Who is changing Christmas dinner?

The traditional Christmas dinner in the UK seems to be evolving, at least according to the latest polls and Tesco Christmas Report. Young people - especially those in Generation Z - are changing what they eat for the holiday meal. Some classic dishes are all but disappearing on Christmas tables, while new items are being added. Classic pigs in blankets from… read more

How to give a cookbook

During the holidays, some of us cookbook lovers evangelize our hobby by giving cookbooks as gifts. Unlike similarly-priced tchotchke that litter stores this time of year, cookbooks are practical, beautiful, and eminently useful. Choosing the right book to suit the person is an art, and 'cookbook-obsessive' Max Brearley is here to explain the finer points of how to match gift… read more

Philadelphia bookstore features a growing culinary section

We love hearing about cookbook stores, and today we learned about a bookstore, Molly's Books & Records, that features a large and growing selection of used cookbooks, making it the best source for cookbooks in the Philadelphia area according to Abigail Weil of Eater. Third-generation bookseller Molly Russakoff, inspired by the store's location in the Italian Market, decided to expand… read more

Food news antipasto

How much do you love gnocchi - enough to steal an entire truck full of the pasta? In Australia last week, some thieves stole a delivery truck from Brisbane's Gnocchi Gnocchi Brothers while its precious cargo was being unloaded. The unknown perpetrators made off with 340 kilograms (750 pounds) of gnocchi - enough to make over 2,000 servings. The truck… read more

Which comes first: the equipment or the recipe?

Usually when I discover a new-to-me recipe it comes from a cookbook, magazine, or website and only after reading the recipe do I search for any equipment I need to make it. Today, however, the process worked in reverse. Browsing through a cooking store/tourist trap beside the interstate that serves as a leg-stretch point during the seven hour drive back… read more

Most Googled recipes of 2021

Although we try to make sure everyone knows that the best place to find great recipes is by searching the EYB Library, people still use Google to search for things to cook. Since Google keeps statistics on everything, we can find out what people were looking for this year. They even break down the searches by country, so we can… read more

Whip it good

When a problem comes along / You must whip itBefore the cream sits out too long / You must whip itWhen something's going wrong / You must whip itDevo - Whip It (1980) The lyrics from the post-punk band Devo always make me think of the cook's conundrum about the best way to whip cream to keep it from weeping.… read more

Food news antipasto

Having GBBO withdrawals? Head over to The Guardian to read an interview with Jürgen Krauss, who was eliminated in the semi-finals. He has made peace with not making it through to the end, and he offers insight into what happens in the tent. In particular, I was interested in his take on hosts Matt Lucas and Noel Fielding, who he… read more

Spice support: tarragon

When I was a fledgling cook, one of the first "gourmet" recipes I tried was a chicken dish that featured a tarragon cream sauce. For someone who grew up in a household where herbs and spices came as ground items in a dusty tin that was probably older than me, using this fresh herb was a revelation. I put tarragon… read more

Best recipes of 2021

In a second year of lots of folks doing more home cooking than ever before, finding new recipes to break out of the cooking doldrums was essential. Judging by the end of year "best recipe" lists on my social media feed, people the world over have been busy experimenting with new flavors and ingredients, and I'd like to share these… read more

Can you really own a recipe?

In October we reported on the alleged cookbook plagiarism by Elizabeth Haigh that resulted in the publisher pulling Haigh's book from distribution. (We also shared how to support Sharon Wee, one of the authors whose work was copied.) What is most surprising about this episode isn't the plagiarism itself - it has happened many times in cookbook publishing - but… read more

Winners of the 2021 Gourmand Awards

The winners of Gourmand's Best in the World 2021 awards were feted today at a ceremony at Les Cordeliers, Paris. According to Gourmand's President Edouard Cointreau, Les Cordeliers is the most historic setting used by the Gourmand Awards as Les Cordeliers is a gorgeous Medieval monastery/convent turned into the French Revolution Club led by Danton. The ceremony was originally planned… read more

