The Gathering Basket reclaims narratives of Indigenous foodways

When European colonists settled into areas on the East Coast in the 1600s, they encountered a land that was not always compatible with the crops the settlers brought over on their voyages. Luckily for the colonists, native inhabitants taught them about New World crops that would grow well and sustain them. Indigenous foods played a vital role in the growth… read more

Meet Dame Mary Berry

In a ceremony at Windsor Castle on Wednesday, cookbook author and television host Mary Berry was made a Dame Commander, receiving the honor "for services to broadcasting, the culinary arts and charity work." Prince Charles presented Mary with the award. Not only is Mary Berry beloved around the world by fans of her cookbooks and cookery shows, she is also a… read more

Early birds get the turkey

Photos of bare supermarket shelves in the UK have been flooding social media feeds. Some folks have gone online to mock stores that have filled their bare spots with an odd assortment of items. On the other side of the globe, images of cargo ships dotting the seascape outside of the US's busiest port have also been making the rounds.… read more

“Sprinklegate” rocks UK bakery

Sprinkles can bring a sense of cheer and whimsy - as well as a welcome splash of color - to baked goods. But a British baker recently discovered that not all sprinkles are allowed to spark joy. Acting on a tip from an anonymous source, UK authorities recently told Rich Myers, owner of the Get Baked bakery in Leeds, that… read more

Food news antipasto

Ina Garten is one of the most beloved authors among our members. Her 1999 debut, The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook, ranks at #11 for number of bookshelves in the EYB Library. If you are among those who do not have this book, you might want to head to Costco, where you will find an exclusive new edition of this book that… read more

Following the breadcrumbs

The weather here has taken a sharp turn into autumn, with chilly evenings and crisp, clear, cool days. This change of season calls for different foods, moving away from salads and into more comforting fare. Among other things, that means firing up the deep fryer (aka cast iron pot), which I did today to make falafel. This started the clock… read more

Recipe discoveries never end

I have been cooking for decades, eagerly seeking out new food experiences through cookbooks as well as via travel. One of the best things about having food as a hobby is that no matter how many dishes I try there is always something new waiting around the corner, so I never become blasé. Discoveries frequently happen when I explore a… read more

Making the case for pumpkin spice

Wait, wait - don't turn away! Even if you are not someone who lines up for the first day of pumpkin spice lattes at a big chain coffee shop, please listen to Becky Krystal on why you shouldn't discount the ubiquitous flavor of autumn. Over the years the label on this spice blend was foreshortened from 'pumpkin pie spice' to… read more

Food news antipasto

Bobby Flay has been part of Food Network for almost as long as it has been broadcasting, joining the fledgling cable network during its first year on air in 1994. He has been part of some of Food Network's most popular programs, including Iron Chef America, Chopped, Beat Bobby Flay, and others. After 27 years together, however, the celebrity chef… read more

Giving thanks in 2021

Canadian Thanksgiving is October 11 and the US holiday follows, landing this year on November 25. As many of us gather again after a year or more with no large get togethers, we have extra reason to be thankful. Thanksgiving also means it is time to gather recipes for family favorites as well as check out new items for this… read more

World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2021

After a one-year hiatus due to the pandemic, World's 50 Best has returned and released its list for 2021. Landing in the top spot was René Redzepi’s Noma. That restaurant will now be placed on the 'Best of the Best' list and will no longer be eligible to be named in the top 50 again. Despite efforts toward inclusivity and a… read more

Things to do when Facebook and Instagram are down

Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp (along with other sites) went down for several hours today, throwing people into a tizzy. My Twitter feed was filled with people either happy or vexed about the outage. Reading that was no fun, so I thought of a few things to do when social media programs are down: Go through your cookbooks and 'I want… read more

Food news antipasto

As the holidays creep closer, people who love to bake are gearing up for their favorite time of the year. Trays of cookies, celebratory cakes like bûche de Noël, and Thanksgiving and Christmas pies all beckon. If you are living in the United States and are looking forward to holiday baking season, you might want to buy your flour now,… read more

