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- The world is slowly coming to the realization that beef consumption is terrible for the environment, which is bad news for fast-food burger chains such as McDonald’s. The Big Mac and Quarter Pounder purveyor is attempting to reduce its carbon footprint by changing the way its beef is produced. Mickey D’s hopes to “prevent 150 million metric tons (165 million tons) of greenhouse gas emissions from being released into the atmosphere by 2030, equal to taking 32 million cars off the road for a year.”
- World traveling ex-chef Anthony Bourdain shares his tips for finding good restaurants when out and about in unfamiliar territory. Among Bourdain’s advice: “My favorite restaurants are ones where they only do two or three things, A place that does three things and it looks like they’ve been doing those same three things for a very long time—that’s a really healthy sign. If they have a menu that’s all over the place, if they have a hamburger or Asian fusion and it’s not in Asia, these are all worrisome to me.”
- It’s worth keeping in mind that everything Bourdain shows to his viewers is coming from the perspective of a rich, white celebrity. And in a new op-ed for the SF Chronicle, writer Tunde Wey offers his thoughts on Bourdain’s privilege: “There’s nothing Bourdain can do to change his work or fix his gaze. He is like everyone else, limited by his history, identity and experiences. Wherever he is, he assumes the center, pushing all narratives to the periphery, all other lives become his supporting cast. No matter how carefully he narrates, he will always remake the world in the image of his privilege.”
- Are New York bagels and pizza really better than versions found elsewhere? Yes, some residents of the city will exuberantly proclaim. But, why? Some say it’s the NYC tap water in the dough that does the job. If that’s actually the case, a new patent-pending invention called the “New York WaterMaker,” may bust the Big Apple’s monopoly on top-quality bagels and pies. The device supposedly can take water from anywhere else and match “the exact hardness, molecular structure, and chemical composition” of NYC water.
- Cronut mastermind Dominique Ansel has come up with a new delicacy that will surely show up all over your Instagram feed. The “huevocado” is a chocolate-avocado Easter egg — inspired by California and available at Ansel’s Los Angeles bakery — and it looks delicious.
- The New York Times has some tips on how to enjoy glitzy fine-dining restaurants “on a fast-food budget.” Yes, most of these meal ideas will save money, but to genuinely describe them as “cheap” is a stretch. The best advice here is to skip the fine dining altogether and eat something from a food truck or delivery service, which sort of defeats the point.
- Here is a must-read story from Buzzfeed for anyone interested in wellness crazes: “On Facebook, Cabbage Juice Is The New Snake Oil.”
- The backlash against plastic straws continues. Bartenders and liquor companies argue the sipping aides should be made a thing of the past because too many end up in the ocean.
- Here’s a deep dive into the history of a regional Maryland dish, the stuffed ham, which is a corned ham packed with chopped cabbage and onions that is a holiday tradition. From the NYT: “Old-timers used to cook it all day on Christmas Eve, then put the pot on the back porch, go to midnight Mass, come home, have a sandwich and go to bed. Everyone smelled like stuffed ham at midnight Mass.”
- As American palates are craving more complex dishes and flavors than simple meat and potatoes, German restaurants are on the decline in the United States.
- A couple of new book deals to know: Celebrated chef and cookbook author Enrique Olvera (Pujol, Cosme, Atla) is working on his first “home-cooking book” of Mexican recipes, which will be published by Phaidon. The publisher also has a new book on the way from Ana Ros, who was featured in Netflix’s Chef’s Table and will share recipes from her Slovenian restaurant Hisa Franko.
- NPR has a feature on Colombian chef-turned-social entrepreneur Leonor Espinosa, who is saving indigenous farming in her home country.
- Finally, in news straight out of 2011, GrubHub and Yelp are finalizing a partnership that will bolster online ordering and delivery for the companies.
