Shoots, Eats and Blogs (Top 10 List)

Blogging means:

1. Inspiration. Blogging inspires me when I don't know what to make for dinner. I turned to blogging because I was fed up with the same old vegetarian recipes in magazines and cookbooks. I never tire of the recipes I find on blogs. Since starting blogging my cooking has being more varied, more interesting and I can always find somewhere to eat out.

2. Adventure. Food bloggers are intrepid explorers in the blogosphere in search of the exotic and the novel.  I love cruising a food store in search the delight of an unusual ingredient I have read about.  A blog event can have me on the sofa surrounded by cookbooks in search of something fancy-schmancy or kooky or of a new dietary persuasion.  Blogging has taken me off the beaten track and into some strange but fascinating places.

3. Learning. Blogging has made me more curious. When writing up recipes for the blog, I pay more attention to ingredients, techniques and my mistakes.  In turn this helps me build on ideas and redress problems. Since starting my blog, I have developed recipes, picked up tips from other bloggers, and learnt a thing or two about others' food heroes such as Dan Lepard in the UK and Annabel Langbein in the NZ.

4. Presentation. Never my strong point, but I have made more of an effort to 'plate up' my food for the blog.  I confess I usually get the pretty plate and E gets the messier one.  I probably wouldn't bother as much if I was not going to photograph it and share it.  Though I do love colours and patterns, so it is satisfying when my photos are pleasing to both the eye and the stomach.

5. Patience.  Blogging means never eating as soon as food reaches the plate.  Dinner sits steaming.  I tell E to start without me (that is why he gets the ugly plate of food).  I point and shoot with my camera.  Usually I take a few photos and feel it is good enough.  I am too hungry to be a perfectionist.  I want to sit and enjoy the meal with E.  More patience is required when I have time to set up food to photograph.  Even more patience if Sylvia is anywhere near me.

6. Photography.  I have always enjoyed taking photos.  However I have never taken so many photos as I have done since starting my food blog.  I have learnt a few tricks but have much to learn yet.  Since I have decided not to put faces of family and friends on my blog, I have to think of other ways to represent people visually.  Blogging has made me value photographing more than just smiling faces. 

7. Bright lights.  Who wants mood lighting when you want to photograph your meal!  Since I started my blog, I have found that the fluorescent light above the kitchen table is my friend.  (Shh don't tell anyone as I don't think this is the right way to photograph food!)  When we eat out, I look for a brightly lit seat so I can get a decent photograph.  Window seats, summer nights, brightly lit kitchens all delight me. 

8. Connections.  The connections with other bloggers has enriched my cooking and my life.  Blog rolls, links, blog events and comments are all part of the way the internet works as a web of ideas and joins up like-minded individuals to form a sense of community.  My blog has brought me a wealth of friendships, support, feedback, comments, suggestions and ideas.

9. Sharing.  Far from isolating me (as some in the media would have you believe), blogging has encouraged me to share food with others.  Food bloggers tend to make more food than they can eat and I am no exception.  I am always happy to bring a dish to a gathering, though I will also often ask, "what do you think about this?"

10. Differences.  Blogging has taught me a lot about national and regional differences.  Having lived in the UK, I had thought the differences with Brits in cooking were because we were so like Americans.  However, blogging has given me a sense of the Australian cuisine as being more unique than I thought.  Just watch Australians and Americans discussing pumpkins, biscuits or grilling and you will wonder if they are even talking the same language. Makes me feel like a cosmopolitan foodie!

I started writing this post a long time ago.  It was inspired by Lorraine of Not Quite Nigella.  Check out her entertaining three posts about Things you should know about Food Bloggers.