Tag: best chef

More Minnesotans visiting food shelves in 2022 than in previous years

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More Minnesotans have visited food shelves this year than any other year on record, continuing an unprecedented surge in demand for food assistance that began with the COVID-19 pandemic.

Minnesota’s nearly 400 food shelves are on pace to record 5.1 million visits in 2022, according to preliminary data — the highest number in the state’s history and far surpassing the record 3.8 million visits in 2020 when the pandemic first hit, spurring furloughs and layoffs. From Bemidji to Burnsville, food shelves are seeing a jump in the number of people in need, especially older adults and families seeking help for the first time.

“We’ve got more people than ever coming through,” said Michelle Ness, executive director of PRISM, a Golden Valley nonprofit that’s serving more than double the number of people it did in 2019 and more than in the past two years. “This isn’t sustainable. We’re the safety net to the safety net.”

A steady stream of clients navigated snowy roads Tuesday to pick up toilet paper, apples, bread and other essential items from PRISM’s food shelf. There was a single mother who didn’t have child care and depended on free food to feed her two children. The Russian couple that moved to Minnesota two months ago and are eager to find work while navigating a new language. The 71-year-old retired airline mechanic who cares for his ailing brother.

“A lot of people out there, they do need this,” said Zandra Ankle, a 64-year-old retiree who picked up cereal and other items Tuesday to supplement her increasingly expensive trips to the grocery store. “When hard times come, people help each other.”

As of October, the state’s food shelves recorded 4.6 million visits — a million more visits than in all of last year, according to Hunger Solutions Minnesota, a St. Paul nonprofit that operates a helpline and tracks data.

While the state has historically low unemployment rates, more Minnesotans are living paycheck to paycheck, stifled by rising rents and soaring food prices. Wages, especially for low-income jobs, aren’t keeping pace. COVID emergency relief, from federal stimulus checks to the expanded child tax credit, buoyed families’ finances in 2021 — but once that ended, lines began to form again at many food shelves.

“It’s easy for middle class people to feel like, ‘Hey, we bounced back’ … but for those who were really struggling to start with, this has only made it worse,” Ness said.

Food stamps up

More Minnesotans are also receiving food stamps this year. Nearly 450,000 people were enrolled in the federally-funded Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) in October, nearly 20,000 more than a year ago. While that’s lower than the post-Great Recession record of 538,000 in 2013, it’s 70,000 more people on food stamps than in 2019.

“Those numbers are really high,” said Tikki Brown, assistant commissioner of children and family services at the Minnesota Department of Human Services. “Traditionally, when folks think about their budget, they’ll pay for their electricity, they’ll pay for rent, and food tends to be the last.”

Brown said a small part of the increase in food stamps was due to the state’s expansion of income limits earlier this year. Under the new limit, a family of three with an annual income of up to about $46,000 before taxes is eligible. During the pandemic, the state also made it easier to apply for food stamps online at mnbenefits.mn.gov.

Still, a large portion of the new Minnesotans using food stamps are lower-income residents, who usually take longer to stabilize financially after a crisis, Brown said.

During the Great Recession of 2007-09, the number of Minnesotans visiting food shelves doubled and never returned to pre-recession levels. Nonprofit leaders now expect the elevated need to continue into 2023 or beyond, straining organizations divvying out more food for a third consecutive year — and all while facing increased food costs and declining donations.

“Everybody is feeling the pressure to do everything we can to get the food out there, but it’s not as accessible as it once was,” said Colleen Moriarty, executive director of Hunger Solutions. “We’ve got to pitch in and find food for people in a way we haven’t done before.”

During the last legislative session, Hunger Solutions pushed for $8 million for food shelves, food banks and meal programs, and $15 million for capital investments such as expanding food shelves. Neither proposal passed.

While the food is free for its customers, PRISM must buy most of it. Grocery stores are scaling back donated food, Ness said, forcing PRISM to spend more and purchase about 60% of its produce, baby diapers and other items this year. With less money coming in from donors than in the past two years, the organization will end the year in the red.

“If we weren’t purchasing food,

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Is drinking warm water the secret for glowing, healthy skin?

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While scrolling social media recently, a post claiming that warm water is effective against any skin issue, and also makes it glow, caught our attention. An Instagram page Indian_Veg_Diet noted, “Medical experts say that warm water is most beneficial if there is a skin problem or to bring a natural glow to the face. In fact, in a few days, your skin will start glowing and become pimple-free too.” But, does it actually help?

To find out this very answer, we reached out to experts. Keep scrolling to know what they told us.

Dr Jaishree Sharad, a cosmetic dermatologist, told this portal that drinking warm water leads to sweating, which is a natural mechanism for releasing toxins from the body. “Warm water also improves sinus congestion by reducing puffiness or swelling around the eyes. Lukewarm water also speeds up digestion by helping better absorption of nutrients. And if the gut is clean, the skin remains clean too,” Dr Sharad said.

