Things I Like - Food

LFW: Family and friends reading this blog will know that I like to cook, whether it's a casual weeknight dinner or a dinner party with friends. Tracking down and trying new recipes is a big part of the fun for me - I have been known to buy cookbooks just to read them. I still like reading cookbooks but I've found that on-line recipe sites can also be an addicting source. Listed below are some of my favorite sites (I haven't included Epicurious or Food Network as I assume everyone already knows them). Let me know if you have any favorites to try, I'm always looking for new sources to feed my habit...

http://www.allrecipes.com/ Member submitted recipes with great search features - the reader comments can be very useful

http://tastespotting.com/category/recipes/7 A collection of recipes from cooks all over the web - while the search function is somewhat limited, the photos are almost edible

http://www.recipezaar.com/ Member submitted recipes with nutrition analysis for those of you who bother with that sort of thing

http://www.lidiasitaly.com/ This is obviously a commercial site but I love Lidia's show on PBS and her food is both authentic and easily prepared by the home cook. Plus, she's from the Friuli region in Italy - home of Gramma Trusgnich - so many of her recipes feel familiar to me. She actually reminds me of Gramma so I watch whenever I run across the program, even if I don't have any plans to ever make the dish she's preparing.

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/ This is actually a blog that happens to have a section devoted to cooking. The step by step photographs can be tiresome (seriously, do we need to see a photo of hand washing after handling raw chicken??) but I've found a couple new ideas here - it's a good source for 'cowboy' food - ie, none of that frou-frou stuff.

http://www.cookstr.com/ This is a relatively new site (still in Beta mode with at least 2 functions yet to come) that focuses on recipes from cookbooks and professional chefs. The search function is somewhat basic - recipes are sorted into a number of different categories that you can then browse, but the categories are interesting. This is the first time I've seen a search option for 'Taste & Texture' - I searched on Umami and came up with some very interesting recipes. I'll be keeping an eye on this site to see how it develops - thanks to Leslie for sending me the link!