Black Friday deals without the wait

Halloween is over so that means we can turn our full attention to the remainder of the holidays to celebrate until year's end. For us in the US, that means Thanksgiving in addition to the December special events. In the windup to those dates, there will be plenty of cooking, baking, and of course shopping. Most of us wait (im)patiently… read more

Alexa now talks turkey

Since 1981, turkey producer Butterball has manned a call-in help line for people who have questions about cooking their Thanksgiving bird. The service, called the Turkey Talk-Line has helped countless harried cooks avoid potential turkey disasters. This year the Talk-Line is getting an upgrade as users can now use their Alexa-enabled device to ask for assistance.  For the first time, users… read more

Leftover Halloween candy recipes

Over 500 kids trick-or-treated through my neighborhood this evening, so my stash of leftover Halloween candy is mightly slim this year. If you have any remaining from tonight's festivities, or if your kid has too much to eat by him- or herself, you might be wondering what you're going to do with it all. Midnight snacking aside, there are ways… read more

How to use your leftover Halloween pumpkin

Many people carve pumpkins as decorations for Halloween. Some of us even roast the seeds that we excavate from the interiors, but how many actually use the flesh of the pumpkin once the holiday has passed? Yes, you can eat jack o'lantern pumpkin says the Guardian, which gives us several ideas for ways to make use of the parts of… read more

New cookbook store to open in Brooklyn

We've got another exciting cookbook store announcement to share with you, especially if you live in or near New York City. A small cookbook store called Cooking, Cocktails, and Culture is set to open soon in 212 Degraw Street in Cobble Hill (south Brooklyn), according to GrubStreet. The store is owned by rare bookseller Elizabeth Young.  Young believes there is a… read more

Ina Garten’s role in Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s engagement

Ina Garten has a nickname for her favorite roast chicken recipe, calling it "engagement chicken". She says it earned that appellation "because whenever you make it somebody asks you to marry them." To be sure, there isn't a proposal every time someone makes the recipe, but it did play a part in at least one famous engagement. After Prince Harry popped the question… read more

Spice Support: paprika

It's been a little while, but I'm back with another edition of Spice Support. Today we are exploring paprika, which according to the in-house spice expert at Pereg Gourmet Spices, is the fourth most consumed spice in the world. It is a key ingredient in a number of cuisines, from Mexican rices to classic Hungarian goulash to Italian sausages. Paprika… read more

One appliance is getting all the cookbook love this season

A few days ago we wrote about how Indian cooks are embracing the Instant Pot. They are far from the only group that has latched on to the convenient appliance, and cookbook publishers are taking note. As Jenny points out in our October New Cookbook Review, and as Bonnie Benwick writes in The Washington Post, this fall nearly twenty books… read more

Dorcas Reilly, inventor of the green bean casserole, has died at age 92

Whether you love it or hate it, there's no denying that green bean casserole is a staple at Thanksgiving dinners in the US. If you were curious as to how the dish was invented, wonder no more. We not only know when it was invented, but who created it in the first place. Her name was Dorcas Reilly, and she… read more

Omnivore Books celebrates ten years

In the last couple of years, we have brought you plenty of bad news about cookbook stores closing down or facing a precarious financial situation. That's why we are excited to share some good news: San Francisco's Omnivore Books is celebrating its tenth anniversary! Eater interviewed owner Celia Sack on how her store has not only survived, but has thrived… read more

How to fix a stuck Bundt cake

With all of the gorgeous Bundt pan designs available now, it's never been easier to create a stunning cake without a ton of work. Usually if you grease and flour your pan according to the instructions, the cake will slide right out and all you have left to do is slice and serve. Sometimes, however, despite your best efforts the… read more

The cranberry sauce debate: canned or homemade?

I grew up eating cranberry sauce once a year, and it was always of the canned variety. The sauce was pushed out of its cozy can into a narrow serving bowl, its rings used as a marker with which to slice the jiggly substance. As far as I can recall, only about two slices were ever removed from the bowl,… read more

Peter Meehan joins the Los Angeles Times

When restaurant critic Jonathan Gold passed away unexpectedly in July, he left a huge void at his company, The Los Angeles Times. While no one can really replace him, the Times is moving forward with new hires to help plug the hole. We recently learned that one of these recruits is Peter Meehan, co-founder of the late Lucky Peach Magazine,… read more

Are you ready to ‘Cook Like a Pro’?

