Lucky foods for the new year

December 31, 2025 by
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After waking up this New Year's 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. Foods that have particular symbolism vary depending on culture, but most are associated with wealth, health, and good luck. Beans and greens are two of these… read more

A new way to help achieve your New Year’s cooking goals

December 30, 2025 by
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We have reached that time when many of us reflect on the past year and set our aspirations for the next. Last year, my main intention was to read or re-read every one of my cookbooks. On this, I failed miserably. I will not share the paltry number of books I made it through, but in my defense, 2025 was… read more

Food news antipasto

December 29, 2025 by
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This liminal period between Christmas and New Year's has my brain scrambled, so please accept my apologies for this delayed recap of food news. Since 2025 is nearly over, everyone is looking back at the top stories and recipes for the year. Australian Gourmet Traveller published its most popular recipes of 2025, and The Sydney Morning Herald's Good Food recounts… read more

Self-checkout theft is rising

December 27, 2025 by
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One consequence of continued high prices at the grocery store may be that shoppers are taking advantage of self-checkouts to help ease their grocery budget issues. More people are reporting that they have intentionally not scanned items at self-checkouts, with 27% of shoppers admitting to it in a recent survey. The rates vary by age and economic status, with younger… read more

In pursuit of perfection

December 26, 2025 by
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In October, a Redditor who goes by Chivelord began a quest: cutting chives every day until Reddit deemed them 'perfect'. Each day he would post a photo of the day's cut. The comments would pour in: "uneven", a "train" (when the chives aren't cut fully through and are still attached), "towers" (cut too long). Chivelord persevered, cutting again and again… read more

How well do you know Christmas food traditions?

December 25, 2025 by
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If you are sitting around in a food-induced stupor after consuming a huge holiday feast, here is a fun Christmas food (and drink) quiz to complete. I did okay, although I missed a few that I really should have known. I blame the heavy meal for making me have brain fog, but it was totally worth it. We eschewed tradition… read more

The worst gifts ever

December 23, 2025 by
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What's more fun than sharing your favorite food and cooking holiday gifts that you received? A list of the worst gifts you ever got. While the list is not specifically for kitchen items, several people recounted presents that were food or cooking- related. One woman, who bought her husband an expensive Tag Heuer watch, received a cheap blender from him.… read more

Food news antipasto

December 22, 2025 by
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Assorted cheeses on a rustic wooden board
We recently learned that Sri Owen, who popularized Indonesian cooking worldwide, died last month at the age of 90. Born in Sumatra, Indonesia, she moved to Britain in 1964 and was an internationally celebrated author, lecturer and cook. Her books include The Rice Book (winner of the Andre Simon award) and Indonesian Regional Food and Cookery. She served on the… read more

Put down the cocktail, pick up…the dishrag?

December 20, 2025 by
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A hand in a yellow cleaning glove wipes across the face of an oven
Just when you think you have seen all the hot takes possible when it comes to cleaning your kitchen, up pops a new one. This one involves a DIY hack, but it does not instruct you to use vinegar, baking soda, or any of the usual items that get pulled into service as a cleaning product. Instead, says Rolland Judd… read more

Taking holiday classics to a new level

December 19, 2025 by
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While most of us struggle to create a passable bûche de Noël or galettes des rois, pastry chefs around the world are taking these creations to new heights this holiday season. Food and Wine brings us seven interpretations of bûche de Noël that will amaze. Nina Métayer's looks like an elaborate, oversized Christmas ornament. Lift up the top and you… read more

Best cookbooks of 2025 by the experts

December 19, 2025 by
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Who knows cookbooks better than the owners of specialist cookbook stores? They stock and sell thousands of cookbooks and because their stores are focused on food and drink books, they are true experts. They read the books, cook from them and then share their knowledge with their customers. When shopping for cookbook gifts this holiday season, please think about supporting… read more

Top 2025 cookbooks added to EYB Member Bookshelves

December 18, 2025 by
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For the last few years, I have created a list of top cookbooks that Members have added to their Bookshelves in that year. 2025’s list includes 145 books. The first section of this post - shows the most popular books added without regard to region. The second post is broken down by region. Please note this list does not include… read more

The best type of pan for baking pie

December 18, 2025 by
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Even if you don't bake often, you probably have a pie pan that gets dragged out for special occasions like the holidays. A majority of people have a glass or ceramic pan because those are the most common options, but as Serious Eat's Rebecca Frey notes, those may not be the best materials to achieve an evenly-baked, flaky crust. She… read more

