APRIL DOES SOMETIMES feel like the cruelest month, because for me, every year, this is when I revamp my diet and exercise routines. Something about warm air and sunshine makes me tune back in to my too-often-neglected body and my health, and as a result, I’ve been scouting around the net for blogs and websites that help me clean up and pare down my eating. Here’s a baker’s dozen of sites that are my current faves for inspiring me to cook and eat in a way that is healthy for me, and the planet.

Some of these you’ll recognize from prior favorite food blog lists, but others are new to me, and TSP.

Cheap Healthy Good

The name says it all. And besides staying true to its mission, the site offers great roundups of recipes from elsewhere on the net, tailored toward a particular goal. I like this list of “healthy one-dish meals with good leftover potential.” And not just because it features lots of gratuitous pictures of George Clooney.

Albion Cooks

Catherine describes her cooking as “Vegetarian, delicious, healthy” but it’s also beautifully photographed and geared towards cooking with what’s in season. I’m dying to try  her brussels sprout and blue cheese pizza, which combines two of my favorite things in the world.

Dr. Gourmet

This is, hands down, the best dieting website I’ve found. Created by New Orleans physician Timothy S. Harlan M.D., it has medically sound information and advice, and every single recipe tells you if it’s suitable for various nutritional needs (low sodium, gluten-free, etc.) Best of all, unlike so many other diet sites, Dr. Gourmet’s recipes focus on using unprocessed, real foods. The chicken vindaloo is calling my name.

Mighty Foods

This site’s mission is to “redefine the way you think about whole, natural foods” and with inventive recipes like Midnight Hummus (made with lentils) and Brown Rice Syrup Brownies, I think it’s got a good shot. I also love that like Cheap Healthy Good, it offers up well organized lists of other recipe sources around the web. Heidi Swanson of 101 Cookbooks (more on her later) is one of the contributors, so you know you’re in good hands.

The Ethicurean

This one’s not a cooking site, per se. But if you care about what you eat, where it comes from, and its impact on the planet, this site is for you. It gives a great round-up of food, farm and environmental news in one pithy package. Good to read while you’re eating your (healthy!) lunch.

Mark Bittman’s Bitten

Mark Bittman seems to divide foodies straight down the line: some love him while others scoff. I’m a lover, so I was distraught when, just this week, The New York Times decided to fold Bittman’s Bitten blog into what they describe as the new “superblog” Diner’s Journal. My jury’s out on that decision, but all of Bittman’s posts are available here. His chickpea snack has my name all over it.

Grist

If you don’t know this smart, slightly irreverent environmental news site, you should, and not just because their food content is excellent. Great writing from strong voices make this entertaining as well as a useful resource. Recipes are featured occasionally, but this one is all about educated eating.

Fat of the Land

Langdon Cook (with whom, as it happens, I went to high school–go figure) is an author, and, perhaps more important, a forager…meaning: he finds his food. OK, not all of it, but if you want to read about hunting and cooking chanterelles, fishing for salmon, or digging razor clams, he’s your guy. And his recipes (and writing) rock. Since I pine for Mexican food here in my tiny nearly-New England town, his recipe for fish tacos may be a lifesaver.

Eating From the Ground Up

I met Alana IRL (you know: In Real Life) because the Rock (that’s my daughter) befriended her little girl, Rosie. They quickly became peas in a princess-y pod, and Alana and I were thrown together as only two mamas on a playdate can be. But it turned out that I love Alana as much (dare I say more?) than Rock loves Rosie. She’s a superior cook, an adventurer, hilarious, kind, and so dedicated to locavore eating that she kind of takes my breath away. She’s responsible for my discovering the wonders of homemade granola, but her blog is a treasure trove of healthy, family-friendly recipes. I can vouch for her nearly-no-sugar birthday cake: awesome. But don’t take my word; bake it yourself.

101 Cookbooks

If you’ve followed my previous food-blog picks, you already know how much I love Heidi Swanson and her gorgeous site, 101 Cookbooks. She’s the queen of taking healthy whole foods and turning them into inventive, delicious fare that appeals to a wide range of eaters. As winter winds down, and I await the real spring veggies, I think I’m going to try this Warm Red Cabbage salad for a super healthy and satisfying farewell to cold-weather foods.

