Mark your calendars, because you don’t want to miss these deliciously fun culinary happenings:
Spicy Chilled, the refreshing, brothless cold ramen dish, is back at all six Texas locations of Ramen Tatsu-Ya, including Houston’s location at 1722 California. The warm weather staple features spicy ramen with citrus soy dressing, ajitama (marinated soft boiled egg), cucumber, tomatoes, pirikara (which means “spicy” in Japanese) ground pork, chili oil, scallions and karashi mustard, giving it a wasabi-like punch. The dish’s official beverage pairing — Kyuri Kup — also returns, combining cucumber, simple syrup, yuzu and citrus over ice for a refreshing drink to help tame the ramen’s heat. Guests can choose to make the beverage boozy by adding sake. Spicy Chilled is priced at $14, with Kyuri Kup available for $5 ($6 with sake).
Common Bond celebrates National Burger Day with a limited-time-only Bacon Goat Cheese Burger, offered now through Tuesday, May 28 at Common Bond Bistro locations. Available for $16.99, the burger features a chuck, brisket, short rib blend with sundried tomato goat cheese, arugula, black pepper bacon and garlic aioli on an everything bagel brioche bun.
1891 American Eatery & Bar, 702 East 11th, is ready to smash National Burger Day, offering $12 Smash Burgers and fries for $12 on Tuesday, May 28 only. Made with chuck, brisket and rib patties for extra flavor, guests can pick between Classic (LTO, mustard, pickles, everything bagel brioche bun); Smothered & Covered (grilled onions, cheddar cheese, aioli, brioche bun); High Heat (smoked queso, jack cheese roasted poblano, lettuce, ghost pepper aioli, brioche bun); and Mushroom (grilled portobello, herb goat cheese, provolone, red onion jam, arugula, everything bagel brioche bun).
Artisans Restaurant, 5745 Westheimer, will host the Truffle Masters 2024 winners for an “East meets West Cuisine Wine Dinner” on Thursday, May 30 at 6:30 p.m. Chefs Niki Vongthong, Erik Cruz and Jio Dingayan will showcase their culinary mastery alongside pairings from Bandol Wines. Cost is $329 per person (tax and gratuity included).RSVP at 713-529-9111 or [email protected].
Guests are invited to a five-course Chateau Pichon Baron Wine Dinner, paired with six wines from the legendary Bordeaux winery, at Etoile Cuisine et Bar, 1101-11 Uptown Park, on Thursday, May 30 beginning at 7 p.m. Dishes include seared Gulf shrimp with grapefruit and apple remoulade; duck palo in crust a l’orange; roasted rack of lamb; 30-day dry-aged ribeye with parsnip mousseline; and vanilla panna cotta with apricot sorbet. Cost is $175 per person plus tax and gratuity and reservations are required.
Le Jardinier, 5500 Main, is teaming up with IWA Sake, aka the ‘wine lovers’ sake, for a two-night event on Friday, May 31 and Saturday, June 1. Founder and maker of IWA Sake Richard Geoffroy will welcome guests into the private dining room, taking guests on a journey through older, rare releases flown in from Japan paired with a five-course tasting menu curated by chef de cuisine Felipe Botero, featuring chilled Maine lobster; Comté cheese soufflé; risotto with blue crab, melted leeks and preserved lemon; poached Atlantic cod with sake and Kaluga caviar sauce; and “the white meringue” for dessert – comprised of matcha cream and cherry compote. Limited seats are offered priced at $375 per person.
Landry’s Inc. brings back its Houston Chef Series, offered on select evenings from Wednesday, May 29 through Wednesday, August 7. Participating restaurants include Brenner’s Steakhouse, McCormick & Shmick’s, La Griglia, Grotto Ristorante, Vic & Anthony’s, Brenner’s on the Bayou, Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse, Grotto Downtown, Willie G’s Seafood, Morton’s the Steakhouse and King Ranch Texas Kitchen, each offering a menu inspired by the upcoming election and this year’s theme, “Presidential State Dinners.” Up firsts ia Brenner’s Steakhouse and chef Ashley Gadson, presenting “Dinner in the West Wing” with features from a Franklin D. Roosevelt Grilled Cheese and Braised Boars Head Martin Van Buren to an Apple and Pear Tart John Adams.
At the end of a day in the garden or soaking in some sun, I love kicking my feet up and enjoying a refreshing drink. Sometimes, I just don’t want to add any alcohol. These simple mocktails are all favourites of mine, filled with complex flavour and herbal goodness!
Have you flipped to the mocktails or non-alcoholic section of a menu lately? You might be surprised how many amazing options there are.
Years ago, you might have only been able to find Shirley Temples. But now, you’ll find a list of elevated, well-thought-out, and well-balanced flavours. These mocktails can taste just as complex as their alcoholic counterparts.
Making mocktails at home can be a great way to explore new flavours without committing to buying many obscure liqueurs you might never drink again.
I lean into herbal mocktails, as I love the strong flavours from my garden. And how easy it is to pick from my garden and make a drink without shopping for more ingredients.
If you want some unique but simple mocktail ideas, keep reading for inspiration!
Non-Alcoholic Drink Lingo
Non-alcoholic drinks are on the rise! The demand is expected to grow by 25% between 2022 and 2026, coming primarily from younger generations, as Gen-Z drinks an average of 20% less than millennials.
Now, don’t get me wrong—I love cocktails. But sometimes, it’s nice to just enjoy the refreshing taste of a mocktail.
Mocktails have been around for a long time, and they try to replicate an existing alcoholic cocktail. They act as a substitute for those who want a non-alcoholic option but still want the drink’s flavour.
Zero proof is another term that’s rising in popularity, but it technically differs slightly from a mocktail. In terms of zero proof, it is its own unique drink and relies on non-alcoholic spirits to create stand-alone flavours.
Below, I’ll have both some simple mocktail and zero-proof recipes for you to try out!
Simple Mocktails Inspired by the Garden
My garden is full of herbs and flowers that serve double duty—they’re edible as well as beautiful. I make many of my drinks using fresh ingredients from my garden, but you can also source ingredients locally.
You either LOVE the floral taste of lavender or can’t stand it. I personally fall into the lover’s side and make many edible drinks and foods featuring lavender.
Lavender lemonade is quite simple to make. It consists of lavender syrup, lemon juice, and soda. If you want to enhance its botanical flavour, you can add a zero-proof gin.
For this recipe, you will want to use English lavender. Although many kinds of lavender are available, English lavender is the most common type used for culinary purposes.
When it’s berry season, I guzzle up as many handfuls of sweet and plump berries that I can. What I love about this triple berry fizz recipe is that you can use whatever berries you have on hand and are in season. The recipe originally uses blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries, but add whichever you like!
The original recipe also suggests adding rum. You can easily omit this by adding soda in its place or sparkling water for something less sweet. Also, feel free to experiment with zero-proof rum.
I would also suggest muddling the mint and the berries first to get maximum flavour! This drink is such a great non-alcoholic spritzer.
Sangria is one of the best drinks to have on hand at a BBQ, on the beach, or at any summer gathering. It’s simple to make a large batch and ensure everyone can enjoy some fruity goodness.
Traditional sangria uses brandy and wine combined with an array of fresh fruit pieces. You can adjust my sangria recipe by omitting the wine and brandy.
In place of the wine, there are many non-alcoholic wines you can use but grape juice (white or red) also tastes just as great in my opinion.
In place of the brandy, I recommend adding in a juice such as orange or peach.
The more fruit chunks you add, the better in my opinion!
You might not think that ginger and mint would go together, but it has a spicy yet smooth and sweet taste that you just must try.
Ginger is great for the stomach, and even when combined with sugar to make syrup, it has a soothing quality. This unique mocktail idea is sure to impress and satisfy anyone who tries it.
In a cute bottle, this can also make a great hostess gift.
While traditional root beer isn’t originally alcoholic, many alcoholic versions of the beloved North American drink have emerged.
Sure, you can buy a pack of soda from the grocery store, but making your own root beer greatly elevates the taste. It’s less syrup and more taste!
The flavour is often hard for people to explain, as it’s made from a variety of different roots. Head to your local bulk store or apothecary to get the ingredients such as sarsaparilla, sassafras, licorice root, and burdock root. It’s SO worth it, I swear!
