episode 12: food fashion, Flaming Hot, and lots of cheese
in this episode we discuss American cheese, food fashion, the Flaming Hot Cheetos movie, and more!
an ode to American cheese
a marker of the recession must be media outlets romanticizing cheap things right? cue an Eater piece with an ode to…American cheese. American cheese is often villainized as an ultra-processed low-quality food, but where did that reputation come from? this article talks about the history of processed foods and its influence on the creation of American “cheese product” and a more existential debate - can processed food be good, or is it inherently bad?
these debates, rooted in the dairy industry, led to the development of government regulations about food production and labeling. this pushed companies to instead discuss food processing as “purifying” foods of toxins - coinciding with the pasteurization movement. Kraft and Velveeta were at the forefront of this movement, solidifying Kraft’s domination of the market space for this cheese product, so more “high quality” or less-processed foods possess smaller market share.
much like we discussed with ketchup a few episodes ago, consumers have gotten so used to some standard products, it leaves little room for something “better” even if the basic version could be improved upon. people simply love the humble ultra-processed cheese product. this article (and I!) conclude that some things don’t need to be fancy, and we all enjoy simple things for a reason.
did everyone else know about the Flaming Hot Cheetos Movie
so there’s a movie that is sorta-kinda true based on the invention of Flaming Hot Cheetos, and WHY am I just finding out about this? it is called Flaming Hot, directed by Eva Longoria and out on Hulu + Disney Plus, the film follows a man named Richard Montañez who worked his way up at Frito-Lay, who is depicted as the inventor of the Flaming Hot Cheetos. however, while Richard did work at Frito-Lay, an LA Times investigation debunked the story that he invented the snack. at least we all know what snack to pair with this film for your next movie night!
food on the runway
the culmination of my two favorite parts of TikTok, food and fashion, have birthed the latest trend - weird food and fashion COLLABS. led by big food corporations, marketers are creating unlikely crossovers between fashion and food products - slightly useful, mostly silly items to drum up internet buzz over the these big brands. put simply in this Washington Post article, “‘These kinds of products, as ridiculous as they seem, are probably coalescing a bunch of things that are going on in culture right now,’ said Monica Sklar, a fashion, pop culture and merchandising expert at the University of Georgia. These include an overwhelming commitment to fandom in pop culture, a desire for frivolity amid compounding global crises and a growing obsession with all things camp, a trend jump-started by the 2019 Met Gala.”
you can read the article for a more articulate analysis of this trend, but i’ll leave you with the fun stuff, the Funniest Food Merch in This Article includes: Arby’s French Fry vodka, the Banza pasta bikini, the Fendi baguette bag-esque Panera BAGuette, the Pizza Hut Bucket Hat, the Taco Bell x Crocs slides….which one will you get??
mustard skittles in your area??
speaking of weird collaborations, French’s mustard and Skittles (yes, you read that right) released mustard-flavored Skittles for National Mustard Day, Saturday, August 5th. the product was debuted on a 3-city press tour (which included a stop in CityCenter in D.C. on Wednesday, sad I missed it tbh) and for you NYC people, Hudson River Park on Saturday. you can also enter an online competition to win a pack for free (yes, I entered, its for science). I can’t say I’m not intrigued to try some chewy mustard. I think.
extended happy hour deals in DC
do you work a job where you simply cannot get to happy hour before 6pm? Eater DC put together this very useful list of spots with happy hours that have unconventional and/or extended hours. some good picks from the list: Sushi Taro’s HH until 7pm would be a great deal for such a nice spot, Last Call (home of the iconic $3 martini) has HH every day of the week, and a 9-11:30pm Fri/Sat HH at Republic Cantina sounds perfecttttt, their food is so good! if you even want a little Friday lunch HH, Dauphine’s has 1/2 priced local oysters! check out the article for more ideas.
death of the Too Big Sandwich
I guess this is just an episode full of Eater articles but here’s another take from their team - we must STOP making ridiculous giant-ass sandwiches! its too much! this PR stunt sandwich from Burger King Thailand is…20 slices of American cheese on a bun. this sandwich is more of a meme of the actual trend - making normal sandwiches absurdly big. this trend seems to be driven by, you guessed it, TikTok, and is more about creating sandwiches for camera consumption vs. human consumption.
