To kick off our first Favourite Things feature here at FineDiners.ca, Simply Recipes is one of my favourite recipe sites on the web. There are many others to be sure, some of which will be featured here as well, but this one I keep coming back to.
It is a blog published by Elise Bauer who started it as a project to collect family recipes and share them on the web, which has blossomed into a resource that attracts thousands of visitors a day. As she suggests on the site, you really feel like you’re leafing through an old family recipe binder and have access to tips and commentary from the people who have been cooking these recipes over and over for many years.
Functionally, the site is pretty straight-forward: it’s blog-style with new posts usually several times a week, and the archives are categorized by main ingredient or type, and also includes an index by ingredient or recipe title. There is also a Tips and Tricks section with dozens of articles about cooking techniques and kitchen basics.
The recipes are nice and simple and are accompanied by helpful photographs, and also include a comments section where people who have tried out the recipes can also make further suggestions and share their successes.
I love the personal nature of this site and, most importantly, the delicious home recipes that just keep me coming back for more.