Get Prepared for National Doughnut Day

June 4, 2024 by
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Once again a national (US) “food holiday” is on the horizon. Friday, June 7 is National Doughnut Day, but this one isn’t just another arbitrary food holiday cooked up by a commercial enterprise – this special day has roots that go back over a century. According to the Salvation Army, the origins of National Doughnut Day stretch back to 1917,… read more

Books on Wine – Giveaway

June 4, 2024 by
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Enter our worldwide giveaway to win a set of beautiful books devoted to wine: Wine and the White House: A History, Second Edition by Frederick J. Ryan, Jr. and The Great Atlas of Italian Wines by Allesandro Avataneo and Vittorio Manganelli. Winner of twelve national and international awards, Wine and the White House is a comprehensive journey through the history… read more

Food news antipasto

June 3, 2024 by
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Restaurant critics know a lot about food; it is an essential part of the job. That does not automatically mean they can cook, however. Knowing and doing are two different beasts, something that critic Ben McCormack well understands. Caught flatfooted when asked by his cleaner why there wasn't any food in his refrigerator, McCormack decided that he should try to… read more

Have we seen the last of QR code menus?

May 31, 2024 by
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Mobile phone displaying a QR code on top of the words "Mobile App" and a four out of five star menu and download button.
A recent survey by the market research firm Technomic found that after a seismic shift to QR code menus that began during the pandemic, restaurants seem to reversing the practice and are moving back to paper menus. The survey found that having QR codes made it less likely for people to dine at a particular restaurant. Overwhelmingly, diners preferred paper… read more

Why you should rethink veal

May 30, 2024 by
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Almost as long as there has been a dairy industry, veal has been a byproduct of it. Male calves are not useful to dairy farmers, and people realized that the immature males made a delicious, tender meat. However, for decades veal's reputation, especially in the US, has been stained by the mistreatment of the animals. In the past couple of… read more

May 2024 New Cookbook Review

May 29, 2024 by
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Welcome to May's new cookbooks! You can keep track of what is coming this year with our 2024 Cookbook Preview and don’t forget that you can create a wishlist and share it with your loved ones. Our May 2024 EYB Cookbook Club Summary and June 2024 Great Big Cookbook Club Summary can be found at the links provided. Last May we announced that we have connected the EYB… read more

The vanishing lunch break

May 29, 2024 by
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This is a post that will likely only resonate with our US Members as it discusses a lament that is less common in many other countries: our workers' diminished lunch breaks. According to Megan Elias, associate professor at Boston University and author of Lunch: A History (The Meals Series), "Lunch has never been just a meal; the meal most often eaten in… read more

May 2024 EYB Cookbook Club Summary

May 28, 2024 by
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Each month we offer at least four cooking options in our Eat Your Books Cookbook Club. This month we cooked from our favorite recipe from any cookbook, magazine, blog or online option: Cooking/Online: Milk Street 365: The All-Purpose Cookbook for Every Day of the Year by Christopher Kimball or any Milk Street title or online recipe.Baking: Any Bake from Scratch recipe or online recipeVeg Focused: Any vegetarian or… read more

Food news antipasto

May 26, 2024 by
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Although not a chef or cookbook author, Morgan Spurlock made a splash in the food world with his 2004 documentary "Supersize Me", which cast a critical eye on the fast food industry and the effects of its products on human health. This week we learned the sad news that Spurlock died at the age of 53 from complications of cancer.… read more

Great grilling tips

May 25, 2024 by
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Monday's holiday in the US marks the unofficial start to grilling season, although plenty of people love to grill year-round. There is something about the long days and return to warmer temperatures that makes it extra special at this time of the year. Whether you are getting ready to dust off the trusty Weber kettle grill or have something more… read more

Judge decrees that tacos are, indeed, sandwiches

May 24, 2024 by
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What food qualifies as a sandwich? The debate over this definition has resulted in heated arguments and even legal action. Whether hot dogs, gyros, or tacos count is a source of contention with voices on both sides declaring that they are right. Recently, a judge in Indiana settled the question (at least in that state) that tacos are sandwiches, and… read more

Cookbook Fest, British Library Food Season, EYBD Previews, grilling and BBQ recipes and more

May 24, 2024 by
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The first Cookbook Fest will be held in Napa, California from June 21st to the 23rd. Situated in the heart of Napa Wine Country at the whimsical Feast It Forward, Cookbook Fest is the premiere festival where every recipe, story, and ingredient takes center stage. The festival is presented by Salt + Spine, Feast it Forward and Feed Your People.… read more

The best cooking tips from 21 seasons of Top Chef

May 23, 2024 by
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It seems improbable that I started watching Top Chef eighteen years ago, but it's true: the show has been around since 2006! In that time, dozens of chefs have put their impressive skills on display in a variety of challenges. I have learned a lot by watching the program, and so have the folks at Food and Wine. They have… read more

Luxury fruit: are you buying it?

