Extreme gardening takes root

Vegetable gardening took off this year, partly because the pandemic stoked fears of food shortages and partly due to the fact the people had a lot more time on their hands and needed a good socially-distant hobby. People proudly posted photos of their tomatoes, carrots, beans, and squash on social media. But the twee harvests of these nascent backyard horticulturalists… read more

Is making pasta the new yoga?

With a pandemic raging in many areas of the world, fires burning in several US states, no-deal Brexit looming, and a hotly-contested US Presidential election only weeks away, it is safe to say that people everywhere are stressed out (except maybe in New Zealand, lucky dogs). Self-care has never been more important, and what better way to soothe and nourish… read more

Food news antipasto

We'll start off this week with a perennial favorite: a list of 50 great cookbooks coming out in fall 2020. This one comes to us from Food & Wine, and contains many of the volumes that Jenny has in her review of the best cookbooks of the season. Speaking of Food & Wine, they recently discussed how California chefs are… read more

Take a look at Le Creuset’s Noël Collection

If you follow Jenny on social media (and if you don't, you should), you probably saw her post on the latest special edition Santa cocotte from Le Creuset. It is part of their new Noël Collection, and there is something there that almost everyone can afford. If the Dutch oven with the Santa lid is out of your price range, you… read more

Smithsonian Food History Weekend goes virtual – and it’s free to attend

Last evening, Washington's Smithsonian Institute opened its sixth annual - and first virtual - Food History Weekend with a live gala announcing the recipient of the Julia Child Award, Danielle Nierenberg, Co-Founder and President of Food Tank. The theme of the weekend, hosted by the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, is Food Futures: Striving for Justice. The event brings… read more

Maggie Beer isn’t afraid of hard work

Maggie Beer is one of Australia's best-known food personalities. A master of media, she has appeared on several television programs and has written a string of successful cookbooks, and this spring she even started an Instagram video series. This is in addition to being a successful restaurateur. When not pursuing those varied activities, Maggie spends her time working on her… read more

Legendary Napa chef loses cookbook collection in fire

In our weekly roundup of food news we have covered the effects that fires in California and Oregon have had on restaurants and wine-producing regions in those states, and today we learned of another loss in the culinary community. Napa chef Cindy Pawlcyn of Mustard's Grill and other influential California restaurants lost her entire 3,800-volume cookbook library in the devastating Glass… read more

Pandemic culinary pastimes

Although restrictions are loosening in many areas, venturing out to restaurants is still too risky for my family, which includes extremely high-risk individuals. Leisurely grocery shopping trips are out as well. Even though I am a diehard baker, my enthusiasm for baking has dwindled since spring and my sourdough died months ago. But all is not lost - I have… read more

An apple a day

Along with magnificent leaf colors, a crispness to the air, and noticeably shorter days, a sure sign that fall is underway are the stacks of shiny apples at the local market. There are over 7,000 named types of apples, and although most guides to apple varieties stick to only the top ten or so, every region has its own local… read more

Food news antipasto

Another team member has left the Bon Appétit Test Kitchen. This time it is breakout video star Claire Saffitz, author of the newly-released cookbook Dessert Person: Recipes and Guidance for Baking with Confidence. Saffitz broke the news to fans via Instagram, saying that she was "grateful to Bon Appétit and CNE for the opportunity to build my career on their platforms, but… read more

What happened to Fine Cooking’s website?

Fine Cooking Magazine has been a perennial EYB Member favorite and has legions of dedicated fans. Earlier in the year, we heard that Taunton was going to stop publishing the print magazine, although nothing was said about what would happen to its digital offerings. Fine Cooking's Twitter account fell silent beginning in June but the Facebook page continued to post… read more

Thanksgiving, virtually

One of the most important food holidays in the US and Canada is coming up, but it will look a lot different than it has in years past. Monday marks Canadian Thanksgiving, and the US holiday follows on November 26th. Usually, we would be talking about how people would be gathering around the table in large groups, debating perennial topics… read more

