NiP suggests: 101 cookbooks

i think i'm pretty late on this one, but 101 cookbooks is great.

the basic set up for each post is simple: a bit of a story about the inspiration for or the start point of a recipe, or maybe just a bit about what is happening in author heidi swanson's life. and then a great, healthful, vegetarian recipe. but what moves the site beyond being just a good blog and brings it to the level of useful cooking reference is all the sort functions- you can find recipes by category, season, ingredient.

and the dishes tend to fall in to the "totally plausible" realm. rarely is there something that requires shopping at specialty stores or (if your pantry is well stocked) even planning ahead. the flavors are simple and lovely and ready for reuse and personal embellishment.

things i have made from 101 cookbooks:

a great, not too sweet raspberry cake with a touch of salt.
basic tapioca. i think i overcooked mine a bit, but it was still good.
a salad with miso dressing. i will surely be making this dressing again.
poached eggs on noodles (instead of the rice called for, i used soba.)

NiP suggests: the arm

i spend a little too much time reading blogs. and by 'reading' i mean 'looking at pictures on.' one of my favorites is the arm. it is a ceramic/pottery centric blog that switches seamlessly back and forth between the projects of the author and small vignettes of other objects, makers and places. definitely worth skimming the archives for inspirations on form form and color. you should probably go look at it.