Jack Monroe raises money to distribute copies of her new cookbook

June 1, 2019 by
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It's safe to say that food writer Jack Monroe has never followed convention. Her award-winning blog, A Girl Called Jack (now named Cooking on a Bootstrap), made a tremendous impact, showing the world that you can eat well on a tight budget. To promote her latest cookbook, Monroe has once again eschewed convention, creating a fundraising appeal so she can donate… read more

Cookbooks can be a launching pad for young chefs

May 31, 2019 by
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Only a small portion of chefs write cookbooks, and those who do are usually well-established, having been in the business for a number of years. Sometimes, however, young chefs have the chance to pen a book, and for those who do it well it can be a springboard for new opportunities, as Eater reports.  The article profiles a few "young… read more

Mark your calendars for ‘Bourdain Day’ on June 25

May 30, 2019 by
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June 8 is the anniversary of Anthony Bourdain's tragic death, an event that shook the culinary world to its core. Chefs José Andrés and Eric Ripert, both close friends of Bourdain, do not want that date to become the one most associated with the late chef. Instead, they are planning a day of remembrance on June 25, which would have been… read more

Playing the ingredient name game

May 29, 2019 by
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The internet has done wonders to connect food lovers across the globe. In addition to website and blogs that share information from every country with the world, there are oodles of cookbook clubs that operate on social media no matter their location (like the EYB Cookbook Club and EYB Sweet Ottolenghi clubs). I belong to a handful of additional cookbook… read more

If you can’t beat it, eat it

May 28, 2019 by
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Do you know the old saying "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em?" A new cookbook takes a similar tack to that adage, but instead of joining the problem, it suggests that you eat it. Gastro Obscura brings us the story of a Tasmanian cookbook dedicated to helping combat invasive species.  Titled 'Eat the Problem', the book features recipes for… read more

Francis Lam talks food and podcasting

May 26, 2019 by
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When Francis Lam took over the reins for The Splendid Table, it was anyone's guess on how the show would fare after losing its long-time (really, only) host Lynne Rossetto Kasper. It's fair to say that Lam has exceeded expectations, especially given how beloved and integral Kasper was to the program. Recently Grub Street sat down with Lam for a… read more

Spice support: cumin

May 25, 2019 by
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Few spices are as versatile or universally employed as cumin. Originating in the Middle East (or possibly the Nile Valley, depending on which source you believe), cumin is one of the world's oldest spices with a culinary history that dates back over 6000 years. Cumin is a member of the parsley family, and its seeds look a lot like caraway… read more

Take your knife skills to the next level

May 24, 2019 by
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I don't know about you, but I could always use a little help with my knife skills, especially on how to get them sharp and keep them that way. That is why I immediately clicked on Food52's recent post about a knife sharpening demonstration video from none other than Jacques Pépin.  The video is as much a demonstration of proper… read more

Summer grilling looks different these days

May 23, 2019 by
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For the majority of Americans, the upcoming Memorial Day weekend marks the official start of summer. Across the nation, it's a tradition to fire up the grill and pile it high with bratwurst, hamburgers, and ribs, accompanied by cold beer. That scenario is rapidly changing, however, says Food & Wine. They report on a recent study that says not only… read more

Thomas Keller talks about his inspirations

May 22, 2019 by
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When you look at the impressive career that chef Thomas Keller has enjoyed, it is easy to forget that at one point he, too, was a beginner. You might be curious as to who influenced him when he was a young chef. If so, you're in luck, because Keller recently participated in a Q&A about his career at a National Restaurant… read more

Jamie Oliver’s UK restaurant empire collapses

May 21, 2019 by
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Jamie Oliver became a nearly overnight sensation in the early 2000s, rocketing to fame following the debut of his show The Naked Chef and a slew of cookbooks. He went on to build a restaurant empire, but the glory days of that enterprise are over as twenty-six of his eateries in the UK are now under administration. The change came… read more

Hosting a cookbook swap party

May 20, 2019 by
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Have some cookbooks that just don't thrill you anymore? Want to have new cookbooks without spending any money? If your answer to either of those questions is yes, you might want to host a cookbook swap. Not sure how to go about it? Meghan Walbert Lifehacker offers some tips on how to host a successful swap.  There is no set… read more

Winners of the 2019 IACP Cookbook Awards

May 19, 2019 by
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This year's annual International Association of Culinary Professionals conference was held in Santa Fe, New Mexico. At a ceremony held last evening, the association announced the winners of its 2019 IACP Cookbook, Digital Media, Food Photography & Styling Awards.  It was a good year for both Cook's Illustrated/America's Test Kitchen and its former leader, Christopher Kimball. The latter snagged the award… read more

