A little over a year ago I started this rag with barely an idea of what a blog is. I still struggle to understand the how-to of it all. For example, I am obviously no food photographer, I still don’t quite understand “Comments” etiquette and I’ve gone back and forth over whether to post ads or not. I’m clearly still on the blogger’s learning curve.
Not only do my photos lack a story, but often my writing is dull. Sometimes food is memoir for me, and those have been fun stories to create around a delicious memory-inducing meal, but other recipes have little story, or suffer in their presentation due to my lack of creativity. I just post them for myself so I can remember what I made and how.
My blog is also not clearly defined. Am I a restaurant review site, or a recipe site? I have not clearly branded myself. I am not one to use the platform to instruct on the virtues of vegetarianism or nutritional benefits despite the title, Vegetarian Perspective. I rarely focus in any direct and purposeful way on that food lifestyle. I guess I don’t really think about it very much. It’s just what I am. I don’t eat meat. Vegetarianism is so totally intuitive for me that I cannot understand how creating meals for “Meatless Mondays” could possible be a challenge. To me it seems obvious that humans should eat many foods that are meatless. Lack of creative vegetarian cooking in restaurants surprises me considering scientific research that suggests our species should eat a primarily vegetarian diet. I guess my focus is on cooking foods that I love to eat, not to necessarily teach others about the diet.
I support local, organic, sustainable foods as well as artisan food preparation, but I don’t spend much time with this blog commenting on these things either. Again, I take it for granted and assume we have made a shift in our food-buying practices over the last few years to support these endeavors, as they are the healthier choices.
I don’t comment on the fact that I rarely use processed foods, I don’t comment much on the fact that I try to keep sugar out of our diet, and I don’t comment on the fact I try to feed my family only real food. In fact, most of the time I don’t even think about these things. It’s intuitive for me perhaps because it is what I grew up with, and I am surrounded by people who think like me.
I started this blog with an intention that shifted. I moved away from restaurant review towards recipes, and when I did this my readership began to grow. It became clear to me that I prefer to cook, I love to share my creations, and I enjoy the process of keeping a record of it all.
In reflection, I have two goals for the next year:
1) Improve the quality of photography
2) Continue to define and brand the site
Thanks to you all for your support. Blogging has been a fun hobby, has opened new doors, and introduced me to knew ideas and friends.
Vegetarian Perspective 