fidzu : blog

Howdy,

First things first: if you haven't updated to WordPress 7.1.4, do that before reading any further. The October 28 security release fixes more than a dozen issues, including a weakness in the upgrade process that could lead to remote code execution and stored XSS in several blocks and the Interactivity API. The fixes were backported all the way to the 4.7 branch, so don't forget about those older sites you maintain.

Running a store? WooCommerce had a busy week, too. WooCommerce 11.2.2 is a security release with a database update, and there's a separate security update for WooPayments with a table of fixed versions for each release line.

As for me, I'm just enjoying the autumn weather. It feels like we've finally shed off the days of summer heat in Alabama. And that means it's fall festival season. I'll see if I can find one or two to enjoy in the coming weeks.

With that, let's get down to the latest news.

Your friendly neighborhood developer advocate,
Justin Tadlock

Developing Gutenberg and WordPress

WordPress 7.2 is one step closer. David Baumwald announced WordPress 7.2 Beta 4 on November 3. Beta 3 shipped inside the 7.1.4 security release. This round continues the work on the Abilities API and DataViews extensibility, and it improves focus visibility in Windows High Contrast mode. Translation updates also show up individually on the Updates screen now, so you can choose which ones to install. Beta 2 laid the groundwork for much of this, adding server-side registration for DataViews and DataForm and moving the admin to SVG icons.

The final release is still set for December 8. Spin up the Beta 4 Playground instance to test, or run wp core update --version=7.2-beta4 on a staging site.

Formatting no longer stops at the edge of a block. In What's new in Gutenberg 24.3, George Mamadashvili shows how you can now select text across several blocks and format all of it at once. Notes pick up emoji reactions, and the Media inserter moves onto the same DataViews component behind the Site Editor's lists. Failed saves finally explain themselves, too, with a copy button for sharing the details. The release carries the security fixes from 7.1.4, so update the plugin if you run it. The 24.4 release candidate followed on November 3.

Getting ready for WordPress 7.2

Dashicons are on their way out of the admin bar and menu. In WordPress 7.2, those icons are inline SVGs, and Ashar Fuadi explains what the SVG icon change means for plugins and themes. Most code needs nothing. But admin color schemes and anything that styles or hides icons through ::before will need a small CSS update, and the post has before-and-after rules you can copy. There's a new API, too: add_menu_page(), register_post_type(), and admin bar nodes now accept a registered icon name like core-admin/pin.

Visit /random/ on a 7.2 site, and you'll land on a random published post. Aaron Jorbin details the new random content endpoint, which also works for categories, tags, authors, and custom post types. It's on by default, with a new randomable argument for post types and a wp_enable_random_content_redirect filter to switch it off.

It hasn't landed quietly. Dozens of comments push back on the on-by-default choice, citing hidden content that could surface (Core still has no noindex option), ORDER BY RAND() load on large sites, and agencies now facing an must-use plugin across hundreds of sites. Matt Mullenweg has since agreed it shouldn't use the page URL structure, so expect changes before 7.2 ships.

Anne McCarthy pulled several features still in development into one prototype for imagining the near future of collaboration in WordPress. It combines the 7.2 Notes features, suggestion mode, and the Presence API with a small workflow plugin that blocks publishing until every open note and suggestion is resolved. She purposely left real-time collaboration out to show how much works without it. She also shares the full prompt she used. Borrow it and build the demo yourself. Watch for an upcoming call for testing on suggestions.

Feature Notifications get a design, and some pushback

Plugins have spent years shouting over each other with admin notices. Exploring a design for Feature Notifications, from Poli Gilad, proposes a single notification bell on every admin screen, in the editor, and on the front of the site, with plugins sending data rather than layout. Existing admin notices keep working.

That last point drew the most criticism. Matt Mullenweg argued that the proposal does nothing about today's notice spam and that the fix needs directory guidelines, enforcement, and incentives, not only a new interface. He backed David Perez's suggestion that plugins declare each notice's intent (operational, setup, or promotional) as a requirement.

On the code side, Jonathan Bossenger's weekly update for October 30 reports that the notification repository is now scoped per user, laying the groundwork for the REST API. Prefer to watch the work happen? His Friday live stream includes testing the plugin in Studio and the AI-assisted workflow he uses for reviewing PRs. He also holds office hours in the Feature Notifications Slack channel on Thursdays at 10:00 UTC.

