episode 24: eggs, more eggs, and Pitbull at your Walmart
this week we're talking eggs, Pitbull opening a restaurant inside of a Walmart, and more eggs!
Mr. Wal-Wide?? 🌎
Mr. Worldwide is opening up a restaurant in a Walmart!? Pitbull, whose real name is Armando Christian Perez, has been an equity partner in a restaurant called Miami Grill. they have many locations especially in Florida, at which Pitbull has apparently been a regular for years. this location in Las Vegas is the first to open up inside a Wal-Mart, as a part of the grocery store chain’s push to make more “upscale changes.” shockingly, this is not the first time there has been a headline about Pitbull at a Walmart. dale, I guess!!
the Chex Mix index 📊
now this is the economic analysis I need! a writer on X logged the price of Chex Mix bags at a few different airports she had been visiting. while one could safely assume the prices to be higher than at a grocery store, surprisingly, there was a huge price variation between the airports she visited, ranging from $4.76 at Dallas to $10 at LaGuardia for the same bag of Chex. soon after posting her price log, tons of people started replying with prices they had seen, which spiraled into a whole citizen science project. amongst all the submissions, the price of Chex Mix ranged from $4 ish all the way to $15 in Seattle. conclusion: pack your Chex Mix beforehand, girlies!
the bread tag code 🍞
when you buy a loaf of bread wrapped in plastic, its typically secured with a little plastic tag (which I often accidentally break, oops). but did you know the color of those tags are actually a key?! the color of the bread tag correlates to the day it was packaged, which helps store employees keep track of stock. generally, bread tags follow this key: monday is blue, tuesday is green, thursday is red, friday is white, and saturday is yellow. of course, not all bakeries have these colors, so one can always look at the printed expiration date for packaging information.
Wendy’s dynamic pricing 🤑
Wendy’s is considering dynamic pricing, or adjusting the price of goods based on demand throughout the day. this came after they announced a $20 million investment in digital menu boards, which would allow the prices to change quickly through automation. this could benefit a consumer, if you want to buy a Frosty for less when there’s no customers, but you may pay more when everyone wants Wendy’s for dinner. many took this announcement to mean that Wendy’s would be solely surge pricing, or increasing prices during times of demand, which the company stated was definitely not the case after a lot of internet outrage. if one fast food chain does this, many could follow, resulting in a ripple effect in the food industry.
RIP to Mr. Bob Moore 🥖
rest in peace to Bob Moore, of Bobs Red Mill who passed away at 94. you may recognize the name from the baking goods aisle at your local store. the brand was founded in Oregon in the 1980s and is known for its flours and alternative grains. I learned this from a sweet obituary article that their company was quite revolutionary for gluten-free baking. prior to Bob taking over the shelves, rice flour was really the only gluten-free flour available in stores, and Red Mill made tons of more inclusive baking products available - like egg replacer, coconut flour, and much more.
Swedish candy craze 🍭
many months ago my friend and I were in NYC and she directed us to a cool Swedish candy store called Bon Bon. its a very aesthetically-pleasing pick and mix shop, and I was enthralled, as we don’t have one here in DC (and if we do and I didn’t know, pls tell me immediately!!!!) there were so many fun flavors of gummies and even a whole panel of licorice (which I discovered I did not like, lol)!
fast forward months later, the TikTok girlies got a hold of the Swedish gummy train, making videos of themselves all the fun candies. many are ordering online from Bon Bon (i’ll say it! we were trendsetters!) in addition to other candy shops, so much so that many of the Swedish candy manufacturers sold out of stock, and are on back order for months. this article from Eater illustrates how Bon Bon was the recipient of the TikTok effect - resulting in mass attention and demand for the gummies. with long lines at Bon Bon, forget the club, candy hauls will be your next night out!
what’s that on my egg? 🍳
have you ever cracked an egg to notice there’s some stringy white stuff on top? well, that stringy thing has a name and a purpose, and no its not salmonella. its called a chalaza, and it’s an egg white protein that forms into strands around the yolk that attach to both ends of the egg and ensure the yolk is centered inside of the shell. you don’t see it all the time, it tends to be more prominent in a younger egg than an older egg, and also more visible in a fresher egg. don’t worry, its a natural part of the egg and its totally edible, though some are opposed to its appearance and pick it out with tweezers.
