Reheating with ‘art and discernment’

Following holidays that traditionally feature a large feast, we frequently include a post on what to do with the leftovers. (See this article and this one for two examples.) Making meals with leftover food is, of course, not a new concept, but there is a fascinating history of the practice in France. In fact, in the late 1800s, French chefs… read more

How famous artists would plate Thanksgiving dinner

We want to wish all of our US Members a Happy Thanksgiving. The crazy weather in many parts of the country has fouled up travels plans and caused flight delays, so if you are holed up in an airport waiting for a storm to pass, here is a little something to distract you from your dilemma: two slideshows on how… read more

Chef Gary Rhodes has died at 59

We were shocked and saddened to learn that television host and chef Gary Rhodes, one of Britain's best-loved Michelin-starred chefs, died suddenly at the age of 59. Rhodes presented TV shows including MasterChef, MasterChef USA and his own series, Rhodes Around Britain. He was awarded an OBE in 2006. While not the first TV chef, he was undoubtedly one of the… read more

Relax, you’ve got this

My Twitter feed is nearly 24/7 Thanksgiving prep at this point. It's been building over the past couple of weeks in the lead-up to the biggest food holiday in the US. Usually on the Tuesday evening before Thanksgiving I would be elbow-deep in turkey (literally, to season it for dry brining), finishing the make-ahead gravy, making pie crusts, and performing… read more

Airbnb’s new service is aimed at food lovers

Millions of people use Airbnb's services to secure vacation getaways, unique places to stay for business trips, and even places to host parties. Now we have learned about another experience offered by the company that will pique the interest of food lovers around the world. Airbnb is launching a new category simply named “Cooking,” which allows users to book cooking classes taught… read more

Food news antipasto

Let's start this week's installment off with something that definitely fits the 'quirky' food news category, about a Canadian bartender's dying wish. You might expect that it would be to meet an icon in the field or to serve a drink to someone famous. Not even close. The real truth is so absurd that I doubt you could guess it… read more

Lamenting the loss of recipe cards

At one time, the recipe box was a standard fixture in almost every household. Women kept the boxes, filled with family recipes and perhaps clippings from a newspaper or magazine, close at hand and used them often to help create family meals. With the internet, there is virtually no need for such an item, and it appears as though the… read more

Holiday gifts from your favorite authors

Jenny has already provided her comprehensive lists of holiday gifts for cooks and cookbook lovers. In addition, we have compiled a list featuring holiday hampers and more from popular chefs and cookbook authors around the world. Many of these sites have sales going on now just in time for the holidays.  These gifts would be a delight for any food or… read more

The secret origins of some popular foods

What do banana bread, artichoke dip, and Rice Krispies treats have in common? Besides being delicious, the three food items share a common theme in their origins: they were each created to help sell a product. Taste of Home tells the story of these and other favorite dishes that were all concocted by marketers. It's difficult to believe that something… read more

Get ready for Thanksgiving

If you are celebrating Thanksgiving next week (yes, it's only a week away!), we hope you are using EYB to find and bookmark recipes and make your shopping lists. For a big meal like this, however, sometimes you need more than just recipes, you need assistance with the whole package: decor, timelines, and tips on how to make certain items.… read more

Bean cuisine: how to make the most of dried beans

Back when I was a budding vegetarian, I picked up a copy of the cookbook Bean Cuisine so I could prepare the healthy and delicious legumes and beans that are staples of a well-rounded meatless diet. The recipes were...let's just say underwhelming. Part of this was due to my inexperience as a cook (at 20 years old I was hardly… read more

Who invented the everything bagel?

