Weekly roundup of great reads on food and wine #17

Food in the western world is now cheaper than at any time in human history. But this comes at a cost. A cost to our health and also to our planet. Over consumption also  means that 30 per cent of food bought in western European countries is thrown away. If you have only time to read one link, make it this one.

Why do we have to distigust between ‘real bread’ and processed bread? To make bread you just need four ingredients – water, flour, salt and yeast. But have you ever looked at the ingredients in ‘supermarket’ breads? This is a short but interesting read about the difference between the two.

It seems like this is the week for raising awareness. In the Netherlands, they have announced that they will start banning food ads for children under 13. The advertising code’s age limit has been increased from seven years old to 12 years old.

Have you ever wondered why in flight food tastes awful? There are a number of reasons for this. Although the food might not necessarily be appetising, lack of humidity, lower air pressure and background noise all have an impact on our taste buds.

This week we have written about Sicilian wines and this has been a very popular post. The New York Times has a review on Nero d’Avola. This is their take on this Sicilian grape.

Lists are always popular. The CNN has come up with a list of restaurants to try in 2015.

There is a great interview with Marco Pierre White in the Guardian, the great British chef who walked away from his stove in 1999, having handed back his three Michelin stars. He was mentor to many of today’s well known British chefs. Part of his legend was winning three Michelin stars without ever having visited France. He says that to date, he still has not dined in a  Michelin-starred restaurant in France.

David White writes about the three white wine trends to watch out for in 2015.

There is an interesting article in Decanter about France’s anti-alcohol lobby which has forced Rhone wine body to change advertising slogan. The advert included the words ‘au gout de la vie’ or a taste for life.

And to conclude, the Guardian has a great article about the essential guide to the basics of cooking. There is really no excuse not to cook.