Gluten Free Girl and the Chef

My love for Shauna Ahern and her delicious blog is not new news. My ardor for her kale chips, heaven on a plate for a chip-deprived dieters, might be. Check ‘em out, and be sure to read our profile of sister Shauna, too.

Gluten Free Goddess

I found Karina Allrich, aka the Gluten Free Goddess, thanks to Twitter, and I love her writing, her photography, and most of all, her recipes. Karina is gluten-, egg- and dairy-free, so great for people challenged by those allergies. I just like how her food tastes; this mayo-free coleslaw just may become my summer BBQ staple…

Post Punk Kitchen

I was never really punk, so I don’t think I qualify as post-punk either. But no matter: the rebellious vegans of PPK welcome all cooks willing to forgo animal products. Veggie friends of mine swear by their cookbooks, and I’m pretty sure their mango-ginger tofu would convert anyone to the joys of the humble soybean.

Enjoy, and share your favorite online resources for healthy eating.

MY FAVORITE CITY IN THE WORLD IS PARIS. I went there for the first time when I was 13, and fell in love. I’ve visited there intermittently over the years, and every single time, I leave more charmed. I haven’t had much chance for travel much of anywhere lately, so my Francophilia has mostly been fulfilled, you guessed it, by blogs. Mostly, you’ll be shocked to learn, food blogs. Would you like to join my armchair voyages? Read on.

You can almost taste the butter, smell the Gitanes, and hear the symphony of urban sounds a la français if you dig into these wonderful blogs. Well-written and passionate all, they evoke the absolute best of Paris, yes, its je ne sais quoi.

Did I mention, bon appétit?

David Lebovitz
The subtitle of this blog by former Chez Panisse pastry chef and author (of among other delicious titles, The Perfect Scoop) is “living the sweet life in Paris”. That pretty much sums it up. Why should you even try to resist? Divine recipes, great perspective on the city.

Chocolate & Zucchini
Even if her name wasn’t Clotilde Dusolier, you’d be charmed by this sunny Parisienne. She blogs in English about the food she loves to eat, which tends to be healthy, fresh, and, as the name suggests, open to the occasional delicious sweet. I’ve twice given her cookbook, Chocolate and Zucchini: Daily Adventures in a Parisian Kitchen, as a gift, and it gets rave reviews.

Joe Ray
Joe Ray is the English-language partner in crime to notorious French restaurant critic François Simon, who some say was the basis for the Anton Ego character in the animated film Ratatouille. Joe, a wonderful writer, photographer and dedicated food adventurer, writes the English-language section of Simon’s site, Simon-Says, as well as contributing to The Boston Globe. His work is a great resource for planning your own Paris adventure.

Parisien Salon
A team of writers cover everything from music to fashion to food to vocabulary in this lovely site, making it both an instant immersion into la vie Parisienne, and a really useful planning guide. It’s gorgeous, to boot, which never hurts, especially when your subject is the world’s capital of style.

Street Peeper/Paris
Want to know what they’re really wearing in Paris? Look no farther than this site, which shows you exactly what’s au courant on the streets of la belle ville. Delicious. And slightly intimidating.

Alexander Lobrano
Lobrano was European Correspondent for the late, lamented Gourmet (yes, yes, I know, you all already know how I feel about that) and I loved his writing there, but his Diner’s Journal blog (a counterpoint to his terrific book, Hungry for Paris ) is equally delightful. And he remains a great correspondent, meaning, leave a comment with a question, and you’re very likely to get an answer. Love that.

Paris Breakfasts
Carol Gillott is an American artist who, it appears, spends as much time in Paris as she possibly can. (Who can blame her?) Her illustrations of the city are wonderful, and I love her unique perspective on her faves, be they food, fashion, shopping, you name it. She gives you Paris through her own rosy view, and it’s heaven.

