What do chefs plant in their gardens?

May 18, 2017 by
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It's always informative to learn what chefs keep in their home kitchens. Sometimes the quality and breadth of those ingredients can invoke a twinge of inferiority for one's home pantry. The same can happen when you learn about what chefs grow in their garden. Or maybe it's just me. After reading Australian Gourmet Traveller's article on what chefs grow in… read more

PBS launches new mini-series on food icons

May 17, 2017 by
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  If you are in the US, you will want to clear some time for the next two Friday evenings. That is when PBS stations across the country will air four documentaries on American food icons. Part of the 'American Master' series, the 'Chefs-Flight' programs chronicle the lives of James Beard, Julia Child, Jacques Pépin, and Alice Waters. The first… read more

Even star chefs have things to learn

May 10, 2017 by
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  Working with thin laminated doughs like phyllo can strike fear in the even the most confident cook. But even if your technique isn't perfect, you shouldn't be afraid to jump in and try making something with it, says Yotam Ottolenghi. Even the celebrated chef admits to being intimidated by these types of dough. Even though he was trained as… read more

Food for Soul

April 13, 2017 by
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When chefs become famous, they usually work to expand their restaurant empire by opening new locations, often in far-flung places. Celebrated chef Massimo Bottura of Osteria Francescana, located in Modena, Italy and one of the world's top restaurants, has chosen a different path. Instead of creating more eateries, he is focusing his energy on an initiative to ameliorate the growing… read more

Seeds of Peace

April 8, 2017 by
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We here at Eat Your Books love to spread the news of how food brings the world together in offering hope through gathering around the table to share food along with experiences.  Earlier this week, I shared our worldwide promotion on #CookForSyria which is raising funds to help children affected by the conflict in Syria. My hope in sharing books that… read more

Ina Garten announces a new show

March 23, 2017 by
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Looking for a good new cooking show to watch? Keep your eyes on Food Network, because Ina Garten has just announced that she's working on a new show that will air on the cable channel. It appears that the series, titled 'Cook Like a Pro', is already in production and will likely premiere in May of this year. Garten, author… read more

New GBBO hosts announced

March 18, 2017 by
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Channel 4 has announced who will replace Mary Berry, Mel Giedroyc, and Sue Perkins this fall for the new season of GBBO, the first at the show's new home. The rumors have been confirmed: Sandi Toksvig, food writer Prue Leith, and comedian Noel Fielding will join Paul Hollywood for the next season.  Leith said she was "so thrilled to be joining... the… read more

An interview with Rose Levy Beranbaum

March 17, 2017 by
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EYB Members love Rose Levy Beranbaum's baking books. Rose has been called the "Diva of Desserts" and "the most meticulous cook who ever lived."  Rose's first book, The Cake Bible, was the 1989 winner of the IACP/Seagram Book of the Year and the NASFT Showcase Award for the cookbook that has contributed most to educating the consumer about specialty foods. A culinary… read more

Mast Brothers mount a comeback

March 14, 2017 by
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Late in 2015 we reported on a controversy surrounding Mast Brothers chocolate, in which they were accused of misleading consumers about their "bean-to-bar" products. After the debacle, the brothers Mast kept a low profile, but continued to work on growing their successful chocolate company.   In a recent interview with Fortune Magazine, the brothers says that the story, while harmful,… read more

Chefs recall childhood dishes that inspired them

March 13, 2017 by
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  Everyone has a dish from their childhood that they fondly remember throughout their lives. Chefs are no exception to this; the difference with them is that sometimes these nostalgic foods inspire them to create items for their menus. Bon Appetit Magazine recently asked chefs to share their stories of foods from their past that have sparked something that they… read more

Italian baking expert Carol Field dies at 76

March 10, 2017 by
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We have sad news to report, as Italian baking expert and cookbook author Carol Field died today after suffering a stroke, just weeks after losing her husband. The San Francisco-based author was instrumental in introducing food lovers in the U.S. to now commonplace Italian specialties like focaccia, ciabatta and biscotti. She also played a key role in the revival of artisan bread… read more

Mary Berry’s bolognese controversy

March 9, 2017 by
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  Few things are more contentious in the cooking world that fights over authenticity. People become incensed when a chef adds, substitutes, or omits ingredients in a recipe that they view as sacrosanct. Whether it's cream in carbonara or peas in guacamole, you can expect a bitter war of words on social media. Beloved BBC food host Mary Berry recently… read more

A film about pioneering chef Jeremiah Tower set to debut

March 5, 2017 by
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  Film buffs who are food lovers, mark your calendars. There is a new film titled Jeremiah Tower: The Last Magnificent that chronicles the life of pioneering chef Jeremiah Tower, one of the most controversial and influential figures in American gastronomy. The movie premieres this April in select cities. Tower began his career at the renowned Chez Panisse restaurant in Berkeley in 1972, where… read more

