If you had to come up with your dream job, what would it be? Philanthropist? Rock Star diva? Four-Star chef?

Readers of this blog might be hard pressed to come up with one to beat this job description: Keeper of all things culinary for the New York Public Library, main branch. It's a gig that combines academia, literature, history, urban legend, folklore, whimsy AND food.

And the lucky woman who actually holds this job writes a blog, too. Rebecca Federman, whose official title is Social Sciences Bibliographer, is the wit behind the always fascinating Cooked Books. In her travels as "keeper of all things culinary" for the library, she helps maintain the library's culinary studies, culinary history and cookbook collections, as well as the library's 30,000 restaurant menus (and you thought those all ended up in your lobby). The result is a blog you don't dare approach unless you have at least several hours of reading time at the ready.

Everyday, as I work through my collection of food blog feeds, I keep a running list of the posts that I think are interesting or could become a prompt for a blog entry. I turn many of them into posts here, but I always have a few leftover at the end of the day. Towards the end of the week, I've got a whole bunch of unused links hanging around. Today I'm giving those orphaned links another chance at blog-life.

Serious Eats writes about a recent article in Dwell magazine about iconic kitchen items, ranging from the classic Peugeot Pepper Mill to the angular Bialetti stove top espresso maker (I love mine).

Still on the topic of cooking gear, Baking Bites points readers in the direction of an article over at PC Magazine that lists the 10 Weirdest Cooking Gadgets. I think that the Zero Gravity Spice Rack looks pretty darn nifty.

Yumsugar offers advice on how long things should be kept in the fridge and reminds us to label items with the date on which they were opened so to be better able to judge when things should be thrown out. I have to admit that I am often lax in the fridge purging department.

I admit that I am a novice when it comes to fried foods (making them that is, not eating them) but Elise's post on Simply Recipes for Buttermilk Fried Chicken has me seriously contemplating giving it a shot.

Last weekend my sister sent me a link to the website for Jungle Jim's, an enormous international market in Fairfield, OH. They carry more than 100 varieties of honey, have a section of the store named for Robin Hood and actually offer tours of the store for those who can't navigate the place on their own. It makes me want to plan a vacation around visiting that store (Ohio isn't that far from Philadelphia).

I am both curious and scandalized by the idea that one would use brie as the cheese in a quesadilla. Doesn't that seem somehow wrong? And yet, somehow it also seems so very right.

There's an article in The Sacramento Bee that's been syndicated that says that food blogs are becoming popular! Of course, that's something we've known for a long time now, right?

The piece states that there are 48,000 bloggers right now, though doesn't really specify if that means there are 48,000 blogs or 48,000 people blogging (many blogs have several authors). And what is the big revelation in the piece? Readers read food blogs to get recipes, reviews, and ideas! Wow!

I often wonder why blogs are still seen as some alien concept. Some nice coverage for some good blogs though, including Chocolate and Zucchini and Cakegrrl (in the pic).

Our sister site Engadget gets some nice press in the piece, but Slashfood isn't even mentioned. I'm sure that's just a typo.

Since writing about the Pea and Mint Soup found on an Italian blog the other day, I've been finding an endless stream of amazing food blogs from various locations around the world. This recipe for (what translates to) Cassava Cream with Crab is from the beautiful website Mixirica in Brazil, and though it is written in Portuguese, the picture itself is worth a thousand words regardless of which language you happen to speak. Again, translators, we can use your help. Please feel free to write the recipe in the comment section below.

There are many food bloggers out there who take stunning, professional-quality photographs of food for their websites. There are an equal number who seem to suffer a bit from poor lighting and blurry images, though. Photographers will get better with practice, but it helps to have a good eye for composition and the ability to hold the camera steady when you're trying to take pictures - especially ones of food, which tend to be from close up and trying to capture a lot of detail. It's safe to say that there are three major elements that will really help anyone looking to improve their photography: a quality camera, good lighting and a tripod or stand,

You're on your own for the camera, but the Photo Studio in a Box offers the other two in a neat little package. It includes an adjustable camera stand, soft light box and backgrounds, two high output table-top lights (to eliminate unflattering shadows and highlight the details of your subject) and a nylon diffuser screen. It also comes with a custom carrier so you can use the studio when traveling, although restaurants probably won't be thrilled if you try to set it up on the table.

