Favourite reads
One of my favourite things about early blogs was their links section. It helped me discover some wonderful new blogs. Also, it had the added quality of a vetted recommendation, like one from a trusted friend. I find this feature on fewer and fewer blogs these days, which saddens me. There are slews of people working hard to document their passions, often for nothing other than connecting with other like-minded individuals and sharing pieces of their life. To me, acknowledging them is an important aspect of being part of this community.
This is my own little standing ovation to you guys. Thank you and bravo, you wonderful people who work tirelessly & late into the night. Your lovely blogs and wonderful posts inspire, educate, enthrall and excite me.
I have been reading some of these for years, others I have discovered more recently. I visit them often; either for exceptional writing, phenomenal photography, or fabulous content. These blogs never fail to provide endless ideas. Many of them are like old friends I look to for advice & encouragement, for cheer and delight. At any rate, this list is an active entity, it continues to grow.
FOOD BLOGS
A-E
Aayi’s recipes A wonderful longtime blog emphasizing Konkani cuisine from India
The Amateur Gourmet An award-winning, always amusing fabulous food blog
Apartment Therapy: The Kitchn A favourite resource for insights into the food world
Bay Area Bites An aggregate blog reviewing what the Bay Area eats (PS: I wrote here too!)
The Best Remedy An interesting food and cocktail blog
Bong Mom’s Cookbook Droolworthy Bengali food & beautiful stories. Double win.
The Bitten Word Recipes from magazines tried and reviewed by an engaging DC couple
Chasing Delicious Gorgeous recipes and recipe videos. I love the Kitchen 101 section.
Chinese Grandma Lilian is right. Her lovely site is just as welcoming as dropping by her kitchen.
Closet Cooking Delicious recipes and descriptive writing keeps me returning here
Cooking Canuck Healthy and delicious can totally get along! This lovely site is proof.
Cooking with Siri Siri cooks & blogs with a wonderful generous spirit. Delicious veg recipes.
Delicious Days One of the first blogs I fell in love with. I love everything here.
Delightful Crumb Stacy is a wonderful writer and cook & just as great in real life.
Dinner: A Love Story This should be on all parents’ Pinterest/Instapaper/Google Reader
Eat this Poem This blog inspired by poetry & food makes for soothing reading
Eats well with Others I love Joanne’s conversational tone & delectable recipes. Inspiring.
Edible Garden Nags posts more often than anyone, mostly delicious veg South-Indian food
F-I
Five and Spice I love Emily’s philosophy of food and cooking and delicious recipes.
Food for the Thoughtless A whip-smart, sparkling blog (Bonus: Bob Newhart references!)
Food loves Writing “In our dreams, we own an entire orchard of fruit trees…”
Food Woolf Love Brooke’s insider perspective on restaurants and her gentle, insightful writing
Grub Report Stephanie has sharp, inherently witty opinions on everything, especially food
Happy Yolks Gorgeous photos, inspirational writing
Hedonia One of my original favourite food blogs. Everything Sean writes about is interesting.
Homesick Texan Grad school here made me a fan of the food. Lisa keeps taking me back.
Hungry Ghost A food + travel blog that will simultaneously put you in the kitchen or make away plans
Indian Food Rocks Manisha has clear views on food & what she likes. I’m a fan.
Indochine Kitchen Delicious recipes and lovely photos from Indonesia.
J-N
Joy the Baker Joy’s love of baking & life is super infectious. She always makes me smile.
Jugalbandi Healthy, inventive recipes, but so much more than a food blog. I love their spirit.
KiranTarun RecipeBox Lovely stories, gorgeous photos, great recipes
Lawyer loves Lunch Azmina’s words make me howl with laughter & weep in nostalgia.
Letters to Nigel Slater I love this author’s writing so very much, I wish I’d thought of this.
A Life of Spice Monica is generous & motivational. This blog is a great resource on Indian food.
A Little Saffron Wonderful recipes, beautifully showcased.
Like a Strawberry Milk A new-to-me blog I’m loving. Such evocative photography.
London Bakes She had me at Flourless Hazelnut Butter Cookies
Lottie + Doof An early, influential blog on the making and eating of food.
Love and Lemons A host of mostly vegetarian recipes by an enterprising couple
Lucy’s Kitchen Notebook This blog is a wonderful journal of food stories.
Mango Power Girl One of my inspirations. Mohini is a wonderful photographer & chronicler.
Matkonation A food photographer & food stylist in Israel team have created a delectable blog
Matt Bites The veteran food blog of the incredibly nice & generous Matt Armendariz is a delight
Milk and Honey Gorgeous recipes on this Australian site will get you to the kitchen quick.
Monsoon Spice Mouth-watering Indian vegetarian recipes recipes
Mouth from the South Kristina is the funny, articulate food writer I want to grow up to be.
My Jhola An established Indian blog I’ve only recently discovered & been scouring. A treasure trove of recipes!
