Chef Floyd Cardoz dies at age 59

March 25, 2020 by
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We received the sad news today that celebrated Chef Floyd Cardoz, owner of three acclaimed NYC restaurants and the author of two well-regarded cookbooks, has died due to complications of Covid-19. As news of his death spread, people reflected on Cardoz's trailblazing career. The Splendid Table's Francis Lam tweeted: "Utterly stunned and heartbroken by the loss of Floyd Cardoz. A… read more

Renowned chef Michel Roux dies at age 79

March 12, 2020 by
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Michel Roux, the famed French chef who along with his brother Albert revitalized fine dining in the UK, has died at the age of 79. The Roux brothers restaurants, Le Gavroche and The Waterside Inn, attracted Britain’s upper crust and provided a training ground for many of the country's top chefs, including Marco Pierre White, Gordon Ramsay and Marcus Wareing. Even though… read more

‘Classic Indian Cooking’ turns 40

March 3, 2020 by
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We live in what has been described as a golden age for cookbooks. There are thousands of cookbooks published each year, and of those thousands, hundreds are noteworthy. But will they still be discussed after forty years has passed? Only the best and brightest books can claim to be relevant and inspiring decades after their release. Julie Sahni's Classic Indian… read more

Food Network has a new reality baking show

February 28, 2020 by
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Martha Stewart wearing an all-white outfit smiles at the camera. The background is an off white just darker than Stewart's outfit.
If you enjoy reality baking programs, this news is for you. Food Network recently announced a new reality baking program, hosted by none other than the doyenne of domesticity Martha Stewart. Called Bakeaway Camp with Martha Stewart, the show puts a new twist on the standard competition format. The show will feature six amateur bakers vying for the prize, which… read more

A new show called ‘Dishing with Julia Child’ coming to PBS

February 24, 2020 by
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Julia Child has been getting plenty of posthumous love. Last fall we reported on an upcoming documentary featuring the legendary cook and author, and now we have another show to tell you about. This one is coming to public television as a six part series in which chefs and food personalities provide commentary on a different episode of The French… read more

Meet a cookbook power couple

December 11, 2019 by
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Some people are destined to write cookbooks. At least it seems that way when they are able to write dozens of bestselling books on numerous topics and assemble a huge following. I'm talking about Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough, two prolific authors who write about everything from Instant Pots to ham to chocolate cookies. A charming article in The Hartford Courant… read more

St. John celebrates a quarter century

December 9, 2019 by
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If you utter the phrase 'nose-to-tail eating' these days almost anyone with even a passing interest in food will know what you mean. Back in the mid-1990s, when Fergus Henderson and Trevor Gulliver founded their iconic London restaurant St. John, the concept was definitely not in vogue. The pair's eccentric eatery almost single-handedly forged a path for 'nose to tail'… read more

20 years since the last ‘Two Fat Ladies’ aired

December 6, 2019 by
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Last week I was describing an event to two young women and they asked me how long ago it occurred. I replied "The late 90s, not that long ago." They chuckled, and I then realized that the late 1990s were, in fact, 20 years ago. That is also how long it's been since the last 'Two Fat Ladies' episode aired.… read more

A new series based on the life of Chef Aarón Sánchez is in the works

December 3, 2019 by
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ABC (US) is developing a new drama based on the memoir by Chef Aarón Sánchez titled Where I Come From. The new show will follow divorcee and chef Zoila Sanchez, a character based on Sánchez’s mother. Inspired by events from Sánchez's own childhood, the show depicts Zoila moving to New York from Texas along with her twin sons so she… read more

Chef Gary Rhodes has died at 59

November 28, 2019 by
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We were shocked and saddened to learn that television host and chef Gary Rhodes, one of Britain's best-loved Michelin-starred chefs, died suddenly at the age of 59. Rhodes presented TV shows including MasterChef, MasterChef USA and his own series, Rhodes Around Britain. He was awarded an OBE in 2006. While not the first TV chef, he was undoubtedly one of the… read more

Holiday gifts from your favorite authors

November 22, 2019 by
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Jenny has already provided her comprehensive lists of holiday gifts for cooks and cookbook lovers. In addition, we have compiled a list featuring holiday hampers and more from popular chefs and cookbook authors around the world. Many of these sites have sales going on now just in time for the holidays.  These gifts would be a delight for any food or… read more

Kylie Kwong writes her next chapter

November 13, 2019 by
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Earlier this year renowned Australian chef Kylie Kwong saddened diners when she shuttered her Sydney restaurant Billy Kwong after 19 years. At the time Kwong was mum about her next project, but she's finally broken her silence. Australian Gourmet Traveller reports on where Kwong is headed in 2020. The chef has announced that she will open a eatery in South… read more

