What makes restaurant food taste so good?

February 4, 2015 by
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Have you ever eaten at a restaurant and tried to replicate the meal at home, but felt it was missing something that you couldn't quite pin down? You may have wondered why you weren't able to recreate the flavors you remembered. Asbury Park Press tackles this question in an article fresh from the Jersey Shore. Maybe it's the fact that… read more

Culinary disasters of the famous

February 2, 2015 by
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We've all experienced kitchen disasters - burnt roasts, boil-overs, mistaken ingredients, equipment malfunctions, stock poured down the drain, and so on. It can be comforting to know that we're in good company, as The Guardian shows us in its story on culinary disasters of famous food writers and other celebrities. In the article, the stars often relate their embarrassing experiences in… read more

Snack vs. snack

February 1, 2015 by
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There's a hotly contested game in Arizona today. Actually, it's all across the United States, as people make snacks to eat while watching the Super Bowl. The real contest, as viewed by NPR's The Salt, is which game-day snack will will come out the victor. According to the article, over 1.25 billion (!) chicken wings will be eaten today. It's… read more

Memories in the cupboard

January 31, 2015 by
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Most New Year's resolutions have likely been abandoned by now, as S. Irene Virbila of the L.A. Times relates. However, there was one resolution that Virbila was determined to complete, that of cleaning out her kitchen cabinets and drawers. She vowed to get rid of any items she hadn't used in a year's time. In the process of digging through… read more

Americans place second at Bocuse d’Or

January 29, 2015 by
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On Tuesday, the United States culinary team at the Bocuse d'Or did something no other U.S. team has done: receive a medal. They placed second out of 24 teams in the biennial international culinary competition in Lyon, France. Previously, their best showing was a sixth place finish. Norway, which has taken home the top honor five times previously, was the… read more

Forget wings, you can ‘Buffalo’ anything

January 28, 2015 by
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This Sunday, millions of buffalo wings will be consumed at tailgate parties, bars, restaurants, and homes in conjunction with the largest sporting event in the United States, the Super Bowl. The popularity of this game-day snack might make it difficult to find wings in the supermarket, but that's okay because you can get the same great flavor in a variety… read more

How important are cookbook directives?

January 24, 2015 by
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You see the directives in most modern (and even many older) cookbooks: use only unsalted butter, all eggs should be large, use X-brand kosher salt. Dire consequences are threatened if you do not follow these admonitions. But how much do these instructions really matter? It depends on who you ask, says The Telegraph. Most of these demands are from authors… read more

Salt, fat add flavor to cocktails

January 23, 2015 by
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You have probably heard the expression "fat equals flavor." This admonition holds true not only in the kitchen, but in the bar as well. The Washington Post reports on the technique known as "fat washing" that is used to add flavor to drinks. Fat washing is a method of infusing almost any type of flavorful fat, from coconut oil to… read more

The first rule of Soup Club

January 17, 2015 by
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What do you do when busy schedules prevent you from staying in touch with friends and making meaning contributions to each other's lives? If you are Courtney Allison, Tina Carr, Caroline Laskow, and Julie Peacock, you start a Soup Club. Indexed blog Leite's Culinaria shares the heartwarming story of the four friends, who decided that once a week each would… read more

A toast to toast

January 16, 2015 by
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When you hear about an event called the Winter Fancy Foods Show, you probably think of exotic foods and ingredients. But one of the stars of this year's show in San Francisco has very humble origins. Toast made a splash at several vendor booths. We're not talking about toasted, as in toasted nuts or seeds; this is the humble breakfast… read more

Good news for Bonnie Slotnick Cookbooks

January 15, 2015 by
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In November, we chronicled the struggles of Bonnie Slotnick Cookbooks, a treasured NYC cookbook store. Slotnick lost the lease on her Greenwich Village storefront, and was searching to find a new space that would be affordable, not an easy task in New York. We're happy to report that Slotnick has announced that her store will be moving to a new location… read more

Cheese, cheaper

January 14, 2015 by
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For many of us cheese lovers, buying a hunk of our favorite fromage can put a pinch on our pocketbook. That's why it's great to find a less expensive substitute that will satisfy our flavor craving without breaking the bank. Indexed magazine Food & Wine is here to help with four legendary cheeses with cheaper (but still delicious) alternatives. The… read more

Creme egg controversy

January 12, 2015 by
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Fans of Cadbury Creme Eggs in the United Kingdom are in an uproar after finding out that the maker of the beloved treat recently changed the recipe. The popular Easter candies, filled with a "yolk" of yellow and white fondant, used to be made in the U.K. with Cadbury's signature Dairy Milk chocolate (the article doesn't mention what the rest of the world was… read more

