This week: Mil hojas; Great British Chefs; cookbook giveaways and previews

August 21, 2020 by
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While preparing the two Great British Chefs promotions earlier this week, I spent time poring over the Great British Chefs site especially the desserts! For this week's featured online recipe, I chose the GBC Mil hojas which spurred me on to learn more about this particular Latin American dessert. Pomegranate & rosewater mille-feuille Milhojas ("thousand sheets") are a Latin American… read more

James Beard Foundation cancels 2020 awards

August 20, 2020 by
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The James Beard Foundation's annual Chef and Restaurant Awards were initially scheduled to be announced at a gala event in Chicago. After postponing that event and announcing a virtual event, the JBF has effectively cancelled the 2020 awards. In a press release, the JBF said that the choice to withhold announcing winners this year "comes as restaurants continue to suffer… read more

Quick Bites: Anne Willan

August 20, 2020 by
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Earlier this month, Anne Willan's latest Women in the Kitchen: Twelve Essential Cookbook Writers Who Defined the Way We Eat, from 1661 to Today was published. Anne Willan has more than 50 years of experience as a cooking teacher, author, and culinary historian. The founder of famed French cooking school La Varenne, Anne was inducted into the James Beard Foundation’s… read more

Are chefs embracing nonstick pans for home cooking?

August 19, 2020 by
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While avid home cooks stock their cupboards with a rainbow of Le Creuset, gorgeous glowing copper pans, and high-dollar triple-ply cookware, restaurant kitchens contain more utilitarian pots and pans, usually plain stainless or aluminum pans. You rarely see a nonstick-coated pan in a restaurant, and chefs often exhort home cooks to get rid of their nonstick cookware, claiming that it… read more

The Great British Chefs Electronic Cookbook Giveaway

August 19, 2020 by
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Enter our worldwide giveaway to win one of three ebook copies of the Great British Chefs: 120 Recipes from Britain's Best Chefs by Great British Chefs. In my previous post today, I shared information about the Great British Chefs (GBC) website where you can search by recipe name or recipe type or find all the recipes of your favorite chef. Our EYB Library has indexed Great British… read more

The Great British Chefs Vegetables – Cookbook Giveaway

August 19, 2020 by
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Enter our worldwide giveaway to win one of three copies of Great British Chefs: Vegetables: 40 Seasonal Recipes From the UK's Most Exciting Chefs by Great British Chefs. On my honeymoon many years ago, I fell in love with London. Everything about the city spoke to me from exciting new places to shop (grocery store fanatic here) to the cuisine.… read more

KitchenAid mixer trivia

August 19, 2020 by
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My vintage KitchenAid stand mixer has made countless batches of cookies, cakes, and other items. Even though I have a newer and larger KA, I drag out the old one for nostalgia's sake from time to time, and used it for a small batch of cinnamon roll dough earlier today. As I was scrolling through my news feed this evening,… read more

Making do in a pinch

August 18, 2020 by
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It has always been vexing to find out you are out of a critical ingredient just after you start making a dish, but with the pandemic throwing off shopping routines, it's even more disconcerting. That is why knowing what items you can substitute for others is more important than ever. We have occasionally covered this topic here, including a post… read more

Food news antipasto

August 16, 2020 by
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Interested in the juncture between cookbooks and history? A new publicly available searchable database called The Sifter might be right up your alley. The Sifter, conceived by food historian Barbara Wheaton, "is designed to be a tool to aid in finding, identifying and comparing historical and contemporary writing on food and related topics," according to the site's mission statement. Modeled… read more

Ten European dishes that chefs think everyone should try

August 15, 2020 by
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Although the EU has drawn together much of Europe into a common market, the food remains more diverse, with each country and even regions within countries having their signature dishes, styles and ingredients. The Guardian (UK) recently asked a dozen chefs (some Michelin-starred and several of the World’s 50 Best) to tell them about local dishes on the European continent… read more

This week: Let’s talk fermenting, recipes, cookbook giveaways, and previews

August 15, 2020 by
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What is fermentation? Fermentation is a process that produces chemical changes in the natural environment in which an organism lives through the action of enzymes (proteins that accelerate chemical reactions). In the context of food, it may refer to any process in which the activity of microorganisms - specifically bacteria, yeast, and mold - brings about a desirable change to… read more

The case for having a bread box

August 14, 2020 by
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When most people think of a bread box, they probably conjure an image of an old-fashioned kitchen or perhaps a scene from a 1950s television program wherein a dress- and pearl-wearing housewife pulls a loaf of bread out of its storage container to make her young child a sandwich. Whether you call it a bread box or a bread bin,… read more

