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During this week’s reveal of the hotly anticipated Rivian R2 mid-size SUV, Rivian CEO and Founder RJ Scaringe took a page from the Steve Jobs school of product announcements and gave us “one more thing” at the end of the presentation. In this case, it’s actually two more things—the Rivian R3 and R3X, and they’re both looking droolworthy. Situated somewhere between a hot hatch and a crossover, these small EVs tick a whole lot of boxes.

I’ll start with the R3X because it’s the model I’m most excited about. Its shape is reminiscent of Giorgetto Giugiaro’s sharp-edged 5-door classics like the Volkswagen Golf Mk1 and the Lancia Delta. However, it rides higher and appears larger than those. The rally-friendly R3X has three electric motors for optimal traction and performance, along with oversized tires, off-road wheels, thick lower-body cladding, and more ground clearance than the standard Rivian R3.

Inside the R3X, you’ll spot a mix of materials Rivian calls “rugged playful,” including eye-catching woven textiles, anodized metals, and sustainable materials. The prototype being shown off has caramel brown seats in leather or synthetic leather, perforated with oval eyelets. Both the R3 and R3X have flat-bottom and top steering wheels, and this model has a red 12-o’clock indicator, a feature used by rally drivers to help with directional orientation.

The R3 can be configured with a single rear motor, dual-motor for AWD, or tri-motor with two motors in the back and one in the front for AWD plus added performance. Its style is a little more urban than the R3X. It rolls on smaller, more energy-efficient tires and has a sleek, modern look resembling Rivian’s other offerings. Like the R2, the R3 will be available with two sizes of battery packs. The larger pack will offer more than 300 miles of range and 0-to-60 times under 3 seconds.

That holds especially true for the minimalist interior, shown here in a largely monochrome color scheme with just a splash of copper. The dashboard is clean and simple, with a small digital instrument cluster and a larger touchscreen that floats off of it. There are few physical controls – a pair of contextual control dials on the steering wheel provide haptic feedback. Rivian says it will feature a new autonomous driving system that will use multiple cameras, radar sensors, and a powerful computer to provide self-driving capabilities.

Rivian designed the R3’s back section for flexibility and getting the most out of outdoor adventures. The second-row seats fold perfectly flat into the floor to maximize storage space or even provide a spot for a couple of sleeping bags inside the cabin. A large glass roof floats overhead so you can enjoy the night skies in comfort. I love that the rear liftgate lets you open the window separately for easy access and allows you to carry stuff that sticks out a bit.

Rivian has yet to reveal detailed technical specs or pricing for the R3 and R3X, but with the R2 targeted for 2026 deliveries, it’s possible that these smaller models won’t arrive until late 2026 or early 2027. The R2’s starting price is $45,000, and Rivian says the R3 will have an even lower starting price point – presumably under $40,000. I’m guessing that a fully-loaded R3x will come in somewhere around $55,000, but it would be amazing if it was less than that – because I really want one for myself.

Yesterday the FTC announced that they have won a court order against four separate operations that have been “bombarding consumers nationwide with billions of unwanted and illegal robocalls pitching auto warranties, debt-relief services, home security systems, fake charities, and Google search.” The FTC also went after one company that provided the software platform used to […]

The post FTC Shuts Down 4 Robocall Groups Responsible For Billions of Illegal Robocalls appeared first on Cord Cutters News.

It looks like America's oldest brewery may be coming back to Massachusetts.

According to a post in Banker & Tradesman, Yuengling is currently finalizing plans to return to the state early next year a couple of decades after leaving the market. The article says that the Pennsylvania-based brewer could end up building a brewery in the state depending on the amount of demand, though bringing its beers in from existing plants is also a possibility as well. Currently, Yuengling cannot be found anywhere in New England, though it is available in New York.

Yuengling, which is headquartered in Pottsville, PA, first started out in 1829 and is now one of the largest brewing companies in the United States. Its most popular beer is its lager, though the company also offers porter, black and tan, ale, light beers, and a premium beer. The website for Yuengling can be found at http://www.yuengling.com/

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Happy Nihonshu no Hi, Sake Day!

Today, October 1 is Sake Day, a holiday that has been celebrated since 1978. It is a day to celebrate Sake, to drink this tasty and intriguing alcohol and to learn more about its wonders. For some basic information about Sake, check out my new article, 10 Things To Know About Sake, in the latest issue of Beverage Media. You can also find plenty of additional Sake articles in my post, All About Sake, or check out my Collected Sake Reviews.

