If a can of coconut water and a banana smoothie had a baby, it might be banana water. The latest plant-based hydration beverage on the market is being touted as “the peel good beverage” that offers “a bunch of nutrients.” And it’s drumming up attention on social media.

“Boyfriend says it has aromatics of slightly overripe banana,” one Reddit user, leemoongrass, commented, adding, “It honestly isn’t that bad.”

“It smells like baby food,” lsp2c said on Instagram.

Not to be confused with banana water for plants, a DIY fertilizer made by soaking banana peels in water to extract nutrients, such as potassium and vitamin C, for your flora. Or homemade banana drinks, such as hot water steeped with banana peels and strained, or blended banana smoothies.

The new drink, sold in supermarkets, is being marketed as an alternative to sports drinks, a sort of coconut water 2.0.

But some have taken to social media with questions: “How do you think you juice a banana?!” tybottofficial asked on TikTok, while unpacking a box of organic banana water from Woodstock. “I wonder if they’re just in a factory, like, you know, really milking these bananas, I guess?” (He gave the drink a 7.5 out of 10.)

Both Woodstock and Banagua, leading manufacturers of banana water, make their banana water in Thailand from organic “Thai golden” and “Thai cultivated” bananas, which are shorter and stubbier-looking than the standard yellow bananas sold in most American supermarkets and which have a slight pinkish tint. The fruit gets pinker in the processing and the drink has a pinkish hue.

If you’re a label ogler, the ingredient list will put you at ease. Banana water contains just one ingredient: bananas. There’s no significant water added to it. A banana is 80% water, Banagua co-founder Rob Smithson says, and the processing of the drink (an “enzymatic process”) separates the water from the pulp — the drink is slightly viscous but not pulpy.

Woodstock’s bananas are steamed and mashed with “proprietary enzymes” to release nutrients. “Think of it as liquefied bananas,” says Bruce Bruemmer, vice president of brand management at UNFI Brands+, Woodstock’s parent company.

The upshot? Both companies say their banana water is especially healthy, brimming with electrolytes like potassium, B6 and magnesium, as well as minerals and antioxidants such as vitamin A and C. The drink has no added sugar, and zero fat, sodium and cholesterol, though a 330ml can does have about 13 grams of carbohydrates, slightly less than Naked coconut water’s 14 grams in a container of the same size.

So how healthy is banana water, what does it taste like, and is it worth the hype? Here’s the deal.

Manufacturer’s claims: “Our banana water has 205 mg of magnesium — 50% of the daily value,” Smithson says of Banagua’s Original Banana, which went on the market in July 2025. “And it’s especially hydrating — probably 2-3 bananas per can, which you can bring anywhere and you don’t have to worry about moldy bananas. And just 50 calories — Naked’s coconut water has 60.”

Woodstock’s 500ml can of banana water, which went on the market in March 2024, has just 80 calories. “Our Woodstock Organic Banana Water stands out for its great taste and natural hydration,” Bruemmer says, “delivering 765mg of electrolytes — similar to many sports drinks — without any artificial colors, flavors or preservatives.”

Nutritionists’ take: “It’s probably a sequel to coconut water,” says Dr. Thomas Sherman, a professor of pharmacology and physiology at Georgetown University Medical Center. “It would appeal to people who are worried about animal wellness and saturated fat in their milk drinks or who are worried about too high sugar — so this fits the bill. But I question its effectiveness — these types of beverages offer such trivial amounts of electrolytes compared to what’s already in our food. And it’s expensive.

Sherman says that, in the end, it comes down to the consumer’s intentions for choosing banana water.

“If you’re buying it because of the taste, and you want to support a plant-based beverage, and [because] it’s fairly low sugar, then fine,” he says. “But if you’re buying it because you’re interested in getting more potassium and magnesium and calcium with low sodium, then it’s silly because just eat plants, eat food, that’s going to supply hundreds of times more potassium and calcium and magnesium.”

Categorizing banana water as a sports drink is problematic, adds Vanessa King, a registered dietitian nutritionist specializing in supplements.

“Sports drinks replace electrolytes,” King says. “The problem with banana water is that while bananas are very high in potassium, the electrolyte that you predominantly lose when you exercise is sodium — and it doesn’t provide sodium. I would not choose it over a sports drink.”

King points out that “banana juice,” as she calls it, suffers from the same concerns as other juices: “It’s more concentrated sugar without the fiber you’d get from the fruit version.”

But any amount of potassium, magnesium, vitamin A and C — all key nutrients in banana water — is helpful, King says. “They’re all nutrients that are generally under-consumed by Americans. But bananas also have those nutrients!”

The taste: We found it sweet and tropical-tasting, slightly viscous but surprisingly refreshing. However, we didn’t go bananas for it.

Cost: Banagua’s Original Banana (330ml): $3.49; Woodstock’s Organic Banana Water (500ml): $2.99.

©2025 Los Angeles Times. Visit at latimes.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Everyone seems to love this one-dish wonder, a baked pasta dish with sausage and black olives. You can change its personality by using a sausage that you prefer. Hot Italian sausage will yield a dish that is fiery, while mild Italian sausage makes a more kid-friendly meal. I like to use half hot and half mild. The choice is yours.

Happy New Year!

Baked Pasta with Sausage and Olives

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided use
• 1 pound Italian sausage removed from casings, sweet or hot, or some of both
• 2 medium garlic cloves, minced
• 1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 3/4 cup pitted black olives, such as Kalamata, drained
• Salt
• 1 pound penne or ziti
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided use; see cook’s notes
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided use
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

Cook’s notes: Use the low-moisture style of mozzarella that is harder and often used for melting, not the fresh mozzarella.

DIRECTIONS

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Brush a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with 1 tablespoon oil. Cook sausage in a large, deep skillet until browned, about 5 to 6 minutes, breaking it up with spatula or wooden spoon. Transfer sausage to a bowl.

2. Drain all but 1 tablespoon fat from skillet, add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and garlic; cook until fragrant but not brown, about 1 minute. Add crushed and diced tomatoes, return sausage to the skillet. Add olives and simmer until thickened, 15 to 18 minutes. Season to taste with salt.

3. Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts of water to boil in large pot. Add 1 tablespoon salt and pasta. Cook until slightly underdone. Reserve 1/4 cup cooking water. Drain pasta and return to pot along with reserved water. Stir in tomato sauce.

4. Pour half of pasta into prepared baking dish. Sprinkle with half of each cheese. Pour remaining pasta into dish, sprinkle with remaining cheeses and sprinkle with parsley. Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Remove from oven and let it rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Source: Adapted from America’s Test Kitchen

Award-winning food writer Cathy Thomas has written three cookbooks, including “50 Best Plants on the Planet.” Follow her at CathyThomasCooks.com.

Now La Torretta Italian Grill, a comforting staple of the Indian Trace neighborhood, is scheduled to permanently close Jan. 11, management confirmed with the South Florida Sun Sentinel on Tuesday. Manager Martha Vasalo said new landlords in the Weston Lakes Plaza planned to “dramatically” increase rents beyond what longtime owners Fabrizio and Vita Russo could handle.

“Silent investors from California have decided to raise us,” said Vasalo, adding that La Torretta marked its 34th anniversary in business in early December.

La Torretta’s imminent closing marks Weston’s second closing of a longtime comfort-food icon in recent months, after Lucille’s American Cafe shuttered in late August after 26 years. It also bookends another particularly brutal year for local dining, adding to the tally of longtime eateries that met their demise after grappling with doubled rents, increased food and labor.

Regular diners who heard about La Torretta’s choice to close took to social media in waves of shock and anger, listing their favorite dishes while bemoaning the hardship that legacy restaurants face to stay alive.

“We have been ordering from La Torretta for 27 years!!!” commenter Lisa Cole wrote. “What a loss to Weston!”

“We had a large group for dinner after my mom’s funeral and they treated us very well. Hate to see this when they were one of the first restaurants in Town Center,” commenter Linda Palmer said, adding, “We really miss Lucille’s as well.”

“I guess we’ll be ordering there a few more times before they close,” Traci Caruso-Borkowski wrote. “I’ve never had a bad meal there.”

At its peak, La Torretta operated two locations — one in Weston Lakes and a second 3 miles east, with a slightly altered menu, at 1352 Weston Road in the Country Isles Plaza. Here, La Torretto turned out a carousel of Italian-American classics in its spacious dining room and pink column-wrapped patio, including manicotti, ravioli and lasagna, chicken fortified with Marsala wine, mussels marinara and calamari.

La Torretta faced recent setbacks, among them being temporarily ordered shut July 30 by state inspectors for a handful of dirty dining issues.

La Torretta Italian Grill, at 308 Indian Trace, in Weston, expects to close Jan. 11. Call 954-389-0551 or go to LaTorrettaWeston.com.

No restaurants in Broward County received an emergency order to close last week.

The South Florida Sun Sentinel typically highlights restaurant inspections conducted by the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation in Broward and Palm Beach counties. We cull through inspections that happen weekly and spotlight places ordered shut for violations such as improper food temperatures or dead cockroaches.

Any restaurant that fails a state inspection must stay closed until it passes a follow-up. If you spot a possible violation and wish to file a complaint, contact Florida DBPR. (But please don’t contact us: The Sun Sentinel doesn’t inspect restaurants.)

PALM BEACH COUNTY

Blue Anchor pub
804 E. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach

Ordered shut: Dec. 22

Why: Seven violations (four high-priority), including:

• “Dead rodent present on floor behind bar next to slide-top cooler.”
• About 200 rodent droppings “on shelves behind bar,” “on floor under equipment/storage shelves behind bar,” “in kitchen on floor under/behind equipment,” “in kitchen behind chest freezer,” “in kitchen on floor inside walk-in cooler,” “on expo line in storage containers with clean utensils/unwrapped single-service articles/clean cups,” “at expo line on floor under shelves” and “on floor in dry storage area.”
• About 20 live flies “behind bar flying around/landing on drink dispensers/equipment/utensils.”
• “Employee entered establishment/kitchen/bar from outside and began handling clean utensils and equipment to prepare/serve food/drinks for customers without washing hands.”

Status: Remained closed on Dec. 23 after a next-day inspection found four violations (two high-priority and two basic.) A third visit on Dec. 26 kept the pub closed because of three violations (one high-priority and two basic). A fourth inspection on Dec. 29 found three violations (one high-priority and two basic), which kept it closed. Blue Anchor was allowed to reopen later that same day after a reinspection found two basic violations.

Previously, Blue Anchor had been forced to temporarily close on Dec. 4 and was allowed to reopen Dec. 8 after passing a third inspection.

For our extended family holiday gatherings, we’ve dispensed with the big meal and go all in on appetizers.

We’ve found that not only does it take the pressure off the host — everyone brings an appetizer or two — but it gives the day a more laid-back feel for guests, too. No need to rush over for a predetermined mealtime; just come when schedules allow and appetites are healthy.

While we do have vegetables and more substantial offerings on hand (pulled pork sliders are a favorite) for those making a day of it, we love to go all in on dips. Hot dips, cold dips, dessert dips — we have them all. Which is why “Dip In” by Sonali Shah had my full attention when it crossed my desk.

This year, I’m spicing up of-the-moment cottage cheese, turning a classic salad into a dip and reinventing an Italian sauce into an appetizer, all thanks to Shah’s snacking sensibilities.

But what’s a party without a wildcard?

That’s where Fried Pickle Dip from “The Ultimate Pickle Lover’s Book” comes into play. While it’s short-changing the book (and pickle lovers) to only highlight the recipe that mimics one of Minnesota’s favorite State Fair foods, it has the buzz factor that hosts and guests love.

No worries if it’s too late to invite these recipes to your holiday party, just remember the Super Bowl is only six weeks away.

Crunchy Chicken Caesar Dip

Serves 4 to 6.

Tailor this dip to suit your tastes. Don’t like anchovies? Leave them out. Fancy extra bacon? Go for it. From “Dip In: 80 Delicious Dip Recipes for Entertaining, Snacking and Beyond,” by Sonali Shah (Hamlyn, 2025).

For the croutons:

• 1 slice of sourdough bread, torn into small bite-size chunks
• 2 tbsp. olive oil

For the dip:

• 8 tbsp. mayonnaise
• 4 anchovies, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed or finely chopped
• 2 tbsp. lemon juice, divided
• 1 c. shredded cooked chicken
• 2 celery sticks, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp. capers, roughly chopped
• 4 tbsp. prepared crispy fried onions
• 2 strips cooked crispy bacon, roughly chopped (about 2 tbsp.)
• Handful of chives, chopped
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Lettuce cups, for serving

Directions

To make the croutons: Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment. Add the torn bread and drizzle over the olive oil, tossing to coat. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until crispy, stirring the croutons halfway through. Set aside to cool.

To make the dip: Combine the mayonnaise, anchovies and garlic in a bowl, then stir in half the lemon juice. Once combined, add the chicken, celery and capers. Stir and taste for seasoning, adding a good grind of black pepper and more lemon juice if needed.

Just before serving, stir through the croutons and top the dip with the crispy fried onions, crispy bacon and chives. Serve with lettuce cups, like Little Gem.

Cottage Cheese and Salsa Macha

Serves 4.

Salsa macha originates in Veracruz, Mexico. While it’s technically a salsa, it’s a bit different as it’s oil based. You can enjoy it on its own, but it’s particularly delicious drizzled over something creamy like cottage cheese. Note: Use 2 dried chipotle chiles if guajillo chiles aren’t available. Store leftovers in a jar in the refrigerator for up to 4 weeks. From “Dip In: 80 Delicious Dip Recipes for Entertaining, Snacking and Beyond,” by Sonali Shah (Hamlyn, 2025).

• 7 oz. sunflower or vegetable oil
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
• 2 tbsp. sesame seeds
• 2 tbsp. pumpkin seeds
• 2 tbsp. sunflower seeds
• ½ c. peanuts
• 2 ancho chiles, seeded and finely chopped
• 4 guajillo chiles, seeded and finely chopped (see Note)
• 1 tbsp. cider vinegar
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 ¼ c. cottage cheese
• Crispbreads or crunchy crackers, for serving
• Fresh vegetables, for serving

Directions

Pour oil into a medium-sized saucepan. Add the garlic and place over a medium-low heat. Just before it starts to pop, reduce the heat to a simmer, then cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until fragrant.

Stir in the sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, peanuts and chopped chiles, and continue to simmer for a further 5 minutes or until the seeds and nuts start to brown. Remove from heat, stir in the cider vinegar and salt, then leave to cool.

Once cool, scoop out the solids using a slotted spoon and add them to the bowl of a food processor. Blend until you have a chunky paste, then return mixture to the oil and stir to combine. Taste for seasoning.

When you’re ready to serve, add the cottage cheese to your serving dish, then drizzle with 3 to 4 tablespoons of the salsa macha, or to taste. Serve with crispbreads and/or fresh vegetables.

Preserved Lemon Tonnato

Serves 4.

Tonnato is a classic Italian sauce typically served with veal in vitello tonnato, but it’s really delicious as a standalone dip. Note: The addition of preserved lemon is a little twist that provides depth, but you can use 1 to 2 tablespoons lemon juice instead if you prefer. From “Dip In: 80 Delicious Dip Recipes for Entertaining, Snacking and Beyond,” by Sonali Shah (Hamlyn, 2025).

• 2 (4-oz.) cans tuna in oil
• 2 preserved lemons, finely chopped and seeds discarded, plus 1 tsp. of their brine (see Note)
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled
• 2 tsp. capers
• 2 small shallots, peeled and roughly chopped
• 4 tbsp. mayonnaise
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Crostini, for serving
• Fresh vegetables, for serving

Directions

Empty the tuna and its oil into a food processor. Add the preserved lemons (or lemon juice), garlic, capers, shallots, mayonnaise and olive oil and blend until smooth. Taste and add salt if needed. Season with black pepper and serve with crostini and fresh vegetables.

Fried Pickle Dip

Serves 8.

This recipe takes all the best flavors and textures of fried pickles — the toasty coating, the creamy ranch dip and the tangy pickles— and transforms them into an irresistible dip. It pairs well with your favorite chips and crackers. Don’t skip the chilling time, which allows the flavors to develop. From “The Ultimate Pickle Lover’s Book,” by Princess Gabbara and Kelly Jaggers (Simon & Schuster, 2025).

• 2 c. sour cream
• 4 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 (0.4-oz.) packet powdered ranch mix, such as Hidden Valley Ranch Restaurant-Style Dressing & Recipe Mix
• 2 tbsp. dill pickle brine
• 1 tbsp. chopped fresh dill
• 1 tbsp. chopped fresh chives
• ½ tsp. onion powder
• ¼ tsp. garlic powder
• 1 ¼ c. finely chopped dill pickles
• 1 c. panko
• 5 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

Directions

To a large bowl, add sour cream and cream cheese. With a hand mixer, beat on low speed until mixture is just combined, about 30 seconds. Increase speed to medium and beat until mixture is smooth, about 2 minutes.

Add ranch powder, pickle brine, dill, chives, onion powder and garlic powder, and beat on low speed for 30 seconds, or until all spices are well blended. Add pickles and fold to mix. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

Just before serving, prepare topping. In a medium bowl, combine panko and butter, and mix until evenly combined. Heat a 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Add panko mixture and cook, stirring often, until mixture is golden brown, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

Transfer dip to a serving dish and top with toasted panko. Serve immediately.

