Latest news with #LisaCherkasky
Toronto Sun
3 days ago
- Lifestyle
- Toronto Sun
What's the best way to store strawberries?
Once picked, strawberries are best consumed as soon as possible Published Jun 06, 2025 • Last updated 0 minutes ago • 4 minute read Fresh strawberries. MUST CREDIT: Scott Suchman/For The Washington Post Photo by Scott Suchman; food styling by Lisa Cherkasky / Both for The Washington Post Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page. Crimson, plump, juicy and sweet-tart, fresh strawberries are a treasure to behold. When we catch them on sale at the grocery store, spot a table full of them at the farmers market, or spend the afternoon picking our own at a farm, it's easy to get carried away and find ourselves with an abundance of berries. Once we take our haul home, a sense of dread slips in: What do we do with all of these strawberries? This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account There are lots of options to cook with or save them for later — such as baking into desserts, freezing or making jam — but with the best berries, nothing beats eating them in their natural state. Unfortunately, a strawberry's peak is short-lived. 'Thanks to their thin skin and fragile structure, they only last a few days, even in cold storage,' Harold McGee wrote in 'On Food and Cooking.' Once picked, strawberries are best consumed as soon as possible. But you can't always eat an entire berry bounty in one sitting. People tout a number of methods for storing strawberries to make them last as long as possible, so we decided to put them to the test. Here's how the strawberries fared after being left in the refrigerator for one week. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. – – – Vinegar and water The idea behind this method is to use a mixture of vinegar and water to kill off any mold spores and bacteria on the surface of the berries, usually at a ratio of 1 part vinegar to 3 parts water. Then, the berries get a quick rinse in the sink to get rid of the vinegar flavour and are dried before being placed in another container lined with towels with the lid left ajar. The towels are there simply to add some cushion, and keeping the lid partially open avoids trapping too much moisture. 'By washing your berries in a solution of vinegar and water, you can extend their shelf-life by days (sometimes even weeks!),' food writer Sarah Jampel wrote in Food52. Alas, I did not find this to be the case. There was visible mold on at least a few of the berries I treated this way. Perhaps it was user error? I put the strawberries in a salad spinner to dry them, as Food52 recommends, but maybe they weren't as dry as they should have been. Or perhaps the towel absorbed too much of the moisture exuded by the fruit, or the fridge was particularly humid, which in turn sped up their deterioration and negated the whole point of treating them in the first place. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. – – – Hot tap water Similar to the vinegar solution, hot water can also kill mold and bacteria. While some people recommend using water around 125 degrees, Serious Eats editor Genevieve Yam found that there was 'barely a discernible difference' compared to berries simply rinsed in hot tap water, which comes in around 109 degrees. After rinsing, I followed the same steps as above, drying the berries in a salad spinner and placing them in a container lined with towels the lid ajar. Unfortunately, I experienced nearly the same results as the vinegar wash – although there was perhaps slightly more mold in this batch. And as with the previous method, user error could be a factor if the berries were not dried as thoroughly as they could have been. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. – – – Sealed glass jar This is a method that I've seen on my social media feeds. And I will admit, they were perhaps the best-looking berries of the bunch after their stay in the fridge. However, there was a loud 'pop' when I opened the jar, making me fear it could explode if the strawberries continued to stay in there. And the longer they stay in a sealed environment, the higher the chance of the flavor becoming unpleasant and the berries falling apart. After one week, there was the slightest acidic aftertaste, as if the strawberries had begun to ferment, but overall they tasted fine. However, given the potential for exploding jars, this is not a method that I would recommend anyone try at home. – – – Special storage container There are a number of berry-storage containers available to help keep fruit from spoiling, many featuring a basket inside of another container with a lid that you can vent. The benefit is that the basket lifts the fruit from any water that collects in the bottom of the container and the vented lid allows air flow. (A colleague also loves her ceramic berry bowl, which could work similarly if loosely covered.) This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. These strawberries fared extremely well, with no signs of spoilage and no faint aftertaste. The only real downside is that it's another item you would have to purchase and store. The one I purchased from Oxo cost about $20, but I hate