The Juicy Bits
Have you ever cursed a burrito that fell apart in your lap? The engineering students at Johns Hopkins University feel your pain. To prevent such mishaps, they developed edible tape that keeps burritos closed as you eat. My new jeans thank them. In another science first, NASA researchers have successfully grown mustard greens in lunar soil. At least now we know it's possible. Some less encouraging news for meat lovers: there's a pesky tick that causes an allergy to meat, and it has migrated from the southern US to the north and midwest. Wear pants outdoors. Apply bug spray. Or you might not enjoy your next bite of beef or pork. At least you'll find something to eat, unlike a lot of American infants these days. You've surely caught wind of the baby formula shortage, and it's not only due to a massive recall that occurred in February. The story of this food shortage goes much deeper. On the lighter side of food news, Washington DC is celebrating its newest Michelin star restaurants, just announced by the trusty French tire company. And this summer's hottest cookbooks have hit store shelves, featuring enticing tomes on BBQ, bourbon, and cool dessert cocktails. You'll find plenty of main-dish recipes to pair with a bottle of wine from California's West Sonoma Coast, our country's newest American Viticultural Area. Grab a pinot noir, a cookbook, or just a plate of great food, and enjoy the coming of summer.
-Dave Joachim
Cooking
Introducing The Cookbooks Of Summer 2022
Image Source: Stained Page News
BBQ, bourbon, mushrooms, cocktails...this summer's hot new cookbooks got it going on. That NOLA cookbook that sank to bottom of the ocean a few months ago has finally re-surfaced. There's even a book on boozy dessert drinks. Cookbook sleuth Paula Forbes has the skinny.
Restaurants
Michelin DC Announces 2022 Star Restaurant And Bib Gourmand Awards
Image Source: Rey Lopez
The nation's capital is twinkling this month. Michelin released its latest list of Washington DC starred restaurants and Bib Gourmand awards, the latter for "good quality, good value" establishments. A few local culinary professionals also received special awards, and new restaurants such as Reverie and Albi earned their first stars ever.
Beverages
West Sonoma Coast Becomes America's Newest Viticultural Designation
Image Source: John Storey
It took 11 years, but "West Sonoma Coast" is now officially recognized as an American Viticultural Area (AVA) by the US Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau. These California wines are some of the most sought-after on the market, and they can now trumpet their appellation, joining other established AVAs such as Oregon's Willamette Valley and upstate New York's Finger Lakes region.
Supply Chain
Inside The Infant Formula Shortage
Image Source: Getty Images
A massive recall back in February gets blamed for the current baby formula shortage. But economics experts say the industry has long been vulnerable because 98% of the US supply is manufactured domestically, and most of it by only four companies. Perfectly good and safe formula is available around the world, but we can't access it due to decades-old laws preventing an import infrastructure. The US is nearing an agreement to fly in 1.25 million cans of formula from Australia, but in the meantime rich parents are tapping into the black market.
Agriculture
US Corn Belt Will Be Unsuitable For Corn Crops By 2100, Study Finds
Image Source: iStock
Emory University environmental science professor Emily Burchfield used data from the USDA, the US Geographical Survey, and other key sources to analyze the historical effects of warming temperatures on six major US crops: alfalfa, corn, cotton, hay, soy and wheat. Burchfield's models predict that most major crops' cultivation regions will shift north in the coming decades, and the corn belt of the upper midwest will become unsuitable for growing corn by 2100. To ensure continued productivity, Burchfield says that US agricultural systems must diversify beyond major commodity crops.
Health
The Tick That Causes A Meat Allergy Is Spreading
Image Source: Jason Ondreicka/Alamy Stock Photo
Alpha-gal syndrome (AGS) is an allergic reaction that can arise after being bitten by a lone star tick. Skin rashes may be accompanied by aversions to beef and pork. The meat allergy can range from mild tingling and mouth soreness to full-on anaphylactic shock. Named for the white dot on the back of adult females, lone star ticks were historically located in the southern US but are now being found in the northeast and midwest. Headed outdoors? Apply insect repellant.
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Science
2022 World Food Prize Awarded To NASA Climate Scientist
Image Source: Kisha Bari
Dr. Cynthia Rosenzweig has been named the 2022 World Food Prize Laureate for her pioneering work in modeling the impact of climate change on worldwide food production. Rosenzweig founded the Agricultural Model Intercomparison and Improvement Project (AgMIP), a globally integrated transdisciplinary network of climate and food system modelers. AgMIP has directly helped lawmakers in more than 90 countries enhance their food systems' resilience to climate change. Rosenzweig will receive the $250,000 prize officially in an October ceremony.
Last Bite
Engineering Students Invent Edible Burrito Tape
Image Source: Johns Hopkins University
Things fall apart. Especially burritos. But it doesn't have to be that way, according to a team of engineering students at Johns Hopkins University. The budding inventors created an edible tape that keeps wrapped food wrapped. The tape is clear but is dyed blue in the photo here to show its use. Before long, you may be unwrapping a Taco Bell Burrito Supreme and find it held together by edible tape. Maybe it will even be Flamin' Hot flavored.