A Few Of My Favorite Food Blogs, Part 1

The community of food bloggers is quite amazing. We've got professionals taking a break from their speed racks, newbies making their first stir-fry, vegans and carnivores, molecular gastronomists and hardcore traditionalists. I thought I'd start out the new year by sharing a few of the food blogs that I regularly read, whether it is for inspiration, recipes, photography or a chuckle. There are many more than will fit in a single post, so I'll make this an occasional feature of old favorites and new finds. Feel free to use the comments to let me know of other blogs I should check out!

In no particular order:

Chadzilla - Chad is a chef in a Miami hotel, where they do some pretty insane avant-garde food. The writing is often personal, about his team, the thrills and challenges of a large restaurant, and the "Paradigm" dinners that they create, with lots of snapshots of intriguing dishes. Check out these 5-taste "peacocks".

Foodbeam - Fanny is a wildy energetic, enthusiastic, and altogether charming 23-year-old pastry chef in France. I've followed her journey through school, internships at famous patisseries, and even gainful employment :). As if cranking out hundreds of buche de noel wasn't enough work, she also makes and sells art, takes amazing photos, and spreads joy throughout the blogosphere. Keep an eye, she's going places.

Frantic Foodie - Keren writes both for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer and on her own site. If you eat in Seattle, you need to follow her for the latest on restaurants and special events, plus some great recipes. She's got a real talent for connecting people and sharing the news, so if you've got food-related info in the Puget Sound region, definitely holler at her.

An Obsession With Food - Derrick and I are both programmers by day and cooks by night. His posts are thoughtful and varied, but with a particular focus on wine - which makes sense given that he teaches a Fundamentals of Wine Study course at UC Berkeley, which I wish I could take. I liked his recent suggestion that a tactile, shared appetizer plate creates conviviality for your guests.

Ideas In Food - If I were on a dialup connection (the Internet equivalent of a desert island), this might be the blog I'd bring with me. Alex and Aki's site is aptly named, because they generate more ideas and questions before breakfast than most of us do all day.  Celery leaf gnocchi anybody? One of the most influential blogs for molecular gastronomy, but their food is grounded in flavor and texture combinations that please, not merely surprise. Their plating is stunning too. I'm even more amazed that they've been able to keep up the posting with their recent arrival.

I hope this list was useful! Let me know what you think, I'd love to share more of favorites.