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TO P 1 0 0 FO O D B LO G G E R S
DINING-IN has never looked this good
2015 EDITION
TABLE OF CONTENTS We believe in community over competition. We DO NOT RANK CREATIVITY, WE CELEBRATE IT.
5. EDITOR’S LETTER 6. Yummy Supper 7. Dinner was Delicious 8. The Bright Bird 9. Miss Food Wise 10. Two Red Bowls 11. Not Without Salt 13. Delightful Crumb 14. Le Passe Vite 15. The First Mess 16. Rasa Malaysia 17. What’s Cooking Good Looking 18. Hipster Food Kitchen 19. Thai Foodie 20. Little Upside Down Cake 21. Oh, Ladycakes 22. The Food Dept. 24. Suvelle Cuisine 25. Chic & Gorgeous 26.. The Domestic Man 27. A Spicy Perspective 28. The Vanilla Bean Blog 29. The Gouda Life 31. The Broken Bread 32. A Blog of Salt 33. I am a Food Blog 34. The Hungry Australian 35. The Roaming Kitchen 36. Vegetarian Ventures 37. Behind the Food Carts 38. Happyolks 40. Adventures in Cooking 41. Cooker and a Looker
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#INspired @Top100Food
ANGELA GILLTRAP’S TOP 100 food bloggers 2015 | @TOP100FOOD
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42. Family Spice 43. Tasty Trix 44. The Forest Feast 45. Baked Bree 47. Honest Fare 48. Golubka Kitchen 49. Scrumptious 50. Zen and Spice 51. Family Fresh Cooking 52. Two Peas and their Pod 53. Chef in Disguise 54. Three Little Halves 56. Life’s a Feast 57. Chocolate Covered Katie 58. Pure Ella 59. Girl Meets Nourishment 60. Aapplemint 61. Cookin’ Canuck 63. Biscuits and Such 64. Eat the Love 65. Erica’s Sweet Tooth 66. Sally’s Baking Addiction 67. Rose Water and Orange Blossom 68. Nicky and Max 69. Turmeric and Saffron 70. Bottom of the Pot 72. Chinese Grandma 73. Rachel Cooks Thai 74. The Ravenous Couple 75. In Sock Monkey Slippers 76. What’s Gaby Cooking 77. Farmgirl Gourmet 78. Saffron Pudding 80. Not Quite Nigella 81. Sunday Morning Banana Pancakes 82. Ladles and Jellyspoons 83. My Name is Yeh 84. Sweet Life Bake
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48. 85. Soil and Sea 86. Alquimia Dos Tachos 88. Bake at 350 89. Belleau Kitchen 90. Bake Your Day 91. Quick Indian Cooking
92. Real Food Forager 93. Recipe Girl 94. Chocolate Moosey 95. Phickle 96. 5 Second Rule 98. A Local Choice 99. Call Me Cupcake 100. Lume Brando
101. Magda’s Cauldron 102. In the Mood For Sweets 103. Cookie and Kate 104. Coco de Mama 106. Local Milk Blog 107. Princess Tofu 108. Dolly and Oatmeal
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INTERACTIVE
GLOBAL CONTENT DIRECTOR Angela Gilltrap
This is an interactive publication. That means you don’t have to jot down notes or dog-ear pages. Simply click the box below the images to take you directly to your favorite blog. Browse, subscribe and be inspired.
PHOTO DIRECTOR Rob Shaw COPY EDITOR Sarah Wilkes CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Nicole Ross
YUMMY SUPPER
TO P 1 0 0 FO O D B LO G G E R S
WEB DESIGN Lot 17 Media
TOP100FOODBLOGGERS.COM Angela Gilltrap’s INSPIRED: Top 100 Food Bloggers is published by Lot 17 Media. The entire contents of Angela Gilltrap’s INSPIRED: Top 100 Food Bloggers is protected by copyright and may not be reproduced without the expressed written consent of the publisher. Angela Gilltrap’s INSPIRED: Top 100 Food Bloggers accepts no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts and/or photographs and assumes no liability for products or services advertised herein. Angela Gilltrap’s INSPIRED: Top 100 Food Bloggers reserves the right to edit, rewrite, refuse or reuse material, is not responsible for errors or omissions and may feature same on Top100FoodBloggers. com, as well as other mediums for any and all purposes.
YUMMYSUPPER.BLOGSPOT.COM
EVERYDAY INSPIRATION Scroll through our visual menu on Top100FoodBloggers.com for daily cooking inspiration. Simply click on the image that inspires you to learn more about your favorite food blogger.
COVER IMAGE: HAPPYOLKS Orange Tart
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NOMINATE
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Tell us what you find inspiring about your favorite food blog and nominate them for the 2016 edition of Angela Gilltrap’s INSPIRED: Top 100 Food Bloggers. Head to Top100FoodBloggers. com and let your favorite foodie know you care.
Inspiration is meant be shared. That’s why we’ve built this magazine with the ability to be embedded into any website or blog. That means you can have the publication on your site, for your readers, your friends and family—for free! Head to Top100FoodBloggers.com to get the code.
EDITOR’S LETTER Photo Stephen Ciucolli
In kitchens around the world there is a new generation of culinary innovators inspiring the nation: the Food Blogger. From vegan bakers to backyard grillers, full-time foodies to first-time cooks people are flocking to the web to find the perfect recipe for that perfect meal. With stunning photography, stepby-step instructions and tried and true recipes, these are our new culinary gurus, our guides to the often confusing world of food trends and cooking fads. The rise of the food blogger is
perhaps no surprise in a world trying to reconnect with the simple life. Available to all who have access to a computer and the Internet, we are inspired to try local produce, to experiment with what’s in-season and to be conscious of what we are feeding ourselves and our families. Nourishment comes from more than simply nutrients; it comes from appreciating the process. I sincerely hope this list will inspire you as much as it has me. Bon appetite,
Angela Gilltrap
NOMINATE YOUR FAVORITE FOOD BLOGGER FOR THE 2016 EDITION AT TOP100FOODBLOGGERS.COM
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ANGELA GILLTRAP’S TOP 100 food bloggers 2015 | @TOP100FOOD
Images courtesy of YummySupper.Blogspot.com
NAME: Erin Scott BLOG: YummySupper.Blogspot.com FOUNDED: 2009 Twitter: @YummySupperBlog Instagram: @yummysupper
YUMMY SUPPER
Food and lifestyle photographer Erin Scott serves up a visual treat at food blog Yummy Supper. Diagnosed with Celiac Disease several years ago her vast array of simple, seasonal, glutenfree meals will inspire even the most reluctant cook.
Describe your cooking style in three words: Simple. Seasonal. Playful. What’s your signature dish? A breakfast salad. What do you think is the most underrated ingredient? Collard greens. What’s the best cooking advice you’ve ever received? Cook with the season: You’ll always be rewarded by the best flavors and the greatest health. If you could share a meal with anyone in history, who would it be? My beloved grandfather who passed away. He would be so thrilled that I’ve written (and photographed) my own cookbook. I’d love to cook for him and spoil him with deliciousness. 
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NAME: Rachel Adams, Lucy Hewett BLOG: DinnerWasDelicious.com FOUNDED: 2011 Twitter: @EffingDelicious Instagram: @effingdelicious Describe your cooking style in three words: Real f*&king good. What’s your signature dish? We’re probably best known for our Malört Cake or Lentil Soup but in our real lives, Rachel’s signature dish is definitely her Pickle-Brined Fried Chicken and Lucy’s pretty famous for her Breakfast Tacos.
Photos: Lucy Hewett for DinnerWasDelicious.com
DINNER WAS DELICIOUS
“Recipes, photographs, and a bunch of F-bombs” — One of my favorite food blog descriptions of all time. Created by Chicago-based photographer Lucy Hewitt and writer/baker Rachel Adams, Dinner Was Delicious is a non-pretentious cook-athon well worth following.
What do you think is the most underrated ingredient? Butter. It never gets the respect it deserves, but it can totally make or break a dish. Pastured, cultured, local, stored-on-the-counter and unsalted, please! What’s the best cooking advice you’ve ever received? It’s hardly cooking advice, but it totally applies: Ira Glass’ advice to creatives about making lots of work to get through the period where your skills don’t meet up with your taste. It’s how we both became proficient in the kitchen. Just cook. Cook everything. Make crappy dishes. Get super experimental for the sake of experimental. Burn stuff but use it to teach yourself how your kitchen works, what flavors you like, how to recover when sh%t goes bad, and how to use all sorts of ingredients. If you could share a meal with anyone in history, who would it be? We’re trying to figure out if we should lean intellectual and go Gertrude Stein, or be super honest and say Amy Poehler because we’re just, flat out, obsessed.
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ANGELA GILLTRAP’S TOP 100 food bloggers 2015 | @TOP100FOOD
THE BRIGHT BIRD
Images courtesy of TheBrightBird.com
Based in Germany, Spanish health food aficionado Sonia Ramos Garcia, brings you delicious, plant-based recipes on The Bright Bird. From sweet to savory, you’ll love the variety of vegan dishes on this blog. NAME: Sonia Ramos García BLOG: TheBrightBird.com FOUNDED: 2014 Instagram: @_brightbird Describe your cooking style in three words: Easy. Bright. Healthy. What’s your signature dish? My buckwheat pancakes. I was always looking for a healthy pancake alternative and I ended up mastering my own. What do you think is the most underrated ingredient? Mustard. It´s so versatile and it´s great to enhance flavors in savory recipes. What’s the best cooking advice you’ve ever received? Use veggie broth instead of water—in savory recipes, of course.
THEBRIGHTBIRD.COM
ANGELA GILLTRAP’S TOP 100 food bloggers 2015 | @TOP100FOOD
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If you could share a meal with anyone in history, who would it be? Ellen Degeneres. I love her sense of humor. She´s smart, funny and so charismatic. I simple would love to meet her in person so a dinner with her would definitely be something to remember.
MISS FOOD WISE
Images courtesy of MissFoodWise.com
Step back in history with Regula Ysewijn’s Miss Food Wise. Originally from Belgium, Regula has a passion for all things British, turning back the clock to re-create dishes of yesteryear. NAME: Regula Ysewijn BLOG: MissFoodwise.com FOUNDED: 2011 Twitter: @MissFoodwise Instagram: @missfoodwise Describe your cooking style in three words: Honest. Historical. Wholesome. What’s your signature dish? I find it hard to associate myself with just one. It could be the Beetroot Cured Salmon everyone likes so much, or the puddings I bake in winter, or the traditional Belgian mussels friends request especially when they visit. Ask me this question again in ten years time, by then, maybe I can tell you my signature dish. What do you think is the most underrated ingredient? Freshly milled black pepper. Last year I received a set of single origin peppercorns, when I started to taste them, a whole new world of flavors opened up to me. Pepper is not just pepper, it lifts up any dish and can be wonderfully floral, sprinkled over strawberries, as well as warming in tea and an all-round favorite to spice meat and vegetables. What’s the best cooking advice you’ve ever received? Cook from the heart. I learned to cook from watching Jamie Oliver on his Naked Chef series when I was a teen. He made it look so easy and relaxed. Before I found cookery books and recipes daunting, I loved to throw things together and see if it matched. Jamie Oliver did the same, just taste and combine. To this day, this is how I will cook during the week, without a recipe, the fridge to give me clues on where to go. In the weekends, I use historical cookery books to recreate dishes from times gone by, very intriguing to taste the food of our ancestors.
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If you could share a meal with anyone in history, who would it be? That would be my favorite female cookery writer Agnes Marshall. She lived during Victorian times and not only is she responsible for the first written recipe for an ice cream cone, she also invented a lot of cooking appliances like the ice-cream maker, ice caves and many other inventive things.
NAME: Cynthia BLOG: TwoRedBowls.com FOUNDED: 2013 Twitter: @TwoRedBowls Instagram: @tworedbowls Describe your cooking style in three words: Adjust to taste! What’s your signature dish? I don’t know if I’m cool enough to have a signature dish. But my go-to dish is an Asian Salmon, Steamed En Papillote with soy sauce, ginger, green onions, and garlic. It was what I chose to make the first time I cooked for my future in-laws, so you know that one has to be reliable. What do you think is the most underrated ingredient? Sugar in savory foods. It cuts acidity in tomato sauces, enhances umami in meat dishes—I love it. What’s the best cooking advice you’ve ever received? My future mother-in-law has been teaching me Korean cooking, and changed my life when she showed me how often she uses scissors in the kitchen. Cutting meat has never, ever been so easy! If you could share a meal with anyone in history, who would it be? Honestly, probably my greatgrandmother. She passed away a few years ago, but she was one of the most inspiring, vibrant, sharp-witted women I’ve ever known. She was also a phenomenal cook, and had a passion for food that strikes me as so familiar. I think she viewed it like I do, as the truest way to express love and bring family together. I interacted with her most when I was much younger, so I’d love for her to teach me some of her cooking now, and to share a meal with her as an adult.
TWOREDBOWLS.COM
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Images courtesy of TwoRedBowls.com
TWO RED BOWLS
You’re in for a culinary ride with Brooklyn-based food blog Two Red Bowls. From Bacon Mashed Potato Pizza to Shanghainese Lion’s Head Meatballs, this site features exquisite recipes from “Woefully inexperienced junior lawyer” by day, culinary mastermind by night. You’ll quickly fall in love with this food blog and all it has to offer.
NAME: Ashley Rodriguez BLOG: NotWithoutSalt.com FOUNDED: 2009 Twitter: @AshleyRodriguez Instagram: @ashrod Describe your cooking style in three words: Real, modern, classics.
Images courtesy of NotWithoutSalt.com
NOT WITHOUT SALT
Ashley Rodriguez shares her passion for all things salted, sweet and savory on Not Without Salt, a food blog centered around the joy, pleasure and sustenance of good food. Flawlessly executed, this blog is easy-to-navigate and full of enticing dishes.
What’s your signature dish? Salted Chocolate Chip Cookies. What do you think is the most underrated ingredient? Salt. What’s the best cooking advice you’ve ever received? Season and taste throughout the entire cooking process. If you could share a meal with anyone in history, who would it be? Such a hard question as there are so many images of fantastic dinner parties running through my head, each one with different guests. Of course, it seems obvious to say Julia Child but I think I’d really love to chat with Paul Child. I want to know more of the behind-the-scenes of their lives and get to know his take on her career and how he was fed. His ability to love and support that woman is inspiring and I’d love to get to know him better. Plus, then maybe Julia would do the cooking for us.
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ANGELA GILLTRAP’S TOP 100 food bloggers 2015 | @TOP100FOOD
INDUSTRY TALK Daniel Doherty Executive Chef, Duck & Waffle
If you could share a meal with anyone in history who would it be? Oscar Wilde. I love his writing! It would be incredible to spend time with the man behind the words.
ANGELA GILLTRAP’S TOP 100 food bloggers 2015 | @TOP100FOOD
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DELIGHTFUL CRUMB
Images courtesy of DelightfulCrumble.om
Stacy Ladenburger, a midwest girl in a Californian, world created Delightful Crumb to fulfill two of her greatest passions: food and writing. Containing recipes that feature whole foods and seasonal ingredients, this vegetarian food blog has recipes that can be enjoyed by all. NAME: Stacy Ladenburger BLOG: DelightfulCrumb.com FOUNDED: 2012 Twitter: @SladenBurger Instagram: @sladenburger Describe your cooking style in three words: Fresh. Straightforward. Inviting. What’s your signature dish? Toast! It’s simple, but impressive. I cut sourdough into thick slices, toast them and rub the warm bread with the cut side of a clove of garlic. Atop that, ricotta and whatever is beautiful and in season. For spring, I love fava beans tossed with lemon, olive oil, plenty of herbs and freshly cracked black pepper. What do you think is the most underrated ingredient? Lettuce acquired a reputation as a boring, mundane thing during the last couple of decades, but I think it’s coming back. There are so many interesting, gorgeous varieties. A simple salad made with wonderful greens is nothing to be scoffed at! What’s the best cooking advice you’ve ever received? Don’t worry about making mistakes. It’s familiar advice, but so true. The best way to learn is to just go for it, make plenty of mistakes along the way and emerge a better—and probably more lighthearted—cook. If you could share a meal with anyone in history, who would it be? I’d love to eat with M.F.K. Fisher. I would pepper her with questions about how she landed upon her writing style, which is now so beloved, and ask her to tell me the stories that didn’t make it into her books.
