US Consumer Product Safety Commission Considers Regulating Gas Stoves
Image Source: Getty Images
Eighty-two US cities, including New York and Los Angeles, have banned gas stoves in new construction. The feds are now considering national regulations. Why? Gas stoves emit indoor air pollutants like nitrogen dioxide and carbon monoxide at high enough levels to be illegal outside, but there is no regulation for indoor emissions. The Environmental Protection Agency and World Health Organization have linked gas stove use to increased risk for childhood asthma and other respiratory diseases. The methane from indoor gas combustion is also responsible for about 13% of US greenhouse gas emissions, a notable contribution to climate change. Don't worry. No one's coming for your gas stove. But you might want to turn on your range hood.
Tastemakers Unveil The Year's Best Cookbooks
Image Source: Travis Rainey
Looking for a new cooking technique? Try simple brioche-crusted salmon from Sunday Best by Adrienne Cheatham. Need something else to do with winter squash? Braise it with fermented black beans like Hannah Che in The Vegan Chinese Kitchen. This year's best cookbooks offer a little of everything from novel recipes to inspired storytelling. Some of the same top titles show up in best-of lists at the New York Times, at Bon Appétit, and at Robb Report. Happy cooking!
Purple Yams And Baked Alaska: Cue The 2023 Food Trend Predictions
Image Source: Daniel Beck
Even before the Thanksgiving turkeys were thawed, the oracles of indulgence had cast their bets on the food we'll be obsessed with next year. Af&co. and Carbonate has been prognosticating for 15 years. Their top picks for 2023? Baked Alaska, ube (purple yam), maitake mushrooms, koji, Nigerian cuisine, and briny cocktails. Mintel also predicts that functional foods boosting our focus and improving our gut health will take center stage. "Space food" will also continue to capture our imaginations: Think powdered this and freeze-dried that. It's back to future next year!
James Beard Foundation Revises 2023 Awards
Image Source: Barry Brecheisen/Eater Chicago
The "Oscars of the food world" announced several changes to next year's Media Awards and Restaurant and Chef Awards. There's a new book award for Bread (in addition to Baking and Desserts) and a new book award for Food Issues and Advocacy. A new beverage-focused journalism award was added as well. To be more inclusive, JBF also expanded the awards for Outstanding Bar and Outstanding Wine And Other Beverages Program so that wine bars can win in the former category and cocktail-focused restaurants can win in the latter. Get your applications in by November 30. Good luck all!
It's Prime Cookbook Season: Here's A Preview
Image Source: Courtesy of Stained Page News
The year's biggest cookbooks are published in the Fall. Critic Paula Forbes has insights on all the good stuff. A few highlights: Home Is Where The Eggs Are by Molly Yeh, Eat Plants B'tch by Pinky Cole, and Art of The Chicken by Jacques Pepin. Which came first, the chicken or the egg?
How And Why To Cook With Citric Acid
Image Source: Farrah Skeiky
Ever taste Sour Patch Kids candy? That white powder on the surface is citric acid, a weak organic acid that occurs naturally in citrus fruits and makes you pucker. It's a staple in Arab cuisine (the secret ingredient in many shawarma sauces), and other chefs are starting to catch on. Pastry chef Paola Velez shares her tips for using citric acid to brighten up everything from tomato sauce and lemonade to cakes and ice creams.