Prototypes from Dave on WP

The block toolbar has picked up a lot of buttons over the years. Dave Smith asks whether this is the end of the block toolbar and demos a consolidated version inside his Create Not Learn prototype editor. In about eight minutes, you'll see how grouping those controls could make everyday formatting quicker and more consistent without giving up any of the editor's power. The video description has a Playground link, so you can click around it yourself.

He also took a first look at drag-and-drop grid building, pulling Andrei Draganescu's work-in-progress free-form grid into the same prototype. You can drag, resize, snap, and rotate blocks on a grid, and that demo has its own Playground link.

Release roadmap posts have kept roughly the same shape for three years. Anne McCarthy wants to know whether they still work, and she's asking everyone from Core committers and extenders to hosts and everyday users to help shape future release roadmaps by November 16.

Plugins, Themes, and Tools for #nocode site builders and owners

WordPress Studio is now built around a conversation. Rich Tabor introduced a new workspace for building with WordPress, where you describe the site you want and an AI agent builds a first version next to a live preview. It offers four looks, then four layouts, and saves your choices to a DESIGN.md file so later chats keep the same design. You can pin notes on the preview with Annotate, bring your own Anthropic API key, or connect Claude Code, Codex, or Cursor over MCP. It's a free desktop app for macOS, Windows, and Linux.

For a hands-on take, Elliott Richmond writes up what's changed since his first look, along with one fair caution: the agent can now edit your live site directly, so building locally first is still the safer habit. Rich also shared why he rebuilt Studio on his own blog, and Nick Diego recorded a quick video overview of the new design and agentic features.

Stores running WooCommerce's Purple theme are about to get more design control. In the WooCommerce 11.3 pre-release post, Brian Coords highlights color, spacing, and border controls curated for each block, including Product, Featured Product, Featured Category, and Product Categories List. The On-Sale Badge block can show the discount as an amount, a percentage, or custom text, and Product Gallery swiping on mobile now follows your finger naturally. The beta is out now, with the final release scheduled for the week of November 9.

Two new short tutorials from WordPress.com cover blocks you'll use on nearly every site. The Columns block walkthrough builds grids, feature sections, and pricing tables, including column widths and stacking on mobile.

The Query Loop block video shows how to choose which posts appear, then sort and filter them, in about two minutes. Bookmark both for the next time a client asks how it's done.

Theme Development for Full Site Editing and Blocks

Ipsum, the default theme shipping with WordPress 7.2, is easy to mistake for a simple theme. Carlo Daniele's dive into the Ipsum theme and how to extend it for Kinsta shows what's underneath. Templates hand their layouts to hidden patterns, around 60 patterns ship with it, and the default text colors reach a WCAG AAA contrast ratio.

My favorite detail is its use of the Block Bindings API: a comments call to action changes its text depending on whether the post already has comments.

Building Blocks and Tools for the Block editor.

PHPStan can't check a call to a class it has never seen, so code that integrates with other WooCommerce extensions usually gets skipped or baselined. Ján Mikláš introduces automated PHP stubs for Woo extensions, a woocommerce/php-stubs package generated from extensions on the WooCommerce Marketplace and WordPress.org. The stubs are public on GitHub and Packagist. If your plugin or theme talks to other Woo extensions, you can check those calls without installing every extension in your analysis environment.

WooCommerce 11.3 fixes a confusing count for stores that sell bundles. When an extension adds a product to the cart as part of a bundle, the Product Button says "1 in cart" even though the shopper never added it on its own. Luis Herranz explains declaring parent-child cart item relationships through a new woocommerce_store_api_cart_item_parent_item_key filter and a parent_item_key field in the Store API. WooCommerce never marks items as children by itself, so it's up to your extension to declare them. Today only the button count uses it, but the Cart and Mini-Cart blocks could someday nest child items under their parents.

What's new in Playground?

