Ottolenghi on his new book…and the next one

The NY Times recently spent a busy morning with Yotam Ottolenghi, cookbook author extraordinaire, to discuss his latest cookbook, among other topics. As you might expect, the exuberant chef is seldom still. Being a restaurateur is no easy task in itself, but he's also a father to two young boys and still finds time to write a newspaper column and,… read more

Bourdain brings his travels home

Author and television host Anthony Bourdain has finally unveiled the plans for a retail food market that will be located on a pier in New York City. Rumors have been swirling for months that Bourdain, host of culinary travel shows like No Reservations and Parts Unkown, was planning such a venture. Now he has confirmed that he and his partners… read more

An interview with cookbook editor Judith Jones

The term 'living legend' gets used more often than it should, but in the world of cookbook publishing, Judith Jones deserves the title. She has edited cookbooks from culinary giants like Julia Child and Claudia Roden, as well as other prominent writers. Eater recently sat down with Jones to discuss her storied editing career and more. Jones never set out to be a cookbook editor.… read more

Jaques Pepin heading to the open seas

If you have considered taking a food cruise, you may want to mark your calendar for November 1, 2016, when Jacques Pépin will be aboard Oceania Cruises' Marina for a tour of the Mediterranean. Pépin will "autograph cookbooks, schmooze with guests and lead a cooking demonstration during the trip from Venice to Rome." The cruise features special menus with items inspired by Pépin, who… read more

Mark Bittman leaving NY Times

Longstanding NY Times columnist Mark Bittman announced yesterday that he has penned his last opinion column for the newspaper. He is leaving to devote more time to a food startup, stating that "Between time pressures and potential conflicts of interest (you shouldn't pitch a venture capitalist and write about a company he's funded the following week), I can't do both.… read more

Alice Waters to receive national award

The White House announced today that visionary chef and and author Alice Waters will be one of ten recipients of the 2014 National Humanities Medal. President Barack Obama will confer the medal in a ceremony to be held September 10 at the White House.  The award "honors an individual or organization whose work has deepened the nation's understanding of the… read more

Top chef balances work and life

Many celebrity chefs--Wolfgang Puck, Gordon Ramsay, Jamie Oliver, and Emeril Lagasse, among others--expand their presence by hosting a television show (or two) or by creating a restaurant dynasty with outposts in many countries (or both). Their schedules are frenetic as they attempt to manage their far-flung empires. But not Eric Ripert, the amiable chef of Le Bernardin in New York City. He runs one… read more

Jacques Pépin wins first Julia Child Foundation Award

On Thursday evening, the Julia Child Foundation presented its first award, honoring Jacques Pépin for "the influence he has had on the way America cooks, eats, and drinks." The Foundation is named after the American chef, author and television personality who was a long-time friend and cooking partner of Pépin. Child and Pépin co-authored cookbooks and often appeared on television… read more

The Great British Bake Off returns

It might be hard to believe, but the Great British Bake Off returns on 1 August for another season. The show has spawned several new stars and at least 20 cookbooks, some by contestants and some from hosts Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood. The Guardian caught up with the show's presenters, Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins, to discuss the show… read more

The ultimate kitchen swap

Last week, 37 of the world's top chefs did something a little bit crazy: they all switched restaurants for one day. Sponsored by S. Pellegrino, the Grand Gelinaz! Shuffle featured top chefs ranging from Noma's René Redzepi to McCrady's Sean Brock, who "not only cooked in an entirely new restaurant (and in some cases an entirely new country), but...also lived in their host… read more

What inspires a pastry chef?

Do you ever look at a recipe and wonder how the chef came up with the idea for it? An article from indexed magazine Bon Appetit answers that question, at least for Brooks Headley, James Beard Award-winning chef, formerly of New York's Del Posto. Headley, whose recent cookbook received excellent reviews, spoke with BA about how - and when - he gets… read more

“Project Smoke” aims to elevate your barbecue

 Are you just getting into barbecue or do you consider yourself a seasoned pitmaster? Either way, grilling guru Steven Raichlen's new PBS series called "Project Smoke," which debuted last weekend, aims to boost your barbecue IQ. Thirteen 30-minute episodes feature "recipes, ingredients, tools, tricks and techniques that aim to lead the audience on a smoke-filled journey to new flavors."… read more

Martha Stewart Living has a new owner

Martha Stewart, who pioneered lifestyle branding in the late 1990s, has sold her empire to Sequential Brands, Inc. in a deal announced yesterday. When Stewart took her company public in 1999, it was valued at $1.8 billion USD. The recent sale indicates how much more crowded the fields of cooking and decorating have become, as the Sequential Brands deal is… read more