Rootbeer has a complex flavour profile that is enhanced when you make it yourself.
This is a very special zero-proof recipe, as it’s one you won’t be able to find at any bar or store. Made using sweet violet, you’ll likely have to forage for yourself.
Violets are tiny purple flowers that dot many lawns in fields, especially in the spring. Some think of them as weeds, but I think of them as a cute edible wildflower.
While you can make this as simply a violet soda, I recommend adding to the flavour with a zero-proof gin or infused/flavoured vodka.
Pivoting from the sweet drinks, this take on the Bloody Mary is one packed full of flavour. I have tons of fun coming up with new toppers for my Bloody Marys (or Ceasars for my fellow Canadians), and they usually come from whatever is currently growing in my garden.
But shishito peppers have always been one of my favourite toppers. They’re mildly spicy and tangy and, once pickled, have that vinegary taste many of us adore.
If you grow mint, you know how prolific this plant is. In fact, it grows so quickly and so much that it’s recommended that you only plant it in pots so it doesn’t take over your whole garden.
To use up my large supply of mint, I make lots of mojitos. They’re so refreshing in the summer and can be made in so many different ways with fruity additions.
For my moonlight mojito, I add fresh ginger and lemon.The recipe is in this post. Just omit the dark rum and replace it with soda water or a zero-proof option for a simple but refreshing mocktail.
Muddling the mint is key to getting its flavour to come out.
Butterfly pea flower is one of the coolest ways to make a fancy drink without adding any alcohol. All compliments of Mother Nature!
You can buy dried butterfly pea flowers and add them to boiling water to make tea. The water will quickly turn bright, vibrant blue.
What’s even cooler about it, is that you can change the colour to a bold purple by adding a hint of lemon juice. Many people make lemonade out of butterfly pea flowers for this reason.
I also frequently combine it with hibiscus tea, which turns it red instead. This is all because the pH changes based on the additions.
Butterfly pea flowers have a very subtle taste on their own, so they’re mostly used for visual appeal. You can then add this colouring to your clear soda or tonic water of choice, as well as add some garnishes or muddling of herbs and berries. It would also go great with ginger syrup or lavender syrup.
You can create a neat layered effect by adding lemon juice.
Of all the herbal mocktail ideas on this list, I drink hibiscus iced tea the most. It’s extremely refreshing and packed full of electrolytes, antioxidants, and minerals.
It might not be a classic mocktail per say, leaning more into just a flavoured tea. But I find it’s really simple to elevate it.
As I mentioned above, you can combine it with a butterfly pea flower to achieve a neat blue and red layered effect. I also like to add edible flowers as a garnish or put them in ice cubes for a beautiful touch.
You can further add more flavour with a herbal simple syrup or by muddling some fruit.
Stevia leaves can be used as a garnish as well as a natural sweetener.
Let me know if you try any of these simple mocktail ideas in the comments below! I would love to hear how the recipes turn out and if you can make any variations.
Chick-fil-A fans can try the restaurant’s new line of seasonal beverages, launching this month.
Photo by Chick-fil-A
Chick-fil-A is celebrating spring with a new line of seasonal drinks.
Starting Monday, April 8, customers can try the new cherry berry Sunjoy at Chick-fil-A restaurants nationwide, according to the Atlanta-based chicken chain.
The beverage lineup also includes:
Cherry berry lemonade
Cherry berry iced tea
Cherry berry frosted lemonade
It’s the fifth iteration of Chick-fil-A’s popular Sunjoy drink and features a mix of cherry, blueberry and cranberry flavors, the restaurant said in a news release.
Previous versions included white peach, mango passion, cloudberry and watermelon mint flavors.
“Our Guests have always enjoyed both cherry and berry flavors, especially during the Spring season,” Chick-fil-A Chef Christy Cook said in the release. “We wanted to explore how to deliver that burst of fruit flavor they love, in a way that is unique to Chick-fil-A.”
The cherry berry beverages will be available for a limited time, though Chick-fil-A didn’t say for how long. Pricing information wasn’t immediately available.
The drinks aren’t the only new offerings joining the restaurant’s menu.
The chicken chain is also testing a new pretzel cheddar club sandwich exclusively in Raleigh, North Carolina, according to the release.
“With innovation and Guest variety top-of-mind, Chick-fil-A regularly utilizes feedback from culinary tests when deciding whether a new offering will be available nationwide in the future,” the restaurant said.
Tanasia is a national Real-Time reporter based in Atlanta covering news across Georgia, Mississippi and the Southeast. Her sub-beat is retail and consumer news. She’s an alumna of Kennesaw State University and joined McClatchy in 2020.
HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — What’s a celebration without delicious food and drinks? Well, the Oscars ceremony is the biggest celebration in Hollywood so of course the treats and drinks will be top notch.
Master chef Wolfgang Puck is celebrating an “Oscar” milestone as he marks his 30th year catering the event. For three decades, Puck has returned to serve up his delicious creations at the Oscars Governors Ball.
“It’s a great thing to do it for 30 years,” he said. “When I look back at my life, my career, I said, ‘You know, longevity is really the most important thing.’ Why? Because a lot of restaurants come and go, but very few stay on.”
While he says he can’t pick just one dish as his favorite, he says he – of course – will be serving the crowd favorite: potpie!
“We always have a great variety of traditional innovation. You cannot make everything new all the time because then people are going to miss the old stuff too,” said Puck.
Along with a detailed menu comes an exquisite selection of beverages for the occasion.
“The Oscars are about culture and the celebration of excellence, so I think for us to come together, you can’t celebrate excellence in German culture without good food and good wine,” said Clarendelle CEO Prince Robert de Luxembourg.
“There’s only champagne as a celebration drink, and the Oscars is such a celebration of art and craftsmanship and that’s who we are as well,” said Alexis Blondel, Chef de Cave Adjoint.
Of course, you can’t forget about the desserts (like a chocolate cigar!)
Plus, at the Governors Ball, everyone can go home a winner with a mini Oscar statue covered in 24 karat gold.
“We really kind of combined and married a lot of really fun, unique ideas to really make this ‘our Oscars’ if that makes sense,” said Executive Pastry Chef Ellen Maloney.
DON’T MISS the 2024 Oscars live Sunday on ABC! Red carpet coverage starts at 1 p.m. ET | 10 a.m. PT with “Countdown to Oscars: On The Red Carpet Live.” At 4 p.m. ET | 1 p.m. PT, live coverage continues with “On The Red Carpet at the Oscars,” hosted by George Pennacchio with Roshumba Williams, Leslie Lopez and Rachel Brown.
The 96th Oscars, hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, begins at 7 p.m. ET | 4 p.m. PT, an hour earlier than past years, followed by an all-new episode of “Abbott Elementary.”
This cold buster green smoothie recipe is packed with fresh fruits and vegetables to boost your immune system, hydrate your body and send those winter colds packing!
Green smoothies were all the rage a while ago and still are, but I never really thought they were that big of a deal. And then I realized that with all of those vitamins packed into a smoothie we would actually be giving ourselves the proper nutrition that we are recommended in getting. So, we started keeping a full supply of spinach and fruits and sure enough, not only did we start feeling better but we weren’t getting sick.
I hate winter. I know, lots of people love it and cannot wait to get outside and enjoy all that the snow has to offer, but I hate it. Strong word? I seriously dislike it I guess. I am learning to really enjoy skiing, but I still freeze to death and cannot last very long out there. But the major reason I don’t like winter is because we all get sick and pass it around over and over again all winter long. I freeze all winter which I’m sure keeps me sick.
You don’t have to pass a cold around all winter. Last year we cracked down and learned how to fight a cold and this cold buster green smoothie was a huge help! Keep scrolling to the end to see other products we love to help us survive winter colds.
What Makes a Green Smoothie?
The definition of a “green smoothie” can be quite ambiguous but the basics of a green smoothie are:
Leafy Greens + Liquid + Fruit
Then, of course, you can add other ingredient to add protein and more nutrients. Keep scrolling below to see suggestions for the best types of leafy greens, liquids and fruits. We also want to highlight what makes this recipe specifically a cold buster green smoothie.
