Cooking and Recipe sites anyone?

Last night was my last night of carbs for another two weeks.

I'm almost ashamed to admit that I've put on an additional 10 pounds since my wedding and that I'm probably getting to be in the worst shape of my life. This is very disappointing to me as I'm sure you can imagine.

So, last night, I made one of my biggest guilty pleasures - an all olive pizza that takes on a significant Mediterranean flavor. But last night, I did something different. I finally got brave and grilled my pizza.

I'm happy to report that this experiment turned out fabulous. I used a pre-made crust for my first attempt. After brushing the crust with a healthy dose of olive oil, I dusted the entire crust with herbs and a light coating of cracked black pepper and garlic salt. I made my own tomato sauce from scratch and then added Colossal Greek Black Olives, Kalamata Olives and Cracked Sicilians.

It was fantastic. The flavor of the olives penetrated the crust and the sauce... and the cheese melted very evenly. Creating unique and different pizzas is something I've started to take very, very seriously. Thankfully, I'm not as obsessed as this guy. Ask my wife, every one of my pizzas is a little different, whether it's the sauce, the seasoning of the crust, or the length in the oven. Every one is different, because every one is influenced by my mood.

But now, it's back to South Beach, which means I'm back to lots of lean meats. So tonight, I'm continuing my Mediterranean tour and plan on prepping a Tuscan-style grilled steak.

Here's the marinade, which I got from the boards over at Chow.

1 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh oregano leaves
1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary leaves

So,Chow is my go to for new recipes. Other than the Food Network Site, do you guys have anywhere you surf for new recipes.... I'm a little out of practice. Happy eating.

Some great foodie Web sites

On the iPod: "They Know Where You Live" - The Joy Circuit

I covered foodie sites in my column today. See below.

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I won't lie to you. I'm a foodie. And I blame it all on my mother's stellar cooking.

This passion has become so severe that I am now striving to find the best corned beef, the tastiest recipe for French onion soup and the most unique way to incorporate pomegranate arils with my salmon. And I'm doing all of that online.

So, if you're looking for a new spot for a business lunch locale, a new recipe or even if you're just looking to read up on some new wine, try these links out.

Chowhound.com is a site I visit daily. There you'll find message boards, recipes, restaurant reviews by region and a host of other tidbits. Thanks to chowhound, I'm now a fan of smoked porters, pickled red onions and Autumn squash ravioli with sage brown butter sauce. One day I plan on trying to make my own pancetta.

If new wine is what you seek, I highly recommend Wine Spectator's site (thanks to my boss Chris Crain for that one). Even if you’re a little new to wine (as I am), there is a wealth of information to get you started. At the very least, you can learn how to fumble your way through a presentation during your next business meeting. There are also some great videos about various regions. My favorite so far is on the art of champagne sabrage.

Finally, I give you my favorite local foodie blogger. Lisa Leutheuser (the Kitchen Chick) is an Ann Arbor resident. Here you'll be treated to some fantastic food reviews, great pictures and some real insight. She has totally turned me on to Biwako Sushi in Saline, thanks to this review.