As a special gift to all my readers on Sake Day, I am making The Tipsy Sensei & Others FREE all day. This book contains nine Sake, Food & Wine related short stories, including the first three Tipsy Sensei tales. You will also find a special, historical tale of Hato, one of the important characters from Demons, Gods & Sake. As the next Tipsy Sensei novel, Hand Fed Tigers, will likely be published later this month, you should jump on this opportunity to read the original tales of the Tipsy Sensei. The book will only be FREE today so don't wait and lose out.

Enjoy the following 10 fun facts about Sake.

1. Japanese mythology claims that a god, Sukuna-bikona, created Sake. Sukuna means “small” or “few” while bikona is an honorific, and probably refers to the the god's small stature as he is commonly depicted as a dwarf with moth wings and tiny feathers. Sukuna-bikona was sent to assist Okuninushi in creating the world, and ihe is supposed to be responsible for not only creating Sake, but also medicine. It is even said that on October 10, Sukunua-bikona threw a Sake party, inviting all of the other gods to taste Sake.

2. Around 1191 AD, Myoan Eisai, a Buddhist priest, founded the first Zen temple in Japan. In addition, he brought tea seeds from China, wrote the first Japanese book on tea drinking and encouraged people to consume tea rather than Sake. Eisai felt that tea possessed great medicinal abilities. Numerous Zen Buddhist temples still possess a stone pillar outside their entrance with an inscription: “Garlic and sake never to be admitted into the gate.”

5. In a Japanese tradition extending back to the Edo Period, on each January 7, a ceremony is held in certain Japanese areas where captured carp are fed Sake. Once they have finished the Sake, the carp are released back into a river, and at first, the carp float belly-up in the river. They soon recover and swim away. The carp was intended to symbolically take on the bad luck and tragedies of the people, kind of like a scapegoat. Those who participate in this ceremony are of certain ages thought to be prone to calamity and tragedy, men aged 25 and 42 and women aged 19 and 33.

6. There is a Sake custom called Kaketsukesanbai, where latecomers to a party must rapidly drink three cups of Sake. It is supposed to be a punishment, intended to get the newcomer as drunk as those already there. Many Sake lovers may not see it as much of a penalty.
7. What is Goldfish Sake? Known as Kingyo-zake, Goldfish Sake is a derogatory term that refers to Sake that has been diluted so much with water that a goldfish could live in the Sake. The term originated during World War II, when due to rice shortages, sake was often diluted with water, some producers diluting it much more than others.

8. You may be familiar with the terms Ginjo and Daiginjo, but what about Chuginjo? This is a rare term, unlikely to be found on a Sake label, and basically refers to Sake that is in-between Ginjo and Daiginjo, generally Sake polished 40-50%. It is not a legal term so does not have a precise definition.

9. Katsu-zake, roughly translated as “Bone Sake,” is hot Sake where the bones or fins of fish are added to the cup to provide some additional flavor. For example, I have seen hot sake with the fin of a fugu in it.

10. Don't have a cup? You can still drink Sake and the Japanese sometimes use various sea creatures as drinking vessels. The kegani, the hairy crab, may be sliced in half and not cleaned out. Sake is then poured into the crab halves and drank, giving you a fishy taste. The tentacles of dried squid or cuttlefish can be used as cups, most often with warmed Sake. Sake may also be given to live abalone though it won't be used as a cup. Instead, the abalone actually drinks the Sake, gets drunk, and then the Japanese will eat its meat which has a flavor of Sake.

The person behind a local group of vegetarian food trucks and brick-and-mortar restaurants has decided to close all locations for the time being, due to a salmonella outbreak throughout the state.

Eater Boston is reporting that Ayr Muir of Clover has shut down all Clover locations in and around Boston until further notice while the CEO tries to figure out more about the outbreak while having the trucks and restaurants go through a complete cleaning. A post on Clover's site mentions that "Some of the confirmed cases ate at Clover over the course of the days leading up to their illness," and that "The most recent case they know about was from 6/27/13." Muir also mentions that they will be taking a look at the ingredients they use as well as their suppliers, and that all "appropriate Clover employees" are being tested for salmonella.

