As the end of the semester approaches, I can’t stop thinking about all the delicious dishes I’ll be able to make once I have access to a kitchen again! During quarantine last year, I spent so much time finding recipes online because I wanted to not only get better at cooking but also make dishes that put a smile on my face. Here are some recipe blogs and YouTube channels you should check out if you’re excited to try new recipes and make great food this summer!
1. Maangchi
As a loyal subscriber to Maangchi’s YouTube channel and monthly recipe newsletters, I must recommend Maangchi’s recipes. Even though I do not take spicy food well, I always make an exception for Korean food, because the spiciness of the food brings out the flavor, making every dish more tasty than it already is. Maangchi is a Korean chef who was born and raised in Korea but currently resides in New York City. Maangchi sticks to authentic Korean recipes, because Korean dishes are what she was raised on and knows the best! Her recipes cover a wide range of Korean dishes, from side dishes, such as kimchi and crispy seaweed noodle rolls, to main dishes like sundubu-jjigae (Korean soft tofu stew) and budae-jjigae (Korean army base stew). Maangchi’s recipes are not only easy to follow, but they also always turn out to be delectable. If you’re interested in Korean food or just looking for flavorful food in general, you should check out Maangchi’s blog or YouTube channel where you can find recipes for all kinds of Korean dishes!
2. A Cozy Kitchen
A Cozy Kitchen is a recipe blog run by Adrianna who is a cookbook author and has had her recipes featured in various cooking magazines. Her recipes focus more on baked goods, but she also makes dishes inspired by her Latin-American background and sometimes even recipes for beverages. While there is no YouTube channel for A Cozy Kitchen, Adrianna usually posts short videos of her recipes on her Instagram, where you may also find wholesome photos of her adorable corgi, Amelia! Over winter break, I followed Adrianna’s recipe for homemade salted honey parker rolls. Since I’ve never made bread before, I was afraid that I would mess up the parker rolls. To my surprise, I ended up making the best parker rolls I’ve ever had! It was the right balance of both fluffiness and chewiness of the bread, and all the credit goes to Adrianna’s amazing recipe. Do you find yourself craving for some good parker rolls now? Head over to Adrianna’s Instagram account and blog to find more recipes you should add to your list!
3. New York Times Cooking
When it comes to great recipes, I shall not forget NYT Cooking. Before we dig into it, I would like to take a moment to talk about the quality of photos posted on NYT Cooking’s Instagram account. Immaculate. From the angle to the sharpness of the photos, they always get me so excited to save those posts for when I have a kitchen again. NYT Cooking features a myriad of recipes from various cultures, and they are also rated by people who made them, allowing anyone interested in making these dishes to have a better sense of whether or not the dish tasted good. Moreover, you can also add ingredients needed for a recipe to your grocery shopping list on the NYT Cooking website. This makes grocery shopping so much easier because you have a list of ingredients you should have before you start cooking. The only bummer about NYT Cooking is that some recipes are only available for those who are subscribed to NYT Cooking; however, there are still tons of recipes that are free for everyone.
4. HidaMari Cooking
If you’re like me who has a sweet tooth and enjoys desserts, you will love HidaMari Cooking. HidaMari Cooking is a YouTube channel that posts videos of recipes for desserts from no-bake cakes for amateur dessert makers to cakes with special designs for those who are experts in culinary arts. Even though HidaMari Cooking’s dessert recipes may appear to be complicated and hard to follow because it’s a Japanese channel, they usually post their recipes in English in the description box. I was able to successfully make a Japanese souffle cheesecake this summer even though I’d never made any kind of dessert before and thought I was going to fail on my first try. If you’re craving something sweet and palatable to enjoy on a fine summer day (or any time of the year), HidaMari Cooking is the perfect channel for you. They also have an Instagram account where you can find high-quality photos of these delicious desserts.
5. Tasty
Speaking of recipes, it’d be a shame if I forgot to recommend Tasty. I’m sure many of you are familiar with Tasty and have probably found great recipes from them. One of my favorite things about Tasty’s recipes is that they usually only take 30 to 45 minutes to make, which is very convenient for those who are on a tight schedule and prefer to make a quick yet mouthwatering meal, such as the chicken alfredo pasta that has the right level of creaminess and the perfect texture for the chicken. Aside from recipes for entrées, baking recipes on Tasty are also great for people like myself who don’t have a lot of baking supplies. I was able to make the perfect chocolate chip banana bread all in one bowl which saved me a lot of time when it came to cleaning. If you want something fulfilling but not time consuming to make, Tasty is your best shot!
While I’m not the best chef out there, these recipes from different blogs and YouTube channels have definitely made cooking and baking easier for an amateur like myself. Hopefully these recipes get you excited to make some sweet and savory dishes this summer! Bon Appétit!