You can now test changes on a copy of your real site without a local server. Fellyph Cintra details how to clone your WordPress site in Playground with Reprint. Install the Reprint plugin on your live site, authorize Playground with a migration key, and you'll have an editable copy in your browser. Nothing you change there gets published to your live site. It's handy for trying a design change, checking a plugin update, or tracking down a bug. Not ready to connect your own site? The post links to a public demo you can clone first.

Playground's building blocks aren't only for WordPress anymore. In Joomla Playground: shared PHP tools beyond WordPress, Fellyph Cintra looks at Herman Peeren's community project, which runs Joomla in a browser tab on the same @php-wasm packages and mysql-on-sqlite library. The interesting part is what comes back to WordPress. A different CMS sends different queries and workloads through those shared tools, surfacing compatibility and performance issues both projects can fix.

AI in WordPress

Imagine telling your AI agent, "Help me with my example.com site," and it recognizes WordPress, asks you to authorize it, and gets to work. That's the experience behind WordPress for the Agentic Web, the AI team's plan from Jason Adams. It lays out four areas of work: a more reliable MCP Adapter that could move into Core, a baseline set of Abilities for common site tasks, OAuth so you don't have to paste Application Passwords into an agent, and an end-to-end user experience tying them together.

The 7.2 cycle lays the foundation, and 7.3 is the target. Each area still needs a lead, so now's the time to raise your hand. Not everyone in the comments is sold on MCP-first, though. Adrian Mörchen argued that most agents already work fine over the REST API and that filling its gaps should come first, and Jason replied that Abilities serve both routes. The October 28 contributor summary covers the first discussion, with Tammie Lister volunteering to lead UX, and The Repository has its own take on the plan.

Six new experiments landed in AI 1.5.0, the canonical AI plugin, and Jeffrey Paul breaks down each one. Text to Speech generates an audio version of a post, and Content Verification detects C2PA Content Credentials in uploaded images. MCP Access installs the MCP Adapter and adds a Tools → MCP Access screen where you decide which Abilities agents can see. The other three are WebMCP, Revision Change Summary, and Block Container Label Generation. If you're following the Agentic Web work, MCP Access is the one to try first.

Through the end of November, free WordPress.com sites can connect to ChatGPT or Claude at no cost. Full access normally comes with a paid plan. Alexa Peduzzi notes that both connections run on MCP, so after a one-time setup you can ask your AI to save a draft, clear out comments, or suggest what to fix this week. The post includes ready-made prompts that open in either tool. Not interested? Connecting is entirely optional, and a WordPress.com reply in the comments points to the separate Prevent third-party sharing setting for anyone worried about AI training on their content.

AI prototypes that ignore the design system keep landing on designers' desks. In working towards higher-quality agentic experiences, @leilabyron shares the 13 best practices Automattic Design wrote for agentic interfaces, grouped under capturing intent, showing the work, and building trust. The guidance doesn't stop at a list: an agentic-design-brief skill picks the practices that matter for a feature, and an AGENTS.md file gives coding agents explicit rules. One rule worth stealing: ask when the request is genuinely ambiguous, and don't ask when the answer is already clear.

What happens when an AI feature gives a wrong answer or lets a prompt injection slip through? At WordPress Day for AI Faro 2026, Ivelina Dimova shared how to use guardrails and evals for AI features in WordPress to test quality before anything reaches production. Anyone adding AI features to client sites should pair it with the Automattic Design post above. The slides are linked from the video page.

	Need a plugin .zip from Gutenberg's master branch? Gutenberg Times provides daily build for testing and review. Now also available via WordPress Playground. There is no need for a test site locally or on a server. Have you been using it? Email me with your experience.

Questions? Suggestions? Ideas?
Don't hesitate to send them via email or
send me a message on WordPress Slack or Twitter @bph.

For questions to be answered on the Gutenberg Changelog,
send them to changelog@gutenbergtimes.com

07 Nov 2026 5:45pm GMT

Learning becomes more meaningful when students get the opportunity to put their knowledge into practice. For Meahadi Hasan, WordPress Credits opened the door to opportunities beyond website development. He explored photography contributions, participated in community initiatives like Campus Connect, and contributed to Bengali translations through the Polyglots and Training Teams, becoming an active part of the global WordPress community.

