John deBary on the most underrated cocktail

Almost no one has been as steeped in the world of cocktails as John deBary. With law school as his goal, he landed what was supposed to be a temporary job at Jim Meehan's famed NYC bar, PDT, in 2008 during the cocktail revival. He got hooked on mixology, ditched his law school plans, and went on to be the… read more

Quick Bites – Denise Vivaldo

A seasoned food professional with over 30 years of experience, Denise Vivaldo has catered more than 10,000 parties and has cooked for such guests as George H.W. Bush, Ronald Reagan, Prince Charles, Bette Midler, Suzanne Somers, Merv Griffin, Cher, Aaron Spelling, Sly Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Maria Shriver. She began her culinary training at the Ritz Escoffier and La Varenne… read more

Quick Bites – Cathy Barrow

Cathy Barrow is an award-winning author, knitter, traveler, cook, teacher, and gardener. Published in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Serious Eats, Food52, The Local Palate, Garden & Gun, Southern Living, NPR, and National Geographic, Cathy believes in the power of home cooking and the stories that connect us to food, culture, home, friends, and family. Her first cookbook,… read more

Quick Bites: Melissa Clark

While I finish up a special giveaway celebrating Melissa Clark's new title Dinner in French: My Recipes by Way of France along with a Dutch oven from LeCreuset (see below), I thought it would be the perfect time to share our latest Quite Bites featuring Melissa. Melissa Clark is a food columnist for the New York Times Food Section, where… read more

Jessica B. Harris receives JBF Lifetime Achievement Award

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

Quick Bites: Kat Kinsman

People who love food are the best people. I enjoy learning more about my favorite cookbook authors, food writers, and bloggers and hope you do as well. Every few weeks, I will share a new article under the tag #QuickBites. Upcoming columns will feature: Melissa Clark and Paula Forbes. Two years ago at the IACP conference in New York, I… read more

Meet India’s ‘Pickle Queen’

Most self-published books are vanity projects and their print runs and sales are usually miniscule. Sometimes, however, one will break the mold and become a cult classic or even, in rare cases, a bestseller. That is part of the story behind Usha's Pickle Digest: The Perfect Pickle Recipe Book by Usha R. Prabakaran - but the self-publishing success is only… read more

How the food writing landscape is changing

When Ruth Reichl was a restaurant critic back for The New York Times in the 1990s, she shook up the staid profession by visiting restaurants in disguise and offering rave reviews for eateries that fell outside the traditional upscale French places that were the norm. Soleil Ho, restaurant critic for the San Francisco Chronicle, is also making her mark known.… read more

The Last Course – Giveaway & Interview

In 2001, Claudia Fleming's The Last Course: The Desserts of Gramercy Tavern was published by Random House. It wasn't long before the brilliance of this cookbook was spread far and wide. For at least a decade, book sleuths have searched library sales, thrift stores, and used bookstores in the hopes of coming across a copy for a bargain. The price… 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

Cookbook writing is not the path to riches

“Nobody wants to talk about how hard it is to get by as a writer.” This is part of what bakery owner and bestselling author Alison Robicelli explains to The New York Times about writing a cookbook. Robicelli and other authors recount tales of publishers approaching them with offers that included no advance, no budget for food, and no funds… read more

How authors got their cookbook deals

The publishing world is a murky and Byzantine industry to outsiders (and frankly, to insiders as well). Learning the ins and outs of the business can take years, which is why it is so difficult for aspiring authors to get published. Recently Eater talked to three different cookbook authors - Molly Yeh, Von Diaz, and Priya Krishna - to ask… read more

Family by Hetty McKinnon & John Boos Fusion Board Promotion

Hetty McKinnon's books are always beautiful, inspiring and approachable. Her latest, Family: New Vegetarian Comfort Food to Nourish Every Day, is no exception. Filled with nearly 200 recipes and countless stunning photographs, this is a book to savor and use repeatedly.    The most amazing feature of this book is the "Family Story" essays shared along with recipes from individuals that… read more

Let Me Feed You – Author Interview and Cookbook/Le Creuset Giveaway

Feeding people is one of the major reasons I love cooking. Besides expressing creativity and providing nourishment, I cook and bake to show people I care for them. Rosie Daykin's latest cookbook, Let Me Feed You: Everyday Recipes Offering the Comfort of Home hits a cord in me. The author's need to take care of others through food is reflected in the… read more

