A brief history of coffee

October 14, 2016 by
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It's safe to say a significant portion of the adult world runs on caffeine, usually received in the form of coffee. It's best not to talk to me until I've had my first cup of the day, and I know I am not alone in that sentiment. Beyond the caffeine, the tantalizing aroma of coffee and the way the mug… read more

An interview with an editor of Bread Illustrated

October 12, 2016 by
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  It wasn't that long ago when most bread that ended up in US shopping carts was a squishy, white, bland loaf. Now it seems we are in the midst of a bread renaissance. Books about artisanal bread making - often touting a minimal amount of hands-on time - crowd bookstore shelves. So when Sacha Madadian edited Bread Illustrated, the… read more

The subtle science of menu writing

October 11, 2016 by
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  When you venture out to a new restaurant one of the first impressions you will have, aside from the decor, is the menu that you are handed once you are seated. While you may consider the dish options as the critical part of the menu, there are other factors at work that could influence your dining decision. As Anna Roth… read more

It’s not the humidity, it’s the heat

October 4, 2016 by
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  As the weather turns cool and damp, articles suggesting that you need to adjust the amount of flour in your baking recipes start popping up on newsfeeds. Usually the author suggests that you may need to add more flour to a recipe to account for the extra humidity. However, the science of humidity and flour doesn't mesh with this… read more

What it’s like to cook in Julia’s kitchen

September 23, 2016 by
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We've written before about La Pitchoune, Julia and Paul Child's home in Provence, France. The house is now available for rent through Airbnb, and Julia Moskin of The New York Times recently rented it for a week and wrote about her experience. While it's not clear whether any of the cookware or utensils that hang from the pegboard that Child… read more

‘Tis the season for change

September 17, 2016 by
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  Eating seasonally didn't used to be a conscious decision - the food on one's plate was almost all local, so one naturally followed the seasons when preparing meals. In the era of supermarket produce flown in from all points, however, eating with the seasons has been become a choice rather than a necessity. Yet people who love food still… read more

When vicarious eating becomes real

September 16, 2016 by
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In many different posts over the past three years I have mentioned traveling vicariously through cooking. Cookbooks and recipe blogs allows us to experience foods - or at least their approximation - of places we'll likely never to get to visit. Sometimes, however, we are fortunate enough to visit these locations and experience the food firsthand. Then we can finally… read more

Old Overholt’s history is the story of rye whiskey in America

September 8, 2016 by
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Rye whiskey was arguably once the most popular spirit in the United States. Unlike its cousin bourbon, rye didn't recover following Prohibition until the recent cocktail revival also reversed its decline. On The Daily Beast website, historian and cocktail authority David Wondrich takes a fascinating in-depth look at the rise and fall of Old Overholt, the oldest rye whiskey in… read more

The allure of high-maintenance vegetables

September 5, 2016 by
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  Some vegetables are easy and comfortable. We don't give a second thought to purchasing potatoes, carrots, onions, and the like because we know we can use them in myriad ways and they'll always perform. Other vegetables, however, demand more from us. But they promise a big reward after we exert the extra effort, when they "transform into something more… read more

This new series is a must-watch

September 4, 2016 by
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  It seems like every popular documentary has its devotees - but also those who feel that the show can be a bit too precious. When that happens, the documentary can get its own "mockumentary". Programs about cooking are not an exception to this rule, as BravoTV demonstrates. The video short titled Jeff's Table is a tongue-in-cheek take on the… read more

Foods only a native could love

September 2, 2016 by
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  All around the world, cultures and countries have foods that are beloved that are considered disgusting to outsiders. These delicacies may inspire native eaters - at least some of them - but non-natives often can't wrap their tastebuds around them. Business Insider magazine takes a look at 22 countries and their unique dishes. The list is provided in alphabetical order,… read more

How to buy a knife

September 1, 2016 by
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  A good knife is one of a cook's most indispensable tools. When shopping for a new knife, the choices can be almost overwhelming. There are many sizes, styles, handles, and other options to sift through. So how do you know what's best? That's what the The Chicago Tribune's Bill Daley asked several chefs and authors in a recent article.… read more

Can you have too much cheese?