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NAME: Joana Alves BLOG: LePasseVite.Blogspot.com FOUNDED: 2011 Instagram: @miss_vite Describe your cooking style in three words: Natural. Honest. Homey. What’s your signature dish? Super crazy salads with everything, cold or warm! I could live on them and they’re always my go-to meal. What do you think is the most underrated ingredient? Fermented foods. They seem to have lost their important role in our diet but besides being one of our best friends, they’re delicious. I love their bitter, sour taste. For me, they complete a meal. What’s the best cooking advice you’ve ever received? I think the best one was from my grandmother. It’s really very simple but it makes all the difference: When using onions on a salad, season them first with olive oil, lemon juice and salt and let them “cook” for a few minutes before adding the rest of the ingredients. They’ll loose that bitter, raw taste. If you could share a meal with anyone in history, who would it be? Mm... Maybe Frida Kahlo. I can only imagine the incredible stories this amazing artist would have to tell. I’m seeing this big rustic wooden table in a colorful patio, covered with some real, spicy and delicious Mexican food. All the hours we would spend talking and eating, all night long!
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Images courtesy of LePasseVite.Blogspot.com
LE PASSE VITE
Vibrant colors, seasonal ingredients and terrific twists on your favorite classics make this Portuguese food blog one-to-watch. Written in both English and Portuguese, follow along as graphic designer and passionate foodie Joana Alves, delves into her creative cooking side to deliver dishes worthy of any dedicated foodie.
NAME: Laura Wright BLOG: TheFirstMess.com FOUNDED: 2011 Twitter: @Laura_Mess Instagram: @thefirstmess
Images courtesy of TheFirstMess.com
THE FIRST MESS
The First Mess is inspired by M.F.K Fisher’s An Alphabet of Gourmets, where Fisher refers to the arrival of the first run (or mess) of peas in early spring. As a culinary school graduate who has grown up in agriculture, this appealed to Ontario native, Laura Wright who created The First Mess in 2011. It has almost as many accolades as it does recipes with an emphasis on gluten-free and vegan foods.
Describe your cooking style in three words: Seasonal. Relational. Nourishing. What’s your signature dish? I make some fierce homemade Chickpea Pappardelle with rich (and vegan!) Mushroom Ragu. Also Kale Salads. I’ve got those on lock. What do you think is the most underrated ingredient? Salt. It gives life to every other ingredient. What’s the best cooking advice you’ve ever received? One of my professors in culinary school always said “It’s just food,” which serves as a crucial reminder to not take anything too seriously—food and otherwise. If you could share a meal with anyone in history, who would it be? Definitely my Nana. She inspired me so much and I miss her snarky, tough-lady ways. So much of who I am in the kitchen and otherwise, is rooted from her influence.
THEFIRSTMESS.COM
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ANGELA GILLTRAP’S TOP 100 food bloggers 2015 | @TOP100FOOD
NAME: Bee Yinn Low BLOG: RasaMalaysia.com FOUNDED: 2006 Twitter: @RasaMalaysia Instagram: @rasamalaysia Describe your cooking style in three words: Easy Asian Recipes. What’s your signature dish? Asian cooking. What do you think is the most underrated ingredient? Mirin or Japanese sweet cooking wine. What’s the best cooking advice you’ve ever received? Cook with your heart and you will have the best meals. If you could share a meal with anyone in history, who would it be? I would love to cook a proper meal and eat with my late grandmother, parent and aunt. They taught me how to eat, and cook, well.
RASAMALAYSIA.COM
ANGELA GILLTRAP’S TOP 100 food bloggers 2015 | @TOP100FOOD
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Images courtesy of RasaMalaysia.com
RASA MALAYSIA
Rasa Malaysia features over 800 easy, Asian recipes for beginner to advanced cooks. Created by Malaysianborn recipe developer and cookbook author Bee Yinn Low, this is the perfect food blog for those looking to expand their culinary repertoire.
WHAT’S COOKING GOOD LOOKING
Images courtesy of WhatsCookingGoodLooking.com
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Established by natural food chef, Jodi Moreno, What’s Cooking Good Looking delivers tasty recipes with nutritional value. These offerings are fun, fresh and flavorful. NAME: Jodi Moreno BLOG: WhatsCookingGood Looking.com FOUNDED: 2010 Twitter: @JodiWhatsCookin Instagram: @jodiwhatscookin Describe your cooking style in three words: Clean. Tasty. Simple. What’s your signature dish? Kitchen sink salads. Or anything with pesto. What do you think is the most underrated ingredient? Lemon juice. What’s the best cooking advice you’ve ever received? Mise en place—the French term for keeping yourself prepped and organized in the kitchen. It is one of the most important fundamental aspects of cooking. It’s the first thing you learn in culinary school, and definitely one of the most important. It does not matter if I’m making a salad for myself or cooking for a large group. Never under estimate the power of an organized kitchen. If you could share a meal with anyone in history, who would it be? I may have to go totally cliché here and say, Julia Child. Her passion for food and cooking is infectious (and adorable) and her knowledge is endless. I am sure she would be a ton of fun.
HIPSTER FOOD KITCHEN
Images courtesy of HipsterFood.Kitchen
Created to document their journey from meat lovers to vegans, Cara and Bob of Hipster Food Kitchen quickly found their niche. The blog spawns a quarterly magazine entitled, Chick Pea. Its success? Easy-to-follow recipes with everyday ingredients. Whether you’re looking to expand your cooking repertoire or are interested in veganism, Hipster Food Kitchen is well worth following. NAME: Cara BLOG: HipsterFood.Kitchen FOUNDED: 2010 Twitter: @Hipster_Food Instagram:@caralynnex Describe your cooking style in three words: Basic. Comforting. Seasonal. What’s your signature dish? I make an amazing Tofu Scramble with Garlic-Roasted Brussel Sprouts. What do you think is the most underrated ingredient? Either tofu or mushrooms, they get such a bad wrap but are staples in my everyday cooking. What’s the best cooking advice you’ve ever received? Don’t be afraid to burn your food. To get a good brown edge, you can’t keep moving the food around in the pan and worrying about it, it’ll never cook. Just let it go. It’s been a good lesson I apply to my whole life, not just cooking.
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If you could share a meal with anyone in history, who would it be? I want to eat Tofutti ice cream sandwiches with David Duchovny because he’s so dreamy, why else?
Images courtesy of Thai-Foodie.com
THAI FOODIE
Sherri Pengjad fell in love with Thai food, a Thai man and Thai cooking—not necessarily in that order. For lovers of Asian cuisine, this is a great blog as Sherri takes you through the basics to replicate some of your favorite dishes and discover new and exciting additions. Interspersed with diary entries, this blog is definitely a family affair—one you’ll feel privileged to be a part of.
NAME: Sherri Pengjad BLOG: Thai-Foodie.com FOUNDED: 2012 Twitter: @Thai_Foodie Instagram: @thaifoodie Describe your cooking style in three words: Relaxed. Fun. Flavorful. What’s your signature dish? Thai Basil Spicy Meatballs. What do you think is the most underrated ingredient? Roasted rice powder. What’s the best cooking advice you’ve ever received? Cooking is like love, it should be entered into with abandon or not at all. If you could share a meal with anyone in history, who would it be? My grandmother. She died a few years ago and was one of my best friends. I loved chatting with her about life, faith and cooking.
THAI-FOODIE.COM
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ANGELA GILLTRAP’S TOP 100 food bloggers 2015 | @TOP100FOOD
NAME: Sanda Vuckovic Pagaimo BLOG: LittleUpsideDownCake.com FOUNDED: 2010 Twitter: @LittleUDCake Instagram: @littleupsidedowncake Describe your cooking style in three words: Seasonal, organic, family recipes. What’s your signature dish? All kinds of spelt bread. What do you think is the most underrated ingredient? Aubergine. It is a great vegetable with a lot of potential and it’s not used enough. What’s the best cooking advice you’ve ever received? Taste everything you cook and don’t be afraid to season your dishes. If you could share a meal with anyone in history, who would it be? Ivo Andric. He is my favorite writer and a lot of times he would describe traditional Bosnian dishes in his books.
LITTLEUPSIDEDOWNCAKE.COM
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Images courtesy of LittleUpsideDownCake.com
LITTLE UPSIDE DOWN CAKE
In 2011, Sanda Vuckovic Pagaimo left a stable job in IT to purse her passion for food and photography. Today through her blog, she is living her dream. Based in Lisbon, Portugal, be inspired by this bilingual food blog that has something for everyone.
NAME: Ashlae BLOG: OhLadyCakes.com FOUNDED: 2011 Twitter: @OhLadyCakes Instagram: @ohladycakes Describe your cooking style in three words: Made from scratch. What’s your signature dish? Sea Salt Chocolate Chip Cookies. What do you think is the most underrated ingredient? Madagascar vanilla beans. What’s the best cooking advice you’ve ever received? Lick the bowl. Always. If you could share a meal with anyone in history, who would it be? Probably Charles Darwin so I could pick his brain about evolutionary change.
OHLADYCAKES.COM
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Images courtesy of OhLadyCakes.com
OH, LADYCAKES
Don’t be fooled, Ladycakes refers to the blogger’s founder Ashlae—not the food. This is a vegan, occasionally glutenfree, sometimes raw, food blog with plenty of how-tos and delectable treats on the menu. From how to make your own Almond Milk to Dairy-Free Banoffee Pie, Oh, Ladycakes is an awesome read, informative reference and guide to deliciousness.
THE FOOD DEPT.
Images courtesy of TheFoodDept.Blogspot.com.au
Hailing from Australia, The Food Dept. features stunning imagery and mouthwatering recipes for those on the hunt for culinary inspiration. Interspersed with interviews from seasoned chefs, this is a fabulous foodie read. NAME: The Food Dept. BLOG: TheFoodDept.Blogspot.com.au FOUNDED: 2012 Twitter: @TheFoodDept Instagram: @thefooddept Describe your cooking style in three words: Contemporary. Generous. Delicious. What’s your signature dish? Pulled Pork Sliders. What do you think is the most underrated ingredient? Cauliflower. What’s the best cooking advice you’ve ever received? Food is only as good as the quality of ingredients you use. Be organized and plan ahead. Cook with your heart and don’t forget to taste and season. If you could share a meal with anyone in history, who would it be? Stephanie Alexander. I love her knowledge of food from garden to plate, her style of cooking is wholesome and her stories of food and travel are inspiring.
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ANGELA GILLTRAP’S TOP 100 food bloggers 2015 | @TOP100FOOD
NAME: Susana BLOG: SuvelleCuisine.com FOUNDED: 2011 Instagram: @suvelle Describe your cooking style in three words: Healthy. Organic. Peaceful. What’s your signature dish? A simple linguine with asparagus and fresh mozzarella. What do you think is the most underrated ingredient? Here in Portugal, it is definitely the pumpkin. It’s mainly used for soups and nothing else, and what a shame that is. What’s the best cooking advice you’ve ever received? “Don’t ever let go of the pasta cooking water,” and the fact is that I have always known that, so I guess that just believing in my instinct is what I must keep doing at all times. If you could share a meal with anyone in history, who would it be? Napoleon for sure. I grew up reading French romances so I kind of fell in love with the image of this warrior and leader and I can imagine myself in a beautiful French château, surrounded by French elegance with delicious French food including French, buttery croissants.
ANGELA GILLTRAP’S TOP 100 food bloggers 2015 | @TOP100FOOD
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Images courtesy of SuvelleCuisine.om
SUVELLE CUISINE
An overwhelming sense of peace and tranquility sweeps over you as you peruse the pages of Suvelle Cuisine. This Portuguese food and lifestyle blog is beautifully presented and well worth adding to your foodspiration list.
Describe your cooking style in three words: Decadent. Delightful. Delectable. What’s your signature dish? Opera Cake, Raspberry Panna Cotta, Lemon Meringue Tart and Red Velvet Cake. What do you think is the most underrated ingredient? Fresh ingredients and salt. What’s the best cooking advice you’ve ever received? Be constantly open to experimenting with new flavors and ingredients and always taste the food while cooking. If you could share a meal with anyone in history, who would it be? I am slightly torn, as there are two ladies whom I would love to meet. One is possibly the ever famous Julia Child, and another goddess in the kitchen would be Ina Garten. Personally, I think it would be interesting to learn, and listen to the stories both of them have to share—from prepping a meal, to catering or entertaining guests. And how they accomplished their success in the food and beverage industry. They are an inspiration to me, as they too didn’t study at culinary school as a primary course. However, they eventually decided to focus on their passion; cooking. This is something courageous and I hope that one day I will find the courage to grow my own passion.
Images courtesy of ChicGorgeous.Blogspot.com
NAME: Joanna Tham BLOG: ChicGorgeous.Blogspot.com FOUNDED: 2010 Twitter: @ChicGorgeous Instagram: @chicgorgeoustreats
CHIC & GORGEOUS TREATS
By day an IT consultant, by night, the creator of chic and gorgeous treats. Selftaught baker Joanna Tham has been honing her skills since launching this delectable food blog in 2010. Packed with impressive treats, you’ll love the endless array of culinary inspiration.
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NAME: Russ Crandall BLOG: TheDomesticMan.com FOUNDED: 2010 Twitter: @TheDomesticMan Instagram: @thedomesticman Describe your cooking style in three words: Approachable. Traditionalist. Deliberate. What’s your signature dish? I have a gluten-free pizza crust recipe that is very popular. I’m proud to be able to give quality pizza back to those who thought they’d have to forgo it for the rest of their lives. What do you think is the most underrated ingredient? Vinegar. I think it is just as important as salt and pepper in seasoning a dish. What’s the best cooking advice you’ve ever received? The best advice I’ve ever received was to treat the time indicated on a recipe as merely suggestion; temperature, texture and color are much better indicators of when a dish is done. If you could share a meal with anyone in history, who would it be? I’d love to share a meal with someone from our ancient history, like Hippocrates. I think it would be really interesting to compare the foods he ate to what we have available today.
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Images courtesy of TheDomesticMan.com
THE DOMESTIC MAN
In 2010 Russ Crandell changed his diet for the better. Today, this inventive food blogger—and now cookbook author—posts glutenfree, Paleo-friendly recipes that taste as good as they look.
NAME: Sommer Collier BLOG: ASpicyPerspective.com FOUNDED: 2010 Twitter: @SpicyPerspectiv Instagram: @spicyperspectiv Describe your cooking style in three words: Fresh. Easy. Gourmet. What’s your signature dish? Buffalo BBQ Ahi Tacos.
Images courtesy of ASpicyPerspective.com
A SPICY PERSPECTIVE
A Spicy Perspective features a tantalizing mix of international foods, easy gourmet dishes and “good ol’ American comfort food.” Here, you’ll re-discover old favorites and add new twists to seasonal staples.