Eat Boutique
This delightful food site isn’t precisely Parisian, but since its founder, Maggie Batista, recently moved to Paris for a few months, she’s been posting about her experiences settling in to her new home. Seeing Paris through fresh, awed eyes is a wonderful experience, made even better by a terrific, funny, passionate writer, who also happens to take gorgeous photographs.

Meg Zimbeck
Journalist Zimbeck loves great food, and bless her, she’s not afraid to share her secrets. (If you’re lucky, you might nab a spot on one of her guided food tours.) She’s also irreverent and hilarious. Where else will you see a side of Paris that includes (braided) horses’ asses and breakdancing American tourists?

John Talbott
If you go hunting around Chowhound for restaurant recommendations in Paris, sooner or later you may find yourself corresponding with John Talbott. American by birth, French by choice, Talbott has been writing reviews of his Paris meals for 20 years. His blog gives you not only his opinions, but also a weekly round up of other French critics’ two centimes.

Dorie Greenspan
Author Dorie Greenspan has collaborated on cookbooks with foodies ranging from Julia Child to upstart macaron king Pierre Hermé. She’s lucky to divide her time between the U.S. and Paris. I love her recipes (they WORK!) and I’m partial to her “At Home In Paris” blog category. A girl can dream, can’t she?

What do you think? Almost as good as a real trip to Paris? Where are you going on your spring vacation, lovely sisters?

BRRR. BLECCH. IT’S FEBRUARY. In college, this meant something called “Feb Club,” an organized party every single night of the year’s bleakest, longest-feeling month. In real life, this means a search for escape–virtual, if not real. For me, escape from the winter blues comes through cooking and reading. Thanks to the net, I’ve found an incredible web of foodie blogging sisters (and brothers) whose recipes and reminiscences spirit me away to places much brighter and warmer. Are you in need of inspiration and escape, too? To come away with me, check out these bloggers, whose words and pictures are an escape as good as any exotic vacation, and a lot easier to come by.

1. Todd and Diane, the White on Rice Couple

I fell in love with Todd and Diane during our Summer Fest cross-blog extravaganza last year, and the romance isn’t over. With beautiful photography and accessible, adventurous recipes, they offer food for every sense. Be sure to check out their recipe for Sriracha hot sauce. One of their most popular posts ever, this recipe is guaranteed to warm things up in your kitchen.

2. Meedo and Zainab of Arabic Bites

These two Saudi sisters share their favorite recipes from their own family, and beyond. In scrupulous detail, they offer their takes on everything from stuffed grape leaves to hummus and fatoush, but I am dying to try the pistachio rice pudding and the zucchini pancakes.

3. Monica of A Life of Spice

Monica Bhide is an accomplished author and cook, and her blog is perfect for those want more of the delectable Indian cuisine she shared in her latest book, Modern Spice.  A recent recipe I’m dying to try is shrimp and coriander soup–this time of year, I crave all soup, but especially clear broth full of flavor, which this promises to be. (Scroll down in the post to find the recipe.)

4. Cristina Potter of Mexico Cooks!

Cristina was born in the U.S. but has spent nearly 30 years living in Mexico, and her blog is as much an exhaustive travel guide as it is a repository of super-authentic, well-explained recipes. For a good introduction to all that’s on offer here, check out her recent post recapping her best of 2009. I can’t wait to make her capirotada, a bread pudding unique to the Lenten season in Mexico. (Scroll down in the post for the recipe.)

5. Mark of Sticky Rice

I don’t know much about Mark, an Australian living, eating and writing in Hanoi, but what I do know is that this blog is like an instant ticket to Southeast Asia. Mark covers the world of  Vietnamese food from humble street vendors to fancy hotel restaurants, and does so with enthusiasm, humor and scrupulous attention to detail about ingredients, flavors and surroundings. Be sure to check out his “Sweeeeet!” category for a mouth-watering look at Vietnamese desserts.

6. Fuchsia Dunlop

Fuchsia (oh, how I love that name) Dunlop is not a food blogger, but an author and scholar of Chinese cooking. Her blog is a collection of musings on the state of cuisine in China (a recent post was on the Chinese government’s attempts to standardize recipes for Mao’s favorite dishes). The site falls into the “virtual voyage” category I so love this time of year. Her recipes for her Chinese-influenced take on Christmas fare (e.g., Chinese mince pie dumplings) are not to be missed.

