A weighty situation

September 18, 2017 by
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  Over the last several years, there has been a subtle but important shift in baking books in the USA. No, it isn't a move to beautiful, moody overhead photography (although that has also been trending), it's about the use of weights in baking books. Cookbook author and food writer Christine Burns Rudalevige explains the reasons for this change. The… read more

Cooking at the Emmy Awards

September 17, 2017 by
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  Having several friends or relatives over for a holiday meal or dinner party can be extremely stressful. The menu needs to be planned, dietary restrictions or preferences taken into account, shopping, cooking, and finally, serving the meal. If it is that stressful for a small group, try to imagine it on a scale thousands of times greater. That's what… read more

The case for using tweezers in the kitchen

September 16, 2017 by
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  Most cooks have at least one pair of tongs in the kitchen, and if you do a lot of cooking or grillings, you may have several. It's not a secret that many chefs abhor tongs (David Chang blasted tongs in The New Yorker and Australian chef Greg Malouf banned them from his kitchen). But what else would you use for… read more

How cooking has changed since the 1980s

September 15, 2017 by
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In keeping with Jenny's Friday Flashback theme, today we are going to step into the time machine and head back thirty-odd years, courtesy of food writer John Kessler. Writing for Tasting Table, he reminisces about his early days as a culinary student and novice chef in the mid-1980s.  For those of us who had front-row seats to the experience, the… read more

Take the pasta shapes quiz

September 14, 2017 by
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  The Italians may not have invented pasta (there's debate on whether it originated in China or Italy), but there's no doubt that they have perfected it. According to the Encyclopedia of Pasta, Italians have created over 1,300 different shapes of pasta. If you are passionate about pasta, you may want to take the quiz offered by indexed magazine Saveur… read more

Cookbook podcast spotlight

September 13, 2017 by
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Almost one year ago, we reported the exciting news that Susie Chang, who has written for EYB, The Washington Post, The Boston Globe, and many other publications, started a cookbook podcast. After 15 episodes, Susie put the podcast on hold at the end of 2016. We're happy to announce that her podcast called Level Teaspoon is back with a new season… read more

Recovering from baking mistakes

September 12, 2017 by
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Last weekend I made desserts for the wedding reception. The bride (the daughter of one of my best friends) wanted a dessert bar but allowed me free rein in what I made, which turned out to be a blessing. I had the entire spread planned out when I hit a snag. Disaster struck as I was turning out a spice… read more

Barry Callebaut announces a new kind of chocolate

September 11, 2017 by
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  Move over dark, milk, and white chocolates, there's a new kid in town: ruby chocolate. Last week chocolate giant Barry Callebaut announced that after 10 years of research and development, it is releasing a new type of chocolate that boasts a naturally reddish hue. This new variety of chocolate - the first since the development of white chocolate 80… read more

How to use dairy in cocktails

September 10, 2017 by
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  The first time I experienced dairy in a cocktail was at the marvelous Velvet Tango Room in Cleveland, in 2008. The cocktail renaissance was hitting full stride, although I was just beginning my journey into the world of mixed drinks. I ordered a Ramos gin fizz, not sure what to expect from what seemed like an odd combination of… read more

An interview with Rachel Khong

September 9, 2017 by
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Lucky Peach Magazine has published its final issue, and as part of its last hurrah, also put out a cookbook titled All About Eggs: Everything We Know About the World's Most Important Food,  a joint effort between Rachel Khong and the Lucky Peach editors.  More than a recipe book, All About Eggs explores the cultural significance of the egg - a… read more

An unlikely path to cookbook store ownership

September 8, 2017 by
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Chicago's cookbook store Read It & Eat opened in 2015, bucking a trend of cookbook store closings. It was the first cookbook store in Chicago, and is dedicated to providing food lovers with exceptional culinary experiences through carefully selected books, classes and discussions. The shelves are filled with food and drink books on various topics including cookbooks, travel, biographies, essays… read more

What is the difference between panko and breadcrumbs?

September 7, 2017 by
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  Most cooks have likely used breadcrumbs in a variety of recipes as a binder, coating, or thickening agent. In the past several years, panko breadcrumbs have become the preferred choice to get the ultimate crunch on fried or baked items. Chances are you didn't give this humble ingredient too much thought, although as with many seemingly ordinary products, there… read more

A new documentary on Michelin’s stars

September 6, 2017 by
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Achieving a Michelin star rating is a dream for many a young chef. Few get to achieve one, let alone two or three, but those who do often change the food world. A new documentary by Rasmus Dinesen explores the phenomenon of how a tire company came to be so powerful in the world of food. You can view a trailer… read more

What’s the difference between stock, broth, and consommé?