©2025 The Minnesota Star Tribune. Visit at startribune.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

The cheese ball is a cliché. I believe, however, that like the pig in a blanket and the baked potato, the cheese ball is so cliched it has actually become cool.

Socially acceptable or not, when this dish from my cookbook “Deep Run Roots” is put out at a party of any kind, people hover over it like it’s a crystal ball.

Once you get used to the idea of making a cheese ball, keep a few things in mind. Bring it out at least 30 minutes before you plan on serving it. This forethought will make it spreadable and allow the complexity of its flavor to come through. Also, consider doubling the recipe. A fully formed cheese ball freezes and travels nicely. And, last, keep your cracker choice simple. Sea salt or plain Jane is the way to go here, possibly everywhere.

Note: This recipe calls for dates. Please do not use pre-chopped dates from a bag. They are covered in sugar and taste like sweet cardboard. Use whole, dried dates and remove the pits.

Cheese ball

Makes 1 large cheese ball or 2 small ones

Ingredients

¼ cup high-quality blue cheese (I like Maytag)

1/3 cup (5 ½ tablespoons) unsalted butter

¼ cup fresh goat cheese

¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons cream cheese

¼ cup chopped dates

2 tablespoons finely chopped scallions (both white and green parts work here)

½ teaspoon hot sauce

¼ teaspoon salt

1/3 cup Salt-and-Butter-Roasted Pecans, (recipe below), roughly chopped (or plain, toasted pecans)

2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

SALT-AND-BUTTER-ROASTED PECANS

2 cups pecan halves or pieces

2 tablespoons melted butter

¾ teaspoon salt, divided

Directions

1. Soften the cheese: Take the blue cheese, butter, goat cheese, and cream cheese out of the refrigerator to soften 30 minutes before making your cheese-ball mixture.

2. While the cheese softens, roast the pecans: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Toss the pecans thoroughly with the melted butter and ½ teaspoon of the salt. Spread them out in a single layer on a baking sheet and slide that sheet onto the middle rack of your oven. Roast the pecans for 11 minutes if using pecan halves and 10 minutes if you’re using pieces. Bring the slightly darkened and toasty-smelling pecans out of the oven and hit them with the remaining salt. Let them cool. Any extra pecans will keep for 2 weeks in an airtight container at room temperature.

3. Finish the cheese ball: In the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine all the ingredients except for the pecans and parsley. Paddle it up till homogenous. It will be loose and sticky and you’ll wonder how you’re ever going to form that mess into a ball. The answer is, you transfer the bowl to the refrigerator for 15 minutes or so. During that time the cheese mix will firm up enough for you to pat it into a sphere. Once it’s stiff enough to hold up, form the ball and roll that ball in the pecans, followed by parsley.

Vivian Howard is the chef and owner of the Chef and the Farmer restaurant in Kinston, North Carolina. The first woman since Julia Child to win a Peabody Award for a cooking program, she co-created and stars in the PBS series “A Chef’s Life.”

Excerpted from “Deep Run Roots” by Vivian Howard. Copyright (copyright) 2016 by Vivian Howard. Photograph by Rex Miller. Used with permission of Voracious, an imprint of Little, Brown and Company. New York, NY. All rights reserved.

Many consumers feel pride in avoiding the glazed pastries in the supermarket and instead opting for “all natural” granola that comes packed with extra protein. Same goes for low-fat yogurts “made with real fruit,” “organic” plant-based milks and bottled “superfood” smoothies.

Buyer beware: Healthy grocery buzzwords like those often cover up an unhealthy amount of sugar.

Added sugars are difficult to quickly spot because many companies use clever marketing to distract consumers, said Nicole Avena, a professor of neuroscience and psychiatry at Mount Sinai Medical School and Princeton University who has studied added sugars.

Avena said while some health-forward brands know people are starting to become aware of the hazards of added sugars, “a lot of the bigger brands don’t worry so much about people’s health.”

Here’s how to spot hidden sugars and what to do about it.

What to look for

Along with saturated fat and salt, eating excess sugar is linked to heart disease, obesity, diabetes and other health risks.

The average American consumes 17 teaspoons of added sugar a day, which adds up to 57 pounds per year, according to the American Heart Association. About half of that comes from beverages, but much of the rest is sneaked into cereal, salsa, prepared sandwiches, dairy products, bottled sauces and baked goods, including many brands of whole-grain bread.

To help control sugar intake, start by checking the nutrition label. Since 2021, food companies have been required to list the quantity of added sugars separately from total sugar content. But the plan backfired, Avena said.

Companies reduced common sweeteners like refined beet sugar and high-fructose corn syrup but added alternatives, such as monk fruit and the sugar alcohol erythritol, which aren’t considered “added sugars” under FDA regulations.

“Now our foods are even more sweet than they were back in 2020,” Avena said.

What should you do?

Collin Popp, a dietitian and professor at NYU Langone Health, said the current FDA recommendation allows for some flexibility. People should get no more than 10% of their calories from added sugar, which amounts to about 50 grams per day if eating 2,000 calories, or a bit more than what’s in a typical can of soda.

But that might be too flexible, Popp said.

“I would actually like to see that be less than 5%, and closer to zero for some, if they have diabetes or prediabetes,” he said.

The key is to be mindful of what you’re eating, even if the product seems healthy or if the package is labeled organic, Popp said. Roasted nuts, plant-based milks and wasabi peas, for example, can include a surprising amount of added sugars. So can English muffins and Greek yogurt.

One Chobani black cherry yogurt, for example, has zero grams of fat but 9 grams of added sugar, or more than 2 teaspoons. Silk brand almond milk has 7 grams per cup.

Popp recommends taking control of how much sugar goes into your food. That could mean buying plain yogurt and adding honey or berries, or asking the barista if you can put your own oat milk into your coffee.

Taking from one column to add to another

Although they lower the calorie content of foods, artificial sweeteners like stevia and sugar alcohols may not be better because they can encourage people to overeat, Avena said. She said research shows that sweet flavors are what activate the reward center of the brain, not the sugar itself.

