Links and Likes

If I like it, I will link it.  And if I feel it is an amazing source of information or inspiration, I will highlight it.  There is an online universe of food information out there and to find your way around it is daunting.  On these back pages I will try to point you in the right direction among the thousands of food blogs, video content, websites and source links that I have discovered over the years.  The common thread is food and value-added advice or product sourcing for you to become a better cook.  And if you happen upon a jewel of a link, please pass it on.

These are the websites outside of Louisiana that I visit often.

Southern Living Magazine www.southernliving.com This pub has been the Bible of the South since the 1960s.  Now owned by Time Inc., Southern Living still covers southern lifestyle like kudzu.  Publisher Greg Schumann was a guest at my house to present Lafayette with Tastiest Town honors and proclaimed Acadiana the most passionate food region in America.  Well said.

La Paella (www.paellapans.com) Ok, so who knew?  When I was looking for a 28 inch paella pan to fit my fire pit, this site popped up. They’ve got the real-deal paella rice – Bomba, Valenciano and Calasparra.  If, like me, you’re a fanatic for paella, check them out.

My Spice Sage (www.myspicesage.com) These are my go-to spice guys.  If you’re looking for Kaffir Lime Leaf Powder or Ceylon Cinnamon or any other obscure spice, they’ve got it.  Great service and wholesale prices.

Saveur (www.saveur.com) I am a fan of this publication in print and online.  Great resources and recipes presented in a straightforward style.  Their online videos are very well done.

Garden and Gun (www.gardenandgun.com) This southern lifestyle magazine puts heavy emphasis on food with brilliant writing.  Excellent photo essays drill down into the essence of living in the South.  While at lunch at SOCIAL Southern Table, I met with publisher Barbara Bing while on a visit to Lafayette.  She impressed me with her knowledge of Louisiana and clear understanding of Cajun Creole food culture.  Acadiana should be prominent in their pages in issues to come.

Southern Foodways Alliance (www.southernfoodways.org) is a non-profit dedicated to preserving the food culture of the South.  Based at Ole Miss, the organization engages chefs, writers, documentary filmmakers, restaurateurs and Southern culinary artisans in propelling the movement.  Their focus on writing and oral history help preserve an important Southern way of life.  As they say, “Make Cornbread, not War.”

Bearings – A Southern Lifestyle Guide for Men (http://www.bearingsguide.com) is a well crafted website devoted to manly topics of interest including food and drink.  This online magazine has superb writing with compelling portraits of the people and places that make life in the South so honeysuckle sweet.

The Local Palate – Food Culture of the South (http://www.localpalatemag.com/) is a Charleston-based publication that is taking the food world by storm with their coverage of the people and places that make our food culture so delectable.  I met managing editor Allston McCrady over boudin and eggs at Lafayette’s French Press, and her impressions of our Acadiana food culture were most flattering.