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Heard the adage about eating better by shopping around the aisles? The same can be said of modern menus. Gone are the days of everyone ordering entree, main and dessert, with maybe a side to add some roughage. Today’s menus are designed to share, and they’re ripe and ready for you to throw the old rules out the restaurant window.
That window, too, is one of opportunity, to dine smarter – a new way to order. My advice in a nutshell: go heavy on starters, entrees and sides, get a main (or two!) to share, and ask to see the dessert menu so you know how much room to save.
Alice Zaslavsky has learnt to quickly scan a menu and choose the best dishes.Simon Schluter
This is also the way to order if you’re keen to save some coin, because the big-ticket items are the mains. Protein’s expensive, there’s time and labour involved, and if you all decide to choose your own main, you’ll probably spend half the time coveting your fellow diners’ dishes. By sharing, you’ll taste a bit of everything, and I guarantee you’ll feel happier after nipping at the grass on the other side of the fence.
Having worn the hats of restaurant critic, cook, and even (for a hot minute) helping out in a few restaurant kitchens, I’ve learnt to swiftly scan and select the menu to get the best from it. Here’s how to do it.
Ordering bread and butter, or something dippy, will keep everyone busy until more dishes arrive.Supplied
Something dippy (and something to dip in it)
Most lists of starters will feature some kind of dippy thing. Make a bee-line for it as soon as you sit down because it’ll keep your hands busy while you choose other dishes and wait for the rest of the food to arrive.
If the dippy thing is bread and butter, ask your waiter to tell you about it before you baulk at the price tag. Chances are, the bread’s baked in-house, or sourced from a nearby specialty bakery, and the butter is cultured or flavoured in some way that makes it deserving of “dip” status.
I know it’s tempting to eat the lot, but I’d be saving the crusts for when the mains come, so you have something to mop up the saucy bits. Don’t be shy about asking for more bread if you run out; just don’t fill up on bread!
Something pickle-y or fermented
Starting the meal with something sour helps to stimulate saliva and cuts through the richness of any aforementioned dippy bits. Additionally, studies have found that pickles can help you feel fuller faster and for longer, while ferments have been aiding digestion and improving gut health across the world for thousands of years.
A green salad will brighten the rest of the meal.Bonnie Savage
Veg first
I approach restaurant ordering the way I plan meals: veg-first. This means scanning the menu for anything veg-related: the vegetarian entrees (which, I can assure you, are far more exciting these days than arancini and a risotto), and the vegie sides.
This is the part of the food pyramid that many modern chefs are most excited to experiment with – the food costs are lower, colours and textures abound, and you can get far more creative with veg than with a hunk of meat. Seek out seasonal additions among the entrees by asking what the kitchen is most excited about.
Choose starters that are easy to share, and if it’s something that has multiple pieces per portion, ask whether it’s possible to add enough for everyone to get a bite.
Order the green things from the sides, too. A leafy salad may set you back $10, but those crisp leaves and zippy dressing will brighten up the rest of your meal like sipping on a glass of wine while you eat.
Spatchcocked chicken, with a range of side dishes, is an easy main to share with a group.Tom Blachford
The most interesting main
Proteins are the most expensive component of main courses, so as food costs creep up, it’s unsurprising to see this reflected in the menu. But you may be surprised by how little meat, or fish, the table needs to feel satisfied. If you’re a duo, share one main course (or three entrees, if none of the mains tickle your fancy), and larger tables can extrapolate from there. If you can’t decide which main to order, ask the waiter what people come back for, or which is their go-to.
Order more broadly across the menu, applying my ‘eat around the mains’ principles to get a taste of everything.
Slow-roasted lamb shoulders or butterflied legs are easy to share, as are whole-roasted fish or spatchcocked chooks. Steaks have increasingly become richer eating, so a scotch fillet or T-bone is best shared across a table of four, as long as you’ve some other bits and bobs alongside.