7. Robyn and David of EatingAsia

Kuala Lumpur-based Robyn Eckhardt and David Hagerman have one of the most beautifully photographed blogs I’ve ever seen, but EatingAsia has way more than a pretty face. Robyn and David travel throughout Asia, digging into local cuisine everywhere they go. They offer a sumptuous slice of life most of us aren’t likely to experience. One recipe I am longing for is their Devil curry–a spicy-sour concoction that seems ideal for February.

8. Fran of BetumiBlog

Fran Osseo-Asare’s “labor of love” blog, which features recipes from and information about cuisines throughout sub-Saharan Africa, might be my favorite food-blog discovery ever. Fran’s approach is affectionate and scholarly, and her recipes are both exotic and appealing. She’s got step-by-step instruction for a range of savory and sweet dishes, but these togbei from Ghana (the name means, get ready, “goats’ balls”) keep calling my name…

9. Pati of Pati’s Mexican Table

What’s in the water in Washington, DC? I lived there many  years ago, and though there was awesome Vietnamese food, I never found much other ethnic cuisine that lived up to its potential. The food climate must have changed, because like Monica Bhide (see Number 3 above) Pati Jinich lives and cooks in the capitol. Her blog is exuberant, and her recipes shine. As an ex-Californian who now lives in something of a Mexican-food wasteland, I rely upon books and blogs to inspire me, and Pati’s is sure-fire. I’m dying to try her pollo pibil.

10. Danielle of Habeas Brulée

It’s not that Danielle Sucher cooks any exotic cuisine in particular, but that everything she cooks has an imaginative and gutsy flair. I first found Habeas when a craving for Moroccan cuisine sent me off on a Google odyssey, and Danielle has a few Moroccan recipes to choose from. But she also has gorgeous salads, inspired sweets (try her Balsamic Fudge Drop cookies) and a deep catalog of recipes categorized as “Hot/Spicy,” just to warm things up.

11. Stephanie of Momofuku For 2

Stephanie Le loves David Chang’s New York City Momofuku restaurants so much, that when she received his cookbook for Christmas, she decided to cook her way through the entire book and blog the process. She’s the first to admit that this is no longer an original idea, but her site still feels fresh, and Chang’s inventive Asian cuisine is relentlessly appealing (as is Steph’s enthusiasm for her project). You need the book to cook along with Steph (she does not republish Chang’s recipes) but even without it, Momofuku For 2 will suck you in.

12. Martin of Khymos

Martin Lersch is a Norwegian scientist who’s passionate about food and cooking–specifically, molecular gastronomy. Martin offers a whole different kind of culinary adventure (check out his downloadable recipe book Texture–A Hydrocolloid Recipe Collection. Hydrocolloid? Oh, that’s “a substance that forms a gel in contact with water.” According to Martin.) While I am unlikely to ever cook any of the gels or foams in Martin’s cookbook, I love the adventure of reading his take on the science that (really, truly) always underlies good cooking. He’s funny and charming and unabashed in his food-geek pride. In all seriousness, don’t miss his monthly “They Go Really Well Together” (TGRWT) experiments in food pairings. Banana parsley marshmallows, anyone?

13. Indira of Mahanandi

I love Indian food. I mean, LOVE. Indira Singari’s recipes make it seem doable at home, but better, they make you feel like you’ve got her at your shoulder, coaching and coaxing you through the new or unfamiliar. In one of her most popular posts, a divine recipe for palak paneer, Indira explains in vivid detail how the woman who taught her to make this recipe explained that she needed to see it, in order to understand how to do it. Indira manages to make you see, and in the process, shares her encyclopedic knowledge of recipes (many from her own family) and ingredients. A passage to India if ever there was one.