August 29, 2016 by
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The world is sitting on huge stockpiles of cheese. That is bad news for dairy farmers, and only slightly good news for cheese lovers. The surplus is especially large in the United States, where over 1.3 billion pounds of cheese sits in storage, a 30-year high. The vast majority of it is cheddar and mozzarella, the two most popular varieties in the… read more

How someone who didn’t cook shaped the way your kitchen works

August 24, 2016 by
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You might not have heard of Lillian Gilbreth, but your cooking might owe a lot to this pioneering woman. She was not a chef or even a talented home cook. Rather, Gilbreth was an industrial psychologist and engineer whose revolutionary work helped make kitchens more efficient. Gilbreth worked with her husband, Frank B. Gilbreth, and together they invented the practice known as… read more

The transformation of corn

August 16, 2016 by
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  When you eat a corn tortilla - whether it's wrapped around a filling to make a taco, fried crispy and topped as a tostada, or in any of the other myriad forms it takes - you probably think of it as a simple food. However, the history behind the humble corn tortilla is as fascinating as it is long,… read more

Food and the Olympics

August 15, 2016 by
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People across the globe have been watching the Rio Olympics, cheering on their local favorites and witnessing awe-inspiring performances from the world's top athletes. Hosting viewing parties for friends and family is a great way to share the excitement with others. If you're running out of ideas for what to serve, Australian Gourmet Traveller Magazine has 15 suggestions for Olympic viewing… read more

The biggest food trends of the past forty years

August 11, 2016 by
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  Remember about 10 years ago when cupcakes became a near obsession, with a new 'cupcakery' opening on what seemed to be every street corner? Food trends are always evolving, and today's food sensation may be tomorrow's old news. Sometimes food trends come back, just like men's and women's fashions, and a few things always stay in style. Good Housekeeping Magazine… read more

How food trends are made

August 7, 2016 by
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We can all see the evidence of a food trend: bloggers and food writers discuss the subject, cookbooks are written about it, and social media feeds are full of images reflecting the trend. While it's fun to explore the new product, technique, or idea, it can also be interesting to investigate how the trend got its start. Popular NZ cookbook… read more

Why the GBBO is so successful

August 6, 2016 by
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  As the Great British Bakeoff enters its seventh season, it remains one of the most popular shows in the UK. When the show first premiered, no one could have predicted that it would become such a phenomenal success, but its popularity is evidenced not only by the continued high ratings, but also by the dozens of bestselling cookbooks from… read more

Mother sauces get a makeover

August 4, 2016 by
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  If you've read any older, classic cookbooks, you are familiar with the mother sauces: béchamel, velouté, espagnole, sauce tomat, and hollandaise. These sauces can seem heavy and bland for modern diners. That's why chefs like Travis Lett of Los Angeles restaurant Gjelina adapt these classics to make them fit into contemporary cuisine. The NY Times reports on what chefs like… read more

What were restaurants like in the early 1900s?

August 3, 2016 by
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More and more of our meals are eaten out of the home, many at a sit-down restaurant. We tend to take the amenities of modern restaurants for granted. City and state ordinances protect us from unscrupulous entrepreneurs and unsanitary kitchens, and we can usually expect a similar experience - if not similar foods - at almost every eatery. But our expectations… read more

Is Sunday your cooking project day?

July 31, 2016 by
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  Scrolling through my Twitter feed today, I couldn't help but notice how many tweets were a variation of the phrase 'Sunday project: recipe name'. Smitten Kitchen said a rainy Sunday was the perfect day for making chocolate babka, while Serious Eats implored me to take on homemade frozen yogurt (pictured above) for a Sunday project. For those who work… read more

Farmers market hacks

July 29, 2016 by
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  For many of us in the Northern Hemisphere, the farmers' markets are now at their peak. The tempting array of fruits, vegetables, and herbs can be dizzying. Sometimes we pass up on certain produce because we just aren't sure if it is ripe or because we've had problems with it spoiling before we get a chance to use it.… read more

The doggie bag gets an upgrade

July 27, 2016 by
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  The doggie bag, once seen in France as terribly gauche, has started to gain some acceptance. The first Parisian restaurant to embrace 'le doggie bag' was Le Coq Rico, a roast chicken palace that opened in 2012. The chef, Antoine Westermann, encourages patrons to try more than one of the restaurant's whole chickens at a time so they could… read more

Foods that you grow to love

July 23, 2016 by
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  When I was a child, there were a few foods that I never wanted to eat. My parents never forced me to clean my plate, but I did have to at least try a food before proclaiming that I didn't like it. I know why I didn't like a few of the items - certain vegetables were often overcooked… read more
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