…and more on eggs 🥚
if you had two eggs, one with a lighter yellow yolk and one with an orangey yolk which would you assume is better for you? if you said orangey, turns out that’s what other people would say…and its a myth. I honestly thought it was true until I saw this adjective-laden article calling us out for “fetishizing” those orangey egg yolks. by a confluence of food psychology, the recession, and greenwashing, we came to associate the orangey colored yolk with a better, healthier egg. but its not necessarily true - if you’re buying eggs at a grocery store, even if it’s Whole Foods, the chicken that laid that egg you bought likely ate feed containing marigold or other supplements to get you that orange yolk, which has nothing to do with flavor or nutrition. the author goes a great job describing all the cultural factors that led to this consumer preference in the article, read more here.
trader joe’s myths and facts ✅❎
false: the food is fake. users on Tiktok have been baffled at the shelf life of food from Trader Joe’s, claiming it is “fake” and “no way” could food last that long. this isn’t frankenfood - this is the result of scientific innovation in food packaging. a food science account I really like broke it down, describing the use of “modified atmosphere packaging,” which contains an inert gas and a microbial gas that prevents spoilage for meat products. she highlights a lot of studies that show how MAP extends shelf life of uncooked and cooked meat, and why that expiration date is so far out. not fake food, just real science!
fact: Trader Joe’s is anti-union. multiple branches of Trader Joe’s stores in Massachusetts and Minnesota have voted to unionize, and have been met with adverse reactions from the company. the National Labor Relations Board alleges that Trader Joes illegally fired a union worker and posted false information about the union, amongst many other claims. in response, the grocery store chain is joining the likes of Amazon and Space X is arguing that the NLRB itself is unconstitutional. while it is unlikely to be ruled on, it represents a destructively anti-union and anti-employee stance by the company.
be cereus 🦠
you cook your rice for meal prep and keep it on the counter for hours - it should be fine, right? well - with rice, it may not be. bacillus cereus spores live on uncooked rice and germinate into bacteria that cause some gross food poisoning symptoms. usually cooking food can kill those spores through heat, but unfortunately, cooking the rice doesn’t kill it because it is heat resistant. if that cooked rice is left at room temperature, those spores grow into bacteria, causing the bad symptoms. it is recommended to use refrigerated cooked rice within 3-4 days, and it should not be kept out at room temperature for more than a few hours. you can read more here.
hot dawg 🌭
recently, I went to a few sporting events at Capital One arena and was enticed by the idea of a hot dog. however, I do not eat beef and I was too optimistic to think I would find a vegetarian hot dog on the premises. with my hankering still in mind, I bought the Upton’s Naturals vegan hot dogs on sale at Whole Foods and thennnnn, I saw this article ranking the brands, where Upton’s is ranked last :( I have yet to eat them but now i’m scared! I guess next time I can beeline for the Morningstar or Field Roast, and i’ll definite snag an Ikea dawg next time i’m out buying furniture!
restaurant review: Gemini
omg literally finally!!!!!! after years of eating Happy Ice Cream, some of the best ice cream in the city, I finally got to try the food at the attached restaurant, Gemini, the other week. while it is tough to snag a standing table to eat at the restaurant (vs. takeout), its so worth it, I promise! the pizza was so tasty, the arancini were so crispy, and the dessert!!! the dEssERT!!!! click below to see more of what we ate!
f*cked up food
someone call the Crab Rangoon girl…
d.c. happenings
closings
Stadium Sports Bar in Navy Yard closing
District Doughnut closed in old Sweetgreen spot on M St
The Eleanor is closing in NoMa
BKK Cookshop in Shaw is closing
Jeni’s in Navy Yard closed (lol good riddance!!!)
openings
Blend Bar coming to Little Food Studio space in Petworth
Enigma opened in former Fainting Goat space on U St
Little Chicken at the Wharf opened
Playa Bowls coming to Navy Yard
new Wiseguys coming to Dupont
Pinxto’s Tacos coming to Sherman Ave
new Han Palace coming to Georgetown
Eggholic Indian Veg and Egg Street Food coming to Dupont
Flight Club bar opening in Mt. Vernon
Mikey & Mel’s Deli coming downtown to Corner Bakery space
Joia Burger opens Wednesday and Bar Del Monte opens Thursday in Mt Pleasant
home cooking! 🧑🍳
to be honest, I haven’t been cooking anything all that interesting these past few weeks. its been a lot of sautéed chicken sausages from TJs and salads topped with the Daring Foods vegan buffalo chicken (yes I eat real chicken but i’m scared of raw meat. sorry!) I did try Eric Kim’s cheesy cabbage rice cakes recipe which was very tasty! i’m still getting the hang of making rice cakes chewy without overcooking them, and I have sooo much cabbage leftover from this recipe lol. if you have good cabbage recipe recs, let me know!
that it, have a great week, all!
I haven't tried this one, yet, but it looks interesting.
https://pamelasalzman.com/cabbage-cacio-e-pepe-recipe/
https://www.bonappetit.com/recipe/caramelized-cabbage