Ingredients in a Cold Buster Green Smoothie
This smoothie is unique in that we chose specific items to kick the cold right where it hurts:
Spinach: adds great fiber, vitamins and nutrients like vitamin A, vitamin C and vitamin K as well as iron, folate and potassium
Orange Juice: isn’t just about the vitamin C it’s also about staying hydrated
Orange with Peel: really slam dunk the vitamin C and the peel contains 4 times more fiber than the fruit itself, it has anti-inflammatory properties and may even help reduce harmful LDL’s
Baby Carrots: great for killing germs in the mouth and helping with digestion
Banana: gives the body natural energy which is something you are lacking when sick, and it helps the smoothie be extra creamy
Frozen Pineapple: adds flavor and helps thicken the smoothie when it’s frozen
Apple: adds flavor and natural sweetness
Ice: helps thicken the smoothie without adding sugar or extra calories
Optional: add a scoop of protein so our body has the nutrition needed for energy
NOTE: We avoid dairy completely as it encourages mucus production. In fact, we skip the dairy entirely while sick.
The measurements for all of these ingredients can be found in the recipe card at the end of the post.
How to Make a Cold Buster Green Smoothie
Making the best green smoothie recipe couldn’t be easier! Just toss everything in the blender and blend until smooth. We are 100% loyal to our Blendtec blender. I’ve tried them all, and there just nothing that gets the job done better than Blendtec. Use our discount code (Ohsweetbasil10) for 10% off!
I’ve read other people say do blend the greens and liquid together first before adding the fruit, but I honestly haven’t noticed a difference so I just add evereything at once.
Variations and Substitutes
For a true cold buster smoothie follow the recipe as written, but you can totally switch things up to find your favorite blend. Here are some ideas:
Leafy Greens to Use
Spinach
Kale
Swiss Chard
Collard Greens
Beet Greens
Liquids to Use
Almond Milk
Coconut Milk or Coconut Water
Oat Milk
Dairy Milk
Water
Fruit Juices
Cashew Milk
Soy Milk
Greek Yogurt
Fruits to Use
Pineapple
Strawberries
Avocado
Banana
Raspberries
Mango
Blueberries
Apple
Add-Ins
Protein Powders
Chia Seeds
Flaxseeds
Almonds
Collagen Powder
Almond Butter
Peanut Butter
Can You Use Frozen Fruits in Green Smoothies?
Yes, and you absolutely should! In fact, almost all my fruit for smoothies and my greens are frozen when I add them to my smoothie. Check out my post on how to meal prep smoothies. It not only saves time but it also helps my mornings be more stress free!
Can Green Smoothies Replace Vegetables?
Smoothies are a great way to get the recommended servings of fruits and vegetables but they shouldn’t replace whole fruits and vegetables. Blending vegetables actually starts to break them down and you lose some of the nutrients that you would get if you ate them whole. Bottom line…don’t skip the whole veggies!
Can You Taste Spinach in Green Smoothies?
If you have the proper ratio of leafy greens to other ingredients, you will not be able to taste the spinach at all! Follow this recipe for the best flavor!
Is a Green Smoothie Good for You?
Drinking Cold Buster Green Smoothies is a good way to get nutrients and stay hydrated. Consuming Cold Buster Green Smoothies is a good way to get vegetables in your diet.
But, there’s a catch…you have to watch your fruit intake as they still have sugar and carbs so people can take something healthy to not so healthy. Making a healthy smoothie takes some attention and conscientiousness.
Will Cold Buster Green Smoothies Give Me Energy?
Cold Buster Green Smoothies can provide you with lots of healthy calories, that your body can convert to energy.
Can Cold Buster Green Smoothies Be Frozen?
Yes, Cold Buster Green Smoothies can be easily frozen. I recommend taking it out of the freezer to thaw overnight in the refrigerator. Most likely, it will still be frozen in the morning. Set the jar on the counter and it will thaw in about an hour or so.
Will a Green Smoothie Keep Overnight?
Yes! You can blend your cold buster green smoothies ahead of time and store your cold buster green smoothies in a sealed container for 1 to 3 days in the fridge. … Fresh is always best, but a 2-day old cold buster green smoothie is still way better than a bag of the Cheetos.
How to Fight a Cold
Air Purifier
We went ahead and got a Honeywell Air Purifier. One is upstairs and the other downstairs. They run day and night all year round and I swear it’s been helping to keep out the nasty.
Simply Saline
Cade cannot handle a Netty Pot but many people love it. Instead we use Simply Saline. As soon as you feel the sniffle get out your saline and keep things cleaned out. You’d be shocked how much it will help. We even use the Little Remediesone for kids and it has blown our minds with how much better they get with it.
Zicam Nasal Spray
I hate nasal spray. I also hate taking those nasty vitamin c or zinc tablets to fight a cold. And do they even work? I wasn’t feeling like they were. Until I found Zicam Nasal Spray. Immediately when I get the tickle I take it and Cade is quickly following suit as he sees how well it works. I even travel with it now. It’s the only clinically proven nasal spray to shorten a cold.
Aquafor
Blowing your nose and a stuffed up nose that requires you to breath from your mouth all day can lead to chapped noses and lips. I love this little Aquafortube. It’s all I use for chapstick now, but it’s great on noses that are being blown too much too.
All of this just comes from Amazon to my house and most is around $4. I’m lazy like that, but you can always watch a store for sales too.
And that’s it! What little tricks do you have to beating the winter colds? Green smoothies are a great way to start your day in a healthy way, and if you are trudging through bleak winter days trying to fight the latest cold bug, give this cold buster green smoothie a try!
More Smoothie Recipes
Servings: 2glasses of smoothie
Prep Time: 2 minutesmins
Total Time: 2 minutesmins
Description
This cold buster green smoothie is packed with fresh fruits and vegetables to boost your immune system, hydrate your body and send those winter colds packing!
Prevent your screen from going dark
Place the juice, spinach and remaining ingredients in a blender. If you use a fresh banana, add 1/2-1 cup ice to help thicken the smoothie.
2 Cups Spinach, 1 Cup Orange Juice, 1/2 Orange, 3-5 Baby Carrots, 1 Cup Frozen Bananas, 1/2 Cup Frozen Pineapple, 1/2 Apple, 1 Scoop Vanilla Protein Powder
March is coming in like a lion, roaring with plenty of food and drinks events to fill you calendar and your cup. With one-night-only chef collaboration dinners, lots of barbecue and brand new festivals highlighting salsa, local craft beer and mobile food vendors, there’s plenty to see, try and taste around metro Phoenix this month.
Stoop Kid x Requinto
March 1 901 N. First St.
Stoop Kid, the bagel and burger spot in The Churchill has teamed up with Mexican cuisine pop-up Requinto for a special collaboration menu, being served for one night only. Brave the First Friday crowds and you’ll be rewarded with dishes including nachos topped with beef chili cheese, pickled jalapeno and cotija; a roasted squash salad with jalapeno vinaigrette and cornbread croutons; and a chile relleno burger – a beef patty, a poblano pepper stuffed with ghost pepper cheese, fermented chile sauce and pickled red onion on a Kona roll. The menu will be served from 6 to 10 p.m. or until sold out.
Celebrate Persian New Year with a festival along the Scottsdale Waterfront.
Persian New Year Festival
Persian New Year Festival
March 2 7135 E. Camelback Road, Scottsdale
Celebrate Persian culture and cuisine on the Scottsdale Waterfront. The New Year Festival will feature food and a tea house. Guests can also expect music, entertainment, art and a dedicated children’s area. Tickets are $10; children ages 12 and younger can enter for free.
Pork on a Fork will be at the Downtown Chandler Barbecue Festival.
Chris Malloy
Second annual Downtown Chandler Barbeque Festival
March 2-3 3 S. Arizona Ave., Chandler
Back for a second helping, Downtown Chandler’s Barbeque Festival will highlight smoked meats, craft beer and live music at Dr. A.J. Chandler Park. The two-day event will feature foods from Pork on a Fork, West Alley BBQ and Smokehouse, Honey Bear’s BBQ and Joe’s Real BBQ, among others. Enjoy your pulled pork or ribs with a cold one from Pedal Haus Brewery or SanTan Brewing Co. Live performances include Young Country and Justin Hitson & Southbound. Tickets are $18 and may be purchased on Eventbrite.