May 21, 2024 by
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I enjoy buying quality ingredients to cook and bake with, reasoning that a splurge on a lovely steak or locally grown, perfectly ripe peach is no more expensive than a mediocre meal in a restaurant. That said, there are some food items that I just cannot fathom buying regardless of my curiosity, usually because of their exorbitant price. I'm talking… read more

Food news antipasto

May 19, 2024 by
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We start the weekly recap with a bit of sad news. One of New England's preeminent chefs, Jasper White, has died at the age of 69. White is credited with elevating the cuisine of Boston and the broader region by pairing fine dining techniques with local ingredients. Named best chef in the Northeast in the first-ever national James Beard Foundation… read more

Ready, set, grow!

May 19, 2024 by
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As gardening season ramps up for much of the Northern Hemisphere, hopeful gardeners gingerly plant all manner of fruits and vegetables in anticipation of a bumper crop of tomatoes, beans, corn, cucumbers, squash, and more. Earlier today I put in the majority of transplants and will be adding seeds tomorrow. One thing I love about gardening is it allows me… read more

What are your favorite festival foods?

May 17, 2024 by
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Although next weekend is the official kickoff for summer here in US, festivals, fairs, car shows, swap meets, concerts, and other mainly outdoor gatherings are already taking place. One thing all of these events have in common is that someone will be selling food from a concession stand or food truck. The usual fare where I live includes tacos (street… read more

June 2024 Great Big Cookbook Club Summary

May 17, 2024 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 the interwebs and we’d like to highlight those for those members who might want to cook or bake something other than our choices.  We want to get this information out to you so you can prepare… read more

Love your leftovers

May 16, 2024 by
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Are you someone who looks forward to eating leftovers or the type who grimaces at the aging container of leftovers at the back of the refrigerator and pushing them aside day after day until it's too late? If you are the latter, Sue Quinn wants to change your mind, saying that it's time for leftovers to shine. If you are… read more

Fruitful Cookbook Giveaway

May 15, 2024 by
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Enter our US and Canada giveaway to win one of three copies of Fruitful: Sweet and Savoury Fruit Recipes Inspired by Farms, Orchards and Gardens by Sarah Johnson. Sarah Johnson is a pastry chef who trained under Alice Waters at Chez Panisse in San Francisco and currently splits her time between Spring Restaurant, London, and the much-feted Heckfield Place in… read more

Beware of Big Butter?

May 15, 2024 by
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It seems fitting that a couple of days after I post about the increased demand for cottage cheese, I spied another article about how the dairy industry is using social media partnerships to drive up their sales. It seems that people are not just rediscovering the joys of cottage cheese, they are being paid to promote cheese, butter, and other… read more

Newt A Cookbook for All – Giveaway

May 14, 2024 by
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Enter our US giveaway to win one of five copies of Newt: A Cookbook for All by Newt Nguyen. Newt Nguyen's mother is a talented Vietnamese cook who worked in various Vietnamese restaurants ever since she arrived in America. Newt had his first taste of cooking when he started selling Spam musubis in high school. Every school day for three… read more

Food news antipasto

May 13, 2024 by
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Fans of the FX series The Bear were delighted to learn that Season 3 of the show would be airing beginning on June 27. In addition, the smash hit has been renewed for a fourth season, which will begin filming soon. The network stated that this season will follow Carmy, Richie, and Sydney as "they do what it takes to… read more

Influencers create demand for cottage cheese

May 11, 2024 by
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While I was reading a recent article in The Guardian about how UK cottage cheese sales were booming, I recalled that I had written about this topic before. It was back in September of 2019, when experts predicted that the dairy product was poised to make a comeback. It may have taken a little longer than those experts predicted, but… read more

Kitchen perils demand a first aid kit

May 10, 2024 by
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Most chefs have scars that tell of kitchen mishaps: burns, cuts, and abrasions are a job hazard. Home cooks face these same perils and most of us also have physical reminders of injuries that occurred at the cutting board, cooktop, or oven. When I was in college, I worked at a pizza place and for the longest time I had… read more
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