Five Questions For the Chef

This morning, I sat down to answer some questions for an upcoming article about my experience as a food blogger. Hopefully we will be able to link you to that article shortly! In the meantime, here is a look at my first ever Q & A.

Q. Would you consider yourself a foodie?

A. I don’t think I’ve earned the right to call myself a “foodie” yet. My passion for food has really come a long way in the past couple of years, but I feel like I am still on the outside looking in. I have always loved going out and trying new things, but the education wasn’t there to back it up. I’ve always been involved with food, I just never cook. So, it’s really only been in the last year or two that I’ve become adventurous in my own kitchen. I admired (and secretly envied) my friends who had all these interesting ingredients in their pantries and actually use them! Now I am working on really understanding food and how to shop and why certain flavors complement others. I’m starting to appreciate the creativity that goes into cooking, not just the delicious final product. I’m an aspiring foodie.

Q. Did you follow any Foodie blogs before you started writing for Cooks and Eats?

A. Before Hot Plate, I think I had two or three blogs that I would turn to for recipes or advice when I needed help, but they weren’t sites that I checked back on every few days. Now there are about ten sites that I follow. My favorite is a blog called 101 Cookbooks; the design is gorgeous, her recipes are elegant and simple, and she’s a talented writer & photographer. I like blogs that have personality.

Q. Have any of your blog postings gotten more responses/attention than others? Do you have any loyal followers?

A. Thanks to Facebook, I do think that Pittsburgh Hot Plate has a group of regular supporters. I think that when we put fresh content right under people’s noses like that, they are more inclined to click over to read more. We monitor our traffic with Google Analytics, and the numbers get pretty high when we promote a new article on facebook, especially during working hours! My restaurant reviews seem to get more feedback when they are positive than when I trash a place I hated. Also, readers seem to like “events” more than just a tasteless, odorless block of copy. When I compared “Aiello’s vs Mineo’s”, people got involved because everyone has a favorite.

Q. Do you think that food blogging is a trend that’s on the upswing?

A. I do think that food blogging is on the upswing, especially in Pittsburgh! You can find some excellent local food blogs via Urbanspoon. About a month ago, I read an interesting article in Bon Appetit about a well-known Paris concierge, Adrian Moore. I did a little digging online, and found his blog! So here I am, a little porkchop in Pittsburgh, reading about fine dining and fine living in Paris, France. It’s fun. It’s fun to read other people’s stories and to learn.

Q. Any other comments about your experience blogging about food?

A. I always thought being a food critic would be the best job in the world, and you know what? It is. It’s so thrilling to have a plate of food placed before you, ready for your consumption. As I’m cooking or baking or eating or taking in the atmosphere, I’m already writing and editing and looking deeper at what’s going on. Through my investigations, I’ve gained a greater appreciation for, not just food, but MEALS. It’s been great to slow life down and consider WHY we do the things we do, as it pertains to food and life in general. I hope I can give a little bit of that to our readers.