I usually go for something I couldn’t easily do at home, seeking out signposts such as “wood-fired”, or a dish that would usually take several days’ fussing, such as a terrine. Gamier meats and offal always pique my curiosity, too – particularly because chefs will reliably know how best to reach its optimum cuisson (doneness).
If you feel like that won’t fully hit the spot, bulk it out with the vegetarian main, which will have had the same skilful treatment and care from the chefs, at two-thirds of the price.
If you’re having trouble choosing dessert, pick one you couldn’t make at home.Christopher Pearce
Share dessert
If you’ve done the wise thing and checked the dessert menu as you chose the mains, you’ll probably already know what you’re getting. But don’t order it until you’re at least halfway through your savouries, when you’ll have a better sense of what the cherry on top should be.
A rich meal is best finished with a fruit-based dessert, or something on the lighter side of the textural scale. Do you have a dessert stomach? Creamy, chocolate-based desserts will satisfy that. If you’re stuck, it pays to ask – there’s always ONE dessert the chef’s proudest of. Again, I tend to choose something I’m less likely to make at home, like layered desserts or pastry.
Leave it to the chef
If this feels too confusing, many restaurants will offer a “feed me” option, a safe bet, particularly for larger groups, where you don’t know everyone well enough to jostle for the dishes that will make the cut.
This menu doesn’t necessarily highlight the restaurant’s most exciting dishes. It’s often about what’s easiest to serve and combine. But if you’re an adventurous bunch, it may pay to order more broadly across the menu, applying my “eat around the mains” principles to get a taste of everything.
This advice is designed for a “sharing” style of meal, which can work even in restaurants where the menus aren’t explicitly “designed” as such. However, some people prefer not to share. If there’s a non-sharer at your table, let them order for themselves or choose a restaurant with a tasting menu, where everyone receives the same drop.
And remember to fill in the “dietaries” section when making your reservation – it’ll streamline your ordering and make for a more inclusive meal.
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Alice Zaslavsky is the author of 'In Praise of Veg', 'Alice’s A to Z' and 'The Joy of Better Cooking'. She is the culinary correspondent for ABC News Breakfast and ABC Radio, and host of Saturday Breakfast on ABC Radio Melbourne.
Chicken with potatoes, carrot-and-cabbage salad: it looks like a detox meal, but it's the menu at a school cafeteria in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, which is seeking new ways to fight childhood obesity.
Nearly one-third of children in Brazil are obese, an epidemic city health officials and community leaders are seeking to address in innovative ways, enlisting school cafeterias and taking their message of healthful eating to the street.
"Cake? There's no cake here," laughs cook Neide Oliveira as she chops onions for the 650 students of Burle Marx public school in the Curicica neighborhood on Rio's west side.
Additive-packed snacks and cookies are also out, after city officials banned ultraprocessed foods from schools this year.
Instead, students are discovering classic Brazilian fruits and vegetables that are often overlooked these days, like yams, okra and persimmons -- which many kids initially mistook for tomatoes.
Judging from how students devour their lunch, the program is having an impact.
"I like everything they make here, and it's good for my health. At home I eat a lot of junk food, like pizza and hamburgers," says 15-year-old Guilherme.
"Childhood obesity is an epidemic, not just in Brazil, but worldwide," says Marluce Fortunato, nutritionist for the Rio city government.
The city is responding with a program at public and private schools, asking teachers to educate students on healthful eating habits.
Thirty-one percent of Brazilian children and teens are overweight or obese. A recent study by the Desiderata institute found more than 80 percent of five- to 19-year-olds reported eating at least one ultraprocessed food the previous day, such as sausages, soda and pastries.
"Science has shown these products are very detrimental to our health and are responsible for 70 percent of chronic diseases worldwide," pediatrician Daniel Becker told AFP.
And in children, they can lead to a double-barreled problem: obesity combined with malnutrition, which can damage learning ability and attention span, he says.
