Would ‘Lockdown 2.0’ be easier?

The Delta variant has thrown us for a loop. It seems that this version of the coronavirus is easier to catch and it can even affect a small portion of people who have been vaccinated. Given the low vaccination rates in some areas, the odds of having another lockdown have increased modestly, if not significantly. If we do have 'Lockdown… read more

The path to better fried foods

A few years ago when I wrote a post about the secrets to better frying, I briefly thought about titling the post 'Fear of frying' but thought the title was too esoteric, as not that many people would get the reference I was making. A couple of days ago, I received an email from The Bittman Project where Mark Bittman… read more

Get a gold medal for snacks

This year's summer Olympics are unlike any other: first they were postponed for a year, then the spread of the Delta variant of the coronavirus meant that fans would not be able to attend in person. Athletes are contending not only with their competitors but also with heat, oddly quiet arenas and playing fields, and cardboard beds (which are much… read more

The Pepper Thai Cookbook – Cook Real Hawaii

Enter our US giveaway to win a copy of The Pepper Thai Cookbook: Family Recipes from Everyone's Favorite Thai Mom by Pepper Teigen and Cook Real Hawai'i by Sheldon Simeon. Two great books that bring some exciting flavors to your table. First, we have The Pepper Thai Cookbook: Family Recipes from Everyone's Favorite Thai Mom by Pepper Teigen (Chrissy’s mom) which is everything I… read more

Cookbook preview for the second half of 2021

We're approaching August at warp speed. August begins the soft opening of Cookbooktober, those magical months through November where cookbooks are released in a frenzy. In February, I shared my preview for January through July and now that seems like years ago! (Full listings of this year's titles can be found on the Cookbook Preview). Please note that I have… read more

How cast iron pans are made

Cast iron cookware has enjoyed renewed popularity of late, with people singing its praises in blogs and magazine articles, and crowd-sourced companies adding 21st century flair and technology to the time-honored craft. The technique of making cast iron is not a secret - it's right there in the name - but have you ever witnessed a foundry at work? It's… read more

July 2021 New Cookbook Review

Believe it or not, book publication dates are still changing from month to month. Shortage of staff, shipping delays and other issues have caused release dates to move back. Several books from July have moved to August or beyond and those months are already packed with releases. I am trying to keep the 2021 Cookbook Preview updated with the changes. If… read more

Food news antipasto

Millions of people watched famed chef Jacques Pépin's short cooking videos during the pandemic. Although I never much paid attention to the clothing he was wearing, Charlotte Reilly of Inside Hook took notice. She added him to her list of the 50 best dressed men over 50. Reilly says she was impressed by "how simply and timelessly Pépin is dressed"… read more

Everything you always wanted to know about vanilla

Vanilla as an adjective is a synonym for boring, but as a flavoring extract it is anything but blah. Why the term 'vanilla' took on such a connotation is an interesting story in itself, but we're here to talk about the actual product, not its colloquial use. Over at Eater, Jamie Feldmar takes a deep dive into vanilla, explaining what… read more

Why you should add tahini to your pantry

When I was growing up in a tiny town in the midst of the US Great Plains, I was not exposed to a wide variety of foods. It wasn't until I left home to attend college that I first experienced items most people would find ordinary, such as avocados, asparagus, and leeks, much less any foods from Asian, African, or… read more

This week: The best of baking intentions, recently indexed books, recipes, EYBD Previews and giveaways

My head is paved with the best of baking intentions. I make plans to tackle a baking project and then the next thing you know "Bazinga!" I am binge watching The Big Bang Theory to avoid said projects. Nine months ago, I traced the circles onto parchment to bake the Honey cake (photo below) from Baking at the 20th Century… read more

July 2021 EYB Cookbook Club Summary

Each month we offer at least four cooking options in our Eat Your Books Cookbook Club. This month we have been cooking from: Main option: Milk Street: Tuesday Nights Mediterranean by Christopher KimballBaking option: Zoë Bakes Cakes by Zoë FrançoisOnline option: Christopher Kimball Online Recipes or Diana Henry Online RecipesVeg option: Vegetable Simple by Eric Ripert For past EYB Cookbook Club summaries, #EYBCookbookClub will pull up an archive of our club’s activities.… read more

The “Cookbook Queen” of Mar Vista is selling her collection

When you have a large collection of cookbooks, determining what to do with them once you are no longer around can be a difficult decision. Some people opt to pare down to the bare minimum when downsizing a house, others make arrangements with libraries or schools to donate their books. Ellin Palmer of Mar Vista, California, is taking a different… read more

