Food journalist. Mom. Host of @pressurecook_fm, a podcast here to help you get better at feeding your kids. Executive producer of Longer Tables with José Andrés
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Articles by Jane Black
Turning Big Data Into Better Care for Women
Presenters at the Expanding Research Impact through Data Science panel held at Duke University School of Medicine. Physicians and researchers from across the region gathered Feb. 6 at the Duke Women’s Health Symposium to examine the limited depth of research focused on women’s health and to showcase the data-driven tools they believe can finally change that.
Craft Retreats Are the New Burnout Cure
From the art of flower arranging in Belgium to textile design in Eswatini, new hands-on workshops offer a way to unplug while picking up a new hobby At Fleuropean retreats in Belgium, guests are given access to a carefully curated flower garden. Femke Dam I bolted awake at 7 a.m.—unusual for me any day, but especially on vacation.
They’re rescuing olive trees, for much more than the oil
Giulio Zavolta and Rachelle Bross dreamed for years of growing olives. In 2012, they finally found a 20-acre grove not far from their home in Los Angeles. The trees were majestic. Some rose nearly 30 feet high, and many were a century old. The first thing the couple did was bring in the chain saws. Though beautiful, many of the trees were too tall for easy harvesting, with branches that cast shade across the orchard, depriving smaller ones of light. Beneath the canopy was little but dead wood.
They’re Rescuing Olive Trees, for Much More Than the Oil
Giulio Zavolta and Rachelle Bross dreamed for years of growing olives. In 2012, they finally found a 20-acre grove not far from their home in Los Angeles. The trees were majestic. Some rose nearly 30 feet high, and many were a century old. The first thing the couple did was bring in the chain saws. Though beautiful, many of the trees were too tall for easy harvesting, with branches that cast shade across the orchard, depriving smaller ones of light. Beneath the canopy was little but dead wood.
They're Rescuing Olive Trees, for Much More Than the Oil
Giulio Zavolta and Rachelle Bross dreamed for years of growing olives. In 2012, they finally found a 20-acre grove not far from their home in Los Angeles. The trees were majestic. Some rose nearly 30 feet high, and many were a century old. kAm%96 7:CDE E9:?8 E96 4@FA=6 5:5 H2D 3C:?8 :? E96 492:?
From California to the Mediterranean, Olive Tree Rescuers Restore More Than Oil
Giulio Zavolta and Rachelle Bross dreamed for years of growing olives. In 2012, they finally found a 20-acre grove not far from their home in Los Angeles. The trees were majestic. Some rose nearly 30 feet high, and many were a century old. The first thing the couple did was bring in the chainsaws. Though beautiful, many of the trees were too tall for easy harvesting, with branches that cast shade across the orchard, depriving smaller ones of light. Beneath the canopy was little but dead wood.
Coffee: A Buying Guide
In the early days of my career, I found the idea of “knowing where my food comes from” thrilling. Every ingredient had a history, and the way it was cultivated — how and by whom — influenced its flavor and its impact on a warming planet. There was so much to be discovered. I also remember the food, or rather the drink, that forced me to give up my crusade to know where all my food came from: coffee. It was a sunny morning sometime around 2013.
Kennedy’s crusade against food safety rule threatens supplement industry
In his first weeks as health secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. declared war on an obscure regulatory process that many argue has been exploited by the food industry for decades. The pathway allows companies to introduce new ingredients or chemicals into food products without a Food and Drug Administration review, as long as they self-certify them as “generally recognized as safe,” or GRAS for short.
Kennedy’s Crusade Against Food Safety Rule Threatens Supplement Industry Original
In his first weeks as health secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr. declared war on an obscure regulatory process that many argue has been exploited by the food industry for decades. The pathway allows companies to introduce new ingredients or chemicals into food products without a Food and Drug Administration review, as long as they self-certify them as “generally recognized as safe,” or GRAS for short.
Is this restaurant the only thing Democrats and Republicans agree on?
WASHINGTON — If there’s one thing Washington insiders can agree on, it’s that bipartisanship is dead in the nation’s capital. The one exception may be a casual Italian restaurant called Ama. The House minority leader, Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, has been spotted there on several occasions, as have his fellow Democrats Chellie Pingree, a representative from Maine, and Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey. From the Republican side, the Food and Drug Administration commissioner, Dr. Marty Makary, has eaten there.
