It’s not too late to celebrate National Pie Day!

January 23, 2021 by
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Once again, National Pie Day has snuck up on me. This 'official' national food holiday allows me to celebrate Pie Day twice each year, because I will always believe the logical choice for the day is 3.14. Although the day is touted as a 'national' event in the US, I have noticed that people from around the world have joined in… read more

Lucky foods for the new year

December 31, 2020 by
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Eating traditional foods that are thought to bring good luck seems more necessary than ever today as the world rings in 2021. Which foods are considered lucky varies from country to country and even from region to region. Grapes play an important role in Spain, where revelers consume 12 grapes just as the clock strikes midnight, each grape representing a… read more

More gingerbread house eye candy

December 19, 2020 by
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I just can't resist posting one last item about gingerbread houses. This one comes from an annual contest hosted by The Omni Grove Park Inn in Asheville, North Carolina (incidentally, one of my all-time favorite cities in the US). This year the contest was virtual, like so many others, but that did not limit the creativity or excellence of the… read more

Cookies from around the world or around the block

December 15, 2020 by
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For a few years, the term procrastibaking has been employed to describe any time someone bakes when they should be doing something else such as working or doing the laundry. Today, I've been working on promotions and end of the month posts and my thoughts kept wandering to other fun things I want to do such as decorate the tree… read more

Hanukkah recipes at hand

December 10, 2020 by
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Hanukkah begins this evening and will end on the evening of December 18. If you are looking for different recipes to celebrate in this year that has us all scrambling to meet new challenges, head over to our Hanukkah Pinterest Board, which has been recently updated with new Pins. There are a slew of novel recipes for latkes - Food… read more

Homemade for the holidays

December 9, 2020 by
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On Monday we supplied links to great online resources to purchase holiday hampers and other food gifts. Sometimes you might want something more personal, or perhaps something less expensive - let's face it, this year not all of us can afford to spend a lot on presents. In either of these situations, homemade gifts fit the bill. We tend to… read more

Holiday gifts from your favorite authors

December 7, 2020 by
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Yikes! The holidays are almost here and you haven't even begun purchasing gifts (or is that just me?)! If you have a food lover on your list - or maybe someone who is just tired of cooking - you might want to get them a gift from one of your favorite cookbook authors. Most of the companies below offer expedited… read more

Christmas with Kim-Joy Cookbook Giveaway

December 1, 2020 by
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Enter our US/UK/AU/NZ giveaway to win one of three copies of Christmas with Kim-Joy: A Festive Collection of Edible Cuteness by Kim-Joy. My husband has described me as "crusty" with a good heart. I think that means that I would do almost anything for people but I really don't want to spend time with them. My tolerance level has gone… read more

What single dish defines your holiday?

November 14, 2020 by
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US Thanksgiving is less than two weeks away, but this year it is going to be celebrated much differently than usual. Extended family gatherings will be supplanted by more intimate dinners. Our usual crowd of 8 to 10 will only be two this year, because none of our usual dining companions is in our 'bubble'. Even though we cannot be… read more

2020 Gift Guide for the cookbook lover and cook & an Emile Henry tagine holiday giveaway

November 12, 2020 by
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Several times a year, I put together a gift guide of great products and cookbooks that would make a special gift for the cook/cookbook lover in your life. My 2020 gift guide for the baker can be found here. For sake of brevity, I will refer you to my Best Books of Fall/Autumn 2020 and Best Books of Spring 2020 for cookbook… read more

Diwali’s sweet delights

November 5, 2020 by
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Diwali, a five-day festival of lights celebrated by Hindus, Sikhs, and Jains across the world, celebrates new beginnings and the triumph of good over evil and light over darkness. This year the holiday lands on November 14. Diwali celebrations frequently include fireworks, candles, and other forms of light displays. Additionally, as with many holidays around the world, food plays an important role, especially sweets.… read more

2020 Gift Guide for the Baker

November 2, 2020 by
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Several times a year, I put together a gift guide of great products and cookbooks that would make a special gift for the baker or cook in your life. My cookbook lovers/guide for the cook is coming soon. Today is all about the baker. First, let's talk about baking all-star titles from 2020: Baking at the 20th Century Cafe: Iconic… read more

The foods of Día de Muertos

October 31, 2020 by
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On the heels of Halloween is the Mexican celebration Día de Muertos or Day of the Dead, celebrated November 1-2 each year. Day of the Dead celebrations can be traced to the ancient Aztecs, who felt that instead of mourning the deceased, people should celebrate their lives and welcome their spirits back to the land of the living once a year. Spanish… read more

Downsizing the holiday meal

October 29, 2020 by
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For many of us, the holidays are not going to be the same this year. Diwali and US Thanksgiving are just a few weeks away, with Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa following soon after. Instead of large feasts and gatherings we will likely be preparing smaller meals for fewer people. For those who have lost their jobs or have reduced income due… read more

It’s the most wonderful time of the year – cookie time!

