Rarely do I have time to watch TV cooking shows but I do remember how much I loved them; cooking is truly an art and really enjoyable to watch. I also love perusing a good cookbook with beautiful photography and my favorite activity recently is reading food blogs. There are so many good ones; I picked 5 of my favorites. They are great to inspire you before a weekly shopping trip or before you plan a party. Because it's a blog, the writer has plenty of space to not just explain the recipe but also the memories the recipe stirs up of her childhood or of a family gathering. Food is such an important part of our culture and history and many of the blogs really express that. For the recipe choices, I focused on healthy dinners because that is when I do most of my cooking and I included one dessert that is perfect for May. Click on the photos or recipe titles to get step-by-step information on the recipe.
1. The Parsley Thief:
I met Katie, last year, working next to her at our school carnival's bake sale that she organized. Her blog has amazing recipes that are not only interesting but look delicious like her Guiness Beef Stew or Cranberry Bean Hummus and one of my favorites is Rigitoni with Zucchini, Sausage and Goat Cheese. Not only a great cook, Katie also has a design background so her photography is amazing. Her close-up (and beautiful) shots are so helpful. This blog also has a very easy to use index and printable recipes. I'll be making this Spring risotto this week!
2. Green Kitchen Stories:
I am not a vegetarian but I aspire to be one someday! I have certainly made in effort to drastically reduce meat (red meat especially) consumption in our home for health reasons but it sneaks in here and there. Green Kitchen Stories is written by a couple, David and Luise who love vegetarian cooking and who choose to refrain from eating gluten, dairy and sugar (not because of allergies but because it makes them feel better). I do believe that reducing these three types of food can help a person's health. I personally love bread and cheese way too much to be successful at that kind of diet! Luise focuses on the healthy eating, David is the vegetarian, food stylist and photographer. This a gorgeous blog with really delicious recipes. My favorite is the Morrocan Quinoa Salad. Talk about a hearty vegetarian meal!
3. Kitchn:
Yes, it's spelled without the "e." It is an amazing food blog (1 of 5 on the well-known Apartment Therapy blog). It was founded by Sara Kate Gillingham-Ryan, wife to Maxwell Gillingham-Ryan, founder of Apartment Therapy. This blog has great recipes, beautiful photography, kitchen tours, wine articles and articles on the proper tools needed for cooking. I go to this blog often. The recipes span from basic to fancy and in between. I cook a lot of fish (especially salmon) and I love this recipe, Salmon with Couscous and Cilantro Vinaigrette. I love their mission statement: It is for those who care about the quality of their food, and how it affects the health of themselves and the planet. It is also for those who want to cook more, but are shy in the kitchen. It’s a place to dive in deep, and embrace the joy of one of our basic needs: food.
4. Oh Joy Eats:
Joy Deangdeerlert Cho is the ultimate arbiter of taste! Her blog Oh Joy is just a delight to the eyes. She writes about interior design, stationery design, fashion, photography, jewelry and food. Her newish blog called Oh Joy Eats is dedicated to all things delicious (and pretty). She writes about restaurants she's been to, recipes she's made, great design found in the kitchen and my favorite, what she is currently snacking on. Her photography and recipes are fantastic. I was most interested in the Mini Spinach Dip Bowls as a great appetizer for a party (certainly not low-fat) but yummy looking!
5. Smitten Kitchen:
The creation of witty and intelligent Deb Perelman has received numerous acclaims since 2007 and I am equally smitten with this beautifully written and photographed blog. She is definitely fond of baking so if you have a sweet tooth, this is a great site for you. She is also quite ambitious with her kid-friendly cooking with her homemade pop tarts, oreos and whole wheat gold fish to name a few. I was most interested in this Strawberry Shortcakes Recipe because when I think of spring and summer, this is the kind of dessert I crave. Also, my husband cannot eat chocolate (a horror, I know) so this is a great dessert for him. Smitten Kitchen also has a very easy recipe index to use that is categories by food, cuisine, season and "freezer friendly" among others. Click on the pictures to see the whole step-by-step recipe.
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