Food Notes: 9/3
Ranking apples, a look at the origins of pumpkin spice, living off of the bounty of the farmer's market, and more!
Only Eating From The Farmer’s Market
Erik Ofgang spent a week eating exclusively from the bounty of farmer’s markets in Connecticut, or almost at least. He sometimes forgot to get an ingredient he needed and ended up cheating on the test. But it turns out, he concludes fresh ingredients ultimately tastes better.
Apple Rankings to Avoid Bad Apples
Margaret Eby looked into a Apple Rankings created by a guy who was tired of eating all the trash apples. With all the new designer apples popping up, there should be plenty of new choices. Brian Frange, who goes by The Appleist, has a scientific system to create scores involving buying and eating way too many apples.
It’s Pumpkin Spice Season. But Why?
Autumn means the return of pumpkin spice, a flavor that has nothing to do with the taste of pumpkins. CNN takes a look at why we’re all obsessed with the pie-like flavor, concluding Starbucks had a lot to do with it. But according to Southern Living, the actual flavor of pumpkin spice is much older, originating as a low-cost spice mix for pie.
The History of Italian American Restaurant Design
Architectural Digest dove into the history of Italian restaurants in America, and why they are suddenly so maximalist. I offered some context and history.
The Shocking Thing Is There’s Still a Gas Station in Brooklyn
Helen Rosner stopped by Blue Hour, located in a Bushwick gas station. The food is cheap (relatively speaking) and halal (the mission of the shop) and open late (3am on weekends). The sandwich shop features Halal versions of New York favorites like a chopped cheese. It’s also just across the street from one of the borough’s best French bakeries, L'imprimerie. Chase your halal chopped cheese with a cinnamon bun for the ultimately indulgence.
Heinz Introduces Spaghetti Carbonara
The people behind ketchup and those British beans nobody likes has introduced canned Spaghetti Carbonara. The pink and yellow label might be the best thing we have to say about this new product.
Icelandic Cucumber Shortage
A viral cucumber salad has created shortages of cucumbers in Iceland. The island grows most domestic vegetables like cucumbers in hot houses powered by geothermal energy, but the spike in demand has left groceries coming up short.