But changing eating habits is a challenge.
Ultraprocessed foods are made with ingredients designed to "addict the tastebuds," and have a market advantage over natural products given their mass distribution and cheaper prices, says Becker.
Sitting next to Guilherme, his friend Lucas, 14, is feasting on his chicken, rice and beans. But he admits that after school he regularly buys chips outside.
Fortunato says schools need parents' help.
"It's easier to educate young children. Once a person's way of thinking is set, it's a challenge to introduce new concepts," she says.
She mentions the example of a father who complained to the school because his son started asking for natural juices at home, which are more expensive than their sugary, additive-heavy counterparts.
Still, some adults manage to change.
At age 60, grandmother Vera Lucia Perreira discovered organic vegetables -- and fell in love.
"They're not just healthful, they're tasty," she says.
"My seven-year-old granddaughter already eats better" than previous generations, she beams.
Perreira is one of 160 women involved in a project called Organic Favela, launched 13 years ago to transform eating habits in the poor Babilonia neighborhood.
The project runs workshops for residents, and also uses creative approaches, like healthful recipes painted in graffiti on neighborhood streets.
Founder Regina Tchelly also works with schools. Her mission: get children to have five colors of natural foods on their plates.
"We teach people to make avocado butter" and "'Barbie eggs'" -- dyed red with beets, she says.
The 42-year-old entrepreneur is the author of a cookbook that won Brazil's top literary prize last year, the Jabuti, in the creative economy category.
At the national level, a high-visibility ad campaign launched in March seeks to raise awareness of the health risks of ultraprocessed foods, enlisting celebrities and experts to spread the word.
The campaign, called "sweet poison" ("doce veneno," in Portuguese), wants the government to tax ultraprocessed foods and use the proceeds to subsidize healthful ones.
"It's hard to change, but that doesn't mean people have to be prisoners of their ideas," says Perreira. "We have to open their minds to look differently at food, for the sake of our future."
The Dreamlight Valley recipes list grows longer with every update. In Disney Dreamlight Valley, you will need to grow crops and forage for food as part of your journey to save the Valley. Once you have gathered a variety of different ingredients, you will likely want to try your hand at cooking. Cooking can make your crops worth more to sell or can be gifted to the various characters around the Valley to improve your friendship.
Early in the game, you will be introduced to the concept of recipe books, which will teach you how to make a single dish. While this happens infrequently throughout the game, you can also learn how to cook new recipes by just trying things. If you put the correct ingredients in the pot, you will create a new dish and unlock that recipe in the collection. That means as long as you know what ingredients are needed and have them, you can make any dish in the game.
Recipes in Disney Dreamlight Valley will require one of two things. The recipe will either require you to have the exact ingredients listed. For example, Creamy Garlic Scallops require Scallops, Garlic, Lemon, and Butter. Other recipes will require any ingredient from a certain category. For example, Fish Steak requires Tomato, Basil, and any fish. It could be Cod, Salmon, or Tuna, it doesn't matter, as long as it's in that category.
Each meal in Disney Dreamlight Valley provides you with energy, but they're not all created equally. You may even be surprised to hear that higher-star meals don't always equate to the highest gains in energy. Here are the meals that provide the most energy, but check below the list for our pick for the meal that offers the most efficient use of time and ingredients.
Thousand Needles - 5000 energy
Barbecued Brilliant Starfish - 3118 energy
Sand Worm Carpaccio Plate - 3004 energy
Barbecued Pretty Pink Starfish - 2812 energy
Conch Ceviche - 2646 energy
With the absolute highest energy meals out of the way, our pick for the most efficient use of your time and ingredients is Berry Salad. This simple 3-star meal can fill nearly 80% of your gold energy (and even more if you add extra berries when making it). Combine the relatively high energy replenishment with the fact that these three required berries are such a cinch to forage, and you've got yourself a quick meal choice to keep on hand for filling your energy.
