Bean cuisine: how to make the most of dried beans

November 19, 2019 by
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Back when I was a budding vegetarian, I picked up a copy of the cookbook Bean Cuisine so I could prepare the healthy and delicious legumes and beans that are staples of a well-rounded meatless diet. The recipes were...let's just say underwhelming. Part of this was due to my inexperience as a cook (at 20 years old I was hardly… read more

Who invented the everything bagel?

November 18, 2019 by
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The seed and spice blend that tops the everything bagel has taken on a life of its own. You can find it at Trader Joe's and in tons of recipes that in no way resemble a bagel. Inquiring minds may wonder who was the genius who invented the everything bagel? Since it has only been around for a few decades,… read more

Food news antipasto

November 17, 2019 by
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For generations, cooks have relied on the pumpkin pie recipe printed on Libby's pumpkin label for their holiday pies. The recipe dates back to the 1950s, and has remained unchanged until this year. Libby isn't saying what prompted this departure, but the new recipe uses another ingredient produced by Nestlé, the brand's parent company: sweetened condensed milk is in the… read more

Ideas for wrapping edible gifts

November 17, 2019 by
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From quick breads to savory breads to cookies to candies, edible gifts are a wonderful way to make something from the heart for the holidays (plus they make the perfect hostess present). Most of us have our go-to recipes for this, whether it's a cherished family heirloom or something we spied on the internet. What we may not have are… read more

Changes coming to Chicago’s Read It & Eat

November 15, 2019 by
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We were delighted to profile Chicago cookbook store Read It & Eat when it opened its doors for business in 2015. Owner Esther Dairiam discussed the many events held at the store, located at 2142 N. Halsted in the Lincoln Park neighborhood. Today we learned about new developments at Read It & Eat. In a news release, Dairiam announced that the… read more

The ultimate Thanksgiving recipe finder

November 14, 2019 by
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About this time each year I come across several posts for a food site's new and/or improved holiday recipe finder. Each is organized a little differently, but the premise is the same: use your preferences, whether ingredient or nutrition or type of dish, and the magic of the "finder" will return the perfect recipe to you. This year is no… read more

Kylie Kwong writes her next chapter

November 13, 2019 by
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Earlier this year renowned Australian chef Kylie Kwong saddened diners when she shuttered her Sydney restaurant Billy Kwong after 19 years. At the time Kwong was mum about her next project, but she's finally broken her silence. Australian Gourmet Traveller reports on where Kwong is headed in 2020. The chef has announced that she will open a eatery in South… read more

Sweet contemplation

November 12, 2019 by
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Today was a tough day. An arctic cold front bullied its way into the area with blustery winds, a long commute jangled my nerves, several tedious projects confronted me as soon I as entered the office, and the sky turned dark far too soon. When I finally returned home I decided to treat myself to something indulgent. In defiance of… read more

Spice Support: Bell’s Seasoning

November 12, 2019 by
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With Thanksgiving and other holidays just around the corner, it's fitting that today's Spice Support column focuses on a seasoning that is perfect for poultry. Bell's Seasoning has been a staple of northeastern US cooking for well over 100 years, although it is not well known outside of that area. If you haven't heard of it, Leite's Culinaria dives deep… read more

Food news antipasto

November 10, 2019 by
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Don't you hate it when lemon pips escape into whatever you are cooking or baking? A solution to this age-old problem is around the corner. Food & Wine reports that Wonderful Company (the company behind POM Wonderful Juices & Wonderful Pistachios) has developed a commercial seedless lemon variety, available in US stores starting this month. While seedless lemons themselves are… read more

How much juice in a lemon?

November 9, 2019 by
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As a baker, I am accustomed to precise recipe measurements. The difference between one and two teaspoons of baking soda in a cake can have significant impacts on the finished dish. Cooking, on the other hand, is generally more forgiving, although that is only true to a point. Having too much onion or lemon juice can alter the outcome of… read more

Vegans often face a backlash – but why?

