Mobile version of Eat Your Books

June 30, 2012 by
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  We are delighted to announce our new mobile phone version. It's so simple to use - next time you access Eat Your Books on your phone, the mobile version will automatically load in a readable format. The mobile version makes it easier to access your book and recipe search results when you're out and about. We will continue to… read more

When mold on food is OK

June 29, 2012 by
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We all have had that disconcerting moment - there's a bit of mold on a food item that, ordinarily, we'd be reluctant to toss. What to do...? In this article on the HuffPost, 4 Moldy Foods You Can Eat (Plus Which Foods to Toss), EatingWell gives some useful advice - we found it both interesting and ironic that you can keep… read more

Remembering Nora Ephron

June 28, 2012 by
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Nora Ephron's death reminded us of the pleasure that she brought with such movies as Julie and Julie, Sleepless in Seattle, and You've Got Mail. And, of course, if for nothing else we'll remember her for teaching us how to make great vinaigrette in Heartburn. In this interview at Epicurious she talks about childhood dishes, favorite cookbooks, and food. And the Huffington Post… read more

Food52’s final list of 10 essential cookbooks

June 27, 2012 by
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A few weeks ago we posted a blog noting that Food52 had put out a call to all their readers for a list of their 10 essential cookbooks. The contest has ended and Food 52 just posted the finals. Any - or all! - of these would make a great gift for a graduate or new married couple. And remember… read more

Popular vs. timeless

June 26, 2012 by
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Just because it's fun to check in with the rest of the world from time to time, here's the 5 best-selling cookbooks on Amazon today.  (I'll just list the titles, on the principle that sometimes it's OK to judge a book by its cover.) The Skinny Rules: The Simple, Nonnegotiable Principles for Getting to Thin Wheat Belly: Lose the Wheat,… read more

Is there too much sanctimony in today’s food writing?

June 26, 2012 by
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Stephen Budiansky in The Wall Street Journal has a thought-provoking article about today's food writing. Among the disturbing traits he notices is the use of the word "preferably," as in "1 teaspoon paprika, preferably sweet Spanish pimentón dulce"  -  a sure sign of pretentiousness. And there's the hectoring that accompanies too many recipes, "½ cup brown sugar, preferably fair-trade organic."… read more

Making crème fraîche at home

June 25, 2012 by
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Food52 has a nice lesson in making crème fraîche at home, using 1 cup of pasteurized heavy cream and 2 tablespoons buttermilk. It only takes a day to thicken and then will be available for up to two weeks in the refrigerator. Check out the recipe here. The only drawback may be that the recipe leaves you with a good supply of… read more

5 kitchen things I can’t do without

June 24, 2012 by
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Each of us has a different approach to kitchen equipment.  Some of us--whether because we're just starting out as cooks, or we live alone, or because we're minimalists or purists--have a fairly austere selection: a couple of good knives of different sizes, cutting board, measuring tools,  a few good pots. The rest of us tend to accumulate.  Some of us love… read more

How lunch earned its urban status

June 24, 2012 by
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Does anyone else remember an old movie with Cary Grant and Doris Day called That Touch of Mink? In it, Doris works in an automat, a restaurant format which was nearing its end about the time of the movie (early 60's). Just put a nickel or dime or quarter in a slot, open a door and there was a piece… read more

The latest food crazes

June 22, 2012 by
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One of the joys of being part of the EYB community is the ability to stay on top of the latest food crazes and making a game of guessing just how lasting they may be. After all (at the risk of showing our age) we remember when extra virgin olive oil and real Parmigiano Reggiano were considered off-the-wall items. And… read more

Four fresh corn tips

June 21, 2012 by
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We have four fresh corn tips today. The first, from the Washington Post, gives a solution to the husking/silk issue. Microwave, cut the husk end off, and shake the corn out of the husk, leaving behind the silk. The tip comes complete with a You Tube video demonstrating the process. And - as an added bonus - according to some… read more

Adrienne Kane

June 20, 2012 by
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After my recent run-ins with pie recipes that didn't work, it was a relief and a joy to work with Adrienne Kane's United States of Pie. As I read it, I found myself wondering where Kane found so many obscure and interesting pies. So I was interested to read her piece for this week's newsletter, which chronicles her misadventures working with… read more

Celebrating the extinction of cookbooks

June 20, 2012 by
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Over at Slate, L.V. Anderson has stirred up a lot of controversy with a provocative essay on why she's OK with the extinction of cookbooks. In her article, The Future of Cookbooks: They'll Go Extinct. And That's OK she makes claim to a number of controversial statements. Among these are: the primary reason people buy cookbooks is to give them as… read more

