The difference between cornmeal, grits, and polenta

September 4, 2019 by
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Cornmeal, grits, polenta: although I have and use all three of these corn products in my pantry, I must confess that I was not aware of the subtle differences between them. That is, until today, when I found an article on Eater that explains their distinctive traits. First things first: these are all very similar products that are made from… read more

Are you a meal planner or do you just wing it?

September 3, 2019 by
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Two cobs of corn sullenly glare at me from the bottom shelf of my refrigerator. Just over a week ago they were torn from their stalks on a farm a mere four miles away and delivered the same day to a farmers' market, full of potential to add their fresh, sweet flavor to a meal. As I strolled through the… read more

Two food festivals on tap for Australians

September 2, 2019 by
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Australians living in the Brisbane vicinity have some exciting food events coming up in the next few weeks. Up first is the second annual Moreton Bay Food + Wine Festival, which is scheduled for 7-8 September. The other is the Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers, which features severals Food & Wine side events and runs from 20-29 September. The Moreton Bay… read more

Chef and author Biba Caggiano has died

September 1, 2019 by
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California chef, restaurateur, and cookbook author Biba Caggiano died last Thursday. Caggiano, who emigrated to the US in the late 1970s, and her husband opened an Italian restaurant simply named 'Biba' in Sacramento in late 1986, which quickly set the standard for fine dining and exemplary service in the state capital. Caggiano had no formal culinary training, almost no experience… read more

Marcella Hazan’s lasting legacy

August 31, 2019 by
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tomato sauce
There are a handful of people whose pioneering work in codifying the cooking of a region has created a body of work that is used generation after generation. Paula Wolfert, Julia Child, and Marcella Hazan are three women who fit this description. Recently food writer Melissa Clark talked with Francis Lam on The Splendid Table about how Hazan's work has… read more

When savory meets sweet

August 30, 2019 by
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Sweet and savory generally occupy different areas on restaurant menus and different courses in our meals. But when they come together, the results can be wonderful. I was reminded of this by an article on the James Beard Foundation's website that explains how to make ensaymada, an irresistable Filipino pastry that deftly combines the two tastes. The recipe they use… read more

Are green onions and scallions the same thing?

August 29, 2019 by
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Green onion salad
When I come across a recipe that calls for scallions, I automatically substitute green onions. I've been under the impression that these are two different names for the same vegetable. And then there are chives, which are different but similar enough to cause confusion. So what are the differences between these three alliums? Food & Wine has the answer. Saute… read more

Let them eat cake…scraps

August 28, 2019 by
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Gelato
If you bake a lot of cakes (or even just a few now and then), you might have encountered this dilemma - the cakes are domed and won't stack, so you trim the tops off to level them. This results in small scraps of lovely cake that you really can't do anything with - right? Wrong, says Stella Parks. She… read more

Get your grill on with these tips

August 27, 2019 by
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Pumpkin spice is in the air, and that can only mean one thing: winter is coming (at least in the northern hemisphere). Yes, I know, fall/autumn has not even started, but the long Labor Day weekend in the U.S. marks the unofficial end of summer, and pumpkin spice flavors appeared today in local Starbucks locations, both harbingers of fall. Don't… read more

Farmers’ market advice from the pros

August 26, 2019 by
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Farmers' markets hold such promise. Wandering through the stalls can make you feel like the proverbial kid in a candy shop. In much the same way, they can be a bit overwhelming. Sometimes it's difficult to tell which vendors have the best tomatoes, peaches, or melons. Karen Beverlin does not have that problem. A veteran produce buyer, she knows her… read more

Food news antipasto

August 25, 2019 by
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tomato tart
Time again for the food news that piqued my interest but did not warrant a lengthy post. This week we begin with a tip to prevent sogginess when baking with tomatoes. Since it's peak tomato season in much of the northern latitudes, this is timely. Tiffany Hopkins of Epicurious tells us the secret is to properly salt the tomatoes to… read more

Jamie Oliver’s humbling interview

August 24, 2019 by
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When Jamie Oliver burst onto the scene in the late 1990s, his star ascended with astonishing speed. The young chef quickly established a media empire through television programs and a string of successful cookbooks. Not content to limit himself to being a TV host, he tackled childhood obesity and worked to improve school lunches. It seemed as though Oliver was… read more

