Community cookbooks make a comeback

Even if most people do not own a large cookbook collection, chances are good that they have a slim volume of local recipes published by area churches, clubs, or school groups. The Junior League books of the American South may be the most recognized of these collection of community recipes. In my own cookbook collection I have volumes from hometown… read more

Paul Hollywood’s new show

Paul Hollywood's steely blue eyes and signature handshake have been fixtures of the GBBO since its inception. Now the baker turned TV host has a new show being broadcast in the UK. Produced by Channel 4, the program is called Paul Hollywood Eats Japan. The going got a little rough for Hollywood in this production, as he made several cultural… read more

100 Techniques – Cookbook Giveaway

Enter our US giveaway to win one of three copies of 100 Techniques: Master a Lifetime of Cooking Skills, from Basic to Bucket List by America's Test Kitchen Editors This is America's Test Kitchen's first book devoted to technique and features 100 innovative techniques, paired with more than 200 innovative recipes that put the techniques into home-kitchen applications. Now is… read more

Isolation Baking by Jamie Schler

Jamie Schler, the author of Orange Appeal: Savory & Sweet (review), owns the Hôtel Diderot in France where she churns out delicious dishes for her family and guests. As with many in the travel and other non-essential businesses, things have been rough during this time but that hasn't stopped her from cooking and baking and sharing those dishes on her social media… read more

Yesteryear’s recipes viewed with a new perspective

Entire websites and social media streams are dedicated to poking fun at recipes from the 1950s, 60s, and 70s. It can be difficult not to chuckle when you see Spaghetti-Os and hot dogs molded with gelatin to form a ring. Many people have opined on why neon-hued gelatin salads and recipes such as casseroles featuring canned and boxed goods became… read more

Barnes & Noble to quit selling magazines

Barnes & Noble, the last standing brick-and-mortar large chain bookstore, recently closed over 500 of its 600 retail stores. Now they have announced that they won't be buying any new magazines and will stop carrying them altogether. This move will undoubtedly hit small publishers and niche publications the hardest. Retailers like Target and Walmart that have been allowed to stay… read more

Food news antipasto

There is hardly a news article that doesn't mention the coronavirus pandemic, even in the world of food. Most are informational, some are alarming, and a few are uplifting. We'll start this week's review with one of the uplifting stories. An elderly woman with Alzheimer's was saddened because she couldn't go grocery shopping, one of her favorite activities. So her… read more

April 2020 New Cookbook Review

Just a short month ago, the pandemic was around-the-clock news and today it remains the same. COVID-19 has stopped the presses, literally. Typically, April is the third-largest month for cookbook releases. Many titles that would be in our review below were shelved until September or October mainly in the effort to allow the authors to tour to promote those titles.… read more

Striking the balance

For those of us who worked outside the home, lockdown has completely changed the dynamics of eating. My husband and I normally ate the evening meal together, but lunch was a different story, as we were separated by nearly 50 miles during weekdays. While we share some tastes, there are many dishes that I like which he doesn't care to… read more

Restaurants face an uncertain future

Restaurants remain shuttered in most of the world, and many have already announced that they will not reopen. Some are riding out the closure by making meals for first responders and medical personnel, many have switched to takeout, and others are feeding the needy with the help of nonprofits. However, most remain in limbo, with owners wondering how they will… read more

This week: Crumbles, crisps, cobblers, Brown Betty and buckles, recipes, Ottolenghi virtual event 4/26, cookbook previews and giveaways

This week's Spring Baking Championship (Food Network) episode covered crumbles, crisps, cobblers, Brown Bettys, and buckles oh my! I may think I'm savvy enough to know the difference between these desserts but I'd be wrong. Thinking our members might be in the same denial about what makes a crisp a crisp or a buckle a buckle, I did some research.… read more

April 2020 EYB Cookbook Club Summary

We have a helpful community here at Eat Your Books that has flowed into our Eat Your Books Cookbook Club where we share our successes and fails in cooking and baking from specific cookbook titles. This month we’ve been cooking from the following titles: Main Selection: Greenfeast: Spring, Summer or Greenfeast: Autumn, Winter by Nigel SlaterBaking Selection: Midwest Made: Big, Bold Baking from the Heartland by Shauna SeverOnline… read more