Earlier this year, we saw the launch of a new Canadian blogging event, Canadian Blogging by Post that followed in the footsteps of the international Blogging by Mail and the european Euro Blogging by Post. The premise is the same for all of the events: packages of food and food-related items are shipped out and received by all participants. The events give everyone a chance to try new foods, "meet" new bloggers and just generally have a good time.

A new round of Canadian Blogging by Post is being hosted by Jasmine, of the beautiful blog Confessions of a Cardamom Addict. The theme is "our season's bounty," meaning that at least part of the package should focus on fall, fall flavors or fall foods. Unfortunately for some of us, the event is only open to Canadian bloggers (hence the name!), but we can all participate vicariously by keeping an eye on the host blog for a roundup of all the packages in the next few weeks.

Whether of not you live in New York City you will find much to learn, share and enjoy from a recently begun food blog called Not Eating Out in New York , by local writer Catharine Erway. In addition to writing on film and other topics, Erway has been spending her time since graduating Emerson college a few years ago working in various administrative jobs and, mainly, cooking. "The blog idea came to me when eating in some restaurant one day and realizing, you have no control over what they're putting in your food," she told me recently in Union Square Park . "They may say the food is organic, but you have no guarantee unless you follow the cook around the kitchen."

Although I just said that food doesn't have to be gourmet to be gorgeous, it can't hurt. Bea, also known as La tartine gourmande, made this exquisite Iced Lime Souffle with Poppy Seeds, drizzled with a raspberry coulis and served with a side of sugar-marinated strawberries. The full name of the dessert is so descriptive, that the dish almost needs no photo to accompany it. Since it is frozen, there is no risk of the souffle deflating and there is no need to turn on the oven, so it's a great choice of dessert on a hot day. The combination of lime and berries is bright and refreshing to the tastebuds, as the flavors complement each other well in everything that they appear together in.

Was just clearing up my food blog list and stumbled upon Culiblog. Have you looked at this site recently? I have a list of 300 food blogs so forgive me that I dont read each one every day!

Refreshingly different from your recipe listing sites - design in the food world appears to be the focus. Recent posts include making bowls from vegetable waste as shown at the Design Academy Eindhoven MFA show, Then there are details of collection of chocolate objects designed in collaboration with the autistic employees of a Belgian chocolate factory. It is not all design and design concepts; recipes appear too. Have a look at the wounderful looking Terrine Geologique.

Culiblog - its great!

Despite the general summer slow down across the internet here are four blog-events to follow or to participate in.

• Mixology Monday V takes place at Jiggle the Handle on July 17th. The subject is Lemon - plenty of fun to be had discovering or inventing a cocktail!
• Sugar High Friday storms through to the 21st edition and a theme of "Ice Ice Baby" (chilled and frozen desserts).
• The 12th edition of Blog Party - Passport Party!  traveling...virtually, of course. Think about the places you've been, countries you've visited. Or, a country you're hoping to get to. Create at least one appetizer and drink inspired by your favorite place, or places.
• Everyone's favourite food porn competition, Does My Blog Look Good In This, already has several wonderful entries. Send your picture or just view the entries at Grab Your Fork.

The image is my entry for DMBLGIT... what do you think?

