Indian cooks embrace the Instant Pot

While Instant Pots and their clones have become a phenomenon in the US, Canada, and beyond, most people who have purchased one were not already owners of a stovetop pressure cooker. Or perhaps they had one, but rarely used it because it was intimidating (I will include myself in the latter category). Stovetop pressure cooker recipes were just not that… read more

The ins and outs of recipe development

We all love the cookbooks, magazines, and websites that contain the recipes that we eagerly read, aspire to, make, and enjoy. The sheer volume of recipes easily available to us is staggering, but have you ever wondered what goes into the developing a really great recipe? Christine Gallary did, and experienced the ins and outs of recipe development during a… read more

The great brownie debate: cakey or fudgy

There is an ongoing and heated debate that divides people into two camps. No, I'm not talking about politics; this debate is between those who prefer their brownies to be cake-like and those who feel that fudgy brownies are the best. Have you ever wondered just what makes a particular brownie come out either cakey or fudgy? Fine Cooking has… read more

Everything you need to know about molasses

Nothing can replicate the rich, complex flavor of molasses. It's essential to gingerbread and, as a component of brown sugar, adds its subtle bitter and roasted caramel notes to many baked goods. There are several types of molasses available so it can be confusing to know which one is right for which recipe, but Southern Living Magazine sets us straight… read more

Thanksgiving recipes are delicious throughout the fall season

Monday marks Canadian Thanksgiving, and the US holiday is right on its heels, landing on November 22. That means it is time to gather the family favorites as well as check out new items to try for this year's feast. Whether you are looking for last minute ideas before the big day or are a meticulous planner who likes to… read more

How to make ingredient substitutions that work

Have you ever read a comment on an online recipe that made you shake your head? The ones that get me are those where the person gives the recipe a bad review, but notes in the comments that he or she substituted one of the main ingredients with something that (in my mind) would obviously not work for the type… read more

Have you thrown any cocktails lately?

There are few things more satisfying to a cocktail aficionado than the sound of a drink being shaken over ice. Shaking cocktails is a time-honored tradition, but there is another way to mix drinks that predates this method. It's called throwing cocktails, and bartenders across the US are beginning to embrace it.  When I first heard the term, I envisioned… read more

An unsung winner works to rebuild her success

If you have ever had dreams about participating in and eventually winning a reality cooking show but never made it past the application stage, you understand disappointment. But your chagrin at not making the grade likely pales in comparison to that of Vallery Lomas. She won a televised cooking competition, but no one was ever allowed to see it. Lomas… read more

Change is coming to the Beard Awards

"If every restaurant team had an equal number of men and women, what effect would that have on the work environment? On the service? On the food? What if racial equity were the norm in kitchens and dining rooms across the country?" Those are the questions posed today by the James Beard Foundation in a blog post announcing changes to… read more

Perfect your butter-basting technique

Have you ever watched professional chefs on a cooking show cooking a piece of meat in a skillet, scooping liquid from the pan in deft strokes and pouring it over the steak or chop? This technique, called butter basting, is beloved by many chefs. Although it requires a bit more finesse than some other techniques, Daniel Gritzer shows us how… read more

Classics are classics for a reason

While I find it exciting to challenge myself by trying new recipes, sometimes I just want the old 'tried and true' dishes. Whether it's because I am tired at the end of the day, I don't feel well, or because something reminds me of a favorite treat, I will defer to a classic recipe over a novel one.  Classics have… read more

Bring the flavors of fall into your cocktails

Fall has begun in earnest in many parts of the Northern Hemisphere, with crisp morning temperatures, crystal clear days, and gorgeous displays of color. Along with the change of the season comes a change in foods, with warm comforting items taking center stage. In addition to entrees, appetizers, and desserts, the flavors of fall can be extended to cocktails too.… read more

You might just flip for these pancakes

Pancakes have been a breakfast staple for centuries. Over the years regional specialties emerged, but restaurants have tended to go for the standard buttermilk pancake topped with syrup or fruit. As Bon Appétit reports, today restaurants are venturing into new territory by making pancakes with diverse ingredients such as alternative grains, coffee flour, and sourdough.  Chef Jason Wilson, of The Lakehouse in Bellevue,… read more

Do you wear an apron in the kitchen?

