We don't need no clothes
And we're grounded!
Good morning. Happy earth day! This is one of the most important days on the planet (pun intended). It is probably one of the only day of the year where people who don’t recycle regularly, actually recycle - and hey, considering current climate change situation, anything helps!
There are so many ways to celebrate Earth Day, like spending some time cleaning up your community, planting some seeds, recycling , and of course, going ham on social media. In which case, here are some of our favorite captions:
"Keep the Earth clean, it's not Uranus."
"Go short tree, it's your Earth day."
"There is no planet B."
"Why do we only celebrate Earth Day once a year, when we celebrate Sun-day once a week?"
Help wanted? Enter restaurant robots
This may be bit of an exaggeration, but the idea that robots and automation could soon be taking over the food service industry is not completely outlandish. In fact, robots are already starting to play an important role and we may soon find ourselves pressing 1 for an appetizer, 2 for an entree, 3 for dessert and 0 to reach customer service. And while not the first, the food service industry has made large strides in this direction lately.
What has led to this change?: Between decreasing prices for robotics equipment, rising labor costs coupled with an industry-wide labor shortage, many restaurateurs are trying automate the more tedious, repetitive restaurant tasks.
Some significant developments: From cocktail-making to burger-flipping, many businesses are beginning to discover the benefits of using robots to improve their productivity. Here are some of the latest innovations:
Flippy: This is one of the most famous robotics assistant made. It can flip over 10K burgers and can make more than 12k baskets of fries every month.
Chippy: Chippy has been trained to follow Chipotle's "exact recipe" to make chips. It has been programmed to that add that randomness so we can enjoy that odd chip with an extra hint of lime or salt.
Hippy: Our top secret new robot that will soon start typing this newsletter. It has been programmed to have equal portions of sarcasm, smart ass and ability to bs.
Sally: Recently acquired by DoorDash, Sally is a salad-making robot, mixing up to 8 fresh ingredients from vegetables to salmon in just 90 seconds.
Cecilia.ai - A smart, interactive bartender that can be placed almost anywhere, serve mixed drinks in less than 30 seconds.
Picnic: From spreading the sauce, adding cheese/toppings and to baking the pizza, Picnic can produce hundreds of pizzas per hour with just one operator.
Servi: An autonomous service robot for restaurants capable of running food, serving drinks, and bussing tables for just $33/day.
Challenges: Unless fascinated by technology, most people prefer that human interaction in the food service industry - the difference between a 3 star and 5 star Yelp review. Moreover, our perception of robots and automation isn’t the best! Imagine waiting at the table for 30 minutes listening to that music before placing an order!
What next?: While robotics make current systems arguably more efficient and sanitary, they also raise concerns about replacing human labor. Restaurateurs are trying to find the right balance between automation and personal interactions. However, like any new trend, this too will take time to become the new norm.
In the food world
Gallon of glazed donuts?: If there were not enough reasons already, Krispy Kreme has given us one more to fight for lower gas prices by launching its "doughnut deflation" promotion. They will price a dozen of their Original Glazed doughnuts at whatever the national average for one gallon of gas is ($4.11 this week). That price will be adjusted every Wednesday through May 4.
Build your own burrito: Chipotle recently partnered with Roblox to launch Burrito Builder, a new simulation experience that will transport players to 1993 (year the iconic burrito was born) and challenge them to roll burritos in the metaverse. The first 100,000 players to successfully roll a burrito, will earn enough Burrito Bucks to redeem a free entree code that can be used on the Chipotle app or website in the real world.
Who needs clothes to have a good time!: Imagine not having to worry about cleaning wine stains from your clothes. Nothing On Events - a British events company has made this a reality with their new concept… Wear no clothes!! You can now enjoy your naturally crafted brew in the natural form. The company held their first event on March 26th at The Royal Oak pub, Surrey.
Recipe of the week: Tofu and hazelnut-coffee crumb
-by Steve Warwick @healthydonesexy
Ever wondered how can you make an unforgettable memory with an ingredient which is mostly forgotten? Much like Kanye West, peas are not given much importance, unless they make themselves known by showing up in front of you. This beautiful plating and brilliant flavor combination invite you to enjoy peas when you probably thought you never could!
Inspired by Earth Day, this week’s recipe features a baked tofu, crusted with a hazelnut and coffee crumb and served with some fresh passion fruit sauce, pea sauce, pea shoots and a chilled pea yogurt.
Meal Plan
-by Kanchan Koya @chiefspicemama
You may wonder what does a person who has a Ph.D in Biomedicine from Harvard, creates content for Buzzfeedtasty and is currently training from the Institute of Integrative Nutrition has got to do with this newsletter? We are equally clueless and thankful to Kanchan for contributing towards this weeks meal plan!
Her philosophy, as reflected in this weeks meal plan, involves using food, mostly spices, as medicine. And while it may not be as extreme as cutting turmeric lines, it does involve the use of anti inflammatory spices in cooking to boost health and make food delicious at the same time. For this week we have:
Beluga Black Lentils with Garam Masala & Sherry Vinegar
Cilantro Butter Bean Veggie Stew
Golden Thai Curry Noodle Bowl
Did you know?
The origin of the classic French buerre blanc (hot butter) sauce is one of serendipity. The chef forgot to use eggs while making a bernaise sauce. Whenever we have experienced serendipity, the results end up in the trash can!
The largest quiche is made with 125 quarts of milk, 1928 eggs, 156 pounds of bacon, 134 pounds of butter and more than 140 pounds of flour. Simply put, one packet of each from Costco
There are 16 people in the U.S. listed on whitepages.com with the last name 'Blackberry'. The rest switched to either iOS or Android
Quiz
We mentioned a few robots that are currently used in the food industry. Out of the 5 listed below, one isn’t true. Can you guess that?
Milkit - The Milkit device pours precise amounts of milk and eliminates the need for storing milk bags.
ROS.E - The wine dispenser at Milan airport pouring precise amounts of goodness.
Solato - This countertop device makes authentic artisan gelato, fruit sorbets, frozen yogurt and ice coffee using biodegradable capsules.
NOS.E - The electronic nose can be used to test whiskies in just minutes.
ACUR-C - This robot moves autonomously between tables, picking up trays and bringing them back to the kitchen.
Cooking Tips
Use pear slices dipped in lemon as a garnish to jazz up foods
Think buying cabbage as going on a blind date, look for firm, hard heads and a soft leafy exterior. The outer leaves should be green (or red for red cabbage)
To make the fluffiest baked potato, pierce it with a fork several times before baking. This allows the steam and all the negative vibes to escape
Media Watch
"We all eat, and it would be a sad waste of opportunity to eat badly.”
-Anna Thomas, American film screenwriter and producer
Food has the ability to change people’s mood, so we strongly recommend to eat well. Everything else just feels better if you are well fed!
5 Things to Know About Baking With Whole Grains Link
From now to 30 years ago, Arizona Iced Tea was just 99 cents. Here’s why
Black Gold: The future of food we throw away
While this simmers…
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Answer
Unfortunately for the time being, you will have to make do with a human pouring wine on your next trip to Milan.
Next time you see a bot in action, please do us a favor. Take a step back and politely take a photo (better 🤳🏼) and share with us by simply responding to this email or tag/dm us @chefhusband1607 and @taruntriedit.