Three new cookbook stores, bakers’ gift guide/giveaway, EYBD Previews, recipes and more

We are happy to report the addition of three cookbook stores in the United States to our Directory - Anchovy Book Co. in St. Louis, Missouri; Buffalo New York's Read It & Eat Bookshop (their events and classes schedule are added to our Calendar); and Food Temptress Cookbook Store in Virginia Beach, Virginia whose mission is to connect customers to… read more

Gift Guide for Bakers – 2024 and Giveaway

The holiday season is fast approaching. I wanted to share a gift guide for the bakers in your life of some of the best baking books published this year as well as a few products. In addition, we have a nice giveaway featuring the following items: a Marcato Made in Italy Holiday Cookie Gift Set, an Emile Henry cookie jar,… read more

The time to start preparing for the holidays is now

A hand in a yellow cleaning glove wipes across the face of an oven
The holiday decorations are fully ramped up now that Halloween is past (didn't we used to wait until Thanksgiving?!), so that means we need to start getting ready for those big celebration dinners we will soon be making. Creating a game plan for organizing and cleaning well in advance is vital to having a low-stress event. If you need a… read more

Have you tried an onion boil, the latest TikTok food trend?

Every few months there's a new viral vegetable trend, and the latest is one that will make your eyes water - perhaps literally. It's called an onion boil, although there isn't any actual boiling going on. Many of the videos involve using the air fryer, which is itself an oxymoron because there isn't any real frying. Back to the "boil":… read more

Brown paper bags are a cook’s best friend

Brown paper bags have been associated with food for decades. Before the rise of plastic bags, almost every supermarket and corner store used brown paper bags in the checkout lane. Is it just me or does everyone love the smell of a fresh paper bag? But I digress - these puppies can do so much more than tote home your… read more

Food news antipasto

Netflix just released a new documentary about Martha Stewart, and while the octogenarian was involved in the making of the show, she is not pleased with some of the editorial choices made by the director. Martha thought the first half was good but felt like the latter portion of the program spent too much time on her conviction and jail… read more

Desi Bakes – Cookbook Giveaway

Enter our worldwide giveaway to win one of three copies of Desi Bakes: 85 Recipes Bringing the Best of Indian Flavors to Western-Style Desserts by Hetal Vasavada. Desi Bakes: 85 Recipes Bringing the Best of Indian Flavors to Western-Style Desserts by Hetal Vasavada is one of my favorite baking books this month – in a month full of great baking titles.… read more

Pepperoni rolls get their due

The epicenter of the pepperoni roll, an Appalachian / Rust Belt specialty that has roots in the region's mines, is Fairmont, West Virginia. That is where the roll was created, at least according to lore that surrounds this humble yet delicious creation. Writing for Eater, Danny Palumbo explains the appeal of this workingman's food, and takes us on a tour… read more

The Great British Bake Off/Baking Show – Week 6 – Autumn 2024

More than half way through this season of The Great British Bake Off! This week's theme was "autumn." Signature challenge: Sweet autumnal pie with pastry and a seasonal flavor /produce in 2 hours and 45 minutes. Nelly, my queen, looked beautiful with her autumn inspired headpiece. I loved when she was cutting out her owls and said, "owls live in… read more

A huge cheese heist has experts wondering where it will go

Assorted cheeses on a rustic wooden board
Thefts of food products are not uncommon, so it is not a huge surprise that someone would plan a heist of a commodity like cheese, which happened recently to Neal's Yard Dairy, where over £300,000 worth of cheddar was stolen by swindle. What makes this theft unusual is the quality of the product, which will make it difficult to resell.… read more

The Big Book of Bread – James Morton – Cookbook Giveaway

Enter our worldwide giveaway to win one of three copies of The Big Book of Bread: Recipes and Stories From Around the Globe by James Morton. James Morton is the author of seven books including Super Sourdough (2019) and Brilliant Bread (2013), which won the Guild of Food Writers Cookbook of the Year award in 2014. In 2012, he reached… read more

The foods of Día de Muertos

After tomorrow's Halloween festivities, the Mexican celebration Día de Muertos or Day of the Dead follows, celebrated November 1-2 each year. Day of the Dead celebrations can be traced to the ancient Aztecs, who felt that instead of mourning the deceased, people should celebrate their lives and welcome their spirits back to the land of the living once a year. Common traditions… read more

