The internet is full of food blogs. You probably read some, write for one, or started one. Some people succeed with this medium, others peter out. Some, however, have enormous staying power. They dole out stellar recipes year after year, add high quality images and people eat it up. Deb Perelman of Smitten Kitchen is one of these rare breeds.
Deb combines exceptional food photography (she even sells prints) with recipes that work. For every local foodie out there, recipes are sorted by season, with special fruit and vegetable tabs. Conversions and other faqs are available. Even if you’re inexperienced, cooking is not scary with Deb. She helped me through my first caramel, with detailed directions about when to kill the heat. A “surprise me!” button can provide culinary inspiration on a gloomy day and her warm writing style has you coming back for more. Regular readers develop a rapport with Deb. We all rooted for her when she executed a challenging wedding cake for a friend’s ceremony. We kvelled over the birth of her child (and her special baby food recipe section.) We’re so proud of her upcoming cookbook, and we can’t stop reading.
My earliest personal success with a smitten kitchen recipe came during Passover, the Jewish holiday in which leavened bread is forbidden. Passover desserts are notoriously hard to come by. When I saw Deb’s suggestion for matza crack(ers), I knew we had to try it. Several hours of caramel making, chocolate melting and anxious cooling later, my family had a new favorite. Deb’s matza crack, as we now call it, is made year round, including for my dad’s summer birthday.
Penn Appetit also shows major love for Deb and her recipes. We recognized her as one of our favorite food blogs, especially for breakfast recipes (seriously must try last week’s carrot cake pancakes). We made her maple oat scones (love them!). We even used her zucchini fritters and sour cream topping as the cornerstone of a hanukkah feast.
Deb, we could not be more excited to welcome you to our food writing panel. We can’t wait to talk to the woman to whom we owe so many good meals.
