Cooking with supermarket rejects

March 28, 2020 by
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Visits to the grocery store take on a completely different vibe these days. Staples like flour, spaghetti, and eggs are in short supply, although some aisles of the supermarket are completely stocked. If you are clever and can afford to take a chance on unusual ingredients, you can make good use of the items everyone else is overlooking, says Australian… read more

Farmers markets go virtual

March 27, 2020 by
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In addition to chefs, servers, dishwashers and other employees, farmers are caught up in the closure of restaurants across the US. Many small farmers sell directly to restaurants in addition to running CSAs or particpating in farmers markets. Due to social distancing concerns, some farmers markets are going virtual, offering direct to consumer shipments of produce, grass-fed beef, and free-range… read more

Food safety tips

March 26, 2020 by
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A lot of us are suddenly making more meals at home than ever before. Most of us are hunkering down in our homes and only venturing out for necessities like groceries. In nearly all areas of the US, people are still able to go to the grocery store (even if some staples are rarely in stock), but even these necessary… read more

Chef Floyd Cardoz dies at age 59

March 25, 2020 by
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We received the sad news today that celebrated Chef Floyd Cardoz, owner of three acclaimed NYC restaurants and the author of two well-regarded cookbooks, has died due to complications of Covid-19. As news of his death spread, people reflected on Cardoz's trailblazing career. The Splendid Table's Francis Lam tweeted: "Utterly stunned and heartbroken by the loss of Floyd Cardoz. A… read more

Eater’s list of the best cookbooks of the season

March 24, 2020 by
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The lists of new cookbooks to add to your wish list keeps growing. This version, featuring fifteen volumes, comes from Eater. You will see many of the same books that Jenny included on her recent list of the best spring cookbooks such as Dinner in French: My Recipes by Way of France by Melissa Clark and Falastin: A Cookbook by… read more

The top 10 breads in the world

March 23, 2020 by
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Although I will happily eat a burnished baguette, a slice of sourdough, or a puffy pita, I'm a sucker for a pillowy, soft white sandwich bread. I'm sure everyone has their favorite bread, but few people are willing to state what they believe to be the top 10 breads in the entire world. But Tim Carman of The Washington Post… read more

Food news antipasto

March 22, 2020 by
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People are probably tired of hearing about the coronavirus, but the severe fallout keeps making headlines. One that might be interesting to our Members is that the sun may be setting on California's beloved Sunset Magazine. Due to a drop in advertising, the publication is laying off workers and its future is now in doubt. Restaurants around the world are… read more

Harbinger of the season

March 20, 2020 by
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Spring has sprung here in the northern latitudes, and signs of the season are literally popping up all over. Yesterday I went outside to enjoy a breath of fresh air, and while the air was still chilly, the sun shone brightly and small sprigs of green could be seen in a few spots in my garden. Approaching one of these… read more

Now is the time for complicated projects

March 20, 2020 by
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A great number of people who normally work in an office are currently working from home. Others are staying home for less fortunate reasons, such as layoffs and store closures. In both scenarios, a lot of us have a little extra time on our hands, and also could use a little positive distraction. Perhaps now is the time to jump… read more

How to support local businesses (including cookbook stores)

March 18, 2020 by
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The restaurant industry is reeling during this chaotic time. Also feeling the pinch are independent booksellers, many of which have been forced to close their doors as cities institute strict policies on which stores can remain open during the pandemic. Many stores and restaurants are shifting how they do business in order to stay afloat, as most of them operate… read more

Food websites offer free access

March 17, 2020 by
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As more and more of us are staying home due to the coronavirus outbreak, people will be reversing the trend of eating out and will be making their own meals. Some of us are more accustomed to doing a lot of cooking at home but others will struggle. And after a few days, even those of us who like cooking… read more

The best spring cookbooks according to Epicurious

March 16, 2020 by
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While Jenny provides us all with great reviews of upcoming books, she is only one person and can't possibly review every new volume that is hitting store shelves. To help fill the gaps, occasionally we report about other sites that also provide us with insight on upcoming releases. Today we'll take a look at what Epicurious thinks are the 55… read more

Food news antipasto

March 15, 2020 by
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This week's news cycle has been dominated by measures being taken by countries around the world to slow the spread of the coronavirus. If you are staying home to avoid contact with others, you might want to take note of the recent Salon article on how to use citrus peel scraps to make better cocktails. Resourcefulness rules during times like… read more

