Cooking with Bruce and Mark

Who doesn't love donuts? They're the treat many of us crave. But they do have a storied history. And they do inspire a great debate: glazed (or yeast-raised) vs. cake donuts.

We're Bruce Weinstein & Mark Scarbrough. We want to talk about all things donuts! We want to hear your favorites, too. We've also got a one-minute cooking tip about simple syrup. And we'll tell you what's making us happy in food this week.

Here are the segments for this episode of COOKING WITH BRUCE & MARK:

[00:46] Our one-minute cooking tip: Consider simple syrup your go-to sweetener for drinks.

[02:44] The history of donuts and the debates they inspire: glazed vs. cake donuts.

[16:45] What’s making us happy in food this week: fresh corn and plum tomatoes.

We love baking. And Mark is from the U. S. South. He grew up on great baking, particularly because his maternal grandmother was a professional baker.

Join us as Bruce talks with the legendary Anne Byrn. You may remember her from those cake-mix doctor cookbooks. She's back with a giant, new cookbook: BAKING IN THE AMERICAN SOUTH. If you'd like a copy, here's a link for it.

We're Bruce Weinstein & Mark Scarbrough, the authors of three dozen cookbooks (and counting!), not to mention Bruce's two knitting books, Mark's memoir (available with his own reading of it on Audible), and several books ghost-written for celebrities.

This is our podcast about food and cooking. Thank you for joining us.

Here are the segments for this episode of COOKING WITH BRUCE & MARK:

[00:53] Our one-minute cooking tip: consider soy sauce as an alternative to salt in savory recipes.

[02:48] Bruce's interview with Anne Byrn, author of BAKING IN THE AMERICAN SOUTH.

[22:40] What’s making us happy in food this week: pears from Costco and veal stew.

Girl Scout cookies! We can't resist. They've got a storied history. And they've changed over the years.

We're Bruce Weinstein & Mark Scarbrough. We've written three dozen (and counting!) cookbooks. We're up for anything food and cooking. And this is our podcast to explore that passion--including Girl Scout cookies! Thanks for coming along on our journey.

Here are the segments for this episode of COOKING WITH BRUCE & MARK:

[00:52] Our-minute cooking tip: Use tweezers in the kitchen!

[02:38] All about Girl Scout cookies. Where they came from. What happened to them. And how they taste now.

[14:57] What’s making us happy in food this week: grilled peaches and homemade kimchi.

Everybody seems to love cooking shows and now cooking videos. We've been in the food business for twenty-five years and have seen the major changes in these videos firsthand.

Shows have moved from instruction to almost shorthand entertainment on TikTok. We've made them all, appearing on PBS shows and even The View, then creating instructional videos for craftsy, and now creating lots of videos on TikTok and Instagram reels.

We're Bruce Weinstein & Mark Scarbrough, authors of three dozen (and counting!) cookbooks. We're happy to share our passion for food and cooking with you. Thank you for being with us.

[00:54] Our one-minute cooking tip: Wrap boxed cakes in their boxes.

[02:25] What has happened to cooking videos from Julia Child to TikTok.

[20:07] What’s making us happy in food this week: bagels and egg salad.

Plum chutney! It's a favorite in our house. We hope we can make it a favorite in yours, too.

We're making it from scratch in this episode of our podcast. We've got a one-minute cooking tip. And we'll tell you what's making us happy in food this week.

We're veteran cookbook authors Bruce Weinstein & Mark Scarbrough, authors of three dozen cookbooks (plus more to come!). We've been contributing editors at EATING WELL and COOKING LIGHT and had food columns in both magazines.

Here are the segments for this episode of COOKING WITH BRUCE & MARK:

[00:47] Our minute-cooking tip: an easy way to make great hot chocolate with store-bought plain truffles.

[02:24] We’re making plum chutney!

Here's the recipe:

Makes about 8 pints (can be halved). The jars, lids, sealing rings (if using), funnels, and ladles must be sterilized in a pot of boiling water for 10 minutes.

