Making the case for pumpkin spice

Wait, wait - don't turn away! Even if you are not someone who lines up for the first day of pumpkin spice lattes at a big chain coffee shop, please listen to Becky Krystal on why you shouldn't discount the ubiquitous flavor of autumn. Over the years the label on this spice blend was foreshortened from 'pumpkin pie spice' to… read more

Food news antipasto

Bobby Flay has been part of Food Network for almost as long as it has been broadcasting, joining the fledgling cable network during its first year on air in 1994. He has been part of some of Food Network's most popular programs, including Iron Chef America, Chopped, Beat Bobby Flay, and others. After 27 years together, however, the celebrity chef… read more

Makan by Elizabeth Haigh withdrawn from publication after controversy

In May's New Cookbook Review, I wrote the following: "Makan: Recipes from the Heart of Singapore by Elizabeth Haigh: The author is a Singaporean-born chef who competed on MasterChef in 2011 and went on to win a Michelin star at the Hackney-based restaurant Pidgin. She has since launched Kaizen House a creative space where chefs and eaters can gather through residencies and other… read more

The Great British Bake Off / Baking Show Recap – Episode 3 – Bread Week

Darcie, Jane and I are back again for another recap. A reminder that narrative not labeled as Darcie or Jane was written or compiled by Jenny. I don't think I have laughed as much during an episode as I did this week. My only regret is that I wish I had thought of taking a shot each time a baker… read more

This week: Cookbook news, EYB features, GBBO recaps, online classes, recipes and more

Earlier this week several social media sites were down for roughly five hours inspiring Darcie to write Things to do when Facebook and Instagram are down. This post was a good reminder of some of EYB's features both old and new. How to Make EYB work better for you is another great reference for our members. Even after working for… read more

Giving thanks in 2021

Canadian Thanksgiving is October 11 and the US holiday follows, landing this year on November 25. As many of us gather again after a year or more with no large get togethers, we have extra reason to be thankful. Thanksgiving also means it is time to gather recipes for family favorites as well as check out new items for this… read more

Jialin Tian – Ph.D. Pastry Chef – Cookbook Giveaway

Back in July (how is it already October?), I wrote about a diamond of a recommendation from Amazon. Lightning does strike twice and thanks to another recommendation I discovered Jialin Tian a few weeks ago. The cover below tempted me to take a deep dive into Jialin's work. I reached out and requested review copies of her books, ordered an… read more

World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2021

After a one-year hiatus due to the pandemic, World's 50 Best has returned and released its list for 2021. Landing in the top spot was René Redzepi’s Noma. That restaurant will now be placed on the 'Best of the Best' list and will no longer be eligible to be named in the top 50 again. Despite efforts toward inclusivity and a… read more

The Modern Preserver’s Kitchen Cookbook Giveaway

Enter our US/UK/AU/NZ giveaway to win one of three copies of The Modern Preserver's Kitchen: Cooking with Your Preserves by Kylee Newton. With over 30 recipes for jams, chutneys, ferments and pickles, and 70 dishes in which to use them, The Modern Preserver's Kitchen is the ideal cookbook for those who want to make the most of each season's offerings.… read more

Things to do when Facebook and Instagram are down

Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp (along with other sites) went down for several hours today, throwing people into a tizzy. My Twitter feed was filled with people either happy or vexed about the outage. Reading that was no fun, so I thought of a few things to do when social media programs are down: Go through your cookbooks and 'I want… read more

Food news antipasto

As the holidays creep closer, people who love to bake are gearing up for their favorite time of the year. Trays of cookies, celebratory cakes like bûche de Noël, and Thanksgiving and Christmas pies all beckon. If you are living in the United States and are looking forward to holiday baking season, you might want to buy your flour now,… read more

The Great British Bake Off / Baking Show Recap – Episode 2 – Biscuit Week

Before we begin our recap of this week's episode, I have a few notes: a member mentioned it took her a long time to find last week's recap. To locate the recaps quickly, I have tagged all 2021 GBBO related posts with #gbbo2021 - so bookmark that link. You can also use "Search this Blog" from the blog page -… read more

The ins and outs of buttermilk

Pancakes, Southern biscuits, cornbread - all benefit from the tangy punch of buttermilk. But not all buttermilks are the same, according to an article from Eater. The dairy product has morphed from its origins as a byproduct of butter making to a cultured product akin to kefir or yogurt. Food historians theorize that buttermilk originated in eastern Europe as animal… read more

The last two weeks: Rice, rice and more rice, EYBD Previews, cookbook giveaways and more

Hello members. We skipped the roundup last week due to the monthly newsletter's publication as we like to keep our emails to our members to a minimum. (And, if truth be told, September's new cookbook review was a bit exhausting and I needed a few days to recover!) If you missed the newsletter in your inbox, you can always find… read more
Seen anything interesting? Let us know & we'll share it!