When I think about the village that I used to live in in Southwestern France, I think of the Beauty and the Beast. Not because there was a beast who lived in the chateau on the edge of town (I'm sure whoever lived there was lovely), but because of the village itself. Every morning reminded me of the opening song of the movie, "There goes the baker with his tray like always, the same old bread in rolls to sell..." Everyone just ran around, going about their business, shouting "Bonjour!" to one another and carrying huge baskets of baguettes. It was so stereotypically French, and that's what I adored. Now, in honour of those baguettes, here's a recipe for Classic French Baguettes.

Have you ever gone somewhere that was just like you thought it would be, like me with my French village and its beautiful pâtisserie?

Craving some more foodie reads? Check out Wanderfood Wednesday on Wanderlust and Lipstick!

How do you organize your recipes? Sure, we all have cookbooks and view recipes online; but we all also clip them out of magazines, scribble them on scrap paper, and snip them off of product packaging.

Some of you may use recipe boxes, or even just folders or envelopes, but there are always cool new products coming out to make our lives just a little easier and tidier – and boy, do I have a couple cool products for you!

I've said it before and I'll say it again, I love the combination of literature and food - and, "Like Water for Chocolate" is no exception.

This book, written by Laura Esquirel, is a beauty. The first time I read it was when I went on my first major trip abroad, when I was eighteen. My mom's best friend suggested it, and at that point in time I really wasn't much of a reader. A writer, yes, but not much of a reader. So I bought the book, brought it with me, and opened it up on the first day. Sitting on a rocky beach, I read and read and pulled my towel back away from the tide as it came in. I read until daylight was gone, and continued reading the next day. This is the book that started it all for me, its beautiful words inspired me, and its beautiful recipes inspired me even more.

What's better? Recipes online or out of a book/magazine? Everyone has their preference.

I'm an ink on paper sort of girl. Maybe it's my love for words, for books, that pulls at my heart strings. If I'm reading a recipe out of a book or a magazine, then I'm getting the best of both worlds and combining my favourite things: books and food. It's like heaven (delicious, literary-laden heaven).

I've shared some of my cookbook choices with you, so now just take a wild guess what my favourite cooking magazine is... it involves a certain Ms. Stewart. You know I love her (but that doesn't mean I'm going to go cut off my long brown hair hair into a bob and dye it blonde). You guessed it! It's Martha Stewart's Everyday Food. And the current issue is mouth-watering. Pick it up and you'll get to try out the following recipes:

Everyone has a cookbook that they can't live without.

I've got three.

First, the Bravo! Best of Bridge Cookbook. It's got an amazing assortment of recipes and one-liners to keep you entertained throughout the book. My favourites? Overnight Raspberry French Toast (just picture it...), and the Thai Chicken and Mango Stir-Fry. The stir-fry is lighter than you'd think, but delightfully saturated by a gentle coconut flavour. The recipes are very simply laid out, the ingredients are common, and there are handy tips and variations for many of the recipes. I use it regularly, and imagine that you would as well.

Second, Donna Hay's Modern Classics Book 2. What makes it so wonderful are the photographs. There's a photo for each recipe, and they're done in natural light. They're absolutely beautiful. The Orange and Poppyseed Cake is delicious, and absolutely gorgeous with candied orange rind and orange syrup on top. Another beauty: Blueberry Swirl Cheesecake. It's as yummy as it is easy on the eyes.