Site Scoop: Trail of Crumbs

A life of jetting around the world, savoring fantastic meals, taking beautiful photographs and spending quality time with your like-minded family members and friends? Sounds like a fantasy. For Adrian and Danielle, the couple behind the "gastro travelogue" Trail of Crumbs, it's reality. If you love learning about food from all over the globe, you have to check this blog out immediately. Adrian and Danielle (and their guest writers) relate their delicious adventures in a charming, down-to-earth way that makes you yearn to be right there with them, eating saucisson in the French countryside, tartino di verdure in Piedmont, or tacos in San Francisco. They make sure to include tons of photographs and recipes as well, so you can try to create a similar experience at home. Go ahead, live vicariously through these worldly individuals for a little while. Or, if you really want to take it to the next level and go on your very own culinary journey, the authors can design a customized travel itinerary for you!

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Site Scoop: The Pioneer Woman

I was first introduced to the Pioneer Woman (a.k.a. Ree Drummond) a few years ago when I received her cookbook as a Christmas present. It took all of two minutes for me to fall under her charming, country-girl spell. Now that she's become a pretty big deal, with a show on the Food Network, a second cookbook, and a rather large following, it is even more imperative that you check out her awesome cooking blog. Her humble demeanor, witty, casual tone and scrumptious, clearly-written recipes (complete with helpful step-by-step photographs) will drive you to bookmark her site before you know it, especially if you're looking to whip up some serious comfort food.

Steakhouse Pizza, Peach-Whiskey Barbecue Chicken, or Pan-Fried Pork Chops, anyone? And don't even get me started on the desserts. The Blackberry Cobbler is one of the simplest, yet tastiest summer treats ever! Trust me, this blog is one frontier you'll be happy you explored.

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Site Scoop: Delish.com Easter and Passover Desserts

For many Penn students, Easter and Passover are times of joy and celebration. For some, this celebration includes a whole lot of food! And what better way to enhance the festivities than by making some delightful holiday-themed sweets? Delish.com features an extensive collection of delectable dessert suggestions for this time of year. Sophisticated offerings for Passover include chocolate pots de crème, honey-almond cake, and pistachio-cranberry macaroons, while the Easter recipe section boasts pastel-hued cupcakes with sugared flowers, dainty almond petits fours, and (for the
aspiring pastry chefs among us) a chocolate cake enrobed in chocolate ganache frosting and topped with chocolate truffle eggs. If you're getting together with loved ones in the next few days, bring one (or more!) of these tasty treats along. You will surely be the most popular person at the dinner table!

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Site Scoop: Toy Kitchen Chef

You know what's frustrating? Gazing at photographs of mouthwatering meals in the pages of magazines and blogs, losing yourself in the fantasy of cooking that rack of lamb or beef bourguignon in your very own kitchen as the whole room fills with enticing aromas, only to shift your eyes to the actual recipe and discover that it  contains several expensive, hard-to-find ingredients and requires many hours of complicated preparation. We college students, with our limited budgets, busy schedules and miniscule kitchens may often be excluded from the world of decadent, saffron-threaded, fleur de sel-sprinkled fare, but that doesn't mean our homemade creations have to be any less delicious than their fancier counterparts. Enter Toy Kitchen Chef, a fellow Penn Appétit blogger's adorably designed, easy-to-follow site that's chock full of simple recipes and helpful photographs. The blog's writing style is friendly and straightforward, and while the ingredients lists and recipes are refreshingly short and uncomplicated, the end products are interesting, impressive, and (most importantly) tasty! Many of the recipes happen to be vegetarian or vegan, but even serious carnivores will get excited about the hearty-looking vegetable stew or healthy homemade French fries. Check it out!

