Controversial N.Y. Times critic speaks out

December 7, 2012 by
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A few weeks ago we, and most of the food world, noted that The New York Times food critic, Pete Wells, had written one of the snarkiest reviews ever about Guy Fieri's Manhattan restaurant. While everyone granted it was really funny, and no one actually  defended the restaurant (except for Fieri who responded with a media blitz), a consistent criticism leveled… read more

When should a chef give credit for a recipe idea?

December 5, 2012 by
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  Eater has an intriguing article, "Inspiration and Attribution in Cooking: How and When Should Chefs Credit Their Sources." Traditionally, the guideline was that any recipe had to be credited unless the chef had made three significant alterations in the recipe. But in these internet days, when recipes fly fast and furious, are there any guidelines left? And what are… read more

R.I.P. Twinkies, Ding Dongs, and Devil Dogs

November 16, 2012 by
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We'll admit that we haven't eaten a Twinkie or Ding Dong in far more years than is possible, but the fact that these iconic U.S. lunch box treats will no longer be available is worthy of notice. Due to a variety of factors Hostess, the company that makes these (and other baked goods like Wonder Bread) is liquidating. And for… read more

Surprising many, California defeated the GMO label requirement

November 9, 2012 by
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Before we move on to really serious matters - like does a turkey really need to be brined? - we did want to note one U.S. election result that impacts the world of food. In California, Proposition 37 was defeated fairly soundly. For those who were not aware of it, Prop. 37 required that any food that had been genetically… read more

The newest over-the-top foods at the state fairs

October 22, 2012 by
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As this article from Endless Simmer* warns, "Steel your arteries." They've compiled a list of the top 10 new foods from the state fairs. The intro states it all, "Well, in regards to ridiculous overloads of novelty foods, it's all downhill from here--state fair season is over for the year. We'll have to wait for months before a stream of… read more

Beatrix Potter’s recipe for gingerbread

September 28, 2012 by
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The kitchn has a whimsical article about the sale today of Beatrix Potter's personal recipe book. Just recently found, it has recipes for for sponge cake, roast turkey, curry, and gingerbread (no rabbit, however). The book is expected to sell for £200-£400. The publicists are allowing sites to reprint Potters's gingerbread recipe. We found the list of ingredients particularly fascinating, both for… read more

Porkolypse could be a tragedy of epic proportions

September 27, 2012 by
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Huff Post Food is reporting that, according to the U.K. National Pig Association, a global bacon shortage is unavoidable next year.  As the NPA website states: "New data shows the European Union pig herd is declining at a significant rate, and this is a trend that is being mirrored around the world. Pig farmers have been plunged into loss by… read more

Michael Ruhlman mulls over whether food writing is important

September 25, 2012 by
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Over at the HuffPost, Michael Ruhlman has a very thoughtful essay carrying on a discussion that should strike a chord with all our members. He simply asks "Is Food Writing Important?" We'll leave it to you to read his insightful comments, but couldn't help but reproduce the following - a mantra I believe we all can stand behind: "I dream… read more

A dream kitchen where money is truly no object

September 23, 2012 by
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The Guardian is profiling a new kitchen for the home that costs over 250,000 British pounds (over $350,000). So what do you get? "An arsenal of blast-chillers, sous-vide vacuum packers and ovens powered by computer hard drives."..."Cupboards, drawers and work surfaces are your own business, adding upwards of £100,000 for the best finishes, say designers." If you love molecular gastronomy,… read more

New Zealand has thrown down the cereal gauntlet

September 18, 2012 by
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Somehow in the excitement of the Olympics last month, we didn't notice that 648 New Zealand school children honored their Olympic team by tackling a special challenge. 648 children, along with their teachers, ate more than 300 boxes of  Weet-Bix cereal, soaked with 106 gallons of milk, thereby earning the world record for most cold breakfast cereal consumed. (Weet-Bix, for those of you… read more

Rhubarbgate & the great caviar heist

September 13, 2012 by
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Well we've tried to stay above the political fray, but this story by Marian Burros Food Fight: Current And Former White House Chefs Dish On Their Presidential Service, was just too good to pass up. Burros writes about a panel presentation given by former White House chefs at the Association of Food Journalists. Some of the chefs were notably discrete and… read more

A Stanford Univ. study finds no advantage in organic

September 4, 2012 by
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The New York Times  today is reporting the results of a mega-study conducted by Stanford University on organic produce and meats, looking at four decades of results. The over-all study concluded "that fruits and vegetables labeled organic were, on average, no more nutritious than their conventional counterparts, which tend to be far less expensive. Nor were they any less likely… read more

54 winning healthy lunchtime entries from kids

August 30, 2012 by
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Sometime ago Epicurious announced The Healthy Lunchtime Challenge. They asked kids between the ages of 8 and 12 to submit healthy lunchtime dishes. They received over 1,200 entries and a distinguished judging panel chose a winning entry from each state and territory. Last Monday, the winners were hosted by Michelle Obama for a "Kids' State Dinner" (actually lunch).  This was… read more

The question, Is there too much food television? has elicited some controversy

August 17, 2012 by
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Over at EATER, they asked five chefs, "Is There Too Much Television?" In general, the answer was yes, even from those on television. Per Andrew Zimmern, "I will say that a lot of producers are making shows where people who have no understanding of food culture are talking about food in terms that misguide the public." Christina Tosi at Momofuku Milk… read more

Is milk bad for you?

