Starting a Food Blog

[takadi]

Knowing that I'm very computer illiterate, how do I go about starting a food blog like the ones I tend to find online? I don't necessarily want to host my own site (though it would be nice to have one of those sites where the hosts allows to you make your own custom domain names), but do I have to start the site from scratch or are there pre-made formats I can start from?

[hummingbirdkiss]

I am not much help here as I have never had a blog ..but I have read a lot of them ..and I think you could find one you liked that was someone elses and use that site just open your own acct?

then I do know in the setting up they offer premade options/formats of what you want the lay out to be ..

good luck and hope this gives you some help

[dockhl]

Check out

WORDPRESS

for a start.............

[cathrynapple]

You can visit Blogspot, Livejournal, or any other free blog-hosting site. From there you can register your blog name, customize the look of your blog, and make entries.

You may need to use an image hosting site (also free) like Flickr or Photobucket to post pictures. (these hold your pictures on the web and provide you with a URL for each so that the blog site doesn't have to upload from your personal computer.)

[nakji]

I started my own about three weeks ago. I just went over to Blogger, picked a layout, and off I went. It lets you upload photos, although I'm not sure how much memory they're offering, if you want to have a lot of pictures.

Good luck! It's lots of fun.

[mizducky]

And I'm using Typepad for my food blog, and am very happy with it so far.

I also use LiveJournal for more personal journalling, but somehow I find it more suited to on-line community-building than blogging at the world in general. In fact the same company owns LiveJournal and Typepad, and it seems like that company does position those two blogging products that way (LiveJournal for friends informally hanging out and sharing, Typepad for more formal, even business-y, public blogging.)

Blogging websites do tend to have a bunch of premade formats you can pick up and customize in various ways, plus tools to help you do that with (hopefully) a minimum of technical knowledge. Some blog sites (like Typepad) charge a monthly fee; some (like LiveJournal) have a free basic option, plus more bells-and-whistles options that cost a monthly fee. Your best bet is to try a couple out--Typepad, for one, offers a two-week free trial period in which you can give it a spin.

[Dave Hatfield]

I use blogspot from Google.

here's a link, hopefully.

Its free, easy to set up & has a number of templates.

For pictures I use Picassa, also free & also from Google. Just go to google & click on about Google and you will see Picassa on the list of available programs.

Have a go, its fun.

[nliedel]

I have a family blog and have for four years now. I'm starting a food blog in the near future, finally picked out my colors, I use Wordpress. I have my own domain (new husband) and I managed to get a good name for my blog.

If you want your own domain (_________.org/com/net etc) you will have to buy it and have a host for it. If you just want to get up and running Blogger is really good and easy to use.

I am very happy with my host site, but I don't know if I can name that here?

Stuff you didn't ask about, but that I think is important.

The most important thing, imo, is to put good content out there and keep it coming. You want people to come back. I write about two weeks of content out. Most programs will allow you to post-date it, so that it posts automatically.

Have a comment policy. You will accept corrective comments, but delete abuse (I see no reason to pay for someone to tell me I'm ________ insert nasty word here. It does not happen often, but I've pulled one of my sister in law's attack comments and never felt a moment of guilt over it), and put up enough good content to actually draw people. Photos should be clear. Articles short (not fifty words, but also not five thousand) and include your screw ups as well as your successes, if you cook.

Snark is fun, but you need a really thick skin to pull it off and there is a thin line between snark and abuse for the sake of it. Read some of your favorite blogs and don't follow them, per se, but learn from them.

The best thing about blogging is how much I've learned about myself. If no one ever read my blog, but me, I'm happy with it. If you're doing it to please others, you'll never get them all happy and end up frustrated.

[SobaAddict70]

Photography and quality of writing will make or break your blog. But ultimately you should do it because it interests you, not because you feel you have to.

The pressure to produce can be intense. Post whenever you want but do it often enough that you don't feel the need to nurture it, unless of course you like posting every day.

Every so often I impose a blog vacation on myself. It helps me recharge.