We’re trading scarves and superfluous layers for sunscreen and picnic blankets, heavy winter meals for fresh May recipes. This collection of spring favorites will help you get ready for the weeks ahead, when you’ll swap your hot morning coffee routine for something a little chillier, pack a bite to take to the park when it’s just too beautiful to eat dinner inside, and really need some quick meal ideas that’ll mesh with the hectic schedule of the school year’s end.
It’s time to cook green peas, asparagus, sweet carrots, and artichokes, not to mention as much rhubarb as you can lug home. We hope this list of our best May recipes—and your first sighting of good ripe strawberries—will help to get you out of that cold weather slump. Fire up the grill, get your pie pan ready, and scroll down for all of our spring recipe essentials.
This Cinco de Mayo, put something truly tasty on the table with recipes from some of the top Mexican food content creators and cookbook authors making a mark on the culinary scene.
"Good Morning America" Food spoke to the social media stars who are regularly filling feeds and going viral for their drool-inducing Mexican food.
From breakfast chilaquiles to cocktail hour pineapple margaritas, each culinary expert shared a few of their favorite dishes for home cooks to recreate this Cinco de Mayo and get a taste of their unique heritage.
Mexican-American creator Fabrizio Villalpando of TheeMoodyFoody on Instagram shared three of his favorite recipes for Cinco de Mayo.
Andrea Loret De Mola
Mexican-American creator Fabrizio Villalpando dishes up more than just cinematic culinary videos for his nearly 150,000 followers over at TheeMoodyFoody on Instagram -- he offers a uniquely honest perspective into the rich history of Mexican culture with modern cooking techniques, tools and traditional flavors, all in the name of really, really good food.
"These dishes aren't just a damn good bite. They're a reminder of the hardworking, flavorful and agricultural contributions Mexico has made to the world," he told "GMA." "So make sure you send your Mexican friends, service workers and yourself a shot of tequila today ¡Ahuevo!"
La Torta Ahogada
This salsa-covered sub is a typical dish from the Mexican state of Jalisco, and particularly Guadalajara, where Villalpando's family is originally from. As always, grab the full recipe from the caption on Instagram.
El Pambazo
Villalpando said this is one of his favorite Mexican antojitos, or "snacks."
Pozole
The third dish he shared with "GMA" is a traditional Mexican soup, pozole, inspired by award-winning chef and restaurateur Claudette Zepeda, with a couple of twists.
Margaritas, Shrimp Tacos and Mexican sweet bread for Cinco de Mayo
Jenny Martinez is a certified star food creator whose dishes regularly reach viral status on social media, and it's no surprise that her passion for putting her heritage on a plate has culminated in her first cookbook, "My Mexican Mesa."
"There's always a fiesta in a Mexican household. We don't need a reason to get together; it's a party whenever we gather," she said. "It's about being together and passing down recipes and traditions to our children, the younger generations. I'm very proud of my roots, and I encourage my children to share their heritage proudly."
Martinez shared three of her favorite recipes -- a tropical twist on a classic cocktail, Baja style shrimp tacos and a sweet treat -- that she said would all be perfect for fellow home cooks to enjoy a true taste of Mexican cuisine this Cinco de Mayo.
In a cocktail shaker, muddle well 1 cup of pineapple. Squeeze the lime into the shaker but save the used lime wedge for later. Add the triple sec and tequila and set aside.
Now prepare the glass. Put about 2 tablespoons of the Tajín on a flat plate. With the used lime wedge, rub the rim of the glass to wet it and flip it over onto the plate so that the Tajín coats the rim. Add ice to the glass and top it off with the remaining 1/2 cup of pineapple.
Grab the cocktail shaker and shake well; you want to shake this until you get that froth on top! Pour through the strainer into the prepared glass and BEAUTIFUL! Dab the slice of pineapple into the remaining Tajín and lay over the top of the glass as a garnish.
