Je suis une gourmande.

When I was on my semester abroad in Paris, my French friends nicknamed me the gourmande as I indulged in wine, pastries, bread, and anything else they would encourage me to try. I loved it all; their parting gifts to me were two French books on wine and chocolate! By definition, a gourmand is someone who takes great pleasure in food. Years ago, it had agluttonous, negative connotation, but these days it is something that is embraced. In the U.S., we've started calling these food-lovers "foodies."

What is a foodie? Foodies love watching cooking shows, reading and buying cookbooks, kitchen stores, quality ingredients, food websites, food magazines, food photos, markets, but above all... EATING. We love to savor and enjoy the food we choose to eat. Foodies come from all backgrounds (from vegan to BBQ) and all shapes and sizes (the pleasantly plump to the exercise enthusiasts). We love specific niches but appreciate all food in general.

The internet is a great resource for foodies; I especially love food blogs. Three that I have been following are really great, and all are linked on the right side of this blog.

Eat Live Run has given me some great inspiration recently. I was inspired by the video on making macarons like the ones I enjoyed in France. The author, Jenna, is a culinary school graduate who has a genuine respect and love of food. I also found a recipe for beef tenderloin apricot and olives just yesterday that I can't wait to whip up.

Baked Bree is great because it shows step-by-step photos of what your food should look like as you cook it! The author (the eponymous Bree) recently did Paula Deen's Pumpkin Gooey Butter Cake, and the photos of the process made me drool. It's perfect for those learning to cook who need reassurance that everything looks right along the way.

The Kitchy Kitchen is where I found an amazing recipe for Red Velvet pancakes, as well as some other interesting concoctions in decadent photos (Honey Truffle Grilled Cheese, anyone?) that caught my eye. It's no wonder the pictures are so beautiful; the author, Claire, is a food stylist and photographer!

I hope you enjoy these internet treasures as much as I do! (CAUTION: you may need to protect your keyboard from subsequent drooling.)

Always,

Aubrey