Wacky cake makes a comeback

Page through any church cookbook from the 1930s onward and you will likely find a baked good called "wacky cake" or "Depression cake". This treat was born out of the need to make something special for dessert that didn't use eggs or butter, items that were difficult to obtain both during the Depression and World War II. Now that we… read more

The Irish Cookbook

Enter to win one of two copies of The Irish Cookbook by Jp McMahon. Open to US/UK/AU/CA members. Ireland's remarkably rich food heritage dates back to 8000 BC and, in The Irish Cookbook, acclaimed chef Jp McMahon captures its unique culinary origins and varied influences. Irish food is the summation of what the land and sea give; the book's 500… read more

Online grocery shopping can be…interesting

Even before the pandemic hit, grocery stores were implementing online ordering and delivery services. These features became essential almost overnight, but the process is not always seamless. Substitutions can sometimes leave customers scratching their heads in puzzlement, it is a guessing game as to which items will be in stock, and online pickup often comes with a few hiccups. Determining… read more

Can’t find it? DIY it

While store shelves are slowly getting back to normal, there are still issues with supply lines, meaning empty spaces for many products. Stay at home orders as well as voluntary social distancing also means you can't pop out for that missing ingredient for a recipe. If you are passing over recipes because you can't find an ingredient, there is a… read more

Cooking burnout: have you hit the wall?

Many of my like-minded food loving friends have recently confessed that they have become tired of cooking. Some say they don't want to have to think about what recipe to try next, others are worn down by the physical act of cooking three meals a day for a large family, and a few are tired of doing so.many.dishes. Judging from… read more

Food news antipasto

A few months ago we reported on a new Julia Child documentary from the group that brought us the RBG biopic. We've learned that the film now has a distributor, and is set to be released in 2021. Sony Pictures Classics has acquired worldwide rights to the documentary produced by Betsy West, Julie Cohen and Imagine Documentaries’ Justin Wilkes and… read more

Family Meal – Digital Cookbook to Benefit Restaurant Workers

On May 5, Penguin Random House will publish Family Meal: Recipes from Our Community, a digital-only collection featuring more than 40 recipes from our roster of chefs and home cooks. 100% of the proceeds will benefit the Restaurant Workers’ Covid-19 Emergency Relief Fund, which supports on-the-ground efforts in the restaurant community during this challenging time. From Ligurian Focaccia to Shrimp… read more

A kitchen of grandmothers

Nobody cooks like a grandmother. There's something about the love that shines through the food that is nearly irreplaceable. Wouldn't it be great to experience that expression of love through cooking from many different grandmothers? At NYC's Enoteca Maria, proprietor Joe Scaravella aims to do just that. Feeling the loss of his mother and grandmother, he opened his Italian restaurant… read more

The best food shows to stream right now

Since the vast majority of us won't be going to movies, plays, restaurants, or other entertainment venues this weekend, we will likely keep ourselves entertained by streaming our favorite programs. If you have run out of shows in your queue, this post may help you find new things to watch. Up first are the best food shows and films in… read more

This week: Banana bread and other quick bread recipes, Mother’s Day gift ideas, cookbook previews and giveaways

When the pandemic took a foothold, bread was kneaded by home bakers that had never kneaded before. This week seems to indicate that we have entered the phase of all things banana bread. In our EYB Cookbook Club, members are sharing photos of Shauna Sever's The only banana bread you'll ever need (photo below) from her title Midwest Made. The… read more

GBBO winner Nadiya Hussain lands her own Netflix program

Although I have love for almost every contestant to grace the GBBO tent, one of my favorites is Nadiya Hussain. Since winning the 2015 title, Nadiya has written seven successful cookbooks, and now she can add another impressive item to her list of accomplishments. Netflix has announced that Nadiya is getting her own show, called Nadiya’s Time to Eat. The… read more

Beautiful things that bring me joy, Part II (Gift guide)

On March 29th I shared Canelés, friands, baking cookbooks and things that bring me joy – Part I and today I will bring you part two. These two posts are perfect places to find inspiration for Mother's Day. I adore Ruffoni. Once a year I treat myself to a piece and for Valentine's Day I gifted myself the Ruffoni Historia… read more

No oven, no problem

Like a lot of people, I embarked on a stress-baking bonanza these past few weeks. Now as the flour supply starts to look less robust and as the stronger southern sun streaming into my kitchen makes it too hot to turn on the oven, my baking frenzy has slowed dramatically. I still want to have sweet treats, however, which poses… read more
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