episode 39: yogurts, bagels, and recalls

this week we are talking about yogurt types, bagel rivalries, and mass food recalls that you need to know. let’s go!

music for a (sushi) restaurant 🎶

as a music girly and a foodie i’ve often asked a waiter for a link to a restaurant’s Spotify playlist, embarrassingly tried to Shazam a song while eating… or left a restaurant thinking the playlist maker had bad taste (lol). restaurants and their approaches to music are highlighted in this NYT article - some restauranteurs hand-picked their playlists, others employ consultants who make playlists for them, and some turn to the internet. in this article, a music psychologist talks about the impact of music speed, slower music encourages lingering and a longer experience, fast music gets people to rush and get out the door. music can even change how people taste food, classical music could make people spend more, and ethnically congruent music (like Bollywood at an Indian restaurant) would make food taste more “authentic.” before companies like Spotify and Apple Music made playlist generation easier, cool restaurants would have to create their own mixes or hire a DJ - which is so cool! definitely read more in the article to see the perspectives from different restaurant owners and vibe they curate through music, you can even sample some playlists too.

adjective-y! ✍️

this legendary tweet summed it all up - when did recipe titles become….garlicky-lemony-dilly? the style of recipe titles has changed over time, and in recent years years, they seem to contain more adjectives with a “y” than ever. this Eater article explores how we got here - partially crediting this to mid-2010s food writers like Alison Roman. she was making an attempt to make the recipe seem more homey, and get at the feeling of the dish, not just a descriptor of the ingredients. “To me, ‘garlicky’ is the essence of garlic, it’s how you would describe something if somebody asked you what it tastes like,” she says.

this trend grew as food blogs and internet outlets became an increasingly popular modality for recipe publishing. recipe developers had to get more creative to grab readers’ attention, and interesting titles make a recipe more unique and memorable in a sea of options on the internet. it also signals a shift, a rejection of the more authoritative and stuffy tone of recipes in the past, towards something more relatable. I would definitely suggest a read of the Eater article, it chronicles the history of recipe names, how the “lemony” trend crossed over into cringe, and what’s next on the horizon.

no more sell by! 🏷️

famously, food labeling practices in the United States are a bit of a mess. companies can print food labels with “sell by” “use by” and “best by” dates that are not regulated and can functionally mean anything. last week, California became the first state to standardize the use of these terms. the law requires the phrases “best if used by” to indicate when a product reaches peak quality and “use by” to indicate when a food is no longer safe. the law also prohibits the use of confusing “sell by” on consumer-facing labels, and phrases that are ambiguous like “freshest by” are also set to be eliminated. this is a positive development - by forcing producers who sell in such a large state to amend their practices, we will likely see other states follow suit. read more here.

could alcohol kill your stomach bug? 🤢

TikTok says maybe, but what does the science say? some believe that drinking alcohol after you have consumed food that is possibly contaminated could kill bacteria and reduce the chances of food poisoning. there actually have been small studies that found that alcohol consumption provided some protection from food poisoning - a few studies of bacterial and viral outbreaks found that people had less illnesses if they had consumed alcohol. but - these studies are just correlations, not evidence of illness prevention. alcohol can definitely weaken the immune system, as alcohol consumption makes your intestines more susceptible to infection, and binge drinking can cause inflammation which increases susceptibility to toxins. so in short, your martinis probably won’t cancel out the dodgy airport sushi - you’re better off avoiding the bad food in the first place. read more about this here!

check your cinnamon! ❌

in March of this year, the FDA recalled several brands of ground cinnamon due to elevated levels of lead. turns out, many brands still contain higher levels of lead than normal, found in an investigation from Consumer Reports. many smaller brands were found to have lead contamination, like Deep and Badia, often found at ethnic grocery stores. see the full list and read more here.

