Monday, January 5, 2009

Recipes to Make Life Taste Better

It is my philosophy that life is much to short for bad food. With that in mind I have found some resources with exceptional recipes that are both beautiful and flavorful. You don't have to be a world class cook to prepare a great meal.

The first website is Williams Sonomna.

The great thing about this site is there are not so many recipes that you are overwhelmed but all of them are well thought out and beautiful. They certainly remind you that you first eat with your eyes!
**Note** Today I made the leek and Canadian bacon tart and they turned out beautifully!


The second collection is the blog from elise.com called Simply recipes.

This is a blog website but there are many different recipes as it is well established. The best part is that with every recipes comes a picture of the finished product. I find that while in the kitchen with a new recipe, I always feel more confident when I know what the end result should look like. Also the pictures help me chose recipes if I am not looking for anything in particular.

Another great website if you don't have an all knowing mother to consult for cooking advice is
In particular there is a posting called "47 Things I Wish My Mother Had Taught Me About Cooking" which is a stellar resource even for the more adept cook. They also provide many recipes and general advice that everyone can use with an emphasis on international foods.

As much as I hate to admit it, Rachel Ray deserves a mention here. Here 30 minute meal is a life saver and many of the meals are inventive and fulfills my preference for pictures.
http://www.rachaelray.com/food.php
Her voice leaves a lot to be desired but she is a smart and quick cook with plenty or recipes for a quick but filling and tasty meal.

***A note of recipe collections like allrecipes or epicurious***
Many people love these websites as super cookbooks but in my experience (though limited) I have found them a bit unwieldy with few pictures and numerous repeats. I prefer collections like those mentioned above because they are well appointed with sure fire recipes and careful instructions. If you slready have something specific in mind they are a great resource but for browsers like myself the afore mentioned are my preferences.

Good luck and good eating!
AZAW

1 comment:

Tara said...

I know I'm just beginning my blog, but people are welcome to come on over to my blog! I have finished-product pictures and compile recipes from a variety of sources. The URL is womandoesnotliveonbreadalone.blogspot.com

Sorry for the shameless plug :)