As soon as we learn more (including when the Clover locations might reopen), we will post an update here.

[July 16 update: A new post on the Clover site today states that it has been "19 days since the last confirmed case of exposure" and that the "outbreak has resulted in no hospitalizations," but Ayr Muir says all Clover locations remain closed until further notice while they continue to test, clean, and investigate.]

[July 17 update: Clover remains closed until further notice (this will be the last update until they reopen).]

[July 22 update: A Twitter post from Clover over the weekend indicates that it is hoping to reopen on Wednesday (July 24).]

[July 23 update: The Boston Globe's Restaurant Hub blog has confirmed that Clover will reopen tomorrow (Wednesday, July 24), with free coffee given out at breakfast and free rosemary fries offered at lunch at all of their locations.]

[July 24 update: Clover has encountered a slight delay in its reopening, so it won't be opening until Thursday now.]

Clover's trucks can be found in Boston and Cambridge, while their brick-and-mortar locations are in Cambridge's Harvard Square and Inman Square along with Burlington and Brookline. The website for Clover is at http://www.cloverfoodlab.com/

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Summer season for me is filled with days on the deck grilling steak. Prior to getting a Sous Vide Supreme I only ever cooked steak on the grill. Any other way did not turn out as well. Once I learned about the sous vide method of cooking and that many people said that this is the best way to cook steak, I was skeptical. But, after trying it, this is the only way I prepare steak anymore. Not only does it produce the most tender and moist steak I have ever eaten, it also consistently cooks the meat to your preferred doneness.

The New York strip loin is my favorite steak and this, well marbled piece of meat, is perfect for the sous vide. Cooking the steak in the Sous Vide Supreme ensures that the meat will be perfectly cooked and incredibly juicy. Follow these simple steps and you will get great results, every time.

SousVide Supreme Exclusive Offer! 1 yr Subscription to Food & Wine on orders over $50!

For information about the Sous Vide Supreme, check out our info page here.

For even more detailed information about this simple process for cooking beef in the Sous Vide Supreme check out this link here : How to Cook Sous Vide Meat in 6 Easy Steps.

Fill the water chamber of the Sous Vide Supreme with water making sure it does not go past the MAX line once the steak is in the water bath.

Season the steak. I usually just use salt and pepper because I like to highlight the wonderful flavor of the steak. You could also use many different spice blends, marinades, fresh herbs and more.

Fold the edge of the food safe bag back about 1 inch. Place the steak in the bag. If you are putting more than one steak in the bag, make sure they are side by side and not stacked. I find that it is important to not put too many pieces of meat in the bag. One or two steaks are plenty. If desired, place a tablespoon of butter in the bag with the steak.

Unfold the the open edge of the bag  and use the vacuum sealer to seal the steak in the bag.

Set the Sous Vide Supreme to the temperature for your desired doneness of steak.

Rare – 128F

Medium rare – 132F

Medium – 137F

Medium well – 140F

Well – 147F

When you hear it beep, you know that it has reached the set temperature and is ready for the meat to be submerged.

Once the Sous Vide Supreme has reached the set temperature, place the bagged steak in the hot water bath. You can lay it vertically or horizontally, but just make sure all the meat is submerged in the water.

Cook the steak in the Sous Vide Supreme for a minimum of 2 hours. The steak is fully cooked after 2 hours, but can stay in the Sous Vide Supreme up to 8 hours and still be tender and delicious!

Remove the bag from the water bath and cut it open. Use tongs to gently lift the meat out of the bag and lay it on a plate or cutting board. The steak needs to be seared, but first pat dry both sides of the steak with a paper towel. This allows the steak to get a far better sear when the meat hits the hot skillet.

Heat a skillet to high heat with a little oil.

Place the steak in the skillet and sear it for 30-60 seconds per side.

You can also sear them on a grill or with a kitchen torch.

Serve the steak with this amazing Herb Butter or your favorite steak sauce, BBQ sauce or cream sauce.

Organic farming is possible even with a small piece of land.

Bud Light

Bud Light has created a new cologne which will not only make you smell like a man, it also gives you the perfect excuse for showing up reeking of booze. If you are the sort of person who wanted Pizza Hut’s cologne, which was real by the way, you’ll definitely want to put this to use.

Girlfriend: “You’re late, have you been out drinking?”
You: No, I just knew our anniversary was special so I put on Eau de Bud Light.