The Toasted Almond Bar isn’t the only piece of iconic junk food under the microscope today. Following last month’s death of Morrie Yohai (inventor of Cheez Doodles), the Times tells us everything we ever wanted to know about cheese-dusted corn puffs. Relevant trivia: 1,200 pounds of Cheese Curls are manufactured each hour; Cheetos (which debuted in 1948, almost two decades before Cheez Doodles) generate about $4 billion in annual retail sales; and 15 million pounds of Cheez Doodles are produced annually. One last stat (220 doodles are produced per second!) comes from Serious Eats, which links to a Food Network Unwrapped video of how Cheez Doodles are made. Meanwhile, underground grilled-cheese pusher Ronnie went on the Today show (take that, Dr. Claw!) to reveal how his grilled cheeses are made (and to further taunt the Health Department). They’re wrapped in foil and put in the oven at 500 degrees. And finally, some news from a more established purveyor: Murray’s tells us it has merged its cheese-and-salami stands in Grand Central Market to create a 1,000-square-foot flagship store.
Cheese Whatevers, City Has Them by the Handful [NYT]
Video: How Cheez Doodles Are Made [Serious Eats]
Secret Grilled Cheese Maker Appears on the ‘Today Show’ Shrouded in Mystery [Feast]