What do you think is the most underrated ingredient? Fresh herbs. What’s the best cooking advice you’ve ever received? Focus on adding the perfect amount of salt and pepper, and whatever you make will taste good. If you could share a meal with anyone in history, who would it be? My grandmother, because she died when I was young and there are so many things I would like to ask her.
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ANGELA GILLTRAP’S TOP 100 food bloggers 2015 | @TOP100FOOD
THE VANILLA BEAN BLOG
Images courtesy ofTheVanillaBeanBlog.com
The Vanilla Bean Blog is a haven for bakers everywhere. A soulful reflection of the importance of creating, sharing and receiving, Sarah Kieffer transports you to the wonderful world of Grand Marnier Orange Cake and Chocolate Pots de Crème with Lavender and Sea Salt. NAME: Sarah Kieffer BLOG: TheVanillaBeanBlog.com FOUNDED: 2010 Twitter: @SarahKieffer Instagram: @sarah_kieffer Describe your cooking style in three words: A moveable feast—with a nod to Mr. Hemingway, of course. What’s your signature dish? My blog focuses on baking, so I’d have to say my Crème Fraîche Scones. What do you think is the most underrated ingredient? Vanilla. A little bit goes a long way. What’s the best cooking advice you’ve ever received? “The kitchen gods are always watching. You may think you have a recipe down, and that you can never make it wrong, but the minute you feel you own a recipe, or have pride approaching your workspace that lacks any form of humbleness for your ingredients and movement, the gods will remind you, and teach you respect again.” — Advice given to me by Larry Wolner, owner of the Blue Heron Coffeehouse.
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If you could share a meal with anyone in history, who would it be? Ella Fitzgerald. Could you imagine Ella Fitzgerald sitting on your living room couch, sipping wine and quietly scatting along to the Feist album playing in the background?
THE GOUDA LIFE
Images courtesy of TheGoudaLife.ca
You’ll be swept away by The Gouda Life—a feel-good food blog based in Ottawa, Canada. Through a series of mouth-watering recipes, creator Kelly Brisson shares life’s many ups and downs using food to celebrate, commemorate, nourish and heal. You’ll quickly feel like one of the family at this beautifully written blog.
NAME: Kelly Brisson BLOG: TheGoudaLife.ca FOUNDED: 2007 Twitter: @TheGoudaLife Instagram: @thegoudalife Describe your cooking style in three words: Simple. Flavorful. Whole. What’s your signature dish? I make a mean Bolognese that I’ve perfected over the years. It’s the most requested dish in our house, especially during the cold Canadian winters we have. What do you think is the most underrated ingredient? Salt. Whether it’s the perfect crust on a bone-in chop, finding that sweet/ salty balance in baked goods, or evening our the tang in a citrusy dish, it’s usually what I find lacking in a lot of dishes. People seem to be afraid of salt these days. What’s the best cooking advice you’ve ever received? Follow recipes to the letter.Perfect them and then play with them and make them your own. You need to understand why a recipe is written the way it is before you try to adjust it.
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If you could share a meal with anyone in history, who would it be? My grandmother Mercedes. She passed when I was very young, and I don’t remember sharing many meals with her. I’d love to spend a day in the kitchen with her, learning about who she was and what made her tick.
INDUSTRY TALK
Leith Hill Founder, Ellary’s greens restaurant What do you think is the most underrated ingredient? Flat Leaf Parsley! Here’s why: Parsley is full of vitamins. You can cook with it to add flavor and color. You can juice with it. You can eat it raw, and it’s great remedy to combat garlic breath. It’s inexpensive, easy to grow, readily available, plentiful, and available in different varieties.
NAME: Kristan Raines BLOG: The-Broken-Bread.com FOUNDED: 2011 Twitter: @TheBrokenBread_ Instagram: @thebrokenbread Describe your cooking style in three words: Seasonal. Classic. Familiar.
Images courtesy of The-Broken-Bread.com
THE BROKEN BREAD
It’s sensory overload at The Broken Bread thanks to the mouth-watering recipes and stunning imagery of baker, writer and photographer, Kristan Raines. Archived according to the season, this food blog showcases produce at its peak.
What’s your signature dish? My Buttermilk Cake with Whipped Blood Orange Cream. What do you think is the most underrated ingredient? Greek yogurt. I use it all the time. What’s the best cooking advice you’ve ever received? “Moderation. Small helpings. Sample a little bit of everything. These are the secrets of happiness and good health.” — Julia Child If you could share a meal with anyone in history, who would it be? Jesus of Nazareth, because he is undeniable one of the most enigmatic and profound figures in history.
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ANGELA GILLTRAP’S TOP 100 food bloggers 2015 | @TOP100FOOD
NAME: Thuy Tran BLOG: Thuyancom.Blogspot.com FOUNDED: 2008 Twitter: @aBlogofSalt Instagram: @ablogofsalt Describe your cooking style in three words: Vietnamese comfort food. What’s your signature dish? Bun Bo Hue: Vietnamese Spicy Beef Noodle Soup. What do you think is the most underrated ingredient? Salt and sugar, delicious food can be made by just balancing these two ingredients. What’s the best cooking advice you’ve ever received? The best measuring tools are your five senses. If you could share a meal with anyone in history, who would it be? I would like to share a meal with Anthony Bourdain because we both share a deep appreciation and love for Vietnamese cuisine.
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Images courtesy of ABlogofSalt.com
A BLOG OF SALT
A Blog of Salt started as a way for Thuy Tran to share her Vietnamese recipes with friends. Today, it attracts thousands of foodies eager to expand their culinary repertoire and perfect dishes they have come to know and love.
NAME: Stephanie Le BLOG: iAmAFoodBlog.com FOUNDED: 2012 Twitter: @iAmAFoodBlog Instagram: @iamafoodblog Describe your cooking style in three words: Delicious. Fun. Friendly. What’s your signature dish? Definitely a fancy, fun, grilled cheese of some sort. What do you think is the most underrated ingredient? I’m not sure if it’s underrated or not, but I use a lot of scallions, not just as a garnish, but as an actual flavoring. What’s the best cooking advice you’ve ever received? Taste before you serve! If you could share a meal with anyone in history, who would it be? I think it would be really interesting to have dinner with Momofuku Ando, the creator of instant noodles. He brought noodles to the masses and I think we would have a lot of fun chatting about the evolution of noodles—from then until now.
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Images courtesy of IAmAFoodBlog.com
I AM A FOOD BLOG
Stephanie Le is passionate about food. So much so, she cooked and ate every recipe in the Momofuku cookbook. Her food blog, I am a Food Blog, is an outlet for her foodie fabulousness featuring everything from Barbecued Chicken Flatbread Pizza to Mini Green Tea Chocolate NoBake Ice Cream Box Cake.
THE HUNGRY AUSTRALIAN
Images courtesy of HungryAustralian.com
The Hungry Australian was founded as a creative outlet for multi-talented recipe developer, photographer and writer Christina Soong. Little did she know how popular it would become. Featuring an extensive recipe archive— from ‘5 Minute Eats’ to ‘Condiments’— the Hungry Australian is an excellent culinary reference and entertaining read. NAME: Christina Soong BLOG: HungryAustralian.com FOUNDED: 2011 Twitter: @HungryAustralia Instagram: @thehungryaustralian Describe your cooking style in three words: Easy. Modern. Australian. What’s your signature dish? Layered Pavlova, my Christmas Day version of a beloved dessert. What do you think is the most underrated ingredient? Salt. It can bring a dish to life. What’s the best cooking advice you’ve ever received? “It’s just cooking, Christina. If you haven’t got that exact ingredient, try something else.” My mother encouraged me to free-form in the kitchen. If you could share a meal with anyone in history, who would it be? Truman Capote, pre the publication of La Côte Basque in Esquire, which marked his decline into drugs and alcohol. A lot of writers aren’t great conversationalists but Truman was a celebrated wit and story-teller in real life.
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NAME: Cristina Sciarra BLOG: TheRoamingKitchen.com FOUNDED: 2011 Twitter: @RoamingKitchen Instagram: @theroamingkitchen Describe your cooking style in three words: Seasonal. Balanced. Versatile. What’s your signature dish? I am too excited, too distracted by the vastness of cooking, by seasonality and new ingredients, to have a signature dish yet. What do you think is the most underrated ingredient? Probably vegetables as a whole, although this is changing. Poorly cooked, low-quality vegetables can, of course, be horrid, but not much compares to seasonal vegetables, prepared simply and well.
Images courtesy of TheRoamingKitchen.com
THE ROAMING KITCHEN
Cristina Sciarra lets you into her home and her heart in The Roaming Kitchen. Filled with travel tales, enticing dishes and cozy cooking, you’ll love the tales and tribulations of this passionate foodie.
What’s the best cooking advice you’ve ever received? This isn’t advice, per se, but I think Michael Pollan sums up precisely how we should eat on a day-to-day basis: “Eat food, not too much, mostly plants.” Simple. I also remember Julia Child’s attitude toward cooking, which was aspirational, but never too serious. “I don’t believe in twisting yourself into knots of excuses and explanations over the food you make,” she said. “Such admissions only draw attention to one’s shortcomings (or self-perceived shortcomings), and make the other person think, ‘Yes, you’re right, this really is an awful meal!’ Maybe the cat has fallen into the stew, or the lettuce has frozen, or the cake has collapsed—eh bien, tant pis! Usually one’s cooking is better than one thinks it is.” If you could share a meal with anyone in history, who would it be? Perhaps this is a boring answer, but my favorite person to have dinner with is my fiancé. At home, he eats anything I put in front of him—even the experiments—and always gives an honest assessment. I think I’d be too nervous to have dinner with the writers and cooks I really admire.
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NAME: Shelly West BLOG: VegetarianVentures.com FOUNDED: 2011 Twitter: @ShellyWester Instagram: @shellywester Describe your cooking style in three words: Vegetarian. Seasonal. Adventurous. What’s your signature dish? Roasted Veggie Enchiladas. I love how you can just roast up whatever vegetables are in season and make a filling out of them with a handful of gooey cheese and seasoned black beans. What do you think is the most underrated ingredient? Edible flowers: Whether it’s dried hibiscus or fresh nasturtium, they can add an interesting texture and beautiful colors to almost any dish. What’s the best cooking advice you’ve ever received? Save your produce scraps and make your own vegetable broth with them. The deep and rich flavor you get from fresh vegetable broth is something that boxed broth can never recreate, and it makes a world of difference in recipes. If you could share a meal with anyone in history, who would it be? Isa Chandra Moskowitz. Her vegan cookbooks helped introduce me into the world of cooking without animal products when I was first getting inspired in the kitchen.
ANGELA GILLTRAP’S TOP 100 food bloggers 2015 | @TOP100FOOD
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Images courtesy of VegetarianVentures.com
VEGETARIAN VENTURES
Founder Shelly West describes this food blog as, “Vegetarian cooking with a twist.” One of the things I love about it is the step-by-step photography that makes you feel as if you can accomplish any of these recipes with ease. Whether you’re a vegetarian or a meat lover, there’s an endless list of delicious dishes on offer. Explore your inner herbivore.
NAME: Kim, Phil and Terri BLOG: BehindtheFoodCarts.com FOUNDED: 2011 Twitter: @BehindFoodCarts Instagram: @behindfoodcarts Describe your cooking style in three words: Flavor. Face. Punch. Favorite food truck? One of our favorite food carts is Nong’s Khao Man Gai in Portland, Oregon. She embodies a lot of what makes the street food culture so great in the U.S. She started off focused on perfecting and serving one dish alone, Thai Chicken over Rice (Khao Man Gai). She’s made an empire out of it including her own sauce and a brick and mortar location. What do you think is the most underrated ingredient? We’re seeing it more and more so not sure if it’s underrated, but we’d have to go with Fish sauce. It’s extremely versatile and can really bring a wallop to your dish. What’s the best cooking advice you’ve ever received? Some of the best advice we’ve heard from food truck chefs is making everything from scratch when possible. It really shows in the end product when you take this route. We’ve seen owners go as far as making their own ketchup! If you could share a meal with anyone in history, who would it be? I can’t think of a particular person, but I’d love to go back in time and try a turn of the century American restaurant menu just to see what the food tasted like in the past and to see how much it’s changed.
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Images courtesy of BehindtheFoodCarts.com
BEHIND THE FOOD CARTS
Admittedly, Behind the Food Carts is not a cooking blog as such, but I felt it deserved to be in our Top 100 simply because it’s so inspiring. Food trucks have become a mainstay in our lives offering a vast array of cuisines we wouldn’t often have the time or energy to seek out. Created by food lovers, who do the tasting for us, Behind the Food Cart will inspire you to think outside the box for new flavor combinations.
HAPPYOLKS
Images courtesy of HappYolks.com
Incredible photography and delectable recipes are created to inspire at Happyolks, a Colorado-based cooking blog. Created by husband and wife team Kelsey and Shaun Boyte, this inspiring couple will remind you of the joy of cooking, sharing and gratitude. NAME: Kelsey Brown Boyte BLOG: Happyolks.com FOUNDED: 2010 Twitter: @Happyolks Instagram: @happyolks Describe your cooking style in three words: Unpretentious. Healthy. Cozy. What’s your signature dish? Savory Galettes or a Jalapeño Tequila Cocktail. What do you think is the most underrated ingredient? Tarragon. What’s the best cooking advice you’ve ever received? Sharp knives and a full heart—these things make all the difference. If you could share a meal with anyone in history, who would it be? Erin Brockovich. A fearless and unapologetic advocate for humans.
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ANGELA GILLTRAP’S TOP 100 food bloggers 2015 | @TOP100FOOD
NAME: Eva Kosmas Flores BLOG: Adventures-In-Cooking.com FOUNDED: 2009 Twitter: @EvaKosmasFlores Instagram: @eva_kosmas_flores Describe your cooking style in three words: Rustic. Adventurous. Artisanal. What’s your signature dish? I make a pretty mean Jalapeño Cornbread. The caramelized onions are the kicker on it, I think. What do you think is the most underrated ingredient? Edible flowers, they add such incredible beauty and flavor to dishes but really aren’t used that much in western cooking, unfortunately. What’s the best cooking advice you’ve ever received? Don’t be afraid to try new things. You never know what you’ll end up loving if you don’t give it a shot. If you could share a meal with anyone in history, who would it be? Oh this is a tough one. I’d have to go with Thomas Jefferson. I’m kind of a founding father’s nerd, and he also brewed beer, made wine, and had an extensive vegetable and fruit garden at his home in Virginia. He also helped popularize ice cream in the United States. I’d basically have a thousand questions to ask him, both food-centric and otherwise.
ANGELA GILLTRAP’S TOP 100 food bloggers 2015 | @TOP100FOOD
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Images courtesy of Adventures-In-Cooking.com
ADVENTURES IN COOKING
Let’s face it, food bloggers make staying home and cooking up a storm exciting. Adventures in Cooking goes one step further. Challenge your culinary skills with Rosemary Jasmine Tea Rolls with a Whiskey Glaze or perhaps the Cast Iron Deep Dish Chocolate Pecan Tart is more your speed, either way you’re in for a culinary adventure thanks to founder Eva Kosmas Flores.
NAME: Amanda Smyth BLOG: CookerandaLooker.com FOUNDED: 2012 Twitter: @CookerandLooker Instagram: @cookerandalooker Describe your cooking style in three words: Proper home cooking. What’s your signature dish? Crispy Skin Salmon with Wasabi Butter and Green Beans. What do you think is the most underrated ingredient? You simply can’t beat salted butter. As Julia Child famously said, “If you’re afraid of butter, use cream.” What’s the best cooking advice you’ve ever received? My grandmother used to say, “You can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear.” It’s the same with cooking. Start with quality ingredients, treat them well, cook with love. If you could share a meal with anyone in history, who would it be? I’d love to dine with Marco Pierre White. I can’t decide if I’d prefer to share a meal with the white hot thirtysomething Marco, who posed for Bob Carlos Clark wearing a shark and smoking a cigarette, or the present day Marco who handed back his Michelin stars, is generous with his knowledge and recognizes really good food. Regardless, he’d be a fabulous dinner companion at any age. 
