something coming soon.
When I can figure out how to get a list of the other posts in this category here, it will be. For now, just some pictures. =)
flickr stream.
Recipes and disclosure
I linked to some article about food blogs publishing recipes out of books the other day, and I have been having some more thoughts on the topic that I wanted to share. My position is, that if you find a blog, food or not, that you like, the fact that they publish a recipe from a particular book is like a glowing endorsement of that book. I love the cookbooks, and when I look in a new one, I read the recipes, and I think “yeah, that sounds good. but how does it taste?” So when I read a recipe and a positive experience, I generally add that book to my master wishlist. Let me give you some examples.
When I first saw Giada de Laurentiis on Food Network, I thought “Oh Jeezus, here’s one more example of the degradation of the network. This lady is cute, busty, and there’s no way these recipes taste good.” But, one day the Spicy Bean Soup ( her spicy minestrone ) caught my eye. I made it, it was really really good, and my whole opinion changed. Now I see her and I say “She’s cute, busty, but that crap is is just superfluous because she CAN COOK!” And her recipes are solid performers. Every one I’ve made. Just like Lidia, except cuter. I love Giada, and The Princess can say her name because we know her stuff is good. Hopefully one day I’ll tell this story to Giada and she’ll laugh. And then give me some secret recipes she’s been holding out on.
On the other hand, Martha Stewart is a known quantity. Right? Wrong. I love the magazine, buy it every month. Watch the shows, even have bought the stuff at K-Mart. But frequently, when I try the recipes, they suck. Honestly, the worst dinner I’ve made in the past year was a MS Living Meal-in-an-Hour job. Tasted like tittykakas, every dish. I was so offended that I made it for J. Now when I read the recipe, if it sounds like a good idea, I take the concept and then improvise. Haven’t been disappointed. If you’re the Food Editor at MS Living, I seriously would like to chit-chat on the phone for an hour. Something isn’t working in the workflow.
SO, when food bloggers ( not that I really think of myself as one ), write recipes from books, and their experiences, I think it is awesome. And it frequently makes the difference between a book I just look at, and a book I buy. Thankfully, the people in the cookbook publishing world get this, and haven’t done some Food Blog Crackdown. Good for them, it means I keep buying their products.
posted to In the Kitchen, at 02:19 PM. permalink
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