Dominique Crenn launches an all-female-chef dinner series

Award-winning chef Dominique Crenn has teamed up with the mobile reservation app Resy to launch an all-women-chef dinner series. The six-evening event will be held in San Francisco on March 27, and depending on the series' success, may travel to other cities as well.  Twelve of the top female chefs in the United States will join Crenn, including Nancy Silverton (from… read more

Sara Moulton shares her ‘me too’ moment

The food industry is going through some soul-searching following accusations of sexual harassment that have come to light in the past few months. These reports have prompted high-profile chefs like John Besh, Mario Batali, and Johnny Iuzzini to step away from their respective organizations. Until now, one person who hasn't commented on the issue is Sara Moulton. Today she broke… read more

Making something from almost nothing

  Those of us who live in cold climates have days where we just do not want to leave the house because the weather is downright punishing. People in more temperate climes may also feel like staying in for other reasons. Days like this, when the cupboard is nearly bare and the pickings in the refrigerator are slim, that can… read more

Fistfights break out in France over a sale on Nutella

  It's not a secret that Nutella - the chocolate and hazlenut spread - is adored the world over. But is it good enough to get in a fight over it? The answer, it would seem, is yes. The BBC is reporting that Nutella 'riots' are breaking out in French supermarkets.  The 'rioting' began when French supermarket Intermarché offered a 70% discount… read more

The kitchen cleaning debate

  Most people who cook fall into one of two camps: those who clean as they go, making sure to wash each utensil and bowl as it's used, and others who pile up the pots and pans next to the sink for one large cleanup effort. Each of these approaches has its merits and drawbacks, says Valerio Farris at indexed… read more

Score a touchdown at your Super Bowl party

  The largest sporting event in the United States, the Super Bowl, is only ten days away. This year it's happening in my backyard, but as usual our team's hopes of playing in the big game were dashed due to a poor performance in the playoffs. Not only is Super Bowl Sunday an important day for sports fans, it's also… read more

Observer Food Monthly celebrates its 200th issue

Observer Food Monthly is celebrating this January, and with good reason: this month it publishes its 200th issue. Befitting such a momentous occasion, the magazine is filled with recipes from celebrity chefs like Nigella Lawson, Nathan Outlaw, and Fergus Henderson.  For those who are unfamiliar with the publication, Observer Food Monthly is a supplement to the British Sunday newspaper The Observer. Published on the… read more

Learning about an ingredient the hard way

  It all started with a trip to the newly-opened gourmet market. The small space it occupied in a charming old exposed-brick storefront was packed with an array of locally-grown produce and ingredients not frequently seen in our small town. Naturally, this unexpected variety made me almost giddy. I loaded up my basket with all manner of interesting produce, grains,… read more

Looking back at a Cold War cookbook

Tensions ran high in Berlin during the summer of 1948. The first crisis of what would become known as the Cold War was happening in the war-torn capital of Germany, as the Soviets had cut off rail and road access to the city, and severely rationed its electricity and water. They hoped to drive away the Westerners who were helping… read more

Make cheese, not war

  Since the end of the Cold War, military weapons stockpiles have been shrinking in size. This reduction in arms means that huge storage facilities - many of them underground bunkers - are being decommissioned. While rich people are converting missile silos in the American Midwest to upscale doomsday prep condos, companies in Switzerland have found a much better use… read more

Cookbook Dreams

The last week I've been busy adding 2018 titles to the library, editing them, writing up a few promotions and wishing for more time to cook from all the great cookbooks that I already own. Even with my embarrassment of riches in the cookbook department, I keep thinking about all the books that I wish would be written. Every few… read more

New year, same celebrity diet books

  You can tell when the year changes in many ways: the days are getting longer (or shorter), calendars are all 50% off, organizing and cleaning items are on sale, and celebrity diet books appear in bookstores. While these cookbooks may inspire some people, Anthony Warner is one person who remains unimpressed. He provides scathing reviews of five celebrity diet… read more

