Photo from Wikimedia Commons
The wintry weather always brings out the baker in me. Admittedly, the baker in me doesn’t lurk too far below the the surface and needs very little encouragement to come bouncing forth, wooden spoon in hand and frequently with chocolate in mind. Having a slow combustion stove continuously glowing and quietly waiting in the corner of the kitchen all through the winter does nothing to help restrain these compulsions and neither does the regular skimming of some of the seriously enticing food blogs that hover just a click away from my fingers. Some months ago I introduced you to some of my favourite food blogs but this is a moveable feast and there are plenty more where they came from. This week I thought I might share with you a few of the blogs that I turn to when I feel that chocolate or cake are about to figure in my future.
REAL BAKING WITH ROSE LEVY BERANBAUM
Rose, the award-winning author of “The Cake Bible“, “The Bread Bible” and “Rose’s Heavenly Cakes” among others, really is the “Cake Queen” and approaches baking with scrupulous attention to the details of weight, measurements and method. Baking is one aspect of cooking requiring a reliable set of scales and measuring cups and where winging it is very likely to result in disaster, but never with Rose’s precise instructions. Her website is a goldmine of baking know-how with recipes guaranteed to thrill the sweet-tooth and has a comprehensive list of links to other equally indulgent and informative sites.
The title of this blog tells you all you really need to know about it’s contents. This serendipitously named author hails from Los Angeles, professes a fondness for chocolate, cake and cookies and has a HUGE backlog of beautifully photographed recipes- who could ask for more?
IN THE KITCHEN AND ON THE ROAD WITH DORIE
Dorie Greenspan has written recipes for some of the most noted chefs in the world and is the author of a pile of books on desserts, chocolate and baking. Her newest book, last years “Around my French Table“, is one of my current favourite books and Dorie herself runs a close second to Claudia Roden on my list of most favourite cookbook authors ever – high praise indeed given the awe in which I hold Claudia. Her comprehensive site is full of inspiring recipes, gorgeous photo’s and loads of information about her travels and what she finds. There’s not much that you won’t find here.
Unless you are unfamiliar with food blogs or have been living under a rock you will have heard of Ree Drummond, the US rancher’s wife and mother of four, whose witty and well photographed blog about life on the land, raising kids and cooking for them has become something of a sensation. Her blog is as big as a planet and she has published a recipe book and a novel based on her life which is being made into a movie. Aside from all of that, she can cook. She’s not afraid of butter, so her recipes will rarely fall into the “health” category (that’s why I like them), always turn out just as they should and are always delicious. Actually, I think I hate her.
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It’s a hard thing to resist these food blogs. You feel like a little sweet something, you ignore it. You check your email, get side tracked by a few blogs, and next thing you know your nose is squashed up against a computer screen marvelling at the deliciously natural lightfilled picture of sweet goodness before you. Of course you have to now go bake something…it would be a tragedy not to.
Brydie – Yup. That is the sequence almost exactly. My steely resolve to avoid cake carbs dissolves almost instantly, I’m afraid.
They’re all great choices I agree!
Don’t hate Ree, her blog is a hoot! And Dorie’s blog is just wonderful too.. 🙂
I am drooling at the chocolate cake picture … Rose is fabulous – I own her heavenly cakes book and would love to make every one, but I didn’t join the Rose baking group because of my other group commitments (which I sometimes find overwhleming as it is!).
Chocolate cake is my answer to all ills – sadly for my waist and hips !
Lorraine – It’s difficult to choose, sometimes, as there are so many great food blogs out there.
Celia – I really don’t hate her, it’s more a case of envy. 😉
Gaye – I’d love to be able to claim the credit for that photo, it’s a ripper.
Kate – I firmly believe that chocolate (and wine) in almost any form makes most things better.
I had a period, about 15 years ago, when I made every single one of Rose’s cakes. Her book was so used that the pages started falling apart.
These are certainly some of the most amazing goddesses in the foodie world!
Oh..love that chocolate syrup flowing through! Nom..nom…thanks for Twitter, got to know of this lovely site.
A great selection of blogs – that first photo with the gorgeous frosting is stunning!!!!!!
I have seen the Pioneer Woman blog just recently, and I just popped over the Real Baking with Rose. What an huge collection of information!
I’d been considering a much more precise food scale because I use gluten free flours – just starting to figure out how that is important, even though I’ve been baking GF since 2006. Wouldn’t you know it, she had a whole post on the perfect food scales!
And it seemed she really took close consideration of the features and company response as she wrote her recommendations. That’s a blogger I want to learn more from. Thank you!
Erika K
Cuisinart 12 cup food processor
I know the urge to bake – I have it right now so don’t ask my why I am reading about food instead of making it – but I confess that I have made an effort to keep away from some of the delectable baking blogs out there just because the temptation is too great – so none of these are in my feed reader despite my having a distant admiration for them
I agree with your choices. Those blogs are amazing. I like Dorie Greenspan especially, but all of them are great! 🙂