July 17, 2012 by
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In a New York Times column, "Got Milk? You Don't Need It" Mark Bittman recently attacked the premise that drinking milk is healthy. After suffering a lifetime of acid reflux and heartburn, Bittman cured his problem in just 24 hours by going off dairy products. But Bittman doesn't just argue against dairy consumption by those who have heartburn. He goes… read more

Top chefs say that sometimes supermarket brands are best

July 3, 2012 by
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The New York Times has a recent article, 'When Local Sourcing Means Aisle 12' that helps bring some perspective to the constant media drumbeat to buy all local, all organic, all farmers' market, all the time. They interviewed a variety of well-known chefs who each confessed to sometimes just needing, wanting, or indulging in a good old-fashioned supermarket item. As… read more

Love Whole Foods or loathe it?

July 2, 2012 by
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Over at Food Republic they've reprinted an essay from the New Yorker, How Whole Foods Created A New Breed of Shopper. As Tom Roston writes,  "In my darker moments, I imagine what it might be like to live through an alien invasion. I'm not a War of the Worlds, death-and-destruction kind of guy; I am more prone to creepier visions of the Invasion… read more

When mold on food is OK

June 29, 2012 by
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We all have had that disconcerting moment - there's a bit of mold on a food item that, ordinarily, we'd be reluctant to toss. What to do...? In this article on the HuffPost, 4 Moldy Foods You Can Eat (Plus Which Foods to Toss), EatingWell gives some useful advice - we found it both interesting and ironic that you can keep… read more

The latest food crazes

June 22, 2012 by
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One of the joys of being part of the EYB community is the ability to stay on top of the latest food crazes and making a game of guessing just how lasting they may be. After all (at the risk of showing our age) we remember when extra virgin olive oil and real Parmigiano Reggiano were considered off-the-wall items. And… read more

New healthy food app for kids gets over 1 million downloads

June 6, 2012 by
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As anyone with an iPhone or iPad knows, the number of available apps is staggering. So when one breaks through, it receives a lot of publicity. And recently we noticed one app that's creating quite a stir and earning rave reviews. Designed by the Fun Machine in coordination with Whole Kids, (the Whole Foods' foundation that encourages healthy eating in… read more

Don’t feel bad about hating cilantro

June 6, 2012 by
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Do you really dislike cilantro, or know of someone who does? Cilantro seems to be increasingly popular in today's recipes, not only in Tex-Mex food, but expanding across all cultural boundaries. In fact, many people love it so much they routinely substitute cilantro for parsley. Yet some people truly dislike cilantro - claiming it tastes of soap and worse. The… read more

Does drinking more coffee really make you live longer?

May 22, 2012 by
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Atlantic Magazine reports that "According to research published in the  New England Journal of Medicine, people who drank four or five cups of coffee a day tended to live longer than those who drank only a cup or less. The benefit was more pronounced for women, but men also stand to gain somewhat from pounding joe." The ideal amount appeared… read more

Two chefs ignore lofty food goals in favor of brilliant food

May 22, 2012 by
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The New York Times has a thought-provoking article interviewing two famous chefs - Thomas Keller and Andoni Luis Aduriz of Spain. In the article, For Them a Great Meal Tops Good Intentions, both push aside the social idea of social responsibility that many chefs (Alice Waters leading the field) regard as their raison d'être. As these two argue: "Supporting local agriculture and food… read more

Food Blogger Controversy: A Follow-up

May 17, 2012 by
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We recently took notice of a blog on the IACP site attacking food bloggers, (see our blog, Should amateur food bloggers be paid to develop recipes?) and the web has energetically picked up the argument. We wanted to follow up with a couple of items. First, the IACP has weighed in now with their entry, A Brief Bit of Context… read more

Should “amateur” food bloggers be paid to develop recipes?

May 16, 2012 by
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In an opinion column called "Faking It" at the IACP* site, Amy Reiley has stirred up quite a hornet's nest. Apparently she was unaware until the last IACP conference that, "major as well as small, well-respected organizations in the culinary business (like Kraft, the Got Milk? campaign, Kitchenaid, etc.) are contacting high profile food and lifestyle bloggers to endorse products,… read more
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