Categories
Mostly Everything

Dating a Food Blogger, (The Rudiments Of)

In this I assume that you dear reader are in like with a food blogger. More likely to be female than male, food bloggers are one of the more passionate niche writers whose taste for words are just as delicious as their taste for food.

Dating a food blogger can be a rewarding experience, not just because she can open up an appetizing palette of degustations to your oh so fast food world, but you will be blessed with some of the best conversations ever about life and living it. Some of the most engaging conversations I’ve had were with food bloggers – food is the doorway to all things enjoyable, but only bordering on sinful.

Chocolate Fondue, originally uploaded by iPoint, iShoot.

There is a preconceived notion that food bloggers, like beauty or fashion bloggers are a bit on the smug side. This is not true. There is also a preconceived notion that food bloggers will only hazard to the most expensive restaurants in the Metro and away. Also not true. Food bloggers appreciate the best as well as the simplest meals. The common denominator is that they are more sensitive to tastes in context and can compare the best of fast foods to the worsts of fine dining.

THE APPROACH
As a guy who has a relatively high interest in technology I’ve always found that the means to connect with a food bloggers would be to talk about the camera that she uses.

Your point of entry, assuming you’re not really into food, is the camera she uses to shoot. It is a device which both of you can relate to, and as a serious food blogger, she will want to learn to maximize her camera. Whether she uses a point and shoot or an SLR, it doesn’t matter. There is always a story behind why she loves food so much, she shoots it. Ask her and she will actually put down that camera to talk to you.

La Campagne, originally uploaded by iPoint, iShoot.

THE DATE
If she asks where you’re going to take her, don’t panic as much. Be open and honest about your repertiore of choices around the area. Are you not so adventurous and will take her to a Bonifacio High Street or Greenbelt 5 dinner? Or are you willing to go to smaller, but also relatively well known havens such as the Old Swiss Inn in Makati, Swiss Deli at Pioneer, or something more cozy like Elbert’s Steak Room?

Help each other device but don’t take forever. It’s a date, not a romantic proposal – this is time to get to know each other like any couple would do. Heck if you can enjoy a night at Delifrance more than the buffet course at 7 Corners, then why hassle yourself for the latter? If nothing develops, well at least you have a friend who can take you out to a free meal invite to a Yehey! food tour ๐Ÿ™‚

Kai Huang wrote a piece for T3 magazine on how to improve your food photography. From what I remember, the basics are really about getting up close to your food, using a small tripod and most important – lighting. I’d suggest when going out on “food blogging” dates to choose a restaurant that’s relatively well lit. From experience, one of the best well lit Chinese restaurants would be David’s Tea House (not to be confused with David’s Salon). The lighting is fantastically bright!

Maybe at some point you would even want to separate your dating habits into a “no camera” date so that you can spend more time with each other talking rather than taking photos of food that gets cold fast (ever tried taking shots of a sizzling plate? ARGH). Later on, you may want to also grab photo classes. Leo Castillo’s Photoworks is a class I would really recommend for beginner photographers who use SLR’s and point and shoots. Once you’ve graduated, you can take up a series of food styling and photography courses with Jo Avila. I’ve attended both and I can say that I’ve learned tremendous amounts about my camera and shooting food. I’ll never look at stock photos of food in restaurants the same way again.

Antonio’s, originally uploaded by iPoint, iShoot.

AFTERTHOUGHTS and TIPS
Maybe it is a bit unfair to write a piece that singles out food bloggers. But really, food is one of the best motivations to ask people out and have a good time. Being more sensitive to news of food gatherings and events (the ones organized by Yehey! and Taste Asia come to mind) can help you meet new friends in a happy environment with no pretense.

Do you have places to recommend for dates and gatherings? Do you have more tips to recommend when dating around the local blogosphere? Nonetheless I hope these tips can help you meet new people and expand your palette of tastes at the same time.

Enjoy!

By Jayvee Fernandez

Jayvee Fernandez is a tech enthusiast and sitting Techbology Editor for The Philippine STAR.

He is also an EAN certified SCUBA Diver and underwater photographer based in Metro Manila, Philippines. His photos and videos have appeared in various international and local publications including Random House Germany, Discovery Channel Canada, and CNN.

13 replies on “Dating a Food Blogger, (The Rudiments Of)”

Sometimes its helpful to know the difference between a gourmet and a gourmand ๐Ÿ™‚ And also know what a foodie is.

I am a foodie and I write for a personal food blog dalanghita.com.

I think it also helps if one learns to eat one’s vegetables. ๐Ÿ™‚

“THE APPROACH
As a guy who has a relatively high interest in technology Iรขโ‚ฌโ„ขve always found that the means to connect with a food bloggers would be to talk about the camera that she uses. ”

I hate to say this but every bit of this is true. ๐Ÿ™‚

@anne: Fanny’s is located in Ho Chi Minh city (Saigon) in Vietnam. It’s right below Temple Bar. The address is 48 Le That Thiep at the downtown.

My husband and I used to eat/date out a lot until I found out that the dining expenses were just too much. We decided to cook at home and it’s been one big adventure.

Actually, the food experience is good, but the conversation during the whole thing is what makes it interesting ๐Ÿ™‚ the opportunity to meet other people and share a meal makes for a potent formula for growth not only in terms of cerebral development but honing ones social skills as well ๐Ÿ˜€

@noemi: phoebe and myself have this goal to domesticate my cooking skills as well. we’re going for the four course meal which i should be able to prepare in about a month or two ๐Ÿ™‚

Hi Jayvee! Regarding Leo Castillo’s photog classes, does he has a website wherein I could check out the rates and the location?

Thanks ๐Ÿ™‚

hi dyanie, i dont think leo has a website for this. his classes are all found out via word of mouth marketing. the attendees in his class are all friends of friends.

you can always email him at photoworks at gmail dot come and he will always reply ๐Ÿ™‚

Hello i was wondering how much you would bill to set your blog style up on my web logs for me, because i truly like the look of your internet site but i do not know how to build such a cool theme.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.