If these suggestions leave you longing for more, read my original favorite food blogs post, or this follow-up offering more of my best food blog picks!

image from the new thankyougourmet.com

YOU ALREADY KNOW HOW I FEEL about the end of Gourmet. But let me be clear: Unlike many mainstream media outlets that covered this story, I don’t blame food bloggers. I love food blogs, and what I glean from their shiny digital pages is totally different than what I sought in Gourmet‘s glossy ones. So with my favorite food mag now history, I find myself seeking comfort from fellow foodies and passionate cooks. If you, too, need some emotional sustenance during these dark days, be sure to check out these sites, which are full of the vibrant joy of cooking well for yourself and others.

Shauna of Gluten Free Girl

One of our early profiles, one of my favorite online foodies, Shauna is a bundle of love and joy and can make you feel instantly better, about everything, at the click of a key. Read this, and see if you don’t believe me.

Marilyn of Simmer Till Done

Marilyn was one of my first new digital sisters after the launch of TSP, and I treasure her writing, her recipes, her sense of humor, and our frizzy-haired kinship. She let me write for her once. She even wrote for us once. And she makes scones. I LOVE scones.

Julie of A Mingling of Tastes

Julie’s having a special celebration of Gourmet this week, a great addition to her regular line up of simple, accessible recipes like grilled pizza and shepherd’s pie. And she’s from my hometown, Chicago, which makes her extra special.

Aran of Cannelle et Vanille

Hands-down, one of the most gorgeous food blogs around. Seasonal, special and always inventive, Aran’s recipes are unique and beautiful. And she makes marzipan ice cream–what could be better?

Matt of MattBites

One of the SummerFest crew, Matt is funny as can be, loves cocktails as much as carnitas, and is a master when it comes to styling and photographing his culinary triumphs.

Julie of Dinner with Julie

Julie, another thanks-to-TSP digital sister, describes her site as “a sort of reality cookbook” which it is, if your reality includes things like Pumpkin Stout Gingerbread with Cream Cheese Frosting. (Thanks to Julie, that will soon be part of my reality, too.)

Dorie of In the Kitchen and On the Road with Dorie

Yes, Dorie Greenspan. Yes, she writes for that other food magazine, but we won’t hold that against her, since she’s a goddess of baking, and a wonderful storyteller.

Luisa of The Wednesday Chef

I’ve never met Luisa, never corresponded with her, make no claim to sisterhood at all–but hers was the first food blog I ever read, and I love her. Read her, and you will, too.

Elana of Elana’s Pantry

Another profilee, another home of gluten-free goodness, with a healthy dash of environmental consciousness thrown in for all our good measure. Don’t know about you, I can’t wait to drown some sorrow in these Cranberry Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Heidi of 101 Cookbooks

Now that Gourmet’s Cookbook Club is kaput, I’ll be extra reliant on Heidi’s savvy book picks, not to mention her elegant vegetarian recipes. I’ve been dying to make this Roasted Corn Pudding in Acorn Squash.

Gwen of Pen and Fork

I found Chef Gwen thanks to Twitter, and love her accounts of her dining experiences (don’t miss her luscious photographs of the legendary roast chicken at San Francisco’s Zuni Café) and her simple, original recipes, often with a southwestern flavor.

and…Renee of thankyougourmet.com

Finally, a special shout-out to the lovely writer Renee Schettler, who was inspired to create a site where we can say “thank you” to Gourmet for all it’s given readers over the years. Renee was kind enough to include my remembrances of Gourmet, and I hope you’ll visit the site and add yours to the list. (The image above is from her beautifully designed thankyougourmet.com. Be sure to check it out.)

I HAVE A LITTLE problem. I love cookbooks, and cooking magazines. The piles mount; something has to give, my husband says. Do I really need all this paper in order to cook? Well, no, I don’t, I guess, but cookbooks make me feel at home, bring me solace, and inspire me. Thankfully, the sisterhood and brotherhood of passionate cooks I’ve met the last three years in the food blogosphere provide a glimmer of light at the end of this paper tunnel. Meet my most recent culinary muses:

It all started for me with this 2006 Los Angeles Times article, and the then-anonymous blog The Wednesday Chef. One site led to another, and down the cooking blog rabbit hole I went. Here are some places you’ll find me in the comments:

Paige’s Favorite Foodie Blogs

1. The Wednesday Chef

Luisa started my food-blog love affair, and I cook her recipes constantly. Since I, too, have overflowing files of newspaper recipe clippings, I found her concept (cooking through those piles of clippings, and rating the results) totally brilliant, but her writing kept me coming back. She introduced me to the no-knead bread craze (back in the days when I was still eating wheat regularly–sigh) and I love her writing about Italy, ingredients, the recipes that work and the ones that don’t…everything about her voice and her cooking enthusiasms just charms me.