i’ll say this concept of camera consumption isn’t new, it totally started with Instagram, but I agree, it needs to stop. a giant layered cross section looks pretty until you actually have to put the sandwich in your mouth. (see this disturbing video of an attempt at eating a stupid-large sandwich here). the proportions of a too-big sandwich are totally off to the level where you lose the joy of eating a sandwich - getting a balance of veggies, meat, cheese, and bread in one bite. also, when they get too big they’re inconvenient to eat, and sandwiches are inherently a convenience food. to sum it up, “What’s the point if you need a knife and a fork?” you can read more of this sandwich rant here!
pickles to eat and to drink!
famously I am a big fan of pickles, so much so that I hosted a pickle PARTY this past weekend. I made two pickle cocktails - a pickle martini and a pickleback - but with Chacho, a locally made aguardiente instead of whiskey, inspired by the pickleback shots at Red Derby. the Chacho pickleback (literally equal parts Chacho and pickle juice) was such a hit, and the pickle martini was really surprisingly smooth as well. if you’re looking for some pickle cocktail inspo and hard liquor is not your style, pickle hard seltzers are also on the rise. Grillos Pickles and Claussen both released pickle seltzers that have taken off, so much so that they’re very much sold out. if any of you get your hands on one pls update me, and happy pickling!
the Instant Pot obituary
now, I really love my Instant Pot, but sadly not everyone is a stan of this kitchen appliance like I am. turns out, the parent company of Instant Pot is filing for bankruptcy, and in the honor of the device, the New Yorker did an obituary to the kitchen appliances of the past. new tools come and go, as “The allure of invention in the category is understandable, since preparing meals is a Sisyphean task and anything that promises to make it faster, or easier, or better, or healthier, or more fun, is irresistible—and often, for a while, anyway, profitable for the manufacturer.”
the piece goes on to describe many types of cooking tools, the super-specific and forgettable ones (the hot-dog slicer?!) the time-stamped ones (the Fondue pot) the aspirational ones (the bread machine) and the ones that have endured (the microwave). where does the Instant Pot fall? it was…too well-made! it literally does everything, pressure cook, slow cook, makes yogurt (yes, i’ve done this). the ultimate fail in capitalism is making a product so good you dont have to buy anything else. depressing.
summer outdoor dining spots
maybe when it isn’t freaking 100 degrees I’ll want to eat outside again when I can comfortably sit without sweating out of every part of my body (gross!). I’ll save these ideas for then (aka…October)? for your future planning, Eater DC (again, lol) did a great roundup of outdoor patio dining - my favorites on this list are Sonny’s Pizza and Tonari - check out this list for more!
restaurant review: Any Day Now
did we find the perfect breakfast sandwich in D.C.? perhaps!!! Any Day Now is a new spot (in the old location of ABC Pony for those of you that remember) doing an all-day café vibe with sandwiches, pastries, and coffee, and is soon opening for dinner services. we had this STELLAR scallion pancake sandwich for breakfast - a steamed egg patty, melted American cheese, homemade kimchi, and a chili garlic sauce. literally what more could you want it was perfect!
f*cked up food
good wordplay though.
D.C. happenings
“hidden gem” Wonderland Ballroom turns 19 this weekend
soft opening of Los Cincos Tacos on Florida Ave
new Mexican spot, Amparo, opening on P St
Bar Japonais opening in old Estadio space on 14th
new fast-casual part of Love, Makoto opened
West Wing Cafe space becoming a liquor store
Chesapeake Crab Shack to not reopen on U St
crepe shop, Tinette’s opening in Navy Yard
Little Chicken moved to the Wharf
new vegan spot Mita opening in Shaw across from 9:30
walkout at Compliments Only over union demands
home cooking: olive oil ice cream
famously I am Very Bad at following directions and ya girl did it again! I made this Lemon Olive Oil Ice Cream from NYT a few weekends ago with my ice cream maker and the texture was just a little melty and phew it was lemony, it turns out I did 1 and 1/4 cup of lemon juice when it was….just supposed to be just 1/4 cup lmao. it still tasted good but i’m sure if I made it right it would be even better!
that’s all folks, have a lovely day!
Agree with you - What’s the point if you need a knife and a fork, to eat sandwich?
I want one of those scallion pancake breakfast sandwiches right now.