The Naked Cookbook

What I love the most in the kitchen is the purity of it all.  The feel of the fresh produce, the crunch of the veggies as the knife cuts across their leaves.  The sizzle of olive oil heating in a pan...

Soul Food Love

Sometimes we're so busy looking far, far away from home that we don't notice what is right on our doorstep.  Food from Thailand, recipes from France...but what about the regional and ethnic specialties right here in our backyard?

8 Best Cookbooks for the Chefs on Your List!

If you know someone who loves food, a cookbook can make a fantastic gift.  These are some of my very favorites of the year, each with a unique approach and featuring gorgeous photos that make you want to jump right into the kitchen and start enjoying!

The Homemade Kitchen: Plum Tart

Plum season doesn't last for long, but I can't resist the juicy little fruits while they last. They're great simply sliced and eaten as a snack, but when I get a big batch I love baking them into a tart. 

Sticky Apple Date Cake

"I wanted to explore a broader spectrum of complementary tastes and flavors, and to imaginative beloved classics as a more balanced blend of sugar and spice.  In these recipes I've tried to take down the sugar to bring up the flavor.  I think that less sweet leaves more room for delicious." - Samantha Seneviratne

Strawberry Coconut Milkshake

Something about warm mornings makes me crave a creamy smoothie filled with fresh fruits and veggies.  Its the perfect tasty start to a day, and with all the nutrients packed into one yummy glass - a day that starts with a smoothie is bound to be a good one!

My New Roots

Every once and awhile, you're cruising along in life and then the wind blows...a new view enters.  

That is what just happened to me with My New Roots - it shook up my world, in a good way.

The Healthy Mind Cookbook

Did you know that eating broccoli can help boost verbal recall?  Or that avocado may keep depression at bay? 

Moroccan Chickpea and Vegetable Soup

Soups are great all year round, and this Moroccan Chickpea and Vegetable Soup is the perfect example of a soup that is crave-worthy in all the seasons.

Its A Good Food Day!

Its always a great day for good food, and that is exactly the concept behind Marco Canora's A Good Food Day!

In Her Kitchen: Stories and Recipes from Grandmas Around the World

There is something so appealing about taking a glimpse inside people's lives and homes.  It must be larger than my own inner Peeking Tom, or else how could we explain the guilty pleasure of the Real Housewives and other 'reality' shows?  

In Her Kitchen, Stories and Recipes from Grandmas Around the World is a lovely book that gives us an exciting peek into homes and kitchens of all types.  The author, the sweet and humble Italian Gabriele Calimberti takes us on a couch-surfing world tour and documents the whole culinary trip for her own grandmother.  The result is this wonderfully quirky collection of photos and recipes.

Sunday Suppers

Sunday Suppers is the type of book that you keep on your coffee table or kitchen counter just to make the room feel cozy - and a source for spontaneous inspiration.  It’s linen cover is charmingly quaint and inviting, and surprisingly decorative for a cookbook!

Cooking in a French Farmhouse with Mimi Thorisson

A Kitchen In France: A Year of Cooking in my Farmhouse is an adorable peek into French farmhouse life and homemade meals a la francaise.

the kitchn: short on vowels, big on kitchen goodness

The kitchn is charmingly missing vowels in its title, but is filled with fantastic content for the home & food crowd!

This reference is a combination of kitchen remodeling inspiration, recipes, and introduction to cooking techniques. There is something about spending a few minutes in someone's kitchen that builds a connection - even if it is only on the page - and the kitchn does just that by giving a personal introduction to its contributors and their kitchens. This gives the book a very personal, intimate feel that is very pleasant!  

The Nourished Kitchen: Farm-to-Table Recipes

"Emphasizing whole and minimally processed foods, the traditional foods movement calls you back to the kitchen, to real home cooking, and offers you an opportunity to weave the connections between the food on your table, the time you take to prepare it, and the farms that produce it."  Bringing the farm to the table, with make at home recipes, is the goal of The Nourished Kitchen.

Amazingly Simple Homemade Ricotta

I absolutely love making foods from scratch in the kitchen that I'd previously thought could only be bought at the store.  Especially when it is ridiculously easy, like this Ricotta, and amazingly tasty. 

People are always so impressed when they find out it is not from the gourmet grocery, but is actually DIY...I get such a thrill out of the inevitable, "Wait, you MADE this??"

Extra Virgin: A Tuscan Cookbook

White Bean and Pancetta Bruschetta, Tuscan Bread and Tomato Soup, Chestnut Flour Cake...my mouth is watering just thinking of them all!

Vegan Walnut Banana Bread

Flipping through the VB6 Cookbook I was drawn to the photo on page 87 of a nutty breakfast loaf:  Walnut Banana Bread.  Reading the caption, thinking about the browning bananas on my counter and last night's leftover rice...it was clear that this one was meant to be!

VB6: What is a Flexitarian Vegan?

"Oh! Are you a vegetarian?"  It is amazing how often I get asked this question at restaurants, and the answer is a simple "No".  I just really enjoy vegetables!  When did vegetables become exclusive to vegetarians?

Plant-based diets, filled with delicious vegetable dishes, are a great option and entirely accessible to everyone looking for a more sustainable lifestyle.

Brassicas: The world's healthiest vegetables

There is something so delightfully earthy about kale, spinach, brussel sprouts and the like.  After I eat them, I feel like my body is saying "Thank YOU, darling!" for the rest of the day.