Smitten Kitchen rules: simplicity wins again.

I’m a have to try this one.

Salsa Verde with Avocado from the outstanding food blog, The Year in Food.

The good folks at Saveur offer a gallery of pesto recipes.

Hey, it’s that time of year, isn’t it?

[Photo Credit: Zumaorganic.com]

Sure, why the hell not?

Because Smitten Kitchen’s got it going on.

My mother is Belgian so we grew up with tarts. Sure, she made a pie on occasion, and cookies too. But tarts were the thing.

Dig this blog, Taste Food. It’s really wonderful.

Another sure shot from Nicole Franzen.

We’ve talked about this tomato sauce before, but since the folks at Food 52 brought it up recently, why not mention it again?

Food 52 offers their take on fried green tomatoes.

Smitten Kitchen, again and again.

Food 52 gives us Flank Steak on Texas Toast with Chimichurri. Why the hell not?

Dig 13 summer fruit desserts from the Goddess’ at Food 52.

Keeping it light on a hot day, dig this gallery of refreshing sorbets and granitas over at Saveur.

[Photo Credit: Brooke Slezak]

Serious Eats learns you how to grill pizza.

The Goddess at Smitten Kitchen does skirt steak.

Ah, for a small deck with a grill…sigh.

Banana pudding is the reason to go to Magnolia Bakery. Turns me into a fat f***apotamus, man. For real.

Saveur offers a Carolina Banana Pudding recipe. Dig in.

[Photo Credit: Serious Eats]

I loved to eat breakfast at my grandparent’s home in Belgium when I was a kid. I spent a few weeks with them during the summer, alternating years with my twin sister and younger brother. Bonmamon and Bonpapa lived in a farm house in a small village between Brussels and Waterloo. Bonmamon made sure that we visited all of our relatives during my stay there so we traveled around the country, but I preferred when we stayed home. The days passed leisurely and were based around lunch and dinner, and late afternoon tea. There was always the potential for something scary to be served at those big meals–and I was expected to eat what was put in front of me–but breakfast was safe. It consisted of a cup of tea, often Earl Grey, and fresh bread from a local bakery. At the time, there weren’t many quality bakeries in New York, not as many as you find today, so good, simple bread was something to cherish.

I ate slice after slice of bread, butter and jam. Bonmamon made all sorts of jams and jellies but red currant stood out. Maybe it was because it was sweet and tart. Back home in the States, my mom also made red currant jelly and to this day, I love it. Because of how it tastes, of course, but also because it takes me back to a far away place where they spoke French and I felt welcome, like I was home.

Our man in Paris, David Lebovitz tries his hand at Red Currant Jam.

Dig it.

This Italian breakfast dish is similar to a bacon, egg and cheese on a roll. But oh, so much better. And it’s good anytime, not just in the morning.

Pass the peas pasta (like they used to say).

Smitten Kitchen wins, and so do we.

Yes, please.

Smitten Kitchen wins again.

A movie and a meal over at Food 52.