Browse bakeware and more at Tracy Demsey Originals’ Culinary Rummage Sale benefitting Blue Watermelon Project.
Sara Crocker
Culinary Rummage Sale
March 8-9 1325 W. University Drive, Tempe
Shop kitchen gadgets, cookware, cookbooks and more at Tracy Dempsey Originals‘ Culinary Rumage Sale. The sale will benefit Blue Watermelon Project, a nonprofit founded by chef Charleen Badman to increase students’ access to fresh foods. Browse items on Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. or Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
FoodieLand Festival
March 8-10 1826 W. McDowell Road Mar. 22-24 7602 Jimmie Johnson Drive, Avondale
If you’re heading to FoodieLand, come hungry. The California-based festival will debut in Arizona this year with two weekends filled with food from 185 different vendors. The Phoenix and Avondale FoodieLand Festivals will happen on two different weekend with Phoenix leading the way on March 8 to 10 at the Arizona State Fairgrounds, followed by Avondale on March 22 through 24 at Phoenix Raceway. Lucky Ball, Nogakes Kitchen, Cotton Candy Central, Potato Hut and Lemontea Squeeze are some of the vendors. There will be games and live entertainment as well. Tickets are $6 per person and children under 5 are free. Tickets must be purchased online and do not include food or drink.
Kitsune Brewing Co. and its owner Tyler Smith will host the Tomodachi Beer Fest on March 9.
Sara Crocker
Tomodachi Beer Fest
March 9 3321 E. Bell Road
Kitsune Brewing Co. will host its inaugural Tomodachi Beer Festival, spotlighting local breweries at a family-friendly event featuring live music and food trucks. Twelve breweries will join the fest, including Front Pourch Brewing, Richter Aleworks and Cider Corps. Tickets are $10 for designated drivers; $40 for general admission. Children ages 12 and younger are free.
The Great Lawn at Sportsman’s Park will be the site of the new Arizona Salsa Festival.
Mack Media Relations
Arizona Salsa Fest
March 9 9591 W. Sportsman Park North, Glendale
If you’re serious about all things salsa, this new festival is for you. The Arizona Salsa Fest will feature live music, tequila, and, naturally, salsas, on the Great Lawn outside of State Farm Stadium. General admission tickets are $20; VIP are $35; and Experiential VIP ($150) includes an exclusive mixology session with celebrity bartender Rob Floyd and a complimentary tasting menu with Requinto chef and owner Erick Pineda.
Four Peaks Brewing Co. will tap into the spring season with a new barbecue competition.
Four Peaks Brewing Co.
Kilt Lifter BBQ Competition
March 9 2401 S. Wilson St., Tempe
Four Peaks Brewing Co., in partnership with BBQ Island, will host its inaugural barbecue battle. Sixteen teams will face off and guests will help crown a champion. In addition to smoked meats, expect cold beer and live music. Event tickets are $5; a portion of the proceeds will benefit Four Peaks Charities and Four Peaks for Teachers.
Taste of Tavern with Corrido Tequila
March 14 6000 E. Camelback Road, Scottsdale
In mid-March, the Phoenician Tavern will host a paired meal with Scottdale’s Corrido Tequila. For this Taste of Tavern dinner, the restaurant will offer oysters, mushroom tostadas and empanadas filled with tepary beans, chorizo and elote to start. The appetizers will be paired with Hunter’s Moon – a cocktail made with Corrido’s blanco tequila, lime juice, Alma Tepec, blood orange juice and simple syrup. Dinner features striped marlin crudo and short rib barbacoa, and a chocolate tart for dessert, all paired with tastings of Corrido. Tickets are $90 and may be reserved online.
Arizona Aloha Festival
March 16-17 620 N. Mill Ave., Tempe
The Arizona Aloha Festival will celebrate all things Hawaiian at Tempe Town Lake this spring. From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., patrons can visit a ukulele corner, an island marketplace featuring South Pacific and Hawaiian merchandise and vendors selling Hawaiian foods. There will also be live performances featuring music from bands Hawaiian Island and South Pacific. Entry into the festival is free and food may be purchased from individual vendors.
The saying goes that everybody’s Irish on St. Patrick’s Day and the same goes for every restaurant and bar, where diners will find all manner of emerald tipples and treats. Head to The Bread and Honey House for green Belgian waffles with whipped butter and cream cheese, drizzled with green vanilla glaze. Recreo Cantina will offer $5 Irish Tacos featuring corned beef, grilled onion and potato topped with shredded cabbage and a salsa Mutasa, as well as $8 verde margaritas. Head to one of Pedal Haus Brewery’s taprooms for St. Patty’s parties featuring live music, and food and drink specials including corned beef and cabbage and fish ‘n chips sandwiches as well as $4 green Day Drinker Light Lagers and $5 Irish stouts.
Moon River Beef and SanTan Brewing Co. partner on a seasonal dinner to showcase beef, beers and spirits – and the journey from grain to farm to table.
Moon River Beef
Grain to Farm to Table
March 21 495 E. Warner Road, Chandler
SanTan Brewing Co., Moon River Beef and Timbo’s Spice will host a Grain to Farm to Table dinner, highlighting the journey of grain that not only makes SanTan beers and spirits but also feeds cattle from Moon River Beef. The four-course tasting menu will feature different cuts of meat, each paired with a SanTan beer or cocktail. Meat from Moon River will also be available for purchase. The meal is $72, and tickets may be purchased on Eventbrite.
Saucisse Supper Club
March 21 6522 N. 16th St., #6
Der Wurst Hot Dogs will launch its inaugural Saucisse tasting menu at Linger Longer Lounge. The four-course menu features dishes inspired from the chef’s childhood, such as meatloaf and raspberry bars, which will be paired with wine. Tickets are $75 and may be purchased on Eventbrite.
Superstition Meadery’s downtown Phoenix location occupies the restored Jim Ong’s Market building at 11th and Washington streets.
Courtesy of Superstition Meadery
Full Moon Flights with Superstition
March 25 1110 E. Washington St.
Head to Superstition Meadery’s downtown outpost to sip a flight of its honey wine under the light of the full moon. The meadery will guide guests through a themed flight ($15), also offering positive affirmations and cleansing exercises. The kitchen will be open for snacks, and guests will receive 20% off any bottles purchased. RSVP for free on Eventbrite.
Jersey Mike’s Day of Giving
March 27 Multiple locations
Enjoy a sub and support a good cause at Jersey Mike’s Day of Giving. All proceeds from all the sandwich shop’s Valley locations will go to the Phoenix Children’s Hope Fund, which allows the hospital to invest in research, technology and physicians, and to implement programs that create a more comfortable environment for its young patients.
Each week we dig around and find unique, boozy and indulgent things to get into around Dallas. It could be an event, a special release at a bar, a seasonal pastry or just a weekly menu special we can’t stop thinking about. Here’s what we’ve got our eyes on this week.
Coffee Tasting Experience
White Rock Coffee Lab, 10109 E. Northwest Highway 1:30–3:30 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 24
Do you know the story behind your cup of joe? White Rock Coffee is hosting a tasting where you’ll go back in time to discover the origins of coffee and how it’s progressed, hone tasting skills with sensory exercises and travel around the world to understand the different flavors from seven countries of origin. Tickets are $65, plus taxes and fees.
Chili cook-offs apparently aren’t slowing down anytime soon. Truck Yard is bringing the heat. You bring your appetite. Deep Ellum Brewing Co., Community Beer Co., and Manhattan Beer Project are battling for the best chili. Tickets are $15, plus taxes and fees, and include one free beer from participating breweries and free chili samples.
Free Wings
Buffalo Wild Wings, all locations 2–5 p.m., Monday, Feb. 26
During the Super Bowl, B-Dubs lost a bet when the game went into overtime, and now we all get free wings. Stop by and grab six free boneless or traditional wings of your choosing (no purchase is necessary for the free grub).
Mixology Mondays
The Parlor (inside The Sheraton), 400 Olive St. 5–6 p.m., Monday, Feb. 26
Every Monday, The Parlor helps beat the Monday blues by hosting a cocktail-making class led by the hotel’s talented mixologist, Adam. The drink changes weekly, but it’s typically a classic cocktail like the cosmopolitan, old fashioned, mojito, etc.. Have fun mixing your drink, then indulge afterwards. Tickets are $30, plus taxes and gratuity.
