NOSH NEWS

THE NEFF ZONE -- BY JIM NEFF

CADILLAC NEWS -- JULY 5, 2025

For some reason, there has been a lot of food related items in the recent news. Like discussions about the weather, food seems to be a safe conversation topic. Young and old, everyone is interested in noshable vittles.

What brought this to my attention was an article on FoodNetwork.com. “We checked out the top-searched summer dishes in all fifty states to zone in on those that are uniquely popular to specific areas. Some picks might just surprise you.” The article includes recipes for all the specialties.

I immediately checked to see the choice for Michigan. It's grilled pork chops. “Michiganders can wait a long time to break out their grills. Marinated pork chops are easy to make and quick to cook, which means more time to enjoy the great outdoors with friends.” You could pair the chops with Idaho's tater tot casserole or Montana's broccoli salad. Then top it off with Oklahoma's peanut butter-chocolate no-bake cookies. More delights at: https://www.foodnetwork.com/grilling/top-summer-recipes-in-every-state.

Another article rated some of the best food finds in northern Michigan. “Who serves up the best slice of pizza? Which food truck has everyone talking? Taste your way across the region with the Red Hot Best 2025 winners for restaurant, burger, pizza and more.”

For the article, MyNorth.com focused on some specific regions. Our local region included Cadillac, Manistee, and Ludington. Without negating the suspense, let me just reveal that some spots in our neck of the woods received some complimentary ratings. See at: https://mynorth.com/2025/06/northern-michigans-best-eats/.

If you like to prepare food in your own kitchen, finding simple recipes might be easier than you'd think. “Every family has its secret recipes that have been passed down from generation to generation. You might be surprised to learn that often, those coveted favorites originally came right from the back of a box or a can.”

For example, most people are familiar with chocolate chip cookies. “I once asked my mom for her chocolate chip cookie recipe, and she said that she just always uses the recipe on the back of the Tollhouse bag." BuzzFeed.com lists twenty-three of these gems, everything from buffalo chicken dip to strawberry jam to Cajun lazy potatoes. See at: https://www.buzzfeed.com/hannahloewentheil/best-back-of-package-recipes.

Sometimes the food facts in the news can be very entertaining. One entertainment legend might deserve top billing. “There aren't many celebrities who have had their eating habits examined like Frank Sinatra. When it came to filling up before a performance, his dressing room was always stocked with three cans of Campbell's Chicken and Rice soup. The warm, comforting Campbell's soup was a way to help soothe his throat before singing. This is also the same reason he would request Life Savers and cherry- and honey-flavored Luden's cough drops.”

That's not all of Sinatra's pre-show requirements. “There was also a bowl of fruit, cheese and crackers, chips and pretzels, and three different types of sandwiches: ham & cheese, turkey, and chicken salad (no mayo). His dessert was limited to some mini Tootsie Rolls. The drink menu was water (Evian specifically), Perrier, twenty-four sodas, red and white wine, and a bar (stocked with Jack Daniels, Absolut vodka, Jack Daniels Beefeater Gin, Chivas Regal, and Courvoisier).” Needless to say, Sinatra's backstage guests were well treated. (https://www.tastingtable.com/1885923/frank-sinatra-canned-soup/)

Science can also come into play on the food front. To wit, what is the optimal time for dunking an Oreo cookie? “Well, it depends. Do you prefer a crispy cookie masked in a thin veneer of milk? A cookie that has metamorphosed into unrecognizable gloop? Do you believe in a Goldilocks zone, a Platonic middle-ground that’s neither too dry, nor too spongy, but just right? It’s all subjective. But let’s assume you want an Oreo that is pleasantly soggy and has maintained its structural dignity.”

It turns out there's a mathematical formula to determine this. It's called Washburn's Equation. I don't understand the math, but here's the bottom line. “Three seconds is enough time to saturate most of an Oreo. There’s no benefit to dunking longer than four seconds. Waiting for the crisp cookie structure to break down is not necessarily a waste of time if that’s what you prefer.” That said, everything changes depending on the fat content of your milk. More math at: https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/503191/optimal-time-dunk-oreo-according-science.

You can run your own dunking tests with an old (but new) Oreo flavor beginning next week. “Oreo is bringing back its popular Blueberry Pie flavor. The limited-edition summertime snacks, which were last sold in stores in 2017, feature a sweet and tangy blueberry flavor creme sandwiched between two graham cracker-flavored cookies.

The pie-inspired cookies will return to retail shelves nationwide on July 7 and remain available while supplies last.” (https://www.today.com/food/blueberry-pie-oreos-are-back-rcna215581)

Finally, if you like your Oreos with ice cream, be glad that the world's oldest ice cream recipe is no longer around. “This ice cream recipe, which dates back to roughly 1665, calls for mace, orangeflower water, and ambergris for flavor. Ambergris, for those who don't know, is a substance found in the fecal matter of sperm whales.” (https://www.chowhound.com/1895316/old-school-ice-cream-flavor-ambergris-whale-poop/)

Chowhound.com relates : “Ambergris gained popularity due to its incredible scent and rich flavor. The ingredient eventually fell out of fashion as taste trends shifted. Still, every now and then people try to recreate the world's oldest ice cream recipe.”

If you run across ambergris ice cream, most of us will be content to let you try it first. The rest of us will stick with a flavor invented in Michigan – Superman.

Jim Neff is a local columnist. Read Neff Zone columns online at CadillacNews.com and NeffZone.com/cadillacnews.