This Month’s Film: The Way Home
Cuisine: Korean

Over the past few months, when I found myself with a little idle time at evening’s end, I’d spend it cruising the endlessly fascinating world of food blogging, visiting the sites of my peers and colleagues, relishing in vicarious victuals by food bloggers of every ilk. Much to my delight, I discovered that the abundance of talent, variety, experience, creativity, and genuine wit out there is absolutely AWESOME, and I mean that in the truest sense of the word, almost to the point of being intimidating for a newbie like me.

In my online travels, I visited the sites of no fewer than 300 fellow food bloggers (and that’s not even all of them…every day I discover some new siren voice). Along the way, I noted the e-mail addresses of those food bloggers whose sites fulfilled the rigorous criteria of culinery expertise, articulate writing skills, a compelling theme, wry humor, visually appetizing presentation, and consistent posting. Of the entire list, there were 218 that passed muster (alas, a few really good ones didn’t list any contact info, and still there are plenty of others whose sites I’ve yet to discover).

Once I’d visited each and every food blog website I could find, I composed a friendly e-mail to compliment them all on their excellent blogs and invited them to drop by Chopstick Cinema for a get-acquainted visit. As an afterthought I also followed up with another e-mail to inquire whether any of them had any travel experience in Japan, and would they be interested in contributing to a Japan travel guide that I am editing. And I have to say that…the response was overwhelming.

Although it was with great trepidation that I contacted more than 200 total strangers who are all doing essentially the same thing I’m doing every day, I found my fellow food bloggers to be a warm and welcoming community of people whose shared purpose is a genuine love of food in all its rich and varied glory.

On the day that I sent out the e-mail, my inbox overflowed with favorable responses, some to congratulate me on the unique theme of my blog, others who want to contribute to my Japan travel guide or know someone else who might, some who want to subscribe to a monthly reminder to check out my film review and recipes at the end of each month, some who want to send me chopsticks, some who want to collaborate on other ideas, and some in the San Francisco Bay Area who might even like to meet in person someday.

Of especial warmth and help were Johanna the Passionate Cook, Deb at Murray Hill 55, June at Nibble & Scribble, Phil the Evil Fruit Lord, Stephanie at The Daily Vegetable, Christina at the Thorngrove Table, Karen at The Pilgrim’s Pots and Pans, Minette at Lafang List, Molly at Orangette, Adrienne at Nosheteria, Carolyn at 18thC Cuisine, Hana at The Kitchen Crusader, Josh at Typographica, Tim at Eat Barcelona, Matthew at Bourrezvisage, Stephanie the Happy Sorceress, Michael at Cooking for Engineers, The Pinoy Cook, Eustella at Stella Bites, Lenn at Lenndevours, Harlan at the Green Cutting Board, Jon at Noshblog, Alanna at Kitchen Parade, Jennifer at Skinny Chef, and…

Ronald at Love Sicily, who added me to his Food Blogs Live list, Sam of Becks & Posh, who mentioned my quest for writers on her Food Blog S’cool site, Rowena at Rubber Slippers in Italy, who has the cutest little dog and posted my quest for Japan travel writers on her blog site, and Zora of the Roving Gastronome, who has referred no fewer than two dozen excellent writers my way.

Not to mention Vic at Vic Cherikoff’s Blog, Alice at Epicurean Debauchery, Anthony at Spiceblog, Helen of Grab Your Fork, Steve at Zarzamora, Derrick at Obsession With Food, Nikki at Esurientes, Yongfook, Fish Fish at KuishinboMeow, and Asa Sa of Obachan’s Kitchen & Balcony Garden, all of whom have offered to contribute their expertise to my Japan travel guide.

And of course, I’ve saved the best for last…Guy (aka Dr. Biggles) at Meathenge, who (although we have not yet met in person) has become not only a newfound friend and just-down-the-road SF Bay Area neighbor, but also a valued mentor in the bewildering and boggling world of foodblogging. Thanks to a tip from Guy, I entered my first food bloggers’ contest, a photo in IMBB’s “Does My Blog Look Good In This?”, expertly and cleverly hosted this time by Lex Culinaria. And in tomorrow’s blog, I will be chronicling the process of entering a recipe in yet another contest, one for an ‘Everyday Favorite Recipe’, hosted by none other than Dr. Biggles himself.

So…while basking in the warmth of all this radiant response, I have to ask….”Is My Blog Blushing?”