Joanna Gaines’ second cookbook available for preorder

November 7, 2019 by
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To say that Magnolia Table, the debut cookbook from HGTV star Joanna Gaines, was a smash is an understatement. The book was #2 on the list of bestselling books following its release - not just on the list of cookery books, but of all books (it was second only to Michelle Obama's memoir). In June, Joanna teased fans with an… read more

Bourdain’s belongings fetch high prices at auction

November 7, 2019 by
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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

Russ Parsons gives away even more cookbooks

November 6, 2019 by
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A little over three years ago, we reported that food writer Russ Parsons planned to donate his extensive cookbook collection to the Long Beach Public Library. As you might expect, Parsons collected a lot of cookbooks over his 30 year career. “Getting rid of some of those cookbooks seemed like a good start to my transition. Like shedding an old… read more

Cookbook Love podcast celebrates new fall books

October 31, 2019 by
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We have written about the Cookbook Love podcast before. Author and cookbook writing coach Maggie Green started the podcast in late 2018, and our own Jenny Hartin has appeared on the podcast before. The most recent episode also features Jenny. She and Maggie talk about a number of subjects, including Jenny's cookbook 101 Things to Do with a Bundt® Pan,… read more

Rocco Dispirito’s rollercoaster career takes another turn

October 26, 2019 by
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A couple of years ago I wrote about Rocco Dispirito's rise to fame and then sudden disappearance. In the ensuing couple of years, the made-for-TV chef had returned to the kitchen, this time at The Standard Grill in New York. By all accounts, his time there was successful, but he recently announced that he was leaving The Standard after just… read more

Ex-MasterChef stars will host a new Australian cooking show

October 23, 2019 by
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Following on the recent news about the new hosts of MasterChef Australia, we have learned about the plans of two of the former hosts. Matt Preston and Gary Mehigan are set to appear in a new cooking show that will air on Channel 7 in 2020. The program, titled 'Plate of Origin', is a culinary competition that features "flavours from all corners… read more

A new Julia Child documentary is in the works

October 21, 2019 by
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Last month we reported that a new Julia Child HBO series was getting close to production. Now we have learned that another Julia Child film project is underway, this time from the team that brought us RBG. In the upcoming biopic, Betsy West and Julie Cohen, co-directors of the documentary about US Supreme Court justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg, “will examine Child’s unconventional life,… read more

Anthony Bourdain’s possessions going to auction

September 16, 2019 by
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Over a year after Anthony Bourdain's untimely death, fans are still mourning the late chef, author, and television host. Those fans who would like a tangible reminder will now have a chance to bid on many of his personal effects, as they are going up for auction next month. More than 200 items, including paintings, clothing, and a custom-made Bob… read more

A new Julia Child series + news from the NYT

September 12, 2019 by
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Normally I would save this type of news for the weekly 'antipasto' post, but these two items are too good to wait! The first comes to us from the website Women and Hollywood, which reports that a new Julia Child series may be forthcoming from HBO Max. It will reportedly star Emmy Award-winning actor Joan Cusack. The show will be… read more

Samin Nosrat’s new gig

September 6, 2019 by
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It's been a busy year for Samin Nosrat. In the spring she announced that she was writing a follow-up book to Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat; she appeared on the Jimmy Kimmel Live! program and she released a series of watercolor illustrations from her smash cookbook. Recently she announced another gig: editing The Best American Food Writing 2019. Last year's edition… read more

Chef and author Biba Caggiano has died

September 1, 2019 by
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California chef, restaurateur, and cookbook author Biba Caggiano died last Thursday. Caggiano, who emigrated to the US in the late 1970s, and her husband opened an Italian restaurant simply named 'Biba' in Sacramento in late 1986, which quickly set the standard for fine dining and exemplary service in the state capital. Caggiano had no formal culinary training, almost no experience… read more

Marcella Hazan’s lasting legacy

August 31, 2019 by
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tomato sauce
There are a handful of people whose pioneering work in codifying the cooking of a region has created a body of work that is used generation after generation. Paula Wolfert, Julia Child, and Marcella Hazan are three women who fit this description. Recently food writer Melissa Clark talked with Francis Lam on The Splendid Table about how Hazan's work has… read more

Jamie Oliver’s humbling interview

August 24, 2019 by
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When Jamie Oliver burst onto the scene in the late 1990s, his star ascended with astonishing speed. The young chef quickly established a media empire through television programs and a string of successful cookbooks. Not content to limit himself to being a TV host, he tackled childhood obesity and worked to improve school lunches. It seemed as though Oliver was… read more
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