Is This Restaurant the Only Thing Democrats and Republicans Agree On?
You have a preview view of this article while we are checking your access. When we have confirmed access, the full article content will load. If there’s one thing Washington insiders can agree on, it’s that bipartisanship is dead in the nation’s capital. The one exception may be a casual Italian restaurant called Ama.
Avoiding Seed Oils? Here, the Best Alternatives to Buy
America loves a dietary villain: saturated fat, salt, carbs, sugar and now, seed oils. That’s right: The seemingly innocuous vegetable, canola, sunflower, safflower and grapeseed oils that have long stocked our pantries are moving up the list of public-health enemies. According to consumer insight firm Tastewise, 62% of consumers say they are avoiding canola and vegetable oils. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F.
Taking Action for Climate, Health, Mothers and Babies
By Kirsten Khire, APR, M.A. and Jane Black Physicians who practice obstetrics and gynecology have a direct planetary impact every day, according to Duke University School of Medicine faculty Beverly Gray, MD. “As ob/gyns, we walk into a patient’s room. When we walk out of a room, there is a new person on the planet. We have a responsibility to make sure the planet is a safe place for an infant to thrive and live,” Dr. Gray said.
When Should a Business Consider Restructuring?
Small businesses can reduce their debt by an average of 75% through business restructuring, which makes it a powerful financial recovery tool. The timing of restructuring plays a crucial role between success or failure. The restructuring process works best with early action from companies. For example, a short-term rental business in Australia demonstrated this by adapting its restructuring plan quickly after experiencing a 30% drop in holiday guests.
Want to Take the Pain Out of Planning Meals? Learn to Be an AI Whisperer.
With the debut of DeepSeek’s buzzy chatbot and updates to others, we tried applying the technology—and a little human common sense—to the most mind-melting aspect of home cooking: weekly meal planning. Read the news, and it won’t take long to find a story about the latest feat of artificial intelligence.
Want to Take the Pain Out of Planning Meals? Learn to Be an AI Whisperer.
March 14, 2025 7:00 pm ET Read the news and it won’t take long to find a story about the latest feat of artificial intelligence. AI passed the bar exam! It can help diagnose cancer! It “painted” a portrait that sold at Sotheby’s for $1 million! My own great hope for AI: that it might simplify the everyday problem of meal planning. Copyright ©2025 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8
By Jane Black / Photographs by Elizabeth Coetzee/WSJ; Prop Styling by Amanda Lauro If you’re of a certain age, you probably remember the Folgers coffee commercials where instant crystals secretly replaced freshly ground coffee. The duped consumers professed astonishment at a flavor “rich enough to be served in America’s gourmet coffee houses.” How history repeats itself! Decades later, in my own at-home taste tests, I was similarly wowed by the sophisticated flavor of modern instant coffee.
Anatomy of a convenience food
This article was produced in collaboration with Inverse. It may not be reproduced without express permission from FERN. If you are interested in republishing or reposting this article, please contact [email protected]. Since was first introduced by the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) in 1973, the back of the box has been a controversial space.
The problem with ultraprocessed foods
The average American gets nearly two-thirds of his or her calories from foods that are considered “ultraprocessed.” These products — which have come to dominate the national conversation on nutrition — are typically loaded with sugar, salt, and saturated fats, and often use flavor, color, and textural additives that make them nearly irresistible.
Something Fun Today (Audio)
The Double Shift is a newsletter, podcast and community created by Katherine Goldstein. Expect big ideas + solutions to challenge the status quo of work and care. Join us to find community around motherhood, equal partnership, and building a world that cares. Starting in 2024, we'll be releasing weekly audio versions of our newsletter and extended interviews for our paying member community on Substack. Join us! https://thedoubleshift.substack.com/.
Something Fun (For a Change)
A few weeks ago, I decided to run this newsletter crosspost today in the interest of my own self-preservation and mental health. It is frivolous and has absolutely nothing to do with the election. (There’s no dearth of commentary on that topic for anyone who wants to dig in!) I’ve never been a hot-take person, and when I have something meaningful to say on that topic, I’ll share it with you. In the meantime, I recommend this article from Vox News called How to Get Through This.
