Putting a lid on it

August 18, 2023 by
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Kitchen storage is a source of endless fascination and often frustration for people who love to cook. Most of us are not blessed with enormous kitchens that have bespoke cabinets to house anything and everything imaginable, nor do we have picture-perfect cookware or bakeware sets where all the pieces conveniently stack or fit together like Russian nesting dolls. The vast… read more

All about induction

August 16, 2023 by
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My first exposure to induction cooking occurred way back in 1995. The company I worked for at the time had previously ventured into selling appliances but rather quickly decided it was not a good fit for its business model. A few odds and ends remained on a clearance rack in one of the company's retail stores, and among those was… read more

Echoes of kitchens past

August 16, 2023 by
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The Roma tomatoes in my garden are going gangbusters right now, despite highly variable weather this summer. The bounty led to an early canning session that resulted in six pints of whole tomatoes. As I prepared the tomatoes by coring, scalding, and peeling, my mind's eye flashed back several decades to the times when I "helped" my grandmother with her… read more

Food news antipasto

August 13, 2023 by
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How old is too old to bake? Minnesota's Marjorie Johnson believes there is no upper age limit, because the spry 104-year-old is busy baking up a storm. She will be entering baked goods into the Minnesota State Fair later this month, something she has been doing since the 1970s. She has racked up scores of blue ribbons and hopes to… read more

Debunking the myth of a ‘national’ dish

August 12, 2023 by
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Occasionally we post an article about the (often dubious) origin stories that go hand-in-hand with a particular region or country. One example is the story of pavlova, in which two countries - Australia and New Zealand - both claim ownership of the dish. James Beard award winner Anya von Bremzen looks at origin stories like this in her latest book, National… read more

Do you make the ‘orphan recipes’ in cookbooks?

August 11, 2023 by
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A white book opened to see the blank inside pages, on a white background
Food writer Bee Wilson recently posed a question to readers on her blog, asking if they were more or less likely to make a recipe in a cookbook where some recipes have photos and others do not. She called these 'orphan recipes' and feels that they are overlooked by most people because they lack an accompanying image. Wilson thinks she… read more

IACP 2023 Award Finalists

August 9, 2023 by
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The nominees for the 2023 IACP Cookbook and Media Awards prove that there remain deep reservoirs of culinary knowledge, cultural heritage, and cooking, baking, and drinks techniques to explore. The books cover wide-ranging subject matter and cultures and the nominees in the American category showcase the diversity of flavors found in this country: Korean American: Food that Tastes Like Home by Eric Kim… read more

Does this settle the scone debates?

August 8, 2023 by
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Scones have been an integral part of afternoon tea in the UK for hundreds of years. The recent coronation of King Charles reinforced this tradition and drove sales of scones up by 120%. Clotted cream and jam sales also spiked during the weeks leading up to the coronation. This week is Afternoon Tea Week, so scones are again front and… read more

Food news antipasto

August 6, 2023 by
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Peeking inside celebrities' kitchens and pantries is a source of fascination for people. It may be so popular because it's a way to relate to the celebrities (they're just like me because they have [insert your favorite item] in their fridge!) or perhaps because it offers a glimpse into a lifestyle few of us can afford (think Kim Kardashian's enormous… read more

Increase your cooking intelligence with RecipeIQ

August 4, 2023 by
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One of the things I miss about the recipe app that I once used (now defunct) is that it quickly calculated nutritional information based on the ingredient list. While there are a handful of websites that offer such calculations, they are tedious to use and have all manner of annoying pop-up advertisements. However, I've recently learned about a new app… read more

Brouhaha over burrata

August 2, 2023 by
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Food writer Tammie Teclamariam (winner of a Best Emerging Voice award from the James Beard Foundation in 2022) stirred a hornet's nest with her recent opinion piece for Grub Street titled "A Big Fat Blob of Boring: Can we cool it with all the burrata balls?" As quickly as you could say "comment", a division emerged between those who agreed… read more

Mourning the loss of Canadian culinary icon Rose Murray

August 2, 2023 by
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We learned the sad news that Rose Murray, a Canadian culinary icon and celebrated cookbook author, has passed away. Her food writing regularly appeared in Canadian Living, The Globe and Mail and other publications, and she was frequently featured on national TV. Rose took a roundabout path to becoming a treasured culinary figure. She received a university degree in English… read more

Food news antipasto

July 30, 2023 by
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In a surprise move, Cher recently said that she is getting into the frozen desserts game with a line of gelatos under the brand name Cherlato. The singer said the launch was years in the making. In the Instagram post announcing the new project the New Zealand based ice cream and gelato supplier Giapo Kitchen was tagged, indicating that it… read more

Some (in the UK) like it hot

July 29, 2023 by
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In the United States, hot sauce has been a favorite condiment for many years (remember Hillary Clinton talking about keeping a bottle in her purse?), and the love for spicy food has likewise been around for a long time. Until recently the love for fiery foods has not taken root across the pond in the UK, but that seems to… read more

No Famous Chocolate Wafers? No problem.

