Food Notes: 1/7
Caviar, wine, old food, and more
If you read last week’s Food Notes, you might remember we stuffed up dozens of these little dumplings to ring in the New Year. We boiled and pan fried a lot of them, but still had dozens left over. So we made a dumpling soup.
We spent the week out on Cape Cod. Its decidedly the off-season on the outer Cape in January. Sunset was just after 4:15, and it was totally dark before 5, but despite the cold and damp, there really is something magical about the day light out here, at least as long as the sun is shining. The colors on the Cape in winter are palette of gold, gray, lichen, and fir tree green, plus of course, the icy blue sea.
The soup we made with a base of onion, carrot, celery and fresh ginger. We boiled the dumplings in the soup and topped it with spinach, so we could have some greens. To accompany the dumpling soup, I baked up a pepperoni bread. Pepperoni bread is one of those semi-homemade treats that seems like it should be absolutely challenging until you actually make it yourself. It was always one of my favorites growing up, and I’m glad to say it was just as delicious.
The Latest
The Craft Brewery Crash is Upon Us
More breweries closed than opened last year, and the ever expanding market for craft beers appears to actually have an upward limit. Maybe nobody actually wants to pay $12 for an over-hopped, slightly malformed IPA with 8% alcohol after all. With a little luck, the survivors will brew better beer.
The Taste of Old Food
John Mariani looks into what ancient food tasted like. Its an interesting question to pose considering how rapidly recipes evolve, and how food trends change in just a few years.
It’s Only Agua Fresca if It Comes from The Fresca Region of Texas.
José R. Ralat looks into Bawi, a new sparkling beverage, based in Austin. I’ll be honest, the can art looks stunning and makes me think this is a $12 seltzer. The company was founded by Victor Guardiola. He was named a Forbes 30 Under 30, so unfortunately it’s likely he’ll eventually be indicted.
Endangered Fruit
Heirloom fruits often fall out of favor for one reason or another, usually unrelated to being delicious. Atlas Obscura profiles a farm that’s preserving unpopular fruits in danger of going extinct.
Ear-y Egg Color
Brown eggs come from chickens with red ears, and white eggs come frdom chickens with white ears. That’s it. That’s the Tweet.
Sacramento’s Caviar
Turns out Sacramento, California is a leading producer of Caviar. Bon Appétit looks into how a consolidation in the industry means most caviar will come from one farm. One day I’m sure I’ll give caviar a taste.
If you can’t drink the water, maybe you can drink the wine?
Michigan is the hottest new win region. Food & Wine breaks down the region and what to expect. I can’t even make a joke about this. I’m sure its fine. But if you prefer mediocre wine regions that are imported, there’s always Ireland.
New Haven’s Pizza-themed AirBnB
Just when you thought AirBnB was on the way out, a New Haven couple launched a pizza-themed rental. Its located near Modern Apizza on of the three classic New Haven style joints. But the interior is renovated to look like a classic pizza shop with retro diner seating, plastic red cola cups, and a pizza hut chandelier.
Recalls of the Week
Cheese, broccoli, candy bars, and cookie dough.