flavor coffee. What is unusual, however, is to add bitters to coffee, although the practice is gaining traction. According to Michael Wiggins, food and beverage manager at Santa Barbara’s Drift Hotel, unlike some flavor shots which can dull the coffee’s flavor, “bitters round it out and smooth any sharp edges while letting the natural flavors shine.” I might give it a whirl tomorrow morning using chocolate bitters.

This next bit veers close to “one weird trick” territory, but it intrigued me. The Takeout just posted an article advising us to start putting olive pits into our olive oil. The practice is supposed to infuse flavor into the oil, ranging from “intense fruitiness” to a “slightly more bitter edge”. This isn’t a miracle trick – as the article notes, it won’t transform crappy oil into a high-end product – but it could boost the oil’s flavor a noticeable amount.

The latest restaurant trend has been labeled ‘newstalgia‘ because it updates nostalgic flavor memories from the 80s and 90s (it made me feel really old to type that). Chef Chris Aquilino, who makes retro-themed meals like “spaghetti uh-o’s” that are served in a can but contain elevated ingredients, says the concept is “about giving someone an experience that lets them have 20 or 30 minutes of peace with something that may be familiar or evokes a flavor memory.”

A London restaurant made news last week for the blistering goodbye note it sent after its closure. In a note posted to its website, Italian eatery Don Ciccio “thanked” north London residents “for not supporting us, not even once” and showing “sheer indifference” to the restaurant. Yikes!

There’s another new baking show debuting October 27 on the Hallmark channel. Called “Baked with Love,” the program features 10 pairs of home bakers vying for a $50,000 cash prize. The contestants will “infuse their heritage, personal stories, and cherished family recipes into classic bakes with a holiday twist” that will be judged by chef Anna Haugh, and cooking producer Vaughn Vreeland.

Other articles posted this weekend:

• The Great British Bake Off/Baking Show – Dessert Week 8 – 2025
• Food banks brace for increased demand
• Why you either love or hate candy corn