Elazar Sontag examines the science of mold on food:
“Mold is a key ‘ingredient’ in many of this world’s greatest foods: Cheese, soy sauce, dry-aged steak, and sake to name just a few. But knowing that mold has graced some of the foods I love rarely results in the sort of confidence I need to casually cut some fuzz from a loaf of bread and get on with my life.”
Melinda Lavine explores how cooking can improve one’s mental health:
“Research concludes that cooking and baking can decrease symptoms of depression, anxiety and promote positive mood and self-confidence, said Annie Leusman, MSAW / social worker at St. Luke’s Mental Health Clinic.
“Cooking and baking call for cognitive, physical and socio-emotional processes. It completely immerses you, and it uses all the senses.
“‘When you’re cooking, maybe you’re smelling the garlic, sauteing olive oil. You might taste the soup to make sure you have the seasoning right. You can hear cooking, the chopping of vegetables, the knife on the cutting board,’ Leusman said.”
The COVID-19 pandemic is pushing some to adopt plant-based diets, writes Swati Chaturvedi:
“The saying, an apple a day keeps the doctor away, holds true. There is an increase in demand for organic food, vegan, vegetarian and other healthy foods as a result of the pandemic. All around us, we see an increasing number of people taking to vegetarianism for reasons such as inner peace, health concerns and their love for the environment.”
Epicurious’s Kendra Vaculin explains how she uses old cookbooks to prop up her desk computer:
“Building a cookbook standing desk (or laptop lift, if I’m feeling sedentary) has done wonders for my productivity during this new WFH era. After weeks of wondering why I couldn’t focus while curled on the couch in a position called The Chiropractor’s Nightmare, balancing my computer on a little pile of culinary inspiration was enough to set me straight.”
Want glowing skin? Try using superfoods, writes Laura Pitcher:
“You might think your skincare routine starts with a simple cleanser, but many nutritionists would argue that it starts with what you eat. ‘What you put in your body literally becomes your skin,’ says holistic nutritionist Afya Ibomu. As a result, kitchen ingredients are gradually becoming beauty staples, with a rising interest in superfoods in particular.”