Welcome to Food Week April 5, 2024. A difficult week with the killing of the WCK workers so perhaps we can be distracted by more mundane failings like plastic in produce, restaurant delivery, ketchup in hot dogs, Asian shrimp, salmon, Walgreens and the fluffernutter. Enjoy.
MACRO
- The job market has another strong performance in March.
- As if the situation in Gaza wasn’t tragic enough, World Central Kitchen workers are killed by Israeli drone strike.
- Why write about Universal Basic Income (UBI) on a food blog? Because it has the potential to be a more economical and efficient alternative to food stamps and WIC. However the resistance to the concept is fierce.
RETAIL AND CONSUMER
- An everything bag… um, cup of noodles?
- Analyst: Walgreens isn’t very good at retailing.
- Small habits to improve your home cooking. One way might be to start using Salmoriglio for marinating.
- How Walmart transfers the costs of its employees onto the government and the public.
- The Federal Trade Commission is the latest group to call out retailers for increasing margins as the reason for higher food prices.
- Trying to get produce out of plastic and, by extension, plastic out of produce.
RESTAURANTS AND FOODSERVICE
- Restaurant delivery is terrible and s going to get worse. John Oliver eviscerates them here. And none of them make any money anyway. But in Florida, they have taken l away from local governments the ability to regulate them.
- Heinz is trolling hot dog stands in Chicago by putting up ketchup dispensing machines. For those who don’t know, ketchup is a no no for Chicago hot dogs.
- Wendy’s opens an all vegan location.
- A Ukrainian coffee shop in Chicago drawing crowds.
FOOD SUPPLY CHAIN
- Transmission of Avian Influenza from cattle to human in Texas. Probably sounds more scary than it is.
- Rhode Island the latest state to discontinue organic certification program due to cost.
- More than half of the Colorado River water goes to agriculture, mostly for hay.
- Another week, another record price for cocoa.
- The conditions at fish farms in Asia are often appalling so this story about contaminated shrimp from India is not that surprising.
- The Kentucky legislature moves to ban video recording in animal processing plants.
DRINK CORNER
- Using technology to perfect Gin.
- Poitin is a moonshine that predates Irish Whisky
- This list was described as the cocktails that bartenders order. If you made a list of the most famous cocktails it would be the same. So DON”T click on it unless you just want to hate view. Or, click on this one if you want to order cocktails based on the Zodiac.
- The Yayo is a tradition at Casa Camacho, the oldest restaurant in Madrid. The secret ingredient is Spanish vermouth.
- Lillet is a ingredient that has fallen out of favor but is remarkably versatile and blends beautifully.
- Wines to buy at Costco.
FOOD WEEK April 5 LAGNIAPPE
- Don’t eat salmon, eat like a salmon for health.
- A screed against functional beverages.
- The Havana Syndrome somehow linked to a chef.
- The world’s greatest mussels from the world’s greatest mussel chef.
- The history of the Easter butter lamb.
- Toxins found in cereal, fast foods.
- I will not be denied: Tracy Morgan says that he ‘out-ate’ Ozempic and gained 40 pounds. and how eating late at night messes you up.
- The best American sandwich is… the Fluffernutter? Well, according to these so-called experts.