Famed Danish restaurant Noma to start new ‘flavor search’

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — The famed Danish restaurant Noma which has claimed the title of world’s top restaurant several times said Monday it will shut down to transform itself into “a pioneering test kitchen" dedicated to “food innovation and the development of new flavors.”

Chef Rene Redzepi’s house of Nordic gastronomy will close by the winter 2024 and re-emerge as Noma 3.0, the Copenhagen eatery said on its webpage.

“In 2025, our restaurant is transforming into a giant lab - a pioneering test kitchen dedicated to the work of food innovation and the development of new flavors, one that will share the fruits of our efforts more widely than ever before,” it said.

Redzepi, who is Noma’s chef and co-owner, said they will travel to “search for new ways to share our work” and said there could be “a Noma pop-up” but didn’t specify where. After the sojourn, “we will do a season in Copenhagen."

The ‘other’ pasta Bolognese better suits weeknight cooking

Classic, slow-simmered ragù Bolognese isn’t a weeknight dinner option, but its tomato-free cousin, white Bolognese, certainly can be. This rustic sauce made from ground meat, white wine, aromatics and olive oil is no less traditional and gets on the table in under 45 minutes.

In the version from our book “Tuesday Nights Mediterranean,” which features weeknight-friendly meals from the region, we use Italian sausage for ease, as it already is well seasoned. Though pork sausage would be the most typical, it has a fattiness that weighs down the dish. Spiced turkey or chicken sausage, mild or sweet, is a lighter alternative that makes sense just after the holidays.

Fresh sausage, not precooked, is key to the success of this recipe, as are dried porcini mushrooms. They provide a meaty, umami-packed backbone of flavor that’s harder to achieve with fresh mushrooms. Rather than rehydrate the dried mushrooms before use, we save time by simmering them directly in the sauce, where they soften and release their richness — so you won’t lose any flavor by discarding the soaking liquid.

A small measure of heavy cream lends a rich, silky consistency. Wide noodles such as pappardelle or tagliatelle are ideal here, but fettuccine is good, too.

Veganuary: Why some Canadians are switching to a plant-based diet in the new year

Growing up in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. with a father working as a butcher, Toni Vernelli loved eating meat. But it wasn’t long before she noticed that the food she was eating was coming from the farm animals she loved. When Vernelli was 18, she made the switch to veganism.

More than 30 years of animal activism later, Vernelli is now the head of communications for Veganuary, a 31-day pledge that challenges participants to go vegan for the month of January.

The challenge gives people a chance to “dip their toes” in the lifestyle, Vernelli said.

Vegans abstain from consuming any animal products. That means eating no meat, dairy or eggs and for some, extends to not wearing leather or fur or using products tested on animals.

Challenges, comebacks, closures and controversies spiced up the local bar and restaurant scene in 2022

It was a year of new beginnings and notable closures for Winnipeg’s food and drink scene. While masks and government-issued health cards were scrapped for diners, fallout from the pandemic remained a going concern for local restaurateurs in 2022.

José Andrés and his daughters eat their way through Spain

NEW YORK (AP) — On his new TV show, celebrated chef José Andrés goes into a restaurant kitchen in Spain and confronts a massive moray eel. Only one of them is leaving that kitchen intact.

Andrés oversees as cooks prepare the eel for its final flourish — deboned, sliced paper thin, dredged in three kinds of flour and then deep fried with cilantro.

“People of the world, I know you don’t usually eat eel. But if you try it, you will love it,” he says to the viewers. “Nothing can be more simple and more sophisticated at the same time.”

That eel is just one delicious moment in discovery+'s “José Andrés and Family in Spain,” which follows the chef, restaurateur and humanitarian on a food tour through his homeland with his three American-raised daughters, Carlota, Inés and Lucia Andrés.

‘Company’s Coming’ cookbooks author Jean Paré dies in Edmonton at age 95

EDMONTON - An Alberta-born mother of four whose "Company's Coming" cookbooks have become ingredient-stained fixtures on kitchen shelves around the world has died at age 95.

A statement from her family says Jean Paré died Christmas Eve in Edmonton.

Paré wrote over 200 cookbooks, beginning with the release of "150 Delicious Squares" in 1981, followed by other popular titles such as "30-Minute Weekday Meals" and "5-Ingredient Slow Cooker Recipes."

They've sold millions of copies in Canada, the United States, Australia and other world markets.

Cloud-like meringues offer simple path to French royalty

Light, crisp, cloud-like meringue cookies have long been associated with French royalty, a decadent treat that required skill and dedication to pull off. Perhaps once, but then the whisk attachment was invented.

For those with a stand mixer, they’re surprisingly easy — and adaptable to whatever extra bits of chocolate, nuts or other flavorings may be left over after a holiday baking marathon.

In this recipe from our book “Cook What You Have,” which draws on pantry staples to assemble easy, weeknight meals, we offer three variations on the cookie (which incidentally was not French, but is credited to a Swiss chef named Gasparini in 1720, from a town called Meiringen.)

For a chocolate and salted peanut variation, you’ll need about 2 ounces of chopped chocolate, some orange zest and a handful of roasted nuts. Or try them with roasted cashews, unsweetened coconut flakes and lime zest. Or with pistachios, candied ginger and turmeric. Or experiment with different flavors using these ratios.