The origins of favorite Christmas foods

December 22, 2018 by
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Although it seems like Christmas food traditions have always existed, that's far from being the case. While some foods have been associated with the holiday for hundreds of years, often these traditional foods only date back a few decades. How did these traditions begin in the first place? That's a question answered in an enlightening article from indexed blog Great… read more

Edible gift ideas and tips

December 9, 2018 by
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A lot of us will be making gifts from the kitchen to give to friends, family, coworkers, neighbors, and others on our gift lists (don't forget the host/hostess of that great holiday party!). While many people give baked goods including cookies, quickbreads, and candies, there are savoury options, homemade liqueurs, and other easy yet impressive items that make excellent presents. … read more

Love for latkes

December 2, 2018 by
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Latkes are among the many traditional foods that will make an appearance on tables during Hanukkah, which began today. Epicurious offers tips on how to make perfect potato latkes to ensure that each one is light, crispy, and delicious. Follow these steps and your friends and family will be asking for this classic holiday treat year-round. After testing different types of potatoes, Epicurious… read more

A vegetarian holiday table

December 1, 2018 by
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As more and more people choose to eat less meat or no meat at all for health and ethical consideration, planning holiday meals gets increasingly complex. It can be a challenge to find hearty, festive dishes that will be an appropriate substitute for what is often a meat-heavy meal and that will also please everyone including the omnivores. However, recipe… read more

Holiday gifts from your favorite authors

November 18, 2018 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 offer special discounts for first-time buyers or have sales going on now just in time for the holidays.  These gifts… read more

Celebrate National Bundt Day

November 15, 2018 by
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Today is National Bundt Day (an offically-named celebration day here in Minnesota, birthplace of the Bundt). The iconic pan was invented in the late 1950s by Nordic Ware founder H. David (Dave) Dahlquist. According to the Nordic Ware website, Dave and his wife Dorothy (Dotty), created the Nordic Ware company in 1948. You can read more about the birth of… read more

Gift Guide for Cookbook Lovers, Cooks and Bakers 2018

November 11, 2018 by
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The season of giving is upon us. All year, I've been making notes for this gift guide to share with you books and products that I have bought, reviewed and love. My various gift guides from years' past can be found at the links below. Any cookbooks on my Fall Cookbooks preview post, I whole-heartedly recommend especially Israeli Soul, Everyday Dorie, and Estela. These titles are must-have… read more

How to eliminate Thanksgiving menu planning frustrations

November 3, 2018 by
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I will be the first to admit that I am a terrible menu planner. Either I don't start the process early enough, or I amass too many possibilities and have difficulty narrowing down the list. I also forget to check whether the timing of the foods I have selected works - it's no good when you have to do last… read more

Thanksgiving recipes are delicious throughout the fall season

October 6, 2018 by
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Monday marks Canadian Thanksgiving, and the US holiday is right on its heels, landing on November 22. That means it is time to gather the family favorites as well as check out new items to try for this year's feast. Whether you are looking for last minute ideas before the big day or are a meticulous planner who likes to… read more

Nigel Slater reminisces about ‘How to Eat’

September 16, 2018 by
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Some cookbooks age much better than others. After a couple of decades, what's left of the 'unicorn food' books are going to littering vintage shops, with shoppers making snide comments about how silly people were back in the teens. Other volumes, however, have timeless appeal. When you are lucky enough to find a copy in the resale store, it will… read more

Own a slice of history by buying…wedding cake?

May 6, 2018 by
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We learned several weeks ago that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle chose to break from the tradition of serving fruitcake at their wedding, opting instead for a lemon and elderflower cake made by baker and cookbook author Claire Ptak. The tradition has held for centuries, and as Atlas Obscura explains, some of that ancient cake is still in circulation.  Dating… read more

Celebrate Pi(e) Day

March 13, 2018 by
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March 14 (3.14 if you use the month-first convention found in the US) is the perfect day for bakers to celebrate both pi (the mathematical constant) and pie (the tasty food with endless variants both savory and sweet) because of the natural synergy between the two. Bakers use pi when scaling pie and cake recipes to determine the proper pan… read more

Why chocolate is associated with Valentine’s Day

February 13, 2018 by
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  Valentine's Day has several items associated with it: red roses, an exchange of cards (often heart-shaped and trimmed with lace), romantic dinners, wine, and last but not least, chocolate. But why, and how, did chocolate become associated with the holiday? NPR's The Salt has the answer.  We need to travel back several centuries to find the root of the… read more