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Images courtesy of CookerandaLooker.com
COOKER AND A LOOKER
Cooker and a Looker is an Australian food blog that features “great tucker served with a side of farm life.” Coming to you from the picturesque Glasshouse Mountains in Queensland, it’s filled with fabulous food and tales from the farm.
Describe your cooking style in three words: Colorful. Fusion. Fresh.
Images courtesy of FamilySpice.com
NAME: Laura Bashar BLOG: FamilySpice.com FOUNDED: 2008 Twitter: @FamilySpice Instagram: @familyspice
FAMILY SPICE
Coming to you from San Diego, Family Spice is the Online home of cookbook author, wife and mom of three, Laura Bashar. This site has everything from sweets to savory; familyfriendly recipes that are sure to inspire.
What’s your signature dish? I love creating healthy meals for my friends and family and surprising them. Healthy doesn’t have to mean tasteless. My Balsamic Roasted Vegetable Quinoa Salad is something I came up with when we had a banner year in the vegetable garden. It is super easy to make. You can serve it hot or cold and you can use a wide variety of vegetables. I bring this dish to pot lucks and picnics and always come home with an empty bowl. What do you think is the most underrated ingredient? Extra Virgin Olive Oil. And I’m not just saying that because I wrote a cookbook on it! Everyone cares about using fresh, organic ingredients in their cooking, but they don’t take the time to examine the quality of their olive oil. My husband and I have been to restaurants where they served rancid olive oil. Not all extra virgin olive oils are created equal. What’s the best cooking advice you’ve ever received? It wasn’t so much advice, but the “just do it” attitude bestowed on me. My mother would frequently call me before her one hour commute home to start dinner. I learned to cook by watching her and she had confidence in me that I could do this. My mother was a professional with a PhD and she cooked for us everyday. I knew I could do it, too. If you could share a meal with anyone in history, who would it be? Jane Austen. I have read all of her books, several times over. She had a marvelous way of observing people and society’s silly rules. She was a modern woman in a very traditional time and I would love to hear her perceptions of our world today.
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Images courtesy of TastyTrix..Blogspot.com
NAME: Trix Middlekauff BLOG: TastyTrix.Blogspot.com FOUNDED: 2008 Twitter: @TastyTrix Instagram: @tastytrix
TASTY TRIX
Accessible dishes with an international twist are on the menu at Tasty Trix. As a writer, photographer and recipe developer, founder Trix Middlekauff traverses the globe to bring an enticing collection of global dishes to our kitchen.
Describe your cooking style in three words: Eclectic. Unfussy. Well-seasoned. What’s your signature dish? Anything soup. I can whip up an incredible soup when the cupboard is so bare it seems all hope is lost. What do you think is the most underrated ingredient? Salt. I have tasted so many dishes that would have been perfect if only the cook had been more bold with salt What’s the best cooking advice you’ve ever received? My chef instructor in culinary school once told me, “When you think you’ve added enough salt, add a bit more.” It’s great advice; such a simple thing can turn an okay dish into a memorable one. If you could share a meal with anyone in history, who would it be? Definitely my mom. I’d love to be able to show her how much my cooking has matured in the nine years since she passed away. I know she would be so proud of me, and I’d love nothing more than to make a meal for her and then enjoy it together.
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ANGELA GILLTRAP’S TOP 100 food bloggers 2015 | @TOP100FOOD
Describe your cooking style in three words: Simple. Colorful. Vegetarian.
Photo: Erin Gleeson, The Forest Feast
NAME: Erin Gleeson BLOG: TheForestFeast.com FOUNDED: 2011 Twitter: @TheForestFeast Instagram: @theforestfeast
THE FOREST FEAST
We love everything about The Forest Feast—from the gorgeous imagery to the enticing recipes. The brainchild of food photographer Erin Gleeson, it chronicles her culinary feats moving from New York City to a cabin in the woods of Northern California.
What’s your signature dish? Guacamole Deviled Eggs. What do you think is the most underrated ingredient? Greek yogurt. What’s the best cooking advice you’ve ever received? Keep it simple. If you could share a meal with anyone in history, who would it be? I am currently reading the book Provence, 1970 which chronicles the friendships and meals shared between M.F.K. Fisher, Julia Child and James Beard. I would have loved to have been around the dinner table with them.
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Images courtesy of BakedBree.com
NAME: Bree Hester BLOG: BakedBree.com FOUNDED: 2010 Twitter: @BakedBree Instagram: @breehester
BAKED BREE
Welcome to the culinary world of Bree Hester—wife, mom and passionate cook. Coming to you from Cape Cod, Massachusetts, Baked Bree is an “open love letter” to anyone she has ever cooked for. Sharing her favorite recipes—passed down from family and friends— Baked Bree features wholesome food for every member of the family.
Describe your cooking style in three words: Fresh. Simple. Family. What’s your signature dish? My children love my spaghetti and meatballs. I make it every year before the first day of school. What do you think is the most underrated ingredient? Flat leaf parsley. I think it adds so much brightness, color, and flavor to any savory dish. I also love to use it as a green in my salads. What’s the best cooking advice you’ve ever received? The worst that can happen is that it doesn’t taste good. Play around and experiment. It’s just dinner, not rocket science. If you could share a meal with anyone in history, who would it be? I would love to have dinner with Julia Child. She embodies everything that I love about cooking. It should be fun and if you make a mistake, no one knows but the cook. She had a sense of humor and put everyone at ease in the kitchen and around the table.
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INDUSTRY TALK
Pedro Duarte Executive Chef, SUsH SAMBA
What’s the best cooking advice you’ve ever received? As a child, I used to help my mother cook. She would always tell me to taste the seasoning of the dish while cooking to know what flavors were missing and what flavors were present. I’ve applied her advice to my cooking practices in my professional career. It is a critical part of presenting memorable, flavorful cuisine.
NAME: Gabrielle Arnold BLOG: HonestFare.com FOUNDED: 2009 Instagram: @honestfare Describe your cooking style in three words: Simple. Pretty. Clean.
Images courtesy of HonestFare.com
HONEST FARE
Gabrielle Arnold is the co-owner of La Empanada Food truck and founder of Honest Fare, a food blog aimed at sharing her love of cooking (and feeding people). Full of tasty, easy-to-create recipes, Honest Fare even boasts its own apron collection.
What’s your signature dish? The dish I’ve made the most times in my life and really enjoy making for people, is Tortilla Española (traditional Spanish-style omelet). I grew up eating it and learned all the tricks from my Catalan grandmother. I’ve made tortilla for all of my closest friends and family so I guess that means it’s pretty special to me…So sure, we can call it my signature dish! What do you think is the most underrated ingredient? Miso paste. It’s earthy, salty and rich and has that whole umami thing going for it. Miso adds such depth to sauces, marinades and soups of all kinds with absolute ease. I always have it in my fridge. What’s the best cooking advice you’ve ever received? A few years ago, a good friend and I started a food truck. We had a lot to learn about preparing large amounts of food and we found ourselves cooking day and night in the beginning. The best piece of advice I got was from a local café owner who told me to make sure everything was prepped. To never fall behind on prepping, no matter what. It’s so true. And that advice rings true at home too—whether it’s prewashing or chopping veggies or marinating a piece of meat that you plan on eating later—prepping will always make your life easier.
HONESTFARE.COM
If you could share a meal with anyone in history, who would it be? I’m never good at this question, but tonight I feel like having dinner with Earnest Hemingway so let’s go with that. Maybe at his place in the Key West.
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ANGELA GILLTRAP’S TOP 100 food bloggers 2015 | @TOP100FOOD
GOLUBKA KITCHEN
Images courtesy of GolubkaKitchen.com
It’s a mother and daughter duo behind the delicious dishes and striking imagery of Golubka Kitchen. Anya and older daughter Masha, have created a treasure trove of culinary delights to savor. Originally from Russia, Anya started the blog to share her love of tasty and nourishing cooking. Now with their cookbook The Vibrant Table (Roost Books), everyone can benefit from this Florida-based family affair.
NAME: Anya Kassoff BLOG: GolubkaKitchen.com FOUNDED: 2010 Twitter: @GolubkaKitchen Instagram: @golubka Describe your cooking style in three words: Flavorful. Seasonal. Light. What’s your signature dish? Crepes. I’ve had many years of experience and have to say that I can whip up some delicious and very thin crepes. Most recently, I’ve been making buckwheat flour crepes, at times with some greens whipped into the batter. What do you think is the most underrated ingredient? Rutabaga. What’s the best cooking advice you’ve ever received? To cook with seasonal ingredients. When ingredients are in season, they are cheaper and at their peak flavor. It’s a win-win. If you could share a meal with anyone in history, who would it be? Vladimir Pozner, who is a Russian-American journalist of incredible intelligence and broad mind.
GOLUBKAKITCHEN.COM
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NAME: Jane-Anne Hobbs BLOG: Scrumptious.co.za FOUNDED: 2007 Twitter: @Jane_Anne62 Instagram: @janeannehobbs Describe your cooking style in three words: Patience. Passion. Perfection. What’s your signature dish? Christmas Gammon with a Pomegranate & Pink Peppercorn Glaze. What do you think is the most underrated ingredient? White pepper. What’s the best cooking advice you’ve ever received? “Imagining, having, say, a Roux brother to dinner fleshes out the worry of inviting someone to your house whose knowledge and skills in connection with food you assume to be vastly superior to your own. What you must keep in mind when faced with this scenario is that professional cooks and chefs value well-sourced, wholesome ingredients treated simply and respectfully. In their own life they come across too much teased and tormented “luxury” food... and they like nothing better than a dish such as plainly roasted chicken served with its buttery juices and a watercress salad and a homely pudding such as a carefully made creamy rice pudding.” — Fay Maschler & Elizabeth Jane Howard in their book Cooking for Occasions. If you could share a meal with anyone in history, who would it be? Nelson Mandela, because he inspired millions around the world, and because he loved traditional South African food.
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Pears en Papillote Photograph by Michael Le Grange, courtesy Random House Struik
SCRUMPTIOUS
Scrumptious has pioneered recipe blogging in South Africa since its launch in 2007. Created by JaneAnne Hobbs—cookbook author, recipe developer and media professional—it features Instagram-worthy dishes guaranteed to wow a crowd.
ZEN AND SPICE
Images courtesy of ZenandSpice.com
Meditation and mindfulness are on the menu at Zen and Spice—a food blog based in Dallas, Texas. Created by Emily Hein, a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, this site provides great nutrition tips, intriguing recipes and sage advice. NAME: Emily Hein BLOG: ZenandSpice.com FOUNDED: 2013 Twitter: @ZenandSpice Instagram: @zenandspice Describe your cooking style in three words: Quick. Savory. Unprocessed. What’s your signature dish? My most popular dish would have to be my Baked Sweet Potato & Carrot soup. What do you think is the most underrated ingredient? I love smoked paprika. It adds a hint of smokiness and spiciness to any dish. What’s the best cooking advice you’ve ever received? To substitute applesauce for butter in baked goods. It reduces the amount of fat and increases the moistness of the end product.
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If you could share a meal with anyone in history, who would it be? I would love to share a meal with The Pioneer Woman, Ree Drummond. She seems so down to earth and friendly, like she could be a close friend or family member. Plus, her recipes are to die for.
NAME: Marla Meridith BLOG: FamilyFreshCooking.com FOUNDED: 2009 Twitter: @MarlaMeridith Instagram: @marlameridith Describe your cooking style in three words: Fresh. Simple. Easy. What’s your signature dish? Baked Blueberry French Toast. What do you think is the most underrated ingredient? Shallots.
Images courtesy of FamilyFreshCooking.com
FAMILY FRESH COOKING
The brainchild of Marla Meridith, Family Fresh Cooking features an extensive archive of delicious recipes and foodie-travel tales that will have you salivating.
What’s the best cooking advice you’ve ever received? Patience. If you could share a meal with anyone in history, who would it be? All the chefs I photograph. I love their passion in the kitchen.
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ANGELA GILLTRAP’S TOP 100 food bloggers 2015 | @TOP100FOOD
TWO PEAS AND THEIR POD
Images courtesy of TwoPeasandTheirPod.com
Husband and wife team, Maria and Josh Lichty, are behind the familyfriendly food blog, Two Peas and Their Pod. Jam packed with enticing recipes, it includes a great index of weekly meal plans that make meal time a breeze. NAME: Maria and Josh Lichty BLOG: TwoPeasandTheirPod.com FOUNDED: 2008 Twitter: @TwoPeasandPod Instagram: @twopeasandpod Describe your cooking style in three words: Simple. Familyfriendly. Fresh. What’s your signature dish? I love baking cookies. We have almost 200 cookie recipes on our site. What do you think is the most underrated ingredient? Cinnamon or basil. What’s the best cooking advice you’ve ever received? To have fun in the kitchen and don’t be afraid to try new things. If you could share a meal with anyone in history, who would it be? My grandmother. She passed away before I was born and I would love to sit down and share a special meal with her.
TWOPEASANDTHEIRPOD.COM
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CHEF IN DISGUISE
Images courtesy of ChefinDisguise.com
Coming to you from the United Arab Emirates, Chef in Disguise is your go-to for authentic Middle Eastern dishes. From Feteer Meshaltet (Egyptian layered pastry) to Barazek (Honey pistachio sesame cookies), be inspired to expand your culinary horizons. NAME: Sawsan Abu Farha BLOG: ChefInDisguise.com FOUNDED: 2011 Twitter: @ChefInDisguise Instagram: @chefindisguise Describe your cooking style in three words: Authentic Middle Eastern. What’s your signature dish? Musakhan—Palestinian Sumac Chicken with Sautéed Onions. What do you think is the most underrated ingredient? Cardamom. I love the fact that it is intensely aromatic, with its almost smoky unique taste. I use it in dough recipes, in desserts and it’s a wonderful way to spice up your morning cup of tea. Try adding a little to any chocolate recipe and you’ll be amazed at how much of a difference it can make. What’s the best cooking advice you’ve ever received? Don’t be afraid to laugh at your own mistakes. If you could share a meal with anyone in history, who would it be? I would share a meal with my English teacher from high school. She was an amazing person, so full of life despite the fact that she was fighting breast cancer. She has always been an inspiration to me. Even after her diagnosis and during her treatment, she never gave up. She continued teaching, and went on with pursuing her masters degree but above all, she had a wonderful attitude about everything, she was always beaming with a smile and she celebrated every day and every little detail. She sadly passed away shortly after I finished school and I would love a chance to have a meal with her if I could.
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Images courtesy of ThreeLittleHalves.com
THREE LITTLE HALVES
Three Little Halves is one of those food blogs you instantly fall in love with. There is a certain peacefulness and feeling of nostalgia relayed by the stunning imagery of self-taught photographer and cook, “Queen Sashy.” The talented New Yorker divides her time between her day job as a scientist, and her passion for illustration, photography and food. One look and you’ll be hooked on this award-winning food-lovers dream. NAME: Queen Sashy BLOG: ThreeLittleHalves.com FOUNDED: 2013 Twitter: @3LittleHalves Instagram: @threelittlehalves Describe your cooking style in three words: Eclectic. Moody. Nostalgic. What’s your signature dish? It is a trilemma and the contenders are Cider Glazed Five Hour Ribs, Drunken Clams with Sausage and Sri Lankan Christmas Cake. What do you think is the most underrated ingredient? Celery root. What’s the best cooking advice you’ve ever received? Actually, there are six: 1) Practice, 2) Practice, and 3) Practice. No one is born a chef. And after you have practiced: 4) Start with the best ingredients, 5) Get yourself a sharp knife, and 6) Keep an eye on the ball. I am painfully reminded of the latter every time I decide to doodle, wash hair, read emails or clean closets while the dish is simmering on the stove. If you could share a meal with anyone in history, who would it be? Gabriel Garcia Marquez, because he had the gift. Lord Patanjali, because I would love to get his take on the sutras. And my mom, so that we can get another moment together.
