Blogroll

With Add A Little Lemon, Sara Leana Ahmad aims to change the narrative of Iraq in America. Sarah’s smart and informative posts capture the essence of a first generation American living in a diaspora. She seamlessly links the stories of her family roots to the hybrid food that has shaped her identity. In a post about dolmas, Sara intersperses colorful and beautifully composed photos with an equally beautiful history about her mother’s dolmas, and her own. Sara’s recipe is detailed and calls out specific helpful hints for critical steps, like assembling the filled vegetables in the proper order.

Lemon and Olives is a blog written by husband and wife, Kenton and Jane as they explore the Greek cuisine of Kenton’s heritage. Their blog includes recipes for popular Greek desserts like galaktoboureko and loukoumades, as well variations of savory Greek phyllo pies like prasopita (leek) pie, and kreatopita (meat pie). In addition to recipes, their site includes overview sections that dive into more detail about topics such as Greek cheeses and wines. There’s even a section that discusses finding your kefi, or living a life of joy.

Visit Cocktails of Copenhagen and you’re greeted by large, lush photos of cocktails made by Copenhagen’s greatest bartenders. An invitation to the story behind each cocktail appears as you hover over its photo. A team effort of “inebriated amateurs” and “self-proclaimed aficionados” the blog highlights Copenhagen’s cocktail craft and innovation. An August post details the inspiration and creation of Ama’r Colada, a tiki drink with a definitively Nordic twist. Tina, the creator, swaps rum and pineapple for gooseberry juice and dill aquavit. The post includes a recipe, review, and explanation of how the drink fits in with the bar menu.

Bread baker Maurizio Leo is obsessive in his search for The Perfect Loaf. Deep dive posts like this step-by-step ciabatta entry lead with an introduction on why we want this bread. Maurizio guides readers through important flavor development factors, like flour selection and milling fresh grains. Blog posts are supplemented with primers on important techniques, like Bassinage for super wet ciabatta dough, or super slow-motion video on shaping a batard for maximum effect. Detailed recipes, with timing considerations, are interspersed with well-placed photos showing recipes coming to life. Maurizio closes out each post with mouthwatering descriptions of the finished loaves.

In a blog devoted to the Korean recipes she was raised on, Maangchi guides readers through each of her Korean dishes with both step-by-step recipes and videos. In a section devoted to kimchi alone, there are over a dozen posts on an assortment of kimchi recipe variations, including this one for emergency kimchi. Maangchi guides us through this recipe that she created to use for her travels to countries where napa cabbage isn’t available. In the accompanying video, Maanchi brings us along as she shops for ingredients in Oaxacan market, then prepares her kimchi back at her vacation lodging.

In Big World Small Girl, beer blogger Caitlin focuses mostly on beer in the Austin area. But her site also includes a range of spirited posts covering other drink related content and locales, in sections for cider, spirits and wine, places to drink in Austin, and travel. A June post, featuring local Austin brewery Circle Brewing, highlights seven interesting facts, including its origins, brewing philosophy and popular events. Like all of Caitlin’s posts, this one features lighthearted and informative writing interspersed with well framed photos and related Instagram posts.

As a flight attendant and travel blogger, Paulina has spent enough time flying across the world to know that potato chips are not dinner. Paulina combines her passion for cooking and travel experience into satiating stories of her unique experiences abroad. In an entry about Tanzania, Paulina shares captivating photos and descriptions about the realities of traveling on safari. She educates readers about unique Tanzanian foods like their “blood milkshake” and ugali, a dietary supplement derived from maize which the Maasai have been forced to adopt into their cuisine. She then shares a delicious spinach curry recipe over which to serve it.