Tuesday, March 2, 2010

I've been adopted!

Spicy black-eyed Peas



The  food blogging arena is a crowded place. I don't suppose there is anyway to know for sure just how many food blogs are out there but I googled,  food, blog, recipe  under the blog category and my search turned up    93,377,565  food blogs!   Everyday I stumble across  new blogs that hook me with magazine quality photographs or draws me in with  fabulous writing.  You can set up a blog in just under 10 minutes and I am sure that new ones are being created every day.  Whether anybody other than your BFF and your sister  even cares to read it is another matter.

Because it is so crowded, starting out in the already established food blogging landscape dressed in your generic wordpress or blogger template can be intimidating. It's a lot like you arrived at a party. Late.You're wearing jeans and everyone else is in cocktail dresses and tuxedos. Awkward.

Still the the fact that you've  made your blog  public means that  must you crave some sort of social interaction with like-minded individuals. You know, the sort of people who understand that you sometimes place plates of food on your bed to be photographed because that's the best spot for natural light in your otherwise black hole of an apartment. What? That's just me, oh all right then.

It is intimidating to see your  newbie blog efforts in and amongst the more seasoned professionals and  the superstar bloggers.  Everyone at this fantastic party is already chatting with everyone else. Yet  no one seems even remotely interested interested in 'talking' to you.  The sound of crickets chirping loudly on your early posts are disheartening. You can't help but wonder, what are you doing wrong? Why do people think it cool that Lorraine makes Bacon Jam but there is nary a peep about my monkey cake or heart beat muffins. Like the slighty dorky new kid in high school you wonder, Whhhhhhhhy don't they like me, ma?
 
Enter the lovely Kristen of Dine and Dish,  who thought up Adopt- a- blogger as a way to have veteran bloggers mentor us newbies.   Meet my sweet, bloggy-guru, Cate, of Cate's World Kitchen who has kindly agreed to make me less of a dork and clue me in on the ways and secrets of successful food blogging.

Cate's  recipes are well organized and easy to navigate. I am intrigued by the way her travels have inspired her cooking and I can't wait to try a few more of her recipes particularly the Asian inspired ones. You can access Cate's recipe here for this delicious spicy black-eyed peas dish .  Cate I hope you can forgive the  substitutions but collard greens aren't available in my country. Instead  I used a mix of two local varieties of spinach, calalloo and bhaji. I also used locally available scotch bonnet pepper instead of the chipotle chillies. I'm not sure why I threw in the okra but I did 'cause I swore that they were part of the recipe until I re- read it and realized I'd made an 'ooops'.

This was served with an amazing Iraqi beef stew from Saveur magazine that I first saw here. I have worked out a easier and healthier version of this amazing stew so you can look forward to that recipe in a future post.

While you are waiting on that, you can go hang out with Cate in her kitchen. So far I have enjoyed chatting and learning about her life. I'm afraid that at some point she may get tired of my emails with my random and usually a propos of nothing thoughts...I suppose I should stay focused and take notes on running a successful blog....be organized...... post often...have an about me page... blah blah blah It's so much more fun just hanging out and cooking. Cate I'm afraid you have your work cut out for you;-)


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28 comments:

  1. I will never get tired of your emails...especially when they contain pictures of your adorable kids! As soon as I saw the okra in your picture, I thought "if my husband sees this he will DEMAND that I make it again, and include okra (he's obsessed!)"
    I'm so glad we were matched!

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  2. awesome post! we know how exactly how it feels --we're not even a year old and still have lots to learn.

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  3. How cool!! Now I have two foodies to learn from!!

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  4. I absolutely can't believe you are not yet a year old - your blog is fantastic. In fact thanks for reminding me I need to add it to my blog roll

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  5. I think it's the friendship that you form over the internet with other foodies that counts. I know it sounds very diplomatic but for me it's true. I love your blog, for example although I just discovered yours :). Keep up the good work. it's yours, and as long as you enjoy it, nothing else matters, right?