The Whole Enchilada
We’re here to reclaim the “women’s magazine.” Every week, two veteran editors read it ALL to bring you everything we believe women’s media should be: juicy yarns, big ideas, deeply personal essays, hot goss, and the odd shopping tip—aka, the full Spread. Plus: original interviews, podcasts, and more.
How Saffron, a Precious Import, Became an American Cash Crop
Tara and Chad Philipp had never tasted saffron until they took a camping trip with a family they’d recently met. Around the campfire, their new friends cooked a big pan of paella. The Philipps fell for the sweet, musky flavor of saffron — and were intrigued to learn it was the world’s most expensive spice. On the way home, Chad Philipp was already researching how to grow saffron on their three-acre plot in the Mojave Desert, east of Los Angeles.
How Saffron, a Precious Import, Became an American Cash Crop
Tara and Chad Philipp had never tasted saffron until they took a camping trip with a family they’d recently met. Around the campfire, their new friends cooked a big pan of paella. The Philipps fell for the sweet, musky flavor of saffron — and were intrigued to learn it was the world’s most expensive spice. On the way home, Chad Philipp was already researching how to grow saffron on their three-acre plot in the Mojave Desert, east of Los Angeles.
How Saffron, a Precious Import, Became an American Cash Crop
Saffron-infused honey, a top seller at Peace and Plenty Farm stand in Kelseyville, Calif., on Dec. 23, 2024. It's hard work to harvest, but a growing cadre of small farmers and home gardeners are cultivating the spice for profit, or simply pleasure. NYT Tara and Chad Philipp had never tasted saffron until they took a camping trip with a family they'd recently met. Around the campfire, their new friends cooked a big pan of paella.
How Saffron, a Precious Import, Became an American Cash Crop Original
It's hard work to harvest, but a growing cadre of small farmers and home gardeners are cultivating the spice for profit, or simply pleasure. Bulb-like corms, at top, produce saffron crocuses. Each purple flower contains three red stigmas, which are dried and cured to make saffron. Credit... Gabriella Angotti-Jones for The New York Times Tara and Chad Philipp had never tasted saffron until they took a camping trip with a family they'd recently met.
A Radically Honest Gift Guide for Food Lovers
My first real job in food media was as the food editor at Boston, a city magazine that fancied itself capital-I important thanks to its local investigations and swaggering writing, but was, in fact, valued most highly for its roundup of top restaurants. There was the annual Best of Boston issue, an award coveted by local chefs, a separate restaurants issue, plus regular features on the best suburban restaurants, date-night destinations, and kid-friendly joints.
11 Holiday Food Gifts for Gourmands-Each One With a Human Story Behind It
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Cooks fuel the holiday season with feverish bouts of baking and epic meals. Now is the time to honor their efforts and the care they bring to them with gifts distinguished by impressive hand-craftsmanship or the high quality of their raw materials. A sprinkle of the purest salt hand-harvested from the fjords of Iceland. A ceramic pot thrown with Colombian river clay. A baking mix dreamed up by an artisan chocolatier in Maine.
By Jane Black, Aleksandra Crapanzano Verified, Matthew Kronsberg Verified, Nina Molina, Lettie Teague
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The Wall Street Journal
Verified
Will Trump Make America Healthy Again?
I first heard the phrase “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) in early September. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., environmental lawyer and infamous vaccine skeptic, had dropped his third-party bid for president and endorsed Donald Trump. Suddenly, he was at rallies and writing anop-ed, declaring that, with Trump’s blessing, he was going to get dangerous chemicals out of our food and processed ingredients out of school lunches.
Forget TikTok Baking Hacks. Grandma’s 1-2-3-4 Cake Formula Is All You Need.
Sometimes it seems that every good baker has a mom or grandma who showed them the way. I do not. My mother loathed time spent at the stove. My grandma, a classic 1950s cook, showed off by doctoring a boxed cake mix with a tub of sour cream. Which meant that when I started baking, I had to build my own canon. Despite the deluge of recipes the internet gushes forth, this proved harder than it might seem.
