Hamilton and Merriman out at The Spotted Pig

In June, we reported on chef Gabrielle Hamilton and her wife Ashley Merriman's surprising  plans to take over The Spotted Pig, a NYC restaurant that suffered a huge blow amidst allegations of sexual assault against its owner, Ken Friedman, and investor Mario Batali. It seems that Hamilton and Merriman were not able to effect the change they had hoped to… read more

Ottolenghi’s new podcast

Can't get enough of Yotam Ottolenghi? Then we've got great news for you! Not only is his new book Simple out now in the UK and soon in the US, we've just discovered that the acclaimed chef and cookbook author has put together a podcast called SIMPLE Pleasures. (Where does he find the time?!) The blurb for the podcast says that… read more

José Andrés releases a new memoir next month

Chef and restaurateur José Andrés added another job description - humanitarian - several years ago when he started the nonprofit organization World Central Kitchen. Andrés founded WCK following the devasting earthquake in Haiti in 2010. Last September, WCK tackled an even bigger challenge, helping to feed tens of thousands of people after Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico. Andrés and WCK landed on… read more

Mark Hix adores this classic cookbook

Mark Hix is a celebrated food writer and renowned restaurateur. He has five acclaimed restaurants, pens a weekly column in the Independent on Saturday magazine, and has written several award-winning cookbooks. Hix has an impressive 2,500+ volume cookbook collection, but he admits he really only reads a few of these with any regularity. One of those is Anna del Conte's… read more

Madeleine Kamman’s lasting influence

A few weeks ago we reported the news of Madeleine Kamman's passing, and how her teaching techniques had a profound influence on her students. One didn't have to take a cooking class from her to be influenced by Kamman, as her writing also provided inspiration to generations of cooks and writers. Over at Food52, several people including Amanda Hesser and Amy… read more

Chef Peter Doyle reflects on a 40-year career

After over 40 years behind the stove in some of Australia's finest restaurants, renowned chef Peter Doyle is hanging up his apron. In an interview with Australian Gourmet Traveller, the Sydney-based chef shares his insights on how the restaurant business has changed over the course of four decades.  Doyle begins by recounting his inauspicious entry into the restaurant world. "The… read more

Cookbook author James Villas dies at 80

We have more sad news in the world of cookbooks, as author James Villas has died at the age of 80. Villas was one of the best known and most respected authorities on American cuisine. A native of Charlotte, North Carolina, he left an indelible mark in the world of food.  Villas was the food and wine editor of Town & Country… read more

Award-winning author Raghavan Iyer to open new restaurant

Raghavan Iyer's cookbooks are popular with EYB Members for a reason: the recipes work and they are delicious. Now the award-winning author has his sights set on another challenge - opening a pizza restaurant in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis.  Called Pizza Karma, the new venture will marry pizza with naan bread, with the crust being baked in a… read more

Is the celebrity chef a thing of the past?

From the late 1990s into the 2010s, celebrity chefs were riding high. They were opening restaurants left and right, with Hollywood stars in attendance during opening night. Emeril Lagasse even had his own sitcom (albeit a short-lived one). Today, however, the winds seem to be shifting. The much-hyped restaurants are closing, prompting speculation about the decline of the celebrity chef.… read more

Influential chef Joël Robuchon has died

We are saddened to report that pioneering French chef Joël Robuchon has died at age 73. Robuchon inspired and mentored countless chefs such as Gordon Ramsay and Éric Ripert. His lengthy career is noteworthy for many reasons, not the least of which is the record-breaking 32 Michelin stars he earned - the most awarded to any single chef.  Robuchon also received accolades from… read more

Anthony Bourdain’s recommended reading

Die-hard fans of Anthony Bourdain loved reading his books nearly as much as they loved watching his entertaining travel programs. It's sad to know that we'll never enjoy another Kitchen Confidential or Medium Raw. The next best thing might be to read books that he recommended. Now we can do just that, because the New York Public Library has compiled a list of… read more

‘Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat’ headed to Netflix

EYB Members fell in love with Samin Nosrat's award-wining cookbook Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat. Netflix will air a four-part series that shares a title with the book. Like Netflix's other food-related programs, the show highlights food travel. Viewers will accompany Nosrat as she travels around the world to discover and examine delicious dishes.  On Instagram, Nosrat said about the show: "We've… read more

