Shaken, not stirred – and in a to-go cup

June 4, 2020 by
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While many restaurants were able to pivot to take-out and delivery during the period when stay-at-home order were in place, liquor laws (at least in the US) meant that the restaurants were not able to include drinks containing alcohol in their to-go orders. Since beverages are a real profit center for restaurants, that loss was a financial blow. Several states… read more

Elevating the visibility of black cookbook authors

June 2, 2020 by
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American cuisine, especially that of the American South, owes a great deal to the influence of black cooks. As Smithsonian Magazine explains, it was often enslaved black chefs who created the feasts that gave the South its reputation for hospitality. James Beard Book Award-winner Michael Twitty further explores this topic, showing us how chefs of African descent laid the groundwork… read more

A small piece of light to help chase away the darkness

June 1, 2020 by
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On any given Monday, I would be happily clicking on cheerful posts about peppery watercress recipes or the secrets to great kalbi, but not today. Before the coronavirus pandemic hit, I worked in downtown Minneapolis. For the past two months I have been working out of my home which is located 50 miles from the heart of the city, but… read more

Food news antipasto

May 31, 2020 by
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People are cooking at home at a level unseen for decades. Since many of us are wary of making too many trips to the grocery store to find a single ingredient we are missing for any particular recipe, food writers are crafting recipes that offer flexibility in substitutions. Michael Ruhlman discusses the trend toward 'optional' as the new recipe buzzword.… read more

Behind the scenes at King Arthur Flour

May 29, 2020 by
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The sudden boom in home baking came as a surprise to the folks at King Arthur Flour (KAF for short), the Vermont-based purveyor of high quality flours and baking supplies. They were gearing up for the traditional mini-rush in the lead up to Easter when they noticed that the usual spike in sales was much, much larger than expected. They… read more

Spice support: capers

May 28, 2020 by
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I'm stretching the definition of spice a bit to include capers, but since they add a flavor dimension similar to adding spice, I found it appropriate. To learn more about capers I turned to an interview of David Rosengarten by Sally Swift of The Splendid Table. Rosengarten visited the famous caper-growing island of Pantelleria, Italy - a place he calls… read more

More than 10,000 Member-uploaded photos in the EYB Library

May 27, 2020 by
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Thanks in part to an extremely prolific new Member, we now have over 10,000 images submitted by Members in the EYB Library. We appreciate everyone who has submitted photos, with a shout out to new Member Tina_Berlin, who has uploaded over 470 images since joining a couple of weeks ago. Of course, we would be remiss not to mention the… read more

James Beard Cookbook Award Winners 2020

May 27, 2020 by
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Today the James Beard Foundation announced the winners of its annual Media Awards (which includes cookbooks) for 2020. The announcement came via Twitter in lieu of the usual gala. JBF plans to hold a live virtual event at 1:30 pm today US Eastern Time. The event is free and open to the public. Now on to the news you've been… read more

Jams and jellies can preserve more than fruits and vegetables

May 26, 2020 by
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I have lilac bushes in my backyard and each spring since I moved into my home eleven years ago, I would eagerly await the signs of blooms forming on the lilacs because their fragrance is one of my favorite scents. Every year resulted in disappointment, as the trees that grew near the lilacs produced too much shade for them to… read more

Food news antipasto

May 24, 2020 by
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Have you seen the latest trend in bread? Apparently some people have plenty of yeast, flour, and time, staying busy creating froggy bread. Froggy bread isn't a metaphor, it is literally bread shaped to look like frogs. When I first read about it I immediately thought it came from Kim-Joy, but even though she's made several frog-themed bakes (like the… read more

In the midst of a crisis, Ferran Adrià looks ahead

May 24, 2020 by
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Although the groundbreaking restaurant El Bulli has been shuttered for nearly a decade, its most recognized chef, Ferran Adrià, has not been idle. After closing the restaurant for several reasons (including the fact that it was not profitable), he focused his attention on the elBulli Foundation which has two branches, an archive museum and elBulli1846. The latter is described as… read more

Outdoor cooking may be a boon this summer

May 22, 2020 by
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Monday is a holiday in the US, a day of remembrance for those who have fallen in the line of service to our country. It is also Spring Bank Holiday in the UK. Unofficially, the long weekend marks the start of summer and kicks off peak grilling season. Last year I wrote a post about summer grilling looking different these… read more