[takadi]

I feel the need to blog not really for publicity or attention but because I feel that I need to write down ideas or discoveries I have in my learning process of becoming a better cook. I have this compulsion to write down everything on Notepad but it's becoming a little disorganized.

There will probably be the temptation of sell your blog's soul for attention, but food is such therapy in and of itself that merely writing about it will be satisfying for me

All I am really concerned about is what type of digital camera I should purchase and how do design my blog

[monavano]

I feel the need to blog not really for publicity or attention but because I feel that I need to write down ideas or discoveries I have in my learning process of becoming a better cook. I have this compulsion to write down everything on Notepad but it's becoming a little disorganized.

There will probably be the temptation of sell your blog's soul for attention, but food is such therapy in and of itself that merely writing about it will be satisfying for me

All I am really concerned about is what type of digital camera I should purchase and how do design my blog

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I agree completely. Get your blog up and running consistently before you add advertising.

Sex sells, and so does screed and slams. It gets attention, for sure. I agree-don't sell your soul-there's rarely any real money that comes from it.

Regarding your camera choice-are you planning to get a point and shoot, or DSLR?

[takadi]

To tell you the truth, I've never owned a camera in my life (I am a deprived child), so I really don't know what to get, let alone know what DSLR means, lol.

I see alot of egulleters here shooting such beautiful pictures though, but I figure those are the result of some pretty expensive cameras. I wouldn't want a piece of crap, but I don't really need a professional style camera either, just one that will be able to take clear enough pictures to be aesthetically pleasing (and preferably below 200 )

Edited May 2, 2008 by takadi (log)

[monavano]

To tell you the truth, I've never owned a camera in my life (I am a deprived child), so I really don't know what to get, let alone know what DSLR means, lol.

I see alot of egulleters here shooting such beautiful pictures though, but I figure those are the result of some pretty expensive cameras. I wouldn't want  a piece of crap, but I don't really need a professional style camera either, just one that will be able to take clear enough pictures to be aesthetically pleasing (and preferably below 200 )

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takadi-the Canon Elph is in your price range and I can't recommend it highly enough. What you will be able to get with this camera is an excellent macro mode. That means, when you want a great close-up, one that makes others mouths water, you can get it. It's also wonderful all around. Just magic.

DSLR-digital single lens reflex. They are expensive and are the lenses. But, you don't need one. I recently bought one because of my blog and fledgling food journalism career. But, I always carry my Elph. I wouldn't part with it for anything.

http://www.amazon.com/Canon-PowerShot-Digi...09760287&sr=8-2

[takadi]

Awesome thanks for the link! I see there are alot of different models for the Elph, is the 850 the only one with the macro mode?

[monavano]

Awesome thanks for the link! I see there are alot of different models for the Elph, is the 850 the only one with the macro mode?

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I think they all should have a macro mode-I have the SD850 IS and can attest to the quality of the photos I take with it. Love it!!

[chefdavid321]

I'm going to start a blog. I upgraded my camera and moved to Austin for a new job and everything seems fresh and new. I want to document some cooking, restaurants, foodie finds, reviews, recipes, dinner parties, etc...

The only problem is coming up with the name! I used to be so nerdy and creative, but now I'm getting older and I just can't seem to come up with a name I like.

Help? Maybe it would be fun for some of you to help...

I love some of the foodie blogs out there and the names are fantastic. Chocolate and Zuchhini is a personal favorite name.

Something that conveys the idea, something quirky and memorable and nothing with my name or the the name of the city so it's not restrictive.

C'mon even throw out those weird ones that pop into your head.

[KatieLoeb]

I know you didn't want to name the city, but somehow, "Lost in Austin" seems to ask for help in a nice and not so needy way. Since you already started another thread asking for just that, it seems like a no brainer to me. You approach the city and the food scene as a newcomer who isn't familiar with anything and can offer a fresh eye and new approach that both the newcomer and the native could appreciate.

Edited November 10, 2008 by KatieLoeb (log)

[gingerbeer]

Hello everyone. It's really nice to meet you all, I've been meaning to join eG for a long time and am so glad I've finally done so.