Date Night + Sake Tasting
Wagamama, 2425 Harry Hines Blvd. 6:30–8:30 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 28
Newly opened Wagamama is hosting a unique date night experience for you and your plus one. The five-course dinner offers bang bang cauliflower, Ahi crispy rice, chicken gyozas, Korean barbeque beef and ginger chicken udon noodles — all served with four premium sake pairings. It’s a good chance to sample a ton from the menu and come back for your favorites. Tickets are $120 per couple, plus taxes and fees.
Priorat and Montsant Wine Tasting
Sketches of Spain, 321 N. Zang Blvd. 7–9 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 28
Wine expert Kevin O’Neal is bringing Spain to Dallas early next week. His selections of exceptional wines from the Priorat and Montsant regions of Spain will be paired with a carefully curated menu designed by Chef Iñaki from Sketches of Spain. Tickets are $35, plus tax.
Live Jazz Night
Babou’s, 2598 N. Harwood St. 5 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 29
The Hotel Swexan’s seductive, Salvador Dali-inspired bar Babou’s hosts live jazz night every Thursday and you’re invited. Sip on the classics, speakeasy style. Speaking of the mustachioed surrealist, try the Mr. Salvador Dali cocktail while you’re here.
Make Your Own Sushi
Peticolas Brewing, 1301 Pace St. 6:30–8:30 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 29
Spread, layer, tuck and roll your way into sushi heaven this week at Peticolas. At this sushi class you’ll learn how to make three types of rolls alongside a professional chef using fresh ingredients. Tickets are $69, plus tax and tip, to dig into tuna, salmon and California rolls. Drinks will be available for purchase.
Taste of Nobu
Nobu Dallas, 400 Crescent Court 6:30–9 p.m., Saturday, March 9
Acclaimed chef and restaurateur Nobu Matsuhisa is celebrating 30 years of Nobu by hosting his own Taste of Nobu experience. Indulge in an evening of signature canapes, live chef stations and hand-crafted cocktails featuring Nobu’s QUI tequila to celebrate chef Nobu’s tour around the U.S. Tickets are $275, plus tax and tip.
Should you pass on that morning bowl of cereal or oatmeal?
Thatâs what some people may be asking in light of a study released this week by the Environmental Working Group, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit focused on agricultural and chemical-safety laws in the U.S. The study looked at the prevalence of a pesticide called chlormequat in oat-based food products, including cereals like Cheerios and Quaker Oats.Â
The EWG said it found detectable levels of the chemical in 92% of nonorganic oat-based foods purchased in May 2023.
âStudies in laboratory animals show that chlormequat can cause harm to the normal growth and development of the fetus and damage the reproductive system,â Olga Naidenko, vice president at the EWG, told MarketWatch. Those risks, the EWG report noted, can include reduced fertility.Â
It has not been proven that the substance affects humans in the same way the studies cited by the EWG found it does lab animals, and there are other studies that have found chlormequat had no effect on reproduction in pigs or mice, or any impact on fertilization rates in mice.
The EWG is still advocating that concerned consumers buy organic oat products as an alternative, however.Â
âCertified organic oats are, by law, grown without synthetic pesticides,â Naidenko said.Â
Representatives for General Mills GIS, +1.28%,
the company that makes Cheerios, and PepsiCo PEP, -0.92%,
which owns Quaker Oats, didnât immediately respond to a request for comment.Â
“âAny family raising kids or thinking about starting a family should do whatever they can do to avoid chlormequat. Itâs not a safe product.â”
â Charles Benbrook, a scientific consultant who focuses on pesticides
The EWGâs recommendation to go organic was echoed by experts that MarketWatch contacted.Â
Charles Benbrook, a scientific consultant based in Washington state who focuses on pesticides, said heâs an oatmeal eater who chooses organic oatmeal âwhen I can get it.â
Regarding chlormequat, Benbrook said, âItâs not a safe product.â
âAny family raising kids or thinking about starting a family should do whatever they can do to avoid chlormequat,â he said.
Melissa Furlong, an assistant professor of environmental health sciences at the University of Arizona, said itâs important to note that chlormequat is not the only pesticide that is found in oat-based cereals. Thereâs still much we need to learn about the health effects the substance might have on humans, she added.
âThatâs not to say it isnât the worst [pesticide]. We donât really know,â Furlong said.Â
Chlormequat has not been approved for use on food crops grown in the U.S., according to the EWG, but it can be found in oats and oat products from other countries. Under the Trump administration, the Environmental Protection Agency started allowing imports of such products into the U.S., the EWG noted, which is why chlormequat can be found in some cereals sold in this country.
The EPA is considering approving chlormequat for use on crops grown in the U.S., according to the agencyâs website. In a call for public comment on its proposed decision, the agency said, âBased on EPAâs human health risk assessment, there are no dietary, residential, or aggregate (i.e., combined dietary and residential exposures) risks of concern.â
The EPA didnât respond immediately to a request for comment.
For her part, Furlong said that while she usually buys organic oat products, she isnât rigid about it â and she might still buy the occasional box of Cheerios.
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, StyleCaster may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.
The craze over Stanley Quencher‘s shows no signs of stopping. A pink version of the cult-favorite cup went viral recently, causing shopping mayhem in places like Target—people quite literally camped outside their local stores in the hopes of getting their hands on one (or several). The now sold-out pink version is practically impossible to find, but for all of those who missed their chance, we’ve got some good news.
There are plenty of identical copycats out there that work just as well as the OG, like Walmart’s twinning Ozark Trail Stainless Steel Tumbler. The $20 dupe is available in a range of colors, but we’d recommend beeling straight for the hot pink version that matches the viral Stanley.
Walmart
The dishwasher-safe, BPA-free cup boasts a 40-ounce capacity and is made from rust-proof, food grade stainless steel. It keeps liquids cold for up to 25 hours and liquids hot for up to 6 hours, and can fit in most car cup holders for those carrying it with them on the go. Its large handle prevents slips or accidental drops, and the removable lid has two openings: one for the straw and a wider opening to drink from.
Walmart reviewers have given the Ozark Trail Stainless Steel Tumbler a 4.6-star approval rating and over 4,000 five-star reviews. One person wrote that they were “100 percent satisfied” with the cup and that it “works just as good as the Stanley Quencher.” Another said that its hard not to love the “shatter-proof and dishwasher-safe lid and drinking straw.”
“It is perfect for my morning iced latte and the best part is I can fit it right in my car cupholder for a fresh cup to go,” shared another fan. “When I’m done with my iced latte, I just give it a quick rinse and refill it with ice water that stays cold all day. I absolutely love this tumbler and I feel like it was made for me.”
“The handle is part of the tumbler and has finger notches so when you pick it up your fingers fit the handle. My coffee stayed hot for 1 1/2 hours. With a mug, I would have to put it in the microwave several times to reheat it. I poured water from two 16.9 oz. refrigerated bottles and it kept the water icy cold for over 8 hrs,” said another.
We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. All prices were accurate at the time of publishing.
For some, ginger ale is a perpetual resident of their fridge; for others, it’s only a must-buy for holiday parties (the leftovers — even sans bubbles — make excellent next-day crepes). No matter where you fall on the fizzy spectrum, chances are high you want the best ginger ale money can buy. That, dear reader, is where we come in.
We tasted our way through nine ginger ales (not to be confused with ginger beer), focusing on widely available national brands and regional players with a decent online presence. We eliminated any potential contenders with high-fructose corn syrup in the ingredient list, which ended up including eight ginger ales (many from major brands). All but two are made with cane sugar; the ones that aren’t contain fructose (fruit sugar) and agave.
While some ginger ales were less than $1 per can (when sold in bulk bottles or packs of four, six, or 12), we added in a few pricier options to see if any are worth the splurge. We also looked at recent sales data and past taste tests to round out the selection.
After one bubbly afternoon of tasting and tallying, these are the ginger ales you’d find in our fridge from here on out.
