FOOD ISSUE SPECIAL: Food blogs with flair

Written by Amanda Pretulac, Oct 31, 2011, 0 Comments

My mom and I were eagerly awaiting the royal wedding of England’s Prince William and Kate Middleton. The 4 a.m. viewing called for an exceptionally special cake. I turned to food blogs for help and came across a cake idea on “Cupcakes and Cashmere.”

The cake was made up of the essentials: chocolate cake mix, pudding, water, vegetable oil, butter and white sugar. Chopped walnuts and white rum were also thrown into the mix. For decoration, the cake was blanketed in powdered sugar and topped with fresh raspberries for a royal touch. As Kate Middleton made history walking down the aisle, my mom and I savored the delicious chocolate rum cake I just created. Thanks to “Cupcakes and Cashmere,” I found culinary inspiration.

Emily Schuman writes the blog “Cupcakes and Cashmere,” which incorporates the perfect balance of food and fashion. Each week Schuman posts a recipe or a variation of a recipe infused with her insight, and elegant pictures of the process. The perfect bagged lunch to tote to class seems to be Schuman’s prosciutto and Brie sandwich with fig jam and spicy greens layered on a sourdough baguette.

“Smitten Kitchen,” the food blog written by Deb Perelman, transforms your desktop to a gallery of comforting recipes with stylized pictures. The blog’s recipes are organized by seasons or fruit and vegetables for easy navigation. Though the recipes Perelman makes seem challenging, they’re not difficult for a college student. A perfect recipe to try is Deb’s variation of breakfast pizza. The pizza is prepared with hearty breakfast favorites and topped with eggs gently baked into the mozzarella.

The website Reddit includes the section “Good but cheap recipes for a college student.” The organization of the recipes is random and you have to dig for a culinary treasure. The recipes include stuffed green peppers, white truffle risotto and chicken enchilada soup. An instant snacking favorite for between classes are the sweet potato fries drizzled in olive oil and dusted with curry powder.

Another blog that appreciates the splendor of the baking process is “Tiger in a Jar.” Created by a couple named Matt and Julie, the blog is a reflection of their love of the little things in life, recorded through pictures and film. One film on the blog is titled “the beauty of creation.” The film documents the creation of a chocolate beet cake. The artistic blending of ingredients—butter, semisweet chocolate and dark brown sugar—created a surprising dessert.

The blog “La Tartine Gourmande” overwhelms you with endless recipes to whet your appetite and is ideal for daily meals or planning dinner parties. It doesn’t just focus on the process of the recipe—it captures the essence of it. “La Tartine Gourmande’s” root vegetable soup with truffle oil is the ultimate cold weather meal companion.

Whether you’re tuning into history or planning what you’ll make for lunch, visit one of these blogs to discover a new recipe and prepare something special.

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