Another cooking school bites the dust

December 17, 2017 by
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  It's been a rough few years for cooking schools in the U.S. Despite the glamorization of chefs, including many television shows and even a few movies, mainstream cooking schools have struggled to find students and several have shut down. In 2015, Le Cordon Bleu succumbed, and now we have learned that another school is closing. The latest casualty is… read more

Tips for your improving your holiday cookie tray

December 16, 2017 by
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  It's the home stretch for bakers intent on making holiday cookies. The recipes are printed or bookmarked, the ingredients are at hand, and now the fun can begin. Sometimes the fun turns to frustration, however, when doughs stick unexpectedly, gorgeous designs go cattywampus, and things that are supposed to be soft get crunchy and vice-versa.  We've lined up a… read more

Allegations against Johnny Iuzzini derail Great American Baking Show

December 15, 2017 by
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The 'Great American Baking Show', a spin off of the phenomenal hit series 'The Great British Bake Off', had just started its third season when news broke that one of the show's hosts, pastry chef Johnny Iuzzini, was facing allegations of sexual misconduct. When parent company ABC heard about the allegations, it pulled the remaining episodes of the show.  The… read more

Cook Book Stall in Philadelphia is closing

December 14, 2017 by
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Our list of favorite cookbook stores around the world is again getting shorter. The Cook Book Stall, which has been a fixture of Reading Terminal Market in Philadelphia for 35 years, is closing down on December 29. Current owner Jill Ross, who purchased the store from original owner Nancy Marcus, has helmed the spot for the past 15 years. While… read more

How to choose the ‘keeper’ cookbooks

December 13, 2017 by
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  Whenever you face cookbook overload - the shelves are bulging, and there is hardly any room left for even one volume - naturally, that means you will see several new 'must have' books. How do you decide which books are worth buying and taking up that precious real estate, or which of your current collection can be passed on… read more

Holiday cocktail ideas

December 12, 2017 by
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In the rush of holiday meal planning, it's easy to overlook the drinks. But having the right cocktail can make the dinner or brunch special, and Australian Gourmet Traveller has the goods, with a list of 20 Christmas cocktail ideas. The recipes range from traditional to contemporary.  On the traditional side you'll find champagne crustas, eggnog, sangria, and a Bajan… read more

Batali steps down following sexual harassment allegations

December 11, 2017 by
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  After reports that four women have accused the culinary megastar of sexual misconduct, Mario Batali announced that he would be stepping back from day-to-day operations of his restaurant ventures. ABC has also asked the chef to step away from the daytime talk showThe Chew, where Batali is one of the hosts. Three of Batali's accusers worked for the chef,… read more

Vanilla extract in an instant

December 10, 2017 by
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A couple of weeks ago we discussed vanilla in our Spice Support on baking spices. There was a blurb about a shortcut to homemade vanilla extract - and now we have details to go along with that blurb. The Kitchn recently posted a tutorial on how to make vanilla extract with an Instant Pot.  While traditional recipes require weeks or… read more

In praise of ugly food

December 9, 2017 by
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  If you spend any time on Instagram, you may start to feel a bit insecure about your cooking and baking. Impeccably staged, lushly lighted, stunning photographs featuring glistening vegetables, intricately decorated pie crusts, and artfully composed plates could make anyone eye their grilled cheese sandwich with disdain. But just because a dish is not gorgeous doesn't mean is not… read more

Neapolitan pizza-making achieves UNESCO World Heritage status

December 8, 2017 by
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Naples, the city where pizza was perfected, just received major recognition for its world-famous pies. UNESCO, the cultural arm of the United Nations, recently added pizzaiuolo -- the art of Neopolitan pizza-making  -- to its 'Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity'. More than two million people had signed a petition in support of the Italian city's bid for world… read more

‘Tis the season for gifts from the kitchen

December 7, 2017 by
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  Every year my holiday wish list gets smaller but my holiday treats list grows. I've come to enjoy making cookies, candies, and other non-food handmade items for friends and family. I know that they enjoy them too, because they save the tins for months and always manage to return them a couple of months prior to year's end. I… read more

The plating trend that some chefs find vexing

December 6, 2017 by
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  When you eat at a fine-dining establishment, it's become commonplate to find precisely arranged droplets of sauce or a discrete schmear of puree on your plate. The trend started many years ago and shows no signs of abating, but not everyone finds it pleasing, says Nina Martyris on NPR's 'The Salt'.  In an article titled 'Haute Dots of Sauce… read more

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s non-traditional wedding cake preference