Editor’s Picks
Tacos de Cameron, Baha Style - Battered Shrimp Tacos
Jenny Martinez's homemade Mexican conchas.
Jennifer Chong
At this point, you'll hopefully have a cocktail in hand and be ready to recreate a delicious taco that Martinez said is inspired by their family trips to Ensenada.
Butterfly the shrimp, slicing down the back but not all the way through and leaving the tail section intact. Pat the shrimp dry and place it into a medium bowl. Sprinkle with the seasoning and set aside.
To prepare the batter, in a large bowl, combine the flour, mineral water, beer, chicken bouillon powder, garlic powder, black pepper and mustard; Mix until the flour lumps have dissolved. The batter should be smooth and not too thick. Toss the shrimp into the bowl with the batter and set aside while you prep the cabbage salad.
In a separate medium bowl, add the cabbage, tomatoes, onions, cilantro and lime, and toss until well combined. Set aside.
In a large, deep frying pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Check your heat by dipping a wooden spoon into the hot oil; If it sizzles, it's ready. Fry the battered shrimp in batches of six, so as not to overcrowd the pan, until golden brown, about 3 minutes on each side.
Drain on paper towels. Repeat with the remaining shrimp.
To assemble the tacos, I like to start by spreading mayonnaise on a warmed tortilla, then I add the fried shrimp and top it with the cabbage salad, Aguacate Chile, sour cream, and a squeeze of lime juice. Y listo and enjoy!
Conchas - Mexican sweet bread
Jenny Martinez's homemade Mexican conchas.
Jennifer Chong
Makes 12 Prep time: 2 hours 45 min (for the dough to rise) Cook time: 20 min
Ingredients
For the Batter
2 1/4 teaspoons (1 package) active dry yeast
3/4 cup milk, warmed
1/2 cup granulated sugar, divided
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, divided
1 teaspoon salt
For the Sweet Dough Topping
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup powdered sugar
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, softened
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
Directions
Prep the dough: Start by combining the yeast and warm milk with 1/4 cup of sugar in a stand mixer bowl. Lightly mix, and set aside until the yeast has formed a foamy top layer, about 5 minutes. Add the butter, the remaining 1/4 cup sugar, the eggs and vanilla, then whisk until well combined. In a separate bowl, mix the flour and salt. Add 2 cups of flour to the yeast mixture and whisk by hand to create a batter. Place the bowl in the stand mixer and, using the dough hook, add the remaining flour in small increments, kneading until the dough is smooth and well combined, about 10 minutes. You will know the dough is ready when you press your finger into the dough and it does not stick to your finger.
Transfer the dough to a greased bowl and let is rise until doubled in size, about 2 hours in a warm spot. It can take longer during cold weather.
For the sweet dough topping: Mix the flour and powdered sugar in a bowl, then add the butter and vanilla. Combine with your hands until you get a sugar dough-like consistency. (Note: If you would like to make different color toppings, this is when to divide the sugar dough and mix in the food coloring.) Set aside.
Once the dough is ready: Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Place the risen dough on a floured surface and divide it into 12 dough balls. Roll each dough ball into a round concha shape by pinching it together. You will have a rough side and a smooth, pretty side. Use your thumb and middle finger to make a small circle and gently roll it out into the shape. Place each dough ball on the prepared baking sheet.
For each concha, take 1 tablespoon of the sweet dough topping and roll it out with a rolling pin into a thin circle, about the size of the concha. Drape over the concha ball. With a knife, carefully score the sweet dough topping to create a concha pattern. Loosely cover with plastic wrap and set the dough aside for about 30 minutes, or until the dough doubles in size.
Once doubled, bake for about 20 minutes, or until lightly golden brown.
Vegan Mexican recipes for Cinco de Mayo
Alexa Soto, the food creator behind Alexa Fueled Naturally, is known for her authentic recipes made with the building block ingredients of Mexican cuisine: plants.
