Celebrate National Book Lover’s Day

Today is a wonderful day: it's National Book Lovers Day in the U.S., and of course that extends to cookbooks as well. People have been sharing photos of their bookshelves, stacks of their favorite books, and (of course) of their pets "reading". A few fun facts about the history of books is in order (from the National Dy Calendar of Days website… read more

Don’t waffle about using this appliance

You might have a waffle iron languishing in the back of your cupboard that you dig out a few times a year to make waffles. But it doesn't have to be hidden away in between those Sunday brunches: there are gobs of recipes that make excellent use of the waffle iron. Epicurious has some great ideas on alternate uses for… read more

A guide to using peak summer tomatoes

The days here in the Northern Hemisphere are beginning to be noticeably shorter, yet the air is still thick and the temperatures scorching. This combination of events means that we have reached peak tomato season. If you are a procrastinator like me, you probably have not carefully organized all of the wonderful tomato recipes you came across during the dead… read more

Influential chef Joël Robuchon has died

We are saddened to report that pioneering French chef Joël Robuchon has died at age 73. Robuchon inspired and mentored countless chefs such as Gordon Ramsay and Éric Ripert. His lengthy career is noteworthy for many reasons, not the least of which is the record-breaking 32 Michelin stars he earned - the most awarded to any single chef.  Robuchon also received accolades from… read more

Anthony Bourdain’s recommended reading

Die-hard fans of Anthony Bourdain loved reading his books nearly as much as they loved watching his entertaining travel programs. It's sad to know that we'll never enjoy another Kitchen Confidential or Medium Raw. The next best thing might be to read books that he recommended. Now we can do just that, because the New York Public Library has compiled a list of… read more

The youngest winner ever for best baguette in Paris

As anyone who has struggled to bake a traditional French baguette at home knows, mastering the loaf is no easy task. Even if you've been making them for years, it is difficult to achieve the proper crust, crumb, and shape. That's why the person who took home France's 2018 Grand Prize for Best Parisian Baguette is especially impressive: he is only… read more

Gourmet Traveller Restaurant Awards finalists announced

Australian Gourmet Traveller magazine has just announced the finalists for its 2019 Restaurant Awards. Each year, the awards honor the best in Australian restaurants from wine lists to service to, of course, the food. As has been the case in recent years, several of the chef finalists have written highly-regarded cookbooks. Dan Hunter's phenomenal eatery Brae received a nomination for Best Regional… read more

How food emoji are born

According to Emojipedia, there are currently 97 emoji (aka emoticons) that are food- or drink-related. Most of us have probably used one while texting, whether to congratulate someone (clinking flutes, around since 2016) or to tell your partner what to bring home for dinner (pizza slice, available since 2010.) But have you ever wondered how the food emoji are chosen? You can… read more

The cheese made with a 70-year-old culture

Atlas Obscura, in addition to its sister site Gastro Obscura, continually unearths delightful oddities about food. EYB Member sir_ken_g tipped us off to a particularly interesting article about a canned cheese developed at the University of Washington that uses a secret culture that's over 70 years old. 'Why would you put cheese in a can?', you might wonder. The impetus… read more

The most popular cookbook for the year you were born

It's always fun to take trips down nostalgia lane, and especially so if the journey involves cookbooks. The folks at Delish have a treat for by way of a listing of the most popular US cookbook for the year you were born. The only caveat is that the detailed portion of the list only goes back to 1980; those of… read more

‘Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat’ headed to Netflix

EYB Members fell in love with Samin Nosrat's award-wining cookbook Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat. Netflix will air a four-part series that shares a title with the book. Like Netflix's other food-related programs, the show highlights food travel. Viewers will accompany Nosrat as she travels around the world to discover and examine delicious dishes.  On Instagram, Nosrat said about the show: "We've… read more

There’s no right way to use a cookbook

Last week we learned that Prime Minister Theresa May has a rather large cookbook collection, and that she liked to read cookbooks to unwind. I picture her, with myriad important decisions to make, taking a few minutes at the end of the day to open a cookbook and allow it to transport her to another place, free from the pressures… read more

Gordon Ramsay has a new show coming

National Geographic recently announced that chef Gordon Ramsay is scheduled to star in a new show called 'Gordon Ramsay: Uncharted'. The premise of the reality TV program seems like a mashup of 'Parts Unknown' and  'Throwdown With Bobby Flay.'  According to the Nat Geo press release, "Each episode of  UNCHARTED will include three key ingredients: unlocking a culture's culinary secrets through exploration and… read more

Why is it so hard to replicate brick oven pizzas?

