Relax, you’ve got this

November 28, 2024 by
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My social media feed has been nonstop Thanksgiving prep the past couple of days. Our gathering will be smaller than usual, so I'm throwing out the rulebook (with one exception: there will be mashed potatoes), going with prime rib instead of turkey, and ending with tarte Tatin and Bourbon butterscotch ice cream for dessert. It's late in the evening here,… read more

Move over turkey, there’s a new Thanksgiving entree in town

November 26, 2024 by
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a square of traditional lasagna bolognese on an off-white plate. A fork rests to the right of the lasagna.
For millions of Americans, Thanksgiving dinner wouldn't be complete without a turkey. It's by far the most popular main dish on holiday tables, but for a growing number of people turkey has been supplanted by another dish: lasagna. As Khushbu Shah writes in The New York Times, this may seem surprising on the surface, but there are logical reasons for… read more

Food news antipasto

November 24, 2024 by
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Closeup of a dark golden brown pecan pie with pecan halves on the top and a loosely crimped crust.
A stack of fluffy buttermilk pancakes just doesn't seem right without a drizzle of maple syrup, and the sweet substance has a long and rich culinary history that dates back centuries. In recent years, maple sap production, which relies on a specific variance between daytime and nighttime temperatures, has plummeted due to changes in the weather. With reserves at an… read more

The top 25 US recipes of the past 100 years

November 22, 2024 by
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Closeup of several golden brown chocolate chip cookies.
Choosing a handful of recipes from an entire century as the representatives of a country's culinary landscape seems like a Herculean task, but Dan Kois and J. Bryan Lowder of Slate did just that. They assembled a list of 25 recipes that represents the best the US has to offer over the last 100 years. Kois and Lowder didn't do… read more

Build your own charcuterie chalet

November 20, 2024 by
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Rows of cheese squares and circles of cured meats are arranged in an elongated triangle to resemble a Christmas tree. Sprigs of rosemary are tucked between each row, and a star-shaped piece of cheese tops the "tree"
Back in the Dark Age of late 2020, I posted about a new trend that was poised to sweep the world: charcuterie chalets, a savory twist on gingerbread houses. Made from meat, cheese, crackers, pretzels, and other savory items held together with cream cheese glue, these offered a break from the traditional gingerbread house plus it required no baking or… read more

How did marshmallows end up in sweet potato casserole?

November 19, 2024 by
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Closeup of the corner of a yellow casserole dish filled with sweet potatoes and topped with toasted marshmallows
When I moved to the South as a fresh-faced college graduate, I spent Thanksgiving far away from my upper-Midwest family. Luckily, a friend welcomed me into their family, inviting me to share in their Thanksgiving feast. That was where I first encountered sweet potato casserole topped with mini-marshmallows. Since I have an eternal sweet tooth, I happily ate it but… read more

Food news antipasto

November 17, 2024 by
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Although the internet has negatively impacted many print publications, putting some out of business altogether, it hasn't dampened the world of cookbooks. Despite having millions of recipes available at the click of a button, cookbook sales are still strong. Just when you think there couldn't possibly be another must-have book, dozens come along that offer something fresh and exciting, whether… read more

How to solve common pie crust problems

November 15, 2024 by
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An unbaked pie crust sits in a pie plate with about three-quarters of the edge crimped with a fork. A fork, a rolling pin, and scraps of pie dough surround the crust
Even people who don't usually bake may reach into the cupboard and dust off a pie pan during the holiday season. Making a pie can be stressful if you don't regularly bake, but Food and Wine's Ann Taylor Pittman offers advice to help you perfect your pie with solutions to five common pie crust problems. These tips are aimed at… read more

Bay leaves – essential or superfluous?

November 13, 2024 by
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A twig with fresh bay leaves sits next to an Erlenmeyer flask with a dark liquid, presumably bay leaf oil
Bay leaves, like cilantro and pineapple on pizza, can be a divisive topic among cooks. If you ask 10 people whether they are necessary to a dish or are a waste of time and money, you'll probably end up with a fairly even split between aficionados and haters. The Boston Globe's Beth Teitell decided to put bay leaves to the… read more

A new way to test cookbooks

November 12, 2024 by
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Cookbook clubs (along with our EYBD Previews) offer an opportunity to "test drive" cookbooks. Making recipes that you find online or in a library copy of the cookbook, along with hearing how others fared with specific recipes, allows you to get to know the book without committing to a purchase right away. There's another way to vet a cookbook, and… read more

Food news antipasto

November 10, 2024 by
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The editors at Epicurious pulled together a list of nine cookbooks that they have been enjoying recently. The list includes new releases along with holdovers from previous months. There are baking books, vegetarian and vegan tomes, and an ode to the dinner party. Amish dinner rolls from King Arthur Baking Company With the holidays coming up, dinner rolls might be… read more

The time to start preparing for the holidays is now

November 7, 2024 by
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A hand in a yellow cleaning glove wipes across the face of an oven
The holiday decorations are fully ramped up now that Halloween is past (didn't we used to wait until Thanksgiving?!), so that means we need to start getting ready for those big celebration dinners we will soon be making. Creating a game plan for organizing and cleaning well in advance is vital to having a low-stress event. If you need a… read more

Have you tried an onion boil, the latest TikTok food trend?