From corn, tomatoes, beans and rice to chiles, spices and herbs, Soto shared an exclusive first look of her debut cookbook "Plantas," which shows readers the roots of her heritage on a plate with modern vegan recipes.
Plus, check out Soto's easy recipe for homemade traditional flour tortillas here.
Chilaquiles Divorciados, Two-salsa Chilaquiles
A plate of Chilaquiles topped with salsa roja and salsa verde.
Alexa Soto
Serves 4
"Chilaquiles -- fried corn tortillas topped with salsa or mole, cheese, crema, and avocado -- are kind of like breakfast nachos and make for the classic Mexican breakfast. It is a food that is tied to the tradition of intentional mornings and the indulgence of crispy fried tortillas smothered in toppings," Soto writes in the book of the delicious desayuno dish traditionally served with red or green salsa -- or like this recipe, both.
Ingredients
1/3 cup neutral oil, such as avocado oil
12 corn tortillas, store-bought or homemade, cut into triangles
Sea salt
1 cup Salsa Verde (recipe below)
1 cup Salsa Roja (recipe below)
8-ounce package shredded plant-based mozzarella cheese
To serve:
1 avocado, halved, pitted, peeled and sliced
Crema Mexicana or store-bought vegan sour cream
Queso Cotija or store-bought vegan feta (optional)
1/4 bunch cilantro, chopped
1/4 medium white or red onion, thinly sliced
Directions
Heat the oil in a large, deep saute pan over medium heat. After a couple of minutes, add a tortilla triangle to the oil. If it sizzles, the oil is hot enough. If not, allow the oil to continue to heat, or slightly raise the temperature, and continue testing until the oil is hot enough. Once the oil is ready, add an even layer of tortilla triangles to the pan, being careful not to let them overlap. Fry for 1 minute on each side, or until golden. Using a spider, transfer the triangles to a paper towel-lined plate and very lightly sprinkle with salt. Add another batch of tortilla triangles and cook the same way. Continue until all the tortilla pieces are fried.
Warm the salsas in 2 separate small pots over medium-low heat for 5 to 7 minutes, until heated through.
Transfer all the fried tortilla triangles to a large skillet and heat over medium-low heat. Pour the green salsa over half of the skillet, carefully tossing the tortillas around to evenly coat, then pour the red salsa over the other half and do the same. Sprinkle both halves with an even layer of mozzarella cheese. Cover, turn the heat down to low, and cook for 3 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.
Top the chilaquiles with avocado, a drizzle of crema, Cotija cheese, a sprinkle of cilantro, and thinly sliced onion. For the full effect, I like to place the pan right on the table (making sure to use a placemat or trivet to protect your table from the heat) and serve directly from the pan.
Salsa Verde
Makes 3 1/2 cups
1 1/2 pounds tomatillos, husked
2 jalapeno or serrano peppers, stemmed
3 garlic cloves, peeled
1/2 small yellow onion, halved
1/2 bunch cilantro
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Directions
Put the tomatillos, jalapenos or serranos, garlic cloves and onion in a medium pot. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Boil for 7 to 9 minutes, until the tomatillos turn a darker color.
Using a slotted spoon, transfer the vegetables to a blender. Let the ingredients cool in the blender for 15 to 20 minutes (optional, but resting helps reduce the bitterness of tomatillos).
Once cooled, add the cilantro and salt and blend until smooth. Taste and add more salt if desired.
Use right away or store in a covered container in the fridge for up to 6 days.
Salsa Roja
Makes 2 cups
"Salsa roja is a classic Mexican condiment used for chilaquiles, huevos rancheros, and chiles rellenos. Every Mexican family has their own version of salsa roja, and my family recipe comes from my sweet Tía Chela. If an authentic salsa with depth, heat, flavor, and texture entices your taste buds, this will likely become a staple in your rotation of recipes," Soto explains in the cookbook.
