Food news antipasto

Food critic Jay Rayner had the honor of interviewing Madhur Jaffrey for the September issues of Observer Food Monthly. On the eve of the 40th anniversary edition of her book Madhur Jaffrey's Indian Cookery, the 90-year-old author talks about how she became "an accidental cook" due to acute homesickness when she was in London studying drama. An acclaimed actress, Jaffrey started… read more

Food news antipasto

Even though I love to cook and bake, sometimes nothing will satisfy a craving like junk food: cheese puffs with an orange coating that resembles no real cheese but is so good I'll lick it off my fingers , a too-sweet cake with a best-by date that is months into the future, or cookies with an ingredient list of things… read more

Food news antipasto

First up this week is a delightful interview with Jürgen Krauss, a semifinalist in the 2021 Great British Bake Off. Krauss discusses how his childhood in Germany's Black Forest region influences his baking, and why he doesn't hold a grudge against GBBO for his shocking exit from the program, which spurred over 100 to make complaints to the UK's communications regulator.… read more

Food news antipasto

First up this week is a fun little quiz to test your knowledge of pantry staples. It starts off pretty easy by asking what are the ingredients in pesto, but it gets more difficult after that. There were some foods I hadn't encountered, although because it's multiple choice most answers become clear even if you don't have a jar of… read more

Food news antipasto

As if people in the US didn't have enough to worry about with oppressive heat in multiple locations, hurricanes AND an earthquake in California, and tornados in the South and Midwest, now we have to be careful about foamy, exploding watermelons. What's next, locusts?! If you are the kind of person who will take a chance on a foamy watermelon,… read more

Food news antipasto

How old is too old to bake? Minnesota's Marjorie Johnson believes there is no upper age limit, because the spry 104-year-old is busy baking up a storm. She will be entering baked goods into the Minnesota State Fair later this month, something she has been doing since the 1970s. She has racked up scores of blue ribbons and hopes to… read more

Food news antipasto

Peeking inside celebrities' kitchens and pantries is a source of fascination for people. It may be so popular because it's a way to relate to the celebrities (they're just like me because they have [insert your favorite item] in their fridge!) or perhaps because it offers a glimpse into a lifestyle few of us can afford (think Kim Kardashian's enormous… read more

Food news antipasto

In a surprise move, Cher recently said that she is getting into the frozen desserts game with a line of gelatos under the brand name Cherlato. The singer said the launch was years in the making. In the Instagram post announcing the new project the New Zealand based ice cream and gelato supplier Giapo Kitchen was tagged, indicating that it… read more

Food news antipasto

GBBO finalist Crystelle Pereira just released her first cookbook, Flavour Kitchen, to rave reviews. She recently sat down with The Independent to discuss life after Bake Off, the decision to quit her day job and focus on cooking and baking, her Goan-Portuguese roots, and her upcoming food plans. Despite loving French pastries, Pereira admitted that she doesn't love French food.… read more

Food news antipasto

We start out this week's recap of culinary happenings with sad news of two deaths in the cookbook community. Acclaimed British writer Colin Spencer has passed away at the age of 90. Grub Street Publishing (UK - not related to the US Grub Street website) posted a remembrance about him yesterday. Spencer wrote numerous cookbooks and food-related titles including British… read more

Food news antipasto

Fans of the Hulu series The Bear may have noticed that fictional chef Carmy Berzatto has a cookbook collection at the new restaurant he opens in Season 2. Kat Kinsman and Chandra Ram did some sleuthing - including taking screenshots and enlarging them, CSI-style - and put together a list of the books Carmy has displayed. They are what you would… read more

Food news antipasto

Cookbook author, food writer and longtime EYB collaborator, Roberta Muir, runs online cooking classes featuring a new cuisine each month. She packages detailed written recipes and step-by-step videos in a glossy eMagazine with lots of extra food, wine and travel info relevant to the month’s cuisine. There are also pescatarian-friendly variations for all meat and poultry dishes. All 26 of Roberta’s existing… read more

Food news antipasto

Consumers are one step closer to getting lab-grown meat, as US regulators approved two California companies to make chicken from cultivated cells. Upside Foods and Good Meat were both vying to be the first company to get the go-ahead for lab-grown meat products. “Instead of all of that land and all of that water that’s used to feed all of… read more