September 5, 2017 by
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  Many of us use the terms stock and broth interchangeably, although there are differences between the two. Throw consommé into the mix, and you have a recipe for confusion. Let's start with the differences between stock and broth. Sam Benson Smith explains how the two are different.  Smith explains that the difference "ultimately comes down to ingredients; chicken broth… read more

Alton Brown’s big announcement

September 3, 2017 by
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Last week celebrity chef Alton Brown hinted at big announcement coming out of the DragonCon convention held over the US Labor Day holiday in Atlanta, Georgia. During a panel discussion on September 3, he let the news drop: he will be back on the Food Network next year with a new show called Return of the Eats. The show will… read more

In a pickle

September 3, 2017 by
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  The fermentation trend shows no signs of slowing down. If you have been hesitant to jump on the bandwagon for making fermented foods like sauerkraut, kimchi, and pickles because you think it will take too much time or that you will need special canning equipment, you should reconsider. There are plenty of recipes that take little time and require… read more

A sneak peek into Ottolenghi’s latest cookbook

September 2, 2017 by
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  The anticipation for Yotam Ottolenghi's new cookbook, Sweet, is intense. There are only a few days until its UK release on September 7 (the US release date is October 17th). While we are eagerly awaiting our copy, The Guardian released an excerpt of 10 recipes from the book so we can start baking right now.   Although Ottolenghi made… read more

The best way to dry herbs, according to Alton Brown

September 1, 2017 by
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  Dried herbs like oregano, marjoram, and rosemary are staples in the repertoire of many home cooks. Most people purchase the herbs already dried, but it isn't difficult to do it at home, says Alton Brown. He provides a foolproof technique that ensures the herbs retain their green hues.  Blanching the herbs is the key to keeping them from turning… read more

Daniel Patterson wants you to cook without recipes

August 31, 2017 by
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Daniel Patterson, chef and owner of the award-winning, Michelin-starred restaurant Coi in San Francisco, is also a well-known food writer. In addition to his highly praised cookbook Coi: Stories and Recipes, he has been published in recent years in The New York Times, Bon Appetit and Lucky Peach. Patterson also teamed up with perfumer Mandy Aftel to write 2004's Aroma: The… read more

Verrines are perfect for entertaining

August 30, 2017 by
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  I read cookbooks like novels, visit food websites on a daily basis, and obsessively think about my upcoming cooking and baking projects. Despite devoting much of my time to food, I frequently encounter dishes and ingredients that I have not heard of before. That happened today when I spied an article on the Fine Cooking website titled Verrines: Splendor… read more

Celia Sack of Omnivore Books shares her favorite cookbooks

August 29, 2017 by
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 Celia Sack, owner of Omnivore Books in San Francisco, first became interested in cookbooks, especially antique ones, while working at an auction house. She parlayed that interest into one of the finest cookbook stores in the United States. In an interview with indexed magazine Saveur, she tells us which cookbooks are her favorites, and what subjects she would like to see covered… read more

Recreating childhood memories

August 28, 2017 by
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  They say you can never go home again. The same could be said about food - whenever you revisit a favorite childhood treat, it almost inevitably fails to live up to your memories. This was the challenge faced by Stella Parks when it came time to write her baking cookbook BraveTart: Iconic American Desserts. Stella explains to Eater the difficulties… read more

Amazon to lower prices at Whole Foods

August 27, 2017 by
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  Earlier this year we reported on Amazon's bid to purchase high-end food retailer Whole Foods. The deal is set to close on August 28, and Amazon has announced that it will immediately slash prices on many of Whole Foods' products. In addition, Amazon Prime members will get special prices and perks. Amazon promises that these price cuts will not come… read more

There’s more to vinegar than you might think

August 26, 2017 by
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Most of us have at least one type of vinegar in our pantry, and probably more. We tend to take it for granted, but there are many facets to this pantry staple, explains Harry Rosenblum, author of Vinegar Revival: Artisanal Recipes for Brightening Dishes and Drinks with Homemade Vinegars.  Rosenblum became fascinated with fermentation at a young age, and has been making… read more

Gourmet Traveller announces 2018 Restaurant Award winners

August 25, 2017 by
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Indexed magazine Australian Gourmet Traveller announced the winners of its 2018 Restaurant Awards on Wednesday. The awards included ten categories including best restaurant, best chef, best wine list, and best new talent. The winners were culled from the semi-finalists announced earlier this year.  For the first time in 20 years, the Restaurant of The Year honors went to an establishment… read more
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