This week: Japanese cuisine, recipes, cookbook giveaways, EYBD previews and more!

As I have mentioned before, I have been finding joy in watching YouTube videos that involve cooking. One channel that I love is Nami, a single female Japanese office worker documenting her lifestyle via vlog. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yC9sZxHV_oo A majority of her videos demonstrate what she cooks in her small Tokyo apartment. She creates multi-coursed meals that look incredible. I would kill… read more

A man on a mission to save apples

Every year in early October I usually post an article about apples that highlights the various ways you can use the fruit in cooking and baking. This year apple season (for the blog, anyway) comes much earlier, because I just read a fascinating article about Tom Brown, a man on a quest to rescue 'lost' varieties of apples. Even if… read more

Don’t sweat your lack of knife skills

Step into almost any restaurant kitchen and you will see chefs and cooks wielding knives in an impressive display of finesse and skill. I witnessed this firsthand years ago when I staged at a high-end restaurant in a small city. I was tasked with finely chopping parsley to be used as a sprinkled garnish (don't laugh, everyone was doing that… read more

Home Farm Cooking – Cookbook Giveaway

Enter our US/UK/AU/CA giveaway to win a copy of Home Farm Cooking by John and Catherine Pawson. Acclaimed British architect and designer John Pawson teamed up with Annie Bell for his first cookbook Living and Eating. Pawson applied his minimalist simplicity to the recipes in that title which became a coveted cult classic and demands three figures in price. Now… read more

Australia Cookbook Giveaway

Enter our US/UK/AU/CA giveaway to win a copy of Australia: The Cookbook by Ross Dobson. From our April 27th post on Australian news Roberta wrote: "Is there such a thing as Australian cuisine? It’s been a question we’ve grappled with for a long time. As an ancient land with a recent modern history that combines a cultural melting pot from… read more

Chefs share their family kitchen secrets

Ayubi Family at Parwana (photo by Alicia Taylor)
Many, if not most, of the world's chefs started out their culinary career in their home kitchens, learning the ins and outs of their regional cuisine from their parents or grandparents (most often women). Just like the rest of us, they still keep their family kitchen tips close, sometimes even bringing them into their restaurants. Gourmet Traveller recently polled nine… read more

Sumac – Cookbook Giveaway

Enter our US/UK/AU giveaway to win one of four copies of Sumac: Recipes and Stories from Syria by Anas Atassi. Sumac includes over 90 recipes inspired by Atassi’s family recipes and travels, as well as the stories, celebrations and memories of loved ones in Syria that inspired the recipes. It includes the wonderful Friday breakfasts he’d eat in his grandmother’s garden, his… read more

Food news antipasto

The croissant is one of France's most easily identifiable pastries. The flaky crescents are adored and emulated around the globe. Many chefs have made mashups of the butter-laden treats and other well known pastries, resulting in the Cronut and the Cruffin. The Ritz Paris' renowned pastry chef François Perret has a new way to put a spin on the beloved… read more

Learn what Alice Waters eats in a week

Whenever I browse through a great cookbook, I wonder if the delicious dishes in its pages are what the author actually eats on a day-to-day basis. Try as I might to always make a delicious meal and to eat seasonally and locally, I often resort to pizza or something quick from the pantry that is less than stellar because I… read more

Cooking with Marilyn Monroe (or at least her cookbooks)

If you have a spare $50,000 to $75,000 lying around, you can own a piece of history. Two cookbooks owned by Marilyn Monroe are going up for auction on June 22nd. The cookbooks are: The New Fannie Farmer Boston Cooking School Cook Book and The New Joy of Cooking were both published in the early 1950s and said to be… read more

The last two weeks: The dangers or benefits of working on the Library, cookbook giveaways and EYBD Previews, recipes and more!

Some of you may recall My Big Fat Cookbook Purge of 2021 initiative that I began when I was younger and full of hope (in March). Some recent issues have hindered my ability to lift or do manual labor which has slowed down the progress of my efforts. My goal is to still knock down some of the mountains of… read more

Quick Bites: Dianne Jacob

Dianne Jacob coaches food writers and bloggers on how to get a cookbook published and how to improve the quality and effectiveness of their writing. She specializes in book proposals, which have a 1 percent acceptance rate. Dianne is the author of a multiple award-winning book on food writing, Will Write for Food: Pursue Your Passion and Bring Home the Dough Writing… read more

Pastry Arts offers free virtual summit

Pastry Arts magazine is a multimedia platform that aims to inspire, educate and connect the pastry community an informational conduit spotlighting the trade and giving a voice to hardworking pastry and baking professionals. In addition to its website, Pastry Arts has an active Facebook group featuring posts from industry professionals and hobbyists alike. Last year, Pastry Arts offered a free… read more