Best Ginger Ale: Reed’s Real Ginger Ale
Reed’s Real Ginger Ale is, in two words, “on point.” (Just ask our Social Media Manager, Brian W.) In fact, seven out of 10 tasters rank this ginger ale in their top-three favorites — four of them listing it as their number one pick. From the jump, tasters are smitten: “It smells really tasty and the color looks attractive,” says Sam, our Social Media Manager. Maya, our Studio Assistant, likens Reed’s to “green tea” colorwise, with a “smell that has a bit of a bite to it, but not overpowering.”
Beyond its appealing looks and aroma, Reed’s earns high marks for its “very gingery flavor,” says Maria, our Senior Designer, though she also thinks “it could be sweeter,” and “good carbonation,” says Raquel, our Account Manager. It’s made with a handful of ingredients — sparkling filtered water, cane sugar, pressed organic ginger, natural flavors, citric acid — and several people note (and enjoy!) those citrusy notes. But what really clinched it: The “refreshing” taste, says April, our Co-op Partner Manager, adding “it goes down real easy.”
Runner-Up: 365 by Whole Foods Market Ginger Ale
Ironically, the runner-up stood out for its mild, well, everything. Another five-ingredient wonder, 365 by Whole Foods Market Ginger Ale contains carbonated water, invert cane sugar (boiled water and sugar), citric acid, natural flavor, and caramel color. That combination translates to a “slightly golden” or “VERY PALE!” color, depending on who you’re talking to, and an aroma that’s somewhere between “faint” and “non-existent” — or “an instant hit,” as Brian W calls it. The muted flavor is also a hit for tasters, like Maya, who call it “nice and balanced” and “not too sweet, not too herbal/ginger heavy.” Even the bubbles are “very fine.”
“Classic,” “very familiar,” and “instantly recognizable” are just a few of the (nice) things tasters had to say about Whole Foods’ store-brand ginger ale. In fact, several were shocked to learn this wasn’t the beloved ginger ale they grew up drinking! We guess that means it’s time for a new favorite. (Five tasters did rank this pick in their top three.)
How We Tested the Ginger Ales
We held a blind taste test of nine different ginger ales and recruited 10 ginger ale enthusiasts (so you know they’re qualified) who work in our office to participate in this one-day test. Fun fact: Two said ginger ale is the only soda they drink. Whether it’s their drink of choice on a flight, with takeout, or whisky — especially during the holidays, tasters want a tall glass of ginger ale that’s ginger-forward with strong carbonation and some sweetness. Overly sugary taste was the number one watchout for most.
Each ginger ale was assigned a letter to conceal the brand’s identity. After chilling them in the fridge, Tom, our Studio Producer, poured each one into an unmarked pitcher/large liquid measuring cup. Tasters were instructed to sample the ginger ales in random order to avoid giving any one entrant an advantage. We also had pitchers of cold water on hand for palate cleansing.
Tasters rated each of the ginger ale on a scale of one to five (1 = No, thanks; 2 = Meh; 3 = Pretty good; 4 = Really like; 5 = Yes, Please!) across four criteria — look, smell, texture, and flavor — and included any specific observations, tasting notes, and general opinions worth mentioning. They were also asked to answer, arguably, the most important question of all: Would you buy this ginger ale?
This was a blind taste test, which means tasters had no knowledge of the brands being evaluated ahead of or at the time of the tasting. It was held over one day and tasters were instructed to sample the ginger ales in random order (to stave off palate fatigue and not give any one mix an unfair advantage). The group of tasters included a mix of food professionals and ginger ale fans who work at The Kitchn and/or Apartment Therapy Media (The Kitchn’s parent company). All participated in the taste test voluntarily, and we thank them for being so generous with their time and feedback.
Speaking of, each taster filled out a score sheet (without discussion or influence) ranking the ginger ales across several criteria (listed above). The results were also tabulated without any visibility into the brands. Only after the numbers were finalized, did we reveal which brands corresponded to the winners.
Did your favorite ginger ale make the list? Tell us about it in the comments below.
The City by the Bay is the best place to enjoy a Thanksgiving bash, at least according to a new report.
The personal-finance website WalletHub ranked San Francisco as the top U.S. spot to celebrate Turkey Day. New York, home to the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, didn’t even crack the top 10 of the cities the site surveyed, landing instead in position No. 37.
Apparently, you really can become a junk-food junkie.
That’s what a new study published by the British Medical Journal says, noting that ultra-processed foods — meaning food that contain “ingredients not available in home kitchens” and that typically have high levels of refined carbohydrates or added fats — are plenty addictive. And they’re on par with alcohol and tobacco, the study notes.
Specifically, the study says that food addiction — again, closely connected with the consumption of ultra-processed foods — is prevalent in 14% of the adult population. That matches the percentage for alcohol addiction and is just slightly below the percentage for tobacco addiction (18%).
The study warns that junk foods like sweets and snacks deliver those carbs and fats to the gut at a speedy rate, contributing to their addictive potential. It’s not unlike how cigarettes “rapidly deliver nicotine to the brain,” the study warns.
Additives also play a role in making these junk foods so appealing, the study says. That is, they increase sweet and savory tastes. Not surprisingly, the study notes that additives “that aim to improve [flavor] and mouthfeel are also common in cigarettes, including sugar, cocoa, menthol, and alkaline salt.”
If anything, the study points to issues with food addiction that don’t exist with other addictions since food is a critical part of our lives. “Addictive drugs are not necessary for survival; eating is,” the study says.
The study says understanding that ultra-processed foods are indeed addictive could “lead to novel approaches” in addressing the issue. It points to several policies that are already being taken across the world, such as levying taxes on sweetened beverages or posting nutritional information on the front of packages.
MarketWatch reached out to SNAC, a trade group representing snack-food manufacturers, about the study, but didn’t receive an immediate response.
Americans’ desire to snack doesn’t appear to be abating. In its most recent annual report, SNAC says the annual total sales for salty snacks grew by 15.6% in 2022 to $28.4 billion. Potato chips alone saw 14.5% growth to $7.8 billion in sales.
When merry revelers from around the world lift their beer steins to mark the start of Oktoberfest in the Bavarian capital Munich, they might want to sip slowly, given they will now be paying €13.75 ($14.67) per liter.
That’s based on an analysis from a team at Berenberg, who provided this chart showing the soaring cost of beer at the Munich Oktoberfest compared with other consumer and food inflation measures:
The globally famed festival is due to kick off this Saturday. And while the cost keeps rising, the celebratory large glass of Bavarian beer —- served in a stoneware mug known as a Maß, or stein — often doesn’t seem to reach the required 1-liter mark once the foam has settled, notes Holger Schmieding, chief economist, who led the report.
“Do not even try to compare the price per liter to the cheap beer cans available at the discount retailers nearby. The difference might make some crave a stiffer drink to drown the financial pain,” he and his team said.
Citing data from German price statistics dating back to 1991, Berenberg’s economists said the price of an Oktoberfest beer has soared at an annual average rate of 3.9%, well above the annual 2% rise in inflation and the 1.8% rise paid for beer sold by retailers.
However, more recently the pain may have eased some. Schmieding said the price of that beer rise versus 2022 is just 4.2%, which is below the average food price rise of 9%. And German wages rose 6.6% on an annual basis in the second quarter of this year, meaning some might this year find those steins slightly little more affordable, once they get past the sticker shock.
The country has felt the fallout from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and soaring energy and food prices, which propelled inflation to a postwar high of 7.9% in 2022. Wage earners are currently recouping some of lost purchasing power, but Schmieding and his team warn this won’t last.
“In a lagged response to lower headline inflation and the modest rise in unemployment that we project for the next two quarters, German wage gains will likely slow down to 4% yoy by the time of the next Oktoberfest in September 2024, and the less volatile rise in beer prices at the party will likely outpace inflation and wages again,” they wrote.
The European Commission recently forecast that Germany, the bloc’s biggest economy, will be the only major one to see growth contract this year, with a forecast for gross domestic product to fall 0.4% in 2023. Weak industrial output has been a major factor in sluggish growth. Inflation for the EU bloc is expected to fall to 2.9% next year, slightly under the 2.8% previously forecast.
The European Central Bank on Thursday hiked its deposit rate by 25 basis points to an all-time high of 4% as it battles inflation for the region which it expects will average 5.6% this year, well above its 2% target.
