Food news antipasto

Bravo TV’s Top Chef has been introducing the world to the best new chefs for 22 seasons. One of the most interesting episodes each season is the “restaurant war” where contestants form two teams that each serve patrons in a hastily converted space. Although we get to see the drama in the kitchen, we don’t really get to experience the view of the restaurant “patrons” who are eating there. Eater went behind the scenes in the latest season (filmed in Toronto), showing us what it’s like to be a diner in the restaurant war episode.

Gift idea for the macaroni and cheese lover in your life: a 14-karat gold Kraft Mac & Cheese necklace. This is a limited edition with small batches being made available every day. Priced at $25 USD, it’s not a bad deal if you want to wear a gold pasta elbow.

Bee Wilson’s poignant new book The Heart-Shaped Tin: Love, Loss, and Kitchen Objects received a lengthy excerpt in The Guardian, which revolves around how we imbue objects – kitchen objects to be specific – with meaning. Wilson says “Certain kitchen objects become loaded with meaning in a way that we are not fully in control of. You can’t predict which will be the utensils you get attached to – the favourite mug, the spoon that feels just right in your hand – and which belongings decline over time into clutter.”

People who visit Thomas Keller’s restaurant The French Laundry in Yountville, California usually recount it as one of the best meals they ever had. Part of the reason for the restaurant’s success is its garden, which provides much of the produce for the restaurant plus others in the area. Now, for the first time in nearly 50 years, The French Laundry will be offering guided tours of its private, multi-acre culinary garden. The garden used to be open to the public, but after people stole produce a fence and gate was installed.

The Dubai chocolate trend is probably reaching its peak with people around the world clamoring for a taste. SBS Food recently talked to the creator of this delicious treat, who shared the story of his inspiration to create it. Dubai-based Filipino chef Nouel Catis said that he chose these ingredients because he wanted “Middle Eastern heritage being captured as a chocolate or as a dessert,” and that the flavors resonated with him.

Tomorrow is Cinco de Mayo and Epicurious has you covered, with 51 recipes to celebrate the occasion. If you don’t find anything there that suits you, consider the 34 recipes offered by Food Network. (We don’t want to brag, but the EYB Library contains more than 16,000 Mexican recipes available online.)