The stories behind the scribbles

May 21, 2020 by
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When I spy a used cookbook I am interested in buying, the first thing I do is skim the pages to see if anyone has written any notes inside. Early in my cookbook collecting, if I saw writing in the margins I would put book back on the shelf. I was only interested in pristine volumes, as years of working… read more

Guild of Food Writers announces 2020 finalists

May 20, 2020 by
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The Guild of Food Writers is the UK’s professional association of food writers and broadcasters, and is the longest-established and largest of its kind. Established in 1984, the Guild’s goals include bringing  together professional food journalists, broadcasters and authors; arranging discussions, forums, and workshops; encouraging new writers; and contributing to the growth of public interest in, and knowledge of, the subject of… read more

The yin and yang of Covid cooking

May 19, 2020 by
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Many of us suddenly had a lot more time on our hands in the last couple of months, and with yeast becoming a scarce commodity - or perhaps just as a way to scratch a creative itch - it seems like everyone decided now was a good time to try their hand at making sourdough. You can find oodles of… read more

Chef sparks ‘sandwich in place’ movement

May 18, 2020 by
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Many chefs are sidelined during the pandemic, and we've seen how cooking at home is different for them than cooking in a restaurant. This doesn't mean they lose their creative spark, however. Ryan Pfeiffer, executive chef at Chicago's Blackbird, is proving that with his sandwich creations. Not only is he making delicious 'wiches, he made a video challenging other chefs… read more

Food news antipasto

May 17, 2020 by
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Jamie Oliver is back with a new show called 'Keep Cooking and Carry On' that is exactly what this moment needed. In this 20-part series, Oliver will help fight the cooking fatigue many of us are facing. He will teach us how to get creative with whatever ingredients are in our cupboards. In a statement, Oliver said "This show will… read more

Ready, set, organize

May 17, 2020 by
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Spices in jars
Since I am fortunate enough to be able to work from home, my commute has gone from 50 miles to less than 50 feet. I always said that if I did not have to drive so far for work I would have oodles of time to accomplish a laundry list of tasks around the house. It turns out that this… read more

Chefs show their personal sides in videos and podcasts

May 15, 2020 by
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It seems that all of our favorite chefs and food personalities are doing at-home cooking shows these days. From Alton Brown's Quarantine Quitchen, to Samin Nosrat's recently-launched podcast titled Home Cooking, to José Andrés presenting cooking videos on Instagram with the hashtag #recipesforthepeople, and Ina Garten's soothing Instagram feed, there is no shortage to quality cooking information with a side… read more

The list of restaurants permanently closed continues to grow

May 14, 2020 by
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Yesterday chef and restaurateur David Chang announced that he was closing two of his restaurants for good and moving a third to a new location. Even though Chang has nimbly pivoted to face challenges in the past and has a stable of deep-pocketed investors, he is not immune from the economic affects of the coronavirus pandemic. He's far from alone:… read more

Grocery prices are on the rise

May 13, 2020 by
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carton of eggs
With so many people cooking nearly every meal at home, it is not surprising that we are spending more on groceries. But that higher total you see on your store receipt is not only due to making more food at home, the prices of groceries are going up. The increase in the cost of supermarket staples like milk, bread, and… read more

Steve Sando is busy, but still cooking

May 12, 2020 by
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Fans of Rancho Gordo know that Steve Sando, the bean evangelist who started the company, knows a thing or two about those humble legumes. Even though the pandemic means that he's working long hours six days a week, he shared a week's worth of his cooking at home for Grub Street. While it is no surprise that beans feature prominently,… read more

Bakers weigh in on their favorite tools

May 11, 2020 by
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Whether it's out of boredom, a way to relieve stress, or a mechanism to scratch a creative itch, more people have turned to baking over the last few months. People are posting images of their first loaves and others are showcasing their baking prowess with towering, gorgeous cakes. If you are new to baking you might wonder about what tools… read more

Food news antipasto

May 10, 2020 by
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It's been a busy week in the world of food and cookbook authors, so let's dive right in, beginning with a controversy. In an interview earlier this week, food writer Alison Roman's remarks about fellow epicurean Chrissy Teigen started a feud. Roman said she was "horrified" by the way Teigen moved from successful cookbook author to having a huge Instagram… read more

When chefs become home cooks

May 9, 2020 by
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Restaurant closures have idled most chefs, who now are cooking for a very different audience. You might expect that household members would be enjoying stellar meals during lockdown, but it rarely works that way, according to chef Sam Wydymus, who shared her account of the differences between cooking in a restaurant and cooking at home. Chefs are not accustomed to… read more
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