the idea of having to find space in my small kitchen for a specialty item. – – – Original packaging My preferred method, it turns out, is to simply store the strawberries in the container I purchased them in. The berries weren't as plump and vibrant as those stored in the specialty container, but there was no mold, and this route required the least amount of work. (I'm lazy – sue me. But maybe you are too?) Regardless of which storage method you use, remember that strawberries are best eaten within a few days, so it's best to only buy as many as you think you can consume, cook and preserve within that time. If you accidentally forget about them in the back of the fridge and happen to come across a moldy berry or two, simply toss them. Taste one of the others, and if all is well, the rest are safe to consume – but do it soon. Sunshine Girls Toronto & GTA Sunshine Girls Toronto & GTA Olympics
Toronto Sun
30-05-2025
- General
- Toronto Sun
Bring saucy, tender bourbon chicken home with timeless technique velveting
Generally speaking, it refers to coating small pieces of meat and seafood in a cornstarch-based slurry Published May 30, 2025 • Last updated 11 minutes ago • 5 minute read Bourbon Chicken. Photo by Justin Tsucalas; food styling by Lisa Cherkasky / Both for The Washington Post Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page. Have you ever noticed how the meat and seafood from your favourite Chinese restaurant are particularly succulent? The trick, it turns out, is a technique called velveting. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account 'It's very prevalent in Chinese cuisine,' said Tim Ma, the chef-owner behind Chinese American restaurant Lucky Danger. And it can be found in other Asian cuisines as well. The technique has been around for centuries. Ma recalls childhood memories of watching his mother use it at his family's restaurant but never heard the word 'velveting' until later in life. The particular term was first introduced in the 1977 book 'The Key To Chinese Cooking,' by restaurateur and author Irene Kuo. Generally speaking, it refers to coating small pieces of meat and seafood in a cornstarch-based slurry for two main benefits: The first is that it serves as a barrier for the protein, protecting it from high-heat cooking methods, such as stir-frying, to prevent overcooking and drying out. The second is that, once cooked, the hydrated starch has a slippery texture that helps with our perception of the meat being more succulent and juicy. A third, supplemental benefit is that the cornstarch helps to thicken any sauce that is added to the protein while also giving it a nice sheen. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'We velvet almost everything at Lucky Danger,' Ma said of his takeout-based location in Arlington. 'Even our shrimp is velveted.' He does this by tossing the thinly sliced or already small proteins in a batter of cornstarch, all-purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder and water before briefly blanching it in water. 'So we actually get all our proteins in, break them down and will velvet them all right away – and that's how we hold them.' This effectively parcooks the proteins, allowing the restaurant to get food out the door to customers that much quicker. But that is just one way to velvet. Velveting batters originally included egg whites, which create a thicker coating. (Irene Kuo called the thinner, egg-white-less version 'slippery coating,' but it's included under the general velveting umbrella nowadays.) Some suggest letting the meat marinate in the batter, which allows more time for the alkaline baking soda or egg white to tenderize the meat while also helping the batter adhere to it. Shaoxing wine, soy sauce, oil and any other liquid are alternatives to the plain water Ma uses, and some blanch the battered meat in oil instead of water. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. While velveting is slightly more involved than cooking proteins without, 'the results show,' Ma said. 'If we seared a piece of short rib straight and then compared that to the one that's been velveted, it's just such a big difference.' Plus, it can be a way to save money, allowing you to use tougher, cheaper cuts, such as chuck or London broil, for stir-fries, soups and stews instead of increasing your grocery budget to purchase more tender cuts, such as filet or rib-eye. This recipe for bourbon chicken, from 'When Southern Women Cook' by America's Test Kitchen, goes with the simplest version of velveting that skips the blanching step altogether. It starts by tossing bite-size pieces of boneless, skinless chicken thighs with just cornstarch and a splash of the same liquid that will be added later (soy sauce, brown sugar, bourbon and toasted sesame oil). The chicken then goes straight into a skillet until browned, after which the remaining liquid is added and cooked down until it becomes the savory, salty, sticky, sweet sauce the dish is known for. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. While this method may not be quite as silky and soft as you can achieve with oil or water blanching, it still yields more tender, succulent morsels of chicken than if it hadn't been battered first – all while saving home cooks time and from dirtying extra dishes. – – – Bourbon Chicken Total time: 45 mins Servings: 4-6 (makes about 4 cups) This bourbon chicken inspired by the mall food court staple features pieces of meat in a sticky, sweet and savory sauce. The Chinese technique of velveting helps keep the chunks of boneless, skinless chicken thighs tender and juicy. Make it a complete meal by serving it with rice or noodles and steamed broccoli or snow peas. Storage: Refrigerate for up to 4 days. INGREDIENTS 1/2 cup soy sauce, preferably reduced-sodium This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 1/2 cup packed light or dark brown sugar 1/4 cup water 2 tablespoons bourbon (see Substitutions) 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat and cut into 1-inch pieces 2 tablespoons cornstarch 2 tablespoons neutral oil, such as peanut or vegetable 2 garlic cloves, minced or finely grated 1 teaspoon minced or grated fresh ginger 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar Cooked rice or noodles, for serving Steamed broccoli or snow peas, for serving DIRECTIONS In a medium glass liquid measuring cup, combine the soy sauce, brown sugar, water, bourbon, sesame oil and pepper. Microwave on HIGH until hot, about 2 minutes. Whisk to dissolve the sugar. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. In a medium bowl, stir together the chicken, cornstarch and 2 tablespoons of the soy sauce mixture until evenly coated. In a large (12-inch) nonstick or cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic, ginger and remaining soy sauce mixture. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is syrupy and a rubber spatula dragged through it leaves a trail before filling back in, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the vinegar. Let cool for 5 minutes and serve hot. Substitutions Gluten-free? >> Use gluten-free tamari instead of soy sauce. Brown sugar >> granulated sugar. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Bourbon >> other types of whiskey, brandy or aged rum. Alcohol-free? >> Omit the bourbon. Chicken thighs >> chicken breasts. Vegetarian? >> Use firm or extra-firm tofu. Apple cider vinegar >> white wine vinegar or unseasoned rice vinegar. Nutritional Facts per serving (2/3 cup), based on 6 | Calories: 361; Fat: 19 g; Saturated Fat: 5 g; Carbohydrates: 20 g; Sodium: 867 mg; Cholesterol: 120 mg; Protein: 27 g; Fiber: 0 g; Sugar: 16 g This analysis is an estimate based on available ingredients and this preparation. It should not substitute for a dietitian's or nutritionist's advice. Adapted from 'When Southern Women Cook' by America's Test Kitchen (America's Test Kitchen, 2024). Crime Sunshine Girls Toronto Maple Leafs Sunshine Girls Toronto Raptors
Toronto Sun
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Toronto Sun
For a better burger at home, you've got to smash it
While there's no shortage of options for buying smash burgers when dining out or ordering in, they're just as easy to make at home Published May 20, 2025 • Last updated 16 minutes ago • 5 minute read Smash Burger. Photo by Justin Tsucalas; food styling by Lisa Cherkasky / The Washington Post Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page. America has a long-standing love affair with burgers of all types. Through the 2000s, I remember pub-style burgers with their thick, juicy patties getting all the attention. But at some point within the past decade or so, the smash burger became the 'it' burger that we couldn't get enough of. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Credit large chains, including Shake Shack and Smashburger, which says it holds the record for the quickest fast-casual concept to hit the 200-plus-restaurant milestone. But the smash burger's staying power is also a direct result of all the chefs and smaller restaurants that, when they want a burger on their menu, gravitate to thin and crispy patties. While the smash burger's popularity is recent, the item itself is not. 'The first American burger was likely a smash burger,' according to George Motz, a restaurateur, filmmaker and author who has researched burger history extensively. It was probably a portioned ball of beef that was smashed into a pan. 'It was done for speed,' he said, as factory workers and fairgoers were the ones eating these burgers, 'and they had to be produced quickly.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. However, those thin patties may not have been the same as the extra-crispy, lacy-edged versions we know today. Motz believes they debuted sometime in the late 1920s or early 1930s, once grease traps were added to restaurant flattop griddles, which allowed the fat to run off and stopped the beef from being deep-fried after long periods of cooking. In a story for Mashed, Colin McCandless noted that Miner-Dunn restaurant – now located in Highland, Indiana – has been serving smash burgers since it opened in 1932. The draw for restaurants – aside from customer demand – is that they are fast and easy to prepare. For diners, the main appeal is the superior taste compared with that of pub-style burgers. That's all thanks to the Maillard reaction, which occurs when sugars interact with the amino acids of proteins to create new, delicious flavors and aroma compounds, and also heightens the umami. Although this happens with thick patties, too, in a smash burger, a much higher ratio of meat possesses this improved, more craveable taste. (Some diners also prefer the thinner patties for the smaller portion size and as a way to limit meat consumption.) Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. While there's no shortage of options for buying smash burgers when dining out or ordering in, they're just as easy to make at home. It starts with the beef. You want as much fat as possible, according to Motz, to keep the burgers moist and juicy. The baseline is 80 percent lean, but at his New York City restaurant, Hamburger America, they use 75 percent lean ground beef. The fineness of the grind also makes a difference. With the more standard ground beef available at your average grocery store, the dots of white fat will melt once they hit the hot cooking surface, potentially leaving small holes in your patties. Although you can certainly make delicious smash burgers with grocery store ground beef, Motz recommends going to a butcher and asking them to grind it twice, after which it should resemble strawberry ice cream instead of red meat with specks of white fat. A finer grind not only helps with aesthetics but also makes it easier for moisture to escape, thus speeding up the Maillard reaction. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Another key to better smash burgers is a hot skillet. As I wrote in my column about cooking steak on the stove, it's best to use cast-iron cookware and preheat it for several minutes until you start to see a few whispers of smoke. (You can toast your buns while you wait.) Once the skillet is hot, add a bit of oil and smash the balls of ground beef as thinly as possible. Doing so requires a bit of force, which is a good way to release any frustration you've been holding on to recently. A burger press is great if you have one. Otherwise, I recommend a solid metal spatula, also known as a turner, and leaning into it with your body weight – only as comfortable as you are with doing so, of course – to smash the beef. After just a few minutes, you should have a deeply browned, crispy crust. Then flip, top with cheese, if desired, and you've got a delicious smash burger ready for eating in almost no time at all. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The smash burger is 'the one that started everything, and we seemed to have gotten away from it until a couple of years ago, when it just went nuts,' Motz said. Once you've made them at home, it's easy to see – and taste – why these burgers have staying power. – – – Smash Burgers 2 servings (makes 4 burgers) Total time: 15 mins Smash burgers are prized for their crispy, brown crust – and this recipe delivers just that. The keys are to use a hot skillet and to smash the beef well so it is as thin as possible. Enjoy them with your favorite toppings and a side of chips or fries. Storage: Refrigerate for up to 4 days. INGREDIENTS 1 pound 80 percent lean ground beef, preferably chuck 1 tablespoon neutral oil, such as peanut or vegetable This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Fine salt Freshly ground black pepper 4 slices American or cheddar cheese (optional) 4 hamburger buns, toasted if desired ketchup, mustard, pickles, sliced onion, sliced tomato and other toppings of your choice, for serving STEPS Divide the ground beef into four (4-ounce) portions and roll into balls. Heat a large (12-inch) cast-iron skillet or griddle over medium-high heat until it is very hot and just barely starts to smoke. Add the oil, and tilt and swirl the skillet or griddle to distribute. Working in batches as needed, add the portions of beef to the skillet, smash with a large metal spatula as thinly as possible, lightly sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cook until browned and crisp on the bottom, about 3 minutes. Flip, top with the cheese, if using, and cook until browned on the other side and the cheese has melted, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a platter, scrape the skillet to remove any browned bits or melted cheese, and repeat with the remaining portions of beef. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Add 1 of the cooked burgers to the bottom of each bun, followed by your favorite toppings, then cover with the bun tops. Serve hot. Substitutions: Ground chuck >> any kind of ground beef. American or cheddar cheese >> any kind of sliced cheese. Variations: For a heftier burger, use two patties per bun. Nutrition per serving (1 burger without cheese): 481 calories, 31g carbohydrates, 81mg cholesterol, 28g fat, 3g fiber, 25g protein, 9g saturated fat, 505mg sodium, 4g sugar This analysis is an estimate based on available ingredients and this preparation. It should not substitute for a dietitian's or nutritionist's advice. Canada Basketball Toronto Maple Leafs Columnists Toronto Maple Leafs
Yomiuri Shimbun
10-05-2025
- Business
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Did Mcdonald's Price Itself out of a Segment It Dominated for Decades?
