Making the most of tomato season

Peak tomato season is here for most of us in the Northern Hemisphere. Home gardens and farmers markets are flush with heirloom varieties in a rainbow of colors. You can find delicate yellow orbs, huge meaty beefsteaks, dark crimson deeply-lobed beauties, and the list goes on. The only drawback about about tomato season (besides the potential for stains on your… read more

Browned butter is the best butter

blondies on a plate
Earlier today I took two sticks of butter from the fridge, plopped them in a saucepan over medium-low heat, and walked away. No, I did not have what my husband refers to as a "space cadet" moment, I just wanted to make sure it cooked long enough to turn a deep brown, which was going to take long enough for… read more

July 2020 Eat Your Books Cookbook Club Summary

Each month we offer at least four cooking options in our Eat Your Books Cookbook Club. This month we’ve been cooking from the following titles: Main Selection: Falastin: A Cookbook by Sami Tamimi or See You on Sunday: A Cookbook for Family and Friends by Sam SiftonBaking Selection: Any recipes from Alice MedrichOnline Option: Sami Tamimi online, Alice Medrich online, Sam Sifton onlinePlant-based Option: Any recipes from Angela Liddon (Oh She… read more

Cool as a cucumber

Whether they are pickled, tossed in a salad, or used in a dip, cucumbers find their way into many meals. They are not typically the stars of any meal, although the team at Serious Eats thinks they are underrated. Reminding us of "the cucumber's sweet, grassy flavor and refreshing crunch", Serious Eats provides 22 cucumber recipes to keep you cool… read more

Ideas to use up your zucchini glut

One of my neighbors gave me some zucchini from her garden last week. I had been waiting for this moment, as I don't plant it in my own garden. Like most people who grow zucchini (aka courgettes or summer squash), my neighbor ended up with more than she could use and began giving it away, which worked out perfectly for… read more

The interesting history of the Popsicle

As we celebrate Independence Day in the US, the temperature in much of the country is sizzling hot. When the weather gets hot, people turn to the freezer for refreshment, and one frozen treat is perfect to beat the heat: Popsicles. The brightly-colored, fruit-flavored frozen concoctions are a natural foil to a sticky summer afternoon. Popsicles are adored by children… read more

June 2020 EYB Cookbook Club Summary

Each month we offer at least four cooking options in our Eat Your Books Cookbook Club. This month we’ve been cooking from the following titles: Main Selection: Dinner in French: My Recipes by Way of France by Melissa Clark or Open Kitchen: Inspired Food for Casual Gatherings by Susan SpungenBaking Selection: Bake from Scratch, Volume 4: Artisan Recipes for the Home BakerOnline Option: Melissa Clark online or Susan… read more

Jams and jellies can preserve more than fruits and vegetables

I have lilac bushes in my backyard and each spring since I moved into my home eleven years ago, I would eagerly await the signs of blooms forming on the lilacs because their fragrance is one of my favorite scents. Every year resulted in disappointment, as the trees that grew near the lilacs produced too much shade for them to… read more

May 2020 Eat Your Books Cookbook Club Summary

We have a helpful community here at Eat Your Books that has flowed into our Eat Your Books Cookbook Club where we share our successes and fails in cooking and baking from specific cookbook titles. This month we’ve been cooking from the following titles: Main Selection: Cool Beans: The Ultimate Guide to Cooking with the World’s Most Versatile Plant-Based Protein, with 125 Recipes by… read more

April 2020 EYB Cookbook Club Summary

We have a helpful community here at Eat Your Books that has flowed into our Eat Your Books Cookbook Club where we share our successes and fails in cooking and baking from specific cookbook titles. This month we’ve been cooking from the following titles: Main Selection: Greenfeast: Spring, Summer or Greenfeast: Autumn, Winter by Nigel SlaterBaking Selection: Midwest Made: Big, Bold Baking from the Heartland by Shauna SeverOnline… read more

Wacky cake makes a comeback

Page through any church cookbook from the 1930s onward and you will likely find a baked good called "wacky cake" or "Depression cake". This treat was born out of the need to make something special for dessert that didn't use eggs or butter, items that were difficult to obtain both during the Depression and World War II. Now that we… read more

No oven, no problem

Like a lot of people, I embarked on a stress-baking bonanza these past few weeks. Now as the flour supply starts to look less robust and as the stronger southern sun streaming into my kitchen makes it too hot to turn on the oven, my baking frenzy has slowed dramatically. I still want to have sweet treats, however, which poses… read more