December 5, 2017 by
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  With all of the negativity that seems to be invading my news feed these days, I must admit I am a sucker for food-related posts that lighten my mood. Today's winner in that regard was the announcement of the type of wedding cake that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are reportedly favoring.  Food and Wine reports that the royal… read more

How the Food Network went from low budget to high influence

December 4, 2017 by
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  It seems impossible to imagine cooking today without mentioning food television shows or chefs that rose to stardom cooking on TV. Yet it wasn't that long ago when the commercial food television industry was in its infancy. To be sure, there were shows on public television, but you could count food personalities on one hand. That all changed starting… read more

Holiday gifts from your favorite authors

December 3, 2017 by
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  Jenny has already provided some amazing lists of wonderul holiday gifts for cooks and cookbook lovers. In addition, we have a listing of sites featuring holiday hampers and gifts from the most popular chefs and cookbook authors around the world. Some of these items can be shipped and others need to be picked up in store. These gifts would… read more

The fascinating history of celery

December 2, 2017 by
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These days, about the only place you'll see celery being served is alongside Buffalo wings, in a Bloody Mary, or as part of a relish tray (where it will likely remain after all of the other vegetables are eaten). That wasn't always the case, says Heather Arndt Anderson. Beginning in the mid-1800s and continuing for almost 100 years, celery was… read more

Chocolatiers aim to make you rethink white chocolate

December 1, 2017 by
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  White chocolate is often derided as not being "real chocolate", and critics dismiss it as being one-dimensional and overly sweet. A growing number of chocolatiers are quietly changing that perception, one confection at a time, says food writer Simran Sethi, author of Bread, Wine, Chocolate: The Slow Loss of Foods We Love.  Most food historians agree that we can… read more

The most popular Christmas candy in each state

November 30, 2017 by
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I have to admit I'm a sucker for lists, so I was tickled when Jenny shared this with me: a listing of the top Christmas candy for each state in the US. I knew that people in the US have a sweet tooth, but was a bit taken aback that we will spend $1.93 billion USD on candy for the holiday… read more

Little steps helped accomplish a big dream

November 29, 2017 by
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Conventional wisdom says that if you want to publish a cookbook but don't have a huge Instagram following, own a wildly successful restaurant, or host a popular television cooking show, it's almost impossible to get taken seriously by agents and publishers. It's a good thing that Reem Kassis didn't believe in conventional wisdom, because she recently published a cookbook without… read more

Spice support: holiday baking spices

November 28, 2017 by
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  As they enter the holiday baking season, bakers the world over are assessing their pantries to make sure they have enough of the requisite spices and flavorings to complete their baking agendas. Vanilla, cinnamon, anise, nutmeg, cloves, allspice, cardamom and ginger form the backbone of flavor for many baked goods. We have already discussed cinnamon and cardamom in previous… read more

Le Chef releases its list of the top 100 chefs in the world

November 27, 2017 by
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  Yesterday, Le Chef magazine announced its annual compilation of the 100 best chefs in the world for 2018. Chef Michel Troisgros from Maison Troisgros restaurant in Ouches, France, was named as the  best chef in the world for 2018.  The list also includes names you know and might expect, like Alain Ducasse, René Redzepi, Massimo Bottura, Thomas Keller, Daniel Boulud, Corey Lee, and Grant… read more

‘Molto Mario’ returns for a limited run

November 26, 2017 by
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  It's been over ten years since Molto Mario last appeared on the Food Network, and twenty years since it debuted. Since 2005, when the show departed the airwaves Mario Batali has become busier and even more famous as co-host of The Chew and with several Eataly locations. Apparently he has a little room in his hectic schedule, however, as he… read more

You’ve never seen a gingerbread house like this

November 25, 2017 by
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I've posted some incredibly detailed gingerbread houses on this blog - one displayed at the White House in 2015, and last year a gingerbread dream house. Each time I think "how can anyone top that?" yet each subsequent baking season brings another show-stopping house. This year I may have found one that just cannot be outdone. It came to my… read more

Ways to use those Thanksgiving leftovers

November 24, 2017 by
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  Our non-U.S. members may be getting weary of our Thanksgiving posts, but it's hard to overlook the one holiday truly devoted to eating. This will be the final post of the year on Thanksgiving, to help out those (like me) who made too much - I mean, a generous amount of food yesterday. Marcus Samuelsson has a few ideas… read more

Australia’s best bakers weigh in on their favorite baking books

November 23, 2017 by
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When you walk into a bakery and see the rows of glistening pastries or perfectly browned breads, you might not think that the master bakers who created these lovely treats might have pored over the same baking books that sit on your cookbook shelves. But everyone has to start somewhere, and for many pastry chefs, that start came in the… read more
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