Toni Tipton-Martin wins Julia Child Award

Award-winning food writer and cookbook author Toni Tipton-Martin can add another feather to her cap, as the Julia Child Foundation announced that Tipton-Martin is the winner of its 7th annual Julia Child Award. She joins a star-studded roster of winners that includes Jacques Pépin, José Andrés, Susan Feniger, and Mary Sue Milliken. In 1991, Tipton-Martin became the first African American… read more

The Farmer’s Daughter Bakes Cookbook and The Knotty Dane Rolling Pin and Egg Holder Giveaway

Enter our US giveaway to win one of two copies of The Farmer's Daughter Bakes: Cakes, Pies, Crisps and More for Every Fruit on the Farm by Kelsey Siemens with one grand prize winner receiving a beautiful 6 egg holder and pastry rolling pin from The Knotty Dane. Kelsey Siemens is the author of the blog The Farmer's Daughter where… read more

News from Australia and New Zealand

Truffle Kerfuffle - Truffle Dog Demonstration
If you’re in the west, it’s time to book your tickets for Truffle Kerfuffle (25-27 June) … and if you’re on the east coast, there’s still time to make travel plans (subject to COVID19 restrictions)! You don’t want to miss this aromatic celebration of winter’s favourite crop, fresh Australian-grown Périgord truffles! Whether you join in the fun of a truffle… read more

Tooling about in the kitchen

On Sunday as I was rearranging the stash of fabric that seems to multiply in our craft room, I listened to a rebroadcast of The Splendid Table that featured various guests talking about their favorite kitchen tools. The guests included Tim Hayward, knife maker Quintin Middleton, and Ruth Ades-Laurent, daughter of the legendary Joseph Ades AKA The Gentleman Peeler, a… read more

Food news antipasto

empty wineglasses on a tray
For over 70 years, The Good Food Guide has reviewed the best restaurants, pubs and cafés across the UK. From 1951 until 2020, the guide was completely rewritten and compiled from scratch each year. Last May Waitrose announced that it would not publish the 2021 edition due to the pandemic, but vowed to return in a year's time. However, we… read more

Vietnamese: Simple Vietnamese Food to Cook at Home Cookbook Giveaway

Enter our US/UK/AU/NZ giveaway to win one of three copies of Vietnamese: Simple Vietnamese Food to Cook at Home by Uyen Luu. Uyen Luu is a writer, cook, photographer, food andprop stylist and cookbook author. She holds supper clubs and cooking classes in her studio with Vietnamese menus and also does a monthly takeaway. Her first cookbook My Vietnamese Kitchen… read more

Grill your greens

As many of us kick off our summer with a long holiday weekend, we will be firing up our grills to make burgers, ribs, hot dogs, and more. Vegetables will get their turn over the coals, too. One class of vegetables that is often overlooked when grilling is greens, although you should consider adding lettuce and other greens to your… read more

The challenges of being an ethical shopper

It is not surprising that online food sales skyrocketed during the pandemic. While COVID-19 restrictions changed how people shopped for food, other considerations also played into the shift. In an effort to combat food waste and know more about the origins of their foods, people subscribed to services such as meal kit providers, "ugly" produce purveyors, and boutique "farm to… read more

May 2021 EYB 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 Option: Simply Julia: 110 Easy Recipes for Healthy Comfort Food by Julia Turshen or Nigella Express: 130 Recipes for Good Food, Fast by Nigella LawsonBaking Option: Sweet by Ottolenghi and Helen Goh or BraveTart: Iconic American Desserts by Stella ParksOnline Option: Any online… read more

Potlucks and picnics

With ever-increasing numbers of people becoming vaccinated and gathering restrictions loosening in many areas, people are getting together for the first time in what seems like ages. Since this coincides with the weather becoming warmer here, that means a lot of outdoor potlucks and picnics. I was just invited to a cookout in a colleague's backyard this week, and I… read more

May 2021 New Cookbook Review

We have almost made it through half of 2021. I was talking with a publicist recently and we were discussing with amazement about the power of the cookbook buying public. We weren't sure if we are just busier because publishing is booming or if working from home enables us to work longer. I, myself, have never had a commute while… read more

News from Australia and New Zealand

Daawat – Fundraiser for India
In Melbourne on 6 June? Feast with some of the city’s leading hospitality folk and help a great cause. Daawat – Fundraiser for India, hosted by the legendary Tony Tan and Melbourne Food and Wine Festival creative director Pat Nourse, sees leading chefs preparing a 3-course lunch on Sunday 6 June with all proceeds going to aid India as it… read more
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