The Foolproof Way to Make Jam at Home, According to an Expert
There is an undeniable romance to making jam. Three ingredients—fruit, sugar and lemon juice—plus heat transform excess into extraordinary and capture summer in a jar. It’s true alchemy. Except when it’s not. $13.75/Week $4/Week for 1 year Includes unlimited access to The Wall Street Journal, Barron’s, MarketWatch and Investor’s Business Daily $9.75/Week $2/Week for 1 year Includes unlimited access to WSJ's unrivaled journalism. Already a subscriber? Sign in
Back Forty: The politics of school-lunch reform
Back Forty will bring you periodic reviews, interviews, and reporter insights about the stories they wrote. We hope you enjoy it as a companion to our content on TheFERN.org and our Ag Insider policy news site. You can subscribe to the newsletter below. By Jane Black The school food programs of Japan and the United States share surprisingly similar histories. Both were launched informally in the late 19th century to serve hungry children and grew with the spread of universal education.
Start-ups offer innovative databases to help parents seeking childcare
In the beginning, Andrea and Travis Schroeder’s hunt for child care in Grand Junction, Colo., was all too typical. They put out a call on Facebook. Crickets. They asked their neighbors. Shrugs.
Start-ups offer innovative databases to help parents seeking childcare
Democracy Dies in Darkness Businesses are partnering with states to make it easier for families to find available slots in an industry ripe for disruption May 4, 2024 at 7:00 a.m. EDT Madison Schroeder, 4, eats her lunch while her grandparents prepare food in their kitchen in Fruita, Colo., April 28, 2024. (Kelsey Brunner for The Washington Post) Comment Save In the beginning, Andrea and Travis Schroeder’s hunt for child care in Grand Junction, Colo., was all too typical.
Back Forty: Let kids decide what to eat and how much? Yeah, maybe not.
Back Forty will bring you periodic reviews, interviews, and reporter insights about the stories they wrote. We hope you enjoy it as a companion to our content on TheFERN.org and our Ag Insider policy news site. You can subscribe to the newsletter below. By Jane Black For so many of us, the new year begins with vows to eat better. More vegetables. More whole grains. The usual. But this year, some parents are feeling pressure to do something quite different: serve their kids dessert with dinner.
Evaluating a specialist palliative care service in a community setting
Introduction Every year in England and Wales, over 500 000 people die; three-quarters of these deaths do not come suddenly (Hunter and Orlovic, 2018). The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (2021) have stated that adults with advanced life-threatening illnesses and their families should receive good end-of-life care.
Real world respiratory profiles and Duchenne muscular dystrophy
• , , , et al. Diagnosis and management of Duchenne muscular dystrophy, part 1: diagnosis, and neuromuscular, rehabilitation, endocrine, and gastrointestinal and nutritional management . Lancet Neurol. ; : - . PMID: 29395989. • , , , et al. Diagnosis and management of Duchenne muscular dystrophy, part 2: respiratory, cardiac, bone health, and orthopaedic management . Lancet Neurol. ; : - . PMID: 29395990. • , , , et al.
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This cranberry apple crisp is a delicate balance of sweet and tart
Cranberry Apple Crisp You could easily serve this for dessert with vanilla ice cream, but this sweet crisp can also have a place on the main Thanksgiving or Christmas buffet of as a replacement for, or to be served alongside, a traditional cranberry sauce or relish. Cranberry Apple Crisp Storage: Refrigerate leftovers up to 4 days. Make ahead: Bake 1 day in advance; cover and refrigerate. Loosely cover with aluminum foil and reheat in a 325-degree oven for 20 to 25 minutes. Want to save this recipe?
Bakers in the Know Are Stocking Up on This Ingredient
The upgrade from Grade A to ethereal came with the swap of one ingredient: ground vanilla. I confess, I had never heard of it; I mostly bake with vanilla extract or, if I have one, a fresh vanilla bean. To produce ground vanilla, the beans are dried to remove the moisture that gives them their flexible, bendy texture, then ground into a fine powder. This vanilla variant delivers the intensity of the bean plus the convenience of extract.
Just serve the dinosaur chicken nuggets, says this food writer and mom
As a food writer and onetime-restaurant critic, I’m used to getting emergency phone calls from friends in need: Where should I eat in Brooklyn or San Francisco or London? (And can you get me in?) Do I really have to use cake flour? (No, add a tablespoon or two of cornstarch to the all-purpose kind.) Then I became a mom, and the floodgates opened.