However, the expert added that there is very little scientific evidence of any direct benefit of drinking warm water to the skin except that it releases nasal congestion and causes “a little extra sweating which can also be obtained by other methods such as taking steam or exercising respectively”. But there is no denying the fact that warm water helps detoxify the body naturally.

“Warm water hydrates the skin, avoids dryness and flakiness, and naturally moisturises the skin, which helps the skin to glow naturally,” Dr. Rinky Kapoor, consultant dermatologist, cosmetic dermatologist and dermato-surgeon, The Esthetic Clinics told indianexpress.com.

Dr. Kapoor added that drinking warm water improves blood circulation in the body. “Proper blood flow will ensure that adequate nutrients are delivered to the skin cells, and that is how you will get healthy skin too,” he mentioned.

gut health, food swaps Gut health affects your skin too (Source: Getty Images/Thinkstock)

How much to have?

Dr Sharad went on to state that “if the gut is clean, the skin remains clean”. “When your body is dehydrated, the skin gets dehydrated and loses its turgor. So, it is important to drink about two and a half to three liters of water per day, unless you have certain kidney or heart conditions where you are not supposed to drink too much water. The upper layers of the skin do not get them water from the deeper skin cells. Instead, they draw their water from the environment. Hence it is also important to moisturise the skin along with drinking water,” said Dr Sharad.

The US National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine determined that an adequate daily fluid intake is: About 15.5 cups (3.7 liters) of fluids a day for men and about 11.5 cups (2.7 liters) of fluids a day for women. “The amount of water that your body needs depends on the climate, your body weight, sex, and physical activity levels. Make sure you don’t overload yourself with water because too much water can lead to reduction in sodium (which helps regulate the amount of water in and around the cells) which can cause hyponatremia,” warned Dr. Sharad.

Is drinking warm water enough?

Drinking water alone may not show any results on the skin. “One has to have a healthy diet consisting of brightly colored fruits and vegetables, green leaves, zero sugar, less salt, no alcohol and no smoking. These should be coupled with exercise, and sufficient sleep,” said Dr. Sharad.

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A Stylish Insider’s Guide To Kyoto’s Best Restaurants

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Born in Hokkaido, raised in America, and trained at some of France’s most lauded establishments like Le Clown Bar and Pierre Sang in Oberkampf, Reiko Yokota draws upon her worldly upbringing as the Pastry Chef of Four Seasons Hotel Kyoto.

“Traveling and all of these experiences gave me a unique perspective when it comes to desserts,” says Yokota, who’s quickly established herself as a culinary star to watch with her intellectual and artistic approach in the kitchen. She continued, “I love the transformation process of my work. I can shape the ingredients into whatever I want, it’s almost like a game for me.”

While Yokota’s job is sweet-centric, she frequently thinks about how to reimagine traditional savory dishes and flavors. This mindset is especially evident in the hotel’s very popular afternoon tea. On the current fall menu, for example, a creamy mushroom soup becomes lighter and is as tasty as a mushroom cappuccino, while a tea sandwich takes on local influences with grilled eggplant and smoky eel. “Because Japan has four true seasons, all of our ingredients have a distinct, but delicate flavor,” Yokota explained. “This is what I want people to experience and taste, while staying true to nature and keeping the vibrancy of the original product.”

Outside of work, Kyoto is just as passionate about exploring Kyoto’s ever-evolving dining scene. Here, she shares her favorite restaurants in town—all of which are small and independently owned.

LURRA°

“Jacob, the chef, worked at Copenhagen’s Noma, and brings a simliar cooking style to LURRA° with an innovative chef’s tasting menu. He uses a wood-burning oven, and no gas. The food is very creative and reflects the seasons. Jacob himself goes out to the fields and forages many ingredients. The restaurant has one Michelin star, and offers two seats for dinner.”

Mon

“This Japanese restaurant specializing in Kaiseki cuisine also has one Michelin star. It’s a very small place, and not very well known. The way they prepare fish is unbelievably good—it almost tastes magical. The beauty of dining here is not just about the seasonal ingredients, but the actual plates themselves. Many of them have historical value, so you can see the beauty of Japanese culture while you eat.”

To.

“With only about 10 counter seats, the style of To. is best described as Italian with Japanese and Moroccan influences. Because it offers tapas-style small plates, you can try a lot of different things. Everything tastes so fresh and exciting. There’s a sake counter as well.”

Sushi Ovino

“This is another very small restaurant where reservations are needed. What’s unique about this place is that the chef has a very strong sense of smell. He understands that good taste, especially when it comes to something as delicate as sushi, has to be well-balanced between aroma, texture and taste.”

Sabi

“While this spot pairs Japanese tea with different seasonal sweets, it’s not completely traditional. The owner performs the actual tea ceremony, and has modernized it with a thoughtful design and unique ingredients. The experience is so interesting, as you sit in a very quiet room for about two hours.”

Ramen no Bombo

In Kyoto, Tori Paitan is the popular style of ramen. The broth is typically made from chicken bones and feet, and is slow-cooked for so long the color becomes milky-white. The flavor is very intense, yet delicate. It’s not too strong or salty.”

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