Smitten Kitchen gets Springish.

Dig this tasty-looking recipe for lemon, chicken and orzo soup over at the winning site Tartelette.

The Essential Mexico according to good people at Saveur. Dig in.

Yesterday gave this bit of tasty simplicity from the Queen. I used papperadelle instead of rigatoni cause I had it in the house and it worked just fine.

Check out this basil pear cake over at Hungry Ghost Food+Travel.

Nicole Franzen does grilled cheese over at La Buena Vida.

Via Serious Eats: Hot Chili Chutney.

[Photo Credit: Joshua Bousel]

Check out this good article over at Nation’s Restaurant News by Bret Thorn on Szechuan Peppercorns:

Americans might not be drawn immediately to something that makes their mouth go numb, but Szechuan peppercorns, an Asian spice that does just that, is gaining popularity among some chefs.

Szechuan peppercorns are a key ingredient in Chinese five spice — which usually contains star anise, cloves, cinnamon and fennel as well — and the source of the numbness you might experience when eating a really good kung pao chicken.

“It’s a different spice than most people are used to,” said Steven Devereaux Green, the new executive chef of An New World Cuisine — “An” is Mandarin for “tranquility — in Cary, N.C. “It’s a lighter, more floral peppercorn, and it gives a distinct flavor,” he said.

Technically, Szechuan peppercorns aren’t peppercorns at all, but the fruit of the Zanthoxylum piperitum plant, a member of the citrus family — think of the numbing effect a twist from a lemon or orange peel can have. The Chinese call that sensation ma, and if you combine that with la — or the spicy burn of chile peppers — you have the ma la experience that is very much appreciated in Szechuan and other provinces in China’s chile belt, stretching from Yunnan to Hunan.

[Photo Credit: Steamy Kitchen]

Here’s a tasty-looking carrot cake recipe over at the cool site, Cowgirl Chef.

Yeah, I’d try this. Brought to you by Three to One.

My cousin Juliette, in town from Belgium for a few months, and the Wife made marshmallow cloud cookies yesterday.

My, is sure am sweet.

Root Down over at Food 52.

David Lebovitz gives marshmallow cream fudge. And I says, “Sure, why not?”

Sweet love from the dopealicious site Waffleizer.

Yeah, that’s peanut butter and jelly pie on a stick.

From the tasty and clever food blog, Spoon Fork Bacon.

Yeah, I know it’s Monday but who says we can’t have waffles today? Check out this recipe for sour cream waffles over at the tasty site, 101 Cookbooks.

Serious Eats builds an edible stadium in preparation for the big game.

Yikes.

Smitten Kitchen gives Viennese cucumber salad.

Serious Eats does Brownies.

Andrea Gentl hooks up a slammin’-looking tomatillo salsa over at Hungry Ghost.