Choosing the best heavy-duty kitchen scale

Over at America's Test Kitchen, they've been evaluating heavy-duty kitchen scales. In Heavyweight Champion: The OXO Good Grips 22-lb Food Scale,  they acknowledge that the bigger sibling of their favorite smaller scale takes the prize. As Lisa McManus writes, "It's durable, easy to read, and stores away very neatly since it's flat. With this scale in the ring, other models… read more

Which edition of Joy of Cooking is the best?

Given the number of members who own a copy of Joy of Cooking (well over 3000), we're assuming that this iconic cookbook needs no introduction. Since it was first published in 1931 by Irma Rombauer, assisted by her daugher Marion Becker, there have been eight editions of Joy, and some have been accepted eagerly and some with controversy. Given how… read more

Buying a cookbook, asking the right questions…

So this weekend, I was making a quick visit to Manhattan with my son, and we needed a place to rest our sidewalk-weary feet.  We ended up taking refuge in the Union Sq. Barnes & Noble, as I have done so many times before.  As Noah rode the escalators of the 4-story building, I wondered what the cookbooks section would… read more

The new English diet craze vs. the Mediterranean diet craze

It's always fun when themes develop in the food press because they can provide such interesting contrasts. For example, a few days ago, there was a lot of fuss about a new Spanish study, published in The New England Journal of Medicine, that claimed the Mediterranean Diet dramatically decreases the chance of heart disease. Lost in the clamor, however, were… read more

Five creative cheese tips

Most of us cook with cheese, so tips on managing cheese are always appreciated. Here are five tips from Cook's Illustrated on handling cheese (check out the article for full illustrations): Fit round cheese slices on a square slice of bread by breaking the cheese slices into quarters. Grate and store cheese in one easy step - and keep your… read more

Four beer myths – Is Bud watered down? Does Bud have fewer calories than Guinness? And more…

With St. Patrick's Day approaching, our thoughts are turning to beer. In particular, there has recently been a big fuss about Budweiser beer. A recent lawsuit alleged that Budweiser has been watering down its beer to save money. The suit says that the label on a can of Budweiser alleges a 5% alcohol content, when it is actually 4.7%. But… read more
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