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 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

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

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

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

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

Why you might want to ditch that plastic spatula

Your plastic kitchen utensils may be trying to kill you. Okay, that's hyperbole, but a recent study found that kitchen utensils, takeaway containers, and even jewelry made from black plastic contained high levels of potentially toxic chemicals, which may be reason for concern if not panic. The study, published in the journal Chemosphere, found two kinds of flame retardants -… read more

Cooking and baking as protest

Just as a cake can have many layers, the act of baking itself can contain multiple meanings. These meanings can be personal, like when you bake your friend her favorite cake for her birthday, or they can have a broader message. Just ask bakers like Paola Velez (author of Bodega Bakes) and Natasha Pickowicz (author of the award-winning More Than… read more

Food news antipasto

You may have seen TikTok videos about the 'fridge-scaping' trend, where people decant everything they buy at the grocery store and put it into clear containers that so that all of your produce, cheese, and other items are on display and tidily organized in matching jars. Whether you believe that this is gorgeous and amazing or shake your head at… read more

Barbara Lynch is closing all of her Boston-area restaurants

Last year we reported on a scandal involved revered Boston chef Barbara Lynch in which former employees recounted tales of alleged abuse and harassment at her restaurants. Lynch's rags-to-riches story was chronicled in a 2017 memoir that recounted her rise from a hard-knocks South Boston childhood to culinary stardom. The James Beard Award-winning chef shuttered a handful of restaurants in the wake… read more

The book lover’s workout plan

Every book collector faces the same dilemma, usually on multiple occasions: adding a new bookcase to house the ever-growing number of books that they have accumulated. Often this includes moving the bookcases, necessitating the removal and reinstallation of all the books. This should be marketed as a book lover’s workout plan, because I loathe exercise but have no issue with… read more

Beans, beans are good for your heart…

Beans and other legumes have never been hotter, even though 2016 was officially the International Year of the Pulses (aka legumes). Whether it's viral "dense bean salad" videos, articles on easy ways to use beans and how to fall in love with them, or cookbooks devoted to the subject, the once-humble bean has been getting a glow up. As a… read more

Food news antipasto

Cristina Tosi's Milk Bar is branching out to the Windy City as a new Milk Bar outpost is coming to Chicago's Fulton Market. No opening date has been announced, and Tosi said she is excited about the first Midwest location for Milk Bar, telling NBC Chicago "I am a Midwesterner by birth and Chicago has long been one of my… read more

Apple cider season is here

While the weather here has been suggesting that summer doesn't want to let go, it finally relented this week with chilly evenings and crisp, sunny days. That means it is time to hit up the local orchards in search of tasty apples. I am fortunate to live in an area where many of the best-loved varieties in the US were… read more

A simple, classic dish makes a comeback

Saveur Magazine has rarely let me down since I first started reading it in 2009, so when I spied an article about oeufs mayonnaise being the "it" dish of 2024, I had to click on it even though this is the first time the alleged hyper-trending dish has come to my attention. Maybe I'm just not getting out enough, but… read more

How the dockworkers’ strike could affect the food supply

The International Longshoremen's Association walked off the job at 36 ports from Maine to Texas at midnight Tuesday, the first such strike in almost 50 years. The strike comes as workers were protesting wages and the threat of automation, among other issues. The walkout will affect a wide swath of commodities ranging from shoes to auto parts to food and… read more

Food news antipasto

Does it feel like you've been seeing more food cross-branding partnerships lately? It's not your imagination, food companies are doing collaborations in increasing numbers. One of the latest was Coca-Cola Oreos paired with Oreo-flavored Coke Zero. This follows on the heels of things like Hidden Valley Ranch ice cream and Dr. Pepper Peeps. Are consumers demanding these pop-culture mashups? Eater's… read more

IACP Cookbook Award winners 2024

The International Association of Culinary Professionals announced the winners of its 2024 Cookbook Awards (along with other food media and writing awards) this evening at its 2024 Summit held in Brooklyn, New York. In addition to this year’s winners, the IACP inducted three cookbooks into its Culinary Classics, which is a like a Hall of Fame for cookbooks. The IACP also presented… read more

Art in (and of) the kitchen

Visit any art museum and you will find food depicted in a large number of the paintings on display. There are many reasons painters choose the subjects of food and dining: food contains a lot of symbolism, and as Anne Ewbank points out in a recent Gastro Obscura article, food paintings "also were a way for artists to flex their… read more

Have a glut of produce? There’s a batch for that

Closeup of caramelized onions on a sheet pan
Gardeners know this scenario all too well: one day you are admiring the massive quantities of vegetables ripening on the vine, and the next day you are cursing the massive quantities of vegetables ripening on the vine. The best way to deal with this abundance? Make items in large batches that you can freeze or preserve. The Guardian offers a… read more

Food news antipasto

We learned this week that celebrated Australian-Lebanese chef Greg Malouf has died at the age of 64. Born in Melbourne, the award-winning chef helmed various restaurants in Australia before moving to Dubai in 2013 to open two restaurants, Cle Dubai and Zahira. Known as the "godfather of Middle Eastern cuisine" in Australia, Malouf created contemporary takes on Middle Eastern food starting with… read more

Bananas are in an existential crisis

Bananas are the most popular fruit in the world. It's easy to why, as they are inexpensive, extremely portable, make great additions to breakfast cereal and oatmeal, and even when they are overripe they can still be used in quick breads or popped into the freezer to be used in smoothies. As a testament to their popularity, the EYB Library… read more
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