In Brief / July 2010

I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised at the number of readers who could well be called foodies. Many of the Web site and blog recommendations from you are all about edibles.

If the popularity of food shows on cable TV is any indication, a vast number of us are intrigued by new tastes, creative use of ingredients, and preparing meals in our own kitchens.

In fact, most of the latest Web site and blog recommendations from you are about food. Brian writes from San Diego, “I really enjoy the fact that in US Airways magazine you cover quality reader-recommended blogs. I’m a fan of recipegirl.com. The site, which also includes a blog section, provides witty, personal writing along with fantastic photos of the recipes she’s prepared. She also has a database with over 2,500 great recipes — many with corresponding photos. This is not just a site for gourmets — if someone has even a rudimentary understanding of cooking, they’ll do fine.

“I am a Chairman’s member who runs corporate training workshops throughout the country, and I’ve been surprised by how many of my participants — who happen to also be ‘foodies’ — also know and love the RecipeGirl site.”

Thanks, Brian. Melanie, a reader from Amherst, Massachusetts, suggests visualrecipes.com. “Covering almost 30 cuisine styles, from African to Thai, this site is amazing. You can start by sorting through a list that includes breakfast, lunch, dinner, desserts, appetizers, and breads. You can also sort by types of occasions, holidays, or seasonal fare. There is no shortage of inspiration. What’s really great is that the recipes include ingredients, directions, cooking time, and a slideshow that shows the process from the beginning phases through to the finished dish. You can’t go wrong with the ideas at Visual Recipes.”

Thanks, Melanie. Based on more reader email, we could stay on the food topic, but we’ll save something for upcoming issues. For those not quite as enamored of food, here’s one from Rick in Fort Lauderdale: “There are so many live-streaming music choices on the Internet that it’s hard to pick the best. While I love Pandora, a staple for many, I also enjoy  a lesser-known site, stereomood.com. ‘Mood’ is the operative word here: You choose from a list of moods, including calm, dreamy, melancholy, relax, lost in thought, need of love, and many others.

“Each mood you choose produces a song list that includes hundreds of tunes — in one category there are more than a thousand. What I find interesting is that while I know some of the artists, such as Paul Simon, the Velvet Underground, and Neil Young, there are just as many by artists I don’t know but have joyfully discovered.”

Thanks, Rick — and, readers, keep those letters coming. Until next time, enjoy your flight.

Lance Elko, Editor