Part of this is that I also just started a new blog - devoted to food porn, but with a slight difference. It's a daily posting of (deliciously pornographic) descriptions of food from literature - novels, poetry, etc (the link is in my signature). It's only a few days old, but I'd be very grateful if anyone has any suggestions regarding it. There is another thread devoted to this in another section, but I also wanted to ask this:

1. Have you ever cooked something inspired by fictional food, that you read about?

2. Do you think posting recipes for some of the items in the blog would be worthwhile, and something that people would be interested in?

3. Do you think that textual food porn needs to be posted with visual food porn? I was thinking of, for example, posting pictures of items (if they can be found) that are mentioned in the text... although this might ruin it - where for example could I find a picture of a macaroni pie with burnished crusts, exuding cinnamon and sugar - as in The Leopard's dinner party scene?

Suggestions?

[EatMyShot]

I like the name of your blog. A lot of people correlate the two: sex and food. I often get comments during portfolio review: “chocolate is like porn to me” or “this lobster looks better then sex” … I remember being 20 and taking my first photography course. What caught my eye was a couple of raw chickens in my mother’s sink awaiting their fate. I just became a vegetarian and had a sad feeling in regard of such sacrifice. I took them out and did a study that revealed resemblance to a female nude. The photo series of chickens in various positions (including doggy-style) was later proudly presented to my professor. It’s been over 10 years since… and my sub consciousness now is somewhat less horny. Or perhaps it has matured and visually less obvious.

You asked: do you think that textual food porn needs to be posted with visual food porn? In my opinion it doesn’t have to relate directly to the description. It could be something that relates conceptually. Just find the balance. If a picture can add excitement the to the textual description it will create a stronger content. But if the picture is not as strong as the story then let imagination create the image. Good Luck….

[gingerbeer]

I like the name of your blog.  A lot of people correlate the two: sex and food.  I often get comments during portfolio review: “chocolate is like porn to me” or “this lobster looks better then sex” … I remember being 20 and taking my first photography course.  What caught my eye was a couple of raw chickens in my mother’s sink awaiting their fate.  I just became a vegetarian and had a sad feeling in regard of such sacrifice.  I took them out and did a study that revealed resemblance to a female nude.  The photo series of chickens in various positions (including doggy-style) was later proudly presented to my professor.  It’s been over 10 years since… and my sub consciousness now is somewhat less horny.  Or perhaps it has matured and visually less obvious. 

You asked: do you think that textual food porn needs to be posted with visual food porn? In my opinion it doesn’t have to relate directly to the description. It could be something that relates conceptually.  Just find the balance.  If a picture can add excitement the to the textual description it will create a stronger content.  But if the picture is not as strong as the story then let imagination create the image.  Good Luck….

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Thank you so much for your really thoughtful answer! I think sex and food are definitely correlated... there are some obvious examples, like, from what I've put on the blog so far, Goblin Market and The Leopard, but I'm curious as to why food is so exciting in children's literature, too.

Food is incredibly sensual.

And that's good advice... definitely worth thinking about for me... thank you again.

[docsconz]

I'm of the opinion that a good photograph or graphic never hurts. They help to develop a piece further, which is why they are referred to as "illustrations." Your theme is a great one, but why limit it to literature? There is plenty more available in the worlds of painting, sculpture and cinema. Is there a more representational scene of the connection between food and sex, for example, than the dining scene in the movie Tom Jones? The problem for a blog though would be how to incorporate it.

[gingerbeer]

I'm of the opinion that a good photograph or graphic never hurts. They help to develop a piece further, which is why they are referred to as "illustrations." Your theme is a great one, but why limit it to literature? There is plenty more available in the worlds of painting, sculpture and cinema. Is there a more representational scene of the connection between food and sex, for example, than the dining scene in the movie Tom Jones? The problem for a blog though would be how to incorporate it.

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That's true and I am wondering if I will have enough descriptions from books - perhaps branching out to general representations of food at some point would be worthwhile.

I need to choose illustrations carefully, I guess, as I don't want them to be any less than the text, if that makes sense.