Eash. christmas. baking. Three of my favorite words. Three of my favorite things. Twenty perfect recipes. Nigel and Nigella! Maple walnut biscuits from Jeremy Lee. A breakfast loaf from Honey & Co, marmalade popovers from Margaret Costa. Advent treats: flammkuchen from Anja Dunk and Yotam’s Swiss chocolate cookies. There are savouries: cheese and quince shortbread from Olia Hercules, sage and onion twists from Benjamina Ebuehi, stilton scones from Claire Thomson. There’s sweet: chocolate plum pudding and candy cane cookies. Truly, simply delicious. Merry Christmas from OFM.
Chocolate gives this Christmas pudding its intense flavour
Saffron custard and panettone pudding. Photo: Matt Russell
An Italian twist on bread and butter pudding
Marmalade popovers. Photo: Kate Whitaker/The Observer
A festive treat for breakfast, best eaten piping hot
Flammkuchen. Photo: Anja Dunk
This is a sublimely simple German version of a pizza
Mincemeat rolls. Photo: Jonathan Lovekin/The Observer
A filo pastry take on the classic mince pie
Sage and onion twists. Photo: Kate Whitaker/The Observer
A tasty variation on the traditional breadstick, perfect for a party
Honey bombs recipe by Trine Hahnemann
Honey bombs. Photograph: Columbus Leth
A classic Scandinavian treat to eat with hot tea
Cranberry and orange buttermilk loaf. Photo: Kate Whitaker/The Observer
The cranberries make this simple cake into a festive treat
Apple and calvados cake. Photo: Kate Whitaker/The Observer
The brandy lifts this bake to a thing of apple wonder
Christmas cheese and quince shortbread. Photo: Joe Woodhouse
A great little canape to go with a lovely glass of festive fizz
Gingerbread pears. Photo: David Loftus
Three kinds of ginger go into this festive pudding
Hazelnut chocolate brownies. Photo: Kate Whitaker/The Observer
These brownies get their nuttiness from hazelnuts instead of walnuts
Sticky toffee pudding. Photo: Kate Whitaker/The Observer
Intense and treacly, Christmas comfort food at its best
Maple walnut biscuits. Photo: Kate Whitaker/The Observer
Simple to make and just as good with ice-cream for dessert as with a cup of tea
Brunsli chocolate cookies. Photo: Jonathan Lovekin/The Observer
These spicy Swiss treats can be baked a little ahead of the holiday itself
Candy cane chocolate chip cookies. Photo: Kate Whitaker/The Observer
This biscuit is inspired by American peppermint stick ice cream
Medjool date, honey and macadamia breakfast loaf. Photo: Patricia Niven
Start the day with this really Christmassy treat
Masala chai pecan bundt. Photo: Kate Whitaker/The Observer
A welcome spicy addition to a festive tea table
Chocolate, dulce de leche, cantucci. Photo: Jonathan Lovekin
Little pots of chocolate-caramel deliciousness, perfect for Christmas
Stilton and fig wholemeal scones. Photo: Kate Whitaker/The Observer
The cheese and fruit give this humble scone a place on any Christmas table
Pet owners may have a new reason to reach for the kibble.
Dry cat and dog food tends to be better for the environment than wet food, veterinary nutritionist Vivian Pedrinelli of the University of São Paulo in Brazil and colleagues report. Their analysis of more than 900 hundred pet diets shows that nearly 90 percent of the calories in wet chow come from animal sources. That’s roughly double the share of calories from animal ingredients in dry food.
The team factored in the cost of different pet food ingredients across several environmental measures. The findings, described November 17 in Scientific Reportssuggest that wet food production uses more land and water and emits more greenhouse gases than dry food.
Scientists already knew that meat-heavy human diets drive greenhouse gas emissions (SN: 5/5/22). But when it comes to environmental sustainability, “we shouldn’t ignore pet food,” says Peter Alexander, an economist at the University of Edinburgh who was not involved in the work.
Just how much various pet foods impact the environment isn’t clear, Alexander says. Commercial cat and canine fares aren’t typically made from prime cuts of meat. Instead, the ingredient lists often include animal byproducts — the gristle and bits people aren’t likely to eat anyway.
How to calculate the carbon cost of these leftovers is an ongoing debate, says Gregory Okin, an environmental scientist at the University of California, Los Angeles who was not involved with the study.