It’s not just for breakfast anymore

  If you have children, chances are good that you have a few boxes of breakfast cereal in your cabinets. You might not think about using them in your cooking and baking, but they can be used in a surprising number of ways. Taste of Home put together a slideshow of 30 ways to use cereal for everything from snacks… read more

Predictions for the best and worst in food for 2018

  Our local (rural) radio station just ran a piece about the estimation that, after years of declining consumption, the prediction for 2018 is that people in the U.S. will eat more meat than ever before. That got me wondering what else might be in store, food-wise, for the new year. Food Republic has a few ideas, and offers its… read more

Cold weather baking adjustments

  Baking in the summer heat has obvious challenges: butter melts, humidity ruins meringue, and frosting slumps. Wintertime baking also contains obstacles, even if they aren't quite as noticeable. Stella Parks (aka Bravetart) explains the problems you can encounter in a cold kitchen and the changes you should make for cold weather baking.  Parks advises that just a few degrees… read more

Australia’s top restaurants named

  The Australian Good Food and Travel Guide (AGFG) has just announced its Chef Hat award winners for 2018. AGFC was the country's first national food guide and has celebrated over 40 years of reporting about Australia's best restaurants. 2018 sees 390 restaurants awarded Chef Hats around the country, down 18 from 2017.  You can view the listings by number of… read more

When food is your life, losing weight can be a challenge

  Jim Webster has a problem that many of us can relate to. His life revolves around food, and not just because he is passionate about it, but because it's part of his job description. This presents a problem for Webster, who has struggled with weight issues his whole life. In an article for The Washington Post, he details the… read more

Food resolutions for 2018

  One day into the new year, most of us have kept our 2018 resolutions. For many people, common pledges revolve around food-related themes, whether it be weight loss, eating more vegetables, or cutting back on sugar. There's plenty of help in keeping your resolutions to be found online. Epicurious returns with its Cook 90 challenge, where they encourage people… read more

The golden rules of mixology

  2018 is almost here - only half a day left for our members in Australia, and just over a day for us in the U.S. - and many of us will be ringing in the new year with a cocktail. Getting mixed drinks right can be a challenge, so just in time for our New Year's Eve cocktails, one… read more

Why aren’t more spices grown locally?

  In our regular #SpiceSupport articles we dive into all aspects of spices, including where they originate and where they are now grown. As you may have noticed, a great of the spices are grown in countries other than the ones where most of our Members reside. But why is this so, especially given the recent emphasis on locally sourced foods?… read more

Solving the ‘incompatible food triad’

  Can you think of three foods where any two of those foods taste good together, but all three combined taste disgusting? That's the philosophical thought problem deemed the "Incompatible Food Triad", which seems to have been first pondered by Wilfrid Sellars, a University of Pittsburgh philosopher. Sellars used to bring the problem up over dinner with his students and colleagues.… read more

When life hands you lemons…

  It's coming up on peak citrus season, one of the best parts of what can be a dreary time in northern latitudes. There is something so cheery about the fruits - their bright colors, fresh flavors, and wonderful aroma make everything seem a bit better. Indexed blog The Kitchn revels in one of the most versatile of all the… read more

The birth of a regional specialty

  Every region has its own special food that both divides and unites locals. Locals stand together to claim pride in their area's unique food, even though disagreements about which purveyor is the best in the area can spark heated arguments. While we know about longstanding regional favorites - Cumberland sausage, deep-dish Chicago pizza, Southern fried chicken - few of… read more

In-depth with the Instant Pot

  Few appliances have taken the world by storm as much as the Instant Pot, which has rocketed to kitchen superstardom. It's hard to believe the appliance is less than a decade old. If you're curious about the history (short as it is) of the IP, as fans often call it, head over to the New York Times, which takes… read more

In praise of ugly food

  If you spend any time on Instagram, you may start to feel a bit insecure about your cooking and baking. Impeccably staged, lushly lighted, stunning photographs featuring glistening vegetables, intricately decorated pie crusts, and artfully composed plates could make anyone eye their grilled cheese sandwich with disdain. But just because a dish is not gorgeous doesn't mean is not… read more
Seen anything interesting? Let us know & we'll share it!

Archives