February 2026 Great Big Cookbook Club Summary

January 14, 2026 by
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As our members know, each month we offer several cooking options in our Eat Your Books Cookbook Club. There are other fun cookbook clubs around world and we’d like to highlight those for those members who might want to cook or bake something other than our choices.  I will update this post as clubs make their additional choices. Something that has… read more

What a bunch of baloney

January 13, 2026 by
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Bologna in the US is often derided as low quality "mystery meat" and looked down upon by food lovers. However, the origins of this meat date back centuries and its close relative and likely inspiration, mortadella, is highly regarded. The Daily Meal brings us this fact plus many more in a deep dive into this humble food. The Dagwood from… read more

Food news antipasto

January 11, 2026 by
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We are starting off the week on a sad note, as we learned that Boston chef and food stylist Elle Simone Scott passed away last week at the age of 49. Scott served as a host and a food stylist for America's Test Kitchen. ATK's Jack Bishop offered praise for Scott in a note, saying that among her contributions to… read more

New life for old spices

January 10, 2026 by
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"If your spice is more than six months old, you should replace it with new" is common advice, but it is not practical for most people. Throwing out spices is an expensive proposition, and with food prices in an unrelenting upward trend, it can stretch an already tight budget. While it's true that spices will lose potency over time, there… read more

Strangest food stories of 2025

January 8, 2026 by
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Since the new year is just over a week old, let's take one more look back at 2025, this time with an eye for the weird. The Standard recently published a recounting of six strange food stories in the UK. As with nearly everything in these turbulent and fast-moving times, 2025 was filled with...interesting moments. Japanese fruit sandos from Simply… read more

More 2026 food predictions

January 7, 2026 by
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Several days ago we published McCormick's prediction for flavor of the year, black currant, but NPR's Neda Ulaby reports that chefs and food business insiders think that additional foods and flavors are poised to be big in 2026. Among these predictions beyond the afore-mentioned black currant, along with cinnamon rolls, pandan, and cabbage. Pandan lamingtons from Cuisine Magazine Swicy -… read more

Celebrating National Bean Day

January 6, 2026 by
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Serendipity stepped into my kitchen today as I accidentally celebrated National Bean Day. I was alerted to this food "holiday" by my coworker who loves beans. As luck would have it, I had soaked chickpeas overnight to make falafel, so I was able to celebrate the holiday without even trying. Maybe eating that pot of calico beans on New Year's… read more

Food news antipasto

January 4, 2026 by
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Visiting family (or having family visit) during the holidays can be both rewarding and stressful. Having people stay at your house means dealing with their likes, dislikes, and quirks. Usually by the time they leave everyone is ready for the departure. If you managed to avoid any arguments, kudos to you. One man recently posted on Reddit about the fallout… read more

ATK poised to buy Food52

January 2, 2026 by
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Last week, Food52 filed a Chapter 11 bankruptcy petition, seeking to reorganize the company's assets and liabilities in an effort to avoid going out of business. America's Test Kitchen has entered into an agreement to buy all of Food52's assets, according to a press release issued just before the new year. According to a story on MSN, the sale price… read more

Jacques Pépin’s advice to young chefs

January 1, 2026 by
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It is difficult to overstate the amount of influence that Jacques Pépin has had on American cooking. From his work at Howard Johnson in the 1960s to his fabulous PBS shows to his numerous cookbooks to his more recent philanthropic work, he has solidified his legacy as a culinary icon. As he celebrated his 90th birthday, Food and Wine talked… read more

Lucky foods for the new year

December 31, 2025 by
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After waking up this New Year's Day (if you feel like eating, that is), you may celebrate with a traditional meal of ‘lucky’ foods meant to help bring good fortune for the coming year. Foods that have particular symbolism vary depending on culture, but most are associated with wealth, health, and good luck. Beans and greens are two of these… read more

A new way to help achieve your New Year’s cooking goals

December 30, 2025 by
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We have reached that time when many of us reflect on the past year and set our aspirations for the next. Last year, my main intention was to read or re-read every one of my cookbooks. On this, I failed miserably. I will not share the paltry number of books I made it through, but in my defense, 2025 was… read more

Food news antipasto

December 29, 2025 by
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This liminal period between Christmas and New Year's has my brain scrambled, so please accept my apologies for this delayed recap of food news. Since 2025 is nearly over, everyone is looking back at the top stories and recipes for the year. Australian Gourmet Traveller published its most popular recipes of 2025, and The Sydney Morning Herald's Good Food recounts… read more

