FoodConsuming and Producing

Food blogs are a mouthful. Some folks lovingly record the pleasures of the table, whereas others like to ferret out fine-dining experiences. Others, still, like to document their discoveries in the kitchen. And, luckily, we also have people who work in the food industry to give us a glimpse behind the kitchen doors of famous restaurants and packaged goods companies.

Bloggers Who Love to Cook

As a rule, bloggers who cook also love to eat. The following blogs are mostly by people who love to cook and blog about their adventures in the kitchen; however, they also like to discuss dishes eaten outside their own kitchens, such as in restaurants. Don't be confused. No matter what topic these bloggers post on their site, each delicious item will leave the reader hungry for more.

101 Cookbooks

http://www.101cookbooks.com

Heidi Swanson started this blog in 2003 with the plan to cook a recipe from each cookbook in her collection. The site has expanded to include musings on life, travel, and food, but it still includes recipes.

Blogs That Cook Web Ring

http://www.ringsurf.com/netring?action=info&ring=blogsthatcook

Reading this web ring, a site that links to a lot of websites that share a common theme, is an efficient way to learn about all the blogs devoted to cooking. The ring is composed of 31 different blogs by people who share their adventures in cooking and eating.

Butter Pig

http://www.poubelle.com/butterpig

Tom is the "amateur" cook who spent three months at the Culinary Institute of Arts just for fun, learning to cook.

I Heart Bacon

http://www.iheartbacon.com/index.php

I Heart Bacon may wear its true desires on its sleeve, but this site also features news and reviews about the Seattle and Pacific Northwest food scene.

Lovescool

http://www.lovescool.com/

Kelli Bernard and Andrew Lin pour their passion for baking and making pastry into this site. They describe the Lovescool blog as their "documentation of a journey to discover what sweet things are out there, why people love them so much, and perhaps what it takes to start something new. And the fact of the matter is, the world would be a lot better if it was just a touch sweeter."

Murray Hill5-In My Kitchen

http://www.murrayhill5.net/blog/inmykitchenblog/

Deb Byer's blog is delicious. How can you not love a blog whose front page shares this New York Yiddish proverb, "A nickel will get you on the subway, but garlic will get you a seat." That sense of playfulness shows in all of Deb's posts as she tries to share her passion for cooking and food in an honest manner. Ms. Byer always includes photos of her latest creations.

Prepare to Meet Your Bakerina

http://www.bakerina.com/

The blogger known as "Bakerina" works for a packaging company by day and bakes things her way at night. The blog documents Bakerina's self-described "bread baking disorder."

Meathenge

http://meathenge.com/

Dr. Biggles loves to grill meat and take pictures. He's married the two obsessions in his blog, Meathenge. Meathenge is devoted to documenting the many ways to prepare and cook all types of meat. Dr. Biggles's photographs are mouth watering.

Kitchen ConfessionsBlogs By People in the Food Business

Angry Waitress

http://shashamac.blogspot.com/

Site owner Shannon writes about her life as a waitress in Brooklyn with guts and passion.

Club Life

http://standingonthebox.blogspot.com/

Written by an anonymous bouncer at two of New York's popular nightclubs, this blog features addictive stories about handling drunk and dangerous patrons, who are often involved with the mob.

Eggbeater

http://eggbeater.typepad.com/

Shuna Fish Lydon is a pastry chef in the San Francisco Bay Area who also finds time to blog. His writing is so infectious that you actually feel like you are in the kitchen with him. He gives details about what qualities make an ingredient or dish special. He also makes sound effects when describing different cooking methods. For example, Shuna informed readers that salt-cured bacon makes a "tssss" sound when it is fried in a cast iron skillet. This blog is also a great place to learn what it's like to work in some of the most famous kitchens on the West Coast. Shuna shares stories about working for many famous Bay Area chefs such as Thomas Keller of The French Laundry and Traci Des Jardins of Jardiniére.

Cake making, like architecture, is about structure and ratios. Math, science, intuition, magic, flavour. Those who push envelopes in cake and pastry making are engineers who understand tongue stimulating logarithms. It's difficult to hit the nail on the head, especially when you get into desserts with more than a few flavors and textures.

