The icing on the cake
What's even better than cake? Cake with frosting! Unless that frosting turns out to be a goopy or curdled mess, that is. You can avoid these problems by following the tips and tricks to from indexed magazine Bon Appétit…
Antipasto
Test your fair food knowledge
State fair season is ramping up across the US, and among the many attractions at these end-of-summer festivals perhaps none is more celebrated than the food. People flock to stands selling a variey of goodies, more…
Are cookbooks all style over substance?
Today I spent several hours organizing my cookbooks, consolidating them all into the same room for the first time in years. As I gaze upon my favorite tomes, I am excited all over again to cook from them. That's why I…
Are marinades worth the effort?
It's pretty common for cooks to marinate meats before putting them on the grill or in the slow cooker. But do these concoctions do what they claim - tenderizing the meat and adding loads of flavor? Russ Parsons of The…
The right way to freeze produce
At this time of year, gardeners in the Northern Hemisphere are swimming in produce. Although having a plentiful harvest is a happy circumstance, it can be overwhelming. To preserve the summer's bounty, people often turn…
How useful are restaurant reviews?
Before you set foot in a new restaurant you've probably researched it to death. Sites like Trip Advisor and Yelp allow you to see feedback from diners, but as we've seen many times, those reviews need to be taken with a…
Tiki cocktails make a comeback
Despite a reputation as a too-sweet libation served in kitschy goblets at chain restaurants, tiki drinks are serious cocktails. Originating in the 1930s in California, the boozy tropical beverages took hold during the…
Everyone finds inspiration in cookbooks
Sometimes it is difficult to find inspiration for your next meal. You might stare blankly into the refrigerator or pantry, hoping something will fall off the shelf and hit you in the head--in a figurative sense, of…
Short films capture the intersection of food and culture
Most of the stories on the EYB blog involve the written word, whether that is cookbooks, links to other blogs, food news, or other information about food. But that just scratches the surface of the food-related…
Food blog Mad Libs
We've all seen it before: a commenter on a food blog has made the recipe with a host of substitutions and changes but trashes the recipe anyway. The folks over at The Kitchn found this scenario (and several others) to…
An accidental invention: the history of the Popsicle
Popsicles define summertime for many US children. The brightly-colored, fruit-flavored frozen treats are the perfect foil to a hot, sticky summer afternoon. Popsicles are adored by children but did you know that they…
Scientists think they've discovered a sixth taste
For centuries, people described food in terms of four basic tastes: sour, sweet, salty, and bitter. More recently a Japanese chemist discovered a fifth taste, umami, which is triggered by glutamates. Now scientists say…