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

Celebrate Bacon Week

June 29, 2017 by
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  Australian Gourmet Traveller just informed me that it's Bacon Week in Australia. Since I like to support the customs of other countries, I will celebrate in solidarity! Bacon is one of the most delicious foods ever, so it's fitting that it gets an entire week to be feted. The magazine provided a list of sixteen of the editors' favorite… read more

Father’s Day food memories

June 18, 2017 by
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Today is Father's Day in the U.S. and for many families that means outdoor cooking, meat on the grill, and picnic fare. No doubt millions of burgers and steaks will find their way onto plates this afternoon and evening. The traditional Father's Day meal is often the main food memory people have with their dads (although that is changing with… read more

Where to get free doughnuts on Friday

May 31, 2017 by
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  In the pantheon of food "holidays", only a few have a long and compelling backstory. One such holiday is National Doughnut Day (US), which has a history that that goes back 100 years. In 1917, The Salvation Army began a mission to provide spiritual and emotional support for U.S. soldiers fighting in France. Several hundred volunteers traveled overseas and… read more

Passover pie is not only possible, but delicious

April 4, 2017 by
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  Over the years, Passover desserts have received a reputation for being less than stellar. Options were limited to things you could make with matzoh flour or potato starch, poor substitutions for wheat flour. Not being able to use dairy products like butter, milk and cream - staples in any baker's repetoire - compounded the issue.  That has all changed,… read more

Seeing green for St. Patrick’s Day

March 12, 2017 by
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  St. Patrick's Day is almost here, and that means green foods will be popping up everywhere. Whether it's sprinkles on cupcakes, green shakes at the fast food joint, or green beer in the bars, a lot of food will be artificially colored for the celebration. You don't need fake colors to enjoy green food for the holiday, however, as there… read more

Celebrate National Margarita Day

February 22, 2017 by
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Today is National Margarita Day in the US, and we welcome those outside our borders to celebrate the day with us. Margaritas have a long and interesting history. While theories of its origins abound, it isn't likely that the drink was named after a particular woman, as most stories speculate. According to drink historian David Wondrich, the best guess is… read more

Make your Valentine’s Day rosy

February 10, 2017 by
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Eating out on Valentine's Day is a bad idea. Don't just take my word for it; Bon Appetit, The Kitchn, and The Huffington Post all agree with me. The food is overpriced, restaurants are crowded, and the staff is likely to be in a foul mood. You are better off making your sweetie a romantic dinner at home. This route,… read more

Get ready for Super Bowl Sunday

February 2, 2017 by
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  According to the United States Department of Agriculture, food consumed on Super Bowl Sunday is second only to food eaten on Thanksgiving for US consumers. Over 1.3 billion chicken wings will be devoured, along with other party foods like pizza, nachos, chili, and potato chips. For those who don't understand what all the fuss is about, The Daily Meal features a rundown… read more

Lucky foods for the New Year

December 31, 2016 by
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  Half the world has already celebrated the New Year while the others are counting down the hours. After waking up the next day (if you feel like eating, that is), you may celebrate with a traditional meal of 'lucky' foods meant to help bring good fortune for the coming year. The traditions vary depending on where you live.  Grapes… read more

Why do we drink Champagne on New Year’s Eve?

December 29, 2016 by
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When the ball drops in Times Square and fireworks light up the sky over the London Eye this New Year's Eve, chances are that the drink in people's hands at the time will be champagne. Have you ever wondered why the bubbly stuff is the "official" drink of New Year's Eve? The folks over at indexed magazine Food and Wine… read more

Quirky Christmas food traditions

December 25, 2016 by
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  If you celebrate Christmas, you likely have one - or several - Christmas food traditions. The particular traditions in your household depend greatly on where you live. NPR's The Salt explored the quirky food traditions of twelve different countries, and the results were fascinating.  Being limited to twelve countries means that hundreds of traditions weren't included, but the novelty… read more