November 6, 2024 by
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Every few months there's a new viral vegetable trend, and the latest is one that will make your eyes water - perhaps literally. It's called an onion boil, although there isn't any actual boiling going on. Many of the videos involve using the air fryer, which is itself an oxymoron because there isn't any real frying. Back to the "boil":… read more

Brown paper bags are a cook’s best friend

November 5, 2024 by
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Brown paper bags have been associated with food for decades. Before the rise of plastic bags, almost every supermarket and corner store used brown paper bags in the checkout lane. Is it just me or does everyone love the smell of a fresh paper bag? But I digress - these puppies can do so much more than tote home your… read more

Food news antipasto

November 3, 2024 by
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Netflix just released a new documentary about Martha Stewart, and while the octogenarian was involved in the making of the show, she is not pleased with some of the editorial choices made by the director. Martha thought the first half was good but felt like the latter portion of the program spent too much time on her conviction and jail… read more

Pepperoni rolls get their due

November 2, 2024 by
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The epicenter of the pepperoni roll, an Appalachian / Rust Belt specialty that has roots in the region's mines, is Fairmont, West Virginia. That is where the roll was created, at least according to lore that surrounds this humble yet delicious creation. Writing for Eater, Danny Palumbo explains the appeal of this workingman's food, and takes us on a tour… read more

A huge cheese heist has experts wondering where it will go

October 31, 2024 by
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Assorted cheeses on a rustic wooden board
Thefts of food products are not uncommon, so it is not a huge surprise that someone would plan a heist of a commodity like cheese, which happened recently to Neal's Yard Dairy, where over £300,000 worth of cheddar was stolen by swindle. What makes this theft unusual is the quality of the product, which will make it difficult to resell.… read more

The foods of Día de Muertos

October 30, 2024 by
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After tomorrow's Halloween festivities, the Mexican celebration Día de Muertos or Day of the Dead follows, celebrated November 1-2 each year. Day of the Dead celebrations can be traced to the ancient Aztecs, who felt that instead of mourning the deceased, people should celebrate their lives and welcome their spirits back to the land of the living once a year. Common traditions… read more

Don’t throw out that jack o’lantern

October 29, 2024 by
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Millions of pumpkins are purchased each year for autumn decorations, with the majority carved and displayed at Halloween. After the holiday is over, most of those pumpkins go straight to the landfill. That's a shame, says chef Mike Davies. He encourages us to use those pumpkins to make delicious meals, not only at Halloween but year-round. Baked pumpkin with sun-dried… read more

Food news antipasto

October 27, 2024 by
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The groundbreaking cocktail book Liquid Intelligence: The Art and Science of the Perfect Cocktail by Dave Arnold turns 10 this year. This book was revered by modern bartenders looking to dive deep into the science of drinks so they could experiment with a solid footing on what each component would add to the mix. There is a revised edition in… read more

Is the term ‘food writer’ a valid description?

October 24, 2024 by
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I subscribe to a variety of culinary websites, including Christopher Kimball's Milk Street. In his most recent Milk Street email, Kimball staked out a controversial position on food writers, saying that "[t]he entire notion of being a “food writer” is suspect, since it should be no different than being a writer," amidst a rant about the state of modern food… read more

Is blind baking necessary?

October 23, 2024 by
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If you have watched The Great British Bake Off or The Great American Baking Show, you know the dreaded words that a baker never wants to hear: you have a soggy bottom. To avoid this fate and ensure a crisp pastry crust on your baked goods, blind baking is the way to go. However, it can be intimidating and time… read more

Revising a ‘bible’ – heresy or heavenly?

October 23, 2024 by
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Rose Levy Beranbaum's The Cake Bible, 35th Anniversary Edition arrived on my doorstep a few days ago. My well worn original edition frequently gets pulled off the shelf for reference, so I was excited to see the updated version. I was a little nervous, however, because often the sequel to a hit is disappointing, and I worried that an attempt… read more

Food news antipasto

October 20, 2024 by
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The tenth annual Smithsonian food history gala was held in Washington, DC on Thursday, with Chez Panisse founder Alice Waters receiving the Julia Child Award for her contributions to the culinary world. Star chefs like José Andrés and Jacques Pépin attended the event along with food writers and other industry professionals including all nine previous Julia Child Award winners. Waters… read more

It’s time to start aging your eggnog (plus other holiday food prep)

October 17, 2024 by
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Not only have stores' Halloween decorations been consolidated to make way for tinsel, lights, wrapping paper, and Christmas trees, but there are also other signs that the holidays are fast approaching. With only 68 days to go before Christmas, 67 until the beginning of Hanukkah, and 69 until the start of Kwanzaa, the clock is ticking for us to get… read more
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