October 24, 2020 by
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'Tis a bit early to start the holiday baking posts but I needed a wee break from the October new cookbook review. (I have no idea where the 'tis and wee came from, I blame it on Cookbooktober). As I was clearing my head in preparation for returning tonight to finish the epically long review, I glanced at the small… read more

Thanksgiving, virtually

October 9, 2020 by
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One of the most important food holidays in the US and Canada is coming up, but it will look a lot different than it has in years past. Monday marks Canadian Thanksgiving, and the US holiday follows on November 26th. Usually, we would be talking about how people would be gathering around the table in large groups, debating perennial topics… read more

Celebrate International Coffee Day

September 29, 2020 by
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Today is International Coffee Day or as I like to call it, Tuesday, as I celebrate coffee every single day. I can't start the morning without my favorite beverage, hot in cool weather and iced for the steamy days. Coffee is not only a delicious beverage, but it can add a pop of flavor to foods as well. Coffee pairs… read more

Celebrate World Chocolate Day

July 7, 2020 by
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Today is World Chocolate Day, fêted on 7 July because that is ostensibly the date that chocolate was introduced to Europe in 1550. We will help you celebrate by listing several revered chocolate recipes from the EYB Library. But first, let’s learn some interesting facts about this delicious subject. Express (UK) lists ten things you probably never knew about chocolate, while… read more

Outdoor cooking may be a boon this summer

May 22, 2020 by
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Monday is a holiday in the US, a day of remembrance for those who have fallen in the line of service to our country. It is also Spring Bank Holiday in the UK. Unofficially, the long weekend marks the start of summer and kicks off peak grilling season. Last year I wrote a post about summer grilling looking different these… read more

Rethinking holiday dinners

April 4, 2020 by
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Easter and Passover are two of the biggest food holidays of the year, but 2020 is shaping up to feature much more intimate feasts. This means rethinking what is going on the table. If there are only going to be two to four instead of a dozen or more, you are going to need to scale back unless you want… read more

Celebrate Pi(e) Day

March 14, 2020 by
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Today is the perfect day for bakers to celebrate both pi and pie due to the natural synergy between the two. Bakers use pi when scaling pie and cake recipes to determine the proper pan size, and of course, they also love to make pie, whether filled with fruit, custard, meat, or vegetables. Pie is universally appealing to everyone from… read more

The meaning behind lunar New Year’s foods

January 25, 2020 by
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Today marks the beginning of a very special time for the Chinese and several other cultures, as it is the beginning of the lunar new year. This holiday, celebrated by 20% of the world's population, is honored differently in various countries, but food features prominently in all celebrations. Each of the foods traditionally eaten during this holiday has a meaning… read more

The ’12 days of cookies’ trend spreads

December 5, 2019 by
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I don't know who started the '12 days of cookies' phenomenon, but Food Network was the first entity to ask me to sign up for it. For several years now, beginning sometime in late November, I have received a dozen emails from Food Network, each with a different holiday cookie recipe (there is usually a bonus thrown in for good… read more

How famous artists would plate Thanksgiving dinner

November 28, 2019 by
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We want to wish all of our US Members a Happy Thanksgiving. The crazy weather in many parts of the country has fouled up travels plans and caused flight delays, so if you are holed up in an airport waiting for a storm to pass, here is a little something to distract you from your dilemma: two slideshows on how… read more

Relax, you’ve got this

November 26, 2019 by
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My Twitter feed is nearly 24/7 Thanksgiving prep at this point. It's been building over the past couple of weeks in the lead-up to the biggest food holiday in the US. Usually on the Tuesday evening before Thanksgiving I would be elbow-deep in turkey (literally, to season it for dry brining), finishing the make-ahead gravy, making pie crusts, and performing… read more
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