Kickstarter for new book about Paula Wolfert

Fans of Paula Wolfert take note: an all-star cast of authors has launched a Kickstarter for a new book about Wolfert, known as the Queen of Mediterranean cooking. As Michael Rulhman reports, the Kickstarter achieved its initial modest goal, but is now expanding to a stretch goal of $80,000. In the introductory video to the Kickstarter, Wolfert says "I live in… read more

Christina Tosi on bringing Milk Bar to the masses

Home baking has surged in popularity recently, and some of surge can be attributed to James Beard Award-winning pastry chef Christina Tosi of Momufuku Milk Bar fame. Her cookbook of the same name was a huge success, and she's followed up with a second book that is part cookbook and part memoir. She recently spoke with Emma Bazilian about Masterchef,… read more

Culinary icon Roger Vergé passes away

Legendary French chef Roger Vergé died on June 5 at age 85. Verge led the culinary movement that became known as nouvelle cuisine, where lighter and fresher fare replaced the heavy, fat- and cream-based sauces of traditional French cooking. Vergé's particular brand of nouvelle cuisine came to be called cuisine du soleil, or cuisine of the sun, which consisted of… read more

Inside Ottolenghi’s test kitchen

Yotam Ottolenghi's cookbooks are among the most popular books in the EYB Library. The recipes are vibrant, fresh, and visually stunning. If you've ever wondered what it takes to come up with these wonderful recipes, you can now satiate your curiosity, as NPR's The Salt gives you a backstage pass into the Ottolenghi test kitchen. You might think the kitchen… read more

Highlights of the 2015 Ballymaloe LitFest

For the second year running we spent a most glorious weekend at Ballymaloe (pronounced Bally-mal-loo), which hosted the third Kerrygold Cooking Literary Festival of Food & Wine (LitFest for short). The venue for the festival is split between the Ballymaloe House grounds and the nearby Ballymaloe Cookery School, which is helmed by Darina Allen and numerous members of the Allen family.… read more

A big name returns with a new cookbook

It's been over a decade since Anthony Bourdain has written a cookbook. His last was 2004's Les Halles Cookbook. But that's about to change as HarperCollins imprint Ecco has signed Bourdain for a new cookbook titled Appetites, currently slated for a release in fall 2016. The book will be coauthored with Laurie Woolever. According to the publisher, the book will distill… read more

Sarah Leah Chase breaks long hiatus to write a new cookbook

After a two-decade hiatus, Sarah Leah Chase is back with a new cookbook, New England Open-House Cookbook: 300 Recipes Inspired by the Bounty of New England, which will be released later this summer. Chase is a caterer, cooking teacher, and prolific writer who is best known for co authoring The Silver Palate Good Times Cookbook. Her other cookbooks, all highly… read more

Food writer Josh Ozersky dies at 47

Food writer and founding editor of Grub Street Josh Ozersky died on May 4 in Chicago. He was in the city for the James Beard Foundation Awards ceremony which took place Monday evening. Ozersky served on the awards committee for the JBF. Known for his passionate and often snarky diatribes, Ozersky was a food writer for Esquire magazine and frequent contributor… read more

Renowned Chicago chef Homaro Cantu found dead

Innovative chef Homaro Cantu was found dead Tuesday afternoon on Chicago's Northwest Side, according to authorities. Police are investigating the death as apparent suicide by the 38-year-old chef and part owner of the Michelin-starred restaurant Moto.  Cantu was know for his avant-garde cuisine that feature edible menus and carbonated fruit, but he had ambtions that extended beyond being a renowned… read more

Thinking outside the schnitzel

When you think of German food, sausages, schnitzel, and sauerkraut probably leap to mind. Husband-and-wife team Jeremy and Jessican Nolen, authors of New German Cooking, want to change that perception. Owners of Philadelphia restaurant Brauhaus Schmitz, the Nolens recently spoke with Lynn Rosetta Casper of The Splendid Table on how they are challenging the stereotypes of German cuisine. When discussing… read more

Ramsay-Oliver feud reignites

Jamie Oliver and Gordon Ramsay's long-running feud had been quiet for a few years, but recent remarks by both men have brought the tensions back to the surface. According to The Telegraph, Oliver recently commented that "Gordon will do anything to try and take the p*** out of me because he is deeply jealous and can't quite work out why… read more

Keeping Julia Child’s legacy alive

It's almost impossible to overstate the influence that Julia Child has had on cooking in the United States. Going against the tide of convenience food, she tirelessly promoted cooking at home and inspired countless people to get into the kitchen and make wonderful food. Therefore it was exciting to read the news that the foundation Child established in the 1990s… read more
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