food porn

my lovely friend laurence, when she isn't off making the world a better, safer place (i'm serious - lau is a lawyer working in the hague and sarajevo prosecuting war criminals) is a serious foodie. she still hasn't forgiven me for introducing her to 101cookbooks. she told a coworker about the site, and when she subsequently started cooking healthier at home her husband decided that laurence was sowing the seeds of marital unrest! (yikes - that will probably not be the last time quinoa gets cited as an irreconcilable difference...)

in retaliation for that and design*sponge's in the kitchen with... series, lau has become a dedicated food blog pusher. she sent me this new york times piece the other day,* so i wanted to share some gorgeous food photography and cooking sites with you.


the above images are from one called flagrante delícia, or burning pleasures - dirty dirty portuguese!! her images are all beautiful and sensual, and they also seem to have a playful tongue-in-cheek (or sometimes in-other-body-parts) sexuality.






i love the crisp backgrounds and imaginative preparations of both the images and the food itself.


next up is vegan yum yum, the writer of which apparently lives next door to two of my coworkers!


i've been a vegetarian since i was ten, but my vegan period was short lived. i did it for all the wrong reasons and eventually discovered that i really love good dairy products and seafood. leaving them behind was more of a sacrifice to me than it was worth.


with that said, i love the photos and the attention to detail that this site provides; there's such a rustic, hands on, procedural quality to the work that makes me really happy. there's something comforting and honest about knowing that someone (hygienic!) has had to really use their hands to make your food.


lovely...


and last but certainly not least, smitten kitchen. would you believe me if i told you that you are about to fall desperately and passionately in love with an image of chopped raw potatoes?




when potatoes become sexy, you know a photographer's got talent. and the potato salad they go into looks just as delicious. go try it out; get cooking!

*i kind of want to marry mark bittman. then when i got stressed out he could be sitting there all wise and reassuring like a northern star, and he would cook me something really simple, and then we'd sit around and talk about it and that dish would end up sowing the seeds for an amazing intimate dinner party for six a few months down the line, once i'd calmed down and was once again at the peak of happiness in life. what? don't judge me.