The Secret Ingredient Cookbook Giveaway and Author Quick Bites

Enter our worldwide giveaway to win one of two copies of The Secret Ingredient Cookbook: 125 Family-Friendly Recipes with Surprisingly Tasty Twists by Kelly Senyei. The Secret Ingredient Cookbook: 125 Family-Friendly Recipes with Surprisingly Tasty Twists by Kelly Senyei, founder of the food site Just a Taste, has garnered millions of fans with a delicious hook – every one of her recipes… read more

Cooking for Your Kids – Cookbook Giveaway

Enter our US/CA/UK/AU/NZ giveaway to win one of two copies of Cooking for Your Kids: At Home with the World's Greatest Chefs by Joshua David Stein. Ever wondered what chefs cook at home for their fussy toddlers and hard-to-please teenagers? Wonder no more, Phaidon’s Cooking For Your Kids: At Home With The World’s Greatest Chefs has the answer. Learn what chefs… read more

Doing the can-can

Just as the home gardening trend has continued this year, so has the demand for canning supplies. Last year's shortage of canning jar lids spilled over to 2021, and it is still difficult, if not impossible, to find jar lids in the US - at least if you want to buy US made lids. In late 2020, I scoured the… read more

Teatime at Grosvenor Square Cookbook Giveaway

Enter our US giveaway to win one of two copies of Teatime at Grosvenor Square: An Unofficial Cookbook for Fans of Bridgerton - 75 Sinfully Delectable Recipes by Dahlia Clearwater. Teatime at Grosvenor Square brings you 75 recipes inspired by the opulent food of the Bridgerton series from macaron towers to fruit-topped trifles. Now you can create a spread of… read more

Food news antipasto

The Anthony Bourdain documentary titled 'Roadrunner' was released in theaters on July 15 and is getting mixed reviews from critics. Helen Rosner likes it (but is disquieted by the artificial intelligence used to fabricate Bourdain's voice), while Sean Burns says it is more of a petty tell-all than a true portrait of the revered chef. The film explores Bourdain's life,… read more

Who invented the ice cream cone?

When I was a kid, one of my favorite frozen treats was a sundae cone. The combination of crisp waffle cone, cold ice cream, and a tiny chocolate nub at the bottom, was nirvana. To this day, if I am offered one I will not pass it up, despite knowing its calorie, fat, and sugar counts (yowza). The origin story… read more

Lioroooosh: Baking from my Tel Aviv Kitchen

Sometimes Amazon's "you might be interested in" choices are the equivalent of getting a lump of coal in your stocking at Christmas. But then every once in a while those same algorithms hand you a diamond of a recommendation. Lioroooosh: Baking from my Tel Aviv Kitchen by Lior Mashiach was the diamond this week and one look at the cover… read more

This week: A sneak peek at cookbooks from Pati Jinich, Edd Kimber and Hisham Assaad, recently indexed books, recipes, giveaways and EYBD Previews

My fall/autumn cookbook preview is being drafted but I am awaiting more pdfs in order to try to give our members the most information on each title from around the world. Before the end of the month, I will have that published for you along with many EYBD Previews. This week's roundup will give you a look inside Treasures of… read more

The cookbook that helped save a language

Cookbooks are amazing things: they tell stories, share culinary touchstones for cultures, and provide us with instructions on how to make the most fabulous foods. One cookbook goes above and beyond, however. Gastro Obscura shares the story of Valentin Vodnik's 1799 volume, simply called The Cookbook, which helped to save an entire language. Vodnik was a priest on a mission… read more

August 2021 The 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 want to get this information out to you so you… read more

Nigella Lawson announces book mini-tour

Nigella Lawson's Cook, Eat, Repeat: Ingredients, Recipes and Stories was the perfect tome to bring us through lockdown and beyond. When the book came out last fall, an author tour was out of the question, but things have changed since then. Yesterday Nigella announced some exciting news: she will be doing a mini-tour this autumn, and tickets went on sale… read more

To Asia, With Love – Cookbook Giveaway

Enter our US/CA/UK/ giveaway to win one of two copies of To Asia, With Love: Everyday Asian Recipes and Stories from the Heart by Hetty McKinnon; with one additional copy available to members in AU/NZ. Hetty McKinnon has written four cookbooks that are wildly popular with our members - and myself! Her latest is edging up to be my favorite… read more
Seen anything interesting? Let us know & we'll share it!