CookShelfMuch of Europe is currently baking in extreme heat conditions, and parts of the US are pretty steamy as well. When the temperature and humidity spike, cooking can become a dreaded chore. I know that my south-facing…
Call it a win for the Facebook algorithm: I clicked on a suggested post in Facebook Marketplace for the two vintage cookbooks pictured below and ended up purchasing them. I had been researching the history of Gold Medal…
Even though the World's 50 Best Restaurants list has some, well, let's just call them issues, there is no denying that the establishments that land on the list serve some of the finest food on the planet. Yesterday we…
The iconic white with blue flowers CorningWare evokes a wave of nostalgia for almost everyone who sees the cookware at a resale shop or thrift store. Rare pieces of vintage CorningWare can fetch astronomical prices, up…
This week's sampling of interesting or offbeat food news begins with a tribute to the late Anthony Bourdain. Earlier this week, the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, Bourdain's alma mater, announced that it…
A few days ago we reported on the trend of chefs to bring back forgotten herbs, often as part of a local and seasonal cooking focus. One of the old-fashioned herbs discussed in the article was hyssop, a perennial plant…
Everyone who cooks food for a crowd - either at a dinner party or for a holiday meal - understands the struggle of timing things so that all of the hot foods are served hot and cold items don't get warm while waiting…
Make room in your herb collection for some new names to go alongside perennial favorites like oregano, basil, and parsley. Chefs are embracing lesser known, but equally delicious, herbs like lovage and hyssop in their…
Usually when I sit down to write the daily post of what's happening in the world of food and cookbooks, it follows a lengthy session of social media and food website browsing as I search for news that will be meaningful…
This spice we are profiling in today's installment of Spice Support has a dual personality. Coriander (coriandrum sativum) exists in two forms, both as a leafy herb and as a seed used whole or ground as a spice. In the…
Wander down the aisles of any decent-sized liquor store and you are bound to see scores of flavored spirits. You will find everything from spiced rum to cucumber gin to peach and orange blossom vodka. Usually these…
If there is any shopping experience that I enjoy as much as browsing through a cookbook store it is wandering the aisles of a restaurant supply store. Not all of these establishments are willing to sell to the public,…
