The future is here and there's no going back. 3D food printers have landed. The first professional-grade printer for the food world — which “can turn sugars and other ingredients into colorful, edible works of art” — debuted this week and now chefs are scrambling to determine its potential creative uses. Look for more imaginative things than the cake-toppers and fancy sugar cubes the ChefJetPro has been churning out so far, especially after its creator, 3D Systems, opens its L.A. lab this summer. 

Fast food chains are also acknowledging the future (in that it's most likely one where they don't matter), with KFC the latest to undergo a millennial-geared, nostalgia-tinged overhaul. If the Hamburgular getting a popped collar and fedora wasn't enough, check out the return of Colonel Sanders, who is now being played by Darrell Hammond of Saturday Night Live fame. The re-branding also comes with a strangely addictive 8-bit Atari-style game, ColonelQuest, which takes you through the historically acurate and bizarre life of the Colonel himself. 

“Stop using non-stick pans” is the message of The Madrid Statement, a series of recommendations from over 200 scientists and health professionals published this week. In order to wick away all that grease, the pans use manmade chemicals that in animals have apparently been linked to crazy stuff like cancer, liver malfunction, hormonal changes, obesity, lower birth size and thyroid issues.    


Ludo Lefevbre was in New York this week, serving fried chicken at a food festival in Harlem and talking to The Braiser about his new burger and his beef (pun intended) with filming TV shows. Coolest news slip of the interview? More Ludo restaurants are on the way. “Opening new restaurants is my priority,” he says. 

Back home in L.A., Tiki-Ti is re-opening after two weeks of “restructuring and stuff,” pasta genius chef Evan Funke abruptly left Bucato at the Helms Bakery, and L.A. is getting its first taste of modern Baja cuisine in the form of +52, chef Diego Hernandez's first American restaurant, which will land on 3rd Street this fall. One of this year's 80 Tacolandia vendors, Hernandez is the beyond-farm-to-table chef at top-rated restaurant Corazon de Tierra in Mexico's Valle de Guadalupe, where the daily-changing tasting menu often combines seafood with edible flowers and your dessert might have a cup of chlorophyl poured on top of it. Did we mention how stoked we are that this exciting Mexican chef is finally opening a restaurant in L.A.? We are VERY stoked. (And, yes, we know Bill Esparza predicted this. We love it when he's right.)

Tweets o' the Week:

the go-to insult at kindergarten lunchtime is You're gluten.

— deb perelman (@debperelman) May 20 2015


Events: 

Sat., Sun., Mon. May 23-25: Valley Greek Festival
Now in its 42nd year, the annual Valley Greek Festival will lure you with the taste of the Mediterranean. If you’re a cheese fanatic, make sure you snack on a gooey piece of saganaki while you indulge in a little ouzo. Daily dinners include all the fixins, from feta cheese to dolmades. 

Sunday, May 24: MAINopoly
Combining the capitalistic fun of a Monopoly board game with a walking tour of Santa Monica's vibrant Main Street, MAINopoly is an interactive community event that will raise money for Heal the Bay. Get funny money to spend on samples, enjoy drink specials at each location and hang out in the special “Go to Jail” beer garden along the way.

Tuesday, May 26: Podere Sapaio Winemaker Dinner
Eat gnocci, beef tenderloin, tuna tartare and more while you drink through seven wines from this award-winning, up-and-coming Italian winery, including a terroir-driven wine from Sicily and six from the Podere Sapaio collection.

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