That’s not to write off sugar alternatives, including allulose for people with Type 1 diabetes since it doesn’t affect blood sugar.

But for the general public, minimizing dependence on the overall sweetness of food is key to improving health, she said.

“Don’t let the food companies decide how much sugar you’re eating,” Avena said.

Albert Stumm writes about food, travel and wellness. Find his work at www.albertstumm.com.

The West Palm Beach mega-mercato, which opened on Dec. 6, becomes the Torino, Italy-founded brand’s second South Florida location, following the summer opening of Eataly in Aventura. The market has a mighty U.S. presence, with 16 stores from New York and Chicago to Las Vegas and Los Angeles.

“Eataly West Palm Beach is not only a continuation of our presence in South Florida, but an emblem of our brand’s mission to showcase the Italian Art of Living,” Tommaso Brusò, CEO of Eataly North America, said in a statement.

Across 23,000 square feet of shopping space inside the former Harriet Himmel Theater, there’s imported cut-to-order salumi, bright boxes of panettone, Roman-style pizza (more on that later), fresh truffles and caviar, olive oils and wine varietals of every hue. There’s also a cooking school and a performance stage for demonstrations.

And the fresh pasta! A kaleidoscope of carbohydrates in every shape awaits, but perusers may want to stymie the urge to possess them all on their first visit. For one, they’re fragile (or fra-gee-lay, which is Italian), and two — oh, look, one counter over, there’s mortadella studded with pistachios. And fresh burrata! Better save some trunk space for those.

You get the point: It’s a mesmerizing circus of endless choices, and it can overwhelm, especially with hundreds of similarly awestruck shoppers milling around. So here’s a breakdown of the restaurants, the market and the grab-and-go-counters, just in time for New Year’s Day parties.

The restaurants

La Pizza & La Pasta: It’s 15 styles of Napoli-style pizza at this sit-down, including the Related Pizza (so named after Eataly developer Related Ross), with San Marzano tomato sauce, Napoli mozzarella, 18-month prosciutto, fresh burrata, basil and olive oil. There are also rustic breads, antipasti, aperitivos and an abbreviated menu of artisanal pastas also served at Il Pastaio.

Il Pastaio: This full-service restaurant serves housemade pasta by the bowlful, prepared daily by Eataly’s own pastai, who knead, roll, cut and form each shape from scratch, yielding dishes from tagliatelle alla bolognese to tonnarelli cacio e pepe. There are also salads, cured meats and cheeses.

The Counters

La Salumeria: The stuff from which decadent charcuterie boards are made, customers can order cured meats and cheeses by the pound, such as prosciutto di parma and Parmigiano-Reggiano and even jars of fig jam.

La Pizza alla Pala: A grab-and-go devoted to pizza alla pala, so named because the dough is stretched over an oval paddle. These Roman-style pies with airy, focaccia-like crust, are sold by the slice.

La Pasta Fresca: Fresh, hand-formed pastas of every color and shape can be ordered here, from orecchiette to linguine.

La Pasticceria: Indulge in chocolate-filled cakes, chantilly-filled bignès (cream puffs), fruit tarts, baba al rum. Or have a tray of tiramisu portioned for four or more, so you can tell your family you made it or accidentally-on-purpose forget to tell anyone you bought it, then feast on it yourself. We won’t judge.

Il Gelato: Picture rich chocolate, hazelnut, pistachio and other fruit flavors in sorbetto and gelato form, sold by the scoop.

Caffè Lavazza: As the name implies, find espressos, after-dinner drinks, traditional colazione Italiana (Italian breakfast), including custard-filled cornetti and biscotti.

The Markets

Lining the market aisles are must-haves for any New Year’s Day celebration, including candies, chocolates, House-branded panettones in colorful boxes and bottles of Franciacorta, a sparkling wine from Lombardi. There’s also a curated produce section stocked with endive, radicchio, fennel, limes and beefsteak tomatoes

If you go

What: Eataly West Palm Beach
When: Now open
Where: 580 Hibiscus St., West Palm Beach, inside CityPlace
Info: Call 728-728-8440 or go to Eataly.com

Bold, spicy flavors have never been more in demand, especially when they add a global element to a dish. One of my favorite foods these days is Korean fried chicken, which I ate twice on a recent trip to New York City.

Celebrated for its crispy exterior and tender interior, Korean fried chicken has been a staple late-night snack in South Korea since the late 1970s and early ’80s. It’s typically known as “drinking food,” or anju, though Koreans also enjoy the crispy pieces of meat with non-alcoholic drinks.

Sticky, gotta-lick-your-fingers-after-you-eat-it yangnyeom dak is especially popular. It’s glazed in a spicy-sweet sauce made with Korean chili paste, golden (corn) syrup, ketchup and sugar that give Korean fried chicken its fireworks.

It’s one of those dishes you order as an appetizer for the table, and after the first saucy taste, wish you could keep all for yourself.

In Korea, the dish is most often made with bone-in chicken thighs or wings that have been coated in a cornstarch mixture. Traditionally, the chicken is fried twice to take it to the next level of crunchiness.

I’ve adapted this recipe from my son Dan’s favorite cookbook, “The Korean Cookbook” by Junghyun Park and Jungyoon Choi (Phaidon Press, $54.95), to use chunks of boneless, skinless chicken breast instead of bone-in, skin-on pieces for easier eating. In a break from tradition, it’s only fried once before being tossed in the sauce.

So how did I achieve the thin, crispy texture that defines the dish? The coating is made with a packaged, cornstarch-based fried chicken mix commonly sold in Korea, which I bought on Amazon (but should also be available in well-stocked Asian markets).

You also can make the batter from scratch by mixing ½ cup cornstarch with ½ teaspoon baking powder, ½ cup all-purpose flour and 2 teaspoons kosher salt in a large bowl and whisking until it’s well-combined. Then, add enough cold water (½ to 1 cup) until it has the consistency of thin paint.

