No more secret recipe

March 9, 2015 by
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As we've discussed previously, some people share their "secret" recipes but others like to hold on to them. Bakery owners have obvious reasons to fall into the latter camp. So you can imagine the dismay when a San Francisco-area baker discovered that someone broke into his bakery and stole his recipe binders. Ry Stephen, a 28-year-old pastry chef, recently opened… read more

Out of print but not out of mind

March 8, 2015 by
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Cookbooks generally have short publication lives. Outside of big name classics like Joy of Cooking, most cookbooks generally only get a printing or two and then it's on to the "next big thing." Since it's difficult to judge which cookbooks will become go-to volumes in our libraries, we might pass on books only to find out later that they deserve… read more

The Southern pantry is both exotic and familiar

March 7, 2015 by
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As we reported in the IACP cookbook award announcement, US Southern cooking is riding a wave of popularity, as Heritage by Sean Brock has been nominated for several IACP awards, and three of the four books in the American category feature Southern cooking (Heritage, Down South and The B.T.C. Old-Fashioned Grocery Cookbook). The Southern pantry includes many unusual ingredients. If… read more

Versatile Madeira makes a comeback

March 6, 2015 by
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Madeira is working its way back into the limelight. Once wildly popular on both sides of the Atlantic, it fell out of favor. However, The Wall Street Journal reports that sales of the Portugese wine have been steadily increasing. According to the Madeira Wine Institute, US sales of the wine "have jumped from $1.23 million to $2.13 million over the last four… read more

Featured Cookbooks & Recipes

March 5, 2015 by
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Do you find other people's comments on recipes helpful? Have you written your own recipe Notes? It's a great way to remind yourself how a dish turned out and share your experience with the EYB community. On each Recipe Details page you'll find a Notes tab. Adding online recipes to your EYB Bookshelf is a really great way to expand… read more

IACP announces cookbook award finalists

March 5, 2015 by
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The IACP announced the list of finalists for its prestigious cookbook awards on Wednesday. While everyone was surprised in 2014 by the self-published Stone Edge Farm Cookbook taking top honors, don't expect any similar shocks this year. Most of the nominees are well-established authors and chefs, and the only self-published book on the list is in the Food Matters category. Competition is fierce… read more

The science behind Indian food’s appeal

March 4, 2015 by
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Everyone knows that Indian food, with its widely variable and uniquely spiced recipes, is delicious. The Washington Post reports that scientists now have a better understanding of its unique appeal. Researchers at the Indian Institute for Technology analyzed thousands of recipes from a popular Indian food website. They looked at how often the component ingredients of various dishes shared flavor compounds. After analyzing over… read more

Iced, hot, pure, and dirty

March 3, 2015 by
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We might take it for granted, but water is one of the most important tools in the cook's arsenal. It's far more than just another liquid ingredient - and of course it isn't always liquid. Ice has many uses in the kitchen, and Epicurious takes a look at how ice + water can make you a better cook. From shocking… read more

Round the world and back again

March 3, 2015 by
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Every once in a while, after a long drought, we get a spate of internationally-flavored cookbooks to enjoy.  In fact, I'm starting to wonder if February/March might be an ideal time for publishers to release these books - halfway between the holiday rush of big-name books and the May onslaught of grills and cocktails. We've had a seemingly endless parade… read more

Reducing food waste

March 2, 2015 by
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Food waste is a problem in developed countries. In the U.S. alone, approximately 35 million tons of food gets discarded each year, with 40% of the total going to the trash before the food even hits the plate. While the situation is discouraging, there is a bit of good news. The problem has inspired college students to take action, according… read more

Celebrate National Peanut Butter Day

March 1, 2015 by
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Today is National Peanut Butter Day in the U.S. Yes, we have a "day" for almost every food known to mankind, but this one is especially fun because, well, it's peanut butter. From fond memories of childhood lunches to being the secret ingredient in a chili recipe, peanut butter holds a special place in our hearts. It's a pantry staple… read more

A cookbook conundrum

February 28, 2015 by
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"So many cookbooks, so little time," laments Glenda Cooper of The Telegraph. EYB Members reading this headline might bob their heads in agreement at the phrase. After all, we love cookbooks and wish we had more time to try all of the delicious recipes found in their glossy pages. But Cooper isn't talking about that cookbook conundrum--rather, she is discussing… read more

Grains of tomorrow

February 27, 2015 by
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The popularity of whole grains continues to grow, and once exotic quinoa and farro have become quite mainstream. Food & Wine magazine highlights three grains that are poised to ride the next wave of popularity.  "I've always felt like I've been a little bit ahead of my time with my interest in health food," says chef Aimee Oxley of Philadelphia's Talula's… read more