O-T
One Hot Stove Nupur writes vividly with an incredibly generous spirit & has a vast repertoire of fantastic veg recipes. Her passion for home-made inspires me.
Oh, Ladycakes A fabulous blog that will make you swoon. You’ll see.
Oh my Veggies A fabulous vegetarian recipe blog with tons of ideas and how-tos
Panfusine An interesting blog with creative takes on Indian vegetarian food
Pastry Affair Gorgeous sweet things, beautifully photographed.
The Perrenial Plate Video documentary on food, short and beautifully presented.
The Picky Eater Anjali is passionate about healthy veg cooking that is also delicious.
Pinch my Salt Nicole writes beautifully about her kitchen and her life
Playful Cooking This site has great photography.
Punk Domestics So much more than your grandma’s notion of DIY food things.
Rasa Malaysia The quintessential resource for all food Malaysian by the wonderful Bee
Remedial Eating I adore Molly’s quirky sense of humour & fabulous blog
Serious Eats A definitive food lover’s dream site, a community blog with a focus on New York
Set the Table She wrote beautifully at Tokyo Terrace and now is at her new digs
Seven Spoons Tara O’Brady’s words and recipes will make a cook out of anyone on the fence
Shutterbean Great recipes with playful, awesome photos from a self-confessed camera addict
Simply Recipes The most comprehensive recipe blog there is. Period.
Smitten Kitchen One of the oldest, most passionate food blogs there is.
Sprouted Kitchen The writing and photography on this blog is some of the best I’ve seen.
Still Life With Just. Beautiful.
Stone Soup The name of the blog made me smile. Lovely recipes.
Tacolicious Every restaurant should blog. My favourite one does it best.
Tea and Cookies The first food blog I ever read & still my one of my favourites.
This Homemade Life A lovely blog I’ve just discovered and look forward to perusing.
Turntable Kitchen The unique food and music pairings by Kasey and Matthew are so creative
U-Z
Vanilla Garlic Garrett M. tells the best stories & is a middle child too. Funny & engaging.
Veggie Belly An awe-inspiring collection of vegetarian recipes
The Wednesday Chef Everything Luisa Weiss always inspires me.
What Katie Ate Another gorgeously photographed and written blog
What’s for lunch, honey Wonderful food photograpy and recipes from Germany
When My Soup Came Alive Never have I enjoyed archive reading more. Glad I found this blog.
White on Rice Couple If these photos don’t inspire you, you’re dead inside
The Year in Food A reflective look on food and eating
The Yellow House A beautiful blog that talks about food, life and everything.
Zaiqa The most amazing resource for Hyderabadi cuisine. I love Mona’s stories and recipes.
Numbered
101 Cookbooks The mother of all food blogs. Heidi’s veg original recipes are spectacular.
5 Second Rule The blog of the author of the fantastic Ripe. Witty and wonderful.
NOT NECESSARILY FOOD BLOGS (BUT FOOD TIPTOES IN)
The Bold Italic Whenever I find SF taking itself too seriously, these guys make me laugh.
A Wandering Sole My friend Laura started this blog when she decided to see the recession as an opportunity instead of a stumbling block. I love reading about her travels through Africa and new endeavors. I am totally in awe of her.
And oh, she is what being an entrepreneur really means.
Elephantine A beautiful blog based out of Seattle that talks about many things
Gardenstalking A peek at other people’s gardens. So beautiful!
The Inadvertent Gardener Engaging writing about experiments in urban gardening & food.
Radio Parul “The larger picture cannot be questioned every time life presents a hurdle.”
Rambling in the City I admire how Mukta is not afraid to voice her opinions on everything.
Sarah The Architect A beautifully documented space with food, fashion, design and travel
Urban Organic Gardener The unbridled, unfazed enthusiasm for planting is infectious.
You Grow Girl Want to be inspired to start your own little garden? Begin here.
ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN BLOGS
Apartment Therapy A favourite product education and resource blog
A Cup of Jo Joanna is like that warm friend you turn to for all your questions on cool style
Atelier Drome | Blog Stylistically, I love what they love
Build | Blog They educate & inform without being high-and-mighty. Adding fun = big win.
Casting Architecture Architecture in the movies. ’nuff said.
Coffee with an Architect Jody Brown agonizes & laughs about things I do, but he’s funnier.
Life of an Architect Bob B. & I debated about architects having hobbies, but we agree this is a stellar blog.
Modative | Blog A great practice-focused blog.
Remodelista Interior design and details, thoughtfully aggregated
Sacramento Street Style and chic (and food!) from right here in San Francisco
Story by Modcloth Especially love the ‘Best Job Ever’ section
Stuck in Studio Because I needed this when I was in school.
Unhappy Hipsters Because words can be worth more than pictures
Dezeen All design, all the time.
ALWAYS INTERESTING
Brain Pickings
Daring Fireball