I'd be happy if there were fewer social media options, a lot fewer. Lately I have been unfollowing/unsubscribing people I am actually interested in, because it's all begun requiring too much effort and time. My replacement is reading online -- news, stories, articles and newsletters. If I miss someone's self-promotion, hopefully I will see a recommendation or link elsewhere.
I think I understand. I can see why authors, artists and creators need to use all sorts of SM (esp Instagram, TikTok and YouTube) to advertise their work and find new customers. I used to particularly enjoy Instagram, but became exhausted by the visual clutter and the constant aggressive algorithmic manipulation that frequently suppresses content from those I follow. I can see how frustrating it would be to know that a video that required a lot of work to create might not be seen. Once I realized Insta is actually designed to be a continual advertising stream, it was easy to leave it behind.
In a different world, it would be nice if Substack (or similar SM sites) could be a point source for all content generated by a creator, and the SM sites that are primarily advertising pages were used only for that purpose... though it's pretty unfriendly that those SM advertising sites don't make it easy for people to leave the advertising and go straight to the product. (Aside: I actually think photographers, not just writers, could find new supporters for their published work on Substack. They don't have a Bandcamp like musicians have.)
I'll just keep buying your books and supporting your work here, and if I miss nice demos that you create for your advertising, oh well, my loss.
As a nurse that started in a burn unit, I am glad to hear that others are into disinfection and keeping things clean or sterile as needed. I applaud you for your saying no to more social media. Unnecessary and detrimental to mental health.
Our pizza scene has been on fire for a solid 10 years or more. Ken's, Apizza Schols, & Red Sauce are fantastic, but there are so many other great ventures in this subject.
Thank you for not adding another channel. As a fan, I don't need it. Let me support you in ways where you benefit, like subscribing to substack, buying books etc. I don't need more noise. (A few great folks now have broadcast channels on ig and i just can't keep up)
Also, no chance of seeing you in the midwest on the book tour? I'd drive up to Chicago, after all we are the heartland of vegetables..
I'm so glad this resonated with so many people. I was worried that I might not be doing enough but there's only so much one can do. There might be a second phase of the book tour next year in spring and Chicago might be on the cards.
My kitchen quirk is I keep most of my unrefrigerated food in clear bottles with no labels. I love the look of an open shelf full of bottles of food with no branding!
Hurrah for weighing things!! The first thing I check about any cookbook is - does it have weights or cups? If it’s cups only then I’m very unlikely to buy it. I’ve seen recipes with “6 cups of apricots”!! I love the precision of weights. If for some reason I make a recipe that uses cups I dutifully measure with the cups but plonk the cup contents onto the scale and note done the weights so that I can repeat the recipe later. I don’t mind Metric of Imperial measures.
I think my one of my obvious quirks is that I love making big batches of things. The freezers are always groaning with boxes of stews, soups and breads. The other quirk is I have two stand mixers - a Kenwood Chef and a Kenwood Major. Mostly the Major is for bread making. The Major can handle 4lbs of flour easily and I have pushed it to 5lbs. My breads are generally made in Imperial measures as they are my Mother’s recipes and she always preferred Imperial.
I can’t wait for the London date!! I’ve put it in my diary!!
I prefer weights for everything because it gives me more confidence and accuracy when I share recipes, it takes all the guess work away. I once had an editor that asked me to convert a large amount of spinach from oz/g to cups and it came up to 16 cups which was a little ridiculous to write.
You are right!! If I saw “16 cups” in a recipe I would turn loose all interest and move on to another recipe. I really appreciate the detail and accuracy of your recipes. I love the science of why they work. I tend to make things as written? Learn from them and then extrapolate so I can improvise and follow my nose with versions of that recipe and also use the understanding to come up with something else that works.
Do you know if/ where I can book for the London date yet?
Congratulations on the new book. Go to Esther's Follies in Austin for a night of hilarious comedy, puns & laughs! I can't recommend it enough!!! Your newsletters are terrific.
The Vernier caliper! How brilliant.I need one! I’m always feeling stumped by rolling pastry to a certain tiny measurement, especially millimeters (in high school I had a drafting teacher who made us learn to estimate portions of an inch by eye which is still handy).
I'm like you. Years of microbiology make me a clean freak. Took me years of cooking to get used to the imprecision of cooking techniques vs lab methods
I haven’t tried this one and I think I’m going to order one for myself. