Food

Here’s the inspiration you need to finally work eggs into your meal plan. READ MORE…

Photo by Samuel Corum/Getty Images https://ny.eater.com/2020/8/10/21362093/trump-unemployment-executive-order-coronavirus-nyc-restaurants

K-Paul’s in New Orleans | K-Paul’s Louisiana Kitchen/Facebook This week on Eater’s Digest, paying tribute to three old timers that couldn’t make it through the pandemic July was an especially bad month for restaurant closures, as many operators of restaurants new and old, independent and corporate threw in the towel after mounting expenses and increasing uncertainty. This week on the podcast, we invited three editors from across the country to discuss venerable and iconic restaurants in their cities that have closed and the meaning of their loss. Robert Sietsema talks about La Caridad 78, one of the last vestiges of the Cuban-Chinese restaurant scene in New York. Eater LA’s Matthew Kang discusses Dong Il Jang, a staple of Los Angeles’ Koreatown. And Eater Clair Lorell tells us about the groundbreaking, 40-year run of Paul Prudhomme’s K-Paul’s. Listen and subscribe to Eater’s Digest on Apple Podcasts.

Including their classic Dutch ovens! READ MORE…

Acme Smoked Fish provides salmon and much more for institutions like Russ & Daughters If you’re looking for a primer on the difference between lox, Nova, and smoked salmon, this isn’t it (though you’ll find that here). This is an ode to gravlax, a specific style of lox (or more accurately, belly lox) that has been cured in both sugar and salt. Unlike many of its salmon siblings, gravlax isn’t smoked but rather weighted down and wrapped up tight in a sugar/salt mixture along with other possible ingredients like dill or beets, then left for days to cure. For over 100 years, New York’s best smoked and cured fish — including gravlax — has come from one place: Acme Smoked Fish, which sells the likes of salmon, whitefish, sable, and trout to some of New York City’s most famous appetizing stores (yes, including Russ and Daughters). So Richard Schiff, Acme’s VP of northeast sales, joined Eater’s Instagram to demonstrate how to make a simple, dill-drenched beet-cured gravlax at home. Find the recipe below as well as Schiff’s pro tips. Beet Gravlax Courtesy of Richard Schiff 1 fresh salmon fillet2 cups white sugar1 cup salt4 to 5 raw beets, gratedLarge bunch of fresh dill, chopped (more if you love dill) Mix sugar and salt together; set aside. Place salmon in a tray or deep pan that will hold the liquid that will develop over the course of the curing. Cover with the sugar/salt mixture. Note: You may need more sugar and salt depending on the size of the salmon. A 2:1 sugar to salt ratio should be kept in mind. Then, cover entirely with dill and grated beets (remembering not to be shy with the dill) and wrap loosely with plastic wrap. Place another tray on top of salmon along with a couple of bricks or cans on top, to press it down. Chill in the fridge for the next 48 hours, flipping the salmon every 8 hours or so to ensure it cures evenly. Once the 2 days are up, the salmon should firm up nicely from the cure and slice easily. If it’s too soft, it may need more time in the cure. Rinse off with cold water when done to remove an excess salt. Slice and enjoy with either sliced bread, eggs, a bagel, or on its own.

Stock your freezer without wasting food months later. READ MORE…

That $3 plate is seriously clutch. READ MORE…

Romaine, tuna, and piparra peppers combine for a 5-minute salad that feels like you’re eating lunch in Spain. READ MORE…