listeria alert! 🦠

and while you’re checking your spice cabinet, go ahead and check your fridge too. a manufacturer called BrucePac has issued a massive recall for over 200 ready-to-eat meat products sold in the last few months. at first the recall was limited to chicken products sold at grocery stores like Trader Joe’s and Aldis, but it has now extended to more meat products, even meats served in school cafeterias. you can check the full recall list here and read more here.

yogurt matrix 📊

I used to make my own yogurt in college (as my mom taught me) but somehow couldn’t get the culture right here in DC - so I do buy my yogurt. but I don’t just buy any yogurt, I like a greek yogurt texture that isn’t too sour or too sweet. enter the Cooks Illustrated yogurt matrix! you can use this chart to find the yogurt by country, and thickness and taste you want. of course, not all of these are sold everywhere, but its a useful tool regardless!

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jam? jelly? preserve? 🍓

I think I like jam but I dont like jelly that much..but then what’s a preserve? here’s a breakdown.

• jam is made with whole fruit and contains seeds or small pieces of fruit, as the fruit is puréed or chopped then cooked down with the sugar. it is regulated by the FDA and required to contain 45% of a single fruit and 55% sugar.

• jelly uses fruit juice - the fruit is cooked down and strained leaving the remaining juice, which is cooked with sugar and pectin, and ends up being more transparent and smooth. jelly is required to contain fruit juice and 65% sugar.

• preserves contain whole or large pieces of fruit with seeds, and do not have a required sugar content. a marmalade is a preserve - made with the whole citrus fruit.

you can read more about the ways to use jams, jellies and preserves, and how to make your own fruit spreads here.

and what is a montreal bagel?

another “whats the difference” for you folks! theres a big rival between the classic New York bagel than many know and love, and the Montreal bagel. both styles were developed by Jewish communities in their respective cities, as well as assertions on quality and authenticity. Montreal bagels are smaller, thinner, and less salty than NYC bagels. while both are boiled, Montreal bakes theirs in wood-burning ovens, and New York uses burlap planks - and maybe the addition some tap water magic. some of the biggest Montreal institutions serve bagels whole with tubs of cream cheese on the side too. I am no bagel expert, but im eager to try and compare someday!

restaurant review: La’ Shukran

somehow, I got a table at the internet’s favorite new sceney spot, the new restaurant and cocktail bar from Michael Rafidi, La’Shukran. located in an alley behind the Union Market location of Yellow, there is an outside patio with drinks only, bar seating, and table seating for the restaurant and drinks menu. reservations go live at 10am on Mondays, or you can be a schmuck like me and get there at 5:30 for a walk-in table and wait for an hour and a half to get an inside seat while sipping a fantastic drink outside. (you could also just wait a few weeks until the Instagram reels girls get it out of their system). despite the hullabaloo, the food is fantastic (the dumplings were sooo good) and the cocktails are really creative and worth the (!!) price.

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f*cked up food

halloween snacks!

d.c. happenings

openings

• Bar Americano, new cafe and wine bar opening on the Mall!

• Stable has re-opened on H St

• new restaurant Lunara opening in City Ridge

• new Afghani spot opened in Glover Park

• Clyde’s group opening Cordelia Fishbar in Union Market

• Issan Thai opened in old St. Arnold’s Mussel Bar space in Cleveland Park

• Rimtang Thai opened in Georgetown

• Rosedale opening in Van Ness

• new Korean restaurant comng to Dupont’s old Duck Duck Goose space

• The Continent West African is expanding Downtown

• Karizma from Karma Modern Indian opening

• new bar Ned’s Club opening near White House

closings

• Haad Thai closing after 30 years downtown

home cooking

nothing inspiring, to be very frank, lol. i’ve been really into rice crisps lately, both the Quaker ones (the ranch ones are the best) or the Lundberg’s brand from Whole Foods, I like that they’re lighter than a pretzel chip and crunchier. also looking forward to some apple and chicken salads to celebrate apple season.

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thanks for reading!! have a lovely week!