This week, The Standard's Melanie McDonagh gave us her favorite cookbooks for the summer, "from seaside food porn to Italian simplicity." Books by Donna Hay, Dara Klein, Theo Randall, and Niki Segnit made McDonagh's list.
The bagel is one of America's most well-loved breakfast items. Whether you like them plain, with a schmear, toasted, or with everything, you'll enjoy this brief history of the bagel. The article is part of a recurring series, “American Objects,” marking the 250th anniversary of the United States. The story traces the roots of the chewy rounds from its immigrant beginnings to its current status as a go-to breakfast item.
The nutritional value of our food has been declining in the past few decades. Testing has shown that carrots' vitamin C content has decreased by about 30 percent, and the mineral content in wheat has been reduced by a similar amount in the last 70 years. Scientists have not quite nailed down what has caused the decline, but a group of researchers has proposed a solution: regenerative agriculture. Some studies have shown an increase in nutrients in food grown on land that is regeneratively farmed, while others have not.
Did what our ancestors ate affect how we evolved? That question is at the heart of recent research conducted by the University of California Los Angeles and the University of Buffalo. Scientists there measured the quantity of certain genes linked to digestions. They found that people indigenous to the Andes mountains had the highest number of copies of the AMY1 gene, which produces salivary amylase, an enzyme that starts breaking down starchy foods the moment you eat them. The diet in that region was high in potatoes, evidence that long term dietary patterns are linked to evolutionary changes.
Meghan Markle made an appearance on MasterChef Australia as a special guest judge this week. The show's producer said that Meghan "was really good at judging" compared to other guests. This stint didn't surprise any of Meghan's fans as her love for cooking has been chronicled across her social media platforms and through her Netflix series With Love, Meghan.
The Independent's Hannah Twiggs reports on why shortages and higher food costs may be coming soon to the UK. A lack of rainfall coupled with extremely hot weather has pushed crop yields down precipitously for UK farmers. Brassicas such as cauliflower, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and cabbage have been hit hard, and other weather events around the globe have reduced yields in crops that are imported. While some items will be in short supply, the biggest effects will be higher prices and smaller package sizes.