Self-checkout theft is rising

December 27, 2025 by
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One consequence of continued high prices at the grocery store may be that shoppers are taking advantage of self-checkouts to help ease their grocery budget issues. More people are reporting that they have intentionally not scanned items at self-checkouts, with 27% of shoppers admitting to it in a recent survey. The rates vary by age and economic status, with younger… read more

In pursuit of perfection

December 26, 2025 by
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In October, a Redditor who goes by Chivelord began a quest: cutting chives every day until Reddit deemed them 'perfect'. Each day he would post a photo of the day's cut. The comments would pour in: "uneven", a "train" (when the chives aren't cut fully through and are still attached), "towers" (cut too long). Chivelord persevered, cutting again and again… read more

How well do you know Christmas food traditions?

December 25, 2025 by
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If you are sitting around in a food-induced stupor after consuming a huge holiday feast, here is a fun Christmas food (and drink) quiz to complete. I did okay, although I missed a few that I really should have known. I blame the heavy meal for making me have brain fog, but it was totally worth it. We eschewed tradition… read more

The worst gifts ever

December 23, 2025 by
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What's more fun than sharing your favorite food and cooking holiday gifts that you received? A list of the worst gifts you ever got. While the list is not specifically for kitchen items, several people recounted presents that were food or cooking- related. One woman, who bought her husband an expensive Tag Heuer watch, received a cheap blender from him.… read more

Food news antipasto

December 22, 2025 by
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Assorted cheeses on a rustic wooden board
We recently learned that Sri Owen, who popularized Indonesian cooking worldwide, died last month at the age of 90. Born in Sumatra, Indonesia, she moved to Britain in 1964 and was an internationally celebrated author, lecturer and cook. Her books include The Rice Book (winner of the Andre Simon award) and Indonesian Regional Food and Cookery. She served on the… read more

Put down the cocktail, pick up…the dishrag?

December 20, 2025 by
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A hand in a yellow cleaning glove wipes across the face of an oven
Just when you think you have seen all the hot takes possible when it comes to cleaning your kitchen, up pops a new one. This one involves a DIY hack, but it does not instruct you to use vinegar, baking soda, or any of the usual items that get pulled into service as a cleaning product. Instead, says Rolland Judd… read more

Taking holiday classics to a new level

December 19, 2025 by
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While most of us struggle to create a passable bûche de Noël or galettes des rois, pastry chefs around the world are taking these creations to new heights this holiday season. Food and Wine brings us seven interpretations of bûche de Noël that will amaze. Nina Métayer's looks like an elaborate, oversized Christmas ornament. Lift up the top and you… read more

Best cookbooks of 2025 by the experts

December 19, 2025 by
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Who knows cookbooks better than the owners of specialist cookbook stores? They stock and sell thousands of cookbooks and because their stores are focused on food and drink books, they are true experts. They read the books, cook from them and then share their knowledge with their customers. When shopping for cookbook gifts this holiday season, please think about supporting… read more

Top 2025 cookbooks added to EYB Member Bookshelves

December 18, 2025 by
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For the last few years, I have created a list of top cookbooks that Members have added to their Bookshelves in that year. 2025’s list includes 145 books. The first section of this post - shows the most popular books added without regard to region. The second post is broken down by region. Please note this list does not include… read more

The best type of pan for baking pie

December 18, 2025 by
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Even if you don't bake often, you probably have a pie pan that gets dragged out for special occasions like the holidays. A majority of people have a glass or ceramic pan because those are the most common options, but as Serious Eat's Rebecca Frey notes, those may not be the best materials to achieve an evenly-baked, flaky crust. She… read more

December 2025 New Cookbook Review

December 17, 2025 by
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We are putting the finishing touches on 2025 and looking forward to a new year. I prepared a simple roundup of holiday, entertaining, and baking cookbooks that may help you plan your end of the year holiday meals and baking. I have also published Top 2025 cookbooks added to EYB Member Bookshelves and by region for you. Our 2026 Cookbook Preview Post has been… read more

Huge salad dressing recall at Costco, Publix, and more

December 16, 2025 by
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Ventura Foods LLC has issued a recall of salad dressings sold in 27 US states at retailers including Costco and Publix. The recall, which was initiated first on November 4 and later classified as a Class II recall, affects over 3,500 cases of the product. The issue is the presence of foreign objects, namely a black plastic planting material that was… read more
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