Insta Cooks: Recipes from our feeds

Last fall, in our online “Back Porch Table” column, I shared a recipe for Hasselback Potatoes from Xandy Sutherland Nickel’s Instagram account “A Sutherland Belle.” The recipe gives instruction for anchoring potatoes with chopsticks on either side and cutting thin, deep slits crosswise that are then filled with a simple herb butter. Upon baking the potatoes, the inside becomes soft and the outside crisp. Delicious elevation for a Tuesday night dinner.

Somehow, I had found Xandy’s Instagram @a_sutherland_belle and got hooked. This woman in Richmond, Virginia, about my age, shares videos of herself cooking in a pretty kitchen, dressed in the prettiest clothes (I would wear just about anything she shows up in). Her photos of completed recipes are gorgeous, and, as I said in “Back Porch Table,” just about everything on her feed looks like something I’d like to cook. Lots of soups, skillets, and casseroles. 

Karen Edelman, a self-described “wanna-be-chef,” read the column, checked Xandy out, and got hooked, too. “I absolutely love Xandy, apron, juicy life lessons, green china cabinet, and all!” Karen wrote. “Her recipes are soooo good, but her stories and advice for us mature, twice-married ladies is so on point. Of the many Insta cooks I follow, Xandy’s at the top of the food chain – pun intended.” Karen wanted more, and come to think of it, so did I. So we asked some friends for other foodie account recommendations…

Evan Rausch, who works in hospitality publicity, has a group chat with her aunt Polly Roth and friend Tracy Kapiloff, where they share recipes several times a week. “Getting a text saying someone made a recipe and loved it is the best recommendation,” Evan says.

Evan’s top Instagram resources are Justine Doiron at @justine_snacks (“She leans vegetarian and really balances between food influencer and also just speaking to life.”), Caroline Chambers at @carochambers (“She’s a mom, so everything is quick and easy but still delicious.”), Carolina Gelen’s Pass the Plate at @carolinagelen (“She’ll do really small things like stuffed dates. Never too fussy, but creative.”), and Lindsay Ostrom’s Pinch of Yum at @pinchofyum (“Her crispy rice salad, where she crisped rice in the air fryer, first attracted me. She uses lots of fish sauce and tons of herbs and greens.”) 

Tracy adds another favorite Instagram account to Evan’s list: “Cocina de Coco [at @cocina.de.coco] makes a roasted chicken that is fool-proof and so good.” Courtney Cavender Smith is the home cook behind the account, sharing accessible recipes – in addition to roast chicken – like Blistered Shishito Peppers with Paprika Aioli, Spinach Pesto Pasta with Grilled Chicken, and Cheesy Green Chili Rice with Corn. 

Jeri Amundsen says her husband Arthur Feldman follows Lafayette, Louisiana, native George Graham on Acadiana Table at @acadiana_table, “which I hate,” she says in jest, “because Arthur is always sending me Cajun and Creole recipes that have like 42 ingredients.” If you do like Cajun and Creole recipes, go to Acadiana Table for mouth-watering photos of and authentic recipes for Grilled Oysters on the Half Shell, Jambalaya, and Fried Green Tomato Shrimp Remoulade. 

A few more to check out...

Alma Kitchen is known for its shortbread cookies sprinkled with edible flowers that Veranda magazine called “swoon-worthy.” They are the result of Alexandra Griffin’s pandemic “passion project” that blew up when Town and Country magazine included the cookies in their list of top places to order cookies online. In her Instagram account, @almakitchenco, Alexandra shares beautiful photos of flowers, interiors, travels, and shared recipes like Rhubarb and Strawberry Galette with Basil Whipped Cream, Spaghetti al Limone, and an Asparagus Tart with Meyer Lemon and brown butter bechamel. 

On her Instagram account @foodbymaria, Maria Koutsogiannis shares Greek recipes with humor. “If you’ve never bloomed olives in hot olive oil with cumin seeds, orange peel, and lemon juice, then topped them onto a bed of creamy, buttery goat cheese with pomegranates and crispy garlic cloves, well, then, you’ve been missing out,” she says in a video. The account developed as sort of an Eat, Pray, Love situation: Maria quit her accounting job to buy a one-way ticket to Thailand, thus embarking on a path to her passion.

Author and former Chez Panisse pastry chef David Lebovitz’ account, @davidlebovitz, is a classic, and a Francophile’s heaven. From his home base in Paris, David shares all things French, from tableware to where to find the best baguettes to, of course, fabulous recipes.

And then there’s everyone’s favorite Jennifer Garner and her “Pretend Cooking Show” at @jennifer.garner. Be warned of the advertising overture, but Jennifer is so darned cute to watch that it really doesn’t matter.

Happy scrolling and cooking!

Find “Back Porch Table” with a new recipe every week at thebuzzmagazines.com/back-porch-table.