Hot pot might be older than we think

According to Thrillist, the apocryphal origin story of hot pot is that it was a dish eaten on-the-go in the helmets of Mongolian soldiers, who introduced the concept to the Chinese. Most of us know the hot pot experience from restaurants where pots of steaming broth are served with various meats and vegetables to place in the broth, cooking it… read more

Challenger Breadware & Loaf Story Worldwide Giveaway

Enter our worldwide giveaway to win one of three copies of Loaf Story: A Love Letter to Bread, with Recipes by Tim Hayward with one grand prize winner receiving a Challenger Bread Pan. Loaf Story: A Love Letter to Bread, with Recipes is a food book about bread, not a book on baking bread. It details the role bread plays… read more

Celebrate International Coffee Day

Today is International Coffee Day or as I like to call it, Tuesday, as I celebrate coffee every single day. I can't start the morning without my favorite beverage, hot in cool weather and iced for the steamy days. Coffee is not only a delicious beverage, but it can add a pop of flavor to foods as well. Coffee pairs… read more

Kindle Unlimited Savings in Preparation for Prime Day

All my pleasure reading is done on my Kindle. In March of this year, I signed up for Kindle Unlimited and have read over 230 books with most of them being unlimited titles. With Kindle Unlimited you can borrow up to ten books (from those books in the unlimited library) at a time to read for the normal price of… read more

Bling for your Instant Pot

In just a few years, the Instant Pot and its clones have changed the way millions of people cook. The Instant Pot acts as several small appliances, as the names like 7-in-1 suggest. But even though it is already a multi-tasking unit, you can make it even more useful by purchasing one of the many accessories available to use with… read more

Food news antipasto

Everyone loves lists, and around here we think that lists of cookbooks are the best. Jenny always keeps us up to date with new releases in our monthly cookbook reviews, and she goes above and beyond by creating lists of next year's releases of note and more. Since we just can't get enough of cookbook lists, we like to see… read more

Amboy – Cookbook Giveaway

Enter our US/Canada giveaway to win one of two copies of Amboy: Recipes from the Filipino-American Dream by Alvin Cailan and Alexandra Cuerdo. Amboy: Recipes from the Filipino-American Dream by Alvin Cailan and Alexandra Cuerdo tells the story of Los Angeles’ Eggslut chef’s rise to fame through recipes. Amboy is the nickname his grandmother gave him, a name for an American-born Filipino. Amboy… read more

Cookbook preorder perks and cookbook subscription boxes for Fall and Winter.

Often authors offer special perks for preordering their books and this post will cover a few of those. Also, I wanted to let you know about Hardcover Cook's Fall and Winter cookbook boxes - they are exciting! Peabody Johanson of Sweet Recipeas' first cookbook will be released November 17, 2020. You can check out a preview here . Peabody is… read more

Fresh isn’t always best

I always have at least one bulb of garlic in the pantry, usually more. I also grow herbs like parsley, basil, dill, and thyme. For most recipes, using the fresh version of these items is the best way to go, but that is not true in all cases. Sometimes dried spices and herbs work better, and that is the case… read more

Great British Bake Off – Recap – Week 1 – Cakes

It's back! The Great British Bake Off, 2020, the year of the quarantine has returned to bring us much-needed comfort as only the white tent and bakers can. This year Matt Lucas has replaced Sandi Toksvig as Noel Fielding's sidekick. Matt has a calm demeanor and I like that. He doesn't make me as nervous as Noel does. Not that… read more

We all need a happy hour

I have been fortunate enough to be able to work from home during the pandemic, a luxury not afforded to everyone. I try not to complain about the small problems that go along with this sudden shift from a daily commute and being part of a bustling office to sitting alone in front of a keyboard for most of the… read more

October 2020 Great Big Cookbook Club Roundup

As our members know, each month we offer at least four cooking options in our Eat Your Books Cookbook Club. There are other fun cookbook clubs around the interwebs and we’d like to highlight those for those members who might want to cook or bake something other than our choices. We will try to keep you up-to-date on these clubs’ choices… read more

September 2020 New Cookbook Review

September shares a bounty of beautiful titles and we still have October and November's releases to be excited about. Yet again many books that were slated for this month were moved to October and beyond. So be sure to check the looking forward to 2020 cookbooks post if you are wondering where titles have been shifted to. I continue to update this… read more

