Food, Sort Of

sandrablog

If I had entitled this blog ‘reasons to be careful about opening a restaurant,’ it is likely very few people would read any further. By titling it ‘Food’, I anticipate a much greater readership. People like to read about food, and would expect a description of a restaurant meal, maybe a recipe, some food insight or tips. In order not to disappoint, at the end of this post I promise to provide you with a fantastic recipe that has never let me down; simple, easy ingredients and process and a result that is synergistic – a flavour way beyond what the simple inputs would lead you to believe.

What I really want to tell you about is a multi-layered post that starts with a story about how restaurant chefs today are prophesying the end of dining out as we know. If this is of interest to you, I recommend you check outDavid Chang’s rant on restaurant’s thin margins and big challenges. David is a talented chef and food writer whose insights are compelling.

But this isn’t really about restaurants either. It’s about connections and how one thing leads to another.

I found out about David’s blog through a chance connection with Om Malik’s blog. I can’t remember how I originally found this thread and I know very little about Om, but I have become a devout follower. Despite the differences in age, culture, background and occupation, I have found Om’s links and stories ALWAYS worth reading. It’s fascinating to me that given the disparity in almost every aspect of our lives that the things that Om feels worth writing about are also those things that pique my interest and make me want to take the next click. Every Friday I get the digest version of seven things worth reading about and generally there are at least five that make me want to know more. There are also the extra links and archives that provide a wealth of connections to all things food, tech, politics, literature and life-in-general. This is the great wonder and world benefit of blogging; learning about things you didn’t know delivered in handy sound bites that enrich your knowledge and enhance your quality of life in the form of story.

Blogging, like food isn’t going away. Both are a form of communication that tell stories and have the potential to become more refined over time. Both are important ways of making connections.

And now the recipe. In your food processor, take a cup and a half of crumbled feta, half a cup of cream cheese and a quarter cup of mayo, add garlic, thyme, rosemary and dill. Process until creamy (adding more of any ingredient at any time to get the texture you want). Chill and serve with crackers or pita triangles as an appetizer. Use leftovers in omelets or pasta. Expect proposals of marriage. I did not invent this, it is a legacy from my late friend Val Clark Burke Seier whom we all miss more than we can say.

– Sandra Altner