Pitch-perfect posset

February 13, 2017 by
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  A couple of months ago while on vacation, I enjoyed a creamy, indulgent dessert that perfectly straddled the lines between rich/heavy and sweet/tart. I had not heard of the dish prior to that meal and was excited about making a new food 'discovery'. Of course, just like many explorers before me, I hadn't 'discovered' anything at all, but rather became… read more

New website aims to get kids in the kitchen

February 6, 2017 by
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  It can be a challenge to get kids to eat healthy food or even to get them interested in cooking. Parents employ any number of strategies, some of which include disguising vegetables (the premise behind Jessica Seinfeld's Deceptively Delicious, for example). Bristol (UK) cook Claire Thomson, author of the family cookbook The Five O'Clock Apron, along with actor Katy Carmichael, has a different approach. Thomson… read more

Enhance your cooking with video recipes

January 31, 2017 by
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  Did you know there are over 4,300 video recipes in the EYB Library? They are from a variety of sources including blogs like 101 Cookbooks and Serious Eats, newspapers and magazines like The New York Times, Bon Appetit, and Food Network Magazine;  from favorite authors like Annabel Langbein and Yotam Ottolenghi. Some of these recipes are specific "how-to" instructions,… read more

The Year of the Rooster

January 29, 2017 by
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  Billions of people the world over are ringing in the Chinese New Year with celebrations, fireworks, and of course, food. Many of us will opt for takeaway, but others of us will likely make our own meals to ring in the Year of the Rooster. If you're among the latter, TV chef Ching-He Huang has a few pointers to help… read more

The trouble with minimal-ingredient recipes

January 27, 2017 by
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One of the most frequently clicked recipe subcategory for many food websites is the "5 ingredients or fewer" section. Cooks looking for simple meals flock to those minimalist recipes. Bonnie Berwick investigates this phenomenon in a recent Washington Post article, wondering why these recipes often leave out a few essential ingredients - and why they frequently disappoint.     Most of… read more

The resurgence of rye bread

January 14, 2017 by
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  Rye is one of the ancient grains that is receiving renewed interest from chefs and home bakers alike. Recent cookbooks like The Rye Baker: Classic Breads from Europe and America by Stanley Ginsberg explore the world of rye breads beyond the classic mild-flavored deli loaf. But that is just one example of rye's resurgence. You can learn more about its… read more

How sweet it is

January 11, 2017 by
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Many of us are approaching the New Year with resolve to eat a healthier diet, which includes cutting down on sugar. That makes Saveur Magazine's new series seem a bit cruel. Saveur has just announced The Sugar Files, an "extended series where we'll poke and prod at just a few of the ways sugar runs the world. We'll dig into… read more

White bread gets some respect

January 8, 2017 by
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  Few culinary products are as disparaged as soft white bread. Food lovers frequently gush about the charms of multigrain, sprouted, rustic, and artisan loaves but look down upon unadorned basic white bread. Nutritionists tut-tut its abundance of simple carbohydrates and lack of fiber. Despite this disdain, white bread continues to be popular because it's both comforting and versatile. It… read more

The history of poutine

January 6, 2017 by
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If you have ever wondered how poutine, the Canadian dish that combines French fries, gravy, and cheese curds, was created, you're not alone. Like most iconic foods, however, the origin story is murky and disputed. You can learn more about what is arguably Canada's second-most popular food export (after maple syrup) with Australian Gourmet Traveller's discussion of the history of… read more

Exploring tahini’s many uses

January 1, 2017 by
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  Most people know tahini for its role in hummus, but the sesame seed paste delivers flavor and texture to a multitude of foods. Indexed magazine Saveur takes a closer look at tahini, including which brands are best and how you can use it in a variety of recipes.  Although the word 'tahini' can refer to a sauce made with… read more

Predicting 2017’s food trends

December 19, 2016 by
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  If you ask three different people in the food industry what's going to be popular in the coming year, you are likely to get a variety of responses. That's what I discovered when looking through my Twitter feed recently. Whole Foods Market, the editors at the James Beard Foundation, and food writer Mimi Sheraton have all recently made predictions for the coming year,… read more

New ideas for your holiday punch

December 16, 2016 by
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  Many of us own a punch bowl but only dig it out of the cupboard a couple of times per year. The end-of-year holidays is one such time, and that means the hunt is on to find an impressive punch recipe that will satisfy our guests. M. Carrie Allen, writing for The Washington Post, is here to help, sharing… read more