BBC to launch new cookery show

March 3, 2017 by
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Many fans of The Great British Bake Off were saddened when they learned the program would move to Channel 4 from its home on the BBC. But it looks like viewers might be able to have their cake and eat it, too. The BBC has just announced a new show that could rival the beloved GBBO, because it stars one… read more

Essential tools for cooks

March 1, 2017 by
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One of the greatest pleasures for someone who loves to cook is browsing the aisles of a well-stocked kitchen store. The vast array of gadgets, tools, and equipment can be both eye-opening and envy-inducing. One can be mesmerized by the allure of a beautiful tool and take it home with visions of the delicious food to be made using it,… read more

Chef Jeremy Lee expounds on his favorite cookbooks

February 23, 2017 by
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There are cookbooks and then there are cookbooks. The former operate as an instructional manual, providing the outline you need to make a particular dish. The latter, on the other hand, transport you through time and space, allowing you to better understand a culture and inspiring you to create. Chef Jeremy Lee talks about the books that he places in… read more

Have vanilla, will travel

February 16, 2017 by
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Pichet Ong has carved out a reputation as a world-class pastry chef known for combining French technique with Asian ingredients. He's written a cookbook, The Sweet Spot: Asian-Inspired Desserts, and has appeared on Top Chef. In the last several years, Ong has transitioned from holding a traditional chef position into being a jet-setting pastry consultant.  Although Ong likes to incorporate… read more

Is Prue Leith coming to the GBBO?

February 15, 2017 by
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Rumors are swirling that restaurateur, and cookery-school founder Prue Leith may be in the running to replace Mary Berry on the new GBBO. No one has confirmed this rumor, but many people agree that she is amply qualified for the hosting spot. Leith opened her Michelin-starred restaurant, Leith's, in the late 1960s and founded Leiths School of Food and Wine… read more

Ottolenghi comes to the New York Times

February 8, 2017 by
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  Yotam Ottolenghi is best known for his savory, vegetable-centric recipes in cookbooks like Plenty and Plenty More, for his restaurant-inspired recipes in Nopi and Ottolenghi, and for the foods of his homeland in Jerusalem. Despite this savory focus, Ottolenghi likes sweets, telling The New York Times that he rarely goes a full day without eating something sweet. In fact,… read more

The Splendid Table gets a new host

February 7, 2017 by
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  For over 20 years, Lynne Rossetto Kasper has enchanted fans of the radio program The Splendid Table. Recently, she announced her retirement from the show at the end of this year, and a replacement has been named. Starting in March, award-winning food writer Francis Lam will take over hosting duties. While no one will be able to replicate the retiring… read more

USA tops the Bocuse d’Or

February 3, 2017 by
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A little over a week ago the Bocuse d'Or, the most prestigious worldwide culinary competition, was held in Lyon, France. For the first time in the competition's 30-year history, a team from the United States - helmed by Chef Mathew Peters - won the event. You can read a diary that Peters kept for The Daily Beast that tracked the… read more

Ruby Tandoh takes on the clean eating phenomenon

January 23, 2017 by
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It seems that every food website you see has a feature or two on 'clean eating'. Bloggers who promote the tenets of the movement (few or no carbs- especially sugar, few processed foods, and a focus on vegetables) have become nearly overnight sensations. GBBO contestant and bestselling cookbook author Ruby Tandoh recently contributed an opinion piece to The Guardian in which she… read more

Famous chefs criticize competition cooking shows

January 17, 2017 by
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  For many years, chef competition programs like Bravo TV's 'Top Chef' and the Food Network's 'Chopped' have been highly popular with food lovers. Some food media experts credit this show and others like it for reinvigorating interest in home cooking. But a few people don't think that the program is doing cooking any favors. Culinary icons Alice Waters and… read more

Dan Barber to bring experimental food waste restaurant to London

January 15, 2017 by
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Chef Dan Barber of Blue Hill Farms in New York didn't always plan to be a chef. Originally, he wanted to be a novelist, enrolling in English Literature at Tufts University in Massachusetts. He turned to food service in an attempt to earn money for college, working in Los Angeles' fabled La Brea Bakery. Food soon became his main passion,… read more

The rags to riches story of Marie-Antoine Carême

January 12, 2017 by
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Exactly 184 years ago today, the world lost its first celebrity chef, Marie-Antoine Carême. The story of how Carême rose from impoverished beginnings in France to become the foremost culinary authority of his time is chronicled in an article from NPR's The Salt.  It's difficult to overstate Carême's influence on Western culinary traditions. He brought to life the "mother sauces"… read more
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