Season’s Greetings from EYB

December 24, 2016 by
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This is one of the busiest weekends on the planet, as for the first time in nearly 40 years, the start of Hanukkah and Christmas Eve fall on the same day. Most of us are likely rushing about with last minute food making, gift wrapping, or other tasks that we should have done days ago (please tell me I'm not… read more

Items to avoid giving to your food loving friends

December 9, 2016 by
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We've spent the last couple of weeks focusing on beautiful, practical, and just-plain-fantastic gifts for cookbook and food lovers, so it might be time to take a look at the flip side of the equation. Epicurious is here to assist us by laying out the presents that you should NOT give to the food obsessed people on your list. Sam… read more

Gifts from the kitchen

December 8, 2016 by
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  For those of us who are passionate about food, nothing says love more than making someone a delicious meal or treat. That often means we look to the kitchen for gifts to give our friends and loved ones for the holidays. If you are looking for ideas for homemade presents, The Washington Post just released their favorite 25 sweet,… read more

Gifts for cookbook lovers

December 3, 2016 by
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These gifts would be a delight for any food or cookbook lover to unwrap. If you know of any sites that we've missed, let us know in the comments and we'll add them to the post.  UK Yotam Ottolenghi - Gift hampers and kits (more items on the main page) Nigella Lawson - Stationery and gift wrap Fuchsia Dunlop - Authentic Chinese Cooking Set… read more

Post-game analysis

November 24, 2016 by
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The dust is now settling (along with the mashed potatoes, stuffing, and pie) on Thanksgiving 2016 in the US. As we sit in our turkey-induced stupor, we should resist the urge to take a nap and instead do a 'post-game analysis' on what dishes we loved, what was merely average, and what we will never, ever make again. If we… read more

The stress of cooking for multiple diets

November 22, 2016 by
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  If you are like me, you obsess over holiday meal planning, attempting to design a delicious menu that will please everyone. That is stressful enough on its own, but throw in a  family member with special dietary needs or restrictions and you raise the anxiety level to new heights. NPR's The Salt takes a look at how stressful special… read more

Planning for the leftovers

November 16, 2016 by
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  Cooks in the U.S. are in the midst of Thanksgiving meal preparations, and we are happy to offer Rick Rodgers' expert advice to help your meal be the best ever. While you are planning your menu, you may also want to give some thought to how you will use up any leftovers so you aren't feeling the turkey sandwich… read more

French dishes to celebrate Bastille Day

July 14, 2016 by
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Today marks 227 years since the storming of the Bastille on 14 July 1789. France is celebrating Bastille Day this year with an extravagant military parade, fireworks, and other festivities. The holiday provides the perfect excuse (like we need any) to make delicious French food and celebrate liberté, égalité, and fraternité. Indexed blog The Kitchn offers 17 easy French recipes to get us started, and… read more

Father’s Day food stories

June 18, 2016 by
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  Tomorrow is Father's Day, which people will celebrate with cookouts, trips to a preferred restaurant, or by making Dad's favorite meal. Facebook news feeds will be filled with nostalgic photos of fathers and daughters and sons as those children remember favorite moments with their dads, many of which involve food. If you are a fan of these heartfelt reminiscences,… read more

National Doughnut Day’s unique history

June 2, 2016 by
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Once again a national (US) "food holiday" is on the horizon. Friday, June 3 is National Doughnut Day, but it isn't just another arbitrary food holiday cooked up by a commercial enterprise - this special day has roots that go back almost 100 years. According to a press release by Krispy Kreme, National Doughnut Day's origins stretch back to 1917,… read more

Easter egg history

March 27, 2016 by
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It's not really a mystery why eggs were chosen to represent rebirth at springtime. Decorated eggs during the season are part of a tradition that predates the Christian religion. NPR's The Salt delves into the symbolism and beauty of Easter eggs, including pysanky, the gorgeously decorated Ukrainian eggs. While most traditions involved colored or simply decorated eggs, psyanky designs are… read more
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