Save💰2k per year!
In this time of crazy hyper inflation and food shortages, trust your instincts and save food!
Good morning. Last week we were inspired by an eccentric, manipulative and now father of ten billionaire to first make a commitment and then, to not honor it (sorry Twitter). That was why we decided to take an additional week off from publishing this newsletter (we were still guilty of setting last Friday’s alarm at 5am). But now, we are back to make Friday mornings interesting once more… That is till someone else inspires us to go absconding again.
In the food world
Held ransom: In an extortion ploy that may give toddler tantrums a run for their money, scammers are flooding local restaurants (even ones with Michelin stars) with one-star Google reviews and demanding digital gift cards in exchange for deleting them. According to the restaurant these reviews have a pattern — they contain to photos or descriptions and appear to be written by someone who hasn’t dined at the restaurant. While Google investigates this matter, restaurant owners have taken to social media to create awareness.
Nosey peanut: Going on a 13 miles/14000 feet hike on Pike’s Peak, Colorado seems challenging enough. But Bob Salem took this to a new level. Like that annoying overachiever in the class, he made the same climb while pushing a peanut with his nose all the way to the top! As insane as it sounds, Salem made his way up the mountain on his hands and knees, and he wore an oversized spoon attached to a CPAP mask to help him nudge a peanut along the way.
1800$ for carry on baggage!: In an extreme push to purchase either the snack platter on the airline or an overpriced airport meal, an Australian woman faced an approximately $1,800 fine after forgetting to declare a leftover Subway sandwich in her carry on. Upon hearing this story, Subway decided to repay the traveler, gaining a lot of positive exposure in the process.
Food Dating: Do “best by“ dates mean anything?
Over forty percent of food produced in America is wasted. The average American family Marie Kondos anywhere between $1,365 and $2,275 of food to the landfills every year! Landfills are piled high with wasted food, which like the cold pizza in the fridge, was perfectly fine to eat — some of which still is.
The pressing question becomes, what factors determine the decision to toss something in the garbage? The answer is simple — the date on packaging. However, these dates are like Elon Musk’s tweets — quite subjective, confusing and inconsistent — and can read as best by, sell by or use by, doing more harm than good.
Why the confusion?
There is no federal level regulation on whether to use best, sell or use by date nor are there any scientific requirements to decide what those dates should be, leading to states creating their own house rules for food expiration.
In some cases state economics drive stricter requirements than necessary. For example, in a very insecure Montana, milk has a sell by date which is 12 days after pasteurization as opposed to a chill Idaho which has this date set to 21 days (they have their potatoes). This is done to protect the local industry from competition by preventing imports from nearby states. For all the Montana cows looking for a better work life balance, mooooooooooooooove.
Suppose you buy a bag of chips and it waits around till it’s slightly past its peak. You might decide you don’t like this brand of chips, and buy a different one next time. The dates are, in part, a way of “protecting the brand”. Manufacturers obviously do not work very hard to combat that confusion as it often results in good food being dumped for new one.
What can you do?
Do not read “best by” as “bad after”: Understand the difference between harms of food contamination (example: dreadful listeria and salmonella) vs eating just old food from your refrigerator.
Trust your senses. Yes! Look, Smell, Taste to check if the food feels questionable before you toss it in the bin, instead of just looking at a date.
Costco may make it feel like a bargain but buy as you need.
Lastly, if you still do not feel comfortable consuming something past the date, consider donating to a food bank, if your state allows.
Did you know?
Wendy’s returned to the UK for the first time in 20 years with a bang — by giving their iconic logo a makeover. Melinda-Lou has been reimagined with an emo look featuring a sideswept fringe, black streaks and a double ear-piercing.
The Yale culinary tablets are the oldest cookbooks in the world.
Dating back to 1700 B.C., these Mesopotamian tablets display the oldest recipes.
Edible gold is made from 24 karat gold. Available in dust, flakes and leaves, edible gold costs around the same as a gallon of gas — US$19 million per kilogram.
Cooking tip
For crispy fries or chips, remember the 3 S’s — slice the potato, then soak and store in water for one hour before baking to remove the starch.
You can store butter in the freezer for up to six months. At that point it makes for a good weapon prior to thawing!
When sautéing garlic, use sliced garlic instead of minced to prevent burning.
Best By Recipes
We hope you are pumped about learning that “best by” recipes are merely a suggestion unlike the STOP signs. If you are feeling bold and resolved to save some money and planet by using the ingredients past their due date, we recommend trying out these easy wins.
Indian Kadhi: This yogurt is too old to be used, said no Indian mom ever! Older yogurt which may become too tangy to be eaten plain, is ALWAYS turned into its better form, Kadhi.
Paneer/Cottage Cheese: Use expired milk to make cottage cheese! Of course, please don’t use that glass of clumped up milk you’ve left outside for weeks.
Banana bread: The longer it lives, the sweeter it gets #aginggoals. Left with last of those 6 dozen bananas you bought from Costco? They will make a sweet banana bread!
While this simmers…
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