Their Recipes ....

Fig, Apricot and Nut Biscotti - I tried to stay with the recipe but I don't like hazelnuts. So, I subed with almonds. Worked beautifully.

I was having a conversation with Al, the other day, on Twitter (yep, the 140 characters don't seem deter the long discussions :)). We were discussing how we rarely seem to actually try other bloggers' recipes or atleast blog about having tried them. Al's take was that it was the result of too much creativity and too little time...

Anyway, the discussion happened and was pushed to the back on my mind, until the photo contest at Leite's Culinaria happened. The idea of the contest was to recreate a recipe on the site and photograph it for the contest. Which, ofcourse presented the opportunity for point in para 1...

The classic Shrimp and Grits tuned up with pancetta, goat cheese and spinach.

Ofcourse, it would be very rare indeed to recreate another food blogger's work without any modifications at all. From the most innocent reason of not having the exact ingredients (and hence improvise, drop some etc.) to the grandiose of "I just know that this flavor combination would work so well in this recipe!!".

I have to confess that I am guilty of this as well :). Out of the three recipes, I wanted to point to here, only one, the Chocolate Torte below, is a true recreation. The others I must beg innocence on showing off, it really was a case of using what I had rather than going out and buying ingredients which I didn't think were so critical to the dish's success... :)

Chocolate Torte - True recreation.

Btw, I share these three because you must try them.. as is or your interpretation of them. But, do..make..them! :)

Fig, Apricot and Nut Biscotti - Leite's Culinaria
Shrimp and Grits - Leite's Culinarya
Chocolate Torte - Lemon Pi