• 8 pounds or 3.65 kilograms of small red plums, preferably Santa Rosa plums, although any juicy, sweet, red plum will do
• 2 1/2 cups or 600 milliliters apple cider vinegar
• 2 1/2 cups or 540 grams demerara sugar
• 2 cups or 400 grams granulated white or caster sugar
• 9 medium garlic cloves, peeled and minced
• One small-hand-sized piece of fresh ginger, peeled and
• minced (about 1/2 cup)
• 1/2 cup or 60 grams finely chopped crystallized or candied ginger
• 2 tablespoons red pepper flakes
• 1 tablespoon brown mustard seeds
• 1 tablespoon yellow mustard seeds
• 2 teaspoons garam masala
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup or 150 grams raisins

1. First, a trick. Pour 16 cups (8 pints or 4 quarts) or 4 1/2 liters of water into a large stock pot. This is how much chutney you’ll make. You need a pot about a third larger than this for boiling. And notice where the water is—you’ll need this mark for later.
2. Pour out the water. Mix the plums, vinegar, and both sugars in the pot.
3. Set the pot over medium-high heat and add the remaining ingredients. Stir constantly until the sugars dissolve. Bring to a boil, stirring often.
4. Reduce the heat to low and simmer slowly, stirring often, until thickened a bit, until the chutney in the pot comes to about that mark where the water was in the first step.
5. Ladle the chutney into eight clean 1-pint or 570-milliliter jars. Either seal, cool for no more than 1 hour, and store in the fridge for up to 1 month or in the freezer for up to 1 year; or seal the jars and water- or steam-can them for 10 minutes.

[16:48] What’s making us happy in food this week: Italian meringue on a cake and smoked beef chuck stew!

The Instant Pot became a true craze. Even an international craze. At one point, a major department store was selling up to sixty Instant Pots per minute.

But things have dramatically changed. And we know why. We're Bruce Weinstein & Mark Scarbrough. We've written three dozen cookbooks including THE INSTANT POT BIBLE and THE INSTANT POT BIBLE: COPYCAT RECIPES. (Click those links if you're interested.)

We rode the Instant Pot roller coaster. And we're here to report back what happened. Join us for our food and cooking podcast. We're glad you're here.

Here are the segments for this episode of COOKING WITH BRUCE & MARK:

[00:50] Our one-minute cooking tip: Trash your garlic press and use a small hand-held grater.

[03:27] What happened to the Instant Pot? It went from an international craze to a much smaller presence. We rode this roller coaster. We're here to report back, from our initial reserve about the pressure cooker to our giant, big-selling Instant Pot bibles!

[23:31] What’s making us happy in food this week: unexpected food pleasures and lemon marmalade.

JM Hirsch is no stranger to this podcast. He's got a new book out, all about building cocktails you can keep in your freezer door, ice cold for when friends drop over or you want to kick back. Join us as we welcome him back to our show.

We're Bruce Weinstein & Mark Scarbrough, authors of three dozen cookbooks (with more coming!). We've been contributing editors and columnists for the likes of COOKING LIGHT and EATING WELL. We've written for WINE SPECTATOR and THE WASHINGTON POST. And we've developed tens of thousands of original recipes during our twenty-five-year tenure in the food and cooking business.

This is our podcast about our passion. Thank you for being a part of it.

Here are the segments for this episode of COOKING WITH BRUCE & MARK:

[01:09] Our one-minute cooking tip: toasting nuts in a microwave.

[03:22] Bruce's interview with JM Hirsch, author of the new book, FREEZER DOOR COCKTAILS. If you'd like to get a copy, you can find the book at this link.

[22:00] What's making us happy in food this week: smoked knackwurst and kimchi!

Who doesn't love meatballs? Well, maybe Mark, as you'll hear. But we're making meatballs even Mark will eat!

We're Bruce Weinstein & Mark Scarbrough, the authors of three dozen cookbooks and tens of thousands of original recipes. We've been in the food business for almost twenty-five years. This is our podcast about our passions: food and cooking.

Here are the segments for this episode of COOKING WITH BRUCE & MARK:

[00:32] Our one-minute cooking tip: Try roasting white chocolate for a deeper, more caramelized flavor.

[02:48] We’re making meatballs! Here's the recipe:

Start by soaking 1/2 cup or 45 grams FRESH bread crumbs in 1/4 cup or 60 milliliters milk (of any sort) for about 20 minutes in the bowl of a stand mixer or a large bowl you'll use with an electric mixer.