Some argue that the byproducts in pet food are essentially free, since they come from animals already raised for human consumption. Others note that any calories require energy and therefore incur an environmental cost. Plus, animal ingredients in pet food might not just scrap. If they contain even a small amount of human-edible meat, that could add up to a big impact.
Knowing that there’s an environmental difference between moist morsels and crunchier cuisines could be helpful for eco-conscious pet owners, Okin says. Having that handy info at the grocery store is “super important when people are making decisions,” he adds. “There are consumers who want to pay attention.”
The economy and job creation are bouncing back in the wake of the pandemic, but the Bay Area’s need for food is as high as ever, as soaring inflation and gas prices put pressure on people’s budgets — and also strain the food banks themselves, some of which are experiencing a dropoff in donations.
After seeing unprecendented demand during the first two years of the pandemic, Bay Area food banks are still struggling with a heavy need from low-income residents and those who are out of work. That’s despite the COVID case and death rates falling and many businesses are reopening and rehiring workers.
“Today, it feels like the need is just as high” compared to the worst periods of the pandemic, said Regi Young, executive director of Alameda County Community Food Bank. “It doesn’t feel like it’s getting any better.”
The Oakland organization estimates that one in four Alameda County residents are now experiencing food insecurity, up from one in five before the pandemic.
“So many families and individuals, even if they might be back at work, (are) still really struggling,” said Leslie Bacho, CEO of Second Harvest Food Bank, which operates throughout Silicon Valley. “Our community is so fragile right now.”
Workers move vegetable pallets through the warehouse at the Alameda County Food Bank, which has had to shift the food items it buys, focusing on lower-cost items that can be purchased in higher quantities.
Jessica Christian / The Chronicle
In September, Second Harvest served 460,000 people, 80% more than pre-pandemic levels.
The Chronicle Season of Sharing Fund: Since its inception in 1986, the Season of Sharing Fund has distributed $177 million to help Bay Area residents with critical needs. Administrative costs are covered by The San Francisco Chronicle and the Evelyn and Walter Haas Jr. fund. To donate, visit www.seasonofsharing.org/donate.
Second Harvest and the Alameda County Community Food Bank are among the Bay Area food banks that have received funding from The Chronicle Season of Sharing Fund, which has funneled $28 million to these organizations since 1986.
During the 2021-22 fundraising campaign, the Season of Sharing Fund distributed nearly $2.4 million to Bay Area food banks, enough to fund more than 5 million meals. About 15% of the funds the Season of Sharing Fund raises goes to food banks across the Bay Area’s nine counties.
The fund will continue to support food banks this year as rising costs have added a new hurdle.
Nationally, the inflation rate was 8.2% in September compared to the prior year, and food prices were up 11.2%. California gas prices were near record highs over the summer. Many pandemic benefits such as federal unemployment assistance and eviction moratoriums have expired, further straining residents.
Volunteers from various agencies work at the Alameda County Food Bank in Oakland.
Jessica Christian / The Chronicle
Second Harvest buys around a quarter of its food — the rest is donated — and has seen big price increases on staples like milk, eggs and chicken. As a result, it’s now delivering a half-gallon of milk per household each week, instead of a gallon. It’s also no longer buying more expensive items like peanut butter, though it still receives donations.
The high cost of gas also hurts food banks, which must transport food both into warehouses and out to partners.
Despite low unemployment at just over 2% around the Bay Area, many workers are struggling due to rising costs and the expense of living in the Bay Area, said Bacho.
The group conducted a survey over the summer which found that 93% of clients were buying less food this year and 73% were worried about paying rent or mortgages. Many’ savings have been wiped out families, with 60% of clients saying they had less than $250 in savings.
Bacho said support from the Season of Sharing Fund provides a “steady source of reliable revenue” that helps the organization meet its mission. Second Harvest works with hundreds of non-profits, schools, affordable housing providers and others to deliver food.
Young said he appreciated the Season of Sharing Fund, both financially and as a way to make the community more aware of how prevalent food insecurity is.
Harold Brooks (left) of the Alameda County Food Bank helps Miguel Sanchez of Primera Iglesia Presbiteriana Hispana loading his truck with goods to take back to the church.
Jessica Christian / The Chronicle
Alameda County Community Food Bank has also had to shift the food items it’s buying, focusing on lower-cost items that can be purchased in higher quantities.
The organization is now spending as much as six times more per month on food than before the pandemic, or up to $1.5 million a month.
Unlike for-profit businesses, which can pass on higher expenses by raising prices for consumers, food banks don’t