My local grocery doesn’t stock Korean soy sauce, which is a little lighter and saltier than Japanese or Chinese soy sauce. But no worries, my trusty bottle of all-purpose Kikkoman is always at the ready.

The cookbook’s authors suggest eating half the chicken naked and the other half tossed in the sauce to enjoy the dish two different ways. If you like, you can garnish it with toasted sesame seeds and serve it alongside kimchi, pickled radishes or a spicy cucumber salad.

At restaurants, Korean fried chicken is often served as an appetizer; for dinner, it’s great on a bed of steamed white rice.

Your mouth may burn a little after you take that first saucy bite, but it’s so good you’ll forget about it before reaching for another chunk.

Sweet and Spicy Korean Fried Chicken

PG tested

For the sauce

• 3 tablespoons corn syrup
• 2 tablespoons ketchup
• 2 tablespoons gochujang (red chili paste)
• 2 tablespoons ganjang (Korean soy sauce)
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• ½ tablespoon fine gochugaru (red chili powder)
• 1 tablespoon sugar

For the chicken

• 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into chunks
• 1 tablespoon MSG
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Neutral cooking oil for deep frying
• 1½ cups Korean seasoned fried chicken mix

Make sauce: In a small saucepan, combine corn syrup, ketchup, gochujang, soy sauce, gochugaru, garlic and sugar.

Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring often. Once it’s boiling, reduce heat to low and simmer for 3 minutes before removing from heat.

Prepare chicken: Pat chicken dry with paper towels. In a bowl, sprinkle chicken with MSG, sugar and black pepper and mix well. Let sit 15 minutes.

Pour 3 inches neutral oil into a large deep pot or deep fryer and heat to 355 degrees.

In a small bowl, stir together 6½ tablespoons of the fried chicken mix and 4 tablespoons water to make a batter. Mix well until uniform. Add chicken pieces, and stir to combine.

Place the remaining 1 cup fried chicken mix in a large plastic bag.

Place half the chicken in the plastic bag and shake until well coated. Let settle for 30 seconds before removing from the bag, shaking off any excess. Repeat with the rest of the chicken.

Set a wire rack in a sheet pan. Once oil is up to temperature, reduce heat to medium-low. Add the chicken pieces and fry for 3-4 minutes, or until cooked through. Remove and set on the rack to cool for 3 minutes.

Sauce the chicken with the desired amount of sauce and toss well in a bowl.

Plate and serve immediately.

— adapted from “The Korean Cookbook” by Junghyun Park and Jungyoon Choi

©2025 PG Publishing Co. Visit at post-gazette.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

It’s that time again.

I’ve been paging through my 2025 tasting notebooks, reviewing how many good and great wines I’ve sipped, as well as the number of boring overpriced duds. This year, my total of reds, whites, rosés and sparklers hit 2,874, from 26 countries. Admittedly, I sampled only a few from Moldova, Bolivia and Peru, but I plan to up that in 2026.

In my annual top 50 buys under $50, I’ve tried to highlight wines new to me along with perennial bargains. My biggest sticker shock was how few Champagnes are still available at this price point, even on sale. I had to cheat a little to get one favorite in.

Although I sampled a surprising number of good value chardonnays this year (is that because of grape oversupply?), under-the-radar varietals and regions are where to look. Think the Languedoc-Roussillon in France, Ribeira Sacra in Spain, all of Portugal and South Africa, the Lodi region in California, the Finger Lakes in New York and more I’ll tell you about in 2026.

Unhappily, in the US, tariffs on European Union wines, rising interest rates and increased shipping costs have led to slimmer selections and some price hikes. Will the US Supreme Court knock down those tariffs on wine? Keep your fingers crossed. In the UK, increases in duty on alcohol volume (lower levels pay less) and packaging fees mean costlier bottles. Average prices are listed for both regions when possible.

A few tips: When you see a good buy, don’t wait. And remember that retailers frequently offer discounts, especially on Champagne, before the holidays and throughout January. Cutting back? Click through here for quality nonalcoholic options.

Fun fizz

Top sparkling bargains, including pét-nats, come from almost every continent.

NV Graham Beck Brut Rosé Méthode Cap Classique South Africa (US $20, UK £15) Fun, flirtatious, festive — this pale pink South African rosé fizz brims with bright strawberry fruit. It’s made the same way Champagne is, and it’s my favorite big party pour.

NV Keush Origins Brut (US $24, UK £21) Armenia is now creating exotic bubbly from grapes you’ve never heard of, Voskehat and Khatouni in this case. This big value sparkler by Keush would be twice the price if it had a different address.

NV Langlois Crémant de Loire Réserve Brut (US $25, UK £22) French crémants are ideal Champagne alternatives, made by the same traditional method but from different grapes that depend on the region. In the Loire Valley this means chenin blanc. This creamy textured example is a fine partner to food.

2023 Bosman Family Vineyards Méthode Ancestrale Chenin Blanc (US $27, UK £19) Made by a South African family dedicated to environmental sustainability, this is the ultimate feel-good brunch pét-nat, and it’s an approachable, lively natural wine for nonbelievers.

NV Clothilde Davenne Crémant de Bourgogne Extra Brut (US $32, UK £22) This Burgundian crémant is a chardonnay-pinot noir blend from chilly Chablis territory. It’s aperitif style: light, crisp and chalky, perfect with savory gougères, salty potato chips or sushi.

NV Louis Pommery Brut England (US $38, UK £28) Pommery was the first major Champagne house to release an English sparkling wine. It’s frothy and light, pure and floral, with green apple overtones. It’s not a wow fizz, but it’s oh so stylish. Winter wedding, anyone?

When only Champagne will do

Nonvintage blends from little-known growers still offer the best values, but entry-level cuvées from the big brands are frequently discounted right before the holidays. US and UK merchant Berry Bros & Rudd offers an excellent grand cru Champagne, under their own label, at US $50, UK £37.

