Wondrheart's Tummy

dining | cooking

I've always loved food.

Not so much just eating, but exploring new dishes, new recipes, new flavors, new restaurants. One of my main goals is to eat my way through the listings in the Memphis Magazine dining guide. I like almost anything if it's good quality and interestingly prepared. I'm particulary fond of Thai food and Italian, but I also like Mexican, Chinese, Indian, Ethiopian, Morroccan, Japanese, Cajun, Vietnamese, ... you name it.

I'm definitely not the meat and potatoes type. I've been called a food snob, but if you could have seen me parked at Sonic several times a week you'd know that's not true. It is true, however, that when I bake cakes I do it from scratch--if I don't have the time or energy for that I'd just as soon buy ready-made as use a mix. And yes, I do use cake flour, superfine sugar, and real unsalted butter. Does that make me a food snob? Oh well, so be it.

Some of my favorite restaurants.
Abyssinia -- Memphis TN-- Ethiopian Automatic Slim’s Tonga Club -- Memphis TN -- Southwest/Caribbean/Asian/California Belvedeer's -- Fayetteville AR -- Italian The Edge -- Jonesboro AR -- coffeehouse, occasional international dinners El Farol -- Santa Fe NM -- Spanish, including tapas El Rincon -- Sedona AR -- Mexican Heartline Cafe -- Sedona AZ -- fine food Hugo's -- Fayetteville AR -- eclectic India Palace -- Memphis TN -- Indian Jose's -- Fayetteville AR -- Tex Mex La Casa Sena -- Santa Fe NM -- New Mexican Lazzari's -- Jonesboro AR -- Italian	Lulu Grille -- Memphis TN -- bistro with best creme brulee in town Main Street Pizza -- Jonesboro AR Old Heidelburg -- Gatlinburg TN -- German Piero's Main Street Bistro -- Jonesboro AR -- international Pizza Den -- Hoxie AR -- great po' boys and homemade chips Ronnie Grisanti & Sons -- Memphis TN -- Tuscan Sawaddii -- Memphis TN -- Thai Taqueria Guadalupana -- Memphis TN -- Mexican Tropical Smoothie Cafe -- Jonesboro AR -- great wraps Tsunami -- Memphis TN -- Pacific rim, mostly fish Upper Crust -- Jonesboro AR -- pizza Wooden Knife Cafe -- Interior SD -- Indian tacos

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Cooking is a creative outlet.

I don't cook as often any more, but I've always enjoyed it as a special event. I collect recipes and have a whole bookcase full of cookbooks. I tend most often to make cakes, pies, homemade ice cream, or chili.

I'm sharing are a few of my original recipes, that I developed myself, on

my recipe page

Cookbooks I Recommend*

Beat This! Cookbook, by Ann Hodgman

Ben & Jerry's Homemade Ice Cream & Dessert Book, by Ben Cohen

The Cake Bible, by Rose Levy Beranbaum

Classic Home Desserts, by Richard Sax

Mediterranean Diet Cookbook, by Nancy Jenkins

Maida Heatter's Cookies, by Maida Heatter

The New Basics Cookbook, by Julee Rosso, Sheila Lukins

Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone, by Deborah Madison

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Some Favorite Recipe Links

Recipe Source -- find almost anything in a searchable archive
Arielle's Recipe Archives -- another big collection, from rec.food.recipes
Godiva Online Recipes -- chocolate and other desserts
TV Food Network -- recipes from the TV shows
The Recipe Link -- thousands of recipes shared by visitors
Epicurious -- "world's greatest recipe collection"
Low Sodium Cooking