Photo and food styling by Lisa Cherkasky/For The Washington Post A McDonald's Double Big Mac and a regular Big Mac. The average price of a regular Big Mac rose 21 percent from 2019 to 2024. When Nick Martinez and his family wanted a quick, inexpensive and reliable meal, McDonald's used to be their go-to choice. Now it costs so much, he said, that he lets his 5-year-old son pick from a range of spots near their home in Colton, California, that might have seemed too pricey in the past. 'McDonald's isn't the best value anymore,' said Martinez, 50, who has three children. 'People are saying, 'Well, if I'm going to pay $5 for a fry, I'll just go to this place over here.'' McDonald's latest financial report suggests that sentiment has grown among its traditional customer base. While the company blames its disappointing first-quarter results on fewer people dining out in general, some experts suggest that budget-conscious consumers have turned to chains such as Taco Bell and Chili's for meals that they see as offering a better value. In its first quarter, McDonald's saw its worst year-over-year revenue drop since the height of the pandemic, as sales tumbled 3.6 percent for U.S. locations that have been open for at least 13 months. Visits from low- and middle-income consumers plunged by nearly 10 percent, chief executive Chris Kempczinski said last week. 'People are just being more judicious about cutting back on visits,' Kempczinski said during a call with analysts. 'We're not immune to the volatility in the industry or the pressures that our consumers are facing.' Generally speaking, the price gap between fast-food, fast-casual and sit-down restaurants has blurred, said Sara Senatore, an analyst at Bank of America. That makes it harder to justify spending more than $10 at McDonald's when a few extra dollars can buy meals at Wingstop, Shake Shack or other fast-casual restaurants that are perceived as higher quality, she said. The average price of a McDonald's menu item increased 40 percent from 2019 to 2024, which the company says tracks with the rise in its costs. The cost of the company's signature Big Mac sandwich rose 21 percent during that time, according to a company fact sheet, while the price of an Egg McMuffin and a 10-piece McNuggets Meal climbed 23 percent and 28 percent, respectively. The consumer price index rose almost 23 percent during the same period, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. McDonald's price hikes have led competitors to question the chain's value. In one notable example, Chili's, which has thrived despite the struggling restaurant industry, promoted the burger on its $10.99 3 for Me menu as having 'twice the beef of a Big Mac' and urged consumers in an advertisement last year to ditch the 'tiny drive-through burger.' Chili's was a bright spot this restaurant earnings season alongside Taco Bell, with the pair notching 32 percent and 9 percent same-store sales growth, respectively. Taco Bell's lower exposure to beef inflation has helped it keep prices lower than competitors, Senatore said. The chain's value menu and new products have also helped it gain market share, she added. Meanwhile, other fast-food and fast-casual chains – including Burger King, Popeyes, Chipotle and Wendy's – joined McDonald's in reporting same-store sales declines in their most recent quarters and warned that a broader consumer slowdown could further squeeze the inflation-battered restaurant industry. But McDonald's, long seen as the fast-food industry's standard-bearer and an icon of affordable dining, is more vulnerable now because it has raised prices while offering weaker deals than rivals, analysts say. Foot traffic at McDonald's fell 2.6 percent in the first three months of this year, steeper than the overall fast-food industry's decline of 1.6 percent, according to year-over-year data from 'A lot of their base is that low-income consumer, and when prices go up and you see rapid inflation and economic uncertainty, McDonald's, in some ways, is one of the most vulnerable companies out there,' said Joseph Nunes, a marketing professor at the University of Southern California's Marshall School of Business. Other chains such as Wendy's and Burger King also raised prices in recent years to offset inflation, Senatore said. But McDonald's trailed the rest of the fast-food industry in slowing price hikes last year as inflation cooled, she said. It wasn't long ago that McDonald's sales boomed. The chain's U.S. same-store sales spiked during the pandemic and immediately after, with an 8.7 percent increase as recently as 2023. McDonald's executives have rejected the idea that the company has lost its traditional appeal. During last week's analyst call, Kempczinski blamed the first-quarter weakness on fewer people eating out for breakfast rather than market share losses to other chains. The company anticipated its first quarter would be the toughest of the year as it promoted its new $5 value menu, Kempczinski told analysts. McDonald's expects to build momentum in the second quarter with more marketing and menu initiatives, he said. The challenging consumer environment gives McDonald's an opportunity to outperform its competitors if it strikes the right balance between marketing its value programs and menu additions, Kempczinski told analysts. 