“What’s so inspiring about this collection, divided by course, is the variety of viewpoints coming from the contributing food bloggers. Most exciting for us going through the recipes was realizing we hadn’t heard of 75% of the contributing bloggers, and we know a lot of food bloggers (at least their sites and their food). This book reminded us that the world of food blogging is a powerhouse of innovation and creativity. And really good food.” ––Cooks, Books, & Recipes http://bit.ly/en5j7R

“[Foodista] organized the first international food blogging conference last year. From that grew an initiative to call for entries in a contest to select the 100 best blogs. More than 1,500 were received. After Foodista editors selected their 100 favorites, the next logical step was to publish a book with profiles of the bloggers plus a recipe from each. “Foodista Best of Food Blogs Cookbook” was published last month by Andrews McMeel. The book shows the passion, dedication and creativity of a food-blogging community that is truly international.” ––MLive http://bit.ly/ddT2iO

“…I’ve been really enjoying reading through Foodista Best of Food Blogs Cookbook, but it’s sort of like the modern world of information giving and gathering coming full circle–this compendium of common, shared, and eaten experiences that you want to pour over and revisit and, if you didn’t know it already, learn the stories behind. Foodista–an online, edit-able cooking encylopedia, launched only in 2009, and started as a food blog itself. The book began as a “Best of Food Blogs” contest, which not only brought in more than 1,500 entries in 3 short months, but many from far and beyond its Seattle home base. Food bloggers sent in recipes from New York City, Tokyo, Albany, British Columbia, Irvine… everywhere. Everyone, as they say, has gotta eat, right? Eventually, the editors–Sheri Wetherell, Barnaby Dorfman, and Colin Saunders–narrowed it down to the 100 best, and that’s what lies here.” ––BookClubs.barnesandnoble.com http://bit.ly/c0kTFA

“If you haven’t already put this lil’ gem on Santa’s Wishlist, get Foodista’s Best of Food Blogs Cookbook on that list. Because it’s way better than a pony or a BB gun. This cookbook will most certainly not shoot your eye out, and offer a ton of tasty recipes by fellow food bloggers. Win-win, right?? … The recipes have a range of flavors as well as skill levels, plus knowing each recipe was chosen from an individual food blog makes each item special and personal, knowing an individual is attached to each recipe and photo.” ––Wasabi Prime http://bit.ly/9evJWX

“Last year, some of the movers and shakers at Foodista.com announced a contest inviting bloggers to submit their favorite recipes and photos for possible inclusion in a proposed new cookbook. After almost a year of sifting through submissions, 99 winners were announced at the International Food Bloggers Conference in Seattle. This remarkable new cookbook features 100 of the “best of the best.” “Foodista” is divided into five main chapters: Cocktails and Appetizers; Soups and Salads; Main Dishes; Side Dishes; and Desserts. There are also metric conversions and equivalents in addition to a blog roll showing pictures of the contributors. This is a fun cookbook that illustrates how far we have come in perfecting American cuisine. Most of the recipes are fairly straight forward and accessible. Even though some require a little time and effort, the end result is the proof in the pudding and well worth the extra involvement.” ––The Tuscon Citizen http://bit.ly/bqxejr

“Want to discover new food blogs for recipes and stories? Here’s a cookbook that shows you the passion and diversity of food bloggers who love to cook, from Vegan Visitor’s Cedar-Smoked Asparagus Soup in Toronto to The Suitcase Chef’s Orangette Tea Sandwiches in Vermont. The folks at Foodista held a contest for the best blogger recipes and received 1500 entries in just three months. They counted votes from the Foodista community and announced the winners, compiling the top 100 into this large paperback, the Foodista Best of the Food Blogs Cookbook.” ––Will Write for Food http://bit.ly/bfnzJl

“A new cookbook aims to turn crowd-sourced material into crowd-pleasing plates, and among those whose eats are included are ten Southern California-based food bloggers. Though collecting a community’s recipes to compile in a publication is how many beloved cookbooks have come to be, The Best of Food Blogs Cookbook hails itself as the first to source the recipes from social media. It is published by Foodista, a public wiki for the culinarily-inclined.” ––Laist http://bit.ly/bVBJPs

