I'm was stricken with flu last week *cue dramatic collapse onto my fainting couch*, except it wasn't quite that refined. I will spare you the gory details, but I am much better now - thanks for asking. Last week, some of my favourite food focused posts on the interweb  included  a soup recipe that should kill any cold and a potato that made me want to lick my screen. Seriously. Enjoy:

<p style="text-align:center;"><img class="aligncenter" style="border:0 none;" src="http://www.remain-silent.com/cm/blogships/RQ_issue31.jpg" alt="john midgley mast bros" width="450" height="300" /></p>
<strong>blogroll category</strong>:designy &amp; foodie
<strong>blog name/url</strong>: <a href="http://www.remedyquarterly.com/">remedy quarterly</a>
<strong>blogger</strong>:
<strong>post i loved</strong>: <a href="http://www.remedyquarterly.com/2010/11/issue-3-growing-up-is-here/">issue 3: growing up is here!</a>

RQ is an independently published <a href="http://www.remedyquarterly.com/about/stockists/">magazine</a> of food stories with recipes that might cure any and everything that ails you. Issue three just dropped and features photography by <a href="http://harlanturk.com/">Michael Harlan Turkell</a> as well as a graphic recipe for Thai ginger drink. I especially love the<a href="http://www.remedyquarterly.com/category/remedies/"> 'remedy' page</a> on RQ's blog, as it reminds me of my childhood when my mum would whip up some soup/tea/concoction to get rid of colds, mumps or whatever. I am paticularly intrigued about <a href="http://www.remedyquarterly.com/2010/09/sopa-de-aja/">this</a> Sopa de Aja recipe to ease the common cold.

<p style="text-align:center;"><img class="aligncenter" style="border:0 none;" src="http://www.remain-silent.com/cm/blogships/Kitka_kami.jpg" alt="kami mug and tray" width="450"></p>
<strong>blogroll category</strong>: designy / design housewares
<strong>blog name/url</strong>: <a href="http://kitkadesigntoronto.com/">kitka</a>
<strong>blogger</strong>: <a href="http://kitkadesigntoronto.com/?page_id=2">juli &amp; john</a>
<strong>post i loved</strong>: <a href="http://kitkadesigntoronto.com/?p=11117">tea time</a>

I have always found things made from wood exceptionally beautiful, so you can imagine how breathless I was when I spied this tray and mug on the Kitka design blog. The wooden tray is from<a href="http://mjolk.ca/"> Mjolk's</a> recent Masanori Oji exhibition and is made from Japanese Walnut; the mug is available in store for $75. The natural lines and variations in tone make these items unique, textured and quite simply beautiful. However, what I love most is that John and Juli take time for tea every day which has been a ritual i've followed for years. I always brew a pot get out my favourite mug and nibble on my baked invention of the week. Divine!


<p style="text-align:center;"><img class="aligncenter" style="border:0 none;" src="http://www.remain-silent.com/cm/blogships/CC_Mattspotatoes.jpg" alt="Twice Baked Potatoes by Matt Armendariz" width="450"></p>
<strong>blogroll category</strong>: foodie
<strong>blog name/url</strong>: <a href="http://blog.cookingchanneltv.com//">devour: the cooking channel blog</a>
<strong>blogger</strong>: <a href="http://blog.cookingchanneltv.com/author/marmendariz/">matt armendariz</a>
<strong>post i loved</strong>: <a href="http://blog.cookingchanneltv.com/2010/11/02/matts-twice-baked-potatoes/">matt's twice baked potatoes
</a>

There are several very particular reasons why I loved Matt's post last week:

- During the years when I learned German 'Zwieback' or 'ZweiBack' was one of my most favourite words.
- My sister and I used to be baked potato fiends when I was a teen and our potatoes got more and more elaborately topped as we tried to out-do each other.
- Matt said that vegetarian Mexican chorizo exists. Which I didn't know and will subsequently gorge on.
- This picture makes me want to lick my screen. Seriously.

<p style="text-align:center;"><img class="aligncenter" style="border:0 none;" src="http://www.remain-silent.com/cm/blogships/CJ_turkeymeatballs.jpg" alt="chef john turkey meatballs" width="450"></p>
<strong>blogroll category</strong>: foodie
<strong>blog name/url</strong>: <a href="http://foodwishes.blogspot.com">food wishes</a>
<strong>blogger</strong>: <a href="http://www.blogger.com/profile/15030125427840815038">the adorable chef john!</a>
<strong>post i loved</strong>: <a href="http://foodwishes.blogspot.com/2010/11/turkey-cocktail-meatballs-with-orange.html">Turkey Cocktail Meatballs with Orange Cranberry Glaze – A Holiday Take on One of the Most Absurd Appetizers Ever</a>

I love Chef John's weekly granting of foodwishes.. and this past week his recipe for Turkey Cocktail meatballs with Orange Cranberry Glaze nearly shook me off my vegetarian pedestal. It. Looks. Like. It. Tastes. Like. Dreams. When I told him so he replied that he had a "a confirmed and documented vegetarian conversion to his credit." That Chef John...he's a dangerous man I tell yah!


<p style="text-align:right;"><font size="1">
<em>*blogships is a rip on an email I got that opened with ' what's cooking my friendships?'
all images via the respective blogs mentioned</em></font></p>