A cake that fits the times

Today Epicurious found the perfect dessert for our topsy-turvy world: upside-down cake. This is brilliant not only as a metaphor, but also because upside-down cakes are well-suited to infinite variations and can be made with ingredients you probably already have. Kendra Vaculin writes about why she loves this dessert that can be a decadent weekend breakfast too: upside down cakes… read more

Chefs and authors help us cook in quarantine

If you find yourself struggling to find interesting ideas for making meals from your pantry supplies, you are not alone. The cavalry is on the way, however: a handful of well-known chefs, cookbook authors and food writers are here to help. They have started streaming free cooking demonstrations and lessons from their own home kitchens. Maggie Beer's career has already… read more

Cooking with supermarket rejects

Visits to the grocery store take on a completely different vibe these days. Staples like flour, spaghetti, and eggs are in short supply, although some aisles of the supermarket are completely stocked. If you are clever and can afford to take a chance on unusual ingredients, you can make good use of the items everyone else is overlooking, says Australian… read more

March 2020 EYB Cookbook Club Summary

We have a helpful community here at Eat Your Books that has flowed into our Eat Your Books Cookbook Club where we share our successes and fails in cooking and baking from specific cookbook titles. This month we’ve been cooking from the following titles: Main Selection: Half Baked Harvest Cookbook: Recipes from My Barn in the Mountains or Half Baked Harvest Super Simple: More Than… read more

Harbinger of the season

Spring has sprung here in the northern latitudes, and signs of the season are literally popping up all over. Yesterday I went outside to enjoy a breath of fresh air, and while the air was still chilly, the sun shone brightly and small sprigs of green could be seen in a few spots in my garden. Approaching one of these… read more

EYB Cookbook Club News – Plant-Based Cooking Options

Our food-loving community at Eat Your Books shares notes, tips, and reviews on recipes in our library as well as on our active member forum. Another place where we share our love of cooking is in our Eat Your Books Cookbook Club on Facebook. Every month we share our successes and fails in cooking and baking from specific cookbook titles.… read more

February 2020 EYB Cookbook Club Summary

We have a helpful community here at Eat Your Books that has flowed into our Eat Your Books Cookbook Club and Sweet Eat Your Books Cookbook Club, places where we share our successes and fails in cooking and baking from specific cookbook titles. This month we’ve been cooking from the following titles: Main Selection: The Art of Simple Food: Notes, Lessons, and Recipes from… read more

EYB Cookbook Club January 2020 Summary

We have a helpful community here at Eat Your Books that has flowed into our Eat Your Books Cookbook Club and Sweet Eat Your Books Cookbook Club, places where we share our successes and fails in cooking and baking from specific cookbook titles. This month we’ve been cooking from the following titles: Main Selection:  Nothing Fancy  by Alison Roman and share any repeats from 2019… read more

Love your lemons

Currently in my local supermarket, oranges are less than $1 USD per pound and Meyer lemons have finally made their annual appearance, meaning that peak citrus season is here. Seeing mile-high displays of bright and enticing lemons, grapefruit, and oranges remains one of the best parts of what can be a dreary time here in the northland. However, this bounty… read more

EYB Cookbook Club Feb-April 2020

Our community at Eat Your Books share our thoughts on recipes from our monthly cooking and baking selections in our clubs:  Eat Your Books Cookbook Club and Sweet Eat Your Books Cookbook Club. This month we’ve been cooking from the following titles: Main Selection:  Nothing Fancy  by Alison Roman and share any repeats from 2019 that you loved Online Option: Any online recipe from EYB Baking: Any online… read more

Frittering the hours away

Maybe it was all those images of latkes that floated through my social media feeds or perhaps it was the falafel I ate for lunch a few days ago, but whatever the reason, I have recently been dreaming of fritters. Fritters are fabulous because they are fried, of course, but you can also feel less guilty because many fritter recipes… read more

December 2019 EYB Cookbook Club Summary

We have a helpful community here at Eat Your Books that has flowed into our Eat Your Books Cookbook Club and Sweet Eat Your Books Cookbook Club, places where we share our successes and fails in cooking and baking from specific cookbook titles. This month we’ve been cooking from the following titles: Main Selection: Milk Street – The New Rules or The Way to Cook by Julia… read more

November 2019 EYB Cookbook Club Summary

We have a helpful community here at Eat Your Books that has flowed into our Eat Your Books Cookbook Club and Sweet Eat Your Books Cookbook Club, places where we share our successes and fails in cooking and baking from specific cookbook titles. This month we’ve been cooking from the following titles: Main option: From the Oven to the Table by Diana Henry  Online option: Diana HenryBaking: The… read more
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