Who is your favorite food media person, and what would you say their job is? Critic, influencer, YouTuber?
I myself am an old grump who thinks that Pete Wells (New York Times) has the right idea about most things. I also like Patricia Escárcega. She’s an official LA Times restaurant critic, but she knows a lot of things the standard (older, white) critics do not, which gives her an interesting-to-the-reader point of view.
I will consume all types of food media tv, YouTube, podcast, magazine and web. my favorites have educational components like smartmouth from Alton Brown, Dave Arnold of cooking issues, Gastropod podcast, Simon Majumdar Eat my globe, What’s eating Dan America’s test Kitchen and cherry bomb podcast.
Grumpy is a necessary, but it should be deployed in the name of enrichment, not evil! I started consuming food media in the age of Jonathan Gold and S. Irene Virbila. Them along with Bourdain are in my pantheon for their emphasis on ideas and context over judgment. Current fave is probably Soleil Ho at the SF Chronicle (started out as a fan of her old podcast) who does all that, and also engages the ethical and political as well. But whatever the subject of the food media (practical recipes/aesthetics/cultural), context matters above all (which also is why I tune into this pod 😉).
I think I'm in a similar mental space -- like I'm still working out ideas and pitches in my head, but don't pursue them because someone else can do it better ... and they usually do! But even if you don't write as much you're still creating, which is awesome.
Totally agreeing with Terry here - I really love how you get into the history of the topic because hey, antique/vintage cookbooks are up my alley. I only just recently stumbled onto Smart Mouth and I'm still catching up on all the episodes (though I do cheat and skipped around, LOVED the home economics episode!). Also agree with Will on Alton Brown and America's Test Kitchen - I'm not sure what to describe them as, but Alton Brown's Good Eats and America's Test Kitchen is more in that educational grouping.
I will consume all types of food media tv, YouTube, podcast, magazine and web. my favorites have educational components like smartmouth from Alton Brown, Dave Arnold of cooking issues, Gastropod podcast, Simon Majumdar Eat my globe, What’s eating Dan America’s test Kitchen and cherry bomb podcast.
I hadn't heard of Dave or Dan! I'll have to look into them.
I don't really read food reviews but I love Smart Mouth, so do you count? Because you are my favorite food person.
Awww, thank you, that is very sweet. I wasn't even fishing for compliments, but I'll gladly take it!
Grumpy is a necessary, but it should be deployed in the name of enrichment, not evil! I started consuming food media in the age of Jonathan Gold and S. Irene Virbila. Them along with Bourdain are in my pantheon for their emphasis on ideas and context over judgment. Current fave is probably Soleil Ho at the SF Chronicle (started out as a fan of her old podcast) who does all that, and also engages the ethical and political as well. But whatever the subject of the food media (practical recipes/aesthetics/cultural), context matters above all (which also is why I tune into this pod 😉).
I think part of the reason I barely write anymore is that Bourdain's stuff is so good I'm like, "oh, forget it."
I think I'm in a similar mental space -- like I'm still working out ideas and pitches in my head, but don't pursue them because someone else can do it better ... and they usually do! But even if you don't write as much you're still creating, which is awesome.
Totally agreeing with Terry here - I really love how you get into the history of the topic because hey, antique/vintage cookbooks are up my alley. I only just recently stumbled onto Smart Mouth and I'm still catching up on all the episodes (though I do cheat and skipped around, LOVED the home economics episode!). Also agree with Will on Alton Brown and America's Test Kitchen - I'm not sure what to describe them as, but Alton Brown's Good Eats and America's Test Kitchen is more in that educational grouping.
Thank you very much! Yeah, those two are, like, the classics of the genre.