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ANGELA GILLTRAP’S TOP 100 food bloggers 2015 | @TOP100FOOD
NAME: Jamie Schler BLOG: LifesaFeast.Blogspot.com FOUNDED: 2008 Twitter: @LifesaFeast Instagram: @lifesafeast Describe your cooking style in three words: Sweet. Comforting. Generous. What’s your signature dish? My savory signature dish: Blanquette de Veau. My sweet signature treat: Chocolate Layer Cake with Mocha Buttercream Frosting. What do you think is the most underrated ingredient? Vanilla, rum, mascarpone... It is too difficult a question! What’s the best cooking advice you’ve ever received? Taste. If you could share a meal with anyone in history, who would it be? Charles Dickens. The way Dickens describes food and eating in his novels, in such particular detail, one comes to understand how important he considers both to body and soul as well as the curious social pleasures and necessities of food and dining. Dickens supposedly took serious pleasure in eating and wouldn’t I love to sit down to table and share a meal with my favorite author, eating and drinking heartily and listening to him regale me with tales of his travels and stories from his imagination!
ANGELA GILLTRAP’S TOP 100 food bloggers 2015 | @TOP100FOOD
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Images courtesy of LifesaFeast.Blogspot.com
LIFE’S A FEAST
American expat Jamie Schler has been living in Europe for 25 years, immersed in French and Italian culture. A freelance writer with a passion for food—and the tales of those who create it—Life’s a Feast features mouth-watering recipes of sweet and savory treats that celebrate good company and great food.
NAME: Katie BLOG: ChocolateCoveredKatie.com FOUNDED: 2007 Twitter: @ChocCoveredKT Instagram: @chocolatecoveredkatie Describe your cooking style in three words: Easy. Healthy. Chocolate! What’s your signature dish? {Secretly Healthy} Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Dip. What do you think is the most underrated ingredient? Salt, it can make or break even a dessert recipe. What’s the best cooking advice you’ve ever received? Some cooking experiments will fail, but never be afraid to keep trying new things. If you could share a meal with anyone in history, who would it be? My great-grandmother. She was the best cook I have ever known, and I never had the chance to cook for her—except maybe microwave eggs when I was five.
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Images courtesy of ChocolateCoveredKatie.com
CHOCOLATE COVERED KATIE
Is there such a thing as a healthy dessert? According to the creator of Chocolate Covered Katie, yes! This Washington-based food blog features healthier versions of your favorite classics. A must for those with an insatiable sweet tooth.
PURE ELLA
Images courtesy of PureElla.com
Pure Ella focuses on the healing power of food. Based in Toronto, Canada founder Ella Leché shares her healthy recipes designed to transform and nourish. Delicious and nutritious lives here. NAME: Ella Leché BLOG: PureElla.com FOUNDED: 2012 Twitter: @PureElla Instagram: @pure_ella Describe your cooking style in three words: Pure. Nourishing. Creative. What’s your signature dish? 3 Clean-Ingredient Peanut Butter Cups. What do you think is the most underrated ingredient? The carrot. It’s inexpensive and so versatile. It’s great for skin health, slows down aging, fights cancer, improves eye health and so much more. Great for desserts, savory dishes, juicing and easy snacking! What’s the best cooking advice you’ve ever received? Never stop learning, experimenting and having fun in the kitchen.
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If you could share a meal with anyone in history, who would it be? Martha Stewart. I remember when I was twelve and glued to the television watching her and saying “I want to be just like you!” This was not very ‘cool’ for a twelve-year-old to do at the time. She has always inspired me to live a creative life, first through design and crafting and then eventually cooking and baking and making a living doing so. She is the pioneer who took creativity to the next level and helped so many women and men express themselves through these creative outlets. I would just like to say, Thank you!
Describe your cooking style in three words: Simple. Delicious. Inventive. What’s your signature dish? Enchiladas. What do you think is the most underrated ingredient? Beans. They are so trans-formative and absorb flavor. You could easily make chili with them one night and homemade veggie burgers the next.
Images courtesy of GirlMeetsNourishment.com
NAME: Katie Peters BLOG: GirlMeetsNourishment.com FOUNDED: 2012 Twitter: @GMNourishment Instagram: @girlmeetsnourishment
GIRL MEETS NOURISHMENT
For Katie Peters, food is intended to be enjoyed without too much fuss: simple, delicious and real. Her blog, Girl Meets Nourishment focuses on inspired, nutritious recipes using organic ingredients and local produce. There is also a great selection of how-tos for those who love a little kitchen DIY.
What’s the best cooking advice you’ve ever received? Try new recipes (and types of food) at home, you might just find your new favorite recipe—or you might throw that recipe into the shred pile. No matter what though, it keeps your horizons open to trying new things and you’ll never get stuck in a food rut. If you could share a meal with anyone in history, who would it be? I would have to say Jim Carrey, he seems like my kind of guy.
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NAME: Kajal Tejsinghani BLOG: Aapplemint.com FOUNDED: 2007 Twitter: @Aapplemint Instagram: @aapplemint Describe your cooking style in three words: Soulful. Aesthetic. Global. What’s your signature dish? Oh, there would be so many... Bon Bon Chi which is a cold Sichuan Chicken Noodle dish, or my everyday comfort food: Light Sindhi Chicken Curry or an Arabic Chicken/Lamb Majboos. What do you think is the most underrated ingredient? Turmeric. It is not an ingredient that is used in cuisines worldwide, but the amount of health benefits this ingredient packs is second to none. What’s the best cooking advice you’ve ever received? This was early on when I was not very familiar around the kitchen. My mother-in-law saw me struggling one day with a cleaver trying to make fine slices of lamb for a stir fry. She said, “Next time freeze the meat for a while, and when that just about starts turning into ice, bring it out and then slice it. You will be able to slice though evenly and get extremely fine slices.” And it worked. Like magic. If you could share a meal with anyone in history, who would it be? I would love to share a meal with Claudius Gele, and if you ask who might that be, he is the great, great man who invented the Puff Pastry. And you still need to know why? I think all of the world’s greatest things were discovered by accident. So was this marvelous, light, flaky pastry made by repeatedly layering pastry dough and butter or another solid fat, to form a thin dough that puffs in the oven. It is one of the ultimate examples of flakiness. I would simply just hold his hands and say, thank you!
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Images courtesy of Aapplemint.com
AAPPLEMINT
Coming to you from Mumbai, India, Aapplement is food blog centered around the passions of founder Kajal Tejsinghani: family, food, fitness, fashion. Here you’ll find nutritious recipes that will make your mouth water.
NAME: Dara Michalski BLOG: CookinCanuck.com FOUNDED: 2009 Twitter: @CookinCanuck Instagram: @cookincanuck Describe your cooking style in three words: Healthy, easy and innovative.
Images courtesy of CookinCanuck.com
COOKIN CANUCK
Flavorful, nutritious meals are on the menu at the Cookin’ Canuck. Created by Vancouver native, Dara Michalski, this food blog proves that healthy food doesn’t have to be boring. From Baked Salmon Meatballs with Creamy Avocado Sauce to Tart Cherry and Coconut Milk Popsicles, this is food everyone will love.
What’s your signature dish? The most popular recipe on my blog— and with my family—is my Hearty Chicken Stew with Butternut Squash and Quinoa. It is comfort food in a bowl, but with surprisingly few calories. What do you think is the most underrated ingredient? One of my favorite ingredients—okay, besides soy sauce—is jicama, and I rarely see it used in recipes. We love to snack on it, but I also just made a Jicama Black Bean & Corn Salsa that knocked our socks off. What’s the best cooking advice you’ve ever received? Without a doubt, the best advice I’ve ever received is to taste the food while I’m cooking. I started to become more comfortable with seasoning my food without relying on a recipe because I learned what my taste buds liked. This is something I’m trying to teach my kids now that they’re becoming more comfortable in the kitchen. If you could share a meal with anyone in history, who would it be? It’s not often that I get to share a meal with family and lifelong friends because we live in different cities, but some of my best memories come from sitting around the table with them, enjoying a great meal and spending the evening talking and laughing. If I had my wish, I would gather them all at one table for an epic feast.
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INDUSTRY TALK
Allen Katz Co-Founder, New York Distilling company If you could share a meal with anyone in history who would it be? M.F.K. Fisher...One of the great food writers of the 20th century. Not just a gastronome but an adventurous cook, traveler and raconteur. In addition and completely superfluous, we share the same birthday, July 3.
ANGELA GILLTRAP’S TOP 100 food bloggers 2015 | @TOP100FOOD
BISCUITS AND SUCH
Images courtesy of BiscuitsandSuch.com
Biscuits and Such is a Southern food blog created by Elena Rosemond-Hoerr; the result of a post-college existential crisis. Rosemond-Hoerr found solace in recreating her favorite Southern dishes, far from home. Now on a mission to make grits a hot commodity, this is a great stop for those in the need of comfort food.
NAME: Elena Rosemond-Hoerr BLOG: BiscuitsandSuch.com FOUNDED: 2008 Twitter: @BiscuitsAndSuch Instagram: @elenabrent Describe your cooking style in three words: Southern. Seasonal. Heirloom. What’s your signature dish? This is a hard question. I’ve always been a huge advocate of pies, so most people expect me to arrive at any given location with a pie in tow—not an unrealistic expectation, really. But I’ve also been on a decades’ long mission to help people (read: nonSoutherners) love and appreciate grits. Grits are one of my favorite ingredients and so many people I meet say that they’ve never had grits that they liked. I’m on a mission to change that. What do you think is the most underrated ingredient? I used to say butter but recently there has been a butter revolution (hallelujah), so now I might say red pepper flakes. They add the perfect amount of spice and flavor to a dish without stealing the show. I use it in pretty much everything, from eggs to savory pie crust. It’s always on hand in my kitchen.
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What’s the best cooking advice you’ve ever received? I grew up in a family that plays in the kitchen. We love to cook almost as much as we love to eat, and we’re always trying our hand at this technique or that recipe, seeing what works and what doesn’t. That attitude of playing in the kitchen, of not being afraid to stray from the recipe, has made me the cook that I am today. If you could share a meal with anyone in history, who would it be? I would love to meet my great-grandmother, Sybil. Her recipes and love of food have inspired generations of Rosemonds to cook, create, and feed. What a pleasure it would be to cook and eat with her.
EAT THE LOVE
Images courtesy of EattheLove.com
San Francisco-based Irvin Lin, is known as the baker, writer, recipe maker. His blog, Eat the Love, features an extensive archive of tantalizing treats including a series of “wordless recipes.” Here, everything looks as good as it tastes thanks to Lin’s keen eye, passion for food and attention to detail. NAME: Irvin Lin BLOG: EatTheLove.com FOUNDED: 2010 Twitter: @EattheLove Instagram: @eatthelove Describe your cooking style in three words: Innovative flavor combinations. What’s your signature dish? Blackberry Lemon Chess Pie with Mixed Berry Honey Sauce. What do you think is the most underrated ingredient? Soy Sauce — the real stuff, not the fake carry-out or the cheap American-made stuff. Nearly everyone has a bottle of it, but people only think to use it in Asian cuisine. You can add it to nearly anything you’re cooking in place of salt, and it adds a layer of complexity and umami savoriness. Try using some next time you sauté button mushrooms, it’ll make them taste more “mushroom-y.” Fish sauce actually works great as well, but not everyone has a bottle of it. Most people have a bottle of soy sauce. What’s the best cooking advice you’ve ever received? Taste while you cook and season liberally with salt. People tend to under salt their food. If it tastes flat, add salt. Don’t be afraid of it. If you could share a meal with anyone in history, who would it be? The Japanese author Haruki Murakami. I’ve been a huge fan of his fiction for years, and I think he would make a fascinating dinner companion to converse with. The way he intersects surreal plotlines, parallel worlds, mysterious women and random cats in his books make me think he would be a great person to converse with while sharing a meal. Plus, I’d love to ask him why he’s obsessed with women’s ears.
EATTHELOVE.COM
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NAME: Erica Pitera BLOG: EricaSweetTooth.com FOUNDED: 2009 Twitter: @EricaSweetTooth Instagram: @ericasweettooth Describe your cooking style in three words: Creative. Fun. Decadent. What’s your signature dish? Insanely good chocolate chip cookies. What do you think is the most underrated ingredient? Salt! It’s so important in baking, and makes such a difference in everything that comes out of my oven. Salt helps bring out the flavor of chocolate, balance the sweetness of cakes and frostings, and it looks really fancy when sea salt is sprinkled on top of things too. What’s the best cooking advice you’ve ever received? Don’t be afraid of failures. Try new techniques, new recipes, and new ingredients with enthusiasm but don’t be discouraged if everything doesn’t always work out perfectly. You’ll never improve without a few fail blog-worthy creations. If you could share a meal with anyone in history, who would it be? Ina Garten. She’s so effortlessly chic and a genius with cooking and baking, I’d love to pick her brain.
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Images courtesy of EricaSweetToothcom
ERICA’S SWEET TOOTH
Erica Pitera is a dentist with a baking addiction. Her goal is not to give you cavities, rather to learn and grow her culinary repertoire, sharing her trials and triumphs along the way.
SALLY’S BAKING ADDICTION
Images courtesy of SallysBakingAddiction.com
Sally McKenney has a baking addiction. Many of us can relate. There is something soothing about getting lost in the art of baking; a passion that led McKenney to leave her job in finance and pursue food blogging fulltime. Based in Philadelphia, bookmark this food blog for inventive twists and useful tips. NAME: Sally McKenney BLOG: SallysBakingAddiction.com FOUNDED: 2011 Twitter: @SallysBakeBlog Instagram: @sallysbakeblog Describe your cooking style in three words: Simple. Fun. Innovative. What’s your signature dish? Cake Batter Chocolate Chip Cookies. What do you think is the most underrated ingredient? Almond extract. Just a scant 1/4 teaspoon of this delicious stuff goes a long way and it gives cookies, cakes, pastries, that little something extra. I love a touch of it in my cream cheese frosting recipe. What’s the best cooking advice you’ve ever received? This applies more to baking than cooking, but I’ve learned how important precision is: weighing your ingredients is the most accurate way to get the best, even results every time. My food scale is the most used tool in my kitchen.
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If you could share a meal with anyone in history, who would it be? Could this be my grandmother? Though she is not famous, she is certainly my role model. Hard working and passionate, she always found a reason to smile and laugh. She brought so much warmth to the kitchen and the food she prepared. I started my blog the year she passed; she is my absolute inspiration and I wish I could show her what I’ve accomplished in life sharing her love of cooking and baking.
NAME: Maureen Abood BLOG: MaureenAbood.com FOUNDED: 2011 Twitter: @MaureenAbood Instagram: @maureenabood Describe your cooking style in three words: Fresh. Classic. Lebanese. What’s your signature dish? Like my actual signature, it often looks different depending on what type of pen I’m using. My signature dish is Lebanese Talami bread, which always comes out golden, tender, and wonderful—while having a slight variation every time.