In addition to cookbooks, I have other kitchen obsessions: Bundt pans, ramekins, vintage food tins - and aprons. Ever since I was given an apron for my college graduation (along with a copy of Joy of Cooking), I've been hooked on having aprons on hand to keep my clothes from being splattered.  As much as I adore my beautiful and… read more

Political turmoil can follow you into the kitchen

It seems there is no escaping politics in today's world. Even if you try to escape by retreating into the kitchen to do some cooking and baking, political issues can still creep in. Food and agriculture are playing huge roles in global trade disputes, which show no signs of relenting.  The argument over a revision of NAFTA, the free-trade agreement… read more

An ode to the public library

While I have a decent-sized cookbook collection, I realize that I simply cannot have every new cookbook that catches my eye, nor can I collect every worthy classic. There is only so much shelf space and budget available, even though Jenny's monthly review always tempt me. However, I have a way to deal with this situation: visit my local library. … read more

It only takes one recipe

Everyone has a food that he or she just doesn't like. Many times the dislike reaches all the way back into the person's childhood. However, these preferences are not carved into stone, and you can turn from someone who despises a certain food into a person who really enjoys eating it. Sometimes all it takes is one recipe to bridge… read more

Take a trip to the ranch

Few things fascinate me as much as food history. It's always interesting to find out the origins of food, and usually the stories say as much about the people as they do the foodstuff themselves. Julia Moskin recently dived deep into the history of an iconic American food: ranch dressing. Unlike many other foods, the history of ranch dressing isn't… read more

Good Eats: Reloaded heading to Cooking Channel

Alton Brown provided his fans with a bit of good news earlier this week, when he posted a status update about Good Eats to his Facebook page. In it, he announced that he's "revisiting the Good Eats library and renovating some classic episodes by adding new scenes, new science and new recipes." The first revamped episode of what is being… read more

Bonnie Benwick on downsizing a kitchen

There are many reasons that people downsize their homes, the most obvious being retirement or divorce. If you have a kitchen filled with gadgets and cookware (not to mention a study stuffed with cookbooks), the thought of moving to a much smaller place might give you cold chills. But getting rid of things isn't always bad, as food writer Bonnie… read more

Nigel Slater reminisces about ‘How to Eat’

Some cookbooks age much better than others. After a couple of decades, what's left of the 'unicorn food' books are going to littering vintage shops, with shoppers making snide comments about how silly people were back in the teens. Other volumes, however, have timeless appeal. When you are lucky enough to find a copy in the resale store, it will… read more

Use your instant read thermometer for more than just meat

If you have an instant read thermometer, there's a high likelihood that you purchased for its speed and accuracy when measuring the temperature of large cuts of meat like steaks, whole chicken, roasts, and chops. However, the uses for this nifty device don't end there, as The Washington Post explains. It's also handy for many other foods, too.  Delicate items… read more

Cooking Light ends subscription print publication

Over the course of my cooking career I have subscribed to many different food magazines: Bon Appetit, Gourmet, Saveur, and Cooking Light to name just a few. In the past few years, these elder statesmen of culinary journalism have faced the mounting pressures that are devastating most of the print magazine industry. Gourmet was the first to succumb, folding in… read more

Check out the new ‘Cookbook Love’ podcast

Although the traffic is terrible, the worst part of my long daily commute is that it wastes time that I could be spending reading cookbooks. Until now, there has not been much to fill that time that is even cookbook-related. But a new podcast called Cookbook Love is changing that. CookBook Love was started by author, editor, and coach Maggie… read more

Is Food Network bringing sexy back?

Food Network and People Magazine are teaming up to redefine the phrase "it's so hot in the kitchen". They are set to produce a new one hour special which will bring together ten of "the country's most beautiful and talented male chefs" for a competition to determine who is the sexiest chef alive.  The hour-long program, which will be broadcast on… read more
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