Meahadi is a final-year Computer Science and Engineering student at Pundra University of Science & Technology, Bangladesh. He joined the WordPress Credits Program in August 2026 as part of his university's Industrial Training (Internship) course. On 2 November 2026, he successfully completed the program, but his journey was about much more than earning a certificate.

Rediscovering WordPress and Exploring New Opportunities

Meahadi first encountered WordPress in 2020 through YouTube tutorials, where he learned to build a basic website. However, he didn't continue working with it regularly.

Joining WordPress Credits gave him an opportunity to explore WordPress from a completely different perspective. He discovered that WordPress is not just a website-building platform; it is a global open-source community where people with different skills can contribute.

He chose four contribution teams that matched his interests: Photos, Polyglots, Community and Training.

66 Photographs and Contributions Beyond Development

One of Meahadi's most remarkable achievements was his contribution to the WordPress Photo Directory.

He initially set a target of publishing 30 photographs. He went beyond that goal and successfully published 66 original CC0-licensed photographs, featuring nature, plants, landscapes, and everyday scenes from Bangladesh.

A Selection of Meahadi's Photo Contributions

Explore Meahadi's Photo Directory contributions

His journey didn't stop with photography. He also:

• Contributed Bengali translation suggestions through the Polyglots Team.
• Prepared a Bengali translation of the Learn WordPress lesson The WordPress Ecosystem, currently available for review.
• Built his personal website at meahadi.blog
• Participated in WordPress Slack, GitHub, and Make WordPress community discussions.

These experiences helped him understand how people with different skills collaborate to make WordPress better.

Achievements

Learning Through Mentorship and Community

Throughout the program, Meahadi received guidance from his assigned mentor, Rashed Hossain, who helped him navigate the learning process and contribution workflows.

Muhibul Haque also shared useful resources and advice, particularly around the Training Team.

Through practical assignments, documentation, community discussions, and real contributions, Meahadi developed confidence in WordPress, translation workflows, documentation, and communicating with contributors.

Looking back on his experience, he shared that he previously viewed WordPress mainly as a platform for building websites. Now, he understands the many opportunities available within its global community, even beyond writing code.

What's Next?

Completing WordPress Credits is not the end of Meahadi's journey.

He plans to continue contributing photographs, improve his Bengali translation skills, explore more Learn WordPress localization opportunities, and participate more actively in the WordPress community.

His advice to future students is simple: start with a contribution team that matches your interests, read the handbooks, ask questions, and focus on small, consistent contributions.

As he reminds us, the biggest value of WordPress Credits is not just completing a course; it's becoming part of a community where your contributions can be genuinely useful.

Celebrating More Than Course Completion

Meahadi's journey reflects what we hope to achieve through WordPress Credits: helping students move beyond theoretical learning, develop practical skills, discover their potential, and become active members of the global WordPress community.

His story shows that you don't have to be a developer to make a meaningful contribution. Whether through photography, translation, community, or development, there is a place for everyone in WordPress.

Congratulations, Meahadi, on completing WordPress Credits and making your mark in the WordPress community. This is just the beginning!

06 Nov 2026 12:27pm GMT

It's nearly the end of 2026 and I want to use my agent with WordPress already (like…yesterday)! To do this we need to understand exactly how "AI ready" WordPress is. This post outlines where things stand from my perspective and why I think it's critically important for the future of the platform. Not yet, but it's getting there quickly. This is what you can and can't do today…

Source

06 Nov 2026 11:11am GMT

Vos doigts et vos orteils restent froids malgré les gants et les chaussettes ? Plusieurs explications se cachent derrière cette sensation.

L'article Mais pourquoi j'ai toujours les doigts et les orteils froids ? est apparu en premier sur 20SIX.fr.

06 Nov 2026 10:00am GMT

Create longer AI videos in Google Vids with the new Omni 1.2 Flash model. Generate 15-second clips and consistent scenes for free. Try it now.

05 Nov 2026 8:00pm GMT

Turn your sketches into functional apps using Gemini. Upload your drawings to the Canvas tool to generate and refine code instantly. Try it now.

05 Nov 2026 5:00pm GMT

Gemini Omni 1.2 Flash brings native 15-second video generation and editing, stronger consistency, and 30% lower pricing.

