Food Bloggers Byte Back

By Mariana Andrade-Bejarano

Courtesy of Peter Martin

It came as an epiphany to Amanda McClements at her parents’ dinner table, while for Jason Storch, the idea was inspired by his wife. Adam Bailey’s brainchild hatched in his homeland in the “rural West,” while Melissa McCart’s interest sparked in the metropolis that makes New York most famous. With such different backgrounds, only the most universal of people-gatherers could bring this group together: their love for food and drive to write about it.

“[Food] is something that everyone loves and needs,” said Bailey, food and drink editor for Metro-area blog “DCist.” “There are only so many sports teams or movies to write about, but innumerable dishes and ways to prepare them.”

McCart, whose primary job is teaching English at a local high school, agrees. “Food is a stamp of culture … it tells a tale of where people are from. It’s something more universal than arts can be,” she said.  Her blog, suitably titled “Counter Intelligence,” shares recipes with readers as well as reviews.

And the many advantages of this line of work are not lost in McClements, a full-time “Metrocurean” food writer and reporter. Obvious perks, she noted, include enjoying lots of great food and the opportunities to meet the people who do incredible things with it, though she also admitted to having encountered some disadvantages.

“People are less likely to invite you over for dinner because they’re too nervous,” she lamented, though there are few things she said she loves more than a casual, home-cooked meal.

Storch, however, is not to be confused with a food critic. His title, he clarified, is “foodie—a person who has an ardent or refined interest in food,” while claiming no professional culinary experience. His “D.C. Foodies” blog (www.dcfoodies.com) encourages its readers to contribute—much like “DCist,” “Metrocurean” and “Counter Intelligence.”

One tip before would-be web writers begin?

According to McClements, “the best preparation for food writing is eating a lot, reading even more and never assuming you know more than you do.”

(April 2008)

Tags: Chew on this, food blogs