Schmieding and the team say Germany, however, does not deserve the “sick man of Europe” title, which it last held in the 1990s, that some have slapped on it.
The country is, though, “nursing a collective hangover” after celebrating its “golden decade” between the global financial crisis and the pandemic onset too hard, with early retirement plans, expanded welfare benefits and too much dependence on Russian energy, they say.
Food prices rose 0.2% on the month in July after remaining unchanged in June, and they rose 4.9% on the year, while the cost of food at home rose 3.6% on the year, government data released Thursday showed. Prices of fresh fruits and vegetables rose just 1.2% year over year.
However, there were some big — even alarming — outliers: Frozen fruit and vegetable prices increased by 11.8% in July over last year, frozen vegetable prices rose 17.1% and frozen noncarbonated juice and drink prices rose 16.3%.
Those price rises are at odds with overall inflation figures. U.S. consumer prices rose to 3.2% in July from 3% in the prior month, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said this week. It was the first increase in 13 months.
Why have the prices of frozen fruits and vegetables shot up over the past 12 months, while the cost of fresh fruits and vegetables has increased so little?
Climate change and extreme weather conditions — from heavy rainfall to drought, particularly in California — have led to big problems for farmers. This has been compounded by issues related to the war in Ukraine and an ongoing increase in the cost of labor, experts said.
As a result, a large proportion of the fruits and vegetables grown were destined to be sold as fresh produce — which led to a shortage of ingredients for frozen goods, said Brad Rubin, sector manager at Wells Fargo Agri-Food Institute. “Because of the late crop, lots of produce is being pushed to the fresh market to keep up with demand,” he said.
California weather
California has experienced some drastic weather conditions over the last 12 months. Some 78 trillion gallons of water fell in California during winter 2022 and early spring 2023, according to data from the National Weather Service, delaying planting. And all that snow and rain was followed by a months-long drought in the region.
What happens in California is felt by consumers across the country.
“California produces nearly half of U.S.-grown fruits, nuts and vegetables,” according to estimates from the Sciences College of Agriculture, Food & Environmental Sciences at California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo. “California is the only state in the U.S. to export the following commodities: almonds, artichokes, dates, dried plums, figs, garlic, kiwifruit, olives, pistachios, raisins and walnuts,” it says.
The subsequent price rises hit ingredients like strawberries and raspberries especially hard, Rubin added. Inventories of frozen berries are “near five-year lows” after winter storms in Watsonville flooded agricultural fields, damaging and delaying the strawberry crop. Most of the strawberries in the U.S. are grown in California.
Labor costs
Frozen fruits and vegetables have a longer supply chain than fresh produce, which can make them more vulnerable to disruptions in inventory, experts say. Rising energy prices are also pushing up the cost of cold storage.
In addition to those issues, U.S. farmers are dealing with increased labor costs and fewer migrant workers, partly due to changes in government policies and the closure of borders during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a February 2023 report from the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco.
“Immigration has traditionally provided an important contribution to the U.S. labor force,” the report said. “The flow of immigrants into the United States began to slow in 2017 due to various government policies, then declined further due to border closures in 2020-21 associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. This decline in immigration has had a notable effect on the share of immigrants in the U.S. labor force.”
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine also continues to affect agricultural production in the U.S., said Curt Covington, senior director of institutional business at AgAmerica Lending, a financial-services company providing agricultural loans. Because the war disrupted supplies of commodities like wheat and corn — also pushing up prices for those goods — farmers have been prioritizing planting those crops over vegetables.
“These escalating frozen-vegetable prices present a challenge for farmers as they grapple with increased production costs and labor pressures,” and that presents a long-term challenge for farmers, “potentially impacting their profitability,” Covington said.
All of these factors — from international supply chains to extreme weather conditions — will have an effect on the cost of frozen goods in U.S. supermarkets. Ultimately, experts said, consumers will end up paying the price.
A leading global health body has declared that the artificial sweetener aspartame, commonly used as an ingredient in diet soda, chewing gum and vitamins, may cause cancer.
But the World Health Organization’s report late Thursday also noted that people would have to be exposed to extreme amounts of aspartame — whether through diet, occupational exposure or other means — to be at risk.
So how much aspartame is too much?
It’s safe to consume up to 40 milligrams of aspartame per kilogram, or 2.2 pounds, of body weight per day, a WHO and Food and Agriculture Organizations joint committee of experts on food additives said. So, a person who weighs 154 pounds would need to drink nine to 14 cans of, say, Diet Pepsi or Diet Coke per day to exceed that level, assuming there are 200 to 300 milligrams of aspartame in each can.
“We’re not advising consumers to stop consuming [aspartame] altogether,” said WHO’s nutrition director, Dr. Francesco Branca. “We’re just advising a bit of moderation.”
The Food and Drug Administration has an even higher daily aspartame-exposure limit: 50 milligrams per kilo of body weight.
Even heavy aspartame users — Donald Trump, the former U.S. president, for example, drank a reported 12 cans of Diet Coke a day in his White House years — would struggle to consume that much of the sweetener in an average day.
But consumers should also note that a food being labeled “safe” is not equivalent to its being healthy. There has been plenty of research to suggest that sipping too many sweetened beverages, including diet drinks with artificial sweeteners, may be linked to health problems and elevated risk of death.
Aspartame is used in products that millions of people use every day, including Diet Coke and Diet Pepsi, Pepsi Zero Sugar and Coca-Cola Zero Sugar, the Mars Wrigley chewing gum Extra and some Snapple drinks, as well as some protein drinks, among thousands of others, by the Calorie Control Council’s count.
Aspartame was developed beginning in the mid-1960s by Skokie, Ill.–based G.D. Searle & Co., now a Pfizer PFE, +0.72%
subsidiary, which branded the sweetener NutraSweet. It secured ultimate FDA approval, after initial hiccups, for use in dry goods and then in carbonated soft drinks in 1981 and 1983, according to the Calorie Control Council.
The organization that this week labeled aspartame possibly carcinogenic was the World Health Organization’s cancer-research arm, the International Agency for Research on Cancer. The IARC said its aspartame declaration is based on “limited evidence” of cancer in humans, specifically a type of liver cancer called hepatocellular carcinoma.
What should consumers do with this aspartame news? “At least when it comes to beverages, our message is your best choice is to drink water or an unsweetened beverage,” said Dr. Peter Lurie, executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, which previously nominated aspartame for IARC review.
A leading global health body has declared that the artificial sweetener aspartame, commonly used as an ingredient in diet soda, chewing gum and vitamins, may cause cancer.
But the World Health Organization’s report late Thursday also noted that people would have to be exposed to extreme amounts of aspartame — whether through diet, occupational exposure or other means — to be at risk.
So how much aspartame is too much?
It’s safe to consume up to 40 milligrams of aspartame per kilogram, or 2.2 pounds, of body weight per day, a WHO and Food and Agriculture Organizations joint committee of experts on food additives said. So, a person who weighs 154 pounds would need to drink nine to 14 cans of, say, Diet Pepsi or Diet Coke per day to exceed that level, assuming there are 200 to 300 milligrams of aspartame in each can.
“We’re not advising consumers to stop consuming [aspartame] altogether,” said WHO’s nutrition director, Dr. Francesco Branca. “We’re just advising a bit of moderation.”
The Food and Drug Administration has an even higher daily aspartame-exposure limit: 50 milligrams per kilo of body weight.
Even heavy aspartame users — Donald Trump, the former U.S. president, for example, drank a reported 12 cans of Diet Coke a day in his White House years — would struggle to consume that much of the sweetener in an average day.
But consumers should also note that a food being labeled “safe” is not equivalent to its being healthy. There has been plenty of research to suggest that sipping too many sweetened beverages, including diet drinks with artificial sweeteners, may be linked to health problems and elevated risk of death.
Aspartame is used in products that millions of people use every day, including Diet Coke and Diet Pepsi, Pepsi Zero Sugar and Coca-Cola Zero Sugar, the Mars Wrigley chewing gum Extra and some Snapple drinks, as well as some protein drinks, among thousands of others, by the Calorie Control Council’s count.