05 Nov 2026 5:00pm GMT

Beaucoup de contacts, mais peu de vrais liens ? Voici pourquoi certaines relations restent superficielles et comment créer plus de proximité.

L'article Relations superficielles : pourquoi vous sentez-vous seul même en étant entouré ? est apparu en premier sur 20SIX.fr.

29 Oct 2026 10:00am GMT

Savez-vous ce qu'on appelle une licorne dans le monde des startups ? Découvrez l'origine et le sens de ce terme fascinant !

L'article Quelle est la définition de licorne dans l'univers des startups ? est apparu en premier sur 20SIX.fr.

27 Oct 2026 2:56pm GMT

Much as I love pasta, I'm not sure it loves me. Last year my carb-heavy comfort food diet led to some weight gain so I looked into low carb pasta as an alternative. There's a lot out there and I'm still trying different brands and styles, but I thought now would be a good time to share what I've learned so far.

Pasta with Butternut Squash and Brussels Sprouts

My introduction to legume and bean-based pasta was thanks to Barilla. I was lucky because I got to attend a webinar with Barilla's incredible chef, Lorenzo Boni. I tried his recipe for pasta with butternut squash and Brussels sprouts which I definitely recommend and have now made several times. If you've seen his wildly popular (150k+ followers!) Instagram feed you know he's a master at making all kinds of pasta dishes and that he often eats plant-based meals. I followed up with him to get some tips on cooking with pasta made from beans and legumes.

Pasta made with beans and legumes is higher in protein and so the recommended 2-ounce portion is surprisingly filling. But the texture isn't always the same as traditional semolina or durum wheat pasta. Chef Boni told me, "The nature of legume pasta makes it soak up more moisture than traditional semolina pasta, so you always want to reserve a bit of cooking water to adjust if needed." But when it comes to cooking, he says that with Barilla legume pasta you cook it the same way as semolina pasta. "Boil in salted water for the duration noted on the box and you'll have perfectly al dente pasta." They are all gluten-free.

Chickpea pasta

When I asked Chef Boni about pairing chickpea pastas with sauce he said, "Generally speaking, I prefer olive oil based sauces rich with vegetables, aromatic herbs and spices. Seafood also pairs well with chickpea options. If used with creamy or tomato-based sauces, keep in mind to always have some pasta water handy to adjust the dish in case it gets too dry." He added, "One of my favorite ways to prepare a legume pasta dish would be a simple chickpea rotini with shrimp, diced zucchini and fresh basil. The sauce is light enough to highlight the flavor of the pasta itself, while the natural sweetness helps keep the overall flavor profile more appealing to everyone." I like the Barilla brand because the only ingredient is chickpeas. Banza makes a popular line of chickpea pasta as well although they include pea starch, tapioca and xanthan gum.

Edamame pasta

I tried two different brands of edamame pasta, Seapoint Farms and Explore Cuisine. The Seapoint pasta has a rougher texture than the Explore. With the Seapoint I found the best pairings were earthy chunky toppings like toasted walnuts and sautéed mushrooms. The Explore Cuisine edamame & spirulina pasta is smoother and more delicate, and worked well with an Asian style peanut sauce. I was happy with the Seapoint brand, but would definitely choose the Explore brand instead if it's available.

Red lentil pasta

Red lentil pasta is most similar to semolina pasta. Barilla makes red lentil pasta in a variety of shapes. But for spaghetti, Chef Boni says, "Barilla red lentil spaghetti is pretty flexible and works well with pretty much everything. I love red lentil spaghetti with light olive oil based sauces with aromatic herbs and some small diced vegetables. It also works well with a lean meat protein." I have to admit, I have yet to try red lentil pasta, but I'm excited to try it after hearing how similar it is to semolina pasta. It is made only with red lentil flour, that's it. It's available in spaghetti, penne and rotini.

Penne for Your Thoughts

Do you remember seeing photos from Italian supermarkets where the shelves with pasta were barren except for penne? I too seem to end up with boxes of penne or rotini and not a clue what to do with them so I asked Chef Boni his thoughts on the subject. He told me, "Shortcuts such as rotini and penne pair very well with all kind of ragouts as well as tomato based and chunky vegetarian sauces. One of my favorite ways to prepare a legume pasta dish would be a simple chickpea rotini with shrimp, diced zucchini and fresh basil. The sauce is light enough to highlight the flavor of the pasta itself, while the natural sweetness helps keep the overall flavor profile more appealing to everyone." Thanks chef! When zucchini is in season I know what I will try!

