2015 Blog Awards: Best New Voice Finalists

Summer Min About the Blog
O&O Eats is a reflection of my kitchen and the things I make on a daily basis. A lot of the recipes are fairly easy, some of them are more involved, and a few of them are truly weekend projects. My hope is that I can make cooking from scratch unintimidating so that people will use ingredients and techniques they would otherwise avoid. At the same time, I want to give readers an honest look into my life so that we can be friends, even though we’ve never met before. About Summer
My name is Summer, and I originally hail from the great state of Texas, but currently call Brooklyn home. Since my parents did most of the cooking when I was young, I can’t say that I grew up in the kitchen. In college, I baked a terrible raspberry chocolate layer cake for my friend’s birthday with a whipped cream frosting that melted everywhere. It was around the same time I really became enamored with cooking. I think every dish could use a good squeeze of lemon (or lime), I am obsessed with tiramisu, and I don’t like raisins.

Jessica Prescott About the Blog
My recipes are all vegan. My intention is not to convert the world to veganism, or even vegetarianism. I simply want to dispel the myth about vegan food and cooking. I use ingredients that I find at my local farmers market and organic supermarkets in Berlin and mainly things that grow from the earth: plants, whole foods and foods where processing is at a minimum. I create simple and wholesome dishes that can be enjoyed by anyone, because no matter our dietary preferences, plants unite us all. I am sharing them to guide and inspire anyone who is looking for something new to cook. About Jessica
I grew up in Napier,­ the fruit bowl of New Zealand, and now live in Berlin. My first memories are in the kitchen with my mother and food has always been my way of connecting with people. Every day I marvel over this incredible planet and the beautiful, psychedelic and delicious things it grows. Wholy Goodness is a manifestation of my long held desire to share my kitchen experiments. It is also a space where I can combine all of my creative outlets —food, photography and funny hand lettering.

Taylor Holliday About the Blog
The Mala Project is a challenge to cook my way through my prized collection of Sichuan cookbooks, which are full of food the way it’s made in Chengdu, my favorite place to eat. It is also an exploration of whether it’s possible for a home cook to do these recipes justice in the U.S. and of how to lay your hands on the right ingredients to do so. Not incidentally, it’s also about building a Chinese-American family, as I learn to cook for my recently adopted teen daughter from China and help her feel at home in America. About Taylor
I’m a U.S.­-based writer and organizer of culinary tours in Sichuan. A former Wall Street Journal arts editor/writer and frequent contributor to The New York Times Travel section, I’ve been obsessed with Sichuan cuisine since my first trip to Chengdu in 2007. But it wasn’t until I needed to supply three meals a day of real Chinese food for my newly adopted teen daughter that cooking Sichuan became a part of my daily life. Creating The Mala Project blog became a way to pursue, track and share my adventures cooking Sichuan in America.

Jessica Smith About the Blog
The recipes on Faring Well follow my whole foods, plant based diet. I strive to only use organic, non­-GMO ingredients. I believe that where you put your dollar is where you put your vote. Therefore, I support the farmers and manufacturers that say ‘no’ to pesticide-laden crops and genetically modified food products. I also focus on using whole foods over packaged products, while trying to keep the recipes simple and easy to follow. I hope to present a balanced, wide range of plant based recipes so that everyone, no matter their diet, can find something they love. About Jessica
Hi there! I’m Jessie, the girl behind this blog you’ve stumbled upon called Faring Well. I’m married to the best recipe tester around (Scott) and am currently operating this test kitchen I like to call “my office” out of the beautiful city at the foot of the Rocky Mountains—Denver, Colorado. My two greatest passions are getting off the grid (camping adventures are my jam—I kind of have a thing for national parks), and creating delicious, wholesome recipes to share with you.

Alana Kysar About the Blog
Fix Feast Flair is a lifestyle blog based in Los Angeles centered on food and my passion for sharing with others. You’ll find a host of recipes in areas ranging from baked goods to savory dishes and libations, along with a few tips on how to personalize your creations. From time to time, I’ll share insights on places I’ve dined at or other new discoveries. The three F’s represent my love for fixing food, feasting on it, and adding that little touch of flair to it all. About Alana
A recent Los Angeles transplant, I was born and raised in Hawaii, where I developed a passion for cooking at an early age. Brought up in a melting pot of cultures, I was exposed to a diverse range of cuisines from Japanese and Hawaiian to French, and everything in between. I translate them into my cooking today and strive to incorporate locally sourced ingredients when possible. If you can’t find me in the kitchen, check the local farmers market!