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Site Scoop: Southern Living

When people ask which cities they should visit for an amazing meal, the answers may seem obvious at first: New York, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, San Francisco...glitzy, glamorous metropolises filled to the brim with high-profile chefs and renowned restaurants. However, this short list of hotspots only makes up a small slice of what the American culinary scene has to offer. The south, in particular, is experiencing a boom in food culture. As a Brooklyn girl who is soon heading below the Mason-Dixon line for graduate school, I am eternally grateful to Southern Living magazine for the "South's Tastiest Town" awards, a homage to ten drool-worthy dining destinations including Lafayette, Louisiana, Decatur, Georgia, and Raleigh, North Carolina. This list is enough to make anyone want to embark on a road trip and get a taste of what these Southern chefs are cooking, whether it's chic Indian cuisine in Houston, pan-fried Virginia trout in Charlottesville, or twelve-layer coconut cake in Charleston. What are you waiting for? Book a trip to one of these tasty towns ASAP!

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Site Scoop: Sprouted Kitchen

With the beautiful warm weather that has graced the city of Philadelphia these past few days, thoughts of crisp, bright springtime fare have invaded my mind. I keep daydreaming about the forthcoming wave of farmers' markets and barbecues, and all of the cheerfully-hued, fruit-filled desserts I would like to make! But I'm getting a little ahead of myself. For now, I'll satisfy my seasonal food urges with the gorgeous photography on Sprouted Kitchen. First of all, everything about this blog feels natural, clean and pure. There is a very strong emphasis on showcasing "whole" foods with healthy ingredients. The layout is also quite minimalist, with no clutter to be found. The images capture all of the crucial fine details: each crumb in a slice of bread, the crackling peel of an onion, the delicate folds on a head of cabbage, the tiny beads of condensation on fresh produce, the shimmer of butter in a cast iron skillet. It's almost as if you are right there in the kitchen, preparing the meal yourself. Each page is even more mesmerizing than the last. I have yet to test any of the accompanying recipes, but they appear simple, delicious, and, best of all, good for you! I suggest you check this blog out right away. A word of caution, however: you will get hungry!

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Site Scoop: Smitten Kitchen Breakfast

You'll never meet a bigger breakfast fan than me. Nothing gets me out of bed faster than the prospect of a gooey bacon egg and cheese sandwich or a stack of pancakes drenched in syrup. When I'm home in New York, my mother, knowing I have this weakness, constantly spoils me with omelets, chocolate chip pancakes and cinnamon buns. Some people find my breakfast obsession endearing, while others find it a little strange. In fact, I've noticed that many of my peers just can't get excited about the most important meal of the day. Too many people just grab a handful of dry cereal or a piece of toast before they rush out the door on their way to morning classes. And this makes me sad. Don't you know what you're missing out on? It's just wrong! So I am asking you to do something for me this weekend. Visit one of my most beloved food blogs, Smitten Kitchen, and find a delightfully decadent recipe from the breakfast section to make for yourself and some friends. May I suggest the boozy baked french toast, jalapeño-cheddar scones, or lemon ricotta pancakes with sauteed apples? Better yet, turn it into a breakfast potluck and let everyone contribute a dish! Then eat your heart out and reward yourself with a serious food-coma-induced afternoon nap! You can thank me later. 

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Site Scoop: Good Wine Under $20

For years, I longed for the arrival of my twenty-first birthday. I was convinced that, at the stroke of midnight on that very day, I would suddenly acquire a wealth of impressive alcohol-related knowledge. I imagined myself pouring complicated, customized cocktails from my personal liquor cabinet and describing my evening glass of wine (expertly paired with an elegant dinner, of course) in terms of aroma and mouthfeel. Shockingly, this did not happen. I'm more than halfway to twenty-two now, and I still feel decidedly unsophisticated whenever I'm perusing the aisles of the nearest Wine and Spirits shop. Not to mention that, as a college student on a budget, I don't exactly have the funds to splurge on a fancy Bordeaux bottle for my next BYOB dinner. What's a young aspiring oenophile to do? Visit a swell little blog called Good Wine Under $20! This site is positively packed with reviews and recommendations of quality bargain wines, perfect for the person who wants to explore her beverage options without depleting her bank account. Saveur, Food & Wine, Wine & Spirits, and the American Wine Blog Awards approve, and I bet you will, too!

