Food news antipasto

October 19, 2025 by
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This week’s edition of food news is heavy on culinary giants and kitchen appliances with a bonus at the end. We begin with a podcast from BBC Food featuring the always charming Diana Henry (episode available only to subscribers to the Good Food app). Talking with Samuel Goldsmith, Diana discusses her new book Around the Table – 52 Essays on Food & Life, as well as extols the virtues of simplicity in cooking.

Lemons  from Fruit by Cédric Grolet

Cedric Grolet has opened a new chocolate shop in Paris that has everyone talking (gift link). Named Cedric et la Chocolaterie, the store is a “Wonka-esque” project that the chef planned for three years prior to opening. The shop boasts a waterfall of melted chocolate, putting sad little chocolate fountains to shame. Grolet shared his culinary philosophy in the interview, telling Julia Moskin that French pastry chefs “were always adding, adding, adding. Now I am removing, removing, removing.”

Iconic chef Ruth Rogers discusses her new book Squeeze Me: Lemons, Recipes and Art with The Independent’s Hannah Twigg. Rogers shares anecdotes that make her life seem like a storybook adventure: going to an opening at MOMA with the actor Austin Butler as her date, and having Drew Barrymore’s daughter pose for a photograph in Squeeze Me. The chef also talks about the kind of culinary collaborations that have made River Cafe a success for so many years.

Shifting to appliances, Chowhound has a story about a forgotten ’70s counter top appliance that was a must-have in every kitchen: the electric skillet. It created an additional place to cook even if your stovetop was full of pots and pans. My mother always whipped out the electric skillet to make classic German dumplings because of its variable heat control and ability to create a steam dome that made the dumplings soar sky-high (woe to anyone who picked up the lid before the dumplings were done, as they quickly deflated to wrinkly lump). I have a vintage electric skillet that I use for the same purpose.

Moving forward a few decades, Food and Wine is back with another list of 25 items that defined the past 25 years. I already discussed their list of iconic cocktails, and today’s list is for the top kitchen appliances of the first quarter of the 21st century. Of course the Instant Pot appears, as do sous vide machines, spiralizers, colorful KitchenAid stand mixers and a tablet. Also making the cut are enameled cast iron Dutch ovens, cast iron pans, rice cookers, and air fryers. How many of the appliances or gadgets on the list do you own? I have eight.

We again have items in our Calendar of Events that we want to highlight: Rick Rodgers is headed to Los Angeles to discuss How Vienna Changed Global Baking, and NYC cookbook store Bonnie Slotnick Cookbooks is participating in the “Boo Crawl” on October 25th. Bonnie is offering a 10% discount on everything in her shop during this event.

The last bit of news this week is that there is a new print baking magazine out now. Titled Crumb, the magazine highlights chefs, recipes, bakeries, brands & people in pastry. As of now it will be published once a year, but with hopes of getting it to twice a year. Crumb is filled with profiles, bakery features, recipes, histories of pastries, articles about the pastry industry in general and more! The first issue has 120 pages and 28 recipes.

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8 Comments

  • FuzzyChef  on  October 20, 2025

    Eight here too. Although ive had some since before 2000.

  • averythingcooks  on  October 20, 2025

    I have 11 of the 25 listed items (with multiple sizes, types etc for some of them… ie cast iron pans, Dutch ovens, silicone). And I will say that everything must earn its spot in our pretty small house. If we find that we are not using it much, it goes to the store in town that raises money for our local hospice program. What I don’t have is an electric skillet despite so many memories of my mom cooking in hers throughout the 70’s.

  • kayanelson  on  October 20, 2025

    I have 10 but I do not use the sous vide machine. Everything else is in regular use.

  • hillsboroks  on  October 20, 2025

    I seem to have missed all the latest gadget crazes but I do have 6 pieces of LeCreuset that I use constantly and I also have a very nice electric skillet we received as a wedding present back in the 70s. I used it quite a bit in my early cooking years but now it only comes out at Thanksgiving for my husband to make his family’s special candied sweet potatoes. They are so good that it is worth keeping it just for them.

  • lkgrover  on  October 20, 2025

    I bought a Staub Dutch oven in June, which I love. Have had a rice cooker for 20 years; I use it several times a month. I do not have an electric skillet, but my Mom does! It comes out of the cupboard once a year at Christmas to make some traditional family holiday favorites.

  • JDTrick  on  October 20, 2025

    I have/had them all except the ice machine. I regifted the Keurig and the magic bullet, . Asking your readers is a stacked deck I think, as I’m here because I have a cookbook problem, and those two things (cooking gadgets/cookbooks) go hand in hand. lol. I didn’t realize I was so susceptible to trends, but many of these things make sense, and some like the juicer and benriner spiral gadget were gifts. Most of these things I use sparingly, but I do use them. I’m surprised the Vacuum Sealer didn’t make the list. My chamber vacuum sealer is a workhorse in my kitchen… compression, marinating, storing, sous vide…..

  • Jane  on  October 20, 2025

    I have 12. This was an interesting exercise as I’m currently planning a downsize for a year or two and working out what I really need and what can go into storage. The ones I’ll definitely take are the Vitamix, Kitchen Aid stand mixer, air fryer, Dutch ovens, steel water bottle, cast iron pan and silicone tools. Spiralizer is a maybe. The Nespresso will go to my daughter. Into storage goes the panini press. And the charity donations are the juicer and Instant Pot, though I may change my mind about the latter.

  • tmjellicoe  on  October 21, 2025

    My ex-husband insisted we have the electric skillet and it is still the one kitchen item he uses today. Subsequently, our daughter has embraced it. I, on the other hand, didn’t grow up with it, nor kept with it after the divorce. It maybe one item worth another try.

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