It may be yet another “comeback” for the former star of “Saturday Night Live,” but it may be his biggest, as he gets acclaim for his starring role in the Netflix comedy “Dolemite Is My Name.” Tracy Smith reports.
Monthly Archives: December 2019
Fastest-Growing Chains: “BurgerIM” Restaurants Offer 11 Protein Options
From a Restaurant Business online article (December 2019):
With 11 protein options for its burgers (including salmon, lamb, falafel and dry-aged beef), two patty sizes and a host of toppings, Burgerim—which increased its unit count by nearly 250% in 2018 to become the country’s fastest-growing emerging chain—is upping the complexity of the traditional burger concept.

The quick-service chain, which has now nearly 200 units (up from 80 in 2018) and another 350 in the “active conception” pipeline, is focusing on training and systems to ensure all those burger variations get executed properly, says Collette Kakuk, Burgerim’s VP of marketing.

New Literary Books: “Aging, Duration, And The English Novel” (CUP)
From a Cambridge University Press (CUP) listing:
Aging, Duration, and the English Novel argues that the formal disappearance of aging from the novel parallels the ideological pressure to identify as being young by repressing the process of growing old. The construction of aging as a shameful event that should be hidden – to improve one’s chances on the job market or secure a successful marriage – corresponds to the rise of the long novel, which draws upon the temporality of the body to map progress and decline onto the plots of nineteenth-century British modernity.
The rapid onset of dementia after an illness, the development of gray hair after a traumatic loss, the sudden appearance of a wrinkle in the brow of a spurned lover. The realist novel uses these conventions to accelerate the process of aging into a descriptive moment, writing the passage of years on the body all at once.

“Future Of Food”: Fast-Growing Salmon, Cell-Based Meat, Diversified Crop Rotation (PBS)
“Future of Food” series on PBS. In this episode they discussed technology in food production including fast-growing salmon (Aquabounty), cell-based meat (Memphis Meats), diversified crop rotation in Iowa, and other trends.
New Nature Videos: “The Falcons Of Heidelberg Castle” In Germany
In the middle ages, Heidelberg castle was a center of learning, the birthplace of the first university in Germany. Today, it’s a birthplace of a different kind: peregrine falcons.
Healthcare: U.S. “Bypass Surgery” Costs Were $78.1K In 2017, Up To 6 Times The Cost In Europe (Chart)
New 2020 Food Trends: “Ambar Balkan Cuisine” In Washington DC Earns Michelin Guide Review
From a Michelin Guide online review listing:
Don’t balk at trying something new, since Ambar rewards rookies with a lineup of enticing offerings at appealing prices. This two-story restaurant’s rustic-country décor is as well suited to groups as it is to solo diners. Come with a gang and eat to your heart’s content with the Balkan Experience, which is a litany of delightful small plates. Don’t fret if you’re sans friends though, as everyone is guaranteed a good time.

Order the chef’s platter and you’ll be treated to the likes of pita sa sirom, a flaky cheese pie resting in a red bell pepper- and eggplant-ajvar sauce. Partake in the veal and beef kebabs set in a sheep’s milk cheese spread; or sour cabbage stuffed with rice, pork belly and set atop garlicky mashed potatoes for even more fun.
Healthcare: U.S. “Total Hip Replacement” Costs Were $32.5K In 2017, Up To 4 Times The Cost In Europe (Chart)
From a Health Care Cost Institute (HCCI) release (12/17/19):

- Holland had the lowest prices for hip and knee replacements with prices less than 25% of the US price. Prices for hip and knee replacements in the United Arab Emeritus (UAE) were the closest to the US at 71% of the price.
Politics: Mark Shields And David Brooks On The Latest In Washington (PBS)
Syndicated columnist Mark Shields and New York Times columnist David Brooks join Amna Nawaz to discuss the week’s political news, including the battle between House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell over rules for a Senate impeachment trial, how the presidential primary race is shaping up among 2020 Democrats and the year’s most surprising political developments.
Profiles: Franco-American Illustrator Jessie Kanelos Weiner
Her work explores gastronomy, travel, lifestyle, architecture and pop culture for selected clients including Vogue, The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Tmag, Afar, Vanity Fair France, M le Magazine du Monde, LVMH, Nespresso, Free People, and Penguin Press among many others.
Jessie Kanelos Weiner is a Franco-American illustrator, author and food stylist based in Paris and New York. Born and raised in Chicago, she was a costume designer in a previous life when picking up watercolor for the first time, developing her highly detailed, whimsical and instantly recognizable style. She is the coauthor of “Paris In Stride” (Rizzoli), author of “Edible Paradise”: A Coloring Book of Seasonal Fruits and Vegetables” (Universe) and 8 cookbooks published by Editions Marabout.
She is currently working on the next book in the “In Stride” series.