A cake fit for a king

February 12, 2018 by
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Fat Tuesday, the capstone of the Carnival season in New Orleans, is tomorrow. Because it is the last day before Lent begins, people often indulge before they begin their Lenten abstention. In New Orleans, that involves eating king cake. King cake is to Mardi Gras as  pumpkin pie is to Thanksgiving: the holiday just wouldn't be the same without it. Although… read more

New Year’s food traditions around the world

December 31, 2017 by
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  New Year's celebrations are happening around the world. In addition to the parties and festivities, many people are ringing in the new year by eating foods that are part of their culture. CNN reports on ten such traditions around the world.  Grapes play an important role in Spain, where revelers consume 12 grapes just as the clock strikes midnight,… read more

Get ready for New Year’s Eve

December 27, 2017 by
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  2017 is ready for the history books (and what a year it's been). There's one holiday left before we turn over the calendar page, and it's one that is suited for both the quiet, introspective types who will reflect on the year that has passed, and the people who revel in a raucous party, who will cheer as the… read more

Keeping the time by the Christmas leftovers

December 25, 2017 by
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It's been a delightful day, as for a change of pace we didn't travel or host over the Christmas holiday. This means I was able to spend the day in the kitchen, cooking, baking, and tidying from the rush of holiday baking. In addition, I took some time to scroll through my social media feeds, enjoying the many posts of… read more

Holiday cocktail ideas

December 12, 2017 by
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In the rush of holiday meal planning, it's easy to overlook the drinks. But having the right cocktail can make the dinner or brunch special, and Australian Gourmet Traveller has the goods, with a list of 20 Christmas cocktail ideas. The recipes range from traditional to contemporary.  On the traditional side you'll find champagne crustas, eggnog, sangria, and a Bajan… read more

‘Tis the season for gifts from the kitchen

December 7, 2017 by
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  Every year my holiday wish list gets smaller but my holiday treats list grows. I've come to enjoy making cookies, candies, and other non-food handmade items for friends and family. I know that they enjoy them too, because they save the tins for months and always manage to return them a couple of months prior to year's end. I… read more

Holiday gifts from your favorite authors

December 3, 2017 by
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  Jenny has already provided some amazing lists of wonderul holiday gifts for cooks and cookbook lovers. In addition, we have a listing of sites featuring holiday hampers and gifts from the most popular chefs and cookbook authors around the world. Some of these items can be shipped and others need to be picked up in store. These gifts would… read more

The most popular Christmas candy in each state

November 30, 2017 by
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I have to admit I'm a sucker for lists, so I was tickled when Jenny shared this with me: a listing of the top Christmas candy for each state in the US. I knew that people in the US have a sweet tooth, but was a bit taken aback that we will spend $1.93 billion USD on candy for the holiday… read more

You’ve never seen a gingerbread house like this

November 25, 2017 by
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I've posted some incredibly detailed gingerbread houses on this blog - one displayed at the White House in 2015, and last year a gingerbread dream house. Each time I think "how can anyone top that?" yet each subsequent baking season brings another show-stopping house. This year I may have found one that just cannot be outdone. It came to my… read more

Holiday Gift Guide For Cooks and Cookbook Lovers

November 20, 2017 by
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The season is upon us - so much to do, so little time. In an effort to keep you informed, I've put together a comprehensive list of suggestions for the cook in your life (or for yourself!)  My various gift guides from last year can be found at the links below. I'm hoping to update these in the next week. … read more

Thanksgiving dinner at 400 degrees

November 13, 2017 by
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  The Thanksgiving holiday is arguably the biggest food holiday in the United States. After all, it is the only official holiday created specifically to celebrate food, in the form of the fall harvest. It's a mere ten days away, which means that cooks across the nation are making meal plans, stocking up on ingredients, sharpening knives, and polishing silver.… read more

Cooking at the Emmy Awards

September 17, 2017 by
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  Having several friends or relatives over for a holiday meal or dinner party can be extremely stressful. The menu needs to be planned, dietary restrictions or preferences taken into account, shopping, cooking, and finally, serving the meal. If it is that stressful for a small group, try to imagine it on a scale thousands of times greater. That's what… read more
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