JBF announces its 2016 chef and restaurant award semifinalists

February 19, 2016 by
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The Golden Globes are history and the Oscars are only days away, so it's officially award season. The first culinary awards aren't too far off, and the James Beard Foundation has announced its 2016 restaurant and chef award semifinalists. The rather lengthy list will be culled and finalists will be announced on March 15. If you want to score a… read more

Exploring his culinary roots

February 17, 2016 by
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  You may recall the controversy that swirled around Paula Deen in early 2013 after her past use of a racial epithet surfaced. Deen was widely castigated by culinary professionals, including food blogger Michael Twitty of The Cooking Gene Project. He penned an open letter to Deen on Africulinaria.com where he told Deen "that far more repugnant to him than… read more

Julia Child’s home in France is sold

February 5, 2016 by
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  Last fall we reported that Julia Child's home in France, La Pitchoune, was for sale. Speculation abounded as to what would become of the house, which Child built on land owned by her best friend, Simone Beck, who co-authored Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Recently we learned that Makenna Johnston, an alumnus from Smith College (the same university… read more

Chefs create culinary award that goes beyond the kitchen

February 4, 2016 by
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  A group of the world's top chefs recently announced a new global culinary prize aimed at rewarding cooks who use their skills to make an impact beyond the kitchen. The award, created by the Spanish Basque Culinary Centre, is slated for cooks with "an initiative in the gastronomic area that will be strongly engaged with society." Top chefs Joan… read more

What to expect at Noma Australia

January 29, 2016 by
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René Redzepi is moving Noma to Australia for a few months. If you are lucky enough to have scored a reservation for this temporary location, don't expect to see any items like carrots, beets and cabbage that are ubiquitous on the Danish restaurant's menu, says the award-winning chef.    Redzepi says he and his staff will forage, just as they… read more

How Alton Brown changed the cooking landscape

January 17, 2016 by
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It's safe to say that Alton Brown has become a household name among those who have taken even a fleeting interest in cooking. This success was not a foregone conclusion when he embarked on Good Eats, the food show that turned the television cooking program on its head. The Daily Meal traces how Brown became one of the most influential voices… read more

Alain Ducasse discusses changing kitchen culture

January 12, 2016 by
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Alain Ducasse is a legendary chef and restaurateur. He has amassed a total of 20 Michelin stars in his far-flung restaurant empire that spans seven countries, has written several cookbooks, and has even devised a menu for the international space station. Recently he discussed a series of topics with young chef Laoise Casey.   As you would expect, Ducasse doesn't… read more

Ina Garten’s hands-on approach

January 11, 2016 by
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You may think of Ina Garten as a television personality, but the reality is that she is a cookbook author who uses TV to promote her books. The show, Barefoot Contessa, takes up small bits of her life, maybe six weeks a year total in two chunks. "My business is cookbooks, and TV is really good for supporting that," Ina… read more

These people rocked the food world in 2015

December 27, 2015 by
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The people who topped this year's Yahoo! Food list of influential culinary personalities is eclectic and diverse. Chef and restaurateur José Andrés topped the list. He was chosen for his multi-faceted contributions to food, ranging from running a successful restaurant empire, Think Food Group, and advocating for reform in both food business and immigration policy.  Who knew that a supermodel… read more

Food is a window into our past, says Jacques Pepin

December 10, 2015 by
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Some of our strongest memories are tied to food, writes esteemed chef Jacques Pépin, who associates specific dishes and ingredients with his family members and the places he has lived. "Going back as far as my memory can take me, I see a kitchen in my vision of my mother, my aunts, my cousins, and I visualize a specific dish… read more

Williams-Sonoma founder Chuck Williams dies at 100

December 6, 2015 by
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  Charles (Chuck) Williams, founder of Williams-Sonoma, which introduced French cookware and high-end ingredients into American kitchens, died yesterday at the age of 100. Williams started Williams-Sonoma in 1956 when he purchased an old hardware store and filled it with the copper and other kitchen goods he'd seen while traveling through Europe. A trip to Paris in 1953 provided the… read more

Pros recall their worst food disasters

December 1, 2015 by
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Most of us have kitchen disaster tales about fallen cakes, grossly overcooked meats, or room-clearing smoke bombs. But we're in good company as even the pros have horror stories of food gone terribly wrong. NPR's The Salt talked to three culinary veterans - Ruth Reichl, Jacques Pépin, and Pati Jinich about their most embarrassing kitchen moments. At least when we… read more

Dana Cowin steps down as editor of Food & Wine

November 23, 2015 by
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There is yet another departure from a major food publication as Dana Cowin is stepping aside as editor of Food & Wine magazine, a post she has held for 21 years. She will retain a tie to the publication, however, as her new job will be "chief creative officer of Chefs Club International, the parent of Chefs Club by Food &… read more

