Chefs embrace playing with fire
In recent years innovative chefs have experimented with new tools and techniques like sous vide and anti-griddles to up their game. Now they're returning to a more basic - some would call primitive - method in…
Antipasto
Is this "cake" the next cronut?
You may have seen a very strange "cake" passing through your social media news feeds. It's not a cake in the traditional sense, it's more like Jell-O than any baked good. Known as The Raindrop Cake, it" is inspired by…
The rise of guest chefs
Once upon a time the biggest changes in a restaurant menu involved swapping out one seasonal fruit for another. But now menus - and even the chefs - can differ from day to day. When the latter happens, diners can…
New Kickstarter promises lighter, smoother cast iron
Cooks love cast iron. The combination of durability, simplicity, and excellent heat retention makes cast iron skillets the workhorse of many kitchens. Well-seasoned vintage pans can fetch hundreds of dollars at flea…
Not your father's ball game food
Tomorrow is opening day of baseball season in the US, and millions of fans will flock to stadiums across the country to see the first game. They'll also eat a lot of food, and they have many more options now than they…
Stop using these food words
In every industry, buzzwords and catchphrases come and go, and food is no exception. Sometimes these terms have sticking power, but usually they fall in and out of favor faster than you can say "Bam!". A few sayings are…
Julia Child's lasting impact
In today's world of celebrity chefs, it can be difficult to imagine a time when chefs toiled anonymously in the kitchen. However, that was the norm until relatively recently, and one person who probably did more than…
From rule breaker to baker
Even the most experienced cooks can be intimidated by the thought of baking. Off-the-cuff improvisation and editing - essential in cooking - can be disastrous to baking endeavors. That was something that kept food…
Gluten free magazine gets nationwide distribution
Gluten Free Forever, aka GFF, a popular San Francisco magazine, is poised for nationwide distribution beginning with its spring 2016 issue. The magazine's founder, San Franciscan Erika Lenkert, wanted to expand the…
The secret to better frying
Creating the perfectly crisp french fry or golden brown piece of crunchy fried chicken can be frustrating. How to ensure that the food is properly cooked inside while maintaining a good crust is a challenge. Many…
The authenticity trap
When people look for a restaurant - or a cookbook, for that matter - from a specific country or region, the question of authenticity often arises. You might hear someone ask "Is it real (Mexican/Chinese/Thai/etc) food?"…
A new creation for Macaron Day
Today is Macaron Day, and in honor of the special event, pastry chef François Payard has invented a new treat: the Macaronut. It's not quite a mashup in the mold of Dominique Ansel's Cronut, but instead the texture of…