Images courtesy of MaureenAbood.com
ROSE WATER & ORANGE BLOSSOMS
Maureen Abood’s Rose Water and Orange Blossom is proof that even when life is bad it’s good. A series of unfortunate events (“death, divorce and rock-bottom moments”) were the catalyst in creating this fantastic Lebanese food blog. Leaving her job in Chicago, Abood headed west to San Francisco to culinary school. Simply because she’d always wanted to. She then settled in Northern Michigan to the place of her childhood summers, Harbor Springs, to write and cook, and launch Rose Water and Orange Blossoms. Now a professional writer and food blogger, her work has appeared in The New York Tines, The Washing Post and Saveur. This year, her own cookbook hits the shelves: Rose Water and Orange Blossoms: Fresh and Classic Recipes from my Lebanese Kitchen.
What do you think is the most underrated ingredient? Love. We get, so we eat on the run and even cook on the run. But when we take a little time and share that meal with someone else, that special ingredient— love—is going to take any meal to new heights. What’s the best cooking advice you’ve ever received? Don’t try to do too much at once. This is my mother’s advice, and I hold it close, because I know my own tendency to try to do a lot—a lot—at once. In the end, that can defeat the whole purpose of going into the kitchen in the first place. So I try to do as she does: make a few things very well.
MAUREENABOOD.COM
If you could share a meal with anyone in history, who would it be? That’s such a delicious question! I would love to dine with the great Lebanese poet Khalil Gibran, who lived in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. I would love to hear about Lebanon from his poetic perspective, and to have a glimpse of what about his culture inspired him as a writer.
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ANGELA GILLTRAP’S TOP 100 food bloggers 2015 | @TOP100FOOD
NICKY & MAX
Images courtesy of NickyandMax.com
Nicky and Max is a collaboration between London photographer Nicky Walsh and Berlin cook, recipe devloper and food stylist Max Faber. Written in both English and German, you’ll be swept away by the delicious dishes, stunning imagery and stories from this dynamic duo.
NAME: Nicky Walsh & Max Faber BLOG: NickyandMax.com FOUNDED: 2012 Describe your cooking style in three words: We go for balance, simplicity and visual interest. What’s your signature dish? This is an unusual answer, but we did a Bauhaus inspired shoot that was more art than cooking. It still gets published even now. It was Eggnog. What do you think is the most underrated ingredient? Salt. I have at least four types in my kitchen at any one time. What’s the best cooking advice you’ve ever received? It doesn’t matter if it goes wrong. If you could share a meal with anyone in history, who would it be? Jamie Oliver. I think he has revolutionized home cooking, and he just does everything right; a personal hero.
NICKYANDMAX.COM
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NAME: Azita Mehran BLOG: TurmericSaffron.Blogspot. com FOUNDED: 2008 Twitter: @TurmericSaffron Instagram: @turmericandsaffron Describe your cooking style in three words: Fresh. Seasonal. Traditional. What’s your signature dish? Fesenjoon: pomegranate, walnut and chicken stew. What do you think is the most underrated ingredient? Limoo Amani—dried limes. What’s the best cooking advice you’ve ever received? Don’t be afraid to experiment. If you could share a meal with anyone in history, who would it be? It would be such an honor and a dream of mine to be able to hear Rumi, the greatest mystical poet of all time, reciting his poetry in Persian while we drink tea together.
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Images courtesy of TurmericSaffron.Blogspot.com
TURMERIC & SAFFRON
Turmeric and Saffron features Persian cuisine, recipes and stories. Created by Iranian born and raised Azita Mehren, this blog is a tribute to her culinary idol, her late mother as she shares her family’s culinary traditions from her home base now in New York.
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Images courtesy of BottomofthePot.com
With a passion for food and a flair for storytelling Naz Deravian’s Bottom of the Pot, is the perfect blog for those looking to spice things up. The Iranian-born mother of two, is a freelancer by day, culinary dreamer by night, serving up adventures in Persian food and beyond from her home in Los Angeles. NAME: Naz Deravian BLOG: BottomofthePot.com FOUNDED: 2013 Twitter: @BottomOfThePot1 Instagram: @bottomofthepot Describe your cooking style in three words: Improvisational. Persian. Flavorful. What’s your signature dish? Khoresh Fesenjan: Pomegranate Walnut Stew. What do you think is the most underrated ingredient? Saffron. What’s the best cooking advice you’ve ever received? Throw out the recipe. If you could share a meal with anyone in history, who would it be? My grandmother. We would share a burger with fries and a cold beer—her favorite meal—and she would read my Turkish coffee cup telling my future.
BOTTOMOFTHEPOT.COM ANGELA GILLTRAP’S TOP 100 food bloggers 2015 | @TOP100FOOD
NAME: Lilian BLOG: ChineseGrandma.com FOUNDED: 2010 Twitter: @ChineseGrandma Instagram: @chinesegrandma Describe your cooking style in three words: Fresh. Generous. Unfussy. What’s your signature dish? Can I have a signature condiment? My honey balsamic vinaigrette makes everything better: salads, raw veggies, cooked veggies, sandwiches. The Kitchn’s managing editor, Faith Durand, came for lunch, got hooked on the vinaigrette and featured it on the Kitchn (along with my real kitchen). What do you think is the most underrated ingredient? Plain yogurt. It’s so useful in place of buttermilk (think pancakes, biscuits, marinating chicken); used as a condiment (a cooling side for anything curry-spicy, or turned into raita or tzatziki), or as a light dessert (sweetened with maple syrup and served with berries). It keeps well, especially if you make your own, and unlike buttermilk, it never goes to waste. A bowl of plain yogurt with honey and walnuts is fantastic in the morning or anytime. What’s the best cooking advice you’ve ever received? Don’t be afraid! No one says it, but I’ve learned that from observing every cook I’ve known. Making a meal can be as simple as assembling good ingredients. Complicated is optional. You never have to go there if you don’t want to. Either way, it’s just food. Nothing is going to blow up. If you could share a meal with anyone in history, who would it be? Nora Ephron. We’d talk food, writing, and our love of New York City. I would make her lunch, and she would make me laugh.
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Images courtesy of ChineseGrandma.com
CHINESE GRANDMA
Food, family and thoughtful living—is the byline for American-based food blog Chinese Grandma. Created by former investment banker and home cook Lilian, it’s all about old-school food and philosophy, inspired by her, “real Chinese grandmas.”
NAME: Rachel Cox BLOG: RachelCooksThai.com FOUNDED: 2010 Twitter: @RachelCooksThai Instagram: @rachelcooksthai Describe your cooking style in three words: Simple. Flavorful. Delicious.
Images courtesy of RachelCooksThai.com
RACHEL COOKS THAI
Coming to you from San Fransisco, Rachel Cooks Thai is a fairly self explanatory title for one of my favorite Thai food blogs. Inspired by her husband, who was born and raised in Thailand, follow along as Cox perfects (through trial and error) some of their family’s favorite dishes.
What’s your signature dish? Khanom Jeen Nam Ya, a traditional Thai dish of rice noodles topped with a rich fish curry and accompanied by a soft-boiled egg, various steamed and fresh vegetables, and fresh sprigs of lemon basil. What do you think is the most underrated ingredient? Kaffir lime leaves. They add so much unique citrus flavor to Thai and Southeast Asian dishes, it’s a shame they aren’t used more in other cuisines. What’s the best cooking advice you’ve ever received? Taste as you go. If you could share a meal with anyone in history, who would it be? “The boyfriend”—now officially known as “hubby”—because I love spending time with him over a good meal
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THE RAVENOUS COUPLE
Images courtesy of TheRavenousCouple.com
The couple who cooks together stays together—at least that’s the case for Los Angeles based Kim and Hong Pham of The Ravenous Couple. Both raised in first generation, immigrant Vietnamese-American families, this food blog shows you how fresh, delicious and simple Vietnamese cuisine can be. NAME: Kim and Hong Pham BLOG: TheRavenousCouple.com FOUNDED: 2008 Twitter: @RavenousCouple Instagram: @ravenouscouple Describe your cooking style in three words: Simple, healthy Vietnamese. What’s your signature dish? Lemongrass pork noodles, Bun Thit Nuong. What do you think is the most underrated ingredient? Fish sauce. What’s the best cooking advice you’ve ever received? Read the entire recipe. If you could share a meal with anyone in history, who would it be? The originator of Pho, to learn its origins and inspiration.
THERAVENOUSCOUPLE.COM
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IN SOCK MONKEY SLIPPERS
Images courtesy of InSockMonkeySlippers.com
Graphic designer turned stay-athome mom, Meredith Steele, started In Sock Monkey Slippers as a creative outlet—the name an homage to her favorite slippers. This is a family food blog with step-by-step instructions to tasty treats for every occasion: 5-Spice Duck Confit with Pink Peppercorn Pomegranate Glaze to Beans on Toast.
NAME: Meredith Steele BLOG: InSockMonkeySlippers.com FOUNDED: 2010 Twitter: @SMonkeySlippers Instagram: @smonkeyslippers Describe your cooking style in three words: Creative. Unique. Fresh. What’s your signature dish? My family and friends say Red Wine Braised Venison over Pumpkin Risotto, but as far as the blog goes, it’s Rosemary and Garlic Roasted Salmon. What do you think is the most underrated ingredient? Homemade stocks. They’re incredibly easy to make and make everything taste amazing. What’s the best cooking advice you’ve ever received? Never apologize for your food. Learn, move on, and open a bottle of wine. If you could share a meal with anyone in history, who would it be? I’m reading Gramercy Tavern right now and I’m completely drawn in. So, I’d have to say at this moment, I’d love to sit down over a beautiful meal with Chef Anthony and the entire staff at Gramercy Tavern.
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WHAT’S GABY COOKING
Images courtesy of WhatsGabyCooking.com
Los Angeles food blogger Gaby Dalkin, is a bona fide Californian gal. As happy in yoga pants as she is in a killer dress and five-inch heels, What’s Gaby Cooking is a food blog all about balance. From her Green Goddess Salad to Slutty Brownies, hop on over to the sunny side of the street.
NAME: Gaby Dalkin BLOG: WhatsGabyCooking.com FOUNDED: 2009 Twitter: @WhatsGabyCookin Instagram: @whatsgabycookin Describe your cooking style in three words: Colorful. Casual. Californian. What’s your signature dish? Chips, Salsa, Margaritas and Guacamole. I guess that’s more than a dish, but those are four things that should always be served together. What do you think is the most underrated ingredient? I’m currently having a major moment with radishes. They are just so pretty and no one ever uses them. What’s the best cooking advice you’ve ever received? Don’t be afraid to go for it. I was the pickiest eater ever growing up, and it wasn’t until culinary school when my teacher told me to throw caution to the wind and go for it. If you could share a meal with anyone in history, who would it be? I mean, I have a total girl crush on Chrissy Teigen right now. Mostly because that girl loves to eat and she seems like a ton of fun.
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NAME: Heather Scholten BLOG: FarmgirlGourmet.com FOUNDED: 2006 Twitter: @FarmgirlGourmet Instagram: @farmgirlgourmet Describe your cooking style in three words: Fresh. Local. Familyfriendly.
Images courtesy of FarmgirlGourmet.com
FARMGIRL GOURMET
Originally created to keep friends updated on the family’s farm adventures, Farmgirl Gourmet quickly became a destination for food lovers everywhere. Creator Heather Scholten utilizes the multitude of local farms around her to deliver recipes that are as delicious as they look.
What’s your signature dish? Ricotta Squash Gnocchi. What do you think is the most underrated ingredient? Spices. Seasoning food with fresh spices can elevate a meal and requires less salt to taste great. What’s the best cooking advice you’ve ever received? When I first moved out on my own, my mother bought me a Pol Martin cookbook. It was packed with elaborate recipes and it was scary to even open the book as a novice cook. My mother told me, “You can make anything you want in this book, just get in the kitchen and do it.” My roommate and I ate very well after that advice. It’s not only great advice for the kitchen, but for life. You can do anything...You just have to take the first step. If you could share a meal with anyone in history, who would it be? My mother. She passed away eight years ago and in that time my culinary skills have changed a lot. I would love to make her a meal and watch her eyes light up as she took her first bite. She wasn’t much of a cook, but she definitely loved a great meal.
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ANGELA GILLTRAP’S TOP 100 food bloggers 2015 | @TOP100FOOD
SAFFRON PUDDING
Images courtesy of SaffronPudding.com
Coming to your from Kuwait, is Fatemah Alhusayni’s phenomenal food blog, Saffron Pudding. The cook, housewife and mother of three showcases exquisite Middle Eastern cuisine with Persian, Lebanese and Iranian influences. Traverse the globe one fabulous dish at a time.
NAME: Fatemah Alhusayni BLOG: SaffronPudding.com FOUNDED: 2012 Twitter: @SaffronPudding Instagram: @saffronpudding Describe your cooking style in three words: Fresh. Experimental. Flavorful. What’s your signature dish? Everyone says that I make the best apple strudel muffins. What do you think is the most underrated ingredient? Onion. I think it is the one ingredient that transforms any dish—salads, stir fries, casseroles— from ordinary to delicious. What’s the best cooking advice you’ve ever received? Always taste for salt—from my husband. If you could share a meal with anyone in history, who would it be? I would love to share a meal with my great-great-grandmother. I am constantly on the search for my history. I think food tells that story beautifully.
SAFFRONPUDDING.COM
ANGELA GILLTRAP’S TOP 100 food bloggers 2015 | @TOP100FOOD
NAME: Lorraine Elliot BLOG: NotQuiteNigella.com FOUNDED: 2007 Twitter: @NotQuiteNigella Instagram: @notquitenigella Describe your cooking style in three words: I eat everything. What’s your signature dish? Probably a cake of some description. I love baking cakes to a ridiculous degree. What do you think is the most underrated ingredient? Salt and lemons. I find both absolutely indispensable. What’s the best cooking advice you’ve ever received? Have your mise en place ready—ingredients measured and prepared—that takes out a lot of the stress out of cooking. If you could share a meal with anyone in history, who would it be? My readers, because they are so much fun and love food as much as I do.
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Images courtesy of NotQuiteNigella.com
NOT QUITE NIGELLA
We might not all look as glamorous in the kitchen as celebrity foodie Nigella Lawson but that’s okay, says Sydney food blogger and author Loraine Elliot. Her aptly titled food blog, Not Quite Nigella features everything from Baked Caramel Apple Donuts to Pork, Fennel & Chestnut Sausage Rolls. It’s food-spiration at its best.
NAME: Heather Poire BLOG: SundayMorningBananaPancakes. Yummly.com FOUNDED: 2011 Twitter: @Smbp_Blog Instagram: @sundaymorningbananapancakes Describe your cooking style in three words: Natural. Seasonal. Inventive. What’s your signature dish? Sunday Pancakes of course! Also, homemade Pizza on Fridays. What do you think is the most underrated ingredient? The chickpea. There are countless ways to use the chickpea; they are so inexpensive and versatile. What’s the best cooking advice you’ve ever received? There are no mistakes just creative bumps that are potentially delicious if treated the right way and not as a mishaps. If you could share a meal with anyone in history, who would it be? Hunter S .Thompson—the conversation would never be dull, he is incredibly interesting and wild. Oh, the stories he could tell.
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Images courtesy of SundayMorningBananaPancakes.Yummly.com
SUNDAY MORNING BANANA PANCAKES
Sunday morning pancakes have to be one of my favorite things, and so it’s no surprise that I was drawn to this stunning site from food blogger and photographer Heather Poire. Based in New Hampshire, this cooking blog is more than simply fabulous breakfast food, it features delicious, seasonal, vegan treats with an emphasis on health and well-being.