“Not only are food blogs filled with interesting recipes and ideas, but often they are quite entertaining in their own right, and I have met some of my favourite people through food blogging. Imagine how excited I was to see some of their gorgeous, shining faces in a book! Foodista is the cooking encyclopedia everyone can edit. An online forum of tips, recipes and information, they have come out with a book of the top 100 recipes from contributing food bloggers.” ––Living in the Kitchen with Puppies http://bit.ly/dAm0f1

“Here’s a cookbook that’s so much more than a collection of recipes but also fun to read thanks to all the friendly folks who write about their common interest - good food. FOODISTA BEST OF FOOD BLOGS COOKBOOK holds 100 great recipes complete with photographs of completed dishes and contributors. No more bending over a keyboard searching the web for topnotch recipes and preparation advice. Then just when you think you might have found what you’re looking for how do you know it’s reliable? Thanks to a cookbook contest sponsored by foodista.com winners were announced this year at the International Food Bloggers Conference. Next, thanks to Andrews McMeel their guaranteed delicious recipes are now available in an eye-popping book also holding the winners’ photos, towns of origin, and blog sites.” ––Gail Cooke http://bit.ly/cOLrI8

LANGDON COOK
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON
FAT OF THE LAND: ADVENTURES OF A 21ST CENTURY FORAGER
http://fat-of-the-land.blogspot.com/2009/08/salmon-head-soup.html

I’m a writer, editor, forager, and author of Fat of the Land: Adventures of a 21st Century Forager.

SERVES 4 to 6

Wouldn’t you know the day I forget my camera is the day my boy catches his first salmon off the beach—on a Snoopy rod no less? Riley let out a whoop when the fish hit his lure, and I’m sure I probably thought it was a false alarm, some weeds or a bottom snag. But then I saw the Snoopy rod doubled over. I ran over and set up a station behind the boy, making sure the fish didn’t rip the rod right out of his grip. He reeled and kept the tip up like a pro. Pretty soon the fish was in the surf, and I figured for sure it would break the line. But Riley held on and pulled that salmon right up onto the beach.

My kids are big soup eaters. Because we live near Seattle’s International District, at a tender age they discovered noodle houses and the pleasures of an Asian noodle soup. These soups are so tasty and cheap that I never really considered trying to make my own before, but after reading Hank Shaw’s post on the “nasty bits” of fish, I just had to give it a shot. Besides, we’re fishermen here. When the salmon are gone, I suppose we’ll fish sculpin; in the meantime we can do honor to our catch by eating every last morsel.
• For the rest of Langdon’s post, see page 42

2 or 3 salmon heads, cut in half
3 inches fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
2 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil (optional)
Chinese cooking wine
2 leeks, dark green tops discarded, chopped
5 cloves garlic, chopped
4 green onions, chopped
2 Thai red peppers, thinly sliced
8 cups water
1 to 2 tablespoons fish sauce (optional)
Salt
1 handful of cilantro, stemmed, with stems reserved
1 to 2 tablespoons Chinese sweet cooking wine (optional)
1 to 2 tablespoons rice vinegar (optional)
Several heaping tablespoons Szechuan pickled vegetable (optional)
1 10-ounce package Asian noodles (e.g., udon, soba, ramen), cooked or ready-to-eat
½ head napa cabbage, shredded
1 15-ounce can straw mushrooms (optional)

Brown the fish heads and ginger in the oils in a stockpot over medium-high heat for a few minutes, turning at least once. Deglaze the pot with a splash of wine and add the leeks, the garlic, and half the green onions and half the red peppers. Sauté together for several minutes.

Deglaze the pot with another splash of wine, then add the water and fish sauce. Bring to a light boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 30 minutes.

Strain the contents of the pot, picking and reserving as much salmon meat as possible. Return the broth to the pot and bring back to a simmer. Taste and adjust the salt. Add half the remaining green onion and the cilantro stems. Add the Chinese sweet wine, rice vinegar, and 1 to 2 tablespoons Szechuan pickled vegetables. Simmer for another 15 to 30 minutes.

Strain the soup a second time and return the broth to low heat to keep it warm. Dole out the reserved salmon meat into bowls, along with noodles and a handful of shredded cabbage. Add spoonfuls of Szechuan pickled vegetables and the straw mushrooms. Ladle the broth over all. Garnish with the remaining green onion, the cilantro leaves, and the remaining Thai red pepper.

