Converting cake recipes for a Bundt® pan

September 16, 2019 by
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This weekend in several Facebook groups I came across questions regarding using Bundt® pans for other cake recipes and converting recipes. You have my solemn promise that I will not turn into the 24/7 Bundt® lady (1-800-BundtRx) but I wanted to write about this subject as it seems pertinent to bakers. (Darcie shared a very helpful article regarding converting pan… read more

Food news antipasto

September 15, 2019 by
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Attention UK chocoholics: The Guardian's Florence Knight has completed a taste test of many different types of chocolates. She covers milk, dark, chocolate with fruit and nuts, salted chocolates, and even white chocolate. See the rankings on The Guardian's website. Theft by restaurant employees is not surprising, but this particular story takes the cake - literally. A man was recently… read more

Great British Bake Off – Recap – Week 3 – Bread

September 15, 2019 by
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It is bread week or the week when Paul pokes, prods and the Pillsbury doughboy renews his restraining order. Poke my belly, and die. The bakers are down to eleven in number. Cake week saw the demise of Dan. Biscuit week crumbled Jamie's dreams of baking royalty. (Weeks 1 and 2 Recap) Signature bake: Filled, yeasted share and tear. As… read more

Are you a kitchen pest?

September 14, 2019 by
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soup
When you are invited to someone's house to enjoy a home-cooked meal, do you end up helping in the kitchen? Even when that 'help' is not solicited? When you notice something that you believe is wrong, do you try to correct the cook? If so, you are in good company. Jay Rayner confesses to being this type of kitchen pest.… read more

A library for baking pans!

September 14, 2019 by
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Those who love to cook and bake also seem to acquire excess cookware and bakeware. My heart skips a beat a new cooking pot or Bundt® pan enters my field of vision and often, more times than not, I make a purchase. Imagine if you have a single occasion to make a cake using a specialty pan and could check… read more

America’s first taco editor

September 13, 2019 by
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tacos
Does being paid to eat, write about, and edit a compendium of the best tacos sound like a dream job? Then you might be jealous to learn that someone else already got the position: José R. Ralat has been named Taco Editor for Texas Monthly magazine. The magazine has published a guide to the best barbecue in Texas since 20134… read more

An underrated ‘old-fashioned’ food

September 11, 2019 by
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I just read that cottage cheese - a fresh, small curd cheese product packed in tubs and usually found next to sour cream here in the States - is poised to make a comeback. While the product was relegated to self- or physician-imposed strict diets for decades, a new crop of artisan varieties hopes to refurbish the tarnished image of… read more

The thrill of discovery

September 10, 2019 by
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Last week I wrote about how I failed my fresh produce. You may have wondered what ever became of those two sad, tired ears of corn. The notion of making elotes had swirled around in my head, but these cobs were too far gone for that to happen. My next thought was soup. For ages, cooks have been throwing past-their-prime… read more

Ruby chocolate

September 9, 2019 by
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What is ruby chocolate? Find out here. In last week's Biscuit episode of The Great British Bake-Off/Baking Show, Priya used ruby chocolate in her Ruby Barfi Biscuit Bars (pictured below). Prue stated it was her first time trying the new confection. Barfi is a dense milk based sweet, a type of mithai, originating from India. I am familiar with barfi… read more

Food news antipasto

September 8, 2019 by
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We're going to start off this week's review of interesting stories on the sweet side. As an avid jam-maker, the more I learn about this old-school craft the more I realize that I have only scratched the surface of knowledge on the subject. I appreciate it when experts weigh in on things that can go wrong when doing what on… read more

Great British Bake Off – Week One and Two Recaps

September 8, 2019 by
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The Great British Bake Off is off to a great start. As you know, Netflix is airing the series in the USA three days after the original episode airs in the UK. Last week, I highlighted a few of my favorite pans which were purchased after a sighting on the show. This week I will share a recap of the… read more

Food and film – a winning combination

September 7, 2019 by
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If you are a fan of the movies as well as a food lover, and if you live in or near Boulder, Colorado, you will love the following news. The seventh annual Flatirons Food Film Festival will take place in Boulder on October 10-13. The festival features four days of films plus food and wine tasting events with acclaimed local… read more

Tinkering with tradition

September 6, 2019 by
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When you start to fiddle with a recipe that is associated with a particular region or group, people take affront. I can't tell you how many times I have witnessed Twitter or Facebook comment fights about subjects like adding beans to Texas chili, putting cream in pasta alla carbonara, whether you should salt white rice when you cook it, or… read more

Are you a meal planner or do you just wing it?