How lifting the embargo might affect Cuban cuisine

January 8, 2015 by
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For over 50 years, the United States has imposed a fairly strict embargo on its close neighbor, Cuba. U.S. citizens are not able to easily travel to the country, and there are barriers to importing Cuban goods, including foods, rum, and of course cigars. Recent events have renewed hope for lifting the embargo. Blogger turned author Ana Sofia Peláez, who recently released The Cuban… read more

Deciphering antique recipes

January 6, 2015 by
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Reading old recipes (or "receipts" as they are often called) is a fascinating glimpse into history. Sometimes the directions or terms are cryptic and leave you wondering what the writer was trying to say. Enter Alyssa Connell and Marissa Nicosia, the duo behind a project called "Cooking in the Archives." In the project, sponsored by a grant from the University… read more

How to store leafy herbs

January 5, 2015 by
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There are many different tips on the best way to store leafy herbs like basil, parsley, and cilantro. Julia Bainbridge of Yahoo! Food claims to have tried them all and found that the "bouquet" method is the best around. Using this method, you trim off the ends of the stems as you would fresh-cut flowers, put the herbs in a… read more

Calorie counts on menus – yea or nay?

January 3, 2015 by
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A recent Associated Press-GfK poll found that a slight majority of Americans favored requiring calorie counts on restaurant menus. The results ranged from 52% to 56% approval depending on the type of restaurant in question. The larger numbers were for fast food restaurants at 56%, followed by 54% approving requirements for sit-down restaurants as well. The poll was conducted just… read more

Nutmeg’s sordid past

January 1, 2015 by
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Eggnog, spice cake, and the ubiquitous pumpkin spice latte share one of the holiday season's most familiar fragrances: nutmeg. Cooks and bakers alike enjoy the warm flavor it lends to food, but once you learn about its dark past, you might look at nutmeg a bit differently. In NPR's interview, you'll learn that the tale of the spice, according to… read more

Haute chicken?

December 31, 2014 by
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Chicken is known as the "safe" protein, something you serve to guests who aren't adventurous eaters. But a growing number of heritage chicken breeders are attempting to change that perception. The Wall Street Journal reports on the trend of U.S. breeders and chefs offering birds that "sing out with flavor."  Chickens in North America didn't used to be the bland… read more

Farm to hospital bed

December 26, 2014 by
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When you think hospital food, you probably envision Jello salads and dry toast. Hospitals don't serve haute cuisine (outside of Hollywood, at least). But while you may never wish for a hospital visit just for the food, a handful of these institutions are stepping up their food game, reports Modern Farmer. The article chronicles the story of chef Justin Johnson,… read more

Egg labels explained

December 24, 2014 by
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Some people are lucky enough to know someone who raises chickens and will sell them eggs fresh from their hens. The rest of us must rely on commercial egg producers. Egg cartons from these producers contain plenty of jargon, but many of the friendly-sounding terms don't have any real meaning, explains NPR's The Salt. Their recent article demystifies the various… read more

Harold McGee, on cans

December 22, 2014 by
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Canned foods are a modern convenience that most of us use frequently. Whether it's canned tuna, tomatoes, or beans, we find it handy to have the pantry stocked with staples. Although we sometimes also keep cans as emergency supplies, we tend to respect the "use by" dates on them. It stands to reason that the quality of canned foods will… read more

Hold the mayo

December 20, 2014 by
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You may have seen the news article a few months ago that multinational giant Unilever, maker of Hellman's Mayonnaise, was suing the (very small) producer of Just Mayo, a vegan "mayonnaise." Unilever brought the lawsuit claiming that Just Mayo's label was misleading, and that because it contains no eggs, the product doesn't meet the legal definition of mayonnaise. Yesterday Unilever announced… read more

The only recipe box you need

December 19, 2014 by
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Quaint recipe boxes like the one pictured above used to be commonplace, but these days your recipe box is just as likely to be virtual. Many recipe websites include a "recipe box" feature, but you may not be able to rely on it. For example, if you're a user of Serious Eats, you may have noticed that as of December 10, their recipe box is no… read more

Fermented foods continue upward trend

December 17, 2014 by
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Restaurant discovery service Urbanspoon compiles restaurant reviews from various sources including bloggers, food critics, and local diners. After sorting through the data from their app's Popular Dish feature, reviews, comments, and user data, the service has come up with their predictions for 2015's food trends, along with the top cuisines of the current year. The reigning cuisines in the US & Canada… read more
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