The Daily Dish: August 4, 2016
Today's first course?
A year ago the Norvell family of Rowlett, Texas, had the most terrifying day of their lives. Their little daughter, Bexley, turned blue after an afternoon of swimming. Bexley's mom panicked and called 911. Cpl. Patrick Ray of the Rowlett Police Department answered the call and managed to dislodge a penny the child had swallowed. She quickly recovered. On the one-year anniversary of Ray's saving their child's life, the Norvell family invited Ray to a tea party as a thank-you, and the big police officer squeezed himself into a pint-sized chair to have make-believe tea with the toddler.
The everything bagel is as iconic to New York City carb culture as dollar-slice pizza and egg-and-cheese breakfast sandwiches. But that toasty, comforting combination of poppy, caraway, and sesame seeds plus salt, garlic, and onion may not have been invented in a deli. According to some sources, the everything bagel was invented by New York restaurateur Joe Bastianich, the business partner of Mario Batali and the man who (with Batali) brought us Eataly and (on his own) the best of MasterChef's disapproving stares. Bastianich himself takes credit for the invention, but there are others who assert their own claims as everything bagel inventor. Check out the full story in the News in Brief section on The Daily Meal.
Cooking is one thing machines can't really do. Sure, there are appliances and gadgets that can make your food-making life easier, but when it comes to actually cooking a delicious dish, no amount of technology can substitute for pure talent and experience in the kitchen. One Columbia University professor, however, is out to give all chefs, amateur and expert alike, the ability to cook gourmet meals. Hod Lipson of the Creative Machines Lab at Columbia University in Manhattan is currently developing a coffeemaker-sized 3-D food printer. Such a contraption would be useful for special-needs populations, and a boon for all home chefs looking to crank out a perfect meal, minus the whole labor-of-love thing.
Red wine is famed for its health benefits, but now scientists want to take those benefits and put them into a pill. Research points to the antioxidant resveratrol as a key ingredient in red wine's beneficial properties. Some claim that this compound, which occurs in small doses in red wine, can protect against heart disease, diabetes, and Alzheimer's. However, drinking wine to get resveratrol is ineffective; it's broken down too quickly by the liver to be of any use, but, more to the point, you'd have to drink about 1,000 bottles of wine a day to ingest enough resveratrol to effectively fight Alzheimer's — and that level of consumption might very well cause other problems.
McDonald's announced a major menu quality overhaul to appeal to customers who care what's inside their greasy paper bags. The Golden Arches will be ditching artificial preservatives from their Chicken McNuggets, scrambled eggs, and breakfast sausage. McDonald's will also be cleaning up other menu items by removing high-fructose corn syrup from burger buns. Previously, the chain had announced a plan to introduce cage-free eggs and high-nutrient greens like kale and romaine onto their menus.
That's today's daily dish, thanks for watching. Stop by tomorrow for another helping.