The art and logic of ice cream cake

August 13, 2020 by
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Ice cream cakes are not just the province of Dairy Queen. You can make your own showstopping dessert if you know the right tips and tricks, says food writer Tara O'Brady. She provides a handy primer that lays out the potential pitfalls and shows you how to make your own magnificent, cold, creamy ice cream cake that puts the store-bought… read more

Cookbooks can be life-changing

August 12, 2020 by
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I do not have to work very hard to convince readers of our blog about the magic of cookbooks. They have woven a spell over our lives, enchanting us with their descriptions of faraway lands, mesmerizing us with detailed scientific explanations of baking chemistry, and wowing us with evocative images and stories. It never gets old seeing others discover the… read more

Don’t throw away these valuable liquids

August 11, 2020 by
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For years, I poured two valuable substances down the drain because I didn't know what else to do with them. I don't mean that time I put a colander in the sink but forgot to put a bowl underneath it and poured an entire batch of chicken stock through it before I realized my error, I am talking about the… read more

Everyday Barbecue – Cookbook Giveaway

August 11, 2020 by
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Enter our giveaway open to US/CA/AU/NZ/UK to win one of three copies of Everyday BBQ: All Year Outdoor Grilling by Andreas Rummel. With this new reference work on barbecuing, the season can last all year long! Learn how to prepare perfect meats, fish, and vegetables and discover creative marinades and dips that will stun your guests. Vegetarians, too, will have… read more

When it’s time to spice things up

August 10, 2020 by
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Spices in jars
When you have extra time on your hands, it can be all to easy to lounge about scrolling through Instagram or Pinterest. While that is a fun pastime, it gets old after a while. If you are looking for something to do that doesn't involve the computer and is cooking-related, head over to The Washington Post, where Becky Krystal is… read more

Perspective is everything – an open letter to the Great British Bake Off

August 10, 2020 by
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As I was not feeling well this morning, I decided to watch comfort television before I began my day, which always is The Great British Bake Off. You may recall my harsh judgments of the last series in my recap posts. Butterscotch coffee cake [butterscotch sauce] (my photo) While watching the beginning of Cake Week again, I began to scrutinize my… read more

Food news antipasto

August 9, 2020 by
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Running out of things to watch in your Netflix or Amazon Prime queue? We have the answer with a new short film that dives into the world of Japanese cooking via one of its most iconic elements: dashi. The brainchild of chef Shinobu Namae and filmmaker Eric Wolfinger, the show explores each step of the dashi-making process through the eyes of the Michelin-starred… read more

Hats off to grocery workers

August 8, 2020 by
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Due to the pandemic, I have finally succumbed to doing some of my grocery shopping online. This service has been offered for a few years at my supermarket, but I haven't been interested in it before. Grocery shopping is my happy place - I find zen in the aisles as I inspect new products, compare ingredient lists, and carefully pore… read more

Storecupboard Vegan – Cookbook Giveaway

August 8, 2020 by
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Enter our giveaway to win one of three copies of Storecupboard Vegan by Laura Veganpower and Sébastien Kardinal open to members in US/CA/UK/AU/NZ. Here are 300 easy, fast and inexpensive recipes that use ready-made vegan preparations, such as tofu sausages, smoked tofu, seitan, tempeh, soy steaks, vegan cheeses, and dairy-free yogurt as well as regular storecupboard staples like tins of… read more

Cookbook Shelf and Kitchen Detective for Hire

August 8, 2020 by
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Today, I came across an article in the NY Times, "The Celebrity Bookshelf Detective is Back." While I am a voracious reader, I am not interested in what celebrities, or even what my friends are reading. I can make up my own mind in that regard. But what I enjoy figuring out are what cookbooks are in the kitchens of… read more

This week: Recipes for peaches and taking care of yourself, cookbook giveaways and EYBD Previews

August 8, 2020 by
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Instagram famous Leslie Jordan begins almost every video with "hello fellow hunker downers, how you all doin?" I have been wondering how all of our members are coping during this time? I watch Leslie's videos every day and they bring a smile to my face. Lately, I feel as if I'm in a continual loop of Groundhog's Day, the Twilight… read more

Historic Mexican recipes now available as e-books

August 7, 2020 by
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In February we reported how the University of Texas in San Antonio was in the process of digitizing hundreds of historical Mexican cookbooks. The pandemic has delayed this effort, but instead of just putting the whole project on hold, the university is now releasing recipes from the collection as free e-books. The first mini-cookbook was released earlier this month. Postres: Guardando… read more

The three essential baking pans everyone needs in their kitchen

August 6, 2020 by
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I recently made several pound cakes in this Nordic Ware loaf pan to give to friends and neighbors. One neighbor, witnessing the Facebook posts of my pandemic baking spree featuring myriad layer cakes, breads, Bundts, and other baked goods, asked me how much room I needed to store my baking pans. The answer is...a lot. Since my kitchen is not… read more
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