Famous Flavors

Mushrooms: The Water-Soaking Saboteurs Mushrooms: The Water-Soaking Saboteurs (image credits: wikimedia) For quality reasons, do not wash mushrooms until you are ready to use them. Despite what many meal preppers think, scrubbing those earthy fungi days ahead is one of the fastest ways to turn firm, flavorful mushrooms into soggy disappointments. “All wild mushrooms should be washed and it is crucial to dry them out afterwards,” says Joseph Rizza, Executive Chef of Prime & Provisions in Chicago. “Cultivated mushrooms, like buttons and portobellos can be cleaned using a dry cloth or paper towel to wipe off the excess ‘dirt’ they … Read more

Freezer Burn Turns Premium Lasagna Into Cardboard Freezer Burn Turns Premium Lasagna Into Cardboard (image credits: unsplash) You know that fancy organic lasagna you splurged on at the grocery store? The dulling of color in frozen vegetables and cooked foods is usually the result of excessive drying due to improper packaging or over-lengthy storage. The bright red color of meat as purchased usually turns dark or pale brown depending on its variety. This may be due to lack of oxygen, freezer burn or abnormally long storage. Even if the packaging looks intact, freezer burn happens when food isn’t stored properly … Read more

Cheerios Cheerios (image credits: wikimedia) America’s beloved whole grain oat circles might look sturdy, but once opened, cereal’s shelf life diminishes due to exposure to air and moisture, which can lead to staleness. Cheerios, another General Mills classic, was introduced in 1941 as the first ready-to-eat oat cereal, yet despite its long history, this breakfast staple begins losing its signature crunch within just a few days of opening. If you try to break a flake of cereal and there is no crackling sound, then the cereal has probably gone bad – or more specifically the cereal is stale and has … Read more

Spinach Loses Most of Its Vitamin C When Heated Spinach Loses Most of Its Vitamin C When Heated (image credits: wikimedia) Think spinach is the ultimate superfood? Raw spinach certainly packs a nutritional punch with its impressive vitamin C content, but here’s what nobody tells you. Spinach can lose much of its vitamin C when cooked. Blanching for five minutes can more than halve vitamin C levels, with more than 90 percent dissolving into the cooking water after 15 minutes. That vibrant green power you’re expecting from your cooked spinach dishes? Most of it literally goes down the drain with … Read more

The Surprising Survival Champions in Your Kitchen The Surprising Survival Champions in Your Kitchen (image credits: unsplash) Have you ever wondered why some vegetables seem to last forever while others turn into wrinkled shadows of their former selves after just a few days? Root vegetables are among the most wasted food items in households worldwide, with studies showing that 44.1% of all root vegetables are wasted after storage. Yet despite their tendency to shrivel and shrink, these underground treasures possess something remarkable—they rarely end up in the trash bin. When vegetables start shriveling, they’re becoming too dry, but this process … Read more

Sugary Cereals: The Sweet Trap That Starts Your Day Sugary Cereals: The Sweet Trap That Starts Your Day (image credits: unsplash) The cereal aisle looks innocent enough, but it’s actually ground zero for one of the most shocking nutritional transformations in modern food history. Between 2010 and 2023, cereals marketed to children showed significant increases in fat, sodium and sugar and decreases in protein and fiber content. That colorful box of “wholesome” breakfast cereal you toss in your cart? Many of these cereals will have 10 to 14 grams of “added sugar” per serving, and some will have more. A … Read more

The Rice Reality Check Nobody Talks About The Rice Reality Check Nobody Talks About (image credits: unsplash) Picture this: you’ve spent Sunday afternoon cooking up a perfect batch of fluffy rice, portioning it out for the week ahead, feeling like a meal prep champion. Then Wednesday rolls around, and that rice has a funky smell that makes your nose wrinkle. Cooked rice should only be stored in the refrigerator for three to five days, with most experts recommending no more than four days. The problem isn’t just about taste – rice can harbor Bacillus cereus, a spore-forming bacterium that can … Read more

The Sweet Deception of Strawberries The Sweet Deception of Strawberries (image credits: flickr) Picture this: you’re standing in the produce aisle, mesmerized by those perfect, glossy strawberries that seem to scream “eat me!” But here’s the harsh reality – fresh raspberries and strawberries only keep 2 to 3 days even in the fridge. Yet most of us buy these ruby gems thinking they’ll last the week. Strawberries don’t ripen once they’re picked, so if they don’t look ripe, they never will be. That means what you see is what you get, and what you get better be eaten fast. Soft … Read more

Peanuts: The Top Protein Heavyweight Peanuts: The Top Protein Heavyweight (image credits: pixabay) Peanuts are technically legumes, but they’re always invited to the nut party—and for good reason. Packing around 25 grams of protein per 100 grams, peanuts outshine most other popular nuts in protein content. Recent USDA data confirms that just a small handful gives you almost as much protein as a whole egg. This makes them the go-to snack for athletes and anyone looking to boost their daily intake. They’re also affordable and easy to find, which only adds to their appeal. Peanuts are a star ingredient in … Read more

Chick-fil-A: Still the Reigning Favorite Chick-fil-A: Still the Reigning Favorite (image credits: unsplash) Chick-fil-A continues to dominate customer satisfaction surveys, holding the top spot in the American Customer Satisfaction Index for fast-food restaurants in 2024. According to the ACSI, Chick-fil-A scored a remarkable 85 out of 100, the highest among all quick-service brands. Its loyal following is fueled by friendly service and a menu that’s both simple and consistently praised for taste. Even with controversy over the years, foot traffic remains high, and the chain keeps expanding into new markets across the U.S. Fans rave about the chicken sandwich and … Read more