There are so many classic signs of spring: from the first appearance of robins and daffodils to the latest short, spring fashions showing up on cute co-eds. But one of my favorites is the folding tables and crates dragged from trucks, laden with fresh vegetables and fruit. When the Farmers' Markets start up, my creative juices start competing with Pavlov to inspire me. While I love to peruse food blogs on any given day, I turn into a recipe stalker when this season hits.
One of my all time favorites is Smitten Kitchen. Deb's culinary explorations are not just delectable to taste, but also to visualize, thanks to the photos that accompany each recipe. She always includes a link to one shot of her unbelievably cute kid, which just adds to the appeal for me. Her latest offering features shaved asparagus, which she actually did in a similar post a while back, but on a pizza. I have plans to make that pizza very, very soon. (Like maybe, the next Saturday the Scientist is off geocaching and won't be home for dinner.)
Another great one to peruse is Marcus Samuelsson's page. His background really gives him an extra little edge, I think, when it comes to creativity. The guy was born in Ethiopia, raised in Sweden, and now lives in NYC. talk about being able to pull from several different cultural threads!
Of course, while eating healthy is important, especially for those of us who start behind the physical eight ball, you have to have a little bit of la Dolce Vita, right? For some really fun applications of it, go poke around at Bakerella. She has got some amazingly cool ideas, and most are simple enough for really anyone with a little time on their hands and an occasion to match.
So grab yourself some fresh, juicy fruit, or maybe some veggies and dip, and peruse a blog or two. Get inspired to use healthful ingredients in amazing ways that will make your palate spin for joy! And if you're so inclined, please let me know of other food blogs that I should be exploring. I can always read more!
