Frieda Rapoport Caplan, the founder of Frieda's Specialty Produce, died on Jan. 18 at age 96. Caplan started the produce distribution company in 1962 and is credited with breaking into a male-dominated business and introducing US consumers to exotic fruits and vegetables including kiwifruit and Jerusalem artichokes.

Demand for more exotic mushroom varieties like shiitake and king oyster is on the rise as more consumers are seeking to replace meat, said UK grower John Dorrian, owner of Smithy Mushrooms. "Exotic mushrooms are incredibly versatile and can be shredded to replicate pulled pork, thinly sliced to make kebab skewers and even sliced to make scallops," he said.

Sichuan hot pot restaurants, where diners cook a variety of ingredients in a communal pot of soup, are gaining popularity both in their native China and in cities across the US. Diners can choose from a variety of flavorful broths for cooking additions such as shrimp paste, tofu, beef and tripe.

Vintner adaptations to climbing temperatures and the increasing incidence of extreme weather events have begun to give an edge to English sparkling wines, potentially upending the supremacy of Champagne, Jillian Kramer writes. "Climate change has led to parts of the UK experiencing similar growing temperatures to those in Champagne 60 years ago,"
said Greg Dunn, curriculum manager of the wine department at England's Plumpton College.

Master sommelier Barbara Werley of Pappas Brothers Steakhouse in Dallas, Texas, a Wine Spectator Grand Award of Excellence winner, can be credited with popularizing the concept of serving white wine with red meat, writes Larry Olmsted. "[W]e found that a balanced white works well with any high-quality beef," said Werley, who added that the richness of meat requires acidity.

Chipotle Mexican Grill promoted National Avocado Day last July with a TikTok campaign that challenged fans to submit videos of themselves doing the #GuacDance. The campaign was TikTok's highest-performing branded challenge to date, and Chipotle has continued to innovate on the channel with input from Gen Z staffers and a team of "culture hunters" who track what's trending on social media, Tressie Lieberman, Chipotle's vice president of digital and off-premises, said.

Asking for help at work, whether you're the CEO or a new hire, shows courage and vulnerability, argues Wayne Baker of the University of Michigan's Ross School of Business in a new book. "You have to be clear on why you are making the request, the goal you are trying to achieve, and use SMART criteria," he says, with SMART being defined as specific, measurable, assignable, realistic and time-related.

Brewing trade groups in the US are working on projects to boost barley yields and crop quality as changing climate and weather patterns make it more difficult to grow the main ingredients for beer. "In short, we aren't just sitting back to see what happens next," said Chuck Skypeck of the Boulder, Colo.-based Brewers Association.

Several San Francisco-area restaurants discovered that Grubhub and other third-party delivery services had added their menus to the websites without notifying the restaurants. The eateries, some of which don't offer takeout or delivery at all, said the listed menus were often incorrect and Grubhub has advised restaurants that they can send an email request to be removed from the site.

The most popular item on the menu at his short-lived Mexican restaurant inspired Ivan Flores to create the Buffalo Fries at his next concept, Buffalo Spot. The California-based chain has grown to 30 locations and the dish, which consists of Buffalo chicken strips on top of fries served with a choice of 14 sauces, accounts for 75% of total sales.