Shuna Fish Lydon, March 15, 2005, blog entry called "Out The Door, the Slanted Door takeout! and grapefruit cake from Miette."

Farmgirl Fare

http://www.farmgirlfare.com/

If you've ever fantasized about giving up city life and moving to the country, this is the blog for you. Susan runs the blog Farmgirl from her farm in Missouri where she teaches cooking classes and writes food articles. Each day she posts new pictures from her farm and shares recipes and anecdotes about life in the country.

Knife's Edge

http://knifesedge.typepad.com/

A riveting blog written by a chef who owns and operates a restaurant in Northern California. This blog gives you a glimpse into what it's like to run a restaurant. After reading this blog, visitors will learn how chefs set their menus for the day, how chefs search for the freshest ingredients, and what it is like to run a kitchen and prep food in a busy restaurant.

Movable Feast

http://www.movable-feast.com/

Blogger Louisa Chu works in Paris as a professional cook and food journalist. She has been a correspondent for "Good Food" on National Public Radio station KCRW since 2002 and worked on Anthony Bourdain's Travel Channel show "No Reservations" as field coordinator/fixer.

PX This

http://www.pxthis.com/

PX This (Diary of a Potted Plant)a hilariously blunt journal (and print on demand book of the same title), by Abbe Diaz, who used to work as a hostess at some of Manhattan's most famous restaurants, such as Jean Georges Vongrichten's Indochine. Diaz's journal provides insider Manhattan restaurant gossip and commentary of celebrity culture.

Shameless Restaurants.com

http://shamelessrestaurants.com/la_home.php

Restaurant industry workers unite to share their war stories on this site. You will never look at your local chain restaurant the same way again.

The Waiter Rant

http://waiterrant.net/

A bitterly humorous journal written by a waiter who works for an Italian restaurant he calls "The Bistro." This site lets you know what your server is really thinking. Waiter Rant has been called "the Godfather of all service blogs." Who can resist stories like the one Waiter Rant shared about a pushy woman, intent on scoring a prime reservation at the last minute, who insists that she needs to be accommodated immediately because her dining companion is diabetic.

Blogs About Eating

Blogs are an excellent way to record life's little details, especially details about what you ate when and why. These blogs are devoted to capturing each pleasure in the act of eating.

Amateur Gourmet

http://www.amateurgourmet.com/the_amateur_gourmet/

Adam Roberts, a lawyer turned playwright, writes about his misadventures in eating on his blog. The site is a mix of New York City restaurant reviews and anecdotes about the author's efforts at cooking.

Candy Blog

http://www.typetive.com/candyblog/

Candy Blog is very sweet. It's sweetness comes not just from the subject matter but also from the innocent pleasure the site owner, Cybele, takes in writing reviews of the latest candy and chocolate.

Cheese Diaries

http://www.cheesediaries.com

Ann Pinckard started the Cheese Diaries to document her curiosity about cheese and culture. Now Ann and five other contributors post reviews, news, and stories about their efforts to explore the world of making and eating cheese. Who can resist a blog whose motto declares "Let us seek out the strange, the rare, the elusive. We will not be daunted by the stinky or the oozy, nor will we shy away from the unknown; rather, let us revel in it! Let us find joy of flavor and texture in the most unlikely packages. And most of all, let us always be relentless in discovering, exploring, learning, and sharing with one another."

Chocolate & Zucchini

http://www.chocolateandzucchini.com/

A well-loved blog about food, cooking, and eating by a French woman in Paris named Clotilde Dusoulier. She writes in English, mastered while living and working in California for several years. Clotilde's blog is considered one of the best blogs on food in the blogosphere. A software engineer with aspirations to be a food writer, Clotilde has used her blog to obtain food writing assignments in the mainstream media such as the Los Angeles Times, National Public Radio, and the New York Times Magazine. Her writing is delicious and satisfying. Reading her blog makes one feel vicariously French.

Food Porn Watch

http://foodpornwatch.arrr.net/

Despite the X-rated name, this site is a directory of food-related blogs and websites. It is an excellent way to find interesting blogs on your own.