Despite a quieter time on the blog front - what with it being the height of summer in the northern hemisphere - there is plenty of great posts across the food and drink-blog arena that you shouldn't miss:

1. Try the original scone recipe via Baking for Britain
2. Cream Puffs in Venice is geting all berry-fied with a Triple Berry Coffeecake 
3. Stephen Cooks on the other hand is playing with Baby Turnips and Sugar Snap Peas
4. And World Cup fever has hit San Francisco as Sam gets all excited by the French and tells us all on where to watch the matches
5. Monkey Gland has admitted to a Raw Obsession
6. Catavino reports on a grand sounding Spanish Wine Dinner
7. Food In The Main has details of Tomato-coriander thokku a superb sounding chutney.
8. and finally a Radish and Peach Sandwich graces Just Braise for that great summer feeling (pictured)

The Guardian newspaper regularly prints lists of blogs and links to them from the website. Yesterday they ran a piece on the top food blogs - congrats and hearty back-slaps to -

Chocolate and Zucchini - Great photography and inspiring recipes

Andy Hayler - looks as if it was made with a typewriter and Pritt Stick and somehow glued into the web

Noodlepie - Fancy a little culinary tour of Saigon? Graham Holliday, a British journalist living in Vietnam, will guide you through the street-snack vendors of the city and their produce.

101 Cookbooks - Warmly praised across the food blogging community

Megnut - Regular updates, and a surfeit of information keeps the appetite whetted nicely.

Deep End Dining - . The blog is a bit stunty - what with still-moving tentacles, bugs etc - but saved from sheer shock factor by some great comic writing.

Chubby Hubby - Singapore-based Aun Koh steals a march on his fellow bloggers with food photography that is so beautiful you want to chuck out your dinner and head back to the kitchen for some of what he is having.

Is My Blog Burning? - Whether you are on the prowl for new recipes, a voyage of blogging discovery, or just want to work out which writers you are really in tune with, this is a sure-fire way to do it.

This you have to see - and thanks to a post on An Obsession With Food I found it too. It could be the first food blog done as a comic strip. It certainly makes a change...

Mostly About Food has a different comic style for each post it would seem and was only started in February. Kalle Räihä  is the credited writer and asks in the latest post/comic for some feedback just to know that people are reading. So hop on over and say Slashfood sent you.

Basil is an herb in the mint family. It is often regarded as the "king of herbs" due not only to the fact that its name comes from the Greek word for "king," but due to its versatility. It is thought to have originated in India before being brought to the Mediterranean regions of Europe, where it is a staple in regional cuisine. It is also hugely popular in Thai cooking. Dark green, large leafed plants, known as sweet basil or Italian basil, are among the most widely used, but there are many other types of basil as well. These other varieties can range in color from purple to varying shades of green

It tastes slightly sweet and slightly peppery, with a hint of clove flavor. It pairs well with most meats, eggs and vegetables. A meat stuffing might include basil, as well as stir-fried vegetables. It can also simply be crushed into olive oil for a lovely dip for bread. The plant is highly aromatic, so beyond cooked uses, it can be added to potpourris or to a dish of hot water (even to a bath) to create a soothing, slightly minty aroma.

If you're like me, you've been flipping back and forth between the Food Network (for obvious reasons) and broadcast TV the last few days. I'm watching the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament. In other words, it's all about March Madness.

This weekend, the Elite Eight are battling it out to make it to the Final Four. In honor of the Elite Eight, here are eight lovely posts from around the food blogosphere that have us cheering for action in the home kitchen:

1. Is it Spring yet? At Seven Spoons, a Spring pea soup says it is!
2. Maona makes lotus root chips
3. Feeling sick? How about an elixir of limoncello from Welcome to my Pantry
4. Berries are in season somewhere in the world - and da*xiang's clafouti is a perfect way to use them
5. Do you eat flowers? If they are rose petals on Toast's walnut cake!
6. Onion rings aren't health food, but if they're oven-fried by Engineers, maybe they aren't so bad.
7. Hopefully you didn't give up fruit and cheese for Lent, otherwise, stay away from mini cream cheese tarts
8. Zen Foodism has lamb-bahs with yellow tomato herb salsa and roasted red peppers

[photo: Seven Spoons]