Pandemic cooking gets weird

When lockdowns were first implemented and restaurants had to close their doors, millions of people had to quickly pivot to becoming full-time cooks for their families. At first many of us embraced this paradigm shift, pouring our anxiety-laced energy into making breads and tackling meals we otherwise might not have made. After some time had passed, however, things started to… read more

Genevieve Ko joins NYT Cooking

The New York Times announced today that Genevieve Ko would be joining its food section and NYT Cooking as a senior editor. Ko is making a cross-country move from The Los Angeles Times where she currently serves as cooking editor. In addition to her work at the LA Times, Ko has coauthored several cookbooks, working with culinary legends such as… read more

Saveur sold to venture equity group

Years ago, Saveur Magazine was at least partly responsible for saving my job. I had a cantankerous boss who defined the terms micromanager and passive aggressive, and he went through assistants at lightning speed. At first I thought I was destined to join the others in the unemployment line because in my first week of work I made a mistake… read more

Reasons to add a tamis to your kitchen

Do you ever need to sift, strain, separate, steam, or aerate ingredients? If so, you might have a couple of different devices you use: a mesh strainer, a flour sifter, and a colander. Food writer and former deputy editor of The Washington Post Food section Bonnie Benwick says you can get rid of most of those things and replace them… read more

Food news antipasto

Now that Cookbooktober has arrived, everyone is weighing on which recently released books are the best. We're biased, of course, but we think Jenny's take on the subject is definitive, but in the interest of fairness we'll let you know that the NY Times has also published its list of the best 14 cookbooks of fall. The pandemic isn't the… read more

Will cookies be the next ‘it’ food?

In recent days, my social media newsfeeds have been barraged by two things: reports on which American politician has just tested positive for the coronavirus, and cookies. I prefer the latter for many reasons, and I found it interesting that no other food has dominated Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram in the last several weeks. Part of that, I assume, is… read more

Refrigerators are the new toilet paper

At the beginning of the pandemic, toilet paper began flying off the shelves and almost overnight there was none to be found in any store at any price. It took months for that product, as well as paper towels and most antibacterial cleaning supplies, to be back in stock on a consistent basis. Even now, more than six months after… read more

Good Eats Halloween Special airs next week

October keeps getting better! Not only is it Cookbooktober, the GBBO back on television, and we're getting a special Halloween-themed Good Eats episode next week. Titled "The House That Dripped Chocolate," the episode is filmed entirely in black and white and features creepy camera angles, creaking cupboards, and other effects "meant to evoke classic horror films while telling the tale… read more

Hot pot might be older than we think

According to Thrillist, the apocryphal origin story of hot pot is that it was a dish eaten on-the-go in the helmets of Mongolian soldiers, who introduced the concept to the Chinese. Most of us know the hot pot experience from restaurants where pots of steaming broth are served with various meats and vegetables to place in the broth, cooking it… read more

Celebrate International Coffee Day

Today is International Coffee Day or as I like to call it, Tuesday, as I celebrate coffee every single day. I can't start the morning without my favorite beverage, hot in cool weather and iced for the steamy days. Coffee is not only a delicious beverage, but it can add a pop of flavor to foods as well. Coffee pairs… read more

Bling for your Instant Pot

In just a few years, the Instant Pot and its clones have changed the way millions of people cook. The Instant Pot acts as several small appliances, as the names like 7-in-1 suggest. But even though it is already a multi-tasking unit, you can make it even more useful by purchasing one of the many accessories available to use with… read more

Food news antipasto

Everyone loves lists, and around here we think that lists of cookbooks are the best. Jenny always keeps us up to date with new releases in our monthly cookbook reviews, and she goes above and beyond by creating lists of next year's releases of note and more. Since we just can't get enough of cookbook lists, we like to see… read more

Fresh isn’t always best

I always have at least one bulb of garlic in the pantry, usually more. I also grow herbs like parsley, basil, dill, and thyme. For most recipes, using the fresh version of these items is the best way to go, but that is not true in all cases. Sometimes dried spices and herbs work better, and that is the case… read more
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