Julia Child’s French kitchen for sale

November 20, 2015 by
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Want to own a piece of culinary history? Julia Child's French vacation cottage, complete with kitchen designed by Paul Child, is on the market for slightly less than $1 million. The home was built on land owned by Simone Beck, Child's friend and co-author of Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Called La Pitchoune (The Little One), "the 1,600-square-foot getaway… read more

Chris Kimball leaving America’s Test Kitchen

November 16, 2015 by
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Another shakeup in the food world caught many people off guard. Today the Board of Directors of Boston Common Press (parent company of America's Test Kitchen), announced that Christopher Kimball's employment with ATK is ending. Kimball was one of the founders of Boston Common Press, which started with a single publication, Cook's Illustrated, back in 1992. While Kimball's departure is… read more

Russ Parsons to leave LA Times

November 14, 2015 by
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Another long-time food writer is leaving a major US newspaper. This time it's Russ Parsons, food columnist at the Los Angeles Times, who is leaving the paper after more than 20 years. Parsons announced his retirement in a tweet yesterday afternoon: The second tweet read: "but I'm really excited to see what the next chapter will be. What is this… read more

Nigella Lawson on “bowl food”

November 10, 2015 by
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Nigella Lawson remains one of the most popular authors in the EYB Library. NPR's Steve Inskeep recently talked with Nigella about her latest cookbook, Simply Nigella: Feel Good Food, which explores the breadth of food you can serve in a bowl. Noting that "bowl food" sounds a bit similar to "soul food", Nigella explains that it has a similar connotation,… read more

Rene Redzepi set to embark on a new chapter

November 7, 2015 by
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René Redzepi has been described as the most influential chef in the world. His Copenhagen restaurant, Noma, has sat atop the world rankings for several years, and has spawned any number of imitators. Now the Danish chef is releasing a new documentary called Noma: My Perfect Storm, and has also announced big changes at Noma. You can view the stunning… read more

Baking tips from Claire Ptak

November 5, 2015 by
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Claire Ptak is a California pastry chef who moved to London in 2005 after working at Chez Panisse restaurant in Berkeley, California. She owns Violet, a baking company in East London which supplies her popular Broadway Market stall and is best known for its American-style cupcakes with buttercream frostings that change with the seasons. Her latest cookbook, The Violet Bakery… read more

See David Lebovitz’s Paris kitchen

November 3, 2015 by
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Pastry chef turned food blogger David Lebovitz remains one of the most popular authors in the EYB Library, thanks to his recent hit My Paris Kitchen. Now he is letting readers into that very kitchen in an interview with The New York Times. While his previous kitchen was small and cramped, like most big city kitchens, this newer space in… read more

Bittman to join food delivery service Purple Carrot

November 2, 2015 by
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  When Mark Bittman recently announced that he was leaving his job at The New York Times to join a startup with the goal of helping people eat more plants, speculation swirled as to where he was headed. We now know the answer - Bittman will be joining food delivery service Purple Carrot.  The company, which launched late last fall,… read more

Iconic Providence chef and restaurateur George Gorman has died

October 28, 2015 by
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  Influential chef George Germon, co-owner of the landmark Providence (RI, USA) restaurant Al Forno, died Tuesday following an unspecified illness. Germon, along with his wife and co-chef Johanne Killeen, together opened Al Forno in 1980 and quickly won a loyal following, rave reviews, and many awards for their superb food.  Germon is credited with inventing grilled pizza, a specialty at the… read more

The Splendid Table turns 20

October 23, 2015 by
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Last night I had the pleasure of attending The Splendid Table's 20th Anniversary Celebration at the historic Fitzgerald Theater in St. Paul, Minnesota. The Splendid Table radio broadcast debuted in 1995, and host Lynne Rossetto Kasper has since received numerous accolades, including two James Beard Foundation Awards for Best National Radio Show on Food. Kasper has also written several highly regarded… read more

Influential chef Paul Prudhomme dies at 75

October 8, 2015 by
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We have more sad news to report, as we have learned that legendary chef Paul Prudhomme passed away today at age 75. Prudhomme popularized Cajun and Creole cooking, elevating the status of those cuisines through his restaurants, cookbooks, and television programs. New Orleans restaurateur Mary Sonnier, who worked for Prudhomme in the 1980s, says his vision for cooking was a drastic… read more

Chef and author Anna Pump killed

October 8, 2015 by
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Chef and author Anna Pump, 81, died on Tuesday after being struck by a pickup truck as she was crossing Montauk Highway near the Bridgehampton Post Office (Long Island, New York) Monday evening. Pump was a chef, cookbook author, baker, and innkeeper famous for her Hamptons bakery Loaves & Fishes. She authored several cookbooks, including the highly-regarded The Loaves and Fishes Cookbook, first published in… read more
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