September 3, 2019 by
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Two cobs of corn sullenly glare at me from the bottom shelf of my refrigerator. Just over a week ago they were torn from their stalks on a farm a mere four miles away and delivered the same day to a farmers' market, full of potential to add their fresh, sweet flavor to a meal. As I strolled through the… read more

How to outfit your pantry like a GBBO baker

August 31, 2019 by
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As Darcie reminded us last week, Netflix here in the US is broadcasting The Great British Bake Off three days after the original episode airs in the UK. Raise your hand if you have already watched Cake Week (raise both hands if you have watched it twice like me). Every series has me amazed at how fast I fall for… read more

When savory meets sweet

August 30, 2019 by
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Sweet and savory generally occupy different areas on restaurant menus and different courses in our meals. But when they come together, the results can be wonderful. I was reminded of this by an article on the James Beard Foundation's website that explains how to make ensaymada, an irresistable Filipino pastry that deftly combines the two tastes. The recipe they use… read more

Are green onions and scallions the same thing?

August 29, 2019 by
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Green onion salad
When I come across a recipe that calls for scallions, I automatically substitute green onions. I've been under the impression that these are two different names for the same vegetable. And then there are chives, which are different but similar enough to cause confusion. So what are the differences between these three alliums? Food & Wine has the answer. Saute… read more

Let them eat cake…scraps

August 28, 2019 by
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Gelato
If you bake a lot of cakes (or even just a few now and then), you might have encountered this dilemma - the cakes are domed and won't stack, so you trim the tops off to level them. This results in small scraps of lovely cake that you really can't do anything with - right? Wrong, says Stella Parks. She… read more

Get your grill on with these tips

August 27, 2019 by
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Pumpkin spice is in the air, and that can only mean one thing: winter is coming (at least in the northern hemisphere). Yes, I know, fall/autumn has not even started, but the long Labor Day weekend in the U.S. marks the unofficial end of summer, and pumpkin spice flavors appeared today in local Starbucks locations, both harbingers of fall. Don't… read more

Farmers’ market advice from the pros

August 26, 2019 by
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Farmers' markets hold such promise. Wandering through the stalls can make you feel like the proverbial kid in a candy shop. In much the same way, they can be a bit overwhelming. Sometimes it's difficult to tell which vendors have the best tomatoes, peaches, or melons. Karen Beverlin does not have that problem. A veteran produce buyer, she knows her… read more

Food news antipasto

August 25, 2019 by
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tomato tart
Time again for the food news that piqued my interest but did not warrant a lengthy post. This week we begin with a tip to prevent sogginess when baking with tomatoes. Since it's peak tomato season in much of the northern latitudes, this is timely. Tiffany Hopkins of Epicurious tells us the secret is to properly salt the tomatoes to… read more

Le Creuset 2019 factory sale

August 21, 2019 by
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If you love Le Creuset and live in the southern US, mark your calendars. The annual Le Creuset factory-to-table sale is coming to Charlotte, NC in September and Atlanta, GA in October. The sale includes special pricing, limited-edition colors and rare shapes and styles.  You have to pay an entrance fee to attend the sale but the proceeds go to a… read more

Dream vacations for food lovers

August 20, 2019 by
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Imagine lounging in an Italian retreat overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea, taking a private tour of Italy's best producer of buffalo mozzarella, having a guided tour of ancient temple ruins, and visiting a fig and chocolate confectionery, all the while getting great advice on your food writing. Does that sound like an dream vacation to you? If so, it could come true.… read more

Food news antipasto

August 18, 2019 by
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It's that time of the week for a review of the items I found interesting over the past several days that did not warrant an entire post. Few things are better than a fresh loaf of artisan bread. The cracking of the crust and the chew of the crumb are delightful. However, few things are worse than stale bread. You… read more

Giving new meaning to ‘topping off’

August 17, 2019 by
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Although I am far from being a 'zero waster', I do attempt to use up all of the food I buy. As I investigate ways to use every scrap (using the EYB Library, of course), I am continually amazed by the number of things I don't know about parts of the produce that I buy or grow. That point was… read more
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