Celebrate Pi(e) Day

March 14, 2020 by
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Today is the perfect day for bakers to celebrate both pi and pie due to the natural synergy between the two. Bakers use pi when scaling pie and cake recipes to determine the proper pan size, and of course, they also love to make pie, whether filled with fruit, custard, meat, or vegetables. Pie is universally appealing to everyone from… read more

Coronavirus takes its toll on the food industry

March 13, 2020 by
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While people have wiped the shelves bare of toilet paper, the concern about the spread of coronavirus has affected other areas of the economy as well. Several restaurants, including NYC's Le Bernardin, San Francisco's La Taqueria, and dozens more have closed their doors for at least a couple of weeks. Alinea's Nick Kokonas explains how many restaurants are facing a… read more

Renowned chef Michel Roux dies at age 79

March 12, 2020 by
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Michel Roux, the famed French chef who along with his brother Albert revitalized fine dining in the UK, has died at the age of 79. The Roux brothers restaurants, Le Gavroche and The Waterside Inn, attracted Britain’s upper crust and provided a training ground for many of the country's top chefs, including Marco Pierre White, Gordon Ramsay and Marcus Wareing. Even though… read more

Buzz about the Great British Bake Off 2020

March 11, 2020 by
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I think we are all in need of some good news and something to look forward to, which is why I was excited to see a blurb about the Great British Bake Off in my news feed. In January we reported that GBBO host Sandi Toksvig was not going to be a co-host on the upcoming season of the show… read more

Jessica B. Harris receives JBF Lifetime Achievement Award

March 10, 2020 by
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Today the James Beard Foundation announced the recipient of its 2020 Lifetime Achievement Award, bestowing that honor on Jessica B. Harris. The award is given to those "whose body of work has had a positive and long-lasting impact on the way we eat, cook, and think about food in America". Harris is the author of twelve cookbooks documenting the foods… read more

Where there’s smoke…

March 9, 2020 by
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Plenty of recipe writers will tell you to make sure you don't heat an oil past its smoke point, or dire consequences will occur. This raises the dual questions of what kind of consequences and how bad are they? The answers are complex, says Becky Krystal at The Washington Post. She explains the ins and outs of smoke points in… read more

Food news antipasto

March 8, 2020 by
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Our first news nugget for this week falls under the 'beauty is in the eye of the beholder' department: Anna Sanders, a reporter for the New York Daily News has an unusual and interesting food-related hobby. She likes to paint portraits of bagels. Food & Wine recently caught up with Sanders to discuss her bagel art. We have some sad news… read more

Missed opportunities

March 7, 2020 by
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One evening several years ago, I was walking along Nicollet Avenue in Minneapolis and passed by the Dakota Jazz Club. There were a lot of people standing outside, and when I looked at the marquee, I understood why. Prince was playing that night. Amazingly, there were still tickets available, but they came with a steep price tag. I pondered the… read more

Diving into the deep end

March 6, 2020 by
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Ideas for quick, satisfying weeknight dinners are always welcome. When you've logged in a hard day at the office, in the field, or in the house, the last thing you want to do is tackle a recipe with a laundry list of ingredients, multiple complicated steps, and the potential for dirtying every saucepan and mixing bowl you have. However, on… read more

How to stock up for a quarantine

March 5, 2020 by
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Somtimes I discover information that, while practical, is something that I hope I will never have to use. Today is a case in point, and it surrounds the growing concerns over COVID-19. While it might be too soon to think about a potential quarantine, that hasn't stopped people from emptying store shelves of supplies like hand sanitizer and toilet paper.… read more

How the Sugarcraft Guild made an historic cake replica

March 4, 2020 by
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When then-Princess Elizabeth married Prince Philip in 1947, the entire world watched. The post-war euphoria, combined with a first-ever televised ceremony, created an atmosphere of celebration that reverberated around the globe. To honor the couple, bakeries from near and far sent cakes to London. One of the most elaborate came from the now-defunct Peek Freans biscuit company. As Gastro Obscura… read more

‘Classic Indian Cooking’ turns 40

March 3, 2020 by
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We live in what has been described as a golden age for cookbooks. There are thousands of cookbooks published each year, and of those thousands, hundreds are noteworthy. But will they still be discussed after forty years has passed? Only the best and brightest books can claim to be relevant and inspiring decades after their release. Julie Sahni's Classic Indian… read more
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