Great British Chef’s fascinating Signature Series

Have you ever come across a recipe you would like to try, but you hesitate because the cost of the ingredients is high and you are afraid you might waste the precious food because you aren't sure of the technique? Having the recipe creator at your side to show you the steps to perfecting the dish would be one way… read more

Table for one

Once upon a time, sitting at a table for one might have drawn looks of pity from diners or wait staff, but after 2020, no one will give it a second thought for at least a generation. In fact, a few restaurants are actually going out of their way to accommodate solo dining, none more so that Ett, an Atlanta,… read more

September 2020 Eat Your Books Cookbook Club Summary

Each month we offer at least four cooking options in our Eat Your Books Cookbook Club. This month we’ve been cooking from the following titles: Main Selection:  Amá: A Modern Tex-Mex Kitchen by Josef Centeno and Betty Hallock or Isolation Baking: Recipes from My (Post) Confinement Kitchen by Jamie SchlerBaking Selection: Everyone Can Bake: Simple Recipes to Master & Mix by Dominique AnselOnline Option:  Australian online recipes (or Australian… read more

Do you really need to rinse rice before cooking?

Whether you are a fan of Uncle Roger or not, there is no denying that for some people, washing rice is necessary while others view it as heresy. You might ask 'What does the science say?' and if that is your response, look no further than Nik Sharma's latest article appearing over at Food52, where he tackles this question head-on.… read more

Food news antipasto

Ina Garten's cookbook tour is going virtual. Williams Sonoma announced that it would host the Barefoot Contessa herself in a series of events to celebrate the launch of her latest, Modern Comfort Food. The first event sees Ina chatting with Jennifer Garner on October 20, followed by a talk with Katie Couric on November 17. For both events, fans must get… read more

Pardon me, do you have any Grey Poupon?

The 1980s was a decade of excess. Gravity-defying hairdos paired with neon-colored clothing, and television shows lured us in with dizzying displays of consumption: Ferraris on Miami Vice and Magnum PI, and mansions, jewels, and designer clothing on Dynasty and Dallas. It was a decade of one-upmanship - the fancier, the better. This was reflected in food, too. Commercials like… read more

Inspiration for us all

When you reach an age where you don't want to have all of the candles on your birthday cake, you can think that it's all downhill from here. But this story proves that it is never to late to start something new. A Latrobe, Pennsylvania woman has became a Facebook sensation for her cooking and baking videos at the age… read more

This week: Cookbooktober is in full swing! Kitchen Arts & Letters’ fundraiser. Cookbook previews and giveaways!

Things are ramping up here with the arrival of Cookbooktober (that period from mid August to late November when cookbook releases are plentiful) and we've been busy, busy, busy. We've been indexing upcoming titles, preparing EYBD Previews, and working on loads of great promotions (cookbooks and products) for our members. Next week, we'll be back to our regular recipe features… read more

An iconic cookbook store needs your help

It's no secret that we love independent cookbook stores - not only because they offer a wide selection of our favorite books, but also because they render so many great services. Whether it is author talks, cooking classes, or just insightful recommendations from knowledgeable staff, cookbook stores provide amazing benefits to food lovers. It is also no secret that cookbook… read more

Living Lively by Haile Thomas

Haile Thomas is 19 years old and has accomplished more in her years than most twice her age. At the age of 12, she founded the non-profit HAPPY (Healthy, Active, Positive, Purposeful, Youth) to redefine youth empowerment through holistic education and address the need for free/affordable plant-based nutrition and wellness education in underserved/at-risk communities. At age 16, she was the… read more

Porridge perfection

People in Scotland have just ended the Scottish Food and Drink Fortnight, an annual celebration of the best that Scotland's food and drink sector has to offer. One item that might not be fêted during this event is porridge, a homey staple that usually does not inspire much excitement. Connoisseurs of porridge might disagree with this statement, especially those who participate in… read more

One Tin Bakes by Edd Kimber and Nordic Ware Pan Giveaway

Enter our US giveaway to win one of 3 copies of One Tin Bakes: Sweet and Simple Traybakes, Pies, Bars and Buns by Edd Kimber, and one of three 9 x 13 Nordic Ware baking tins. Being a Great British Bake Off fanatic, I keep track of (stalk) the cookbooks the contestants publish as well as the companion books that… read more
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