Food

The Brood X cicadas are now the buzziest food trend

Mitchell R. Lajoie 5 hours ago

The Brood X cicadas are already starting to emerge and while some people are bracing for their loud mating sounds and try to avoid stepping on their crunchy shells, others are ready to take to the kitchen with the insects to cook up a satisfying snack or fancy dinner.

Chefs like Joseph Yoon, who runs the educational website and social media channels @brooklynbugs have been busy preparing taste treats such as cicada nymph salad, guacamole — and even kimchi. It’s not a joke but a rather elevated form of cooking that utilizes an oft-overlooked source of protein — insects.

According to his Instagram posts, Yoon has already made dozens of dishes with the cicada nymphs he’s collected and plans to keep creating dishes that encompass every part of the life cycle of the Brood X bugs. As we know these cicadas emerge only ever 17 years, so this is a

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Rising food prices impacting western Washington businesses, food banks

Mitchell R. Lajoie 17 hours ago

Food prices are up 3.3% from last year and expected to go up more through the end of the year. The situation is hurting small businesses and food banks.

SEDRO-WOOLLEY, Wash. — Food prices across the country are going up and it’s having a ripple effect in western Washington. 

Connie Weech restocked her restaurant Monday for the week ahead. It’s one more week of the unknown after more than a year of living in survival mode. 

“It is exhausting,” she said. “It’s pretty tiring.”

Weech’s Magnolia Grill in Sedro-Woolley made it through the pandemic and was just starting to make money again when food prices started rising over the past month.

Some necessities like cooking oil have skyrocketed nearly 400%. Weech’s signature steaks are up 60%. “I just looked today and it went up another dollar per pound,” Weech said. “I just went, ‘Noooo!'”

It was another day and another

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7 Different Types of Butter Explained by a Food Scientist

Mitchell R. Lajoie 23 hours ago
Butter makes everything it touches infinitely better. Fat is a much-needed addition to the flavor profile of your meal. The type of butter you use should change depending on how you’re using it, explains food scientist Makenzie Bryson Jackson, MS, a product development manager at Panaceutics.

“Butter is an amazing food! It impacts cooking due to the fat content,” says Jackson. “There are many different types of butter to try, like cultured butters, grass-fed, and Amish butter.”

If you’re using nothing but store-brand butter, Jackson says you’re missing out. And if you use nothing but fancy butter, you’re wasting money. To best complement your meals, every refrigerator should be stocked with different types of butter for different situations. Let’s talk about your options.

Different types of butter, explained by a food scientist

1. Salted butter

“Salted butter has salt added so you’ll want to add

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This Home Gardening Mistake Can Make Your Food Toxic, According To Experts

Mitchell R. Lajoie 2 days ago

New ways of making our own food can be exciting, especially for anyone who wants to maximize their food’s health benefits while also possibly saving a little money. If you’ve been curious about a cooking trend that’s growing—literally—then an important tip that’s come out of a new study might help ensure the fruits of your dedication are actually plenty safe for you to eat.

Food Safety News published their report this weekend about a study led by a food safety specialist at Oregon State University’s College of Agricultural Sciences. Joy Waite-Cusic, Ph.D., conducted the study to examine a way to cut down Salmonella risk due to an increasingly popular practice: “Activating” some grains, sprouts, nuts, seeds, and legumes to create the conditions for them to become a plant. According to Mind Body Green, activation is said to release these foods’ most nutritional properties, causing them to deliver

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