Best cookbook lists from Cooking Light

June 20, 2012 by
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Cooking Light has a thought-provoking new series going on, gathered under the name The Cookbook Awards. Starting last November, each month they've been announcing the best cookbooks of the last 25 years in 15 categories. The series ends in May 2013. The most recent collection is American, here's the full list:   General Baking Healthy Asian French Latin American American… read more

How to avoid ever buying a rotten avocado

June 19, 2012 by
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Our friends over at theKitchn have a great tip for anyone who's ever held their breath opening an avocado. Since avocados brown so fast after opening, they need to be opened pretty much right before using. But then what to do if the avocado is a brown mess inside rather than the welcoming green that means creamy deliciousness? Not only… read more

Teen and “student” cookbooks: really necessary?

June 18, 2012 by
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Summer's just about upon us, and even the latest high school and college graduations are finishing up.  Each year, I wonder: how many of those new graduates are getting cookbooks as presents?  And how many of those cookbooks have names like "Clueless in the Kitchen" or "Teen Cuisine" or "Teens Cook" or "Awesome Recipes for Teen Chefs" or "Where's Mom… read more

Are garlic presses evil?

June 18, 2012 by
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In the world of elite cooking there is a conception that garlic presses are evil. A press supposedly crushes the garlic to mush, while using a knife keeps the garlic edges even and sharp, allowing for full flavor to come out. But over at America's Test Kitchen (aka Cook's Illustrated), they not only only disagree, but argue that a good… read more

Why Yelp can’t be trusted

June 17, 2012 by
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Epicurious reported recently on a growing problem with Yelp, the consumer rating site. As they reported, "a small minority of Yelp reviewers have been abusing the system, threatening places with bad reviews unless they get freebies and assorted perks (or, though it's not mentioned in the article, that restaurateurs are flooding Yelp with positive reviews they or their friends write… read more

Roasted Tomatoes for the Pantry

June 15, 2012 by
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Serious Eats has a great idea to plan for an abundant tomato harvest. As they say: "This method involves snatching up pounds of gorgeous summer tomatoes and giving them a low and slow roast with garlic, herbs, and olive oil. This slow cooking method concentrates all of that great tomato flavor, making them perfect for freezing and breaking out during… read more

Tomato growing styles are highly revealing

June 14, 2012 by
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The Washington Post has an amusing slide show illustrating various ways to support tomato plants and pointing out the personality types that each matches. Plus there are some good tips about techniques and types of tomatoes each approach requires. So meet the Innocent, the Gardener (who lies awake at night wondering if she missed a sucker), the Perfectionist, the Farmer,… read more

Call for 10 essential cookbooks and a giveaway

June 13, 2012 by
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Our friends at Food52 have an interesting challenge on their site -- one that's right up our members' alley. As they describe it: "Every home cook has their cookbooks: the ones front and center on their shelf, the ones they turn to advice, for courage, for inspiration. We want to hear yours. Leave your 10 essential cookbooks in the comments section of… read more

The family meal at “the best restaurant in the world”

June 12, 2012 by
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We recently discovered a fascinating video made by Danish photographer and filmmaker Simon Ladefoged. He went behind the scenes to film the  staff or "family" 5:00 meal at Noma, a Michelin two-star Copenhagen restaurant that Restaurant Magazine rated "the best restaurant in the world." The meal has a simple goal - merely to fuel, energize, and satisfy an intensely knowledgable… read more

Pesto bliss

June 12, 2012 by
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The New York Times recently profiled the owners of Buddhapesto - an artisanal company in New York's Hudson River Valley that has perfected a pesto inspiring intense devotion, selling out the 3,000 containers the owner makes a month using just home food processors. As well as the interesting profile of the woman who has devoted years to perfecting basil (and… read more

Slicing 15 cherry tomatoes in half at the same time

June 11, 2012 by
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We love cherry and grape tomatoes. But let's face it, it can be a bit laborious to slice each one in half -- an imperative step for maximizing their surface exposure to dressing, etc. So we were very impressed by this easy tip from the big girls small kitchen blog that shows how to slice 15  cherry tomatoes all at… read more

Pops: Cake or Ice?

June 11, 2012 by
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As long as I could remember, "pops" were something you bought off a truck--some kind of unnaturally-colored ice on a stick you didn't know whether to lick or bite, but ate anyway after a swim on a hot day. Then, I married into a Midwestern family and got used to hearing "pop" in places where I was used to hearing… read more
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