Hello and happy friday! I’m trying something new this week: a discussion. There are few things more frustrating than cooking a recipe and not having it work out. But the internet is full of super random, untested recipes. When you’re looking for something to cook, where do you go? Pinterest/Bon Appetit/something else?
To kick things off, I’ll share a few favorites: Smitten Kitchen, David Lebovitz for dessert, and Cookie and Kate.
Bon Appetit has always been a hit for me. but I tend to stick to some of their more basic recipes (The Burst Cherry Tomato Pasta has become a staple in my house.) Smitten Kitchen, Cookie and Kate (they have a perfect frittata), and Tasting Table also hold a special place in my kitchen. I've also had great luck with Tasty's desserts.
Seconding a lot of things listed here but would also love to shout out Budget Bytes - I’ve been reading for a decade plus or minus. A lot of my go-tos have come from there, but Beth also just seems like an awesome person.
I love the approach of Budget Bytes! She did a vegetarian email newsletter recently which was great. And totally agree that longtime bloggers feel like friends
Going to be honest I usually start with the key ingredients I have or know I want to use in a dish and then hit that google search, I've cooked my whole life but am new to searching and following and trying new recipes, so fun and therapeutic!
Smitten Kitchen never fails! I also trust Cookie and Kate, Well Plated, and How Sweet Eats (her recipes are often pretty involved but always delicious). The Kitchn is my go-to for basics, like how to roast a spaghetti squash or cook salmon.
On the flip side, I recently made a What's Gaby Cooking recipe for the first time - it was for chili and the recipe just... never called for salt? I was surprised because it wasn't like there was soy sauce or other salty ingredients, and it definitely needed seasoning.
We love Deb! And that's interesting about the salt. I don't usually follow recipes exactly in terms of seasoning but they should at least remind you to add salt!
I do find that the headlines/titles are often clickbait-y, but The Kitchn has not done me wrong in the past. Smitten Kitchen is a classic and one where comments are helpful. King Arthur Flour is another-bakers from their Baker's Hotline answer questions that people ask and they are often very illuminating! Additionally, KAF recipes are extremely thorough and will sometimes include a blog post with lots of instructive photos. Pretzels, bundt cakes, cut out cookies (wedding favors!) and biscuits-all of these KAF recipes have gotten raves.
I have the Epicurious app on my phone, that's almost always my go-to -- it's really good about suggesting things related to my searches (which I'm usually doing quickly as I walk from the parking lot into the grocery store, in just a minute or two).
ooh that's so helpful to have an app for on the go shopping, I usually make random lists in my notes app. And epi has so many good recipes but it can be overwhelming!
I almost always first search "bon appetit best xxxx" to see if anything comes up. Then I turn to NYT! If Smitten Kitchen, Minimalist Baker, Joy the Baker, or a couple other sites that I used to follow religiously come up in the search, then I usually check those out as well.
I love Joy the Baker, mostly for the writing! I have one of her cookbooks and have made a few really good things from there. And the BA's Best recipes are always super well vetted which is great
Food52 has been nailing it recently, especially the 5 ingredients or fewer recipes and the super inventive videos! They have picked up where bon app dropped the ball by sacrificing ease and legibility for cult of personality in their videos lol
ooh that's a good tip! I've watched some of their genius recipe videos and will look out for those 5 ingredient ones. I also like their cooking for one column.
I love minimalist baker and vegan richa for vegan recipes!
Nice! I used to read Oh She Glows a lot but she rarely posts anymore!
Bon Appetit has always been a hit for me. but I tend to stick to some of their more basic recipes (The Burst Cherry Tomato Pasta has become a staple in my house.) Smitten Kitchen, Cookie and Kate (they have a perfect frittata), and Tasting Table also hold a special place in my kitchen. I've also had great luck with Tasty's desserts.
Ah I can't wait for summer tomatoes! BA is really good at pasta, I also love their ratatouille pasta for summer.
Seconding a lot of things listed here but would also love to shout out Budget Bytes - I’ve been reading for a decade plus or minus. A lot of my go-tos have come from there, but Beth also just seems like an awesome person.
I love the approach of Budget Bytes! She did a vegetarian email newsletter recently which was great. And totally agree that longtime bloggers feel like friends
Going to be honest I usually start with the key ingredients I have or know I want to use in a dish and then hit that google search, I've cooked my whole life but am new to searching and following and trying new recipes, so fun and therapeutic!
google is so helpful! and I'm so happy you're finding cooking therapeutic! It's so magical to try a new recipe and have it turn out.
NYT or bust
It's definitely one of the first places I search! Who are your favorite recipe creators there?
Ali Slagle, Emily Rose Shulman, & of course Queen Allison Roman
such good ones! I also really like Lidey Heuck and Melissa Clark.
Smitten Kitchen never fails! I also trust Cookie and Kate, Well Plated, and How Sweet Eats (her recipes are often pretty involved but always delicious). The Kitchn is my go-to for basics, like how to roast a spaghetti squash or cook salmon.
On the flip side, I recently made a What's Gaby Cooking recipe for the first time - it was for chili and the recipe just... never called for salt? I was surprised because it wasn't like there was soy sauce or other salty ingredients, and it definitely needed seasoning.
We love Deb! And that's interesting about the salt. I don't usually follow recipes exactly in terms of seasoning but they should at least remind you to add salt!
I do find that the headlines/titles are often clickbait-y, but The Kitchn has not done me wrong in the past. Smitten Kitchen is a classic and one where comments are helpful. King Arthur Flour is another-bakers from their Baker's Hotline answer questions that people ask and they are often very illuminating! Additionally, KAF recipes are extremely thorough and will sometimes include a blog post with lots of instructive photos. Pretzels, bundt cakes, cut out cookies (wedding favors!) and biscuits-all of these KAF recipes have gotten raves.
That's a great baking tip— hotlines are the best. I also love that KAF is employee-owned!
Ooh I’m all for this conversation. Half baked harvest and life is but a dish have been doing me well recently!
My friend swears by Half Baked Harvest! I have one of her cookbooks but haven't really dug in yet.
I have the Epicurious app on my phone, that's almost always my go-to -- it's really good about suggesting things related to my searches (which I'm usually doing quickly as I walk from the parking lot into the grocery store, in just a minute or two).
ooh that's so helpful to have an app for on the go shopping, I usually make random lists in my notes app. And epi has so many good recipes but it can be overwhelming!
I almost always first search "bon appetit best xxxx" to see if anything comes up. Then I turn to NYT! If Smitten Kitchen, Minimalist Baker, Joy the Baker, or a couple other sites that I used to follow religiously come up in the search, then I usually check those out as well.
I love Joy the Baker, mostly for the writing! I have one of her cookbooks and have made a few really good things from there. And the BA's Best recipes are always super well vetted which is great
Food52 has been nailing it recently, especially the 5 ingredients or fewer recipes and the super inventive videos! They have picked up where bon app dropped the ball by sacrificing ease and legibility for cult of personality in their videos lol
ooh that's a good tip! I've watched some of their genius recipe videos and will look out for those 5 ingredient ones. I also like their cooking for one column.