November 8, 2019 by
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I worked in an office of approximately 150 people where only one person was a vegan. I'm certain he felt excluded when we would gather to celebrate birthdays or have office holiday parties because nearly everything that was served at these get-togethers had dairy (or less often, meat) in it, from the doughnuts to the cakes and cookies to the… read more

Joanna Gaines’ second cookbook available for preorder

November 7, 2019 by
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To say that Magnolia Table, the debut cookbook from HGTV star Joanna Gaines, was a smash is an understatement. The book was #2 on the list of bestselling books following its release - not just on the list of cookery books, but of all books (it was second only to Michelle Obama's memoir). In June, Joanna teased fans with an… read more

Bourdain’s belongings fetch high prices at auction

November 7, 2019 by
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A few months ago we reported that many of Anthony Bourdain's belongings were headed to auction as a fundraiser to benefit his daughter. The auction ended in late October, and bids on most of the items far exceeded their initial estimates. You can see how much each item sold for on the iGavel website. The most expensive item was Bourdain's… read more

Russ Parsons gives away even more cookbooks

November 6, 2019 by
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A little over three years ago, we reported that food writer Russ Parsons planned to donate his extensive cookbook collection to the Long Beach Public Library. As you might expect, Parsons collected a lot of cookbooks over his 30 year career. “Getting rid of some of those cookbooks seemed like a good start to my transition. Like shedding an old… read more

Decoding cryptic ancient recipes

November 5, 2019 by
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There are old recipes and then there are OLD recipes. It can be difficult enough to suss out what your grandmother meant when she scribbled something down on a 3x5 index card, much less trying to interpret instructions that are nearly 3,000 years old. How do you even approach a task that daunting? You have to become a sleuth, like… read more

Cornersmith Marrickville closes abruptly

November 4, 2019 by
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Alex Elliott-Howery and James Grant, co-owners of Sydney's award-winning Cornersmith Cafes and Picklery, shocked fans in a sudden announcement that they have decided to close their flagship cafe, located in Marrickville. A post made to Cornersmith's social media account read: "This morning we packed up our pickles and moved out of our Marrickville café. We have not made this decision… read more

Food news antipasto

November 3, 2019 by
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The first antipasto item for this week involves something that would make a food safety inspector have heartburn. The standard food safety rule in the US is that if something has been out for more than 4 hours, or if it has been stored for over a week in the refrigerator, it should be tossed. What about a soup base… read more

Behind the scenes with a GBBO home economist

November 2, 2019 by
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Now that the Great British Bake Off/Baking Show is over, you might be going through a bit of withdrawal. If so, I just found something that might help: an interview with Faenia Moore, the home economist for the GBBO since its inception. So what does a home economist on the set of a cooking show do? A lot. Moore is… read more

Making a case for putting the magic back in cooking

November 1, 2019 by
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In the past few years, scores of books have promoted the science behind cooking. From Modernist Cuisine to The Food Lab, authors have extolled the virtues of applying precision methods to making meals. Authors Matt Lee and Ted Lee want to change that narrative, however: they make the case for "remystifying" the art of cooking. Of course, scientific approaches to… read more

Cookbook Love podcast celebrates new fall books

October 31, 2019 by
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We have written about the Cookbook Love podcast before. Author and cookbook writing coach Maggie Green started the podcast in late 2018, and our own Jenny Hartin has appeared on the podcast before. The most recent episode also features Jenny. She and Maggie talk about a number of subjects, including Jenny's cookbook 101 Things to Do with a Bundt® Pan,… read more

Rekindling childhood food loves

October 30, 2019 by
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I recently clicked on a link to an Epicurious article where Emily Johnson posted about her love of cinnamon toast, a childhood favorite that she had recently rediscovered. Johnson doesn't even call the toast a "guilty pleasure", instead unabashedly embracing her choice of breakfast breads notwithstanding the fact the substance is a nutritionist's nightmare. It can be an act of… read more

Food Network launches a new app

October 28, 2019 by
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Late last month, Food Network announced that it was launching a new app that would provide subscribers access to on-demand cooking classes, including up to 25 live classes a week. The app, which was developed in partnership with Amazon, has now officially launched. SONY DSC Called Food Network Kitchen, the app offers cooking classes featuring Food Network chefs like Bobby… read more

Food news antipasto

October 27, 2019 by
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Ever wonder why round pizza comes in square boxes? Apparently making a round one is easier said than done. Pizza Hut spent two years developing a round box, and the US chain is using the boxes, which use fewer resources than a traditional square one, on a special pizza. A test run is being carried out in Phoenix, Arizona with… read more

Spice support: curry leaves

October 26, 2019 by
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The first time I encountered curry leaves as an ingredient in a recipe, I wondered how they were different than the curry powder that I purchased at a spice store. I assumed that curry leaves must be one of the components of curry powder, but I later discovered that they had nothing to do with the spice blend as I… read more
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