It’s the Simple Things…

Especially as the weather starts to get warmer, I find myself fantasizing, not about towering baked goods or complicated, long-cooking stews with tons of ingredients, but about the simple things in life.

Lots of people out in the blogosphere have been posting about their crazy post-it notes (I know I just read another one… but I can’t for the life of me remember who it was… if it was you, tell me.) I think all of us crazy food people have them. The scraps of paper that litter my handbag and get tucked into notebooks no longer read “applesauce + mashed potatoes,” “Baked pasta… cinnamon? crème fraîche?” (Yes… I have some weird thoughts when the weather is cold.)

Now, however, my post-its say something more akin to, “corn salad with jalapeño” and “apple coleslaw.” Spring is coming, and spring to me means simple. Produce with just some herbs or spices, showing off their true flavors. A ripe avocado with simple vinaigrette for lunch, just enough acid to set off the sweetness of the fruit (yes… avocado is a fruit).

Or prosciutto e melone for dinner, with one of the real European cantaloupes instead of an American muskmelon, the pure sweetness jumping out with every bite, mixing with the saltiness of the ham. I don’t even mind the juice dripping down my chin… and I hate messy food.

Yes, pleasure is truly in the simple things. Like a blog award. When I told the Canadian that my blog had won an award, he asked what it meant. Did I win money? A prize? No… I tried to explain to him, but he didn’t get it.

Joy at Joy of Desserts has awarded me this Excellent blog award! Joy has only been blogging since March, but her blog is already a hit, so go check it out! The rules of the award require me to find 10 more blogs to award, so here they are…

A Blithe Palate is one of the most beautifully written blogs out there. It may be about food, but Cath has a writer’s soul.

I couldn’t not include Ivonne from Cream Puffs in Venice. Way back when this was just an ickle baby blog, Ivonne helped me to learn how to come into my own in the blogosphere, not only through her helpful hints, but also by setting an amazing example.

I’m constantly heading over to Culinary Concoctions by Peabody to see what new baked good Pea is cooking up. Everything I’ve tried has been amazing!

As you can tell from my blog, I’m definitely not a vegan, nor do I cook fat-free, but Susan at Fatfree Vegan has made vegan food interesting to me, and her writing makes me want to try even some of the strangest of vegan foods.

I think everyone already knows about Jaden over at Steamy Kitchen, but I couldn’t resist sending out another thank you for her amazing and hilarious writing.

Some of the stories and recipes at Finding La Dolce Vita could be my own… but that’s not the only reason I love this beautiful blog. Venturing through familiar recipes and gorgeous pictures makes me feel at home again.

I have loved The Wednesday Chef ever since I heard the premise, but since then, my love for Luisa’s blog has grown to encompass her writing, her recipes and her beautiful photos.

Simply Recipes is what it promises… and a whole lot more. I find myself adding nearly every one of Elise’s concoctions to my “to try” list.

A fellow cook in France, Lucy at Lucy’s Kitchen Notebook has one of the most beautiful blogs I’ve ever seen. Not only is the actual format gorgeous, but her stories wonderfully woven around her recipes and her life in Lyon.

Chefs Gone Wild is still new on my blogreel, but I nevertheless find myself looking forward to what has happened next on this blog that sometimes reads like a sitcom with haute couture cooking to match.

Thank you so much for brightening my day with your words and your recipes. Now, it’s your turn: go and find ten of your own excellent blogs, and link to them and to me. Then come back here and let me know when you’ve done it, and of course let the people you award know as well!