Gastropoda

http://www.gastropoda.com/

Regina Schrambling, a New York-based food writer, shares quick bites about food, politics, and national restaurant news.

Hedonista

http://www.sashimidesign.com/hedonista.html

Hedonista is a funny little blog written by "Miss Ginsu," a food journalist who has culinary school training. She once worked as a line cook at Tabla, a fancy restaurant in New York City, where she currently resides.

A Life of Spice

http://mbhide.typepad.com/my_weblog/

Professional food writer Monica Bhide shares insight into Indian cooking, recipes, and cross-cultural observations on her blog.

Yum!

http://deepfry.blogspot.com/

The author of this blog calls herself Deepfry and lives in Oregon. She loves to write about food that she's eaten, seen, or dreamed of. Her stories about her inability to make Jell-O will make you laugh.

Foodies Blogging About Restaurants

Bay Area Bites

http://www.kqed.org/weblog/food/

Several writers contribute to this blog focused on restaurants in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Food Critic Watch

http://foodcriticwatch.arrr.net/

Created by the folks of Food Porn Watch, this directory lists all blogs and websites that focus on restaurants and other food service establishments. These sites focus on restaurants in a specific city or region.

Gastronome in Training

http://www.gitnyc.blogspot.com/

NYC-based blog about restaurants in and around the city.

Hot Plate

http://thehotplate.typepad.com/

Livingstone Fisher likes to write about restaurants and food. Most of the restaurants listed on this blog are located in New York City.

Slice

http://sliceny.com/

Billing itself as America's favorite pizza web log, Slice is devoted to clipping news and sharing reviews about pizza from all over the United States.

Strong Buzz

http://www.andreastrong.com/brain/brain_view_brain.php

Andrea Strong, a New York food journalist, posts about her latest restaurant finds in New York City.

Watch Me Eat a Hot Dog

http://www.watchmeeatahotdog.com/

A great single topic food site, this blog collects info and reviews about all the great hot dog stands in America.

Drink Up: Blogs About Beverages

Beer Advocate.com

http://beeradvocate.com/

A full-service website for beer fans. The site also hosts some blogs devoted to beer.

Contrarian Quarterly: Food and Drink

http://elissa.typepad.com/cq/food_and_drink/index.html

Journalist Elissa Meyers shares her views on wine, good eating, travel, and politics.

Lenndevours

http://lennthompson.typepad.com/lenndevours/

This is the site of a wine-obsessed blogger based in Long Island, NY.

Vinography

http://www.vinography.com

An excellent wine blog that provides reviews on diverse wines and commentary about wine news.

Wine Blog Watch

http://wineblogwatch.arrr.net/

Prepared by the same people who own Food Porn Watch and Food Critic Watch, this site is a directory of blogs that focus on wine and other beverages.

FeedstersFood Media Blogs

The Food Section

http://www.thefoodsection.com

Josh Friedlander scans the web for food-related news that he posts on this blog. The Food Section also publishes food event listings located in New York City and displays a gallery of food-related photos submitted by readers.

Saute Wednesday

http://www.sautewednesday.com

Based in San Francisco, Bruce Cole blogs about the latest food-related stories every Wednesday. The site takes its name from the fact that most large newspapers publish their weekly food sections on Wednesday.

Tips on Tables

http://www.tipsontables.com

Tips on Tables is a blog devoted to sharing the work of Robert Dana, a New York Telegraph restaurant reviewer whose work includes descriptions of all the famous New York hotspots and restaurants of the 20th century.

Food History and Society Blogs

These blogs are devoted to the deeper meaning of food and eating.

Food Events in History

http://www.foodreference.com/html/historicevents.html

Food History News

http://www.foodhistorynews.com

This site posts articles about the latest research in food history and the anthropology of eating.

Food Museum Blog

http://www.foodmuseum.typepad.com/food_museum_blog

This blog is part of a nonprofit organization called the FOOD Museum. The blog clips stories about every aspect of food, including news, food history, growing, marketing, cooking, food safety issues, school lunch reform, and nutrition.