The Food Network is losing popularity

May 3, 2013 by
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The N.Y. Post published today some news that we thought our members would find interesting. According to recent ratings, the "Food Network shed 17 percent of its audience during the 12 months through April 30.  The average primetime show on the cable channel, which features such series as "Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives," slipped to 1.06 million." Also interesting, by contrast… read more

Beyonce and the $900 titanium straw

May 2, 2013 by
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It's well-known that touring artists often have very specific requirements for food, etc. in their touring contracts. And it's kind of fun to read them, if for nothing more than realizing what a fantasy world must be like. So when the Daily Meal published Beyonce's touring contract requirements, we paused to look them over. Essentially, as far as food goes,… read more

Is the Paleo Diet more than just nostalgia for the (very far) past?

April 29, 2013 by
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Most people interested in food-related matters are certainly aware by now of the Paleo Diet - but may not really understand it. This article from Epicurious, Scrutinizing the Paleo Diet,  presents a fair analysis of the pros and cons. It's actually a review of a new book,  Paleofantasy: What Evolution Really Tells Us about Sex, Diet, and How We Live… read more

The rebirth of 1970’s kitchen gadgets

April 28, 2013 by
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According the The Guardian, 1970s kitchen gadgets are making a comeback. And we must say, when they started listing the gadgets, we had to agree they're right. Among the ones they list are: Sodastream -  Jamie Oliver's recent tribute (along with Lorraine Pascale's), created an 85% sales increase for this gadget which allows you to easily add carbonation and flavors to… read more

Is cooking school worth it?

April 25, 2013 by
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One of the most prestigious culinary schools in the U.S. - the Culinary Institute of America or CIA - recently experienced a student revolt. About 20 percent of their bachelor candidates (4-year students) walked out to protest falling academic standards and extremely high tuition rates. Several factors led to the walkout: Declining admissions standards designed, according the students, to increase… read more

Dipping cookies makes them taste better

March 24, 2013 by
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NPR at The Salt recently asked one of the food world's most crucial question: Do Cookies Really Taste Better Dipped in Tea? This is the quandary no less an expert than Heston Blumenthal "recently set out to discover on his TV show, Heston's Fantastical Food. With the help of a high-tech gadget inserted up the nose, he found that a chocolate-covered… read more

Are you a supertaster?

March 19, 2013 by
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The Wall Street Journal has an interesting video that discusses the challenges facing  "supertasters."  A supertaster not only tastes things more intensely, they have stronger feelings about what foods they like and they don't like. And there are good reasons to determine if you are one - in fact, many supertasters may be at risk for certain illnesses like colon… read more

James Beard Finalists Announced

March 18, 2013 by
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The James Beard Foundation just announced its cookbook finalists for 2013. (For other awards, see our blog Cookbook award season is here!.) So who made the list? You can view the entire list here, but here are some of the more popular categories. First, however, are the two who won the most prestigious achievement awards: Humanitarian: Emeril Lagasse Lifetime Achievement:… read more

The new English diet craze vs. the Mediterranean diet craze

March 4, 2013 by
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It's always fun when themes develop in the food press because they can provide such interesting contrasts. For example, a few days ago, there was a lot of fuss about a new Spanish study, published in The New England Journal of Medicine, that claimed the Mediterranean Diet dramatically decreases the chance of heart disease. Lost in the clamor, however, were… read more

Four beer myths – Is Bud watered down? Does Bud have fewer calories than Guinness? And more…

March 1, 2013 by
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With St. Patrick's Day approaching, our thoughts are turning to beer. In particular, there has recently been a big fuss about Budweiser beer. A recent lawsuit alleged that Budweiser has been watering down its beer to save money. The suit says that the label on a can of Budweiser alleges a 5% alcohol content, when it is actually 4.7%. But… read more

Cookbook award season is here!

February 27, 2013 by
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Now that the Oscars are over we can turn our attention to cookbook award season. Two have already been announced, the Gourmand and the Food52 Piglet Contest, but the two most prestigious are coming up - the James Beard Foundation and the IACP. And the IACP is especially exciting. Below you'll see the list for the cookbook finalists, but first we wanted to… read more

An ironic viewpoint of the horsemeat scandal

February 26, 2013 by
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  We've been avoiding commenting on the horsemeat scandal. First, it's hard sitting in the U.S. to really judge how much of a problem this is (political hyperbole knows no geographic boundaries) and, second, the revelations never seem to stop. Somehow, though, when IKEA's iconic meatballs get involved, it seems futile to not at least recognize the situation. Given the… read more

Fish Wars

February 17, 2013 by
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NPR recently pursued an indepth investigation of the Marine Stewardship Council, an organization which certifies seafood as good for the environment. In their three-part series, Under the Label: Sustainable Seafood, NPR reports that  "as more retailers promise to sell only sustainable-labeled seafood, the program is certifying fisheries that don't deserve it." The MSC is a non-profit, non-government organization that provides a sustainable… read more

Is food more fashionable than fashion?

February 11, 2013 by
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Over at the Huffington Post, Martha Stewart reflects on the possibility that food may be the new fashion. As she writes in her introduction to Food is the New Fashion: "The notion that 'you are what you eat' extends beyond the virtues of a nutritious, well-balanced diet. These days, it often seems that you are what you purchase in the… read more

Borrow your seeds from the public library

February 6, 2013 by
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We assume since our members are avid cooks that many of you are also avid gardeners - the two often go hand-in-hand. And, at least up here in the cold environs, it's now the perfect time to plan a garden. So here's an idea that NPR recently reported about that struck us as a win-win idea. According to How To… read more

Are you a flexitarian?

February 1, 2013 by
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We like to stay current with food terminology, so the word "flexitarian" caught our eye. The Guardian has been concerned recently with defining vegetarianism and, in two recent articles, they do a good job of summing up the fluidity with which this term is being used. In a moderately light-hearted article, Flexitarianism: Isn't it just vegetarianism with cheating? they note that "Flexitarians… read more

We’re one of the 50 best global food websites!

January 31, 2013 by
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Today we'd like to take a time out and brag just a little. We're especially proud that The Times (London) has included EYB as one of the top 50 best global food websites. If you have a Times subscription, you can view the entire article here, but if you don't, we wanted to let you read the nice things they had… read more

Should restaurants ban taking food photos?

January 29, 2013 by
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There is a growing dispute engulfing the food world - should taking food photos in restaurants be banned (such photos are now known as "foodstagrams")? There are now multitudes of way to post photos immediately online,  and more and more restaurant diners are taking photos of their foods as the plates arrive. But, recently, some restaurants have banned the use… read more

Legally selling home-baked goods gains momentum

January 16, 2013 by
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The same California that made foie gras illegal has now enacted a cook-friendly law. As of January 1, it's legal to sell some food you make in your own kitchen. Per the San Francisco Chronicle's article, Selling home-baked goods now legalized, the California Homemade Food Act "allows producers of certain nonperishable foods, which don't require refrigeration, to forgo commercial kitchens and… read more

Can a new tech gadget solve your diet issues?

January 10, 2013 by
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We have to confess that we spend far too much time reading about the electronics trade show that happens every year in Las Vegas. It's addictive to read about all the nifty new gadgets. The problem is that it's usually hard to understand exactly what they're supposed to do. But there's one gadget this year that is very to understand… read more

Green smoothies are the newest fad

January 8, 2013 by
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This post is written for two very diverse audiences. First, and most importantly, we wanted to extend our best wishes to our Australian members who are suffering under an extreme and dangerous heat wave. We're sending cold thoughts your way. And second, we thought this was a timely issue for everyone who is dealing with the excesses of the holiday.… read more

Don’t throw out that food

January 7, 2013 by
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We're going to be a little contrarian today. There's been a lot of good, sound advice on the web about starting the new year on a strong foot, and some consistent recommendations are to clean out your pantry, refresh your spices, and organize your refrigerator. But in the midst of these suggestions we found this interesting note from NPR on… read more

Serve your hot chocolate in an orange cup for maximum flavor

January 4, 2013 by
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In December, we published a blog, Ten rules for the best-ever hot chocolate. Well it turns out there's an eleventh rule - serve it in an orange or cream-colored cup. According to an interesting scientific factoid going around the web this morning (we found it in numerous websites, from South Africa to England to the United States to Australia), and… read more

Debunking healthy food myths

January 3, 2013 by
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At the new year, some blog subjects appear frequently, with writers getting more and more outlandish. In particularly, postings wrap up the year just past, prognosticate for the future,  and/or encourage dieting and healthy eating. These can be fun topics, but in the latter area,  we prefer practical approaches (as Susie writes about in her latest posting, Resolution time again).… read more

Computers may help (replace?) chefs create new recipes

December 30, 2012 by
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We thought this article from NPR provides ample food for thought as we head into the new year. In Computers May Someday Beat Chefs at Creating Flavors We Crave, NPR profiles an IBM food-computer project, "Culinary creativity isn't just about coming up with something novel. Varshney and his colleagues are hoping to make a computer that will be able to… read more
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