The Juicy Bits
Predictably, the year-end food news is full of best-of roundups from cookbooks to restaurants. Google also showed us what recipes we searched for most in 2022. You'll never guess which was #1 (hint: it's a sauce). Of course, the year's end also brings a bevy of predictions for foods, flavors and beverages we'll crave next year. Will any of these forecasts come to pass? That's as debatable as whether the FDA will separate its food safety program from its drug safety program. Inside tip: an expert panel highly recommends it. Here's one sure thing: McDonald's has opened is first automated location, where you can grab a Big Mac and fries off a conveyor belt without any human interaction. Here's another: the EU has blocked imported coffee, beef, and soy that's linked to deforestation. One more: Yale scientists have identified a single neuromarker for both food and drug cravings. Maybe that discovery sheds light on the FDA's reluctance to separate food from drugs. It seems our brains don't make a big distinction between the two, so why should our government? Stay tuned in 2023, when these and many more food mysteries will continue to be unraveled. Happy New Year! -Dave Joachim
Cooking
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!
Restaurants
The 15 Best New Restaurants in America, According To Eater
Highly personal restaurants, fusion cooking, and bakeries dominated this year's restaurant openings, and Eater does a great job rounding up the best. Highlights include Audrey (Nashville), Causa/Amazonia (DC), Dept of Culture (NYC), Gigi's Italian Kitchen & Restaurant (Atlanta), Kann (Portland, OR), Khâluna (Minneapolis), Khmai Fine Dining (Chicago), Machine Shop (Philadelphia); Pijja Palace (LA), and San Ho Won (San Francisco). If you're in town, check 'em out. Congrats all!
More Restaurant News
Michelin Releases New California Guide And First-Ever Malaysia Guide
Embattled Willows Inn Closes After Lawsuits And Abuse Allegations
Uber Eats Pays City Of Chicago $10M For Listing Restaurants Without Consent
DoorDash Lays Off 1,250 Employees To Cut Operating Expenses
1,000+ Baristas Strike At More Than 100 Starbucks Stores As Union Talks Stall
McDonald's Opens First Automated Location In Forth Worth, TX
Beverages
WineMag Forecasts Drink Trends For 2023
Image Source: Getty Images
Outer-space inspired whiskey? Martini madness? Sochu? Drinks writer Kara Newman interviewed spirits pros around the country to find out what people might be sipping at bars, night clubs, and their own homes in 2023. These year-end forecasts often don't come to pass, but here's one prediction I'd bet on: the ascent of agave spirits will continue.
Supply Chain
Feeding America Overtakes United Way As Largest US Charity
Image Source: Courtesy of Feeding America
The pandemic era has been defined by food supply chain disruptions, upending everything from farms and slaughterhouses to supermarkets and restaurants. As a result, Feeding America, a food bank network, has claimed the #1 spot on Forbes’ 2022 list of America's Top 100 Charities. United Way, another charity network, held the #1 spot off and on for decades, but the pandemic's acute effects on the food world have refocused charitable giving on providing food for the hungry. I don't know about you, but this little factoid gives me hope.
Regulations
Independent Panel Recommends Major Overhaul Of Flawed FDA Food Safety Program
Image Source: Rick Bowmer/AP
In the wake of the infant formula shortage, an expert panel review of the Food and Drug Administration determined that its food division has no clear leadership, avoids bold policy or enforcement actions, and doesn’t adequately protect public health. The panel recommends restructuring the organization to establish a food safety agency separate from the drug division. The FDA says it will release its new plans in January and begin implementing them in February. Will FDA Commissioner Robert Califf put a single deputy in charge of food safety? The budget is there; all that remains is the willpower.
Health
USDA's MyPlate, Which Replaced The Food Pyramid 10+ Years Ago, Is Also A Dud, Report Says
Image Source: Courtesy of USDA
Do you recognize the MyPlate image above? It's been around for over a decade, but only 25% of US adults are aware of MyPlate and less than 10% have tried its guidance, according to a recent study by the National Center for Health Statistics. Next year, the USDA wants to throw another $7 million at its MyPlate education campaign to help boost awareness. But, ultimately, MyPlate may suffer the same fate as the food pyramid it replaced. Maybe a one-size-fits-all diet just doesn't exist. Perhaps it's time for a completely different approach to nutrition education. Got any ideas?
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Last Bite
Do Orange Bitters Belong in a Martini?
Image Source: Sara Pinsonault
It's an interesting debate. You might think it heresy to include anything but gin and vermouth in a classic martini. Maybe a green olive or lemon twist are acceptable. But orange bitters? Surprise! It turns out that the earliest martini recipes called for orange bitters. Bitters were only jettisoned later to simplify the drink. Here's to upending beliefs in light of new information. Here's to the New Year!
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