Friday Favorites 4.27.12

It's about the end of April and undoubtedly Spring is here no matter where you are. Below is this week's roundup of awesome links, food and cooking-related, of course.

Friday Favorites 4.27.12

Photo courtesy of How Sweet It Is

Roasted Strawberry, Brie, and Chocolate: There is something secretly satisfying when fruits are grilled. Double this satisfaction when they're roasted. The burnt sweetness will add the extra oomph to any dessert--or even to any snack, just as is shown in this recent post. Strawberries, brie, and chocolate are all excellent individually. But when loaded together on a piece of toast (or graham crackers, even, if you're planning to make a mini version of this), it's magic.

Chicago's 3rd Annual Blogger Bake Sale: Benefiting Share Our Strength, part of the Great American Bake Sale, Chicago will be selling goods from such places as The Poison Cup, a "wine and art" boutique in Lincoln Park. Treats will be around $3 and will include vegan options. This event will go on from 10am until 2pm on Saturday, April 28th.

Pepper: This is a food blog that's based in Manila, Philippines. It's relatively new and there are only a few recipes listed on the site but this is definitely a blog I'll continue to check. The blog included everything from food ecipes to photography to style. Their whole mission is to redefine how food is shared and to understand the culture behind food blogging.

Spring Lemon Risotto with Asparagus & Peas: It's Spring and I think it's time I learned to make some risotto. Not only is this a dish that seems easy enough to make, but the abundance of green against the backdrop of yellows and browns is about as spring as it gets on your plate. Make it more colorful and add some sundried (or roasted) tomatoes and bell peppers. Make sure you read the tip about making the risotto extra creamy!

Homemade Queso Blanco: There's a great whole food movement going on, and along with it comes the farm-to-table movement. Plenty of people (and restaurants) consistently boast housemade items, from everything including pasta to cheese. If you want to try making your own cheese, specifically queso blanco, this is something for you to read.

Layer Cake Slicing Kit: If you aren't already on Open Sky... sign up now. Endorsed by Cake Boss' Buddy Valastro, this is perfect if you're ever in the mood to make a tiered cake for all the friends who love your baking prowess. Even the greatest bakers need a hand and this is one of the simplest-looking devices. It comes with a baker's knife and a cake lifter. It fits cakes up to 10" to 11" in diameter and can slice up to 8 layers. If you don't tell your friends how you sliced your cakes into perfectly even layers, I won't.

10 Creative Wine Bottle Storage Solutions: If you aren't partial to wine cellars or don't have the room in your humble abode for such a lair, there are some neat ideas illustrated by The Kitchn. It's a notch up from DIY, but it beats remodeling your home to fit said lair.

xo,

k.