Each year, the food blog community nominates its favorite posts of the year, then takes a vote to determine the Post of the Year. Naturally -- so many food blogs, soooo many posts, such short memories -- recent posts and consistently good writers dominate the nominations. To balance the year and the writer pool during 2008, here on BlogHer each month let's collect a handful of posts that represent great writing from great food blogs.

Here are my own contributions of the best writing from food blogs during March. But blog writers and blog readers, you too. Think back over the 31 days of March. What post moved you? called to you? made you think? changed your thinking? made you laugh? grabbed you at the first line? turned a memorable phrase? captured the rhythm of the month? If you have a contribution too, leave a comment with a link. And during April, watch. We'll look at Cooks with Quills each month.

MARCH in LAUGHS
We introduce every-day recipes and leave our readers hooting

Steamy Kitchen ~ Orzo with Brown Butter & Cinnamon
Jaden gets help answering the "What's for dinner"? question
Excerpt: No excerpt, this one must be seen in person!
~ ~ ~ Read: Orzo with Brown Butter & Cinnamon

Cheap, Healthy, Good
Carrots American Idol-style: What would Randy, Paula and Simon have to say about cooked carrots?
Excerpt: "RANDY: Yo, yo, yo dawg, listen up - this sauce BRANG IT! I was worried about the carrots at first, but yeah, I feel ‘em. I feel ‘em. They ended up working with each other, dawg. Yo, did you know I played bass for the magazine that created this recipe? That's right, dawg! YEAH!"
~ ~ ~ Keep reading: Honey-Glazed Carrots, Simon Style

MARCH in WORDS
We mark the close of winter, the Christian season of Lent and the celebration of Easter

Seriously Good
A walk through the culinary seasons, from Kevin's column at the website Spot-on
Excerpt: "It's that time of year when there's "nothing to cook" and my kitchen seems as barren as the trees outside."
~ ~ ~ Keep reading: Culinary Winter

My Own Sweet Thyme
A family commits to plain rice during Lent
Excerpt: "Several years ago my family made a commitment to eat weekly rice dinners during Lent. Instead of a normal weeknight dinner, on Wednesday evenings we ate plain rice. Water, salt, rice. Nothing else."
~ ~ ~ Keep reading: Kusherie (Eyptian Rice & Lentils)

MARCH in IDENTITY
We find and celebrate our emerging selves

Eggbeater
Shuna celebrates her blog birthday and personal journey
Excerpt: "O Eggbeater! you are my silly friend, my life raft, my buoy, my companion, my passion, my pet, my alter ego, my child, my professor, my school, my ball & chain, my love, my affair, my play-partner, my best friend, my garden, my chalkboard ... ... ... "
~ ~ ~ Keep reading: ! Eggbeater is 3 Years Old!

Karina's Kitchen
The gift of space when your children leave home
Excerpt: "The visit with [son] Alex and Jessica was thick with conversation, food for the eyes, and dreams for the soul. As always, in the wake of their absence I am struck dumb by the restless silence of the desert, finding it difficult to steady my post-maternal footing. It's not the letting go thing. Letting go of your children is the easy part. Their beauty is astonishing and too big to keep for yourself. You miss them, yes. ... But the space between you is precious, too."
~ ~ ~ Keep reading: Purple Cabbage & Sunbutter Soup

MARCH in FAMILY
We honor our parents, especially our mothers

Tea & Cookies
A daughter's love expressed in a loaf of bread
Excerpt: "In order to understand this story you must know a few things: My mother isn’t much interested in food. She resents the work that goes into preparing something that is gone so quickly. She does, however, like certain foods—capers, mushrooms, goat cheese, ginger, and Russian black bread. You must also know that: I love my mother deeply, in ways I cannot put words to. At the same time, lately I haven’t wanted to be around her. I haven’t even wanted to talk on the phone. I’m going though some stuff right now, trying to sort things out and I've needed my space. We’ve been sending terse little emails to each other when absolutely necessary, nothing more."
~ ~ ~ Keep reading: Russian Black Bread for My Mother

HogWash
Jess reminds us to thank our parents, you know, for doing a good job.
Excerpt: "Last week, I asked my mother for advice on how to comfort a friend who’d lost a parent, based on her experience losing her own father in the span of a few short, sad weeks. 'I think when people lose their parents, they always wish they’d told them certain things,' she said. 'With mine, for example, I wish I’d told them they’d done a good job. You know, raising me.' I made a mental note to return to that later in our conversation, and we kept talking about my grandfather, and my friend. But later that night, when I was climbing into bed, I realized I’d forgotten to tell her what a good job she’s done, with Dad. You know, raising us."
~ ~ ~ Keep reading: Spearsuckers, and a good scare

MARCH in ISSUES
We evangelize our passion, our experience

Gluten-Free Girl
Shauna shares the power of 'yes', one listener at a time
Excerpt: "Every time those of us who are gluten-free speak up and sing out our story (instead of silently sulking), we’re changing people’s minds. I like to joke, these days, that part of my job is talk about my intestines in public. (“What happens when you have any gluten by mistake?” someone asks me, and I start into the descriptions.)"
~ ~ ~ Keep reading: How Connections Led to Chocolate Chip Cookies

Escape from Obesity
Lyn takes control of her relationship with food.
Excerpt: "A new era is dawning... one I never knew existed. One in which I actually can say NO to food that I crave that is bad for me. I am gaining a measure of control I never knew possible. I always had this panicky feeling I was incapable of being 'in charge' of my intake. It's almost like an abusive relationship."
~ ~ ~ Keep reading: Escape from Obesity

Prior Editions - Cooks with Quills 2008
January
February

Don't forget. Look for great writing from food bloggers during April. Take mental note, bookmark the post, tag it "great writing" in Delicious. See you next month!

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