July 28, 2023 by
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Nabisco recently roiled home bakers by announcing that they were discontinuing their Famous Chocolate Wafer cookies. People relied on these dark, crumbly cookies for no-bake cakes and crumb crusts, and bakers lamented the loss so much they started a petition for Nabisco to change its mind. Whether or not this petition is successful, you may want to have a backup… read more

The latest TikTok food fad isn’t cool, it’s cold

July 26, 2023 by
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You scream, I scream, we all scream for ice cream, and then we throw it at each other. If the latter half of that sentence sounds bizarre to you, that's because you have not yet seen the latest TikTok trend where ice cream shop workers throw a scoop of their product at another team member. Food and Wine dubs this… read more

Will the Le Creuset factory sale live up to the hype?

July 25, 2023 by
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It was Sea Salt that hooked me. For many years I owned but one Le Creuset item, a 7 quart Dutch oven in white that I purchased as a factory second from a now defunct distributor. Le Creuset's revolving palette of colors was enticing, but not enough for me to fork over a considerable sum to purchase another piece. That… read more

Food news antipasto

July 23, 2023 by
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GBBO finalist Crystelle Pereira just released her first cookbook, Flavour Kitchen, to rave reviews. She recently sat down with The Independent to discuss life after Bake Off, the decision to quit her day job and focus on cooking and baking, her Goan-Portuguese roots, and her upcoming food plans. Despite loving French pastries, Pereira admitted that she doesn't love French food.… read more

Books that celebrate bean cuisine

July 22, 2023 by
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When I converted to a vegetarian diet many years ago, there were not many options on restaurant menus or in cookbooks. I remember getting a cookbook focused on beans that had recipes for varieties of beans I had never even heard of before. Unfortunately, none of those recipes were good - there were precious few seasonings called for, the timing… read more

The sweet side of MSG

July 20, 2023 by
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There once existed a more formal divide between the sweet and savory sides of the kitchen, but over time the lines between them were blurred. Techniques and ingredients started crossing from one side to the other in both directions. A recent Epicurious article brings this concept home, as Anikah Shaokat makes the argument that MSG belongs in sweet foods just… read more

Will the Instant Pot end up in the graveyard of kitchen fads?

July 19, 2023 by
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Air fryers are the kitchen gadget du jour, and the poor Instant Pot, which recently dominated Amazon Prime Day, is now relegated to second class status. Both appliances promise to tremendously streamline your cooking and reduce the amount of time and effort involved in meal prep, plus make it easier to eat a healthy diet. Claims like these are not… read more

Have your cake and read it too

July 18, 2023 by
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Even though I'm not a huge fan of romance novels, I must admit that they can be just the thing to throw in your bag when you head to the beach or other vacation destination where you will have plenty of relaxation time. They are fast paced, the best ones have some unexpected twists and turns, but everything always turns… read more

Food news antipasto

July 16, 2023 by
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We start out this week's recap of culinary happenings with sad news of two deaths in the cookbook community. Acclaimed British writer Colin Spencer has passed away at the age of 90. Grub Street Publishing (UK - not related to the US Grub Street website) posted a remembrance about him yesterday. Spencer wrote numerous cookbooks and food-related titles including British… read more

Comfort food is great, but have you tried comforting food?

July 16, 2023 by
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Since the start of the pandemic, comfort foods have reigned supreme. In times of stress, people turn to the foods that made them feel good, whether it is a throwback dish that reminds them of home or something with a lot of fat, carbs, sugar, or all three. While eating carbohydrate-rich and fat-laden dishes is satisfying, I think there is… read more

Celebrate French food on Bastille Day

July 13, 2023 by
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I'm not French, but since nearly all of my great-great-great grandparents lived within spitting distance of the Rhine I say "close enough" for celebrating Bastille Day by eating French foods and drinking a French 75. Even if your ancestors are not French or French adjacent, holidays from other countries or traditions offer a great way to break out of a… read more
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