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Site Scoop: Cafe Fernando

If you're looking to spoil your valentine (or your friends, or yourself) with some decadent homemade sweets next week, check out this post on Cafe Fernando, a positively darling blog written by a self-admitted "chocoholic". Cafe Fernando won "Best Original Baking And Desserts Recipe" in the 2011 Saveur Best Food Blog Awards, so you know you're dealing with some quality stuff. From the impossibly cute Strawberry Tuxedos to the exquisite L'Orange cake, there's something for every chocolate-lover. Even if you're buried under a mountain of schoolwork on February 14th, you still have time to whip up a batch of Five Minute Mousse! Warning: although it would be rather difficult to make everything on this page in only one day, you will certainly be tempted to after scrolling through the gorgeous photographs! 

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Site Scoop: Fifteen Spatulas

We are excited to introduce a new weekly series to the Penn Appetit blog: Site Scoop! Every Saturday, we'll take a look at a food blog that we love to check out.

It all started when my friend Glenn posted a picture on Facebook of some sinfully tasty-looking cupcakes she had whipped up. An avid baker myself, I was very curious about where she had gotten the recipe, so I clicked on the photo. The caption mentioned a blog called Fifteen Spatulas. I had never heard of it before, but one quick Google search later, I was poring over one of the coolest cooking blogs I have ever encountered.

Joanne Ozug, a University of Rochester grad, is the brains behind this delightful culinary operation. She's young, fun, and writes in a very relatable, unpretentious manner. She even posts instructional videos to go along with some of her posts. Beginner-level cooks and seasoned chefs alike will appreciate her original style and inventive, yet simple, recipes. They might even be so appreciative that they decide to make three things from her blog in the span of a single week. Well...that's what I did, anyway. In case you were wondering, those three things were the Ooey Gooey Rocky Road Cookies, the Chocolate Chunk Muffins, and my personal favorite: the Cookie Dough Cheesecake Bars. All of them elicited reactions of glee and ecstasy from my taste-testers. Oh, and I fully plan on making the Bourbon Butterscotch Brownies for Super Bowl Sunday.

I am beyond grateful to have this delicious little blog in my life. In fact, I almost wish I didn't have to tell anyone about it, but some secrets are too good not to share!

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Bento Box Art

So I stumbled upon (but actually “Stumbled Upon”, with the StumbleUpon toolbar) these adorable little bento creations. For those of you that don’t know what a bento is, it’s basically a Japanese boxed lunch that usually consists of rice, fish or meat, and vegetables. Bento boxes are often arranged in a style called “kyaraben” (“character bento”) or “oekakiben” (“picture bento”), where people artfully create cartoon characters or other pictures out of the food in a bento box. Clearly the Japanese take this art pretty seriously if they have formal terms for what is essentially playing with food.


I have to be honest in saying that these don’t exactly look like the most appealing meals. I’m not going to lie: a monster made out of blue rice and a Mona Lisa made out of seaweed are a little bit disconcerting; I’m not sure I’d want to eat that. Nonetheless, I give these Bento artists serious credit for putting so much time into creating some really adorable (Wall-E and Tinkerbell) and some really weird (legs and Mozart) edible creations that only last until they’re eaten by ravenous mouths.


Look here for more: http://www.toxel.com/inspiration/2009/05/08/17-amazing-bento-food-art-creations/

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Feature-a-Blog: Celiac Teen

When Canadian high school senior Lauren McMillan was diagnosed with celiac disease at 14, an unexpected feeling overwhelmed her: gratitude.

Having gone through weeks and months of discomfort and uncertainty, Lauren welcomed the diagnosis because it gave her a sense of empowerment. She now knew what was wrong, and could do everything in her power to counteract it - which she has done successfully ever since.

Lauren's blog, Celiac Teen, describes her fascinating experiments with gluten-free food. Her posts, bursting with liveliness and optimism, explore the various ways of substituting other grains for tricky wheat.

