At SheKnows Food, we spend a lot of time reading about — you guessed it — food (and drinks too!). And we’ve come across some stories that are too good to not share. Here are the food items from the week that you don’t want to miss.
1. Millennials are keeping it classy by drinking tons of wine
If you think wine is a beverage exclusively consumed by stuffy-shirted older folks, think again. It turns out millennials consume more wine than any other generation — in fact, 42 percent of all wine consumed in the U.S. is purchased by millennials. That equals about two cases, or 24 bottles, of wine per millennial per year. That said, your perception of what constitutes a millennial might be a little off — the youngest millennials are now 21 and over, meaning plenty of teens could very well still be consuming Smirnoff Ice and Twisted Teas by the coolerful. — USA Today
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2. McDonald’s is bringing chicken and waffles to the masses
Hunting down a plate of chicken and waffles can be a real pain depending on where you live, but McDonald’s could soon change all that. Eleven McDonald’s locations in central Ohio are testing out a breakfast sandwich that is meant to emulate the taste of chicken and waffles. It’s called the Chicken McGriddle, and it consists of a crispy fried chicken patty placed between two maple syrup-infused pancakes. So it’s not technically a waffle, but supposedly the flavor is spot on. If you’re lucky enough to live in Ohio, you can try one of the new sandwiches now through March 27. In the meantime, the rest of the country waits with bated breath to see if the Chicken McGriddle will ever grace menus nationwide. — Delish
3. This trick will score you a free soft-shell taco at Taco Bell every time
Today I learned a life-changing Taco Bell hack that I somehow had never heard about before. Maybe the drive-thru is to blame? Anyway, every Taco Bell has a countertop coin game you can play when you order your food. You place a coin into the game and, by using the correct, fairly simple strategic moves, get the coin to land on a yellow platform. Once it’s there, alert a Taco Bell employee, because you’ve won a free hard- or soft-shell taco. You can see the winning technique here, but if you can’t seem to master it, no worries — all the change in the game box is donated to charity. — A.V. Club
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4. Climate change is killing off Maine’s lobsters
The best way to get people involved in curbing global warming? Take away their lobster, probably. That’s just what Mother Nature seems to be doing, as Maine’s lobster fisheries are basically being decimated due to a variety of climate change-related problems. Warmer water temperatures have helped various saltwater diseases flourish, including one that basically turns sea stars into goo. Now lobsters are falling victim to a shell disease that causes lesions on their skin that can be lethal. It’s the same disease that devastated the southern New England lobster population, but now that water temperatures are rising even in northern waters, it looks like Maine’s lobster industry could see its final days. — The Washington Post
5. America’s Test Kitchen‘s ranked the best supermarket chocolate
It’s a hard job, but someone had to do it. A few inquisitive minds at America’s Test Kitchen recently got together to taste test the best of supermarket chocolate with the hope of helping consumers choose from the ever-expanding selection of high-percentage cocoa bars on the market. They judged based on the taste of the plain chocolate as well as how each chocolate worked as an ingredient in brownies and in pots de crème.
The winner? The thankfully easy-to-find Ghirardelli 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate Premium Baking Bar. It got high marks for its taste when eaten plain (tasters remarked on notes of cherries, wine and smoke) along with its ability to make smooth, rich, decadent pots de crème.
The worst of the 10 chocolates sampled? Nestlé’s Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate Bar and Hershey’s Special Dark Chocolate Bar. The issues with both included too much sugar, not enough cocoa solids, a lack of flavor and the tendency to turn pots de crème into a runny mess. Surprisingly the Nestlé bar costs more per ounce than the winning Ghirardelli bar, so the best bar looks like a real bargain. — Cook’s Illustrated
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