The ins and outs of buttermilk

Pancakes, Southern biscuits, cornbread - all benefit from the tangy punch of buttermilk. But not all buttermilks are the same, according to an article from Eater. The dairy product has morphed from its origins as a byproduct of butter making to a cultured product akin to kefir or yogurt. Food historians theorize that buttermilk originated in eastern Europe as animal… read more

Food and Wine editors on the top cookbooks of the season

If you would like to practice using the new EYB Wishlist feature, I have another enabling post for your consideration. This time it is the picks for top cookbooks of fall 2021 from the editors at Food and Wine. Get ready to click the Wishlist icon frequently - F&W has listed twenty-three essential books. I have a few of these… read more

Bittman talks to José Andrés

In the first episode of Season 2 of his podcast Food with Mark Bittman, the food writer talks with chef-cum-humanitarian José Andrés. The episode starts with a recounting of Bittman's favorite Andrés recipe, one that involves Santorini lentils, before he begins the interview. The ever ebullient chef talked with Bittman for nearly an hour on a number of subjects, including… read more

Gourmet Traveller 2022 Restaurant Awards finalists announced

Like many other restaurant awards, the Gourmet Traveller awards went on hiatus during the pandemic, but they have now returned in full force. Well, almost full force, as the planned awards dinner has been cancelled and instead the winners will be announced online on Sunday, 24 October. The announcement precedes Gourmet Traveller's November Celebration Special print issue, which will highlight… read more

Food news antipasto

empty wineglasses on a tray
Michael Ruhlman's book Ratio opened my eyes to understanding how so many recipes work, ranging from custard to pastry crust. That is why I enjoyed this useful chart of six essential baking ratios from Taste of Home. Print it out and keep it handy when comparing recipes. Can you get too much GBBO? Nah, we don't think so. This week… read more

The difference between crispy and crunchy

There are some words that food writers avoid, whether because people tend to have strong opinions about them (like moist), because they are overused , or because their meanings aren't clear. For food writer Maggie Hennessy, two adjectives give her pause for the last reason. Hennessy says she is confounded by the differences between crispy and crunchy. Both terms imply… read more

What’s your favorite GBBO recipe?

Now that those in the UK have been able to get their GBBO fix and others are but a few days away, it is time to revisit some of our favorite recipes from the GBBO, as The Telegraph has done. Since that article is behind a paywall (and I have already used my free trial), I will share my favorites… read more

You don’t want to miss these showdowns

Most of us love a good competition - which is why we'll be glued to our screens as soon as the Great British Bake Off returns tomorrow (we have to wait longer here in the US so no spoilers, please). There is another friendly competition that ticks the boxes for us cookbook lovers can be found at Book Riot, which… read more

Food news antipasto

After 18 long years, it has finally happened - chef René Redzepi and his restaurant Noma have received a third Michelin star. In an Instagram post, the restaurant said "We want to thank our wonderful guests for their support over the last 18 years and a huge shout of course to all our collaborators—farmers, winemakers, foragers—everyone that’s been a part of… read more

Changes to the James Beard Awards

A little over a year ago, the James Beard Foundation announced that it would be foregoing its 2021 James Beard Awards and instead would conduct an audit of its policies and processes. The goals of this audit "were to remove systemic bias, increase the diversity of the pool of candidates, maintain relevance, and align the Awards more outwardly with the… read more

Alton Brown will be back on tour

Alton Brown's legion of dedicated fans received good news this week: Alton is launching another live North American tour titled Alton Brown Live: Beyond the Eats which runs from October 13th through April 10th of 2022. What's more, he is looking for help on his tour, and you can take a quiz to be entered into the running to "help"… read more

Jamie Oliver’s new show is all about our favorite subject

This is exciting news - we just learned about a new TV competition brought to us by Jamie Oliver Productions and Plum Pictures that aims to "find the next big name in cookery". The new program, which is open to anyone from home cooks to chefs, offers a book deal with Penguin Random House as the main prize. Of course… read more
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