Former CEO Steve Easterbrook was fired in 2019 for violating company policy and demonstrating “poor judgment” through his consensual relationship with an employee. | Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images An anonymous tip led to the fast-food company’s discovery that Steve Easterbrook had allegedly lied and concealed evidence about his inappropriate relationships McDonald’s is suing its former CEO Steve Easterbrook, who was fired last fall for violating company policy by engaging in an inappropriate relationship with an employee. At the time, Easterbrook alleged — and an outside investigation affirmed — that the relationship was consensual and non-physical (consisting of texting and video calls), and the only relationship that Easterbrook had ever had with a McDonald’s employee. But according to the lawsuit that McDonald’s filed in a state court in Delaware, the company received an anonymous tip in July, alleging that Easterbrook had had a sexual relationship with another employee during his time as CEO. While investigating this claim, the company found that Easterbrook had engaged in physical, sexual relationships with a total of three employees as CEO. Per the lawsuit, Easterbrook had also sent nudes and sexually explicit photos and videos of women, including those of the aforementioned employees, from his work email account to his personal email account. Easterbrook had deleted the photos, taken between late 2018 and early 2019, from his company phone when he turned it over for the investigation last fall — but the photos apparently still existed on his work email account on the McDonald’s servers, the company discovered last month. The lawsuit also alleges that Easterbrook had approved a special discretionary grant of restricted stock units worth hundreds of thousands of dollars to one of the employees after their first sexual encounter, within days before their second encounter. These transgressions constitute not just generally unethical scumbag behavior, but more pertinent to the lawsuit, lying, concealing of evidence, and fraud as they relate to Easterbrook’s separation package from McDonald’s. Last fall, the board of directors had the choice to either terminate Easterbrook “with cause” or “without cause.” The former, which would have deprived Easterbrook of all severance benefits, would have required evidence that Easterbrook’s conduct had constituted “dishonesty, fraud, illegality or moral turpitude.” According to the lawsuit, the board believed that following following that route would be “certain to embroil the Company in a lengthy dispute” with Easterbrook, so they chose to fire him “without cause” instead. As a result, Easterbrook walked away with a severance package estimated to be worth $42 million, according to executive compensation data company Equilar. McDonald’s is now suing to get the full amount back. “McDonald’s does not tolerate behavior from any employee that does not reflect our values,” wrote current CEO Chris Kempczinski in an internal memo telling employees about the lawsuit and Easterbrook’s actions. “As we recommit to our values, now, more than ever, is the time to lean in to what we stand for and act as a positive force for change.” Issues and accusations of sexual harassment have plagued McDonald’s at all levels in recent years. A former employee at a New Jersey McDonald’s filed a suit last week, alleging that she faced sexual and racist harassment as retaliation for calling out her restaurant’s unsanitary conditions. In 2018, ten women filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission after all facing harassment at their various stores. In 2016, Fight for 15 filed a complaint alleging rampant sexual harassment on behalf of 15 workers. In all of the cases, McDonald’s responded with near identical language, stating some variation of: “At McDonald’s Corporation, we are and have been committed to a culture that fosters the respectful treatment of everyone. There is no place for harassment and discrimination of any kind in our workplace. McDonald’s Corporation takes allegations of sexual harassment very seriously.” More seriously, perhaps, when the misconduct costs the company an alleged $42 million.

We’ve partnered with Cape Cod® Potato Chips to celebrate their 40th anniversary with a crunchy look back at their decades-long history. Since its humble beginnings in Hyannis, Massachusetts, Cape Cod Potato Chips has become a household name. Whether you’re enjoying a bag of their ridged Waves potato chips, tangy Sea Salt and Vinegar, or classic Original flavor, the foundational ingredients (just potatoes, salt, and oil) always shine through. Read More >>

Just because the food inside is frozen, that does not mean the freezer is set correctly. READ MORE…

A spread at Le Sia in New York | Louise Palmberg/Eater From the Editor: Everything you missed in food news last week This post originally appeared on August 8, 2020 in Amanda Kludt’s newsletter “From the Editor,” a roundup of the most vital news and stories in the food world each week. Read the archives and subscribe now. Every week in this space I highlight the restaurant closures that feel nationally relevant to me. There are usually a handful of big ones every week. A slow trickle of misery, confirmation of our fears. The last two weeks (here and below) have felt more like a flood. Or to swap metaphors, a bloodbath. Every independent restaurant closure, known or not, is a tragedy for the workers and owners and community members who loved it. But it seems like a growing list of name-brand places — Trois Mec, Broken Spanish, Augustine, Le Sia — and old-timers — 40 year-old dives and bakeries and gay bars and diners — threw in the towel alongside struggling newcomers in July. Maybe it’s Paycheck Protection Program loans running out as business owners await a “second draw,” or maybe it’s expiring eviction protections. Maybe it’s the harbinger of winter without safe indoor dining and the prolonged spike in cases, or a recognition that the vaccine, even if it comes early next year, won’t be a silver bullet (especially if people don’t take it). In New York specifically, data suggest one third of independent businesses have permanently closed. This week on our podcast, we invited editors to eulogize some especially iconic restaurants: K-Paul’s, a longtime destination for Paul Prudhomme’s Cajun cuisine in New Orleans; La Caridad, one of New York’s last Cuban-Chinese restaurants; and Dong Il Jang, a standard-bearer for the Korean community in LA. We’ll highlight a new obit every week for the foreseeable future. On a more positive note, I also feature openings in this space, and I am encouraged to see people opening, pivoting, and rearranging dreams in this time. If there is still someone selling ornate and precious toasts in Portland and couples in SF signing leases mid-pandemic, there may be hope for us yet! Or at least we can tell ourselves that. On Eater — Closures: Baco Mercat, Broken Spanish, Bazaar and Somni, and Dong Il Jang in LA; Caridad 78, Porsena, Fat Radish, Oda House, and the Awkward Scone in New York; Serpentine and Baker Street Bistro in SF; Dive Bar & Lounge in Austin; and Jidori in London. — Chef shuffles: Chef Tom Cunanan will leave lauded Filipino restaurant Bad Saint in D.C., and Wes Avila will leave Guerrilla Tacos in LA. — The owners of SF’s State Bird Provisions will no longer pursue a vegetarian restaurant and are pushing back the opening of their upcoming Anchovy Bar. — In the world of delivery, DoorDash is offering hazard pay (but it’s only 78 cents per day). It’s also launched online convenience stores. Meanwhile, Jeff Bezos got the all-clear from the U.K. antitrust authority to invest in that region’s delivery behemoth Deliveroo. And Vegas introduced commission caps. — While to-go cocktails feel ever out of reach to the good people of Oregon, Michigan lawmakers finally changed some Prohibition-era laws to make them legal there. And so my Detroit-based colleague Brenna has a great ditty about what it takes to create and execute excellent delivery drinks. Meanwhile, in New York, savvy entrepreneurs have found a solid booze business in Prospect Park, while the government cracks down on legal operations. Dina Avila / EPDX Kimura Toast Bar— Openings: Marlena, a restaurant from a couple with fine dining backgrounds, in SF; IndoMex, a brunch pop-up, in Oakland; Robert Et Fils, a French fine dining destination, and Testaccio, a Roman restaurant focused on street food, in Chicago; Ichijiku, a sushi spot from seasoned sushi chefs and the owners of Ma’am Sir, and Market Tavern, a British pub, in LA; and Kimura Toast Bar, a tribute to a Japanese kissaten, in Portland. — Things are (kind of, relatively speaking) starting to look up in New York’s Chinatown. — Employees of D.C. hit restaurant Rose’s Luxury are calling out management for failing to address past incidents of harassment and cultural insensitivity. And popular Brooklyn pizzeria Archie’s closed after employees accused the manager of sexual misconduct. — A number of high-profile restaurateurs in New York committed to eliminating the tipped minimum wage in their operations in exchange for payroll tax relief and an ability to add a “safe opening” surcharge to checks. — TIL there’s an intense rivalry between lovers of Nigerian and Ghanian joloff rice. — Last but not least, our Hulu show has an air date (November 11) and a narrator (Maya Rudolph)! Off Eater If no one else has convinced you yet, maybe Matty Yglesias can: Bars and restaurants need a bailout. [Vox.com] The age of the auteur chef is over. [NYT] The players inside the NBA bubble are drinking really, really well. [ESPN] Indie food media newsletters are still going strong (and some are even making money). [Taste] 100 New Yorkers on the new rules of outdoor drinking. [New York]

