Pancake day around the world

February 20, 2023 by
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In yesterday's antipasto post I briefly discussed Mardi Gras (aka Fat Tuesday or Shrove Tuesday), which happens tomorrow. Shrove Tuesday is also known as Pancake Day around the world, and every country celebrates with their own version. The Guardian's Yvonne Lam takes a look at seven different styles of pancake that span the globe. Spanish-style French toast (Torrijas) from The… read more

Food news antipasto

February 20, 2023 by
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Molly Yeh, an EYB Member favorite author, branched out from her cookbook writing in 2018 with a series Girl Meets Farm. This week we learned that Yeh recently inked an exclusive two-year deal with Food Network for additional episodes of the Midwest-inspired cooking show. Production is set to begin in March. How to make a king cake for Mardi Gras… read more

Kitchen mishaps can leave a lasting mark

February 18, 2023 by
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If you cook often enough, you are going to have a kitchen injury. Knives, mandolines, hot oven racks, boiling liquids - all are potentially dangerous and most cooks have a scar or two that tells a tale of kitchen woe. So too does The Guardian's Jay Rayner, who writes that "Making dinner means dicing with danger." While not exactly proud… read more

Spice support: Sichuan peppercorns

February 16, 2023 by
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Sichuan peppercorns provide a mouth-tingling, warming sensation and are a vital ingredient in the cuisine of its eponymous Chinese region. America's Test Kitchen explores the history and culinary applications of the tiny berries, which aren't related to black peppercorns at all. Sichuan peppercorns are the berries of the prickly ash shrub, which belongs to the citrus family.  While most people… read more

Eater London calls it quits

February 15, 2023 by
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After over five years of publication, Eater London will be no more. The site's editor, Adam Coghlan, announced the news yesterday on the Eater London website. He said that "as a result of economic circumstances in the U.S. right now, a daily news and service outlet in London can no longer be a commercial priority for the business," adding that… read more

Food news antipasto

February 12, 2023 by
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We start off the week's news with a tidbit from Epicurious about one of my favorite KitchenAid mixer attachments. Just like Grace Elkus, I've discovered that this tool is perfect for making flaky pie crusts. Although it looks unassuming, it does a great job of cutting cold butter into flour without overheating the butter like a food processor can. It… read more

Super Bowl Sunday calls for super food

February 8, 2023 by
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Millions of people will gather around their television sets this Sunday as the 57th Super Bowl takes place in Arizona. Even if you aren't a fan of American football (which ironically is played almost exclusively with the hands and not the feet), you might tune in to see the commercials or the halftime show. And, most likely, you'll be eating… read more

Food news antipasto

February 5, 2023 by
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This week we learned that cookbook author Jean Anderson has died at the age of 93. The winner of five best cookbook awards (Tastemaker, James Beard, IACP) and a member of the James Beard Cookbook Hall of Fame, Jean Anderson has written for Bon Appétit, Food & Wine, Cottage Living, Gourmet, and other magazines. She published over twenty cookbooks, among them The Food… read more

Boiling water the right way

February 4, 2023 by
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Everyone's an expert on social media. At least that's what it seems like when you read the comments section on almost any post about politics, warfare, climate, constitutional law, or even food. I can't tell you how many posts I've seen that claim "you are cooking xxx wrong." This goes from complex dishes all the way to the simplest: boiling… read more

The enduring appeal of cookbooks

February 3, 2023 by
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This will come as no surprise to our Members, but the popularity of cookbooks shows no signs of slowing down. It's one bright spot in the struggling print publishing industry, with consistent sales of several million volumes annually (about 20 million cookbooks are sold in the US each year). Why do cookbooks buck the trend to digital? Because they are… read more

Just give it a rest

February 2, 2023 by
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Whether it's a need to shorten meal prep due to physical limitations, hectic work schedules, or just to avoid spending all day in the kitchen, people often look for ways to minimize the time spent in preparing foods. One of the biggest lessons I've learned in my quest to reduce kitchen time due to a medical issue is that time… read more

Is this the next kitchen fashion?

