Cafe Creosote

Review by Debbie Mazo

If you have a passion for good food and down-to-earth cooking, point your browser to Cafe Creosote-an award-winning site with an innovative menu and no line-ups. This well-organized Webpage is a rich resource of food information ranging from a recipe archive complete with easy-to-follow selections to a cooking guide packed with all the essentials.

Named after the food-loving Mr. Creosote in Monty Python's Meaning of Life, this unique site is hosted by a group of twenty-something Web designers from San Diego, California. Although the hosts don't have a background in the food industry, they definitely share an enthusiasm for cooking and fresh ideas.

Newcomers to the cooking scene can use the helping hand offered in the Reference section. Click on the Cooking Guide to access the site's online instructional guide with topics such as how to measure different ingredients as well as how to substitute low-fat equivalents for higher fat foods and ingredients. You'll also find a comprehensive dictionary of food and cooking terms. For example, did you know that the Daikon Radish is a long, sweet-tasting radish used primarily in Japanese cooking?

Urban-edge farms now account for 79% of US fruit production and 69% of vegetables. To reap the bounties of your local farmer's market, check out Fresh from the Farm. With recipes like Lemon Asparagus Pasta and Chicken and Nectarine Salad, you'll be able enjoy roadside produce all year-round. All recipes listed here (and elsewhere on the site) contain photos, nutritional information, and an option for scaling down ingredients to fit a specified number of servings. You can also mail recipes to friends or add your comments by posting a message.

Planning a visit to either Los Angeles or San Diego in the near future? Then, check out the Restaurants link for full reviews of some of the top restaurants in the area. If you need some reading for the trip, you can always browse Book and Magazine Reviews for the best in food reading.

Whether you're looking for novel ideas on standard fare or common sense cooking tips, a visit to Cafe Creosote will definitely have you learning a lot and savoring the rewards.

Current Digest

1999 Reviews

June 1999
National Pork
Producers Council

May 1999
www.shrimp.com
Classic Recipes
Margarine on the Web
Mange Firenzia
Calorie Control Council

April 1999
Helen's British Cooking
GourmetSpot
B's Cucumber Pages
Tiramisu

March 1999
Easter Cooking at WYK
Middle Eastern Cookbook
Eatchicken.com
www.fromages.com
A Boke of Gode Cookery

February 1999
Chopstix New Year Page
Dim Sum Shrine
and Take-Out Joint
Godiva Online
Bread Machine Digest

January 1999
Non-Dairy
Indian Food Guide
Greek Olive Oil
Light Living