My Two Cents About Food Writing & Blogging
Howdy, dear readers. I realized today that it’s coming up on a year since I’ve started to make food writing my career. It’s been crazy, for so many reasons. I’ve been working hard and I’ve learnt everything I can along the way. I think my writing has improved, my skills as an editor, the way I take photographs, everything has evolved a bit. Things are finally just barely starting to feel like they’re taking off.
Having said all that, I’d like to share a few things I’ve noticed over the last ten or so months. Some pet peeves, some oddities. This is just an off-the-cuff rant, so stick around if you like. It won’t last long, then we’ll be back to our regularly scheduled programming.
Just Get to the Recipe Already!
This is like the number one comment that drives me batty when it comes to food blogs. Although I haven’t heard it about any of my posts… yet, it’s still kind of a shitty thing to say. Food bloggers aren’t making millions of dollars doing what we’re doing. I haven’t even managed to garner enough constant traffic to monetize this site in any way yet. Most of us are doing what we’re doing because we love food and cooking and want to share that with people.
So, you as a reader are looking for a recipe, you sit down, Google it and come across a blog post about it. Now, you aren’t buying a cookbook, or paying for a Gordon Ramsay multi-part master class. You’re coming to a website, owned and operated by a blogger who’s gone through all the trouble of laying out a recipe for you, essentially free of cost. If you don’t want to hear my well-thought-out and often hilarious commentary on the dish before you learn how to make it, that’s cool. Here’s a little secret: blogs work just like any other website on the internet. That little scrolly-bar on the side of the screen? It’ll take you right where you wanna go on the page.
What I’m trying to say is that food bloggers are doing this for almost-free. If you’re making money on a food blog, that means you’re probably taking it seriously enough that it costs you money, too. A well-lit photography set-up, maybe a custom WP theme, lots of dollars spent on ingredients and such. The least a reader could do is read the blurb where we express ourselves as cooks and writers. And if you can’t even stomach the thought of that, just scroll right to the recipe. We’ll never know. But don’t piss and moan about reading the story that goes along with the recipe you’re getting FOR FREE.
Modification Station
It’s no secret that even the most hospitable restaurant filled with the most hospitable cooks would rather that you don’t modify the well-thought out dishes they offer. You have allergies? We take that deadly serious, You have dietary preferences? We can accommodate them. Very often in my recipes that I share with you guys, I try to be loose. You want to add some shit? Sure. You don’t like this particular thing? Leave it out. I only ever really stress the stuff that’s absolutely crucial to the dish. Taste and flavour are particular to everyone, I get that.
On the other hand, if you’ve taken a dish of mine and changed it so much that it doesn’t even resemble itself anymore… maybe just don’t tell me that? If you tried a recipe here, but you left out 75% of what was originally in it, and replaced those ingredients with Johnsonville Brats or air-fried cauliflower or whatever, just keep it to yourself. I’m super glad you found something delicious to you that you’re proud of and want to make again. But it doesn’t feel super great to hear that “I absolutely loved that recipe you posted after I changed almost every single thing about it!”
Not that it’s happened to me yet, but it will, I’m sure.
The Price Is, In Fact, Right
The last thing I wanna rant about is this. Restaurants are not doing well these days. They’re working harder than ever, doing more than ever to keep you safe, with less people on staff. If you’re in an area that’s only offering take-out, then chances are the restaurant has had to change its vision and take on a lot of extra costs as well, just to keep operating in a whole new way. Not to mention, “services” like Uber Eats, Skip The Dishes and DoorDash take a huge bite out of the profits these restaurants could make if they were able to affordably and safely offer their own delivery. So, for the love of crap, please don’t go online and post about how you think $100.00 plus tip, tax and delivery is too much for a multi-course dinner for two from a local restaurant, especially if you *god forbid* still have to heat it up yourself!!!! Heavens to Murgatroyd!
I doubt any of you out there know just how close some of your favorite restaurants are to being gone forever. All the time, not just now, but especially now. Please, support them. By doing so, you’re supporting local farmers and producers, too. It’s just the right thing to do.
Okay, that’s it, rant over. Does anything I’ve said resonate with you? Agree? Disagree? I’m always up for a discussion or a lively debate, so shoot me an email or leave a comment down below! Until next time, hip cats!
