Beat the heat with refreshing cold soups

June 28, 2019 by
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Much of Europe is currently baking in extreme heat conditions, and parts of the US are pretty steamy as well. When the temperature and humidity spike, cooking can become a dreaded chore. I know that my south-facing kitchen, with its large window, becomes unbearable once it hits the mid-80s. That's when I turn to refreshing cold soups that serve to… read more

The wisdom in old cookbooks

June 27, 2019 by
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Call it a win for the Facebook algorithm: I clicked on a suggested post in Facebook Marketplace for the two vintage cookbooks pictured below and ended up purchasing them. I had been researching the history of Gold Medal Flour, and for once Facebook correctly predicted that I would be interested in these items (unlike most other suggestions that leave me… read more

World’s 50 Best Restaurants announced

June 26, 2019 by
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Even though the World's 50 Best Restaurants list has some, well, let's just call them issues, there is no denying that the establishments that land on the list serve some of the finest food on the planet. Yesterday we learned which restaurants made the top 50 in 2019. Landing in the top spot was Mirazur, Mauro Colagreco's restaurant on the French… read more

How people are celebrating ‘Anthony Bourdain Day’

June 25, 2019 by
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Last year the food world was devastated when irreverent-yet-beloved chef, author, and television host Anthony Bourdain took his life at age 61.  The photo below was taken by Jenny's friend Rona in New York the week after Tony's death. One year later, people are still grieving. On the anniversary of his death, the outpouring of love and respect for this culinary… read more

Blue and white CorningWare is back

June 24, 2019 by
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The iconic white with blue flowers CorningWare evokes a wave of nostalgia for almost everyone who sees the cookware at a resale shop or thrift store. Rare pieces of vintage CorningWare can fetch astronomical prices, up to $7000 for certain items. If those kind of prices are out of reach, don't despair: CorningWare recently released a new edition of the… read more

Food news antipasto

June 23, 2019 by
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This week's sampling of interesting or offbeat food news begins with a tribute to the late Anthony Bourdain. Earlier this week, the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, Bourdain's alma mater, announced that it would be offering a scholarship in his name. It will be awarded to one or two students per year, and will help to pay for… read more

Spice support: hyssop

June 22, 2019 by
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A few days ago we reported on the trend of chefs to bring back forgotten herbs, often as part of a local and seasonal cooking focus. One of the old-fashioned herbs discussed in the article was hyssop, a perennial plant native to the Mediterranean. In today's edition of Spice Support we'll take a closer look at the uses of this… read more

Did the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list change its method to appease chefs’ egos?

June 21, 2019 by
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Next week the listing of the World's 50 Best Restaurants will be announced (restaurants ranked 51-120 were announced a few days ago). Early this year we reported on changes to the selection process of the World's 50 Best rankings of restaurants. The new method was ostensibly a response to criticism that the rankings heavily favored European or European-inspired establishments that… read more

Not too hot, not too cold

June 20, 2019 by
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Everyone who cooks food for a crowd - either at a dinner party or for a holiday meal - understands the struggle of timing things so that all of the hot foods are served hot and cold items don't get warm while waiting for the other items to cook. Having foods that can be served at room temperature helps solve… read more

Lesser known herbs are having their day in the sun

June 19, 2019 by
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Make room in your herb collection for some new names to go alongside perennial favorites like oregano, basil, and parsley. Chefs are embracing lesser known, but equally delicious, herbs like lovage and hyssop in their dishes, according to the website Flavor and The Menu.  As restaurants expand on the concepts of local, seasonal, and heritage offerings, old-fashioned herbs are working… read more

The latest garlic peeling hack makes the rounds

June 18, 2019 by
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Perhaps you have already seen the mesmerizing video - a pair of hands, a sharp knife, a few twists, and an entire head of garlic peeled as easy as 1-2-3. This is the latest garlic peeling trick circulating on social media, following other hacks such as the two metal bowls method, the microwave method, and the high pressure air hose… read more

Molly O’Neill dies at age 66

June 17, 2019 by
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We have just learned the sad news that prolific author Molly O'Neill has lost her battle with cancer. She had been combatting the disease for nearly two years; in late 2017 O'Neill started a Go Fund Me campaign to help defray expenses associated with her illness. O'Neill's books reside on hundreds of EYB Members' bookshelves. Molly's work includes writing a food… read more