15 Feb 2022 6:46pm GMT

Julia is a new film based on Dearie: The Remarkable Life of Julia Child by Bob Spitz and inspired by My Life in France by Julia Child with Alex Prud'homme and The French Chef in America: Julia Child's Second Act by Alex Prud'homme. Julia Child died in 2004, and yet our appetite for all things Julia hasn't waned.

I grew up watching Julia Child on TV and learning to cook the French classics from her books, And while I never trained to be a chef, like Child I also transitioned into a career focused on food, a subject I have always found endlessly fascinating. I enjoyed the new film very much and while it didn't break much new ground, it did add a layer of perspective that can only come with time. In particular, how Julia Child became a ubiquitous pop culture figure is addressed in a fresh way.

I reached out to the filmmakers,Julie Cohen and Betsy West to find out more about what inspired them and why Julia Child still holds our attention.

Julia Child died over 15 years ago and has been off TV for decades. Why do you believe we continue to be so fascinated by her?

In some ways Julia is the Godmother of modern American cooking - and eating. Her spirit looms over cooking segments on the morning shows, The Food Network, and all those overhead Instagram shots the current generation loves to take of restaurant meals. Beyond that, though, Julia's bigger than life personality and unstoppable joie de vivre are infectious. People couldn't get enough of her while she was living, and they still can't now.

There have been so many Julia Child films and documentaries, what inspired this one?

Well there'd been some great programs about Julia but this is the first feature length theatrical doc. Like everyone else, we adored Julie & Julia, but a documentary gives you a special opportunity to tell a person's story in their own words and with the authentic images. This is particularly true of Julia, who was truly one of a kind.

The impact of Julia Child how she was a groundbreaker really comes across in the film, are we understanding her in a different light as time passes?

People understand that Julia was a talented television entertainer, but outside the professional food world, there's been an under-recognition of just how much she changed the 20th century food landscape. As Jose Andres points out in the film, almost every serious food professional has a sauce-splashed copy of "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" on their shelves. We also felt Julia's role in opening up new possibilities for women on television deserved more exploration. In the early 1960's the idea of a woman on TV who was neither a housewife nor a sex bomb but a mature, tall, confident expert was downright radical. She paved the way for many women who followed.

The food shots add an extra element to the film and entice viewers in a very visceral way, how did those interstitials come to be part of the film?

We knew from the start that we wanted to make food a major part of this story, not an afterthought. We worked with cook and food stylist Susan Spungen to determine which authentic Julia recipes could be integrated with which story beats to become part of the film's aesthetic and its plot. For instance the sole meunière is a key part of the story because it sparked her obsession with French food, and the pear and almond tart provides an enticing metaphor for the sensual side of Julia and Paul's early married years.

Note: Susan Spungen was also the food stylist for Julie & Julia

Julia is in theaters now.

23 Nov 2021 11:30pm GMT

I met Rick Rodgers early in my career as a recipe developer and food writer when we were both contributors to the Epicurious blog. Not only is he a lot of fun to hang out with, but he has also been incredibly helpful to me and is usually the first person I call when I'm floundering with a project, client, or cooking quandary. His interpersonal skills, business experience, and cooking acumen explain why he's been recognized as one of the top cooking instructors in America. Literally.

You built a career as a cooking instructor and cookbook author. How many cookbooks have you written?

I was asked recently to make an official count, and It looks like an even hundred. Many of those were collaborations with chefs, restaurants, celebrities, bakeries, and business entities, such as Tommy Bahama, Williams-Sonoma, and Nordstrom. I made it known that I was available for collaboration work, and my phone literally rang off the hook for quite a few years with editors and agents looking for help with novice writers or those that wanted a branded book.

Which cookbook(s) are you most proud of?

There are three books that I get fan mail for almost every day: Kaffeehaus (where I explore the desserts of my Austrian heritage), Thanksgiving 101 (a deep dive into America's most food-centric holiday and how to pull it off), and Ready and Waiting (which was one of the first books to take a "gourmet" approach to the slow cooker). These books have been in print for 20 years or more, which is a beautiful testament to their usefulness to home cooks.

