Friday 12 August 2011

Fourth Blogoversary: friands

Who would have thought, 4 years and 554 posts ago, that I would still be doing this blogging thing? I certainly never imagined that blogging was going to be quite so addictive! I never imagined that people from all corners of the world would take the time out to read my posts and sometimes even comment on them. I thought probably my mother would read it, as another way of maintaining contact from the other side of the planet, but I thought that would be pretty much it. Frankly, I am moved and humbled by the kindness of my readers in coming back, post after post.

I have learned a lot in the last 4 years.

I have learned that a crappy-looking cake gets twice as many comments as a delectable offal dish, but dishes involving melted cheese get more comments than anything.

I have learned that the home-cooking of the United States is second to none, and is a rich, untapped seam of goodness for those of us on the outside looking in. And you don't have to use frozen non-dairy whipped topping for anything, ever.

I have learned that generally speaking PRs don't read the blogs they contact and haven't got the slightest clue about how or why to effectively involve social media in their projects.

I have learned that a post without a picture is pointless. To that end, I have also learned to make my pictures prettier. Bless that macro function!

I have learned to appreciate having a husband who will not only eat pretty much whatever I put in front of him, but will participate in some of my whackier experiments.

I have learned that there is a massive community of people who like food, books and animals as much as I do. They all have internet access. They are quite amazing.

I have learned that as nice as it is to experiment with new flavours and techniques, some times you just have to rest on the classics. I had planned to make something a bit fancy to celebrate this milestone. I was thinking about Dan Lepard's coconut milk layer cake, Signe Johansen's Norwegian Spiced Chocolate Cake or Grace's zorse cake. Then I put all those ideas to one side and went with the family favourite, friands from Luke Mangan's recipe. It still astonishes me that these delectable little almondy, buttery, eminently forgiving little cakes are not better known. I made these with lemon and lime zest in the batter, and mixed peel stirred through. Paul was thrilled - he gets tired of being my guineapig sometimes.


25 comments:

purabi naha said...

I simply loved this post. I read the whole post twice actually!
Congratulations on completing four years successfully, now you are among senior food bloggers!! Loved the way you wrote about those things which you learned in these years!! Three cheers for your blog!

leaf (the indolent cook) said...

Happy 4th birthday to your blog! Sounds like it's been a fantastic four years. Love the list of things you learnt, very entertaining!

Su-Lin said...

Happy blog birthday! I never really understand why some posts get more comments and others which I loved get none at all - so confusing! And so true about the PRs. :)

Alicia Foodycat said...

Purabi - thank you!

Leafy - it has been a good four years!

Su-Lin - thanks. It is inexplicable.

kat said...

Congrats! Blogging is a strange, fun trip but oh the wonderful people you meet on the way!

Angie's Recipes said...

Happy Blogoversary!
I love friands ;-) you have done a great job as those friands look really tempting and divine!

Caroline said...

Happy 4th Blog Birthday! I know what you mean about being surprised that it's so long and that other people read, and enjoy enough to come back, I feel the same!

The friands look lovely, I'd like to try them, but no point as almonds and me don't agree! Perhaps they're not more popular because ground almonds are expensive, and in all the recipes I've seen you end up with a pile of egg yolks...

Keep blogging!

Alicia Foodycat said...

Kat - it's the people that make it worthwhile!

Angie - thanks!

C - yeah, not great for the non-almond eater! I stockpile my eggwhites in the freezer until I have enough to make them, so I don't have the eggyolk problem.

Anne said...

Happy 4th blog-birthday! Also 554 posts is a real wow-eee!

And yes very true words about pr's often being hopeless!

mscrankypants said...

I thought the answer was 42, but it's obviously melted cheese!

Happy fourth blogiversary and cheers to many more posts, making your own changes to recipes and hunting and gathering!

Heather S-G said...

Wow, four years! Congrats =) Those are some great "learnins"!!

Bettina Douglas said...

Thank you for four years of great food ideas and interesting connections. I get to feel part of my daughter's kitchen on the other side of the world and as a bonus have been introduced to the wonderful food of other bloggers. Regular sources of inspiration being Peter's Greek recipes and Natashya's baking (her oatmeal bread is cooling as I type).

For anyone who is wondering, Miss FC showed an early interest in cooking and started studying cookbooks while she was in primary school. I recall a birthday present when she was 8 years old was a set of four Australian Womens' Weekly Recipe books!

wildtomato said...

Happy blogoversary, and many more!

Alicia Foodycat said...

Ben - thanks!

Anne - I think 554 posts just means I talk too much.

Cranky - melted cheese is definitely the meaning of life!

Heather - thanks!

Mother - yes indeed - Cheesecakes, desserts, cakes and biscuits and slices. I made a cheesecake from that book a couple of months ago!

Kavey said...

Sorry I'm late, not had chance to catch up on my RSS reader for a while.

CONGRATULATIONS!

:)

hungryandfrozen said...

Congratulations!! I'm coming up four years in October, and yes - I seem to have learned exactly the same lessons as you. Must be a four-year-old thing :) long may you continue to blog! :)

Choclette said...

Congratulations on 4 years of blogging and well done. You're right, it is addictive, but it also takes time and dedication.

Your friands sound delicious. These are one of the many things I still haven't got around to making, but they are on my list!

Alicia Foodycat said...

Wild tomato - thank you!

Kavey - thanks Kavey!

Laura - we are wise, for 4!

Simona said...

You had me chuckle from the first to the last line. Congratulations on the 4th year milestone!

P.S. I just wrote a post that involves cheese that gets melted ;)

Deb in Hawaii said...

Happy Blogoversary! 4 years is impressive. I know I enjoy reading your blog and getting to know you and I hope for many more years of it.

I am a big fan of friands--these look wonderful. ;-)

Alicia Foodycat said...

Simona - hooray for melted cheese!

Deb - thank you!

Gemma said...

Happy birthday! Cakes definitely get the comments but, oddly, it's spaghetti bolognese that got the most page views for me!

sharonfruit said...

Belated happy blogoversary! Your posts are always an inspiration and here's to another four years of foodie fun! S xx

Alicia Foodycat said...

Gemma - I'll have to focus on spag bol for a bit!

Sharon - thanks!

Brain said...

Happy blog birthday! A little late though :)

LinkWithin

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...