Don’t throw out that jack o’lantern

Millions of pumpkins are purchased each year for autumn decorations, with the majority carved and displayed at Halloween. After the holiday is over, most of those pumpkins go straight to the landfill. That's a shame, says chef Mike Davies. He encourages us to use those pumpkins to make delicious meals, not only at Halloween but year-round. Baked pumpkin with sun-dried… read more

Food news antipasto

The groundbreaking cocktail book Liquid Intelligence: The Art and Science of the Perfect Cocktail by Dave Arnold turns 10 this year. This book was revered by modern bartenders looking to dive deep into the science of drinks so they could experiment with a solid footing on what each component would add to the mix. There is a revised edition in… read more

The Great British Bake Off/Baking Show – Week 5 – Pastry 2024

It is Pastry Week! Nelly strolled in wearing a beret, sunglasses and enough gold jewelry that even from the grave, Joan Rivers would be impressed. She's my girl. Signature Challenge: 12 frangipane tarts with pastry, frangipane filling and one additional element. (We have 670 online recipes for various frangipane tarts in our Library.) Illiyin and Dylan both had to remake… read more

October 2024 New Cookbook Review

October brings the motherload of new cookbooks - over 165 titles - for us to consider adding to our treasured collections. You can keep track of what is coming in November and December with our 2024 Cookbook Preview and don’t forget that you can create a wishlist and share it with your loved ones. Our 2025 Cookbook Preview Post is live and will be… read more

Is the term ‘food writer’ a valid description?

I subscribe to a variety of culinary websites, including Christopher Kimball's Milk Street. In his most recent Milk Street email, Kimball staked out a controversial position on food writers, saying that "[t]he entire notion of being a “food writer” is suspect, since it should be no different than being a writer," amidst a rant about the state of modern food… read more

Is blind baking necessary?

If you have watched The Great British Bake Off or The Great American Baking Show, you know the dreaded words that a baker never wants to hear: you have a soggy bottom. To avoid this fate and ensure a crisp pastry crust on your baked goods, blind baking is the way to go. However, it can be intimidating and time… read more

The Cake Bible – 35th Anniversary Edition – Giveaway

Enter our US/Canada giveaway to win one of two copies of The Cake Bible, 35th Anniversary Edition by Rose Levy Beranbaum and Woody Wolston. Right now on Amazon, buy one book get one at 50 percent off - including this title - type in cookbooks in search qualifying items box! Events are scheduled to promote this book and are available on our… read more

Revising a ‘bible’ – heresy or heavenly?

Rose Levy Beranbaum's The Cake Bible, 35th Anniversary Edition arrived on my doorstep a few days ago. My well worn original edition frequently gets pulled off the shelf for reference, so I was excited to see the updated version. I was a little nervous, however, because often the sequel to a hit is disappointing, and I worried that an attempt… read more

October 2024 EYB Cookbook Club Summary

Each month we previously offered at least four cooking options in our Eat Your Books Cookbook Club. This summer we cooked our favorite recipe from any cookbook, magazine, blog or online option and had a huge increase in participation. We decided to do a poll in the group asking if Members wished to continue with the “anything goes” posting or choose… read more

Food news antipasto

The tenth annual Smithsonian food history gala was held in Washington, DC on Thursday, with Chez Panisse founder Alice Waters receiving the Julia Child Award for her contributions to the culinary world. Star chefs like José Andrés and Jacques Pépin attended the event along with food writers and other industry professionals including all nine previous Julia Child Award winners. Waters… read more

The Great British Bake Off/Baking Show – Week 4 – Caramel 2024

Last week John was defeated by bread and left the tent. Caramel was the theme for week four. There were fails and successes all around and many bakers were repeating the caramel process because of difficulties. Signature: 12 caramel biscuits in 2 1/2 hours Jenny: Andy and Nelly need their own show. They make me smile. I loved when Andy… read more

The Cake Bible, Crumbs and author events, EYBD Previews, recipes and more

The temperatures are dropping here in Colorado and there is a crispness to the air that I look forward to every year. Cooler temperatures mean more baking (and roasting, braising and using the oven). Just in time for this season, I want to tell you about a few more amazing baking books that you will need to add to your… read more

It’s time to start aging your eggnog (plus other holiday food prep)

Not only have stores' Halloween decorations been consolidated to make way for tinsel, lights, wrapping paper, and Christmas trees, but there are also other signs that the holidays are fast approaching. With only 68 days to go before Christmas, 67 until the beginning of Hanukkah, and 69 until the start of Kwanzaa, the clock is ticking for us to get… read more
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