How did you get started as a cooking instructor and what are some highlights of your teaching career?

I was a theater major at San Francisco State College (now University), so getting in front of a crowd held no terrors for me. When more brick-and-mortar cooking schools opened in the eighties, I was ready for prime time. During that period, there were at least twelve cooking schools in the Bay Area, so I made quarterly trips here a year from the east coast, where I had moved. My Thanksgiving classes were so popular that I taught every day from November 1 to Thanksgiving, with a couple of days off for laundry and travel. The absolute pinnacle of my teaching career was being named Outstanding Culinary Instructor of The Year by Bon Appétit Magazine's Food and Entertaining Awards, an honor that I share with only a handful of other recipients, including Rick Bayless and Bobby Flay.

Flódni

How have cooking classes changed since you started?

Because there are so many classes available, I can teach at any level of experience. At the cooking schools, we tended to walk a fine line between too difficult and too easy. The exposure to different cuisines and skill levels on TV also has seriously raised the bar. Unfortunately, students want to walk before they can run. They want to learn how to make croissants when I doubt that they can bake a pound cake correctly. It is best to build on your skills instead of going right to the top. That being said, in my online classes, I am concentrating on the more challenging recipes because that is what the market demands of me.

Tell me about your baking school, coffeeandcake.org

As much as I loved my cookbooks and in-person classes, I knew there was a more modern way to reach people who wanted to cook with me, especially since so many cooking schools had closed. I retired the day I got my first Social Security check. But…as I was warned by my friends who knew me better than I did…I was bored, and wanted a new project. I heard about online classes through other teachers who were having success. I found an online course specifically for cooking classes (Cooking Class Business School at HiddenRhythm.com), got the nuts and bolts down, and I finally entered the 21st century!

How do you decide which recipes to teach?

I felt there were plenty of other places to learn how to make chocolate chip cookies and banana bread-just take a look on YouTube alone. I had a specialty of Austro-Hungarian baking thanks to my Kaffeehaus book, so I decided to niche into that category. I have branched out to a few other locations, but my goal is to expose students to something new and out of the ordinary. I also survey my students on what they would like me to teach, and those answers are amazing. People are truly interested in the more difficult desserts. Perhaps it is because so many people discovered baking as a hobby during the pandemic?

For students who have your cookbooks, what are the advantages of taking an online class?

There is no substitute for seeing a cook in action. Plus you get to answer questions during class. In a recent class, I made six-layer Dobos Torte in two hours' real-time to prove that you can do it without giving up a week of your life. And we don't have to travel to each other to be "together." My classes are videotaped so you can watch them at your convenience.

What are some highlights of your upcoming schedule of classes?

Honey cake

In October, I am teaching virtually all Hungarian desserts, things that will be new to most people. I am making one of my absolute favorites, Flódni, which is a Jewish bar cookie (almost a cake) with layers of apple, poppy seeds, and walnuts between thin sheets of wine-flavored cookie dough. San Franciscans in particular will be happy to see a master class that I am teaching with the delightful Michelle Polzine, owner of the late and lamented 20th Century Cafe and author of Baking at the 20th Century Cafe. We will be making her (in)famous 12-layer honey cake on two coasts, with me doing the heavy lifting in New Jersey and Michelle guiding me from the west coast. That is going to be fun! In November and December, I am switching over to holiday baking and a few savory recipes for Thanksgiving, including my fail-proof turkey and gravy, which I have made over 300 times in classes over 30 years' worth of teaching. It ought to be perfect by now

Head to Coffee and Cake to sign up for classes or learn more.

05 Oct 2021 3:56pm GMT

03 Dec 2014 8:12pm GMT

16 Jul 2014 6:08pm GMT

Après presque un mois et demi d'absence, deux bouclages d'albums et plein de projets, je trouve enfin le
temps de poster quelque chose sur ce blog ! Ces jours-ci, je vais avoir pas mal de choses à vous montrer !
On commence tranquille avec un petit dessin aux couleurs estivales.

14 Jul 2014 4:25pm GMT