"bloggers" news and stories

First there were mommies. Then came blogs. Put the two together, and a marketing force is born. "Now said to number in the millions, these online women have cobbled together content networks that rival some mainstream media companies," asserts Advertising Age. "And they're clearly a force that retailers underestimate at their own peril."

Coca-Cola, a company with a long history of savvy marketing (New Coke notwithstanding), doesn't underestimate that force one bit -- in fact, it hopes to profit from it. Kenth Kaerhoeg, group communications director for the company's Pacific branch in Hong Kong, told AdAge that they're in the process of identifying "digital influencers" in South Korea -- i.e., popular mommy bloggers -- to stir up some good, old-fashioned word of mouth. Hooking up with the right young moms can have an enormous marketing effect, as Kaerhoeg explains; the company takes them very seriously, calling them "vitally important stakeholders."

Tomato and Olympus camera. Photo: Emily Farris.

These days, food porn seems almost to be giving the old-fashioned kind a run for its money. Everyone with a digital camera and an appetite fancies him or herself an amateur food pornographer, which is to say there's a lot of bad food photography out there alongside the good stuff.

Camera companies are catching on to the trend and trying to make a buck, with digital point and shoot models that are manufactured with food photography settings, like this Olympus which has a "cuisine" option, and this Sony, with its "gourmet food" mode. Chances are good that if you purchased a camera recently, it has some kind of food photography option and you don't even know it. If your food photographs are less than porntastic (like the tomato shot here), it might be worth your while to consult your camera's manual or look online to find out.

If you don't have a food setting, don't rush right out to buy a new camera that does.

One pro shutterbug's opinion, after the jump.

Shauna James Ahern, the powerhouse blogger behind the Gluten-Free Girl has written a book about her experience having celiac disease and the process of going gluten-free. The beautiful thing about this book is that she writes about embracing the world of foods that she can eat instead of focusing on the things her body can't handle.

I've only had a chance to flip through it in the bookstore, but I have my sights set on getting my own copy soon. However, for the last two weeks, super-star food bloggers from all over the country have had their hands on the book and have been writing about their own experiences going gluten-free for a day in a virtual book tour. They talk about the challenges they faced in altering their diets and nearly all expressed admiration for Shauna, her attitude towards food and the lovely book she has created. These posts makes me all the more interested in reading it from start to finish (as opposed to in bits, standing up in the aisle of Barnes and Noble).

Source

You've been reading our ramblings here at Slashfood for over a year now, so isn't it about time you get to know us? We like to play 20 questions with our bloggers, just so you can see what kind of insanity is cooking in our brains. And kitchens. We've already met Nick, Joe, and one of our illustrious leads, Nicole. Let's meet NY-based Jonathan Forester, who definitely knows his drinks.

-- Sarah J. Gim

Do you have a personal blog?

As opposed to most of the other Slashfood bloggers I don't have a personal blog, just a simple website www.JonathanForester.com, which I don't update much. I have so many hot pans on the stove, that blogging other than Slashfood would be impossible right now.

er, what do you do when you're not food blogging?
That's quite complicated; I do quite a few wildly differing things. I like being my own boss and having the option to take off a few weeks or months here and there to travel. I am a food & travel writer and a consulting chef/food & beverage business consultant. I am also partner in Winterport Winery and am opening Penobscot Bay Distillery & Brewery in Winterport, Maine. I used to be a mental health counselor and personal coach. I also worked as a corporate trainer/seminar presenter, an outdoor and wilderness educator, licensed wilderness guide, Outward Bound Instructor, and professional outdoorsman, and am also licensed to work with reptiles, including endangered species and venomous ones, and I occasionally do some work for beer, wine, and spirits companies. I also worked in the tobacco industry as a cigar/pipe expert, and designing pipe tobacco blends. In addition I have done a gazillion other fun things and plan on doing many more.

I don't know about you, but I'm running a bit behind schedule this year. I don't even have my 2007 wall calendar - which I would normally tack up next to my computer - yet! Fortunately, there are lots of great food calendars of there to choose from (and some are even on sale!). Here are a couple of favorites, for late shoppers like me:

The Peeps Calendar is perfect for anyone looking for a sugar high and the Play with Your Food Calendar is all about having fun with food, reinventing ordinary fruits and vegetables into new creatures. A third oddball calendar is Hot Sauce!, which features photography of hot sauce 'scapes and labels.

The Joy of Cooking Desk Calendar will supplement your recipe collection with some favorites from the newest edition, and you can find regional favorites in Mediterranean Cuisine and Mexican Cuisine. Opt for Desserts for something sweeter.

And if wine and spirits are more appealing to you than food, try The Wine Companion Calendar or the Cocktail-a-day calendar, because it's always five o'clock somewhere.

The pros aren't the only ones with calendars - food bloggers have some out there, as well. Bron Marshall's features some of her best photography (it's downloadable and completely free!), as does Habeas Brulee's calendar.

There are too many to choose from. It's a good thing I have a lot of wall space!