NV Ployez-Jacquemart Extra Quality Brut (US $41, UK £44) The emblem fizz of this almost century-old grower Champagne house is a rich, round, complex cuvée of premier and grand cru wines.

Pierre Moncuit Blanc de Blancs Hugues de Coulmet Brut (US $45, UK £40) A fresh, citrusy all-chardonnay Champagne is the classic aperitif before a grand dinner. This appealing cuvée wafts up aromas of dried flowers and warm pastry, and provides a crispy zing to prime your taste buds.

NV Champagne Ponson Premier Cru Brut (US $48, UK £38) The once overlooked meunier grape has a starring role in this grower bubbly, contributing a vivid fruitiness and richer texture.

NV Champagne Chavost Blanc d’Assemblage Brut Nature (US $50, UK £35) The chef de cave, a darling of Paris natural wine bars, works with a collective of organic growers in a new model of a cooperative. This fizz has red fruit aromas, a label like an old-fashioned children’s book and no added sulfur.

NV Champagne Palmer La Réserve (US $50, UK £40) If you like an almost opulent Champagne with soft bubbles, the winery’s renamed signature blend is for you. It has a layered richness that’s rare in less expensive bottlings.

NV Billecart-Salmon Brut Le Réserve (US $56, UK £45) A bit out of price range (shhh!), but this well-known Champagne house has been in the throes of change. It’s now certified organic, the quality has risen, and the reimagined basic cuvée is drier, livelier and more seductive and charming.

White wines

From light, bright aperitifs to elegant, rich wines for a grand dinner.

2024 Aia Vecchia Vermentino (US $15, UK £15) Crisp, salty and grapefruity, this vermentino from coastal Tuscany is my light refrigerator white for sipping while cooking. Think of vermentino as the new sauvignon blanc.

2024 Apollo’s Praise Dry Riesling Lahoma Vineyard (US $17, UK £35 for 2023) With its first vintage (2023), this Finger Lakes winery grabbed global attention — and mine. A basic dry riesling of this quality, with white flower aromas, intense fruit balanced with mineral overtones and some elegance, at this price? Simply astonishing.

2024 Familia Deicas Atlantico Sur Albariño (US $19, UK £19) Cool coastal Uruguay has become one of the most exciting regions for albariño outside of Spain’s Galicia. This one has the peachy round character and electric acidity I love about this varietal.

2024 Terra Alpina Chardonnay (US $19, UK £16) Northern Italian producer Alois Lageder’s latest project is creating mouthwatering whites in partnership with organic growers in the rugged Dolomites. This spicy, slightly smoky chardonnay has Golden Delicious apple appeal.

2023 Guilhem and Jean-Hugues Goisot Bourgogne Aligoté (US $20, UK £22.50) Even though wines from aligoté, Burgundy’s other white grape, are getting more expensive, the Goisot family west of Chablis delivers a low-cost example with crisp, flinty minerality.

2023 Familia Zuccardi Chardonnay Q (US $21, UK £17 at Tesco) Feel good while drinking this Argentinean white: The winery is a global sustainability leader. The regional Q line chardonnay offers more sense of place than most inexpensive examples and shows off lovely apple and stone fruit notes.

2022 Marchelle Old Vines Colombard (US $23) The lush texture and dried mango nuances of this tart, fresh white blew me away. Celebrated California winemaker Greg LaFollette nursed the century-old colombard vineyard back to health.

2024 Dog Point Sauvignon Blanc (US $24, UK £20) New Zealand “savvy” is still a deal. Dog Point’s is on a whole different level than supermarket brands. Relish its savory citrusy notes, chalky texture and zesty acidity with raw oysters.

2022 Tasca d’Almerita Tenuta Regaleali Nozze d’Oro (US $29, UK £30) Sicily is a perennial source of bargains, and this reliable producer’s blend of local grape Inzolia and sauvignon blanc never fails. I love its bitter almond aromas and wild herb and citrus taste.

2023 La Garagista What There Was (US $32) The latest from Vermont’s pioneer of natural winemaking is a refreshing white from hybrid grape Brianna that mirrors the year’s weather challenges. The idea is to start a conversation about climate change. So, drink and talk!

2021 Oremus Tokaji Furmint Mandolas (US $32, UK £24) Hungary is noted for expensive sweet wines, but producers are increasingly using furmint grapes for dry ones. Mandolas’ combo of flint and ginger aromas and vivid mineral and apricot notes is wrapped in lush texture.

2023 Symington Casa de Rodas Alvarinho Vinho Verde (US $36) This is the first vintage of a sophisticated, complex white from the Symington port family and winemaker partner Anselmo Mendes. It’s delicious and comes with history too. The casa was built in 1566.

NV Bodegas Hidalgo La Gitana Manzanilla en Rama (US $37, UK £20) “En rama” means a sherry that’s bottled straight from the cask, so it has more character and flavor. This delicate, dry manzanilla, made from palomino grapes in Sanlúcar de Barrameda, has a subtle nutty and salty tang.

2022 Domaine William Fèvre Chablis (US $40, UK £27) Flinty minerality and edgy acidity make Chablis the best wine with oysters and any other shellfish. Plus, as white Burgundy prices rise, it still offers value.

2021 Centennial Mountain Vineyards Carricante ($45) Venture capitalist Kevin Harvey made a splash with his Rhys pinot noirs. Recently he planted the first Mount Etna varieties in Sonoma. The white carricante is a stunner: tangy, zingy, charged with energy.

2022 Domaine de Montille Bourgogne Blanc Le Clos du Château (US $45, UK £32) This famous estate has a couple of Bourgogne blancs, and this one from a special walled vineyard in front of the château drinks like a grander white. Call it a baby Puligny-Montrachet. It’s all lemon cream and wet stone, with a kiss of oak.

Red wines

From light and lively to big and bold.

2024 Badia a Coltibuono Labedia Chill Ya Jolo Labadia (US $19) This new, playful, chillable red from a historic Chianti Classico estate delivers charm and food-friendly freshness. Made from the little-known ciliegiologrape (get it?), it’s light and positively gluggable. (UK, check Chambers & Chambers.)

