New Year, New Approach

Saying “Happy New Year” lingers after the holidays have ended, but it’s a good reminder that time heals and wipes certain slates clean, offering an opportunity to pivot in your life or tackle that project you’ve been backburning. 

Maximizing Your Grocery Dollar 

At Bex, our focus is of course tasty healthy eating, and Chef Becky has seen many food trends rise and fall over the years. “If you’re looking to make changes in your diet,” she advises, “find a sweet spot between being too hard on yourself and not hard enough. That will help improve your chances of making dietary changes stick.” Chef Becky also advises eating local, living simply, and beating inflation by minimizing food waste and maximizing your food dollar value. And perhaps, most importantly, going gently on yourself: “Rome wasn’t built in a day,” the Chef reminds us, “I’ve been in business for twelve years and am continually learning new things and meeting new people. Eateries provide that opportunity to connect with people and hear what’s buzzing.” 

Instinctive Longevity 

“When I cook I’m always thinking, instinctively, of not just the meal at hand but how to make food last and be versatile,” she says. “It’s funny we think of something like an animal carcass as this waste product when it could be the foundation of an amazing soup, gravy, or boil-down for bone broth. Add a few random limp vegetable scraps, onions, or sad old garlic and some vinegar to unlock the minerals in the bones, and you can get delicious broth. The collagens in the bones are great for our flexibility and body lubrication. You’ll see this pleasing, clear oilyness in the broth, the collagens. Or you could make rice with the bone broth and have a foundation of flavor already established.” 

Food in 2024

Wither food in the new year? The NY Times has made some predictions, but as they acknowledge it’s always hard to see what’s coming in the future, a concept the French have a specific word for: l’avenir. It means the future, but specifically a future that is hazy and unclear.  We encourage you to spend some quality time with family in the kitchen cooking this year. Passing down recipes between generations, learning new cooking techniques from family members, and participating in food preparation is good for the soul. 

What have you learned about yourself, about food, about food culture from 2023? Do you have any especially wacky or noteworthy family recipes? We’d love to hear from you. Let us know! 

Happy eating in 2024 and beyond!