'Where we're focused right now is about making sure we do world-class execution,' he said last week. McDonald's remains relevant as a consumer brand, analysts said. But consumers make more choices based on quality and shop around for the best value, said R.J. Hottovy, head of analytical research at 'If things get more difficult in economic downturns, people tend to go to the brands they know and that have a reputation for being more affordable, but I think that's shifted a bit in the last couple years,' Hottovy said, adding that fast-food restaurants, in particular 'may have outpriced a lot of their consumers, and now those consumers are finding value elsewhere.' McDonald's, he said, has lost customers to fast-casual and casual restaurants while also competing more with lower prices from discount grocers, convenience stores and dollar stores, which have boomed in popularity as consumers hunt for bargains. Experts said McDonald's became a fast-food behemoth decades ago largely because of the Happy Meal, an offering for kids that includes an entrée, side, drink and toy. The burger giant attracted lower- and middle-income parents, who could feed their families for a fraction of the price of other restaurants. McDonald's built a reputation for consistency and convenience, but other chains caught up with better bargains and accessibility because of delivery, Nunes said. In a crowded U.S. restaurant market, McDonald's needs stronger food and cheaper prices to find a 'sweet spot' that appeals to cautious consumers, he said. 'In an evolving constellation of food places, where does McDonald's fit in the 21st century?' Nunes said. 'McDonald's always has and always will face a challenge of how to reinvent itself, reignite a consumer that's sort of bored with its food.' The company has done this in the past, partly through deals such as the Dollar Menu, which existed in some fashion for much of the past two decades. But restaurant inflation has made it almost impossible to reintroduce a $1 price point, leaving McDonald's to rely on viral marketing moments such as summer 2023's Grimace Shake or this past quarter's A Minecraft Movie Meal to excite consumers. Those brand partnerships work during good times, but McDonald's faces a tougher challenge when people worry about the economy. During the 2008 financial crisis, McDonald's $1 offerings helped the chain keep customers, but now that its signature sandwiches can cost more than $5 and combo meals have exceeded $15 at some franchises, the company's food no longer feels like a deal compared with competitors, Nunes said. McDonald's used to offer more nationwide price deals before inflation took off, said Gregory Francfort, an analyst at Guggenheim. The current value menu, launched in January, incorporates a $5 Meal Deal and a buy one, add one for $1 promotion that failed to catch on with consumers in the first quarter because it lacked a clear, catchy nationwide price point, Francfort said. The buy-one-add-one promotion's disappointing performance last quarter showed McDonald's that it needs to lean into its $5 value menu, Senatore added. But with most fast-food chains offering similar value meals, Martinez says he won't return to McDonald's unless its food tastes better. 'The thing that kept people coming back was their prices and consistency,' Martinez said. 'I don't see paying that much money for McDonald's as worth it. Other places are worth it, but not McDonald's.'
Toronto Sun
06-05-2025
- Lifestyle
- Toronto Sun
How to cook with radishes to enjoy them in all their glory
They're all versatile and relatively interchangeable, as long as you don't mind the varying levels of pepperiness. Published May 06, 2025 • Last updated 13 minutes ago • 5 minute read Raw spring radishes lend a colourful crunch to salads. CREDIT: Justin Tsucalas/For The Washington Post Photo by Justin Tsucalas; food styling by Lisa Cherkasky / Both for The Washington Post Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page. Radishes don't often get a lot of love, usually playing the bridesmaid to other seasonal produce. In spring, it's peas, ramps and rhubarb. In the fall and winter, squash, sweet potatoes and other brassicas, such as broccoli, cauliflower and kale, dominate. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account But chef and cookbook author Abra Berens believes radishes are worthy of our full attention. '[Spring] radishes' real beauty is in their color and their crunch,' she said. The first picture of a radish in many of our minds is probably the round red variety often found in grocery stores (cherry belle and scarlet globe are the most common). Los Angeles-based chef Katianna Hong thinks of them as 'crunchy, refreshing, but a little bit spicy and peppery.' But the category of produce has so much more to offer. 'Depending on the variety, the flavour profile can kind of be very different,' she said, from the mellower to the assertively spicy. 'I love how diverse radishes are and how they can kind of lend themselves to whatever you're cooking or whatever you're in the mood for.' There are Easter egg radishes, praised for their colourfulness, that can be red, white, purple or pink; spicy Spanish radishes with a black exterior and creamy white flesh; the long, tubular daikon and the Korean radish, called mu, which are both relatively mild; French breakfast radishes with a red and white gradient on their exterior ('They're just so chic,' Berens said); and watermelon radishes, named for their resemblance to the fruit with a green skin and pink interior. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Regardless of what type you have, they're all versatile and relatively interchangeable, too, as long as you don't mind the varying levels of pepperiness. Here's how to eat radishes to enjoy them in all their glory. – – – Raw Any radish can be enjoyed raw, though watermelon radishes in particular are best kept raw to preserve their color. Hong loves the root vegetable shaved and added to salads or dressed simply with olive oil and lemon juice. (With sliced or julienned raw radishes, put them in a bowl of ice water to make them extra crisp.) Raw radishes are also commonly served with tacos and can be a lovely garnish for soups. A common way to enjoy them, particularly the French breakfast variety, is with butter and salt. Berens will play around with this pairing and try other fats beyond butter, such as a farmer cheese or fresh goat cheese. 'One of my favorite things lately has been half butter, half fresh goat cheese,' she said. They can also be served as part of a crudité platter with the dip of your choice. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Hong is also a fan of grating raw radishes into sauces, a technique commonly found in Japanese cuisine. 'It just kind of melts away but adds a depth to whatever you're doing,' she said. Or instead of a dipping sauce, you can turn it into a salad vinaigrette with 'soy, maybe yuzu juice or lemon juice, the grated radish, and then add any oil that you like.' – – – Pickled and fermented Pickling radishes is another option to use nestled in sandwiches or as a topping for tacos to add a bright crunch. However, Berens offers a word of caution: 'I've never found a way to pickle them and … have it not just smell super farty.' Instead, she prefers to ferment them. Daikon is a common ingredient in kimchi, or you can go a different flavor route, such as with pepper and ginger, Berens suggests. Alternatively, you can just use salt in the ferment to make a sour radish, which Berens likes to serve with pork chops or chicken schnitzel. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. To soften radishes' texture and bite, cook them in any manner of ways. A classic preparation is braising on their own with butter and stock. 'That's one of the first ways that I used to cook radishes when working at a French restaurant, when I was out of culinary school, and I still love them like that,' Hong said. 'They get so buttery and rich.' Berens's favourite method is poaching. She prefers to use standard red round radishes, which turn the liquid – a simple combination of chicken stock and butter – a lovely pink. The result is 'pretty brothy,' and she enjoys serving it 'with a couple of slices of crusty bread to sop up all that liquid and a big green salad.' Another way to use radishes is in lieu of potatoes. 'They absorb the flavor of anything they're cooked in,' Hong said. One of her favorite ways to enjoy Korean radishes is slowly braised in beef stock, such as in Korean beef and radish soup. 'They get super soft and sweet and then also absorb all the beef broth and the fat floating on top,' Hong said. 'They become really meaty and really savory. I actually prefer eating the radish out of that soup to the beef at that point.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Berens will also include whole radishes in the braised rabbit she's been making a lot lately. 'Just fold them in at the last minute, with the greens and everything, so that they're getting a little bit softer from the heat but they're not falling apart.' You could do the same with braised chicken and pork dishes. – – – Cooking radishes can soften their bite. CREDIT: Justin Tsucalas/For The Washington Post Photo by Justin Tsucalas; food styling by Lisa Cherkasky / Both for The Washington Post Roasted, grilled, seared and stir-fried As with any other sturdy vegetable, radishes can also stand up to high-heat cooking methods. Roast them in a hot oven, throw them on the grill or include them in your favorite stir-fry recipe. 'Searing is always nice, too,' Berens said. She often treats daikons cut into disks as faux scallops. When seared, 'they get kind of caramelly and nice in that way,' and pair well with a flavourful sauce. – – – You can eat the tops of radishes, too. CREDIT: Justin Tsucalas/For The Washington Post Photo by Justin Tsucalas; food styling by Lisa Cherkasky / Both for The Washington Post Don't forget the greens If your radishes come with the greens attached, those tops can be eaten as well. (When storing radishes, or any root vegetable that comes with the greens attached, it's best to cut them off for the produce to last longer.) Like the root themselves, the greens can vary in flavor. To determine how best to use them, Berens encourages you to give them a taste. 'Easter egg, red round ones and French breakfast tend to be really mild,' Berens said, so she treats them as she might watercress or spinach. 'If they're really hairy or spicy or fibrous, I would then cook them just like you would sauté kale or chard or something like that.' According to Hong, 'radish tops make really good pestos.' She likes a version with toasted almonds, garlic, maybe some chives or parsley, lemon zest, and olive oil. 'If they're larger and heartier, I like just throwing them into the soups and stews at the last minute,' as one might with kale, spinach or bok choy.