The seed and spice blend that tops the everything bagel has taken on a life of its own. You can find it at Trader Joe's and in tons of recipes that in no way resemble a bagel. Inquiring minds may wonder who was the genius who invented the everything bagel? Since it has only been around for a few decades,… read more

Food news antipasto

For generations, cooks have relied on the pumpkin pie recipe printed on Libby's pumpkin label for their holiday pies. The recipe dates back to the 1950s, and has remained unchanged until this year. Libby isn't saying what prompted this departure, but the new recipe uses another ingredient produced by Nestlé, the brand's parent company: sweetened condensed milk is in the… read more

Ideas for wrapping edible gifts

From quick breads to savory breads to cookies to candies, edible gifts are a wonderful way to make something from the heart for the holidays (plus they make the perfect hostess present). Most of us have our go-to recipes for this, whether it's a cherished family heirloom or something we spied on the internet. What we may not have are… read more

Changes coming to Chicago’s Read It & Eat

We were delighted to profile Chicago cookbook store Read It & Eat when it opened its doors for business in 2015. Owner Esther Dairiam discussed the many events held at the store, located at 2142 N. Halsted in the Lincoln Park neighborhood. Today we learned about new developments at Read It & Eat. In a news release, Dairiam announced that the… read more

The ultimate Thanksgiving recipe finder

About this time each year I come across several posts for a food site's new and/or improved holiday recipe finder. Each is organized a little differently, but the premise is the same: use your preferences, whether ingredient or nutrition or type of dish, and the magic of the "finder" will return the perfect recipe to you. This year is no… read more

Kylie Kwong writes her next chapter

Earlier this year renowned Australian chef Kylie Kwong saddened diners when she shuttered her Sydney restaurant Billy Kwong after 19 years. At the time Kwong was mum about her next project, but she's finally broken her silence. Australian Gourmet Traveller reports on where Kwong is headed in 2020. The chef has announced that she will open a eatery in South… read more

Sweet contemplation

Today was a tough day. An arctic cold front bullied its way into the area with blustery winds, a long commute jangled my nerves, several tedious projects confronted me as soon I as entered the office, and the sky turned dark far too soon. When I finally returned home I decided to treat myself to something indulgent. In defiance of… read more

Spice Support: Bell’s Seasoning

With Thanksgiving and other holidays just around the corner, it's fitting that today's Spice Support column focuses on a seasoning that is perfect for poultry. Bell's Seasoning has been a staple of northeastern US cooking for well over 100 years, although it is not well known outside of that area. If you haven't heard of it, Leite's Culinaria dives deep… read more

Food news antipasto

Don't you hate it when lemon pips escape into whatever you are cooking or baking? A solution to this age-old problem is around the corner. Food & Wine reports that Wonderful Company (the company behind POM Wonderful Juices & Wonderful Pistachios) has developed a commercial seedless lemon variety, available in US stores starting this month. While seedless lemons themselves are… read more

How much juice in a lemon?

As a baker, I am accustomed to precise recipe measurements. The difference between one and two teaspoons of baking soda in a cake can have significant impacts on the finished dish. Cooking, on the other hand, is generally more forgiving, although that is only true to a point. Having too much onion or lemon juice can alter the outcome of… read more

Vegans often face a backlash – but why?

I worked in an office of approximately 150 people where only one person was a vegan. I'm certain he felt excluded when we would gather to celebrate birthdays or have office holiday parties because nearly everything that was served at these get-togethers had dairy (or less often, meat) in it, from the doughnuts to the cakes and cookies to the… read more

Joanna Gaines’ second cookbook available for preorder

To say that Magnolia Table, the debut cookbook from HGTV star Joanna Gaines, was a smash is an understatement. The book was #2 on the list of bestselling books following its release - not just on the list of cookery books, but of all books (it was second only to Michelle Obama's memoir). In June, Joanna teased fans with an… read more

Bourdain’s belongings fetch high prices at auction

A few months ago we reported that many of Anthony Bourdain's belongings were headed to auction as a fundraiser to benefit his daughter. The auction ended in late October, and bids on most of the items far exceeded their initial estimates. You can see how much each item sold for on the iGavel website. The most expensive item was Bourdain's… read more

Russ Parsons gives away even more cookbooks

A little over three years ago, we reported that food writer Russ Parsons planned to donate his extensive cookbook collection to the Long Beach Public Library. As you might expect, Parsons collected a lot of cookbooks over his 30 year career. “Getting rid of some of those cookbooks seemed like a good start to my transition. Like shedding an old… read more
Seen anything interesting? Let us know & we'll share it!