In Brief/February 2010

Thanks again this month to those of you who sent in some great suggestions for Web sites and blogs. And keep them coming — as editors, we enjoy discovering these just as much as your fellow readers do.

Based  on the number of plugs for  culinary sites, we can safely assume that many of you are real foodies. Adrienne writes, “Since I eat out a lot and always find a particular dish that becomes a favorite, I’ve often wondered if I could duplicate that dish at home. I mentioned this to a friend who told me about a site she discovered called copykat.com. The site is hosted by Stephanie Manley and includes lots of recipes for restaurant dishes that taste just like what you’d order. Stephanie claims that she gets her ideas from lots of experimentation. And I have to agree that she’s on to something. The recipes I’ve tried taste like the real thing.”

Thanks, Adrienne. We didn’t try any of her recipes, but testimonials such as yours tell us that Stephanie is indeed providing a unique service. Her offerings vary from the simple (Taco Bell tacos and Cracker Barrel Cherry Chocolate Cobbler) to the slightly more challenging (Olive Garden Zuppa Toscana and Cheesecake Factory Chicken Madeira).

Kim suggests that lovers of Thai cuisine check out thaitable.com, where you can find recipes and precise ingredients for home preparation. The site is packed with great ideas and tips, and it’s welcoming to expert and beginner cooks alike. Recipes are marked by level of difficulty and run the gamut from appetizers and soups to entrees and desserts. Because we love Thai food, a special thanks to you, Kim.

Still on food (our readers really do love to eat), artisan bread lover Michael cites thefreshloaf.com, a site that offers recipes, lessons, blogs, book reviews, and more.

Bryce, a devotee of documentary films, dropped us a note about freedocumentaries.org, a content-rich site that’s well organized by areas of interest. You can choose from topics like politics, health, environment, religion, banking, and society. You can also select by regional areas of interest: Africa, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, Russia, South Asia, and the U.S. All films are shown in their entirety, and  a closed caption option is sometimes provided.

Finally, Paul tells us that Malcolm Gladwell, one of our nation’s most astute authors and essayists, maintains a blog at gladwell.com. Paul writes, “If you’ve read him, you love him. He’s got to be one of our brightest, and I became a fan when I first read him years ago in The New Yorker. His site includes an archive of selected articles from 1996 to present. If your readers haven’t discovered him, now is the time.” Thanks, Paul. (We’re fans of his books as well.)

Until next time, enjoy your flight.