December 2025 New Cookbook Review

December 17, 2025 by
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We are putting the finishing touches on 2025 and looking forward to a new year. I prepared a simple roundup of holiday, entertaining, and baking cookbooks that may help you plan your end of the year holiday meals and baking. I have also published Top 2025 cookbooks added to EYB Member Bookshelves and by region for you. Our 2026 Cookbook Preview Post has been… read more

Huge salad dressing recall at Costco, Publix, and more

December 16, 2025 by
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Ventura Foods LLC has issued a recall of salad dressings sold in 27 US states at retailers including Costco and Publix. The recall, which was initiated first on November 4 and later classified as a Class II recall, affects over 3,500 cases of the product. The issue is the presence of foreign objects, namely a black plastic planting material that was… read more

December 2025 EYB Cookbook Club Summary

December 16, 2025 by
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Each month we allow posting in our Eat Your Books Cookbook Club from any cookbook, magazine or blog and we also offer one featured cookbook -most months. We hope that sharing our favorite recipes will help our Members discover new cookbooks and recipes to try. Also please see our January 2026 Great Big Cookbook Club Summary which is now organized by location and includes… read more

Food news antipasto

December 14, 2025 by
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I spotted several gift guides and ideas as I was checking on food news, and thought I would share a few highlights: Nordic Ware has gifts for the Bundt lover and more, Saveur has a limited edition cookbook featuring holiday cakes. The New York Times has a list of 24 gifts for people who love food, and Food & Wine… read more

That’s a wrap

December 13, 2025 by
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Plastic packaging is on nearly every food you can buy these days. It is difficult - almost impossible, in fact - to avoid it. Aside from the environmental impact, the plastic does little to improve the food. It only minimally keeps it from spoiling, and in some cases it leaches chemicals into the food. But what if the wrap around… read more

January 2026 Great Big Cookbook Club Summary

December 12, 2025 by
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As our members know, each month we offer several cooking options in our Eat Your Books Cookbook Club. There are other fun cookbook clubs around world and we’d like to highlight those for those members who might want to cook or bake something other than our choices.  I will update this post as clubs make their additional choices. Something that has… read more

The 2026 flavor of the year, as predicted by McCormick

December 11, 2025 by
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The spice company McCormick, in part of its annual report on dining trends, has predicted that black currant will be the breakout flavor of the coming year. They also predict that 'little luxuries' will continue to be popular, and say that black currant goes hand-in-hand with that trend. Last year, the company named ají amarillo as the flavor of 2025. McCormick dispatched… read more

Chocolate on the chopping block

December 10, 2025 by
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It's no secret that chocolate, like so many food items, has been getting increasingly expensive. Cocoa plants are highly susceptible to the effects of climate change. Add to that labor issues, tariffs, and an infection carried by mealybugs, and you have a crisis. Manufacturers have to pivot as the cost of their key ingredient continues to rise. Some companies have… read more

They don’t make them like they used to

December 9, 2025 by
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My husband and I collect vintage appliances, but not just for display, we use them on a regular basis. The oldest electric appliance we have dates to 1915, the waffle maker shown below. We have non-electric items as old as 1868 (a Howe treadle sewing machine). Beyond the beauty of these items, we appreciate how well they work - in… read more

Food news antipasto

December 7, 2025 by
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Jamie Oliver is not a quitter. Six years after he had to shutter his Italian restaurant chain's UK locations, he is bringing Jamie's Italian back with a new partner. The new iteration of the restaurant is backed by Brava Hospitality Group, which hopes to revive the chain. The first location will be located in London’s Leicester Square. Despite the obstacles… read more

Winter is meant for baking

December 7, 2025 by
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The farther you get from the equator, the longer your winter gets. For those of us who live many degrees away from zero degrees latitude, finding a hobby is crucial to dealing with the long, cold nights and short, slightly less cold, days. For some of us, baking is that hobby. There are several reasons why it makes sense to… read more

Welcome to soup season

December 4, 2025 by
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A polar vortex parked itself over the northern US and is stubbornly refusing to more. Those of us who live in northern states are now bracing for an entire month of subzero temperatures, snowstorms, and bone-chilling winds. Therefore, I hereby declare this to be soup season (with apologies to our Members in the Southern Hemisphere, where soup may be the… read more
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