Though in fry form anything is tasty and the candied variety are near and dear to my heart, the easiest way to prepare a sweet potato is to bake it in the oven. When done right, this yields tender, creamy flesh with crispy skin—perfect for using in any number of delicious dishes. While baking sweet potatoes isn’t exactly rocket science, there are a few tips and tricks you should keep in mind to get the most out of these beloved spuds. Here’s what you need to know. What to look for when buying sweet potatoes It’s best to select small- to medium-sized sweet potatoes (figure about four to eight ounces each) as larger sweet potatoes tend to be starchier, which means a drier texture. You want to select those that are blemish-free and with tight, smooth skin. Read More >>

It’s only $20 and it’s actually TOTALLY worth it! READ MORE…

Kondor83/Shutterstock Plus, forever chemicals in to-go packaging, and more news to start your day Bars grapple with “last call” orders banning alcohol sales past certain times From Rhode Island to Colorado, states and local jurisdictions have been issuing “last call” orders, prohibiting alcohol sales past a certain time. Such curfews are ostensibly to help curb the transmission of the coronavirus, which is easily spread in typical bar conditions: indoors, crowded, people with lowered inhibitions talking and drinking in close proximity for prolonged periods of time. But some bar owners and health experts have expressed doubt about the effectiveness of mandated last calls, and bar owners are frustrated about the financial impact of essentially having to close at 10 or 11 p.m., CNBC reports. On the public health side, the curfews could be beneficial, but they still don’t address the core problem of people congregating indoors without masks for long periods of time. There’s also a risk that customers could simply go to bars earlier in the evening to drink, potentially making crowding worse, one expert told CNBC. Bar owners also pointed to the apparent arbitrariness of the early closures, but were more urgently concerned with the financial implications for their businesses, already hard-hit during the early months of the pandemic. Both these concerns highlight just how badly the U.S. government has handled the pandemic. In the ideal public health scenario, bars wouldn’t be open. In the ideal business owner scenario, bars would still be making money. It seems the obvious solution would be to close such businesses and continue to pay people to stay home — but then again, this is America. And in other news… The salmonella outbreak linked to Thomson International onions has grown to 43 states and 640 cases in the U.S. and 239 cases in Canada. [NYT] A new report by anti-pollution nonprofits found that PFAS — sometimes called “forever chemicals” — can be found in fast-food and fast-casual packaging, including Cava molded fiber bowls and Big Mac cartons. [The Counter] People are eating a lot more cereal now that they’re stuck at home. [Business Insider] Rachael Ray’s house in upstate New York was reportedly destroyed by a fire on Sunday. [NYup] Restaurant design in the time of COVID-19: greater flexibility, more to-go-only? [QSR Magazine] • All AM Intel Coverage [E]