Haute chicken?

December 31, 2014 by
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Chicken is known as the "safe" protein, something you serve to guests who aren't adventurous eaters. But a growing number of heritage chicken breeders are attempting to change that perception. The Wall Street Journal reports on the trend of U.S. breeders and chefs offering birds that "sing out with flavor."  Chickens in North America didn't used to be the bland… read more

Sleeper books of 2014

December 30, 2014 by
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The year has come and gone, and along with it the rising and falling tides of popular cookbooks, the best of which appear in EYB's awesome comprehensive list.  Every year, there are a few cookbooks that catch my eye but for one reason or another don't make it onto the Big List.  I vow to spend more time with them… read more

Huge America’s Test Kitchen giveaway

December 30, 2014 by
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A bumper giveaway for the end of 2014.  We have several copies of Cook's Illustrated, America's Test Kitchen and Cook's Country books to give away.  To enter you need to add a comment saying which book you would like to win and why.  For your entry to be counted you must add on Rafflecopter that you commented - you can… read more

Citrus brightens dreary winter days

December 29, 2014 by
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Winter's doldrums can settle in after the hustle and bustle of the holidays. Lucky for us the bright and vibrant flavors of citrus start arriving to give us a much-needed jolt of sunny color to our wintry meals. Different citrus varieties come into season at different times, and Food Republic has a handy citrus guide to know when to expect… read more

Lucky food

December 28, 2014 by
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Celebration food is often symbolic, whether due to a religious tradition or a secular one. The start of a new year, representing new beginnings and opportunities, is rife with symbolism in food, much of which is designed to auger wealth and good fortune in the coming months.  Leading the charge in this arena are black-eyed peas, especially in the American… read more

Break out the bubbly

December 27, 2014 by
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Champagne has a long and rich history of being associated with special occasions. Next week, millions of people across the globe will celebrate the arrival of the new year with a toast of champagne or sparkling wine. But if you are in the mood for something a little different, try a champagne-based cocktail instead. First, let's brush up on our… read more

Farm to hospital bed

December 26, 2014 by
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When you think hospital food, you probably envision Jello salads and dry toast. Hospitals don't serve haute cuisine (outside of Hollywood, at least). But while you may never wish for a hospital visit just for the food, a handful of these institutions are stepping up their food game, reports Modern Farmer. The article chronicles the story of chef Justin Johnson,… read more

Christmas leftovers as timekeepers

December 25, 2014 by
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Over the Christmas holiday, you don't need a calendar (or even a clock) to know what time it is. You can tell the time by the leftovers you are eating, and you can use The Guardian's reference for the seven stages of holiday leftovers as a gauge. The guide starts off with Christmas Day, after the main meal: "Despite the… read more

Egg labels explained

December 24, 2014 by
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Some people are lucky enough to know someone who raises chickens and will sell them eggs fresh from their hens. The rest of us must rely on commercial egg producers. Egg cartons from these producers contain plenty of jargon, but many of the friendly-sounding terms don't have any real meaning, explains NPR's The Salt. Their recent article demystifies the various… read more

The best cookbooks of 2014

December 23, 2014 by
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  I think I need to take on an assistant for the Best of the Best list - it keeps getting bigger and bigger.  There are almost 300 lists this year from all around the world.  But from day one of counting the votes, there was only going to be one top book this year - Plenty More by Yotam… read more

Cold hands, hot chocolate

December 23, 2014 by
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Whether you prefer to call it hot chocolate or hot cocoa, few things satisfy the soul on a cold December day as a steaming hot mug full of creamy, chocolately goodness. It's the perfect beverage for family gatherings and holiday parties, as it can be tweaked to suit almost any preference. You can keep it traditional or mix it up with tahini… read more

Risking it all on feast day

December 23, 2014 by
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So I'm trying a completely new recipe for Christmas this year - Andrea Nguyen's Peking duck from her vietworldkitchen.com blog.  That is how I found myself in the kitchen last night inflating two ducks with my exercise ball pump, in preparation for three days of cooling and drying.  I practiced a wide repertoire of outraged quacking noises as I did… read more

Harold McGee, on cans

December 22, 2014 by
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Canned foods are a modern convenience that most of us use frequently. Whether it's canned tuna, tomatoes, or beans, we find it handy to have the pantry stocked with staples. Although we sometimes also keep cans as emergency supplies, we tend to respect the "use by" dates on them. It stands to reason that the quality of canned foods will… read more