The great pie debate

February 26, 2015 by
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You might not think that the definition of pie would cause controversy, but you'd be wrong. As British Pie Week approaches, there's an online debate raging about how to define pie. The Telegraph explains that the feelings run so high one irate pie lover "launched a Government e-petition to "make wrongly describing a casserole with a pastry lid a criminal… read more

February 2015 cookbook roundup

February 25, 2015 by
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Every month Susie Chang reviews new cookbook releases and notes trends in the United States. And she may also occasionally throw in a review of a "not-quite cookbook." And for our non-U.S. members, Jane and Fiona provide similar reviews for new Canada, U.K., Australia, and New Zealand releases. US February is the usual prolific jumble of in-between season books: diet… read more

White Pages & Glossy Photos: A Rubric for Titling Cookbooks

February 24, 2015 by
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"Well, this is lovely,"  I thought as the new cookbook slid out of its padded envelope.  "Rose Water and Orange Blossoms," it read, in a curling thick cursive.  I scanned downward to see what kind of Middle Eastern food we were talking about - Lebanese, it turned out. Inside, the format didn't seduce me as readily - double-columned, unnumbered steps,… read more

Challenging conventional wisdom on peanuts

February 23, 2015 by
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Peanuts can be found in many foods ranging from appetizers to main dishes to desserts. A rise in peanut allergies in recent years has put a damper on the legume's popularity. As a result of this rise, many pediatricians and allergy specialists advised against feeding peanuts to babies. However, a new study carried out by King's College London suggests that… read more

Grade inflation

February 22, 2015 by
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Last month, a USDA rule change went into effect with relatively little fanfare. The agency adopted rules that change how maple syrup is graded in the United States. Part of the reason for the change was to bring the US in line with international standards, but consumer preferences also played a significant role. Consumers have been gravitating toward dark syrup,… read more

Warm up with hearty soups

February 21, 2015 by
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Spring might be right around the corner, but for most of the Northern Hemisphere it seems like it may never arrive. Frigid temperatures, mountains of snow, and harsh winds have dampened spirits and chilled us to the bone. If there is any upside to this weather it's that it is a perfect excuse to make hearty, warming soups. Bloggers and… read more

Oscar party foods

February 20, 2015 by
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The Academy Awards, more commonly known as the Oscars, arrive this Sunday. Along with all of the Hollywood celebrities at the many pre- and post-Oscar events you will find a lot of food, much of it catered by celebrity chefs like Wolfgang Puck. The star chef shared what will be on Sunday's Governors Ball menu this year. The Governors Ball,… read more

Featured Cookbooks & Recipes

February 19, 2015 by
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At Eat Your Books we want to bring you the best recipes - our dedicated team searches out and finds online recipes excerpted from newly indexed cookbooks and magazines. New recipes from the best blogs are indexed daily and members index their favorite online recipes using the Bookmarklet all the time. Below you'll find this week's recommendations from the EYB team.… read more

Is it time to call fat a sixth taste?

February 19, 2015 by
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Scientists are in consensus about the five basics tastes of sweet, salt, sour, bitter and umami. New studies are leading some researchers to call for adding fat to that list as a sixth taste. But while several scientists are promoting this idea, others remain skeptical, according to NPR's The Salt. It's well known that humans can perceive fat as a texture.… read more

The Art of Eating announces finalists for its new best food book competition

February 18, 2015 by
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Cookbook awards season will soon be in full swing, and this year features a new competition from The Art of Eating, a quarterly magazine described by the Wall Street Journal as "America's most erudite and and prestigious food publication." Last fall, the magazine announced that it would offer a prize for the year's best book about food. Whereas other cookbook… read more

Fat Tuesday feast

February 17, 2015 by
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Today is Fat Tuesday (aka Mardi Gras) and festivities are in full force in New Orleans. Celebrated as the last extravagance before the austere days of Lent, Mardi Gras features indulgent food and drink. Even if you don't celebrate the religious holiday, the festival is a good excuse to eat classic New Orleans-inspired food. Indexed magazine Saveur features an entire… read more

Little known facts about the Nutella empire

February 16, 2015 by
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You may have heard that Michele Ferrero, the man at the head of the family behind Nutella and Ferrero Rocher, died on Valentine's Day. Reporting on Ferrero's passing, The Telegraph provides 14 facts that you may not know about Ferrero and the Nutella empire he leaves behind. We first learn that the company has always been family owned. It was… read more
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