LADLES AND JELLYSPOONS
Images courtesy of LadlesandJellyspoons.com
Aside from the gorgeous imagery and mouth-watering dishes, it’s hard not to be wooed simply by the name, Ladles and Jellyspoons. Created by the British “chef whisperer,” this Hollywood-based food blog includes a vast array of recipes perfect for beginner to advanced culinary connoisseurs. NAME: Lucy Lean BLOG: LadlesandJellyspoons.com FOUNDED: 2010 Twitter: @LucyLean Instagram: @lucylean Describe your cooking style in three words: Chef-centric. Luxurious. Healthy. What’s your signature dish? A Breakfast Tray Fit For a Lady — Caviar Egg. What do you think is the most underrated ingredient? Eggs. What’s the best cooking advice you’ve ever received? Practice makes perfect. If you could share a meal with anyone in history, who would it be? Mary Pickford. I think she was a pioneer and I’d be curious to hear all about her likes and dislikes, life and loves.
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MY NAME IS YEH
Images courtesy of MyNameisYeh.com
From Brooklyn hipster to farmer’s wife, Molly Yeh chronicles her fabulous foodie journey in North Dakota where she gets to make tasty farm lunches, dream up names for her future chickens, and pickle everything without being labeled a hipster.
NAME: Molly Yeh BLOG: MyNameIsYeh.com FOUNDED: 2009 Twitter: @MollyYeh Instagram: @mollyyeh Describe your cooking style in three words: Colorful. Fun. Bacon-y. What’s your signature dish? Mini cakes, anything with halva or marzipan and variations on the theme of Challah. What do you think is the most underrated ingredient? Marzipan and tahini. What’s the best cooking advice you’ve ever received? When life gives you lemons, squeeze them on a schnitzel! If you could share a meal with anyone in history, who would it be? My fiancé so I wouldn’t have to shower or put on pants. Or... The first person to ever eat an egg, just so I could find out what on earth he or she was thinking.
MYNAMEISYEH.COM
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ANGELA GILLTRAP’S TOP 100 food bloggers 2015 | @TOP100FOOD
Images courtesy of SweetLifeBake.com
NAME: Vianney Rodriguez BLOG: SweetLifeBake.com FOUNDED: 2009 Twitter: @SweetLifeBake Instagram: @sweetlifebake
SWEET LIFE BAKE
Raised in Texas, Vianney Rodriguez’ celebrates her Mexican heritage and Texan roots in the food blog, Sweet Life Bake. A bonafide foodie, you’ll find everything from “Magarita Love” to “Braised Brisket” in this allencompassing food blog.
Describe your cooking style in three words: Comfort. Cultural. FamilyStyle. What’s your signature dish? Pozole. What do you think is the most underrated ingredient? Hominy. Often only used in menudo and pozole I enjoy finding new ways to use this versatile ingredient. What’s the best cooking advice you’ve ever received? “Panza Llena, Corazón Contento.” Meaning: Full belly, happy heart. If you could share a meal with anyone in history, who would it be? My grandfather. He was very passionate about sharing a meal with his familia at the table. I would love to be able to spend time with him in the kitchen and listen to his stories. 
ANGELA GILLTRAP’S TOP 100 food bloggers 2015 | @TOP100FOOD
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NAME: Bonnie Meyer BLOG: SoilandSea.com FOUNDED: 2014 Twitter: @SoilandSeaBlog Describe your cooking style in three words: Approachable. Comfort. Seasonal. What’s you signature dish? It’s not up on the blog yet, but Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie. What do you think is the most underrated ingredient? Mint. Most people think it’s just for sweet dishes, but it can really elevate savory flavors, too. What’s the best cooking advice you’ve ever received? When it comes to your ingredients, keep them simple and fresh. If you could share a meal with anyone in history, who would it be? Probably Marcel Proust. He’s one of my favorite authors, partly because he’s so verbose. I would love to sit and listen to all the different ways he would describe the food.
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Images courtesy of SoilandSea.com
SOIL AND SEA
Pescatarian Bonnie Meyer explores the best in sustainable seafood and vegetarian dishes in Soil and Sea. Based in Indianapolis, this food blog features creative twists to our some of our favorites ingredients such as Roasted Garlic and Gorgonzola Hasselback Potatoes with Pomegranate Reduction and Poblano Citrus Shrimp and Calamari with Herbs and Black Rice.
Alquimia Dos Tachos is a Portuguese food blog that delivers enticing recipes for the discerning diner. From Two Ingredient Flourless Nutella Cake to Cod Gratin, bring a slice of Oporto to your table without having to leave the comfort of your own home.
NAME: Olivia Fagundes Rocha BLOG: AlquimiaDosTachos.com FOUNDED: 2010 Twitter: @oliviafrocha Instagram: @alquimiadostachos Describe your cooking style in three words: Simple. Passionate. Experimental. What’s your signature dish? Queijadinhas de Amêndoa—Almond, a convent sweet, winner of the second edition of an amazing Portuguese Contest “A Mesa dos Portugueses” (The Portuguese Table). What do you think is the most underrated ingredient? Lemon. What’s the best cooking advice you’ve ever received? Taste what you cook. If you could share a meal with anyone in history, who would it be? Catherine de’ Medici, so I could thank her for the amazing contribution she brought to gastronomy, especially patisserie.
ALQUIMIADOSTACHOS.COM
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ALQUIMIA DOS TACHOS ANGELA GILLTRAP’S TOP 100 food bloggers 2015 | @TOP100FOOD
BAKE AT 350
Images courtesy of Bakeat350.Blogspot.com
Would you consider yourself to be a cookie connoisseur? Then you’ll love Bridget Edwards’ Bake at 350. The goal is to feature cookies that every home baker can recreate—tried and tested by the cookie queen herself. With several books already under her belt, you’re in good hands with this inspiring food blog. NAME: Bridget Edwards BLOG: Bakeat350.Blogspot.com FOUNDED: 2007 Twitter: @Bakeat350Tweets Describe your cooking style in three words: Sugar. Flour. Butter. What’s your signature dish? Decorated cookies. What do you think is the most underrated ingredient? Granulated sugar. It gets such a bad rap, but it’s wonderful. What’s the best cooking advice you’ve ever received? From my mom: When having company for dinner, never try a new recipe. If you could share a meal with anyone in history, who would it be? Bill Murray. Why? Because, Bill Murray! He’s the best!
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BELLEAU KITCHEN
Images courtesy of BelleauKitchen.com
A cook, food writer and creative event producer, Dominic Franks is the mastermind behind British food blog, Belleau Kitchen. Featuring everything from Spatchcock Chicken with Apple Jelly and Honey Marinade, to Vegetarian Sausage, Mushroom and Stuffing Wellington, these recipes highlight the best in local and seasonal ingredients.
NAME: Dominic Franks BLOG: BelleauKitchen.com FOUNDED: 2010 Twitter: @BelleauKitchen Instagram: @belleaukitchen Describe your cooking style in three words: Rustic. Seasonal. Local. What’s your signature dish? Chicken thighs. What do you think is the most underrated ingredient? Chicken thighs. What’s the best cooking advice you’ve ever received? “Don’t try and be too neat and tidy, sometimes mess looks better.” — Eric Lanlard If you could share a meal with anyone in history, who would it be? I’d have loved to sit down with Keith Floyd and have a proper natter about food. He looks like the kind of person who really enjoys a good meal from start to finish with no pretensions.
BELLEAUKITCHEN.COM
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ANGELA GILLTRAP’S TOP 100 food bloggers 2015 | @TOP100FOOD
BAKE YOUR DAY
Images courtesy of BakeYourDay.net
Bake Your Day is the brainchild of Cassie Laemmli. A passion for food and the role it plays in our lives was the inspiration behind this fabulous, Missouri-based food blog. For Laemmli, food is much more than simply fuel. It’s a chance to come together, to nourish your body and to share life’s ups and downs—preferably over a bowl of Hawaiian Pizza Dip.
NAME: Cassie Laemmli BLOG: BakeYourDay.net FOUNDED: 2011 Twitter: @BakeYourDay Instagram: @bakeyourday Describe your cooking style in three words: No-fuss. Spicy. Midwestern. What’s your signature dish? Is “snack food” too broad? I love snacks—dips, popcorn, appetizers, etc. But if I had to narrow it down to specific dishes, I would say my Spicy Black Bean Burgers, French Onion Pork Chops or Hawaiian Pizza Dip. What do you think is the most underrated ingredient? Soy sauce. Asian cuisine is one of my favorites, and soy sauce is obviously a staple in Asian cooking but it is amazing in many other cuisines as well. I use it in fajita seasoning, in homemade sloppy joes and in my black bean burgers. The deep, salty flavor is so perfect for so many of our favorite meals. What’s the best cooking advice you’ve ever received? It’s not really advice, but my mom taught me to add a little of this, and a little of that when cooking, and to not be afraid to stray from a recipe. That’s exactly how I cook today. I know what flavors I like, and which flavors go well together, so I try to think that the sky is the limit when it comes to cooking and recipe development.
BAKEYOURDAY.NET
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If you could share a meal with anyone in history, who would it be? Eleanor Roosevelt. She was an advocate for women and for those who couldn’t advocate for themselves. Her gumption and drive have always inspired me.
Describe your cooking style in three words: Simple. Fun. Fabulous. What’s your signature dish? My Three Spice Indian Chicken Curry.
Images courtesy of QuickIndianCooking.com
NAME: Mallika Basu BLOG: QuickIndianCooking.com FOUNDED: 1996 Twitter: @MallikaBasu_ Instagram: @mallikabasu_
QUICK INDIAN COOKING
Since the late nineties, Mallika Basu has been bringing the wonders of Indian Cuisine to the web. Born and raised in Kolkata, India, she moved to England to study when she was eighteen, and the rest is, as they say, history. “Live life. Love curry,” is her motto. One you’ll want to chant after making some of these fabulous recipes.
What do you think is the most underrated ingredient? Greek, thick yogurt. It tenderizes meat, thickens curries and soothes the tummy. What’s not to like? What’s the best cooking advice you’ve ever received? From my Dad: You can’t be afraid of hot oil if you want to be a cook. If you could share a meal with anyone in history, who would it be? This is a really tough one! It would probably be a great feminist figure from yesterday, like Rani Lakshmibai, one of the fiercest 19th Century Indian Queens or Emily Pankhurst of the Suffragettes. We owe these powerful women, everything we have today.
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REAL FOOD FORAGER
Images courtesy of RealFoodForager.com
The Real Food Forager is a health and nutrition blog created by Dr. Jill Tieman. Coming to you from Sayville, New York, it focuses on autoimmune and grain-free diets with countless recipes and educational posts. Not the outdoor type? Don’t worry, Tieman doesn’t expect you to trek through the forest for your supper, this is about foraging Online and in your grocery store to become a modern day, suburban, real food forager. NAME: Dr. Jill Tieman BLOG: RealFoodForager.com FOUNDED: 2011 Twitter: @RealFoodForager Instagram: @realfoodforager Describe your cooking style in three words: Simple, real food. What’s your signature dish? Braised Brisket. What do you think is the most underrated ingredient? Salt. What’s the best cooking advice you’ve ever received? Cook low and slow, and try not to burn anything. If you could share a meal with anyone in history, who would it be? My mother because she never had a chance to taste my real food cooking style.
REALFOODFORAGER.COM
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RECIPE GIRL
Images courtesy of RecipeGirl.com
When is the last time you had friends over for dinner? Thanks to Recipe Girl’s themed menus you can entertain with ease. The site, created by Nevada native Lori Lange, features over 2,500 family-friendly recipes with a great archive that lets you browse dishes by category or ingredient. If you’re in need of food-spiration, you’ve come to the right place.
NAME: Lori Lange BLOG: RecipeGirl.com FOUNDED: 2006 Twitter: @RecipeGirl Instagram: @recipegirl Describe your cooking style in three words: Family-friendly. Simple. Fun. What’s your signature dish? Red Velvet Cheesecake Cake. What do you think is the most underrated ingredient? Coconut— it’s great for sweet and savory! What’s the best cooking advice you’ve ever received? Don’t use a wooden spoon to stir the contents of a running blender. If you could share a meal with anyone in history, who would it be? George Clooney.
RECIPEGIRL.COM
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ANGELA GILLTRAP’S TOP 100 food bloggers 2015 | @TOP100FOOD
CHOCOLATE MOOSEY
Images courtesy of ChocolateMoosey.com
Carla Cardello is addicted to recipes. The Pittsburgh-based food blogger, photographer and recipe writer, has put this addiction to good use on her food blog, Chocolate Moosey. Featuring a tantalizing selection of sweet and savory recipes, bookmark this site for when you’re in need of culinary inspiration. NAME: Carla Cardello BLOG: ChocolateMoosey.com FOUNDED: 2007 Twitter: @ChocolateMoosey Instagram: @chocolatemooseyblog Describe your cooking style in three words: Flavorful. Indulgent. Adventurous. What’s your signature dish? Cheesecake. What do you think is the most underrated ingredient? Coconut milk. What’s the best cooking advice you’ve ever received? Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. That just means you’ll know better for next time. If you could share a meal with anyone in history, who would it be? Dorie Greenspan because she is one of my favorite cookbook authors. Her and I are both bakers at heart and I feel that we could talk for hours about dessert.
CHOCOLATEMOOSEY.COM
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NAME: Amanda Feifer BLOG: Phickle.com FOUNDED: 2010 Twitter: @PhickleFoods Instagram: @phicklefoods Describe your cooking style in three words: Wild and lazy. What’s your signature dish? There are a few signature dishes that I bring to picnics and parties: wild fermented cider, homebrewed hot pepper soda, minty hakurei turnip pickles and Mac and Kimcheese. I’ve honed that last one since I put it on my blog a couple years ago and a new, knockout version is in my upcoming cookbook, Ferment Your Vegetables (Fair Winds Press). What do you think is the most underrated ingredient? Leftover Brine. It’s crazy to me that people make or buy pickles and then just toss the brine after they’re done. That stuff is powerful! It’s loaded with flavor, vitamins, acidity and, in fermented pickles, probiotics. It makes an incredible braising liquid. What’s the best cooking advice you’ve ever received? Just try it! Since I didn’t start cooking until my late teens, I never felt like a natural cook and I used to be really nervous about making mistakes or straying from recipes. It’s a cliché, but I’ve definitely learned more from my mistakes than the things that worked out perfectly the first time. And often, the crazy experiments turn into something really interesting. If you could share a meal with anyone in history, who would it be? I wish I could share a meal with the first person to have successfully fermented something like wine, bread or yogurt, that predates written history. I can only imagine that it felt like total alchemy, and I’d love to see how that process evolved from, “I have to eat this to survive and I hope it doesn’t kill me,” to “This is freakin’ delicious and we should all be eating this on purpose!”
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Images courtesy of Phickle.com
PHICKLE
There’s a fermentation revolution happening in kitchens throughout the United States. One of its leaders: Amanda Feifer of Phickle. This Philadelphia-based fermentation blog will inform and inspire.
5 SECOND RULE
Created by food writer and cookbook author Cheryl Sternman Rule, the 5 Second Rule is part diary, part food blog. Coupled with beautiful photography and engaging stories, 5 Second Rule will soon become a favorite among lovers of good storytelling and fabulous food.