Food news antipasto

June 16, 2019 by
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Usually when I sit down to write the daily post of what's happening in the world of food and cookbooks, it follows a lengthy session of social media and food website browsing as I search for news that will be meaningful or useful to our readers. As I scroll through various posts, many offbeat news items will catch my eye… read more

Spice support: coriander

June 15, 2019 by
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This spice we are profiling in today's installment of Spice Support has a dual personality. Coriander (coriandrum sativum) exists in two forms, both as a leafy herb and as a seed used whole or ground as a spice. In the US, the leafy form is known as cilantro (the Spanish word for coriander), which is why many people here don't associate… read more

Get enthused to infuse

June 14, 2019 by
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Wander down the aisles of any decent-sized liquor store and you are bound to see scores of flavored spirits. You will find everything from spiced rum to cucumber gin to peach and orange blossom vodka. Usually these flavored liquors command a premium price, and if you end up not liking the taste, you might find yourself with a mostly-full bottle… read more

Don’t let pronunciation stop you

June 12, 2019 by
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Have you ever been too intimidated by the name of a food to make it? I must confess that I've held back from making certain items to share with others because I did not want to attempt pronouncing the name when someone asked what it was. In my case most of these items are French pastries like millefeuille. Therefore I… read more

In awe of the restaurant supply store

June 11, 2019 by
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If there is any shopping experience that I enjoy as much as browsing through a cookbook store it is wandering the aisles of a restaurant supply store. Not all of these establishments are willing to sell to the public, but I've found that at the very least they won't kick you out for wandering through the space - and what… read more

Fun facts about KitchenAid mixers

June 10, 2019 by
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It is difficult to imagine a kitchen appliance that is as universally recognizable as the KitchenAid stand mixer. It proudly adorns countertops in countless households in the U.S. and beyond (I spied KitchenAid mixers in a few seasons of GBBO). The story of KitchenAid mixers goes back 100 years, as explained in the recent Taste of Home article listing six… read more

When children write recipes

June 9, 2019 by
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As they find their way in the world, children learn many skills by imitating their parents and other adults with whom they interact. How many of us have said that we learned to cook or bake from watching our parents or grandparents? Although we may have indeed learned from them, our earliest experiences probably were not anything close to skilled,… read more

A day in the life of a recipe tester

June 8, 2019 by
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Cookbook authors rely on recipe testers to make sure that what they are developing for the books will work in the kitchens of the target audience. Sometimes they will ask friends and relatives to do the testing, but much of the time a professional recipe tester is enlisted to ensure accuracy and thoroughness. If you think that sounds like a… read more

National Doughnut Day is worth celebrating

June 7, 2019 by
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When I arrived at work today, several people had brought in doughnuts. I wondered why so many people were celebrating on a random Friday in June until I was reminded that today is National Doughnut Day. Unlike some of the other "food holidays" that are created by the food industry, this special day has roots that go back almost 100… read more

Baking legend Maida Heatter has died at 102

June 6, 2019 by
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We have just learned the sad news that legendary chef and author Maida Heatter has passed away at age 102. Food writers including Helen Rosner, Charlotte Druckman, and George Geary shared stories on Twitter about how Maida significantly influenced their baking and culinary careers.  Maida's influence on baking cannot be overstated. Her award-winning cookbooks inspire legions of devotees, she is a… read more

Prue Leith tells chefs: no more foams or drizzles

June 5, 2019 by
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Drizzles, foams, jellies, and "lollipops of crackling" - these are not a few of Prue Leith's favorite things. In an interview with The Guardian, Leith spouts off on these trends and others that have become popular in recent years. The television host of Great British Bake Off and previously of Great British Menu offers some advice for chefs.  Instead of… read more

Catching up with the ‘Queen of Cake’

June 4, 2019 by
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Would-be bakers that think they are too old to start a second culinary career should pay heed to the recent interview of Sylvia Weinstock (aka the Queen of Cake) in The New York Times. The 89-year-old Weinstock has baked cakes for the likes of Billy Joel and Jennifer Lopez, but she didn't start baking professionally until the age of 50.… read more

New Orleans chef Leah Chase dies at 96

June 2, 2019 by
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Famed New Orleans chef Leah Chase, co-owner of Dooky Chase's restaurant, has died at age 96. Chase was known both for her Creole cuisine and her civil rights activism.  Chase married into the restaurant in the mid-1940s, and transformed a sleepy sandwich shop into a fine dining destination that celebrated Creole cuisine. During the civil rights movement in the 1960s,… read more
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