Spice support: star anise and anise seed

May 18, 2019 by
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Although both star anise and anise seed (aka aniseed) share a licorice-like flavor compounds called anethole, the two are unrelated botanically. It's easy to confuse the two because of their similarities, but the two are used differently and possess subtle differences in flavor.  Star anise is the seed pod of an evergreen native to southern China, although it is now… read more

Pucker power – how sour flavors have taken over

May 17, 2019 by
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Sour beer, sour candy, lacto-fermentation: there is no denying that sour flavors are ascending, in homes and restaurants alike. What's the reason behind this trend? Is it a reflection of our environment or something else? Ligaya Mishan explores the topic in a recent New York Times article. Statistics show that foods like kimchi are showing up on more and more… read more

The television series ‘Great Chefs’ celebrates 40 years

May 16, 2019 by
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The televised cooking program Great Chefs recently celebrated its 40th anniversay. It is one of the oldest cooking/travel series on cable. When it debuted in the early 1980s, Great Chefs took a bold step away from most TV cooking shows, taking viewers out of the TV studio and into working restaurant kitchens, profiling some of the world's most well-known chefs. They… read more

Diana Kennedy’s cherished cookbook collection gets a new home

May 15, 2019 by
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One could argue that no one has done more to promote traditional Mexican cooking than a British transplant, the venerable Diana Kennedy. For over half a century, she has diligently researched the cuisine from every region of the country, carefully documenting what she finds and sharing it with the world. She has written a bevy of successful and influential cookbooks,… read more

In praise of the quarter sheet pan

May 14, 2019 by
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I have to admit to being a little late to the party on this, but I did not appreciate the versatility of quarter-size sheet pans until very recently. Why would I want yet another item to clutter my small kitchen when I had a nice stack of half-sheet pans at my disposal? Cathy Barrow's excellent Pie Squared convinced me to try… read more

Inside Julia’s Kitchen podcast with Matt Sartwell

May 13, 2019 by
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The podcast Inside Julia's Kitchen contains interviews with many distinguished and diverse culinary guests, including chefs and authors. Recent episodes include a conversations with Jacques Pépin and Ruth Reichl, and recently the podcast celebrated a milestone: its 50th episode. That conversation features Matt Sartwell, managing partner of NYC's famed cookbook store Kitchen Arts and Letters. In the discussion, Sartwell explains… read more

These Ligurian bees are a long way from home

May 12, 2019 by
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It makes sense that foods become associated with the place of their origin. If the place association becomes lost, the food can morph into something else or fade into obscurity. Or, it can retain the name and the legacy even though it's farm from its birthplace. That is the case with Ligurian honey, as Gastro Obscura reports.  Highly prized by… read more

Joy of Cooking is getting an upgrade

May 11, 2019 by
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First published in 1931 and created as a way to overcome a tragic event, the classic and authoritative Joy of Cooking has been in print for nearly ninety years. This fall, the book that taught generations of people how to cook is getting a facelift for the first time in over a decade. The new edition honors Joy's extraordinary history,… read more

Mother’s Day recipes that take the cake

May 10, 2019 by
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My mother lives several hundred miles away, which means I do not get to see her very often. When Mother's Day rolls around, this distance also means she gets plants or something that can be shipped, not a homemade treat. I enjoy baking for special occasions, whether for a birthday, holiday, or other event, so it makes me a bit… read more

James Beard Chef Awards announced

May 8, 2019 by
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A couple of weeks ago we covered the James Beard Foundation's Cookbook Awards, and now it's time for the other half of the JBF: the Chef Awards. As Grub Street points out, there was a lot of diversity in this year's awards, a testament to the commitment made by the JBF to include more people of color and women in… read more

Magnus Nilsson is closing his award-winning restaurant

May 7, 2019 by
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Last fall Magnus Nilsson published his third cookbook, The Nordic Baking Book, a comprehensive encyclopedia of recipes that includes history and culture in its 600 pages, then embarked on a whirlwind world tour promoting the same. I was fortunate to hear him talk when he visited The Swedish Institute in Minneapolis, and was mesmerized by his presentation. The discussion made… read more

Feeling stressed? Try watching these enchanting cooking videos

May 6, 2019 by
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Lots of us read cookbooks as a form of relaxation, allowing the stories and recipes to transport us away from our stressful, workaday world. Of course there are other ways to get carried away from the ordinary, as we have learned via EYB Member sir_ken_g, who pointed us to a series of cooking videos that have people mesmerized.  The videos… read more
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