The Juicy Bits
Putin's war in Ukraine is reverberating around the food world, driving up prices and choking supply chains. Thanks Vlad. Maybe that will be a boon for cookbook sales. If this spring's crop of cookbooks is any indication, hunkering down and cooking at home is more popular than ever. I'm sure menu sticker shock is a factor in that trend. In February, restaurant menu prices hit a 41-year high. You've probably noticed your grocery bill rising, too. Globally, food prices jumped 20.7% last year, a record high, and the Ukraine war is likely to cause another 22% surge, according to the UN's food agency. Enough bad news. Here's something more interesting: scientists have figured out how to grow spinach in the arid desert by harvesting water from air. And Italian researchers have discovered a way to raise pizza dough without yeast or chemical leaveners. If things get real bad and we're all banished to a desert planet where yeast doesn't exist, at least there will be spinach pizza.
Cooking
A Sneak Peek At The Spring Cookbook Crop
Image Source: Andrea D’Aquino/Eater
Digital content may be in its heyday, but print books are not dead thankyouverymuch. Print cookbook sales actually increased 17% in 2020, and baking book sales increased 42% in 2021, according to The NPD Group. Here's a look at the latest batch of 2022 cookbooks, ranging widely from vegan and cocktail books to Korean American, Gullah Geechee, and armchair travel cookbooks spotlighting everything from Portugal and the Himalayas to Mexico and Jaipur.
Restaurants
James Beard Foundation Names Restaurant and Chef Award Finalists
Image Source: James Beard Foundation
It's been 2 years since the "Oscars of the food world" held a proper award ceremony. They're back this spring with a full weekend of in-person events June 11-13 in Chicago. Here's the list of finalists along with several special award winners, including TV host Martin Yan winning a Lifetime Achievement Award and Grace Young winning the Humanitarian of the Year Award for her work supporting Chinatowns and Asian American small businesses.
Beverages
Study Reveals How Alcohol Shrinks Your Brain
Image Source: UPenn Today
Most people know that heavy drinking (2+ drinks a day) can increase risk of disease and cognitive impairment. But a new study of more than 36,000 adults shows that even light-to-moderate drinking might reduce your overall brain volume. For example, among 50-year-olds, researchers found that as drinking increased from one alcohol unit (half a beer or glass of wine) to two units (a pint of beer or full glass of wine) per day, there were associated brain changes equivalent to aging two years. Going from two to three alcohol units a day was like aging three and half years. Hm...where did I put that mocktail cookbook?
Supply Chain
Ukraine War Jacks Up Global Food Prices
Image Source: Reuters/Luis Cortes
Food prices jumped 20.7% worldwide last year, a record high, according to the UN's food agency. The Ukraine war is likely to cause another 22% surge, says the agency. Russia and Ukraine supply one-third of the global trade in grains, which account for 40% of calories consumed globally. As grain supplies tighten, trade restrictions will raise international prices even higher, all of which threatens to send world hunger to unprecedented levels. Food insecurity worldwide has doubled in the past two years, and 45 million people are already estimated to be on the brink of famine. Thanks, Vlad.
Agriculture
New UN Climate Report Details Affects On Global Agricultural Systems
Image Source: George Rose/Getty Images
According to the latest climate science, "substantive" agricultural production losses are projected for most European areas over the next 80 years. More than a third of southern Europe’s population will be exposed to water scarcity. North America faces similar risks. Recently, the US government halted water deliveries to California’s Central Valley—which produces roughly a quarter of America's food—due to extreme water shortages. The report adds that millions of people are already suffering from acute water and food insecurity, especially in Africa, Asia, Central and South America, the Artic, and on small island nations. The bright spot: higher elevations in northern Europe and North America will see a climate change boon as warming temperatures make it easier to grow crops.
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Science
Scientists Raise Pizza Dough Without Yeast Or Chemical Leaveners
Image Source: Francesco Paolo Desiderio/University of Naples Federico II
Yeast is what usually puffs up pizza dough. But there is another way, according to materials scientist Ernesto Di Maio. He and his team at the University of Naples Federico II got similar results by infusing dough with gas at high pressure in an autoclave (pressurized oven) then releasing the pressure during baking. Through a gas inlet, they pumped in carbon dioxide, helium, or air, and brought the dough interior to a pressure of 10 atmospheres (about five times higher than in a standard pressure cooker) and a temperature of 302°F for 10 minutes. The end result? “We tried it, and it was nice and crusty and soft,” said Di Maio.
Last Bite
In a Starving World, Is Eating Well Unethical?
Image Source: Anthony Cotsifas
It's an interesting question. One might ask, "Is eating well ever an ethical choice?" After all, gluttony is considered a sin, even in a world overflowing with edibles. Flipping the question, we might ask if eating "well" requires any indulgence at all. To some, eating "well" means making healthy, sustainable choices and avoiding gluttony. For those folks, eating well may very well be the most ethical of food decisions. However, when faced with others going hungry, there is but one simple choice. To share.
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