If you’ve ever been served a piece of fish that tasted like an ashtray with a side of battery acid, you’ve been a victim of the great “Blackening” misconception. Most people believe blackening is an ancient Acadian tradition, but it is actually a specific 1980s invention, popularized by a celebrity chef, that has been hijacked … Read more
Cajun cooking has become perhaps overly identified with New Orleans, causing many to think that Cajun food is food that originates there. Cajun country is, on the other hand, the countryside, and is also called Acadiana. The true cooking of New Orleans is more than boiled crawfish and gumbo. It is also more than Cajun. New … Read more
According to an online social media post covered by Snopes, Cricket Powder, being sold and marketed as Acheta Powder, is being snuck into many food products. According to the post, this is being promoted as a “good thing.” While Snopes has been waiting for a corporate response email since 2024, an examination of the facts, … Read more
The Savior and the Shadow: Why the Olive Oil Mafia Story Sticks If you spend any time in the culinary corners of YouTube or TikTok, you’ve likely encountered the “Savior.” They appear on your screen with a grave expression, pointing to a bottle of extra virgin olive oil and delivering a cinematic warning: Your oil … Read more
If you’ve just pulled a package of chicken or beef from the back of the freezer only to find it covered in white, leathery splotches, your first question isn’t about science, it’s about safety. What happens if you eat freezer-burned food? The short answer is a relief: It is perfectly safe. As long as the … Read more
We are taught from childhood that “pure” is the ultimate goal. We buy bottled water because we believe it’s a sterile, clean alternative to the “imperfect” water coming out of our taps. We see the mountain springs on the label and assume we are drinking nature in its most pristine form. But emerging science is … Read more