Writer Agnieszka Bąk shares her go-to online recipe sources that never fail to impress.
It’s Wednesday afternoon and you get the sudden urge to try out a new dinner recipe, or maybe your friends are coming over and you want to throw the dinner party of the decade. There is only one small issue: you left all of your cookbooks at home. So, you do a quick Google search. But which recipe to choose, when there are thousands of them? Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered. It doesn’t matter if you are a novice in the kitchen or can prepare a roast with your eyes closed, I have created a shortlist of sites that provide trustworthy, and, more importantly, mouth-watering recipes.
When you’re looking for inspiration: Bon appétit
We’re starting with the one you have probably already heard about, but I need to make sure everybody visits BA’s site. The magazine is a favourite among many; they provide solid recipes for classics, like chocolate chip cookies, but you can also find very good instructions on jeweled rice or essentially any other recipe your heart desires. The site is basically a recipe encyclopedia. Sadly, they have recently become subscription-based, but you can still view up to three recipes per day free of charge – if you know what you’re looking for it’s a good place to start. Or maybe, like me, you can use it to get some quick inspiration when you want to cook but don’t know what.
When you’re cooking for a crowd: Half Baked Harvest
The Instagram famous, celebrity favourite blog is a great source of cozy meals that can warm you up on any gloomy Glaswegian day. Here you will find easy crowd pleasers that don’t require a lot of time or skill. Tieghan provides easy-to-follow instructions and uses ingredients that are easy to find. Give it a browse during your study break and anything you stumble upon will be tasty. You can’t go wrong with any recipe you try on this website, but please do give the Crispy Cheese and Avocado Burrito a go; the crispy cheese layer makes the humble burrito experience a celebration of texture and flavor.
When you want to impress: Ottolenghi
So, you’re throwing a dinner for important guests and you need to charm them with your cooking skills? Look no further. Ottolenghi is the mastermind behind Plenty and many more bestselling cookbooks. Fortunately for most of us, he provides his famous recipes online. Don’t get scared off by the long lists of ingredients and instructions, Ottolenghi’s dishes are full of flavor and uncommon pairings that are worth all the time that you spend in the kitchen. He will familiarise you with spices and sauces that you can use in your day-to-day cooking to, pardon me, spice things up in the kitchen. You will treat not only your guests, but most importantly, yourself.
When you want to go meatless: Rozkoszny
Michał Korkosz is a Polish vegetarian food blogger, but he has also created various recipes in English, so don’t get too worried. He recently announced the relaunch of his English site, but for
now you should browse through the archives; they are packed with mostly plant-based recipes that will satisfy all of your cravings. Imagine waking up on a cold morning and baking an apple breakfast cake (it’s very quick!), sounds good, right? His instructions are straightforward, and what you end up with is anything but. Plus, Rozkoszny provides recipes for Polish classics, such as pierogis, so how could I not recommend him to you?