Root-ing for the underdog

December 21, 2014 by
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Tonight is the longest night in the Northern Hemisphere. Now that we are in the throes of winter, many of us long for the sunshine and vibrant colors of spring and summer vegetables. But even if we're dreaming of spring, we shouldn't overlook the great foods of fall and winter, like root vegetables. If you are wondering what to do… read more

The best cookbooks of 2014 by the experts

December 21, 2014 by
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Who knows cookbooks better than the owners of specialist cookbook stores? They stock and sell thousands of cookbooks and because their stores are focused on food and drink books, they are true experts.  They read the books, cook from them and then share their knowledge with their customers.  When shopping for cookbook gifts this holiday season, think about supporting your… read more

Hold the mayo

December 20, 2014 by
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You may have seen the news article a few months ago that multinational giant Unilever, maker of Hellman's Mayonnaise, was suing the (very small) producer of Just Mayo, a vegan "mayonnaise." Unilever brought the lawsuit claiming that Just Mayo's label was misleading, and that because it contains no eggs, the product doesn't meet the legal definition of mayonnaise. Yesterday Unilever announced… read more

The only recipe box you need

December 19, 2014 by
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Quaint recipe boxes like the one pictured above used to be commonplace, but these days your recipe box is just as likely to be virtual. Many recipe websites include a "recipe box" feature, but you may not be able to rely on it. For example, if you're a user of Serious Eats, you may have noticed that as of December 10, their recipe box is no… read more

Featured Cookbooks & Recipes

December 18, 2014 by
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Do you find other people's comments on recipes helpful? Have you written your own recipe Notes? It's a great way to remind yourself how a dish turned out and share your experience with the EYB community. On each Recipe Details page you'll find a Notes tab. Adding online recipes to your EYB Bookshelf is a really great way to expand… read more

A stellar year for women in food

December 18, 2014 by
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In 2013, TIME Magazine published an article titled The Gods of Food, which attracted notice for its glaring omission of women. Time took some heat for the article and 2014 began with low expectations for the treatment of women in the food industry. However, The Braiser reports that despite the dismal outlook, the year proved great for women as they dominated the James Beard… read more

Fermented foods continue upward trend

December 17, 2014 by
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Restaurant discovery service Urbanspoon compiles restaurant reviews from various sources including bloggers, food critics, and local diners. After sorting through the data from their app's Popular Dish feature, reviews, comments, and user data, the service has come up with their predictions for 2015's food trends, along with the top cuisines of the current year. The reigning cuisines in the US & Canada… read more

Gil Marks, Jewish food historian, dies at 62

December 16, 2014 by
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                  Gil Marks, a culinary historian who wrote about Jewish food and culture, has died at the age of 62. Marks authored several books on Jewish food and in 2005 won a James Beard Award for his book Olive Trees and Honey: A Treasury of Vegetarian Recipes From Jewish Communities Around the World.… read more

The Cookie Countdown

December 16, 2014 by
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I am, and always have been, a cookie person.  I'm happiest when there's a nearly-full cookie box or jar somewhere in the kitchen, just waiting for me to have an excuse: a story filed, a disagreeable chore completed, or just plain "lunch dessert".  A cookie doesn't make you feel as guilty as a big juicy slab of pie, or a… read more

Tips for perfect sugar cookies

December 15, 2014 by
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If you haven't started your holiday baking yet, there is still time to make plenty of treats. Iced sugar cookies are a classic holiday treat, and they are tons of fun to make and decorate. However, they can be a little fussy and if you're not careful you can end up with misshapen, broken, greasy, or burnt cookies. Don't panic,… read more

Returning the star

December 14, 2014 by
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A Michelin star rating can put a restaurant on the map. It can also put it in a straitjacket, which is why a number of chefs are giving back their stars, says Fortune magazine. Another issue plaguing starred restaurants isn't the constraint placed upon them, but rather that diners have come to expect a certain type of atmosphere. Some avant… read more

Fruitcake’s extended family

December 13, 2014 by
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Fruitcake has gotten a bad rap. What used to be a celebratory cake studded with dried fruit and nuts that was moist and flavorful turned into a caricature of itself, morphing into a products that was overly sweet yet somehow dry, with neon-colored bits that barely resemble anything in the fruit world. No wonder most fruitcakes end up in the… read more
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