Food news antipasto

Every chef has their own 'secret' ingredient, the one that they turn to time and again to add pizzazz to their dishes. For Mauritian chef Chaya Maya, that ingredient is tamarind. She adds it to soups and stews near the end of cooking, as a marinade for meats, and in desserts. Like other Maruritians, she even eats it straight out… read more

Food news antipasto

Olivia Potts has judged food awards, including World’s Original Marmalade Awards and the Great Taste Awards, the "big kahuna of UK produce awards." While she thinks that there is merit highlighting small producers, Potts wonders if overall these food awards are worthwhile. "Taste doesn’t necessarily defy analysis, but that analysis is almost retrospective, a breaking down of why something is… read more

Food news antipasto

After 17 years, Top Chef host Padma Lakshmi announced that she was leaving the Bravo TV series. In a tweet, Padma said that "After much soul searching, I have made the difficult decision to leave Top Chef. Having completed a glorious 20th season as host and executive producer, I am extremely proud to have been part of building such a… read more

Food news antipasto

Does chef Jose Andres ever sleep? As if he isn't busy enough running restaurants, contributing to his nonprofit enterprise (World Central Kitchen), and giving talks around the world, he just announced a new partnership with George Washington University. They are forming The Global Food Institute, and its lofty aim is to "serve as a hub to develop evidence, partnerships, and… read more

Food news antipasto

Most of us know that Betty Crocker isn't a real person; she was concocted by the marketing folks at the Washburn-Crosby Company (the precursor to General Mills) in 1921. However, another names that is displayed on boxes of cake mixes across the US is (or was) a real person: Duncan Hines. Southern Living explores the history of Mr. Hines, who… read more

Food news antipasto

As we eagerly await the announcement of the winners of the 2023 James Beard Media Awards, yet another controversy is brewing around the James Beard Foundation. This time it comes from a couple of judges resigning and a former winner smashing his award with a brick. As Eater explains, "In the wake of disqualifying a Birmingham [Alabama] chef, two judges… read more

Food news antipasto

Jamie Oliver is set to return to the London restaurant scene with his first new location since the 2019 collapse of his UK restaurant group. The chef will launch a site at London’s Theatre Royal Drury Lane, and the restaurant will feature a seasonal menu highlighting British produce. Oliver said: "I was devastated when I lost my UK restaurants. Without doubt,… read more

Food news antipasto

If you recently purchased ground cumin and you live in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Texas, Virginia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, or Wisconsin, you may want to check your pantry. Michigan-based Lipari Foods is recalling six ounce tubs of ground cumin because of potential Salmonella contamination.   In a recent tweet, Jose Andres dangled a carrot in… read more

Food news antipasto

Earlier this week King Charles III announced the signature dish of his upcoming coronation: quiche. The official Coronation quiche features an...interesting combination of spinach, broad beans, and tarragon. As one royal commentator said, the dish is "the gastronomic equivalent of King Charles himself." If that particular combination doesn't appeal to you, The Independent's Hannah Twigg offers five alternative fillings. The… read more

Food news antipasto

Somehow the news got past us that the Guinness World Record cookbook collection changed in 2019. Lisa Ekus of Hatfield, Massachusetts (of cookbook literary agency fame) now holds the certified world record at 4,239 book. Ekus actually has thousands more (near 7,000), but some of these may be pamphlets or others that are not included in the official count. The… read more

Food news antipasto

With spring in the air in the Northern Hemisphere, blooms are starting to pop up on what was, in many places, frozen ground just a few weeks ago. Seeing these cheery flowers might tempt you to use them as a garnish for cake or even salad, but be careful about which blooms you perch atop your food, cautions Epicurious. Some… read more

Food news antipasto

We learned the sad news that Raghavan Iyer passed away Friday while on a visit to San Francisco. "Raghavan was a dear friend to many around the globe," said Anne Spaeth, owner of the Lynhall restaurants in Minneapolis [where Iyer lived with his partner Terry Erickson] and Edina. "The world lost a beautiful soul and consummate educator of his beloved… read more
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