January 30, 2023 by
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A few years ago, we asked EYB Members if they wore aprons while cooking, and many responded with a resounding yes. The latest sartorial suggestion from Epicurious might not get as many people replying in the same way, however. Wilder Davis recently posited that wearing a jumpsuit in the kitchen is even better than wearing an apron. Davis suggests that… read more

Food news antipasto

January 29, 2023 by
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carton of eggs
After three years of having only virtual events, Michelin will launch its 2023 guide for Great Britain and Ireland at an in-person celebration on 27 March 2023. The ceremony will be held at the Silverstone Circuit in Northampton. Gwendal Poullennec, international director of the Michelin Guides said: "After two years without being able to organise a physical event in Great… read more

Keeping it real

January 28, 2023 by
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I've seen a lot of promoted posts in recent days informing me that I could write blog content faster and easier by using AI (artificial intelligence) writing tools. While it was tempting to see what the automated system would gin up with only a slight prompt, I didn't want to give my information to these companies nor do I want… read more

JBF announces 2023 Restaurant and Chef Awards semifinalists

January 26, 2023 by
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Yesterday the James Beard Foundation announced its slate of semifinalists for the 2023 Restaurant and Chef Awards. Nominees will be announced on March 29, with the winners feted at a gala event in Chicago on June 5. (The cookbook award winners will be announced on June 3.) If you live in the US, chances are you within driving distance of… read more

Pastry chefs find a new home – at home

January 24, 2023 by
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Even before Covid-19 hit, US restaurants were undergoing change. One of the most notable shifts was in the dessert menu, or perhaps more accurately, the lack of such in many locations. Pastry chef jobs were on the decline, and the number of retail bakeries was likewise dwindling. Then the pandemic significantly disrupted restaurants even further. Despite these setbacks, a growing… read more

Food news antipasto

January 22, 2023 by
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Vox Media, the parent company of a string of websites including Eater and Grub Street, recently laid off 130 employees (seven percent of its workforce). One of those getting the ax was Eater senior correspondent Meghan McCarron, whose work we have linked to many times. Jim Bankoff informed employees of the cuts in a memo Friday, citing “the challenging economic… read more

Dishes to celebrate the lunar new year

January 21, 2023 by
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The Lunar New Year falls on January 22 this year, and ushers in the Chinese New Year as well as celebrations in other Asian countries including Korea, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia. The holiday begins on the new moon on the first day of the new year and ends on the full moon 15 days later. For Chinese celebrants, 2023 heralds… read more

Tips for being vegan in 2023

January 19, 2023 by
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The number of people embracing vegan or vegan-adjacent diets continues to grow. Whether you are participating in Veganuary, are moving toward being vegan, or just want to eat more plant-based meals, Tasting Table has an article that might interest you. They have assembled their top 15 tips for being vegan, and these tips go beyond merely substituting tofu for meat.… read more

How DIY are you?

January 17, 2023 by
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It stands to reason that people who are cookbook lovers have at least a modicum do-it-yourself tendency, because few things in this modern era are more DIY than cooking foods from scratch. We've discussed this before in the context of making your own pantry staples like ketchup or mayonnaise, but for some the DIY concept goes even farther. For instance,… read more

Food news antipasto

January 15, 2023 by
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Finally, a piece of good news we can pass along regarding restaurants: menu prices slowed substantially in December. While year-over-year numbers had climbed about 8.3%, the monthly figure was down to a range of .1% to .4% depending on the type of eatery. Inflation as a whole slowed too, giving hope that the relentless prices increases we have been experiencing… read more

Best practices vs. reality

January 14, 2023 by
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As I made a chocolate Bundt cake today for a friend's birthday (the Chocolate ganache bundt cake from Zoë Bakes Cakes), I couldn't help but think of how many ways I was not adhering to best practices when baking. According to the experts, you shouldn't separate eggs using the shells (I did), and you should crack each into a separate… read more

Gas stoves aren’t going anywhere soon

January 12, 2023 by
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If you live in the United States, you might have seen a lot of posts about gas stoves in the past few days. That's because a commissioner with the U.S. Product Safety Commission, Richard Trumka Jr., mentioned them as a potential health hazard in an interview he gave a few days ago. He suggested that one day they might be… read more

René Redzepi is closing Noma

January 10, 2023 by
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Award-winning restaurant Noma, which sat atop the list of World's 50 Best five times since its debut nearly 20 years ago, is slated to close at the end of 2024, according to a statement posted on the restaurant's website. But the restaurant, its pioneering owner, and unique team of fermenting researchers and avantgarde chefs, are not disappearing altogether. Rather, they… read more

Food news antipasto

January 8, 2023 by
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Sometimes it is easy to identify when a food has passed its ideal ripeness and has become a food safety concern as the food gets dried out, moldy, or has other telltale signs of spoilage. For some items it isn't that easy - take pickles for example. How can you tell if your pickles are going bad? Epicurious has the… read more
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