Gordon Ramsay has a new show coming

National Geographic recently announced that chef Gordon Ramsay is scheduled to star in a new show called 'Gordon Ramsay: Uncharted'. The premise of the reality TV program seems like a mashup of 'Parts Unknown' and  'Throwdown With Bobby Flay.'  According to the Nat Geo press release, "Each episode of  UNCHARTED will include three key ingredients: unlocking a culture's culinary secrets through exploration and… read more

Vivian Howard is moving to prime time

After five seasons on PBS, chef and author Vivian Howards 'A Chef's Life' is drawing to a close. The Emmy Award-winning program is going out with a bang, with a final episode called 'Harvest Special', which serves as a series epilogue, airing October 22. But the cancellation of 'A Chef's Life' is not the end of the story for Howard. A new… read more

Kitchen Arts & Letters has wowed cookbook lovers for 35 years

We love hearing positive stories about our favorite cookbook stores from around the world, which is why we were delighted to read a story by Julia Moskin about New York City's Kitchen Arts & Letters. The store, located on Manhattan's Upper East Side, has been provided professional chefs and home cooks alike with the best cookbooks for 35 years.  The… read more

Los Angeles restaurant critic Jonathan Gold has died at age 57

The Los Angeles Times has reported that award-winning restaurant critic Jonathan Gold has died of pancreatic cancer. Gold wrote about the Los Angeles dining scene for over thirty years, earning numerous James Beard Awards and a Pulitzer Prize in the process. Many of his reviews were compiled into a book, Counter Intelligence: Where to Eat in the Real Los Angeles.… read more

Madeleine Kamman has died at age 88

We have just learned of the passing of Madeleine Kamman, a pioneering French chef, restaurateur, and mentor to hundreds of chefs. Kamman was born in Paris and started her culinary career in 1940 at her aunt's restaurant in the Touraine region of France. She moved to America with her husband in 1960, where she became a revered culinary instructor. She opened… read more

What James Beard had to say about onions

Onions are indispensable in my kitchen. I usually have at least two types on hand at any given moment (red and yellow) and frequently even more. They are essential to many dishes. I'm far from the only fan of onions, of course; they are favored by home cooks and chefs alike. One of the onion's biggest fans was James Beard,… read more

The end of one era, but the promise of something new

For the past 20+ years, Donna Hay has been a driving force in the Australian food scene. As Australia's leading food editor and best-selling cookbook author, she has shaped the conversation around food for decades. Recently, Hay announced that major changes were afoot: both Donna Hay Magazine and Donna Hay Fresh + Light) will soon be ceasing publication.  The announcement began with the… read more

Up your ice cream game with Jeni Britton Bauer

The heatwave continues unabated in much of the Northern Hemisphere, which leaves many of us thinking about the best cold things to eat. Chief among those is ice cream, which is excellent any time of the year but especially welcome during the hot summer months. One of the best minds in the ice cream industry is Jeni Britton Bauer, author… read more

What will happen to Mario Batali’s cookbook legacy?

Shortly after the news broke late last year that chef, restaurateur, and television host Mario Batali had been accused by multiple women of sexual harassment and assault, many of his business dealings began to fall apart. He was removed from the The Chew  and he lost other television deals that were in the works. Three of his restaurants anounced that… read more

Anna Del Conte on why she loves Nigella Lawson

Anna Del Conte is one of the greatest living experts on Italian food. Born in Milan, she arrived in London in 1949 where she quickly became the first cookery writer in England to specialize in Italian food. Nigella Lawson has cited Del Conte as her favorite Italian food writer. In a recent interview with The Guardian, Del Conte returns the… read more

The Food Lab’s 20 most influential books

J. Kenji López-Alt can count at least 1,897 EYB Members as fans (that's how many of us have The Food Lab on our Bookshelves), although it is surely much more than that. López-Alt has written numerous columns for Serious Eats (more than 12,000 recipes are indexed) that are marked as Member favorites, and people frequently turn to him for advice, especially… read more

What children and parents can learn by baking together

I, like so many people who love to cook and bake, developed an enthusiasm for the culinary arts by standing at my mother's elbow, first watching and then helping her make everything from simple cookies to more complicated dishes like strudel and pâte à choux. The time spent baking with my mom created indelible memories, but there is more to the… read more

Molly Yeh’s New Food Network Show – Girl Meets Farm

Food blogger and cookbook author, Molly Yeh's Girl Meets Farm debuted on Food Network today. If you missed the first show, as I did, Food Network is reairing this episode on June 26th at 11:30 am Central - set your DVRs. Girl Meets Farm is scheduled for the Sunday mornings 10:00 a m Central slot.   Each week, Molly will share… read more
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