The Swiss cheese of your dreams

December 7, 2016 by
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  Gruyère  lovers, this post is for you. Saveur Magazine has just published a lovely article on a rare Swiss cheese that is produced using only very traditional Gruyere methods that date back centuries. Known as L'Etivaz, it is such a special cheese that it has and A.O.P. (appellation d'origine protégée) status bestowed by the Swiss government. When you read the romantic… read more

Pears are the royalty of fruit

November 26, 2016 by
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In his book Sweet Simplicity, Jacques Pépin praises pears, noting that in his native France, "pears are the king of fruits." There are thousands of varieties of pears, although supermarkets usually only stock a handful of the most popular. Pears are wonderful in a variety of desserts, and they also enhance everything from roasts to salads. The editors at indexed magazine Saveur… read more

A new way to make Swiss meringue

November 23, 2016 by
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  Meringue is a pastry kitchen staple. Not only is it good as a topping for pie, it's also the foundation for many other sweets, including pavlova, macarons, and buttercream icing. There are three basic types of meringue: French, Italian, and Swiss. Pastry chef Stella Parks (aka bravetart) explains the difference between them and tells us why we should rethink… read more

Get to know nigella seeds

November 21, 2016 by
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  Have you ever purchased a spice for a recipe, then wonder what to do with the remainder of the package? That has happened to me on more than one occasion, most recently with nigella seeds that I purchased for a dish that will not be repeated. Therefore I was happy to find a post on Food Republic that promised… read more

You say potato…

November 14, 2016 by
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  While exotic, expensive ingredients can make a dish shine, some mundane, even cheap, foodstuffs transcend their humble origins. Take the potato, for example. It's equally at home in breakfast, lunch, or dinner, and the forms it can take are myriad. You can dress potatoes up for the fanciest dinner party, but a simple baked potato also pleases the palate.… read more

Supersize your pies

November 11, 2016 by
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  When planning a holiday dinner, it's often difficult to settle on a dessert. Pies are traditional, but if you have a large crowd gathering around your dinner table it can be a chore to make enough of them to ensure everyone gets a piece. There is a solution to this dilemma: slab pies. Forget about round pans and use… read more

White truffle bonanza

November 10, 2016 by
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White truffle fans, rejoice. An excellent growing season with plenty of rain has created a bumper crop of white truffles in Italy's Tanaro river basin, home to the famous Alba variety of the truffle. Not only is the yield up, chefs say the quality is top notch too. All this means the wholesale price is down about 30% over 2015.… read more

In a pickle: a guide to resources for fermenting and pickling

November 7, 2016 by
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The art of curing and pickling foods is more popular now than any time since prior to the advent of refrigeration. Finding good sources to begin either of the two processes can be confusing, but luckily Food Republic has done the hard work for us. They've produced a guide of their 40 favorite print and online resources for fermenting and pickling.… read more

Eastern European food gets a fresh look

November 4, 2016 by
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When you hear the phrase "Eastern European cuisine", what images come to mind? For many people, the first thoughts they conjure include meaty stews, doughy dumplings, and overcooked vegetables. Recently a new generation of chefs is reinvigorating the cuisine, riding on growing trends that embrace many Eastern European traditions like pickling and smoking. The Wall Street Journal explores the growing… read more

When it’s good to get into hot water

October 30, 2016 by
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  When my husband and I were traveling through England on our anniversary trip last month, we enjoyed a few meat pies. My husband remarked that the crust was interesting and very different from the flaky pot pie crusts that I made. He wondered if I could learn to make something like the sturdy yet tender package that we experienced.… read more

You’ve got to know when to hold ’em

October 27, 2016 by
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The days are getting shorter and colder in much of the Northern Hemisphere right now, and that means winter squash are coming into the markets and finding their way to our dinner tables. Although many different varieties are lumped together under the term "winter squash", they are not all created equal. Julia Rosen of NPR's The Salt describes how different varieties of squash ripen at different… read more

How to cook with pumpkin seeds

October 25, 2016 by
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  This fall, millions of pumpkins will be carved for Halloween or seasonal decorations. Most people will dispose of the seeds and strings they scrape out of the inside. That's a shame, say Nick Kindelsperger and Joseph Hernandez of The Chicago Tribune, as they discuss several uses for often overlooked pumpkin seeds.  If you don't want to spend the time removing the… read more

Celebrate National Pasta Day

October 17, 2016 by
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  Today is National Pasta Day in the US. The "official" Pasta Day website contains several interesting facts about our favorite carbohydrate. Although Marco Polo has long been credited with "discovering" pasta in Asia and bringing it back to his native Italy, documents describing what appears to be pasta have been found that pre-date Marco's travels to the Far East.… read more
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