Entries by Grant Alkin

Microbes & the Future

The vanillin (major flavor compound in vanilla beans) found in most food products on the market is derived from a three-step synthetic process that converts the molecule guaiacol to vanillin. Both natural and chemical methods for this conversion has shown to be expensive and environmentally burdensome, but biotech company Gen9 is providing a more promising route to synthesize vanillin that […]

Mushrooms on Mortality, Menus, and the Mind

What is neither plant nor animal and whose size can span up to 1,665 football fields [1]? A mushroom! The visible part of a mushroom may seem small, but underneath the ground its’ mycelium, or threadlike reproductive organ, can cover an astounding amount of surface area. During the recent “Mushrooms: Fungi as Food” event, undergraduate […]

Hangry Hoarders & Juice Processing

Hunger may motivate eating, but a team of researchers recently investigated how hunger can influence people to hoard items that can’t be eaten. Thirsty for juice instead? It turns out that cold-pressing juice isn’t as beneficial as people may tout, due to the multitude of factors that go into how micronutrients are absorbed by the human body.

Pistachio

They’re green, nutty, and floral, the perfect summer combination. Pistachios are used in many summertime favorites around the world, from can’t-get-enough-of-‘em Turkish delights to the Indian Subcontinent ice cream kulfi to the Italian frozen dessert spumone. They’re even perfect for cracking open for snacking while watching the ballgame. If pistachios aren’t the quintessential summer flavor, […]

Lauryn Chun

Lauryn Chun runs small-batch food business Mother-in-Law’s Kimchi and is the author of The Kimchi Cookbook. Chun revolutionized kimchi by bringing it out from the margins of traditional side dish-dom to center stage as a main course. What hooked you on cooking? My earliest childhood memories in Seoul, Korea – foraging for wild herbs and plants on walks […]

Cheese Holes & “Imaginary Meals”

As it turns out, the holes in Swiss cheese may be from hay particles found in milk, say Swiss scientists. Also, scientists in California have developed a diet drug called Fexaramine, which may trick the digestive system into burning fat without food.

Lard Legacy: Does Your Diet Doom Your Child’s Health?

Now you can feel even more guilt about how that greasy cheeseburger might affect your future. A study by the National Institutes of Health suggests eating a high fat diet may also impact your child’s health1. Growing evidence links increased caloric and fat consumption to the rise in immune-mediated diseases, like arthritis, food allergies, and […]

Garlic

If you’ve ever made the mistake of devouring three bowls of James Beard’s Garlic Soup a few hours before The Job Interview Of Your Life (I’m not speaking from experience here), you will recognize the frantic moment in which you pray that 1) the handful of mints burning in your mouth have superpower strength, or […]

Fruit Images & Wasabi Meds

Yes, that’s a strawberry as seen from under the microscope. Wait ’til you see what a peach looks like zoomed in. For more “Whoa!”, the burn from wasabi could be useful in developing new pain medications.