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  6. What an excellent post. I understand exactly how you feel even after more than 11 months of blogging. You always wonder why you can't get as many comments as the next person. You wonder what you could be doing wrong, etc. I totally understand. Just so you know, your photos are lovely as well as your words and your blog. I love that you use the end of your bed to take photos! You have to follow the natural light.

    I am part of the adopt-a-blogger program, too. I'm glad Kristen thought of it, too.

    Take care!

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  7. Cate the feeling is mutual - you're doing an awesome job. Your husband has great taste. I know it gets a bad rap but I love ochroes (okra)

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  8. Anh,
    Soooo true and I am enjoying it. Even if no one read it I would continue as it's for me and I am having fun doing it.

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  9. Memória - the end of the bed, the middle, a chest of drawers, a desk...the bedroom is for the morning sun then later, the front porch for the evening sun. LOL

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  10. I thought you were going to say you adopted someone - Your blog just is so much fun and has such a powerful voice. Love it and why I keep reading.

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  11. This post totally made me LOL! You are so dead-on about what it feels like to be a new blogger. :-D Thanks for putting my awkward feelings into such pithy words.

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  12. Thanks for the info! I definitelly will check it out after this. Such an interesting posting! Love it.

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  13. Wizzy, I found you through Kristen's program. I helped with some of the original organization, going through all the blogs. I laughed out loud while i was reading yours and immediately signed up as a follower. I love your blog!

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  14. great post! Your blog is really lovely with all the yummy recipes and beautiful photos. keep up the good work!

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  15. You have discovered the secret to a good blog, you have an interesting and unique voice, your photos and recipes are great and you leave kind words on other peoples blogs. That's how I discovered you! Thanks for the visit. GREG

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  16. Really share with your feelings about food blogging. There are heaps of marvelous food blogs on the internet where a new blogger hardly finds its voice getting across out here. Love your sharing.

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  17. You made me laugh so hard with this post. I totally know what you mean. You are in very capable hands!

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  18. I am not a food blogger but I enjoy reading food blogs because I enjoy food though I hardly have time to eat a proper meal due to work. Food is art and good food is good art and art makes us happy once we know how to appreciate it. That is why I can never understand why people put ketchup and mustard on any pizza, regardless of the crust, cheese or toppings used.

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  19. thanks for stopping by my place. glad you got a kick out of the story. i can believe you need earmuffs and such indoors in canada. i enjoyed stopping by here though now i am VERY hungry! really got a kick out of the carnival videos a few posts down.

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  20. Hey S!!up, thanks for dropping by.

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  21. Gosh I don't know how to feel about that shoutout Wizzy! :S I guess some people really loved the bacon jam, sorry that you didn't see the appeal of it.

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  22. Lorraine - bacon jam is indeed cool and on my list of bookmarked recipes. My tongue-in-cheek comment was not meant to suggest that it wasn't awesome but rather that as a new kid on the block, I didn't feel as awesome at first. As I learn more about the ins and outs of blogging my confidence is improving.

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  23. Ahh ok I see :) I thought you didn't like the idea of it and didn't see why people did :)

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  24. Lorraine - no no - I love the idea. More importantly that's the whole point of why I read other blogs. It's great to discover new foods or new ways to prepare familiar ingredients.

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  25. I am so glad I found you and can so totally relate to everything (yes, i take photos on my bed too sometimes). Well done to you, your blog is excellent and THAT monkey cake - standing ovation!
    (btw thanks for leaving a comment on my blog and helping to lessen the deafening silence) ;P

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  26. Cate's World Kitchen is a lovey blog! So many wonderful recipes over there. Glad that you like the blog too!

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  27. Happy Easter! great links and advice, and of course the pictures are great too! This is for sure an excellent food blog. I am too a new blogger and find it hard sometimes to get a decent visits. I really do appreciate you dropping by leaving kind comments there!

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