Ingredients
6 chiles de árbol, stemmed and seeded
1 serrano pepper, stemmed and seeded
1/2 medium white onion, 1/4 left whole and 1/4 thinly sliced
6 Roma tomatoes, halved
2 large garlic cloves, peeled
3/4 cup low-sodium vegetable broth
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 tablespoons neutral oil, such as avocado oil
2 cilantro sprigs
Directions
Heat a medium saute pan or skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the chiles de árbol and serrano pepper. Cook the chiles de árbol for 10 seconds on each side, then transfer to a blender. Cook the serrano pepper for 1 to 2 minutes on each side, until charred, then add to the blender.
Add the whole onion piece, tomato halves, garlic cloves, broth and salt to the blender and blend on high until smooth.
Heat the oil in a large, deep saute pan over medium-low heat. Add the sliced onion and sauté for 2 minutes, or until translucent.
Pour the contents of the blender into the pan and turn the heat down to low. Simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, until the color of the salsa deepens. Add the cilantro sprigs and simmer for 2 minutes. Taste the salsa and add more salt if needed.
Use right away or store in a covered container in the fridge for up to 6 days.
Easy Pastel Tres Leches, Tres Leches Cake
Alex Soto's vegan tres leches cake from her upcoming cookbook, "Plantas."
Alexa Soto
Serves 8
Ingredients
1 tablespoon vegan butter, softened, or neutral oil, such as avocado oil, for greasing
Homemade
2 cups cane sugar
2 cups plain, unsweetened plant-based milk
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons melted vegan butter or neutral oil, such as avocado oil
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 1/2 tablespoons white vinegar or apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
Cake mix
13.25-ounce box vanilla or yellow cake mix (such as Betty Crocker), plus plant-based ingredients as needed (see headnote)
1 1/2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
Three "milks"1 cup soy milk
1 cup oat milk, preferably full-fat
1 cup Lechera or canned vegan condensed milk
To serve:
Plant-based whipped cream
Fresh strawberries, sliced
Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Grease an 8-by-8-inch baking pan with the butter or oil.
For a homemade cake:
2. In a medium bowl, combine the sugar, milk, melted butter or oil, applesauce, vinegar and vanilla in a medium bowl, and mix well.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and whisk until smooth. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top with a spatula, and bake for 25 to 28 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Set aside to cool for 2 hours.
For a cake mix:
4. Follow the instructions on the cake mix box to make the batter, substituting plant-based ingredients as necessary and adding the vinegar.
5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top with a spatula, and bake according to the box instructions. You can check for doneness by inserting a toothpick in the middle -- it should come out clean. Set aside to cool for 2 hours.
To assemble:
6. For the tres leches mixture, in a medium bowl, whisk together the soy milk, oat milk, and Lechera until well incorporated.
7. Once the cake has cooled, pierce the cake in multiple places with a fork, then pour about one-third of the milk mixture over the cake. Wait a minute for the cake to soak up the milk, then pour over another third of the liquid. Wait another minute, then pour over the rest. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
8. When ready to serve, cut into squares and top each serving with a layer of whipped cream and fresh strawberries. Store leftovers in a covered container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
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Entertainment
If you peered into a UK fridge in the late 1970s, it is more than likely you would have found a pot of cottage cheese tucked between the prawn cocktail and sherry trifle.
A popular “diet food” at the time, demand waned in subsequent decades as the high-protein, low-fat wonder food fell out of fashion. But 50 years on from its heyday, cottage cheese is making a comeback in the UK, and has become an unlikely hit with health-conscious Gen Z.
Driven by a wave of social media influencers sharing inventive recipes for the dairy product, which is made from milk curds, UK retailers are reporting significant increases in sales, while producers are struggling to keep up with demand.
“It’s come from absolutely nowhere,” said Robert Graham, managing director of Graham’s Family Dairy. “Since May of last year, when there was a TikTok craze that went on, cottage cheese sales for us are up 40%.”