Love Saffron? How to Get Maximum Value From It in Your Kitchen
FLOWER POWER This saffron is grown organically at Peace & Plenty Farm in California—one of the many places where the spice is produced around the world. Photo: F. Martin Ramin/The Wall Street Journal By Jane Black March 16, 2022 2:26 pm ET SOME THINGS are expensive for a reason. Saffron is one of them. The scarlet threads are stigmas from the Crocus sativus. Each flower produces just three, which must be harvested by hand, preferably in the dark to protect them from the scorching sun.
The Mayonnaise Chefs Love: A Concise and Delicious Guide
MOST PEOPLE DON’T think about mayonnaise as much as Mason Hereford does. Most people certainly do not have a mayonnaise tattoo. But Mr. Hereford, who owns the beloved New Orleans sandwich joint Turkey and the Wolf, considers himself an adherent to the religion of mayonnaise. It is, he says, a faith with many gods—one of the most powerful of which is Kewpie. Traditionally, Kewpie is used atop okonomiyaki (savory pancakes).
The Store-Brand Groceries You Actually Want
FOR MOST of its nondescript life, the humble store brand has played the role of poor cousin to more glamorous brand-name products. Its packaging was basic, even ugly; the quality, good enough. From cereal to cookies to canned beans, the store-brand product’s main allure was its bargain price. But store brands, also called private label or “own brands,” are casting off their bland reputation and transforming themselves from dull to desirable.
A Holiday Gift Guide for Food and Drink Lovers: 8 Ideas Under $300 (and a Couple of Splurges)
HAVEN’T WE EARNED some good times? Can’t you just taste it, actually? Like they sing in the old TV commercial, “I’d like to buy the world a Coke, and keep it company”—only this year, make it a bottle of excellent Champagne and uncork it along with a generous serving of Swiss chocolates. Even the ice cubes in the cocktails should elicit cries of delight (let’s bring back that somewhat unfamiliar sound). The gifts assembled here aren’t necessarily expensive, but each one is rich in its own way.
These Online Grocers Want to Make it Easy for You to Shop Sustainably
LONG BEFORE the pandemic, Sarah Yerkes had already abandoned the supermarket. The 42-year-old has a demanding job at a Washington, D.C., think tank and two young children; ordering groceries online seemed like a way to keep things relatively sane. But it wasn’t until last year that Ms. Yerkes began a subscription to Imperfect Foods, an online grocer that sells “ugly” fruits and vegetables traditionally considered unmarketable.
Everytable Is Trying to Make Healthy Food as Accessible as Fast Food
The chicken tinga is the same in both Los Angeles establishments: It’s a bowl of pasture-raised chicken, lentils, quinoa and black beans. At the University Park outpost of Everytable, it costs $5.10. In Monterey Park, a 15-minute drive away, it’s $8.35. That variable pricing — less in an area with students and working-class families, more in a spot with prime real estate — is part of Everytable’s Robin Hood-esque pitch to make healthy, fresh food affordable to everyone.
Nutritional Yeast: A Concise Guide to the Irresistible Flavor Booster
MY HUSBAND is from West Virginia and therefore prides himself on his Appalachian-style resourcefulness. And so, one weekend at a rental house, far from the nearest grocery store, I wasn’t surprised when he made a remarkably flavorful rice salad from a nearly empty fridge. Exactly what made it so good, I couldn’t tell. Fish sauce? Parmesan cheese? Nope, he said, grinning. A handful of nutritional yeast swiped from the owner’s pantry.
This Is Better Than Butter-Whether You’re Cooking Steaks or Roasting Vegetables
IT’S HARD TO pinpoint just when ghee was invented, but the why is pretty clear. Ghee is butter that has been heated and clarified—that is, had its milk solids and water removed to produce pure butterfat. This gives it a long shelf life, a virtue in its native India where hot temperatures can quickly turn butter rancid. Ghee has remained popular, even revered—and for good reason.
How to Make an Unloved Job More Attractive? Restaurants Tinker With Wages.
As they struggle to recruit workers, many owners are raising pay. But some are trying to go deeper, to make their business fairer and more humane. Dirt Candy, in Manhattan, is one of many restaurants around the country that have created a new pay structure. Every employee receives an hourly wage, starting at $25.Credit...Lanna Apisukh for The New York Times Sept.
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