2. Gluten Free Girl

I don’t need to tell you about Shauna, do I? You’ve already read the profile of her over in the TSP Galleries; you’ve visited her glorious site; maybe you’ve even baked some cupcakes. Me, I’ve wracked my brain to figure out how I found Shauna, but no matter the path, I’m so glad I landed on her virtual doorstep. Even if you don’t avoid gluten (and I do) her recipes work and her joyful attitude is one I long to emulate.

3. Elana’s Pantry

Another gluten-free site (also dairy- and sugar-free) with delicious recipes and beautiful presentation. Oh, and a beautiful author, to boot. One look at Elana, and you think, “Damn! I want to eat that way, too!” Elana’s also a personal hero of mine because she convinces her kids to eat the healthful food she prepares. Try her recipes, and you’ll see why. One new dish I’m planning to try is her Roasted Chicken with Olives and Prunes.

4. 101 Cookbooks

Possibly the most gorgeous of my fave food blogs, this site by Heidi Swanson is also a destination for healthful recipes. I found the site searching for recipes using soba noodles, a favorite of my husband’s. I found this recipe, and never looked back. When I want a super-healthy, vegetable-intensive main dish, 101 Cookbooks is the first place I look.

5. Anapestic

See? I promised a brother in this group. I don’t know this writer’s real name, and sadly, he has not posted this year. I’m hoping he’ll come back, because I love his meandering way of writing, the way every recipe is a story and then some. I found him searching for information about legendary food writer Laurie Colwin and her take on the near-mythical Black Cake, and kept coming back for his wit, and his palate. Dig around, and you’re bound to find a delicious dish wrapped up in a delectable, hysterical anecdote.

6. The Town Tart

Here’s another blogger who leaves something to be desired when it comes to consistency-of-posting, but I love TTT’s sweetly snarky wit, succinct and honest cookbook reviews, and the fact that once upon a time, she used to live right here, in the exact remote part of the country where I live now, and she now lives in Venice Beach, where, once upon a time, I used to live. There’s some kind of poetry there, I have to believe. That, and the star of her kitchen is a bright red Aga, the stove of dreams. What’s not to love?

7. Bitten

The only corporate blog in this list, Mark Bittman’s Bitten is just lovely, and totally useful. I cook from it all the time, because it is exactly in tune with my cooking sensibilities: Use fresh and local whenever possible; be as healthy as  you can; experiment with flavor; err on the side of simplicity. I love Bittman’s columns for the New York Times, most of his cookbooks, and this eminently useful blog.

8. Gastrokid

My buddy Hugh Garvey is a real-deal foodie, an editor at Bon Appétit, a super hipster, and a proud papa of two cute kids. All of these characteristics inform this site, in which he and his writing partner, Matthew Yeomans, chronicle the culinary exploits of adventurous eaters with kids along for the ride. Gastrokid mercifully doesn’t fall into the icky “hide the vegetables in the brownies” trap, and thus offers recipes that adults and kids can try without cringing.

9. Simmer Till Done

This blog holds a special place in this list and in my affections, because it’s the first food blog I discovered because of The Sister Project. Marilyn came commenting, I clicked back over to her site, and fell in love. A professional baker, Marilyn’s also a fantastic writer, whose stories about food and cooking are deeply personal and instantly relatable. She’s got her own sister stories to tell, too, some of which will make you laugh; others will break your heart. But with so much comfort food on offer (check out the four sisters’ versions of noodle kugel) Marilyn can make you smile through the tears. She even draws beautifully. I think I want to be Marilyn when I grow up; I definitely want to bake like her.

Would you care to nominate someone special for number 10? Let me know!