Burgers! What are they without their toppings? Let's talk about the most popular trends for burger toppings in 2025!

We're Bruce Weinstein & Mark Scarbrough, veteran cookbook authors of thirty-seven cookbooks (plus Bruce's knitting books and Mark's memoir!).

We're going to get Bruce's honest reactions to the most popular burger topping trends for 2025. Plus, we've got a one-minute cooking tip for better drinks this summer. And all about sour cherry jam and home-grown currants.

If you'd like to get a copy of our newest cookbook, COLD CANNING, please check it out at this link right here.

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

[01:20] Our one-minute cooking tip: Refresh the ice in your ice maker.

[03:20] What are the most popular burger toppings for 2025? Mark lists them for Bruce to see his reaction!

[18:40] What’s making us happy in food this week? Sour cherry jam and home-grown currants!

We all love ice cream. As our photographer, Eric Medsker, says: "Even bad ice cream is good ice cream." It's hard to argue with that!

What are the trends for ice cream in the summer of 2025. We've done the research and have the answers. Some of them may surprise you! Not only about flavors but even about how ice cream is sold in North America.

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

If you'd like to check out our latest cookbook, please find COLD CANNING at this link!

Otherwise, here are the segments for this episode of COOKING WITH BRUCE & MARK:

[01:20] Our one-minute cooking tip: Buy a second cutting board if you’re cooking with someone else.

[03:04] What are the trends for ice cream in the summer of 2025?

[19:45] What’s making us happy in food this week? Homemade kimchi and smash burgers!

Side quests. A term from gaming but now a part of cultural moment. Everyone has a side quest, a way to find and fulfill their passions, even as they do whatever they do to pay the bills.

We're Bruce Weinstein & Mark Scarbrough, veteran cookbook authors of over three dozen cookbooks. We've each found this career as a side quest that became our main quest.

We've also got a one-minute cooking tip. 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:

[01:10] Our one-minute cooking tip: Microwave lemons and limes for a few seconds before juicing them.

[02:46] Side quests. What are they? Why are they important? How has our career developed out of our side quests? And what are our current side quests?

[25:02] What’s making us happy in food this week? Dried mung bean noodles for Bruce and vegan mozzarella from Three Girls Vegan Creamery in Guilford, Connecticut for Mark.

No doubt, the internet is being flooded with AI recipes. In fact, even unscrupulous publishing is being flooded by these generated recipes as small, independent publishers pop up who take advantage of the "free" content to package it as a book.

But there's some hope. AI recipes aren't all bad. And there are ways to identify them before you caught in the trap of making, oh, lemon meringue trout pie.

We're Bruce Weinstein & Mark Scarbrough, veteran cookbook authors who've written over three dozen cookbooks and who've been around the block several times already with AI content. We'll tell you how to spot an AI recipe, how to use AI to help in the kitchen, and what the dangers of AI recipes are.

We've also got a one-minute cooking tip about a handy kitchen appliance. 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:

[01:05] Our one-minute cooking tip: use a stick blender!

[03:11] How to spot, use, and stay away from AI-generated recipes.

[29:01] What’s making us happy in food this week: curried chili crisp and potato salad!

What happens when you don't have on hand what a recipe requires?

We're Bruce Weinstein & Mark Scarbrough, veteran cookbook authors of over three dozen cookbooks (not counting the ones we ghostwrote for celebs). This podcast is part of food and cooking passion.

We've got a one-minute cooking tip about getting more flavor in your food. We're also talking about various easy food substitutions. And we'll tell you what's making us happy in food this week.

Our latest cookbook is COLD CANNING: small-batch preserving without any pressure or steam canner. You can check it out at this link.

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

[01:23] Our one-minute cooking tip: substitute other liquids for water in many boiled or braised dishes.

[03:58] Food substitutions: easy swaps to make sure you can create a recipe.

[22:26] What’s making us happy in food this week? Knackwurst and fresh nectarines!

Food recalls! They happen all the time. It seems there's always another one announced. What are some of the latest? And what are steps we can take to make sure we're safe at the table?

We're Bruce Weinstein & Mark Scarbrough, authors of thirty-seven cookbooks including the latest, COLD CANNING! To find that book, please click on this link.

We've also got a one-minute cooking tip (that's not really a trick but a call-out to you guys). And what's making us happy this week.

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

[01:04] Our one-minute cooking tip? No, actually, what has made you guys happy in the last few weeks!

[03:27] Foods safety recalls. What are some of the latest? But most importantly, what can we do to keep ourselves safe?

[20:57] What’s making us happy in food this week? Vegan chili and sheet cakes!

Bread-and-butter pickles. Always in our fridge all summer long. But we don't want to go to the hassle of canning them in huge batches. We don't need to survive the apocalypse with pickles!

This recipe is from our book COLD CANNING, which you can find at this link. We hope you'll make a small batch of this pickles. And no need to copy this recipe down as you listen to this episode. You can find the recipe on our website at this link.

Plus, we've got a one-minute cooking tip about the irritating problem of bits of egg shell in a cracked egg. 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:

[00:40] Our one-minute cooking tip: an easy way to get egg shells out of cracked egg.

[03:13] We’re headed to the kitchen to make bread-and-butter pickles, a recipe from our book COLD CANNING. We can make one jar and keep these fantastic pickles in the fridge for up to a month. If you'd like the recipe, check it out on our website at this link.

[17:02] What’s making us happy in food this week? Rhubarb jam and ground pecan brownies!

Curry oil. Eighteen spices. A culinary wonder: herbal, aromatic, and irresistible.

We're making eighteen-spice curry oil, a great finishing oil for take-out or even your own curries. To find this recipe, look for it on our website here.

This is a recipe from our new cookbook COLD CANNING. If you'd like a copy of that book, please click here.

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:

[01:03] Our one-minute cooking tip: grilling a la plancha)

[03:20] We’re making eighteen-spice curry oil. To find the recipe, please go to our website by clicking here.

[21:30] What’s making us happy in food this week? Smoked venison neck and perfect corn bread.