Anyone who's enjoyed a pizza baked in a real wood-fired brick oven understands that something about this method of cooking makes the pizzas especially delicious. While dozens of pizza oven hacks are touted on websites, ranging from disabling self-cleaning oven safety latches (not recommended) to lining ovens with brick-like products, it's all but impossible to replicate the conditions of a… read more

Vivian Howard is moving to prime time

After five seasons on PBS, chef and author Vivian Howards 'A Chef's Life' is drawing to a close. The Emmy Award-winning program is going out with a bang, with a final episode called 'Harvest Special', which serves as a series epilogue, airing October 22. But the cancellation of 'A Chef's Life' is not the end of the story for Howard. A new… read more

What’s in a name, part deux: the French battle over chocolate pastries

For decades, a rural-vs-urban, south-vs-north debate has been raging. No, it isn't in a political dispute in the United States, but instead involves France and a specific chocolate pastry. Known as 'pain au chocolat' in most of France but especially in Paris, the laminated dough encasing chocolate bars is called 'chocolatine' in the southwest portion of the country. The debate… read more

Theresa May’s cookbook collection may surprise you

Many EYB Members read cookbooks as a way to wind down after a long day. If you are one of them, you share something in common with a head of state. Indexed blog Great British Chefs has reported that UK Prime Minister Theresa May has over 150 cookbooks in her collection, and she likes to read them to relax.  May… read more

Kitchen Arts & Letters has wowed cookbook lovers for 35 years

We love hearing positive stories about our favorite cookbook stores from around the world, which is why we were delighted to read a story by Julia Moskin about New York City's Kitchen Arts & Letters. The store, located on Manhattan's Upper East Side, has been provided professional chefs and home cooks alike with the best cookbooks for 35 years.  The… read more

Have cooking competition programs become too difficult?

There is no denying that competition cooking programs have changed in the years since Iron Chef debuted on Food Network nearly twenty years ago. While that show provided challenges for its competitors, the stakes have become increasingly elevated over the years. This intense pressure has a downside, says Nell Frizzell of The Guardian, who wonders whether these cooking competitions have become… read more

Los Angeles restaurant critic Jonathan Gold has died at age 57

The Los Angeles Times has reported that award-winning restaurant critic Jonathan Gold has died of pancreatic cancer. Gold wrote about the Los Angeles dining scene for over thirty years, earning numerous James Beard Awards and a Pulitzer Prize in the process. Many of his reviews were compiled into a book, Counter Intelligence: Where to Eat in the Real Los Angeles.… read more

Is there a downside to Cookbooktober?

Cookbook lovers look forward to the end of year, when the bulk of quality cookbooks hit the shelves in anticipation of the holiday seasons. October is the month with the most releases. In fact, there are two days in October that each have more cookbooks being released than the entire month of April, according to Matt Sartwell of NYC's Kitchen… read more

What’s in a name? The backlash against vegan ‘milk’, ‘meat,’ and ‘cheese’

To some people, allowing non-dairy beverages to use the word "milk" in their name is not a pressing issue. But to dairy farmers, it seems vitally important. So it's not a huge surprise the chief of the U.S. Food & Drug Administration recently announced that his agency will crack down on the use of the word "milk" to describe non-dairy… read more

Madeleine Kamman has died at age 88

We have just learned of the passing of Madeleine Kamman, a pioneering French chef, restaurateur, and mentor to hundreds of chefs. Kamman was born in Paris and started her culinary career in 1940 at her aunt's restaurant in the Touraine region of France. She moved to America with her husband in 1960, where she became a revered culinary instructor. She opened… read more

Celebrating another milestone

The EYB indexing team is always working diligently to make sure the best new releases are indexed as soon as they are published. Their hard work has allowed us to hit another milestone of 8,000 books indexed on EYB. What book was the 8,000th? How to Instant Pot by Daniel Shumski which has an  for our members to take a look at… read more

What James Beard had to say about onions

Onions are indispensable in my kitchen. I usually have at least two types on hand at any given moment (red and yellow) and frequently even more. They are essential to many dishes. I'm far from the only fan of onions, of course; they are favored by home cooks and chefs alike. One of the onion's biggest fans was James Beard,… read more
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