On losing a favorite food

February 21, 2024 by
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Growing up in a landlocked state in the middle of the continent (smack dab in the middle; the geographic center of North America is just north of my hometown), I did not encounter much seafood other than the occasional frozen shrimp. However, when I moved much closer to the coast following my college graduation, I quickly made up for the… read more

Catching up with Carla Hall

February 20, 2024 by
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Carla Hall burst onto the scene with her run to the finale on season 5 of Bravo's Top Chef. Since then, Hall has kept busy with a variety of projects, on television and off, including a stint on The Chew. Next up for the busy chef? A new show on Max: Chasing Flavor, which the NYT's Kim Severson says is… read more

Food news antipasto

February 18, 2024 by
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Since the 1960s, Pop-Tarts have been a favorite kids' breakfast treat. The creator of the popular toaster pastry, William ‘Bill’ Post, died this week at age 96. Post once said that to create the iconic treat he had to "break every rule" and also offered advice for aspiring creators: “Just try anything. There is no idea that’s too crazy...If somebody… read more

UK braces for possible tea shortage

February 15, 2024 by
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Even though coffee has become increasingly popular in the UK, the nation still drinks much more tea than coffee, but tea lovers need to prepare themselves for a potential shortage. Recent Houthi attacks on ships has caused merchants to reroute their vessels around the African cape, adding a delay of up to two weeks per ship. One of the items… read more

Celebrate Shrove Tuesday, aka Pancake Day

February 13, 2024 by
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Today is Shrove Tuesday aka National Pancake Day. The Tuesday before Lent begins is a traditional day for eating pancakes, hearkening back to a time when any remaining rich foods (usually foods with a lot of fat or eggs) were eaten prior to the Lenten fasting. Because pancakes factor so heavily into this tradition, this food ‘holiday’ is a perfect excuse… read more

Food news antipasto

February 11, 2024 by
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Michelin recently announced which restaurants would receive its coveted stars in the UK. One of those is London's Chishuru, whose founder and chef Adejoké Bakare is the first black female chef to receive a star in the country. Bakare started Chishuru, which focuses on West African cuisine, first as a pop-up after winning a competition in Brixton. The chef said… read more

Welcome the Year of the Dragon

February 10, 2024 by
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Today marks the beginning of a very special time for the Chinese and several other cultures, as it is the beginning of the lunar new year, which is called Tet in Vietnam, Tsagaan Sar in Mongolia, Losar in Tibet, and Seollal in Korea. This holiday, celebrated by 20% of the world’s population, is honored differently in various countries, but food features prominently in all celebrations. Each of the foods… read more

All about salt

February 8, 2024 by
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When I first learned how to cook, I was aware of only one kind of salt, the stuff that came in the cardboard can that featured the iconic girl with an umbrella. It was Morton's iodized table salt, and it's all I used for years. As I learned more about cooking, I became aware of different types of salt: first… read more

How much should little annoyances matter?

February 7, 2024 by
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One thing I love about cookbooks is that every author lends their own voice to the recipe through the instructions and notes. This gives every book its own vibe and personality, and I will sometimes pull a book off the shelf as much for its tone as for a specific recipe. Authors also develop their own quirky phrases for recipe… read more

Score a touchdown with great Super Bowl snacks

February 6, 2024 by
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I get the feeling that this year's Super Bowl between the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers (happening Sunday, February 11) will be watched by a demographic that has never before cared about a football game. If you're among the newbies who doesn't know a first down from a touchdown, hardly anyone will question your football bonafides if your… read more

Food news antipasto

February 4, 2024 by
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Dina Begum's Made in Bangladesh: Flavours and Memories in Six Seasons explores the delicious, but underrepresented, food of her home country. Saveur recently interviewed Begum (they are featuring Made in Bangladesh in their Cookbook Club this month), discussing everything from spicy bhortas and glistening kebabs to divine biryanis and milky puddings. Have you ever looked at a baking recipe and… read more

Website takes “jump to the recipe” to a new level

February 3, 2024 by
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A perennial complaint from people looking for recipes on the internet is that they have to slog through countless photos and irrelevant stories before they eventually get to the recipe. This has led some bloggers to add a hyperlink at the top of each post so that those who don't want to read the story can easily jump to the… read more

This recipe writer makes $15,000 per recipe

February 1, 2024 by
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Caroline Chambers may not be a well-known chef or author like Yotam Ottolenghi or Ina Garten, but she is one successful food writer. She has one of the top ranked food newsletters on Substack, with over 131,000 subscribers. She's written a cookbook, has a blog and podcast, and develops recipes for food and wine brands. And, as Dianne Jacobs explains… read more

