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Cook and tell the world about it

If good food is your forte, let the world know through your blog. A number of foodies have been there, done that, discovers SANGEETHA DEVI. K

PHOTO: K. RAMESH BABU

ASK A FRIEND Cooking can be fun when you have some friendly help. Blogs are doing just that.

As you read this, a number of women (and men who love cooking) would have logged on - reading and uploading recipes and pictures or just looking for answers. Answers cannot always be found in recipe books or traditional websites of chefs. The questions might be as trivial as changing proportions or looking for alternative ingredients, for which you normally might phone a friend. Food blogs provide such answers and have become a meeting point for foodies. Bound by their common passion for good food, bloggers are keen to let the world know the culinary joys they've discovered.

Keen interest in home-cooked food made Bindu Vijaykumar to begin one such blog. "I missed my mom's cooking when I got married and moved away from home. I started a food blog, posted recipes and feel it's a great way to connect with likeminded people. It's an extension of my personal space; I can share my views through discussions on food," she says. Taking time off for her blog, spicycuisine.blogspot.com, wasn't tough given her flexible work hours as a recruiter for an MNC.

Food blogging is serious business worldwide. Forbes.com even lists the best food blogs and helps you differentiate the bland ones from the lip smacking ones. Food porn watch (don't go by its name) is a portal that tracks the popularity and visits to food blogs. Avid bloggers, aware of copyright issues, credit the source of recipes they discover from other sites. Surfers are also warmed against reproducing the contents for commercial purposes.

Taste of Andhra

Sailaja Gudivada's is a case of successful blogging. Her traditional Andhra recipes gained popularity through her blogs that she later began her own website, sailusfood.com, which continues to be interactive like blogs. Indira, who now lives in Seattle, talks about food and travel on her blog, Mahanandi. She explains, "I wanted to bring something from my home place to this website. What is better than the name of a place we used to visit every summer with my parents and sisters? Mahanandi always holds a magical place in my memory. Surrounding thick Nallamala forests, fresh water pools, gentle streams, and temples that date back a few centuries - the place wasn't touched by time and change." On these web pages, you'll find varied recipes - from paalundallu to ayurvedic dishes.

Blogs combine anecdotes, discussions on food and restaurants. Sharmila Narne, who specialises in continental cuisine and desserts, says, "Blogs work because the recipes have been tried and tasted. If a recipe doesn't turn out well, you can post a query and get feedback. There's personal interaction and hints thrown in liberally. You will also find reviews to those recipes. Personally, though I check blogs I can't see myself opening my own blog; you need to devote ample time to update blogs."

Jasmine Pillai, freelance writer and a foodie, seconds this. She says, "The internet has become like a cook book. I look for recipes on a day-to-day basis, from methi rotis to snacks for children."

The personal touch and interactive option of blogs is in contrast to websites posted by Indian chefs. These websites require you to subscribe to access recipes and interact with the chefs. Blogs, on the other hand, lets anyone post comments and recipes. "But international chefs have interactive websites. They give you tips and answer queries. When you don't find such options for regional cuisines, blogs help," sums up Jasmine.

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