Since the beginning of time here on Cooking Planit, we’ve been forging a relationship with the Austin Food Blogger Alliance. As newcomers to the internet world of cooking and recipe sharing, we wanted to join a strong community of people who cared about food and cultivating relationships around food. Seeing as how Co-founder Tripp Wiggins is from Austin, and development of Cooking Planit broke ground in Austin, it was no wonder, and no shortage of great luck, that the AFBA was there and ready for us to partner-up with.
One great benefit for me personally, of working with food bloggers, is the ability to grow our Cooking Planit content. I get to share other people’s recipes with you, which offer new perspectives, new styles and new ingredients, that I might not otherwise think to work with myself. I felt like I hit the mother-load when I was told we would be able to use tested recipes from the new AFBA Cookbook in Cooking Planit!
When planning the cookbook, bloggers were asked to contribute recipes that meant something personal to them. Which is why you’ll find a huge variety of cooking styles and flavor profiles within the book. Variety is the spice of life here on Cooking Planit, which is why I chose recipes like Persian Lamb Stew, Caldo de Pescado and Welsh Cakes right off the bat.
Other recipes were just the kind of flavor profiles I love, so I had to include them. Like, Gulf Shrimp and Corn Chowder. Um, yes please! Or, Creamy Linguine and Clams. We actually have two linguine and clam recipes already, but this one adds a bit of heavy cream to the sauce, along with green beans, and it uses canned clams, which I think makes for a great weeknight dinner solution. It just goes to show how different the same dish can be from one recipe to the next, and that’s one thing I love about cooking in general.
Knowing that all these recipes were tested just to make it into the book, I didn’t have to cook through each one. But let’s face it, I wanted to try all of them just because they sound delicious! Smoked Salmon is one of my absolute favorite ingredients, so I definitely had to try the Smoked Salmon Hush Puppies. Oh yeah! Just as good as I expected. Using yeast in the batter made them so light and fluffy!
I also had to try out the Ancho Cherry-Raisin Glazed Pork Medallions. After all, the recipe won $10,000 for Anna Ginsberg when she entered it in a California Raisin recipe contest. It’s a really easy recipe, and it glams up pork tenderloin with all these sweet and savory flavors, so it really hits the mark. Talk about keeping dinner interesting!
Summer Soup caught my eye too, because, well, it’s starting to [finally] feel like summer and easy recipes are perfect for those hot days when no one wants to slave over a hot stove. This recipe is quick, easy and perfect for making a big batch to enjoy throughout the week.
Lastly, I’m a pasta person (maybe you’ve noticed!) So, this Bacon Corn Pesto Pasta is totally in my wheelhouse. The corn does double duty, served whole for crunch and pureed to make the creamy pesto sauce. Brilliant!
Check out these recipes and more from other AFBA contributors, and take notice in the recipe preview. I’ve included links back to their blogs so you can find out more about them, and see more of their great recipes.
It’s been a real pleasure partnering with great food bloggers, from both a communal and creative standpoint. Working with different ingredients and cooking methods helps keep me inspired, and keeps my creative juices flowing. Not to mention, bonus content for all of you! So, thank you to the AFBA for their continued partnership and thank you to all the food bloggers who shared their recipes with us so we can help inspire you, too!
-Emily