Life’s uncertain, order dessert

January 31, 2024 by
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Everyone who has eaten with a group of people at a restaurant has encountered the following scenario: after finishing the main part of the meal, the server returns and asks "Did anyone save room for dessert?" People will glance at each other, looking for signs that someone else wants to order a sweet ending to the repast. Instead, there's a… read more

The latest cake trend involves setting it on fire

January 30, 2024 by
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Have you seen any videos of the latest cake decorating trend? It's popped up in the last couple of days on my social media feeds, and this trend is literal fire. According to an article on Eater, "Burn-away cakes have gotten over 174 million views on TikTok since they gained traction on the platform earlier this month." So what is a burn-away… read more

Food news antipasto

January 28, 2024 by
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Two stories about Trader Joe's hit my radar this week. The first, from Food & Wine, is a recap of the annual survey that the grocer undertakes about its customers favorite products. Landing at number one on that list is Chili and Lime Flavored Rolled Tortilla Chips, priced at $2.99 USD. The other news concerns a complaint brought against Trader… read more

New series chronicles the rise of Martha Stewart

January 27, 2024 by
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Martha Stewart wearing an all-white outfit smiles at the camera. The background is an off white just darker than Stewart's outfit.
A new four-part series from CNN (which will be broadcast later on Max), “The Many Lives of Martha Stewart,” chronicles the rise of the iconic domestic doyenne, from model to stockbroker to controller of a media empire. Eater's Bettina Makalintal provides us with a glimpse of what the limited series has to offer. The first two episodes trace Stewart's trajectory… read more

The art of eating snow

January 25, 2024 by
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A new trend has popped up in recent weeks with viral videos showing people eating snow in a number of ways. Many involve making desserts or drinks containing or topped with freshly fallen snow. Reese Witherspoon recently posted a TikTok where she makes a "Chococinno" from coffee, chocolate, and flavored syrups. The internet being, well, the internet, her post drew… read more

JBF announces semifinalists for restaurant and chef awards

January 24, 2024 by
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Today the James Beard Foundation announced its slate of semifinalists for its 2024 Restaurant and Chef Awards. Nominees will be announced on Wednesday, April 3 and winners will be celebrated at the James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards ceremony on Monday, June 10 at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. (The cookbook award winners will be announced a few days prior to the… read more

Celebrate National Pie Day

January 23, 2024 by
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“There is a mystery inherent in a pie by virtue of its contents being hidden beneath its crust.”Janet Clarkson, Pie: A Global History. Today, for reasons I shall never understand, is National Pie Day (I believe the logical choice for the day is March 14). Regardless of why this date was chosen, I am happy to join in the celebration. I love pie so… read more

Food news antipasto

January 21, 2024 by
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While some recent celebrity chef deaths have come at ages far too young, the news about the passing of chef and author Ronald Kinton reflects a long life, well-lived. The chef and author died in December at age 102. In a tribute, University of West London culinary ambassador Michael Coaker said: "Ron, along with Victor Ceserani, was a particular inspiration… read more

Looking backward for inspiration

January 20, 2024 by
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As each year ticks by with a bevy of new cookbook releases, it amazes me that so many of them continue to be fresh, exciting, even groundbreaking. I excitedly bookmark recipes that I can't wait to try, to add to an ever-growing list. However, this doesn't mean that the older cookbooks on my bookshelves are relegated to being dust collectors.… read more

What’s the best way to store knives?

January 18, 2024 by
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Consumers spend billions on home organization every year. It might be part of their New Year's resolution to get more organized, or spurred by an organizing expert like Marie Kondo, but whatever the reason, people buy a lot of stuff just to store their stuff. Kitchens are no exception to this rule, as companies like The Home Edit offer countless… read more

It is the best of times, it is the worst of times

January 17, 2024 by
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Reading the headlines about restaurant openings and closings these days can give you whiplash. One moment we are lamenting all of the closures that happened over the past year, and the next we are cheering the opening of dozens of new eateries. Despite the multitude of stories about the challenges restaurants face, from soaring energy and food costs to ongoing… read more

Is bread and butter the ultimate comfort food?

January 16, 2024 by
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Writing for Salon, Mary Elizabeth Williams makes a bold statement, saying there is no better comfort food than bread and butter. After describing a perfect French breakfast of a crusty baguette, still warm from the oven paired with luxurious butter from Brittany. "What is it about bread and butter that hits the spot like nothing else in the world?" Williams… read more
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