Aspartame was developed beginning in the mid-1960s by Skokie, Ill.–based G.D. Searle & Co., now a Pfizer PFE, +0.72%
subsidiary, which branded the sweetener NutraSweet. It secured ultimate FDA approval, after initial hiccups, for use in dry goods and then in carbonated soft drinks in 1981 and 1983, according to the Calorie Control Council.
The organization that this week labeled aspartame possibly carcinogenic was the World Health Organization’s cancer-research arm, the International Agency for Research on Cancer. The IARC said its aspartame declaration is based on “limited evidence” of cancer in humans, specifically a type of liver cancer called hepatocellular carcinoma.
What should consumers do with this aspartame news? “At least when it comes to beverages, our message is your best choice is to drink water or an unsweetened beverage,” said Dr. Peter Lurie, executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, which previously nominated aspartame for IARC review.
The World Health Organization’s cancer research arm is poised to declare the artificial sweetener aspartame as “possibly carcinogenic to humans” as early as next month, Reuters reported, citing two sources with knowledge of the matter.
Aspartame is used in products ranging from diet Coca-Cola KO, -0.93%
to Mars’ Extra chewing gum and certain Snapple drinks. The move will be the first by the International Agency for Research on Cancer, or IARC, the news agency reported.
The IARC ruling was finalized earlier this month after a meeting of its external experts. The meeting considered whether something is a potential hazard or not, based on all the published evidence. It did not consider, however, how much of a product can be safely consumed; that advice is made by a separate WHO expert committee on food additives, called JECFA — the Joint WHO and Food and Agriculture Organization’s Expert Committee on Food Additives) — as well as by national regulators.
Industry groups immediately pushed back on Thursday.
“Consumers deserve facts, and the fact is aspartame is one of the most widely studied food ingredients and has repeatedly been determined to be safe by global scientific and regulatory authorities, which is why the Calorie Control Council is gravely concerned about any unsubstantiated assertions that contradict this conclusion,” said Robert Rankin, president of the Calorie Control Council in emailed comments.
The IARC is not a regulatory agency, an ingredient expert or a food safety authority, Ranking added.
“Their sole focus is to find substances that could cause cancer, and they have classified things like aloe vera, low-frequency magnetic fields, and pickled vegetables as possibly causing cancer. Consumers want context and that is what’s missing from these misleading claims,” he said.
Kate Loatman, executive director of theInternational Council of Beverages Associations (ICBA), agreed.
“While it appears IARC is now prepared to concede that aspartame presents no more of a hazard to consumers than using aloe vera, public health authorities should be deeply concerned that this leaked opinion contradicts decades of high-quality scientific evidence and could needlessly mislead consumers into consuming more sugar rather than choosing safe no- and low-sugar options – all on the basis of low-quality studies,” Loatman said in a statement.
What is it about CEOs and their intense — and often oddball — workout routines?
These days, some top corporate honchos take their exercise rituals to extremes. Consider Damola Adamolekun, chief executive officer of restaurant chain P.F. Chang’s, who recently told Fortune magazine that he wakes up each day at 4:30 a.m. and runs seven to eight miles. He explained that the routine stimulates his nervous system and sets the tone for the day ahead. “You’ll feel better the whole day; you’ll be smarter, you’ll be sharper, you’ll be more energetic,” he said.
Adamolekun is in good company when it comes to training hard. Here are how five other executives work up a sweat and aim to stay healthy.
Jack Dorsey, head of Block and co-founder of Twitter, walks an hour and 15 minutes every day.
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Jack Dorsey
The Twitter co-founder, who now heads the tech conglomerate Block SQ, +3.36%, does it all: two-hour meditations, fasting — he has said he eats only once a day during the week and has almost no food on the weekends — and alternating saunas and ice baths. But he’s no gym rat: Dorsey gets his primary exercise by walking an hour and 15 minutes every day. “I might look a little bit more like I’m jogging than I’m walking. It’s refreshing … It’s just this one of those take-back moments where you’re like, ‘Wow, I’m alive!’” he once observed.
Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg takes his dog for frequent runs — good exercise for both him and his pooch.
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Mark Zuckerberg
The Meta Platforms META, +1.09%
chief isn’t one to get up at the crack of dawn, according to GQ, but he still runs three mornings a week. “I also try to take my dog running whenever I can, which has the added bonus of being hilarious because that’s basically like seeing a mop run,” he told GQ. As for diet, he once was said to experiment with an eating plan that involved only devouring animals he had killed himself — including chickens, goats and pigs. But he also apparently skips meals — or at least he said as much in a 2021 Facebook post. “Do you ever get so excited about what you’re working on that you forget to eat meals?” he asked.
Richard Branson takes off on another kite-surfing adventure.
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Richard Branson
Kite surfing, anyone? The founder of the Virgin Group swears by it as one of his favorite ways to stay fit, according to Men’s Health. He once even kite surfed across the English Channel. His other activities include tennis and biking. He’ll work with a trainer if he’s on the road, but otherwise he likes to exercise outdoors on his private island in the British Virgin Islands. “I just want to be sure that when I’m 150, my body still looks as good as it is today,” said Branson, who is now 72.
Palantir Technologies CEO Alex Karp works out by cross-country skiing — and says the key is to take it as slowly as possible to build your “cardio base.”
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Alex Karp
The head of software company Palantir Technologies takes advantage of the fact that he lives near the White Mountains of New Hampshire to have a regular cross-country skiing routine. Key to his approach, he told Axios, is taking it slow on the snow. “To run like a deer, you have to spend 90% of your time running like a snail,” he explained, adding that his unhurried pace “builds a cardio base.” He also includes tai chi and stretching to his routine. But he isn’t too fussy about his diet. “If I’m traveling and someone has a really nice Danish, I enjoy every minute of eating it,” he said.
Martha Stewart is one of the cover models for Sport Illustrated’s new swimsuit issue.
Sports Illustrated
Martha Stewart
The 81-year-old lifestyle entrepreneur and founder of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia has been in the spotlight for her recent cover appearance on Sports Illustrated’s swimsuit issue. So what does she do to stay in shape for beach season? Stewart swears by Pilates, according to various media reports. And she rides horses. She has also said she doesn’t smoke, eats very well and every morning drinks a glass of “green juice” made with pears, cucumbers, celery stalks, parsley, fresh ginger and two oranges (complete with peels), a recipe she calls “so spectacular.”
An experimental skin patch may soon allow increased protection for toddlers who are allergic to peanuts, according to a new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine.
The patch, named Viaskin, is coated with a small amount of peanut protein that is absorbed into the skin and would offer some protection against an accidental peanut ingestion that so many parents fear at birthday parties, in school cafeterias or on play dates.
If additional testing pans out, “this would fill a huge unmet need,” Dr. Matthew Greenhawt, an allergist at Children’s Hospital Colorado who contributed to the study, told the Associated Press.
About 2% of U.S. children are allergic to peanuts, some so severely than even a tiny exposure can cause a life-threatening reaction. Their immune systems overreact to peanut-containing foods, triggering an inflammatory cascade that causes hives, wheezing or worse. Some youngsters outgrow the allergy, but most must avoid peanuts for life and carry rescue medicine to stave off a severe reaction if they accidentally ingest an allergen.
In 2020, the Food and Drug Administration approved the first treatment to induce tolerance to peanuts — an “oral immunotherapy” named Palforzia that children ages 4 to 17 consume daily to keep up the protection.
The new study, which featured work from dozens of medical professionals in the U.S. and abroad, took samples from 362 toddlers with a peanut allergy. The toddlers were initially tested to see how high a dose of peanut protein they could tolerate. Then they were randomly assigned to use the Viaskin patch or a lookalike placebo patch every day.
After a year of treatment, they were tested again, and about two-thirds of the toddlers who used the Viaskin patch could safely ingest more peanut protein safely. One in three of the toddlers who were given the dummy patch also could safely ingest more peanuts, but Greenhawt said it’s likely those children had outgrown the allergy.
Put aside for a moment all that nutritional advice about eating fruits and vegetables, whole grains and lean proteins. Could one key to good health actually be a diet rich in … ice cream?
That’s the tantalizing question raised by a new story in the Atlantic, which states, “Studies show a mysterious health benefit to ice cream. Scientists don’t want to talk about it.”