The company said the growth in production, the equivalent of an extra 2m kilograms a year, means it is looking at ways to increase output, including an initial growth plan to invest £5m to bolster its production facilities.
“We are considering new factories because cottage cheese production is almost full,” said Graham, whose company supplies big retailers such as Co-op, Morrisons and Aldi.
Dairy company Arla is also benefiting from the cottage cheese rush, reporting a double-digit increase in sales in the last three months, while Marks & Spencer experienced a 30% increase compared with last year, and Waitrose reported a 22% year-on-year rise.
Health-conscious food influencers are driving take-up with eye-catching recipes, from cottage cheese ice-cream to frittatas.
The most popular invention though, has to be cottage cheese cookie dough.
Nutrition coach and influencer Holistically Stevi’s TikTok recipe for cottage cheesecake has been watched 3.1m times. She uses a blender to blitz together the key ingredient with maple syrup and protein powder, before adding broken biscuits to the top.
The TikTok channel Foods We Love to Eat shared three ways to combine it with toast, including cottage cheese bruschetta and cottage cheese and fig jam, notching up 2.3m views.
Due to its high protein content, the dairy product was promoted by the US government as a direct replacement for meat during the first world war.
Black and white posters produced to educate and inform the public featured the claim that one pound of cottage cheese gave you more protein than a pound of beef, lamb or chicken.
Nutrition expert Ursula Arens believes that today’s revival could be due to the growing number of diet plans that look to eradicate carbohydrates and boost protein intake.
She said: “In the past few years, there’s been a sort of whispering campaign that the more protein you consume, the more bulked and muscly you’ll look.”
Jimmy Dickinson, owner of Longley Farm, which has seen a “steady increase” in cottage cheese sales of about 10% over the last couple of years, remembers the previous boom.
Longley Farm became one of the first companies to start producing cottage cheese in the UK in the 1970s. Dickinson’s father, Joseph, had the idea after seeing US servicemen chowing down their curds while he was serving in the Navy during the second world war.
“We’ve ridden this very long rollercoaster,” said Dickinson of the rise and fall in cottage cheese’s popularity.
He said: “In the 1970s the sales were focused on slimmers trying to lose weight before their holiday to Spain, now the interest is very much, ‘I’ve just swum 50 lengths, and I’ll eat cottage cheese as my protein fix at the end of it.’”
For Marks & Spencer the cottage cheese craze has resulted in a double win. Not only are sales up by 30% this year, but it has also boosted its social media hits too.
The Heirloomed Cookbook is broken down into nine categories. Obviously, it has all your standards but one category did jump out at me – Classic Cocktails & Drinks. I found it utterly delightful that a cookbook tells you how to make a classic Gin & Tonic, Bloody Mary and an Old-Fashioned. I can just picture the guests at my garden party walking around carrying a Mint Julep.
As you peruse the recipes you will notice that they are not very complicated and really do lend themselves well to day-to-day cooking. But what really stands out is just how easy the directions are to follow. They are broken down into the perfect number of steps needed to make them flow without making your eye go back and read the steps over and over. Thank you, Ashley.
I always like to include a few recipes in my cookbook reviews, but this became a real challenge. I kind of took the easy way out and gave the publisher a list of 10 I wanted to share and asked for their help whittling it down. Drum roll please! And the winners are: Nostalgic Whoopie Pies for a sweet taste that may transport you back to the good ole south, or how about Homemade Chicken Pot Pie with its creamy, hearty filling and buttery crust that is sure to be a crowd pleaser and last but not least Brie Sausage and Sage Casserole, the perfect make-ahead breakfast casserole for a special holiday morning or brunch.
Alice Zaslavsky is the author of 'In Praise of Veg', 'Alice’s A to Z' and 'The Joy of Better Cooking'. She is the culinary correspondent for ABC News Breakfast and ABC Radio, and host of Saturday Breakfast on ABC Radio Melbourne.