Ina Garten has been a go-to resource for cooking advice and recipes for nearly 20 years, ever since the publication of her first cookbook, The Barefoot Contessa. A string of wildly successful books and a television series followed in short order. Tomorrow marks the debut of the third series of her latest show, 'Cook Like a Pro.'  While her first… read more

2018 Observer Food Monthly Awards

The 2018 Observer Food Monthly Awards were presented last evening at a gala held at the Freemasons' Hall in London. The awards celebrate the best in food across the UK, highlighting the work of celebrity chefs as well as local producers and eateries. There are 10 categories of reader awards, plus six other categories judged by a professional panel. Without… read more

April Bloomfield tells her side of the story

Since news broke about the sexual assault and rape allegations against Ken Friedman and others at the Spotted Pig in New York, the restaurant's chef and co-owner, April Bloomfield, has not said much about the matter. She says her silence, save from a few lackluster apologies, was held under the advice of her attorneys, who are still negotiating the terms of… read more

Darkness descends onto fall menus

As the days grow shorter here in the Northern Hemisphere, seasonal menus move away from the fruits and bright flavors that dominate summer fare. The ubiquitous pumpkin and/or pumpkin spice offerings have begun to make their appearance, much to the delight of some and chagrin of others. Pumpkin may have finally hit its peak, with overall offerings down somewhat from… read more

Apple upgrades its bagel emoji

Remember the days when text messages consisted solely of text and not emoticons? Probably not, because emoticons (aka emoji) can be traced back to the beginnings of the internet. The first known use of the "smiley face" ASCII text emoji, :-), dates to the early 1980s. As the old cigarette advertisements that date back even farther said,  "we've come a… read more

Is The Great American Baking Show coming back?

Although ABC is being coy and hasn't yet confirmed it, word on the street is that The Great American Baking Show will return to the airwaves. As one would expect, disgraced host Johnny Iuzzini is out, and talented pastry chef Sherry Yard, who has made several appearances on other cooking shows, will be taking his place. Also out for the… read more

Master Sommelier cheating scandal results in loss of titles

If you have ever eaten at a fine dining establishment, you've likely used the services of a sommelier, whether to choose a wine pairing or because one was used to develop the restaurant's wine list. Only the best of the best sommeliers earn the designation of Master Sommelier. The path to that highly desired title includes a battery of difficult… read more

When is ‘almost as good’ good enough?

For home cooks, learning how to make something that they usually purchase is exhilarating and can be transformative. Whether it is a curry paste made from whole spices and fresh peppers, a loaf of sourdough bread, or an all-butter puff pastry, making a dish from scratch carries a sense of accomplishment and often results in a superior product than one… read more

Indian cooks embrace the Instant Pot

While Instant Pots and their clones have become a phenomenon in the US, Canada, and beyond, most people who have purchased one were not already owners of a stovetop pressure cooker. Or perhaps they had one, but rarely used it because it was intimidating (I will include myself in the latter category). Stovetop pressure cooker recipes were just not that… read more

The ins and outs of recipe development

We all love the cookbooks, magazines, and websites that contain the recipes that we eagerly read, aspire to, make, and enjoy. The sheer volume of recipes easily available to us is staggering, but have you ever wondered what goes into the developing a really great recipe? Christine Gallary did, and experienced the ins and outs of recipe development during a… read more

The great brownie debate: cakey or fudgy

There is an ongoing and heated debate that divides people into two camps. No, I'm not talking about politics; this debate is between those who prefer their brownies to be cake-like and those who feel that fudgy brownies are the best. Have you ever wondered just what makes a particular brownie come out either cakey or fudgy? Fine Cooking has… read more

Everything you need to know about molasses

Nothing can replicate the rich, complex flavor of molasses. It's essential to gingerbread and, as a component of brown sugar, adds its subtle bitter and roasted caramel notes to many baked goods. There are several types of molasses available so it can be confusing to know which one is right for which recipe, but Southern Living Magazine sets us straight… read more
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