Counting the days to GBBO

August 23, 2019 by
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There are precious few bits of good news these days. The world's lungs are on fire, stock markets around the world have more ups and downs than an M.C. Escher staircase, and my scale continues to mock me on a daily basis. That is why I am counting down the days to Season 7 of The Great British Bake Off… read more

ATK and Christopher Kimball settle lawsuit

August 22, 2019 by
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The feud between America's Test Kitchen and Christopher Kimball appears to be over. Today the parties announced a settlement in the three-year legal battle that began when Kimball was forced out (or resigned, depending on your point of view) of ATK and started his own (very similar) company. The details of the agreement were not disclosed, but we do know… read more

Le Creuset 2019 factory sale

August 21, 2019 by
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If you love Le Creuset and live in the southern US, mark your calendars. The annual Le Creuset factory-to-table sale is coming to Charlotte, NC in September and Atlanta, GA in October. The sale includes special pricing, limited-edition colors and rare shapes and styles.  You have to pay an entrance fee to attend the sale but the proceeds go to a… read more

Dream vacations for food lovers

August 20, 2019 by
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Imagine lounging in an Italian retreat overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea, taking a private tour of Italy's best producer of buffalo mozzarella, having a guided tour of ancient temple ruins, and visiting a fig and chocolate confectionery, all the while getting great advice on your food writing. Does that sound like an dream vacation to you? If so, it could come true.… read more

Semifreddo hits all the right notes

August 19, 2019 by
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It can be a challenge to write a blog that is read by people all over the world. When it's blistering hot in one hemisphere, the other is dreading the next winter storm. There are a few foods that transcend the seasons, such as ice cream. Unless you own an ice cream maker - an indulgence if you do not… read more

Food news antipasto

August 18, 2019 by
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It's that time of the week for a review of the items I found interesting over the past several days that did not warrant an entire post. Few things are better than a fresh loaf of artisan bread. The cracking of the crust and the chew of the crumb are delightful. However, few things are worse than stale bread. You… read more

Giving new meaning to ‘topping off’

August 17, 2019 by
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Although I am far from being a 'zero waster', I do attempt to use up all of the food I buy. As I investigate ways to use every scrap (using the EYB Library, of course), I am continually amazed by the number of things I don't know about parts of the produce that I buy or grow. That point was… read more

Young writers to watch

August 14, 2019 by
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After you've been collecting cookbooks and other food-related books, you tend to develop a fondness for certain writers and seek out their books. While favorite authors are awesome, it is nice to find new voices to add to your list and The Art of Eating Magazine can help with this task. They asked several established, well-loved food writers to name… read more

Getting to know black lentils

August 13, 2019 by
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I must admit to having an aversion to lentils. This is probably due to the fact that as a young vegetarian who was a rubbish cook, I ate far too many bland dishes of underseasoned, mushy legumes. If only I had known about black lentils, aka beluga or caviar lentils, back then. Although regular lentils tend to disintegrate when cooked,… read more

Iconic cookbook authors open their first restaurant together

August 12, 2019 by
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You may be familiar with Melissa Hamilton and Christopher Hirsheimer from their many Canal House cookbooks. After over a decade of writing gorgeous, seasonally-inspired and highly-regarded books, the paid has decided to embark on a new venture, opening a restaurant called Canal House Station earlier this summer.  While the award-winning authors have both been involved in restaurants in their long culinary… read more

Food news antipasto

August 11, 2019 by
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Have you ever wondered why pounds is abbreviated as 'lbs' and ounces as 'oz'? Although I only thought about it in passing, it's something that has puzzled me for years. Southern Living has cleared up the mystery for us, explaining how the shortcuts came to be.  Whether your go-to diner meal is for grilled cheese, the tried and true BLT,… read more

Is 2019 going to be the year of the carrot?

August 10, 2019 by
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When we list up-and-coming food trends, most of the time the honors go to 'exotic' fruits, vegetables, or cuisines that are gaining recognition outside of the native areas. Pantry and refrigerator staples are rarely trendsetters, which is why one phenomenon has piqued the interest of Australian Gourmet Traveller. The magazine reports on the surprising carrot trend that has popped up… read more

These tools are real multi-taskers

August 9, 2019 by
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I've got a kitchen full of tools and equipment that were specially designed for cooking. From mixers to spatulas to cake decorating tips, these tools belonged in the kitchen from the moment they were conceived. But some of the most useful kitchen items that I have came from other rooms in the house and even from the garage. The Washington… read more
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