NAME: Cheryl Sternman Rule BLOG: 5SecondRule.Typepad.com FOUNDED: 2008 Twitter: @SternmanRule Instagram: @sternmanrule & @ teamyogurt Describe your cooking style in three words: Color-forward. Accessible. Wholesome-but-notascetic. What’s your signature dish? Anything and everything with yogurt. What do you think is the most underrated ingredient? Yogurt, but this is changing as more people are discovering its savory qualities. We’re starting to catch up with the rest of the world on this point. I’ve even written a cookbook on the topic: Yogurt Culture, which comes out on April 14, 2015. I’m super-proud of it. What’s the best cooking advice you’ve ever received? Salt early and often. If you could share a meal with anyone in history, who would it be? The Wonder Twins. I’d love to find out how they were able to morph into such cool stuff.
5SECONDRULE.TYPEPAD.COM
ANGELA GILLTRAP’S TOP 100 food bloggers 2015 | @TOP100FOOD
Images courtesy of ALocalChoice.Blogspot.com
NAME: Nicole Pallante BLOG: aLocalChoice.Blogspot.com FOUNDED: 2011 Twitter: @aLocalChoice Instagram: @alocalchoice
A LOCAL CHOICE
Growing up in Cleveland, Ohio, Nicole Pallante’s most cherished childhood moments revolved around food—cooking, eating and celebrating as a family. Influenced by Italian and Southern cuisine, her passion continues with her highly successful blog, A Local Choice. Now based in Columbus Ohio, travel with Pallante as she explores the country’s greatest farms sourcing the best in local produce for a vast array of memorable dishes.
Describe your cooking style in three words: Local. Seasonal. Adaptable. What’s your signature dish? Without a doubt, “Grandpa’s Mac & Cheese.” This family recipe tastes like a combination of grilled cheese and tomato soup and is pure comfort food. I did take the liberty of updating the ingredients a bit, replacing the cheese selections with local options. What do you think is the most underrated ingredient? Garlic! While it is never the star of the show, garlic is in almost every savory recipe I prepare and adds a world of flavor. What’s the best cooking advice you’ve ever received? Seasoning can make or break a recipe. If you could share a meal with anyone in history, who would it be? David Chang. While watching the Mind of a Chef series, I became enamored with David’s approach to food and cooking. I would love the opportunity to spend a day learning and experimenting in his kitchen and, of course, enjoying a bowl of Momofuku ramen. Plus, those dimples... C’mon!
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CALL ME CUPCAKE
Images courtesy of Call-Me-Cupcake.Blogspot.com
In a small town on the west coast of Sweden, lives Linda Lomelino, creator of Call Me Cupcake. The food blogger and cookbook author combines her Portuguese and German heritage with her love of pastries and the sweet life to produce one of the most beautiful—and mouth-watering— food blogs on the web today. NAME: Linda Lomelino BLOG: Call-Me-Cupcake.Blogspot.com FOUNDED: 2009 Twitter: @Linda_Lomelino Instagram: @linda_lomelino Describe your cooking style in three words: Enthusiastic. Spontaneous. Impatient. What’s your signature dish? Pavlova with Whipped Cream and Strawberries. What do you think is the most underrated ingredient? I’m not sure if it’s underrated but many people wrinkle their noses when I tell them that beer (stout) goes so well with chocolate in baked goods. I also love to use liquor and liqueur in baking, and especially in ice cream. What’s the best cooking advice you’ve ever received? I recently had a giveaway on my blog where I asked people for their best cooking/baking advice. I received so many great and inspired tips but my favorites are always the ones saying “Don’t be afraid to give it a try!” I mean, what is the worst thing that could happen? Oh, and using a little bit of vodka in ice cream to reduce ice crystals which is pretty great and totally works.
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If you could share a meal with anyone in history, who would it be? My paternal grandparents who I never had the chance of meeting before they died. My grandmother was a great baker and I’m sure I could learn a lot from her. I would ask her to share some of her favorite recipes with me. My grandfather was a poet and I’m sure he would have so many great stories to tell. In a perfect world, I would also be able to speak Portuguese with them. ANGELA GILLTRAP’S TOP 100 food bloggers 2015 | @TOP100FOOD
LUME BRANDO
Images courtesy of Lume-Brando.Blogspot.com
Portuguese food blog Lume Brand (meaning low heat) was created by freelance copywriter, Teresa Rebelo. Devoted to her family—and to baking— you’re sure to find some new family favorites here. NAME: Teresa Rebelo BLOG: Lume-Brando.Blogspot.pt FOUNDED: 2004 Twitter: @Tecas Instagram: @teresa_rebelo Describe your cooking style in three words: Easy. Pretty. Tasty. What’s your signature dish? Maybe my Dried and Salted Cod with Olive Oil, Onions and Rustic Bread Crumbs. It’s a popular dish in Portugal and the way I cook it is largely appreciated by friends and family. Unfortunately, it’s not on the blog. I must fix that! What do you think is the most underrated ingredient? Well, this is a difficult one. But perhaps beetroot. Until recently, beetroot meant nothing to me. I’d never eaten it when I lived with my parents and I think most of my friends and family still don’t eat it. I just remember seeing poached beetroot in some ordinary restaurants salads, served in a way I think is dull. Now I’ve found out how amazing roasted beetroot or poached beetroot with orange and goat cheese are, I use it a lot. But I think is still a ingredient the Portuguese have to rediscover. What’s the best cooking advice you’ve ever received? Cook, cook, cook! Never give up cooking, even if the recipe has failed. The mistakes also help to improve our skills.
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ANGELA GILLTRAP’S TOP 100 food bloggers 2015 | @TOP100FOOD
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If you could share a meal with anyone in history, who would it be? I choose Julia Child. She was a very persistent woman, quite daring for her time, absolutely in love for food and cooking. By her quotes, we can see that she was pretty witty! Sharing a meal with her would be a lot of fun. After all, she was the one who said, “If you are afraid of butter, use cream.”
MAGDA’S CAULDRON
Images courtesy of MagdasCauldron.com
Based in Dublin, Ireland, Polish food blogger Magda Faszczewska shares her culinary heritage at Magda’s Cauldron. Here you’ll find everything from sweet to savory, nutritious to indulgent, as Faszczewska serves up her take on food, travel and life.
NAME: Magda Faszczewska BLOG: MagdasCauldron.com FOUNDED: 2011 Twitter: @Magdascauldron Instagram: @magdascauldron Describe your cooking style in three words: Comforting. Informal. Simple. What’s your signature dish? Polish Cheesecake. It’s only a handful of ingredients, but it’s also pretty easy to play with by covering it with chocolate or salted caramel, adding something inside etc. What do you think is the most underrated ingredient? Potatoes, or other staple veggies like carrots, we often look for rarer, more exotic ingredients, forgetting with a few spices you can turn your everyday veg into something special. What’s the best cooking advice you’ve ever received? We can fix it. My mom would often say it and usually she was right. It’s not that easy to spoil food, you just need to know a few fixes.
MAGDASCAULDRON.COM
101.
If you could share a meal with anyone in history, who would it be? Yotam Ottolenghi. I’m really fascinated by the way he cooks, he is great writer too. I would love to learn more about him and his cooking in an informal chat over the dinner.
IN THE MOOD FOR SWEETS
Images courtesy of IntheMoodforSweets.com
Surrender to your sweet tooth at Portuguese cooking blog, In the Mood for Sweets. Created by architect turned pâtissiére Joana Gonçalves, expect decadent desserts and mouthwatering food-spiration. NAME: Joana Gonçalves BLOG: InTheMoodForSweets.com FOUNDED: 2011 Twitter: @itmfSweets Instagram: @jo.sweets Describe your cooking style in three words: Tasty. Fresh. Appealing. What’s your signature dish? Anything with passion fruit or citrus. What do you think is the most underrated ingredient? The egg. It is not considered a premium ingredient, like chocolate or vanilla, but it is essential for pastry. You can’t do much without it. What’s the best cooking advice you’ve ever received? It was by one of my chefs, “ You have to have vision. See what is happening in the world and what is being done. If you just do your work and go home, nothing will happen to your career.” If you could share a meal with anyone in history, who would it be? Auguste Escoffier. He is a big reference for chefs. He popularized French cooking and elevated the status of the profession. He is also responsible for the organization of the cooking brigade, the model that we still use today. I would like to hear his advice.
INTHEMOODFORSWEETS.COM
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COOKIE AND KATE
Images courtesy of CookieandKate.com
Fresh, vegetarian dishes are on the menu at Cookie and Kate, a food blog created by Kansas City-based photographer and cook, Kathryne Taylor. It’s her dog Cookie who shares equal billing at this enticing, vegetarian hot spot. NAME: Kathryne Taylor BLOG: CookieandKate.com FOUNDED: 2010 Twitter: @CookieandKate Instagram: @cookieandkate Describe your cooking style in three words: Fresh. Approachable. Creative. What’s your signature dish? Depends on the season. My Peanut Sesame Slaw with Soba Noodles is always a hit, though What do you think is the most underrated ingredient? Tahini. I just got back from Israel and I want to put creamy, nutty tahini in everything now. What’s the best cooking advice you’ve ever received? You can do it. Cooking seems so intimidating at first, but with a playful, “Let’s try this and see what happens,” sort of attitude, it can be really fun. If you could share a meal with anyone in history, who would it be? Probably Mindy Kaling, quite simply because she would keep me in stitches.
COOKIEANDKATE.COM
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ANGELA GILLTRAP’S TOP 100 food bloggers 2015 | @TOP100FOOD
COCO DE MAMA
Images courtesy of CocoDeMama.com
Food is a huge part of our family history particularly for Francesco Romano, the food blogger behind Coco De Mama. Featuring “Mama’s recipes imported from Italy,” you’ll find a vast array of family favorites to add to your culinary arsenal.
NAME: Francesco Romano BLOG: CocoDeMama.com Twitter: @CocoDeMamaBlog Instagram: @cocodemamablog Describe your cooking style in three words: Simple, authentic Italian. What’s your signature dish? Ravioli. What do you think is the most underrated ingredient? Salt. What’s the best cooking advice you’ve ever received? From my Nonna, to cook with love. If you could share a meal with anyone in history, who would it be? Joan Rivers, because there would be nothing better than a delicious dinner and a good laugh!
COCODEMAMA.COM
ANGELA GILLTRAP’S TOP 100 food bloggers 2015 | @TOP100FOOD
104.
INDUSTRY TALK David Vandenabelle
Executive chef, LANGHAM PLACE NEW YORK What do you think is the most underrated ingredient? For me, the most underrated ingredient is chicken. Unless you’re a vegetarian, chicken appeals to everyone. It’s the great unifier. It can be prepared in the most diverse array of methods, more so than any other protein. And it is inexpensive enough to allow for that versatility. Plus, even though it is a simple ingredient, it can be used in almost any cultural cuisine found anywhere in the world.
LOCAL MILK BLOG
Images courtesy of LocalMilkBlog.com
Inspired by the perfection of imperfection, Beth Kirby is the mastermind behind the Local Milk Blog. She is a stylist, photographer, writer, and recipe developer based in Chattanooga in Nashville, Tennessee. Be swept away by the entrancing imagery and mouth-watering recipes on the pages of the Local Milk Blog. NAME: Beth Kirby BLOG: LocalMilkBlog.com FOUNDED: 2012 Twitter: @Local_Milk Instagram: @local_milk Describe your cooking style in three words: Lyrical. Rustic. Seasonal. What’s your signature dish? I don’t have one—I cook so many things. But I do have signature flavors that I like to incorporate— fresh herbs, teas, and florals make frequent appearances in both sweet & savory dishes. That said, I do make a very fine buttermilk biscuit (sort of like a scone, but not a scone.) What do you think is the most underrated ingredient? Celery in all forms—leaves, stalks, and root. I love the tender, young leaves in salads, on sandwiches, and any where else I can fit them. If they’re too old they’re impossibly bitter. And I love the stalks braised or sliced very thin. As for the root there are so many wonderful things you can do with it, but my favorite is a great soup or puree. What’s the best cooking advice you’ve ever received? That I’m only as good as my ingredients. Fresh, high quality ingredients are the backbone of my cooking. I let the produce & food of the region & season I’m in tell me what to cook, as opposed to the other way around.
LOCALMILKBLOG.COM
ANGELA GILLTRAP’S TOP 100 food bloggers 2015 | @TOP100FOOD
106.
If you could share a meal with anyone in history, who would it be? While there are myriad artists, writers, and philosophers that I’d love to share a meal with, at the end of the day a small group of my closest friends and colleagues is my preference every time because I can, without any effort or mental gymnastics, be myself—obsession with work, childish sense of humor, weird morbidity, and all. For instance, the group I just worked with in Venice was ideal—stylist Ginny Branch, chef Aaron Teece, artist Lisa Garcia , and fellow food photographer/blogger Skye McAlpine. We never ran out of things to talk about, we all love food, and my face hurt from laughing. If I could throw photographer Luisa Brimble and my bestie Rebekka Seale in there, I think I’d die of happiness.
PRINCESS TOFU
Images courtesy of PrincessTofu.com
Expect a stylish mix of Asian and Parisian flair at Princess Tofu. Coming to you from San Francisco, this food blog features the dazzling imagery and a vast array of vegetarian dishes that will inspire even the most adamant meat eater. This is culinary inspiration at its best. NAME: Phi Tran BLOG: PrincessTofu.com FOUNDED: 2012 Twitter: @Chickiephi Instagram: @princess_tofu Describe your cooking style in three words: Buttery, smoky vegetables. What’s your signature dish? Gnocchi, all kinds. What do you think is the most underrated ingredient? Fennel. What’s the best cooking advice you’ve ever received? He never said this to me,personally, but this resonates with my love of cooking so I carry this idea when I go to my kitchen:
PRINCESSTOFU.COM
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“For me, it’s just very hard to be in the world. Whether it’s cooking or writing, you trudge along and it’s hard. You spend most of your time in any kind of creative pursuit mired in this cold, gray, muddy kind of wasteland. And then, every once in a while, you have this moment where something happens that is so extraordinary, so transcendent, that it obliterates all of the tedium of the world. A light so bright that it just wipes out everything else around it. And then it’s gone, and you’re back in that muck again. But that moment of epiphany is so extraordinary that you endure all of the other stuff to find it. The act of pursuing a moment of creativity is itself obliterating because it’s all-consuming. Anything that you don’t want to think about then is pushed away, because all you can do is pursue this one thing. It’s a very effective way of not being in the world.” — Daniel Patterson, Chef at Coi Restaurant If you could share a meal with anyone in history, who would it be? A platter full of oysters with M.F.K. Fisher. Consider the Oyster was revelatory, sensual, humorous, all of the wonderful things writing and food should be.
Dolly and Oatmeal has long been a foodie favorite. Featuring gorgeous imagery from founder Lindsey Silverman Love, it showcases seasonal recipes that offer dairy and gluten-free alternatives. NAME: Lindsey Silverman Love BLOG: DollyandOatmeal.com FOUNDED: 2013 Twitter: @DollyandOatmeal Instagram: @dollyandoatmeal Describe your cooking style in three words: Seasonal. Simple. Connected. What’s your signature dish? I don’t know if I have a signature dish per se, but I think whenever I bring something to a potluck or picnic you can bet that it’s going to be some sort of hearty salad, or a gluten and dairy-free baked good. What do you think is the most underrated ingredient? Chickpea flour, mostly because it’s a wonderful flour, even if you’re not gluten-free. I use it for almost everything from breakfast scrambles, to cookies, and as a thickening agent in soups. It’s a super versatile ingredient. What’s the best cooking advice you’ve ever received? My mom always told me to cook with love and I can firmly say from experience, that when I don’t, it totally reflects in my food.
Images courtesy of DollyandOatmeal.com
DOLLYANDOATMEAL.COM
ANGELA GILLTRAP’S TOP 100 food bloggers 2015 | @TOP100FOOD
DOLLY AND OATMEAL
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