Food news antipasto

The strawberries and cream sandwich from Marks & Spencer has taken England by storm. People who enjoy this dainty treat, inspired by the Japanese “sando” may be dismayed to learn that it could soon be subject to the 20% VAT on desserts. According to VAT expert Simon Knivett: “If the bread is sweetened and the product is held in the hand while being consumed, it falls within the definition of confectionery for VAT purposes and is therefore standard-rated.” Enjoy them now!

July 7 is World Chocolate day, and to celebrate, The Sydney Morning Herald’s Good Food has gathered ten of its best chocolate recipes. Krispy Kreme is bringing back its popular limited-edition chocolate-glazed donut, but with a twist – they are partnering with Hershey’s. This is a great time to break out the fancy chocolate you have been saving for a special occasion.

When you buy a bottle of wine in the US, the label has to state the alcohol percentage of the wine (ABV). Knowing the alcohol level allows you to not only choose how much alcohol you will consume, but also to judge certain characteristics of the wine. Food and Wine reports that some producers might be taking advantage of a regulation that allows for a margin of error in the ABV to mislead consumers.

Few things say ‘summertime’ better than a big slab of tart cherry pie. However, several factors are colliding to threaten the cherry harvest in Michigan, where 75% of of the US supply of tart cherries is grown. A cold spell in April coupled with other weather events will lead to a drastically reduced yield. Fear of ICE raids is causing workers to be reluctant to help with the harvest. It’s all adding up to be a disappointing year for farmers – and for tart cherry lovers.

I promised to report on the Amaretti cookie recipe I was trying from Giuseppe Dell-Anno’s cookbook, so here is the rundown: The recipe was straightforward but called for an overnight rest in the refrigerator. I didn’t want to wait that long, so I chilled the dough for eight hours, figuring that would be sufficient. Giuseppe emphasized that the resting stage was vital, so I should have heeded his warning. The cookies started out looking fine, but toward the end of the baking time they became somewhat misshapen – the photo in the EYB Library submitted by Ellen1234 is similar to the result I got, but mine were more crazy-looking. They tasted great, but not so much better than store-bought ones that it would be worth the effort of shelling two dozen apricot pits and grinding up the kernels. It was worth a shot, but it probably won’t be a repeat.