Bake – Rory MacDonald – Author Interview and Giveaway

Rory Macdonald's debut cookbook Bake: Breads, Cakes, Croissants, Kouign Amanns, Macarons, Scones, Tarts is a baker's dream. The cover is brilliant: "bake" and a listing of those delights you will find inside, and the content is thoughtful, beautifully photographed and detailed.  Rory is the creator of Chanson & The Dessert Bar in New York City and was voted one of the top… read more

Dishing with Darina Allen

On Sunday (St. Patrick's Day) I shared a giveaway and special promotion for Darina Allen's latest cookbook, Simply Delicious: The Classic Collection: 100 Timeless Tried & Tested Recipes. Darina runs the world-renowned cooking school at Ballymaloe in County Cork, Ireland. She founded the school with her brother, Rory O'Connell in 1983 and since then has authored many cookery books. Besides running the school with her… read more

The New Pie – Interview with Chris Taylor and Paul Arguin

Baking cookbooks, watching others bake and the act of baking, brings me joy.  Cooking is a passion, but one borne out of necessity and love. It makes me happy to share my food with others, but baking is therapeutic for me. The excitement of a new baking book opens a whole new world of possibilities.  In 2017, I read about the award-winning… read more

Comfort: Food to Soothe the Soul

Like most bakers, I am a huge fan of The Great British Bake Off and so much so that I must have all the  cookbooks released by the contestants. One of my favorite contestants is John Whaite who won the coveted cake plate in 2012, Season 3 of the show.  Comfort: Food to Soothe the Soul is John's latest title and… read more

Levant by Rawia Bishara

Levant: New Middle Eastern Flavours by Rawia Bishara pays tribute to the cuisine that has blossomed from the wall flower of global cuisine to one whose dance card is filled. Rawia is also the author of Olives, Lemons & Za'atar and owner of Brooklyn's Tanoreen restaurant who believes one of the greatest assets of Middle Eastern cuisine is its inherent fluidity,… read more

Edward Lee’s unlikely journey

Edward Lee is a multiple James Beard award nominee, chef/owner of several restaurants in Louisville, Kentucky, and has been on both "Top Chef" and "The Mind of a Chef." His first cookbook, Smoke & Pickles: Recipes and Stories from a New Southern Kitchen, was an EYB Pick and has received a four star rating from EYB Members. Lee has just released… read more

The truth comes out of the oven

I love to bake, but I consider myself a dilletante when it comes to this hobby of mine. I flit about from cakes to pies to laminated doughs and various types of breads, never spending too much time on any one of them. Since I have a 9-to-5 office job, I haven't dedicated myself to the craft, although I greatly… read more

Rediscovering Russian cuisine

  When you say the words 'Russian food', most people immediately think of borscht, beef Stroganoff, or possibly golubtsi. Many dishes everyone believes are classic Russian foods are not, in fact, Russian, according to Maksim Syrnikov. He has spent over twenty years researching pre-Soviet Russian foods, writing several (Russian language) cookbooks in the process. Syrnikov is a man on a… read more

Retro cookbooks on the rise

  Remember the old saying that 'there's nothing new under the sun'? That applies to just about every aspect of life, including, as it turns out, cookbooks. Perhaps it started with the classic cocktail revival or maybe they grew together, but whatever the reason, cookbooks that revisit classic recipes are on the rise.  Dishes that were popular as far back… read more

Shaya by Alon Shaya

The moment I received Shaya: An Odyssey of Food, My Journey Back to Israel by Alon Shaya I posted on social media that our beloved, member favorite Ottolenghi might have some strong competition for best book of 2018.  In the cookbook reviewing world, I struggle every day with adequate descriptions in my writing - beautiful, stunning, gorgeous, inspiring - are overused (not to… read more

A cook and a book

  Members of cookbook clubs like the EYB Cookbook Club are used to working their way through cookbooks, asking others for advice, and offering their own. It's a great place learn how to decipher what a cookbook author means, or expound on changes that worked out better than the original text.  If there is anything better than learning from your… read more
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