SIMONE VAN DEN BERG
ALMERE, NETHERLANDS
JUNGLEFROG COOKING
http://junglefrog-cooking.com/chanterelles-tart

SERVES 4
I was so happy when we went to the farmers’ market in Amsterdam on Saturday to find an entire stall filled with all sorts of mushrooms. Remember that in the supermarkets here you can only ever find button mushrooms, chestnut mushrooms, and the occasional oyster mushroom and shiitake if you’re really lucky. But I had never even seen chanterelles, let alone eaten them fresh, so I was quite excited when we found them in the market. I wanted to make these into an appetizer for when my friend would come over for dinner Tuesday, and Olga came up with the suggestion of making them into a tart with puff pastry. This reminded me I still had puff pastry in the freezer, so that would be perfect to make some quick appetizers for dinner. Because I wanted to try out the flavors, I made a little one in the afternoon with chestnut mushrooms and the cheese I bought, and it was delicious. And it is really almost too simple to throw together and looks quite good and tastes fantastic. You can of course use any kind of mushroom you want with this, but the chanterelles were very tasty. In the Netherlands puff pastry is sold in little square packets with separate sheets about 10 to 15 centimeters square and already thin enough to use as they are, ideal for these little pies.

I also made a version with little pomodori tomatoes, which worked very well too. It’s a little less strong in taste, and I prefer the flavors of the chanterelle-only version, but of course you could make endless variations with this.

7 ounces chanterelle mushrooms
1 ½ teaspoons olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 sheet puff pastry
3 ounces blue cheese
1 ¾ ounces pecorino cheese, grated
1 egg, beaten

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

1. Cut the chanterelles into manageable sizes. Keep in mind they need to fit on top of the puff pastry and you don’t want huge chunks here, but not too small either. Toss the mushrooms in a bowl with the olive oil and salt and pepper to taste.

2. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out the puff pastry (defrosted, of course, if frozen) just enough to create a square. Then cut into 4 squares. Put some of the mushrooms in the middle, being sure to leave the sides free. Don’t be too shy. You want to have a nice little pile of mushrooms there. They will decrease in size in the oven.

3. Generously add little chunks of the blue cheese here and there. Make sure to have an even distribution of cheesy goodness. Sprinkle grated pecorino cheese on top of each pie.

4. Brush some of the beaten egg on the sides of the puff pastry and fold it creatively into a little basket so the cheese stays in when it starts to melt. Plus the corners will become nice and crispy too. Pinch it tightly to make sure it stays put once heated.

5. Put the little pies in the oven for about 12 minutes, then lower the temperature to 350°F and bake for another 15 minutes, until golden brown and crispy. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Foodista.com is the Web’s premier source for collaborative cooking, with the goal of building the world’s largest high-quality online cooking encyclopedia where followers can find everything from basic recipes to the latest in foods, tools, and techniques.

Foodista announced its cookbook contest to bloggers in December 2009, inviting them to submit their favorite recipes and photos for possible inclusion in the cookbook. Less than a year later, in August 2010, the 99 winners were announced at the International Food Bloggers Conference in Seattle. The result is a mouthwatering collection of 100 “best of the best” recipes reflecting a wide variety of cultures, tastes, and interests.

Included in the book:
• Personal and interesting stories of recipe development from bloggers who hail from Castle Rock, CO, to Paris
• Recipes from Adana Keban and Rack of Lamb with Spicy Fennel Rub to No Bake Frozen S’Mores Bars, Geoduck Ceviche, and Vegetarian Scotch Eggs. There’s something for every cook.
• Unique, enjoyable, and frequently first-rate food photography
• A blogroll at the end of the book that puts a face with the (blog) name

With international flavor and a Web-based flair for unique voices and delectable recipes, Foodista Best of Food Blogs Cookbook is the cookbook for anyone who has ever pulled a recipe from the Web or
thought about it. It’s the perfect stocking stuffer for foodies (whether they blog or not), home cooks, and anyone else who loves to cook and enjoys knowing the story behind delicious food.

“Back when the Internet was being developed in the ’60s and ’70s, its creators probably never thought it would lead to a revolution in food writing and photography. But that’s exactly what has happened: All over the world, food lovers are blogging about their experiences, sharing recipes, and creating an intimate community of cooking enthusiasts. All through this delightful cookbook, you’ll see recipe after recipe that shows that community’s diversity—dishes from Russia, Israel, Spain, and Japan, as well as from all across the United States. Just as compelling are the stories that accompany the recipes—a look into the lives of people who have made food and cooking a central part of a well-lived life.” —Victoria von Biel, executive editor, Bon Appétit