Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Creating Your Very Own Food Blog

If you are someone that is passionate about making and eating food, then creating a food blog may be something that you may be interested in doing. You could start a blog as a hobby, for your own amusement. Or, you could build a business around your blog. It is entirely possible that with the right amount of effort, you could create your very own food blog that you can earn enough money to live off. 

Where To Start

The first thing that you will need to do is to choose your website and the name for the blog that you will use. You can buy your domain name for your blog and this will help to give it a professional edge. 

Next up, you will need to create a name. Once you have that, you can get to work on starting to create a website. If you are any good at graphic design or know someone who can help; create a logo for the top of your blog. Make it look professional, neat, and eyecatching in order to draw in the attention of potential readers. 

Pick a website that you will use. Commonly used blog sites that you create professional level pages including Wordpress and Wix. Both of these sites have templates that you can easily set up yourself to make them look great. 

Honing Your Niche

Before you create posts for your site such as this strawberry cake recipe, you will need to practice and get your apron on and make as many items as possible that you will photograph and list the recipes for. You will need to always have a steady stream of posts, so be sure and stagger your posts so that they are not all hitting your site all at once. You will hopefully get lots of readers, and as much as they will enjoy your content, you don’t want to overwhelm anyone by posting too much. You do need to try and post daily though as this helps to maintain momentum as you build up your followers. It is also good for your website’s search engine rankings as the search engines will look more favorable knowing that it is a sit that is used and is continually being developed. 

Building Up Your Views

There are many ways that you can generate readers for your blog. Firstly, you can take to social media and share your posts. If you already have a reasonable following, you can try and get them to read your content. Otherwise, start social media accounts to go with your new blog and start to build up followings on thereby promoting yourself through any food and drinks groups, 

You will need to consistently work at creating a relationship with your social media following. That may mean posting and chatting with them in the comments sections. Not only does this help to get your page seen, it helps you to get some valuable feedback on the types of posts that people want to see. 

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Avoiding the Panic Of Not Having the Proper Ingredients









If you’ve ever cooked anything before (and let’s assume you have), you’ll know how quickly the panic can set in the moment you realise you don’t have all of the ingredients you need. For both novice and experienced chefs, this can throw you off your game entirely, and it’s easy to allow the panic to soak in and cling on almost immediately. 




There are few things worse than the realisation that you don’t have the ingredients, but it doesn’t need to be the end of the world. While it’s not ideal that you’re missing this spice or that vegetable, there are ways to overcome it without having a breakdown in the middle of your kitchen. 


If you’re someone who regularly forgets key ingredients no matter how much of a culinary pro your family might believe you to be, here are some easy ways to get your recipe back on track with your dinner guests being none the wiser. 



Find an Alternative

In most cases, switching up one ingredient for another is unlikely to change much of the flavour so if you realise you’re low of thyme, marjoram, or garam masala, look for something close to it that could be hiding at the back of your cupboard. 


The more significant problems come if you live somewhere the main ingredients are not native to. Lemon chicken, for example, is difficult to make correctly in Thailand due to the ready availability of lemons (unless you’re willing to spend a fortune). While there are fruits with similar tastes, it’s just not the same. 


It might also be that you’ve been a little lax with your preparation this year. So, if you’ve decided to make a pumpkin pie but everywhere is sold out, not surprising considering the time of year, then you should still be able to get your hands on a can of pumpkin pie filling that will be just as effective. 



Get Creative

If you can’t find a decent alternative in your kitchen cupboards, then it’s time to get creative. In fact, one thing that all chefs both professional and casual love is the opportunity to get creative, even if it’s for nobody else but themselves. 


Let’s say you’re hoping to roast up a rotisserie chicken, but you don’t have the proper premade rub from the supermarket. For less ambitious chefs, this could cause them to give up altogether, cancel the plans, and hide away in their room until they’re next inspired to make something. But doing this lets down everyone who was eagerly waiting for their chicken dinner.


Instead of giving up, consider what type of flavours make up your desired seasoning or rub and then have a look around the house to see how close you can get to that flavour. Things like garlic, onion, and cumin are all common spices, and the combinations with others can be endless. 

Often, it’s this creativity that can transform a dish from something traditional that you’ve always made into something that tastes like nothing you’ve ever had before, in the best way possible, of course. 



Taking Stock

Of course, the best way to prevent having the wrong ingredients is to keep the fridge and cupboards fully stocked all year-round. This allows you to dip in and pick out whatever you like without ever worrying about being low on supplies. The easiest way to do this is through wholesale purchases, which work out cheaper and last longer than regular supermarket trips. 

If wholesales aren’t possible, then create a list of items you know you always need. This allows you to pick them up every time you’re at the store and ensures you’ll never be left wishing you had a specific ingredient again. If you’re trying a new recipe, make sure you know everything you need before stepping out the door. 



Accept Defeat


While there are some ways to overcome your forgetfulness, sometimes it’s just not worth it, and in these moments, it’s better to accept defeat than to stress yourself out. This may come as a disappointment for most, you included, but it’s better than serving up something that isn’t to your high cooking standards. 

Just because you’ve given up doesn’t mean the food should go to waste. If there is anything salvageable, then consider packing it into recyclable or reusable containers and donating it to local charities and shelters. 



Becoming a Better Cook

Home cooking is always about learning, and there’s no such thing as becoming the perfect chef. With every meal, you learn something different, you get to try out new things, and you get to explore your creative side. In some cases, not having the right ingredients can have their benefits, and it could be the best mistake you’ve ever made.