Food news antipasto

We wanted to start this week's roundup by wishing our members who celebrate a Happy Hanukkah. A few years ago I wrote about the history of Hanukkah latkes, including the tidbit that originally latkes were not made with potatoes (which are indigenous to the Americas) but rather with cheese. If you are looking for recipes to help you celebrate, head… read more

How to make the best use of holiday leftovers

Yesterday I learned that the average American eats 4,000 calories on Thanksgiving, an astonishing amount of food. Even after stuffing ourselves many of us have plenty of leftovers, and while turkey sandwiches are great you can only eat so many before you tire of them. It pays to look beyond the sandwich to find tasty options for those Thanksgiving leftovers.… read more

“Queen of Cakes” Sylvia Weinstock has died

Known as a luxury cake baker who created wedding cakes for the rich and famous, Sylvia Weinstock has died aged 91 according to People Magazine. Weinstock did not begin baking professionally until she was 50 years old, following a successful battle against breast cancer. She started with a small business that blossomed into a world famous venture. Unlike many wedding… read more

A new baking show just in time for the holidays

What happens when you mix a reality baking show with two veterans of Saturday Night Live? A really good time, according to The Kitchn. They bring us news that SNL alums Maya Rudolph and Andy Samberg have teamed up to host Baking It, a new reality show that premieres on Peacock in just over a week. The show not only… read more

Food news antipasto

Kitchens and cooking have evolved over the centuries: the methods and equipment used by our grandparents and ancestors have transformed into modern-day appliances and techniques. It's fascinating to observe these changes, and thanks to the Smithsonian, you can easily do just that by viewing an 1868 catalog of cook stoves. I am thankful I do not have to make holiday… read more

A legendary pastry chef returns to the Big Apple

Pastry chef Claudia Fleming is an icon in the baking world. Her 2001 cookbook The Last Course became such a sought-after item that it was reissued in 2019. Now the vaunted chef has returned to the limelight with a role in restaurateur Danny Meyer's empire, serving as Executive Pastry Director for Union Square Hospitality Group, a position she assumed at… read more

Cookbooks just for kicks

What do you look for when you are shopping for a cookbook? For some of us it's one that introduces us to a cuisine with stories and recipes. Others might want something with a lot of step-by-step photos, especially in a baking book. What about just buying one for chuckles and grins? There are some books that we likely will… read more

What happened to NPR’s The Salt?

For several years The Salt was the face of NPR's food reporting, with subsections including Eating and Health, Foodways, Food for Thought, plus others. We linked to many stories from this NPR source that resonated with EYB Members. However, The Salt hasn't had any new posts since October, 2020, when it announced the passing of Cecelia Chang. So where did… read more

Food news antipasto

As the holiday season approaches, some of us are a bit out of shape for large meal planning due to the pandemic, so we appreciate getting tips on how to create a successful celebration. One tip that crossed my news feed this week involves turkey roasting. If you are keen on getting that perfectly golden bird, head over to Taste,… read more

Mary Berry says she is never too old to learn

Dame Mary Berry has earned the right to retire from public life if she wants to, but the octogenarian is still going strong, hosting a new series 'Love to Cook' that premiered yesterday on BBC Two. In the first episode, Mary shows us that in addition to cooking, she loves to get in the garden and grow her own produce.… read more

To cook or not to cook? The cranberry question

US Thanksgiving in less than three weeks away, and given the hype about possible supply shortages, many cooks are busy gathering the ingredients to grace the holiday table. One item that makes an appearance at this meal - the biggest food holiday in the USA - is cranberry sauce or relish. Some people insist on the canned, jellied version, with… read more

Kicking off fruitcake season

Fruitcake has gotten a bad rap here in the US, becoming the butt of jokes and something to dread rather than celebrate. One big reason so many people say they hate fruitcake is because they have never tasted one that has been properly made. As Eater's Dayna Evans explains, if you make fruitcake for yourself, you may come to appreciate… read more

Food news antipasto

We love that our members are adding loads of photos to recipes in the EYB Library. Taking great food photos can be a bit tricky, which is why we are featuring two articles with tips for improving your food photos, whether you use a smartphone or a camera. The first comes from Australian Gourmet Traveller, and the second article is… read more
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