I realize that my last column may have been a bit outdated. Why would I recommend cookbooks to a generation that’s rejected the printed word for Kindles? In my perfect world, e-readers and digital books don’t exist; but, this is 2011 and I need to get real.
As college students, our heads are constantly buried in the glow of a computer screen, so it’s second nature to want to Google something instead of looking it up in an actual book. Since I realized my passion for food, I’ve spent countless hours online perusing pictures and recipes, and I’ve found some of my favorites on blogs. Here are a few that have been bookmarked on my Mac.
Baked Bree
www.bakedbree.com
I’m kind of a sucker for pictures of cute kids with grape Popsicle juice or brownie batter all over their faces, and Baked Bree always seems to have one. But that’s not the only reason I enjoy Bree Hester’s blog: I like that she’s an average American wife, mother and woman and this shows in her cooking. Her recipes are unfussy, but they work for food snobs and picky toddlers. The blog boasts an impressive archive of appetizers and desserts, and the photography is perfect. Plus, she photographs each step of a recipe so you can see what the Tandoori chicken burgers and the cheesecake cupcakes are supposed to look like.
Amuse-bouche for Two
www.amusebouchefortwo.blogspot.com
I actually hate using recipes (blame it on my inability to properly measure anything), but I get irritated when bloggers don’t include them in their posts. The two Baltimore bloggers of Amuse-bouche for Two rarely post recipes, but the format totally makes up for it. Each post, each meal is accompanied by an anecdote; the shopping, cooking and eating of the meal is written in such a way that it’s like you’re reading this couple’s life story. You can tell they don’t write for anyone but themselves, but that’s what makes the blog so charming.
David Lebovitz
www.davidlebovitz.com
Whenever I’m going through my weekly France withdrawal, I just read David Lebovitz’s blog. The former pastry sous chef turned Paris-dweller can satiate any appetite for French food and culture. You’ll regularly find recipes for chocolate gateau and lemon-glazed madeleines, along with posts about oozing Brie, Sauvignon Blanc and Pierre Herme macaroons. It’s the best place to go when you need a crowd-pleasing dessert, because after all, Lebovitz really is our generation’s Betty Crocker.
PrettyGirlFood & GastroGirl
www.prettygirlfood.com and www.gastrogirl.tumblr.com
I love logging on to my Tumblr and being greeted by lip-smacking pictures of Nutella whoopie pies and duck fat French fries. PrettyGirlFood and GastroGirl are two food photography blogs that provide such pictures and never fail to make my mouth water. Their Web pages are like virtual bulletin boards of every thing I never knew I craved and inspire me when I don’t know what to cook. You’ll find few recipes on these blogs, but the constant posting makes up for it.
Foodgawker
www.foodgawker.com
Ah, the pinnacle of all food porn blogs. Foodgawker acts as more of a meeting place than an actual blog, but it’s a great place for food bloggers to show off their photography and recipes and ultimately gain readership. Every few hours, the site is updated with new pictures and teasing captions, so there’s always something new to see. Instead of Food Network or Epicurious, I now turn to Foodgawker when I’m looking to make salted caramels or a hearty bowl of Bolognese. It’s a great place to find simple and complicated recipes, discover new food trends and just look at the pictures. After all, the site was meant for gawking.
thescene@theeagleonline.com