Determined not to let celiac deprive her of yummy childhood favorites, Lauren has come up with her own gluten-free adaptations for any traditionally wheat-based food you might imagine: pancakes, muffins, shortbread, ladyfingers, focaccia, cranberry loaf, tiramisu, pita...and the list grows larger every week. She frequently takes part in Daring Bakers challenges, too, going the extra mile to devise a gluten-free version of each recipe that features wheat.

A daring young lady herself, Lauren boldly bakes in the face of celiac disease. She manages to completely overturn its implications - a lifetime of deprivation becomes an opportunity to explore, invent and - most importantly - to play with her food. And she dares all of her readers to do the same.

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Feature-A-Blog: Whisk Kid

To the average observer, 19-year-old Kaitlin Flannery probably looks like a regular college sophomore. Yet this impression would vanish as quickly as a lone cookie in a jar upon visiting her blog, Whisk Kid. Now a marketing student at Michigan State University, Kaitlin began baking when she was 15, after seeing Billy from Billy’s Bakery make cupcakes on The Martha Stewart Show.

Since then, she has concocted countless treats from tarts to ice cream, sharing her recipes in blog posts accompanied by stunning pictures she takes with her Canon Rebel XTI. Her impressive repertoire includes dandelion jam macarons, noyaux (cherry pit) ice cream and a six-layer rainbow cake she got to prepare – déjà vu alert – on The Martha Stewart Show! (click here to watch the video).

Kaitlin complements the tempting treats with beautifully written short stories about her friends, everyday life, or childhood memories. If this doesn’t sound enticing enough for you, consider that the mere sound of a backpack zipper can prompt her to develop an intelligent, compelling observation of general social trends in a classroom. Almost all of her posts bear a suggestive single-word heading literally whisking you into a story crafted as carefully as her camera creations.

“My aim is to inspire,” she says in her profile. That's easier said than done, but she's able to do both.

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Saturday Blog Lovin' - Pancake perfection

Blog: The Pancake Project


If you thought adding Mickey Mouse ears to your flapjacks was the pinnacle of pancake artistry, think again.  Check out this blog, for pancake snails, pigs, and for the NPH fans out there, Dr. Horrible. 


Note: Click here to see the original post.

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Saturday Blog Lovin' - Because you still have leftovers

Blog: Not So Humble Pie


Get ready to be more thankful for your leftovers.  Check out this blog for a recipe for turkey eggs benedict. 




Note: Click here to see the original post.

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Saturday Blog Lovin' - Apples to applesauce

Blog: honey & jam

Check out this blog for a delicious recipe for homemade applesauce--perfect for Thanksgiving!


Note: Click here to see the original post.

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Saturday Blog Lovin'- Unbreaded

Blog: Unbreaded

Philly may be known for its cheesesteaks, but that doesn't mean the city hasn't also become famous for its other inter-bread offerings. If sandwiches are your thing, check out Unbreaded, a Philly food blog dedicated to delving into the art of the sandwich as prepared across the city. If you think you've seen and tasted all of Philly's sandwich scene, think again--the blog specializes in reviewing often unexpected culinary combinations. And while many of the offerings may seem exotic, even if you're just craving an old fashion sequence of bread, meat, bread, this blog is the one for you.

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Saturday Blog Lovin' - They test recipes, so you don't have to

Blog: The Bitten Word

Food magazines are good for more than just pretty pictures, as this blog proves.  These bloggers try out recipes from their favorite magazines and chronicle the process.  Some recipes are hits, others misses, but either way, the posts provide helpful tips and plenty of humor. 

Note: Click here to see the original post.

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Saturday Blog Lovin' - Jack O'Lantern Hand Pies

Blog: A Cooking Photographer

This blogger has been a professional photographer, cook and writer. Check out her blog for great recipes, like these Jack O'Lantern Hand Pies, which are so cute it's scary.

Note: Click here to see the original post.

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Saturday Blog Lovin' - Super Smash

Blog: Scanwiches

When is a sandwich more than just a sandwich? 
When it's smashed against glass.  Then it's art.  Check out this blog for sandwiches as you have never seen them before.

Note: Click here to see the original post.

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