Does it photosynthesize? ☘️
Learn how to design a low cost restaurant menu!
Good morning. According to our intel, most conversations this week were focussed on these topics to some extent, and no, it wasn’t your new haircut (which looks stonking btw). Instead, it was about Sunday’s Father’s Day plans (keep rocking that dad bod!), Juneteenth long weekend plans (check out our special edition insights this week) and coming in at a modest third was our previous edition’s guess the spice and herbs quiz! A special thank you to the ~200 people who took the quiz. Here are the results:
30% got the coveted Spicy Sage title!
60% got 2 or less questions wrong.
For the remaining 10%, this is a great resource to up your spice game.
Additionally, as you may know, we’re in the middle of a writing our Ultimate Road Trip cooking guide and to ensure that it’s exactly what you need, we need your help! From the actual name to the content inside, we would love your feedback. If interested, fill out the form below to get early access and a sneak peak at this guide!
In the food world
Use sparingly: The list of things which you do not put Sriracha on is relatively small; the eyes and genitals. Lovers of the famous sauce are in for some bad news as its maker Huy Fong Foods, sent a letter to wholesale buyers stating that Sriracha orders placed after April 19 wouldn’t be scheduled until fall due to weather conditions affecting chili pepper quality, potentially causing severe shortages through the summer. However, other sriracha brands aren’t facing these shortages. Here’s a list of alternatives in the meantime.
Chocolaty mess: Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory is often thought of as a wonderful place where candy dreams can come true. But the actual story comes with a warning: Chocolate factories can be treacherous, as seen this week after two workers at the Mars M&M factory in Pennsylvania, needed to be rescued from a tank of chocolate after falling and being stuck inside for over an hour.
Are you “lovin it”?: McDonald’s Corp is now focused on making their menu lighter instead of their food. In a recent overhaul, the only “under 400” calorie menu item will be half a burger and water. They have eliminated more nutritious menu options such as salads, fruits (anything that photosynthesizes) and yogurt parfaits due to higher costs, more prep time, labor shortages and low demand. By doing so, McDonald’s hopes to reduce the average wait times by 30 seconds and improve restaurant margins from 14% to 16.2%.
From Jambalaya to Jack Daniels
From Creole cuisine to refrigerated trucking, the food industry wouldn’t be where it is today without the creativity, ingenuity, and hard work of countless African American innovators throughout history. Juneteenth commemorates the events of June 19, 1865, when Union General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Tex., to inform enslaved African Americans that the Civil War had ended and they were free. In celebration of Juneteenth, let’s revisit the archives and take a look at some of these innovators and their innovations.
Nathan Green: Jasper Newton Daniel (a.k.a. “Jack Daniel") enslaved Nathan “Nearest” Green to work on his distillery in Lynchburg, Tennessee, where he practiced a new technique (charcoal mellowing) to filter bourbon. While we struggle to brew an acceptable cup of coffee, the result of that technique has more than 13 million cases being sold annually, making Nathan Green the first master distiller of the famous Tennessee whiskey.
James Hemings: French food is associated with Michelin Stars, beautiful presentation and sophisticated techniques. However, in what is the second biggest culture shock to Americans, after paid public toilets in France, is that the pioneer of French food in the US was James Hemings - a slave in the ownership of Thomas Jefferson. Hemings is credited in bringing dishes like french fries, mac and cheese, creme brûlée and French meringues to the US.
Alfred L Cralle: Every time you indulge in that perfect scoop of ice cream sitting on top of the chocolate dipped waffle cone (lost my train of thought for a moment), remember Alfred L Cralle, inventor of the most fundamental equipment - the ice cream scoop. While working as a porter at a hotel in Philadelphia, he patented his invention while watching people struggle to get the ice cream into cones.
Frederick McKinley Jones: Friday nights and frozen TV dinners would not be thing if
you (unlike us) have a lifeit weren’t for Frederick McKinley Jones. A skilled electrician and mechanic, he's known for the refrigerated system he invented - Thermo King. It allowed for fresh and frozen foods from around the world to be transported and sold in stores.George Crum: George Crum can be credited with the perfect pairing to frozen dinners and TV - chips! Invented in 1853 when a picky customer asked Crum for, what was then considered the equivalent of extra guac on a burrito bowl, extra-thin French fries. A frustrated Crum, in order to spite the customer, sliced the potato as thinly as possible, fried it in grease and sent them out not knowing that he had invented the staple snack for every occasion.
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Recipe of the week: Crispy tofu and satay rainbow bowl
- by Claire Scott @clairbear_bites
Bowls are the new plates. Nothing could be easier and satisfying than constructing your meal all together in a bowl. From poke bowls to sushi bowls, noodle bowls and traditional salad bowls, bowl food recipes are highly customizable, designed for maximum enjoyment and provide endless possibilities!
This tofu bowl is one such possibility. Inspired by the rainbow, this colorful beaut not only makes you happy when looked at, but tastes amazing too! With a perfect balance of crispy, crunchy, sweet, spicy, savory, warm and cool, this bundle of joy will take you on a journey of total flavor and according to Claire, texturegasm. Check it out!
Did you know?
The Guinness World Record for the largest chicken nugget was set last week! Nick DiGiovanni and Lynn Davis teamed up to make the record-setting 46-pound, 3.34-ounce "nugget”, which is approximately the weight of 10 whole chickens. At that point it’s more of a one way hospital trip than a nugget.
The red food dye for Skittles is made from boiled beetles. A common red food dye, carminic acid, is made from the crushed bodies of a beetle called the Dactylopius coccus. This acid is also used in flavored candies (maraschino cherries, strawberry and raspberry) and lipstick.
White chocolate isn’t chocolate. It’s really just a mixture of sugar, milk, vanilla, lecithin, and cocoa butter - none of which are present in real chocolate.
Quiz
We mentioned Nathan Green was the pioneer of Jack Daniels whiskey. Little did he know that his invention and Coca Cola would join hands this week to create a canned version of their popular drink. However, this isn’t the first such partnership. Here are few other examples. Can you guess which one is made up?
Trader Joe’s Whiskey Sour
1800's The ultimate margarita
Kahlua Nitro Cold Brew
Gatorade Bloody Mary
BACARDÍ Real Rum Canned Mojitos
*Answer at the bottom
Cooking Tips
Poking holes is good design review and baking practice, especially when it comes to making crackers. These holes allow air to escape thereby preventing it from ruining the shape of crackers.
Don't dump the rest of that Pinot or allow it to oxidize in the fridge for days on end. Freeze leftover wine into an ice cube trays instead. This can later be added to sauces, soups, risottos, and stews for nearly-instant depth of flavor.
While you have the ice trays out, use the same trick to freeze your favorite coffee blend so you can cool down your drink without watering down the taste. If you’re ambitious enough, try mixing it with the wine for one heck of a combo!
More bowls
We know one bowl isn’t enough. So for those bowl lovers out there, check out these bowl recipes to satisfy your week’s cravings!
Vegan Banana Split Breakfast: Dessert inspired and loaded with probiotics.
Simple Savory Breakfast: Quick-sautéed sweet potatoes, mushrooms, greens with hummus, sprouts, and a fried egg!
Summery Vegan Lunch Bowl: Very easy to throw together and a great option for summer months
While this simmers…
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Answer
For the time being, we’ll have to be content with using Gatorade for hydration and not a getting a buzz.