2023 Château Combel-la-Serre Cahors Le Pur Fruit du Causse (US $20, UK £22) If you want a big, bold, ripe red that’s still fresh and bright, this malbec from an organic estate in Cahors, the grape’s original French home, is more than satisfying for the price.

2023 Avignonesi Rosso Da-Di (US $23, UK £24 for 2022) The biodynamic Italian estate’s Da-Di wines (there’s a white too) started as experiments. This mouthwatering blend of five red grapes was aged in amphorae and has aromas of violets.

2022 Guímaro Camino Real (US $24, UK £27) Just about everyone loves the lushly fruity reds made from the mencia grape. This velvety, surprisingly complex Spanish version from trendy Ribeira Sacra also contains heirloom varieties grown in steep terraced vineyards.

2023 Bedrock Wine Company Old Vine Zinfandel (US $25, UK £30) Winemaker Morgan Twain-Peterson is one of the saviors of California’s old vineyards. Grapes from nine of them go into this savory red with rich raspberry and plum aromas. Zinfandels are woefully undervalued.

2022 Vasse Felix Filius Cabernet Sauvignon (US $25, UK £20 for 2021) Margaret River in Western Australia is prime territory for surfers and memorable cabernets. Lovely herbal notes combine with rich sleek fruit in this one, and the tannins promise it will age brilliantly.

2022 Hermann J Wiemer Cabernet Franc (US $27, UK £30) I’m a huge Cabernet franc fan, and this New York state winery makes a couple of my favorites. This one is like a light, quaffable Loire Valley red, and Wiemer’s Magdalena Vineyard bottling is more serious and age-worthy.

2023 Le Volte dell’Ornellaia (US $30, UK £29) For wine insiders, this is the not-so-secret value buy from Super Tuscan icon winery Ornellaia. The blend proportions vary, but this fresh, earthy, spicy vintage is mostly cabernet. Save it for a grand dinner.

2021 Château d’Aussières (US $30 for 2020, UK £27) The flagship red from the Corbières estate owned by Château Lafite Rothschild is a wine worth twice the price. It’s a rich, ripe, satisfying Rhône-style blend, overlaid with Bordeaux polish.

2021 Le Ragnaie Rosso di Montalcino (US $30, UK £25) Often dubbed “baby Brunello,” affordable Rosso di Montalcino is released and ready to drink sooner than its brother. The Ragnaie version, with its smoke and dried herbs, isn’t just Brunello discards; it comes from a special site.

2020 Chateau Musar Hochar Pere et Fils (US $31, UK £22) The Hochars are my wine heroes for creating great vino in Lebanon even when bombs were exploding. This silky-textured single-vineyard blend of cabernet, grenache and cinsault is what to drink if you’re toasting peace.

2022 Château Tronquoy Saint-Estèphe (US $40, UK £26) Don’t ignore Bordeaux’s bargains! This is the best vintage I’ve tasted from an estate in Saint-Estèphe owned by the billionaire proprietors of the more famous Château Montrose. It’s powerful and structured, with earthy tones and spicy fruit.

2013 López de Heredia Viña Bosconia Rioja Reserva 2013 (US $40, UK £35) The traditionalist producer in Rioja has a following of aficionados for its classic reds and whites. And for a full-bodied, complex, savory great wine that already been aged 12 years, the price is very, very low.

2022 Ex Post Facto Syrah (US $50) Esteemed winemaker Greg Brewercrafts this syrah from California’s cool Santa Rita Hills as though it were pinot noir. The result is a smoky-spicy red with bright fruit and a leathery finish.

2023 Pali Wine Co. Pali Vineyard Dornfelder (US $50) My first take: juicy berries, violet-y aromas, a bit peppery, only 12% alcohol and similar to a cru Beaujolais. It’s the first vintage of a new red from Pali, a winery on California’s Central Coast.

Rosé and orange wines for all seasons

Dry pink or orange wines are an all-year drink, as an aperitif or party sipper, or with food.

2024 Field Recordings Skins (US $22) This crisp California orange wine made from 12 white grapes (led by chenin blanc) in Paso Robles has a cult following. Vivid, earthy and richly textured, it will make you a believer.

2024 Istine Rosato (US $24) I’ve raved about the Istine Chianti Classicos, but winemaker Angela Fronti also makes an easy drinking rosé from Sangiovese. It’s fruity and fun, with herbal hints, and made for a lunch of bread and dry Italian sausage.

2023 Umathum Rosa (US $27) A serious fuchsia-colored rosé that satisfies even during a chilly winter, this unique Austrian wine is full of deep cherry and raspberry notes. It’s for hearty pork roasts.

2024 Les Vins Pirouettes Eros de Vincent (US $27) Just say yes! The collective of Alsatian organic wine growers was founded by natural wine guru Christian Binner, and the label is in most natural wine bars. Eros is a versatile light-bodied orange combo of white grapes that tastes of spice and ripe nectarines.

Sweet wines

And for dessert?

2024 G.D. Vajra Moscato d’Asti (US $20, UK £19) Think summer in a glass. With only 5.5% alcohol, scents like a bouquet of flowers, candied peach flavors and a gentle fizz, you could sip it all day while sitting on a patio. You don’t need an excuse.

2021 Château Rieussec Les Carmes de Rieussec (US $30, UK £25; 375mL) I love sweet Sauternes, but not enough drinkers do, or it would cost more. Inhale the honeysuckle-scents of this second wine from a cru classé château, and savor the flavors of candied lemon peel, honey and apricots with salty Roquefortcheese.

2020 Feudo Montoni Passito Rosso (US $37, UK £38; 375mL) Made from sun-dried perricone and nero d’avola grapes, this ultraripe, deeply sweet red is part of a long Sicilian tradition. A few sips with dark chocolate create a fabulous dessert.

©2025 Bloomberg L.P. Visit bloomberg.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.