Crumble in 1 pound or 450 grams lean ground beef, 1 pound or 450 grams sweet Italian sausage meat (no casings), 1 large egg, 2 tablespoons dried minced parsley, 2 teaspoons dried oregano, 1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg, and 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper. Mix at low speed until well and evenly combined.

Clean and dry your hands, then oil them with olive oil. Form the meat mixture into 12 balls, each about the size of a golf ball.

Put them on a lipped baking sheet and roast in a 375F or 190C convection or fan-on oven until brown, turning occasionally, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, finely chop 1 small yellow or white onion (peeled), 1 large cubanelle or Italian frying pepper (stemmed and seeded), and 2 medium garlic cloves (peeled).

Warm 3 tablespoons or 45 milliliters of olive oil in a Dutch oven set over medium heat. Add 1 tablespoon chopped FRESH rosemary leaves, 1 1/2 teaspoons fennel seeds, 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, and 1 teaspoon anchovy paste. Stir until fragrant, then add the chopped vegetables. Cook, stirring often, until softened, about 3 minutes.

Add 1 pound or 450 grams sliced brown button or cremini mushrooms plus 1/2 teaspoon table salt. Cook, stirring often, until the mushrooms give off their moisture and evaporates to a glaze, about 5 minutes.

Add 1/2 cup or 120 milliliters of dry vermouth, dry white wine, dry sherry, or unsweetened apple juice. Scrape up all the brown bits, then pour in one 24 1/2-ounce or 700-gram jar of tomato passata, preferably the Mutti brand. Fill the jar of Mutti with water, swirl it around to get every speck of passata, and pour it into the pot as well.

Bring to a simmer, add the browned meatballs, and reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally but very gently.

To finish off, add 12 torn-up FRESH basil leaves and lots of ground black pepper. Taste for salt and dish it up.

[17:53] What’s making us happy in food this week: Santa Rosa plums and ice cream.

Who doesn't love the burn? In this episode, we're talking all about hot sauces, spicy condiments, and chili sauces. A listened asked us to explain hot sauces, particularly Sriracha (which we love!). So we've blown that idea out to include lots of hot sauces including peri peri sauce (or piri piri sauce) and even a fermented chili sauce from the Middle East that has become a staple in our kitchen.

We're Bruce Weinstein & Mark Scarbrough. We've written three dozen cookbooks under our own names, plus lots more for celebs. (We've even fixed a few celebrity books before they went to publication.) We've also developed over 10,000 original recipes in our career.

Thank you for choosing our food and cooking podcast. Here are the segments for this episode of COOKING WITH BRUCE & MARK:

[00:53] Our one-minute cooking tip: Find the hot spots on your grill. Get to know your grill.

[03:51] We had a listened (hello, Debbie!) request a segment on hot sauces, chili sauces, and spicy condiments. So here we go! We're talking about Sriracha (and the changes to it for the North American market), chili crisp, salsa macha, harissa, and even a fermented chili sauce we've come to love.

[23:58] What’s making us happy in food this week: tinned fish and goat birria.

What's authentic? How do you label that authenticity, particularly when it comes to recipes from cultures other than your own?

These questions have become increasingly pressing in the twenty-five years we've been writing cookbooks. How can we identify a recipe popular in Thailand without referring to the ethnicity of the recipe? Especially when we two writers don't live in Thailand or have any connection to Southeast Asian culture?

We're Bruce Weinstein & Mark Scarbrough, authors of three dozen cookbooks with one more now in production for 2025! This is our podcast about our passion: food and cooking.

We've also got a one-minute cooking tip about grilling. And we'll tell you what's making us happy in food this week.

Here are the segments for this episode of COOKING WITH BRUCE & MARK:

[00:45] Our one-minute cooking tip: Don't flip meat too often on a grill.

[03:00] The on-going and very difficult questions about ethnicity and authenticity in recipes. Also, how the matter has changed in our twenty-five years of writing cookbooks.

[24:16] What’s making us happy in food this week: potato chip chocolate chip cookies and white currant jelly.