Bean cuisine: how to make the most of dried beans

November 19, 2019 by
 |  3 Comments  |  Leave Comment
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
 |  Leave Comment
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
 |  Leave Comment
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
 |  One Comment  |  Leave Comment
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

Gift Guide for the Baker & Giveaway!

November 16, 2019 by
 |  343 Comments  |  Leave Comment
Today, I have compiled a list of gift ideas all geared toward the baker. My gift guide for cookbook lovers was posted earlier this week. The tag #giftguide will bring up all past compilations which include classic cookbook suggestions and past years' recommendations. For the purposes of this guide, I’ll be including titles from 2019. Prior gift guides as linked… read more

Gift Guide for the Cookbook Lover and Serious Cook

November 13, 2019 by
 |  One Comment  |  Leave Comment
The madness that is the holiday season is upon us. I will be doing at least two gift guides this year. This guide will include cookbook ideas for a wide variety of subjects. There will be a baker's gift guide with cookbooks and baking gift ideas along with a giveaway hopefully by this weekend! The tag #giftguide will bring up… read more

Sweet contemplation

November 12, 2019 by
 |  7 Comments  |  Leave Comment
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
 |  2 Comments  |  Leave Comment
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
 |  One Comment  |  Leave Comment
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
 |  7 Comments  |  Leave Comment
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
 |  3 Comments  |  Leave Comment
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

Decoding cryptic ancient recipes

November 5, 2019 by
 |  One Comment  |  Leave Comment
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
 |  Leave Comment
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
 |  2 Comments  |  Leave Comment
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

Great British Bake Off/Baking Show – Recap: The Finale Week 10

November 2, 2019 by
 |  8 Comments  |  Leave Comment
It's the final week, girls and boys. Three bakers are left to battle it out for the coveted glass cakestand. For a breakdown of what has happened in this contentious season, please see my earlier recaps Weeks 1 and 2, Week 3, Week 4, Week 5, Week 6, Week 7, Week 8 and Week 9. Signature bake: Ultimate chocolate cake, decorated in 2 hours The task was… read more

Behind the scenes with a GBBO home economist

November 2, 2019 by
 |  3 Comments  |  Leave Comment
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
 |  One Comment  |  Leave Comment
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
 |  Leave Comment
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
 |  2 Comments  |  Leave Comment
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

Focaccia di Recco (Melted Cheese Flatbread)

October 30, 2019 by
 |  8 Comments  |  Leave Comment
My obsession with focaccia di Recco began several months ago while watching The Cooking Channel. One of the hosts was describing a divine crispy flatbread dish filled with stracchino cheese. I did some research and found a special copper pan from Italy just like the chef used in the spot. It is gorgeous. There a number of recipes here on… read more

Food news antipasto

October 27, 2019 by
 |  One Comment  |  Leave Comment
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

Great British Bake Off/Baking Show – Recap: Semi-Finals – Patisserie Week 9

October 27, 2019 by
 |  6 Comments  |  Leave Comment
Four bakers, one tent. Semi-finals. For a breakdown of what has happened in the big white tent, please see my earlier recaps Weeks 1 and 2, Week 3, Week 4, Week 5, Week 6, Week 7, Week 8. It is the semi-finals kids. And while I'll never stop watching The Great British Bake Off (I just can't quit it), each week it loses more charm. It's… read more

What is bergamot and how did it find its way into tea?

October 24, 2019 by
 |  One Comment  |  Leave Comment
If you ever watched Star Trek: The Next Generation, you probably heard the following phrase many times: "Tea, Earl Grey, hot." Captain Jean Luc Picard is far from the only fan of bergamot-flavored tea. But what, exactly, is bergamot? The Farmer's Almanac has the answer. You might be surprised to learn that the bergamot that flavors Earl Grey isn't an… read more

What’s your fall dessert based on your zodiac sign?

October 23, 2019 by
 |  8 Comments  |  Leave Comment
Some days a lighthearted, short read is exactly the distraction you need from your job, kids, spouse, housework, and/or current events. Today's fix for me comes from Taste of Home. It's a listing of fall desserts paired with zodiac signs, and it's silly, fun, and at least in this household, very, very wrong. The Scorpio in our house is from… read more

Food news antipasto

October 20, 2019 by
 |  Leave Comment
Many EYB Members probably know about the Cookbook Co. Cooks, the cooking/cookbook store located in Calgary, Alberta. They announced some sad news earlier this week, as one of the company's founders, Jean Norton, died earlier this month. In a Facebook post, The Cookbook Co. recalled that "Jean was generous, an incredible cook and baker, and emanated a constant joie de… read more
« Older posts
Newer posts »
Seen anything interesting? Let us know & we'll share it!

Categories

Archives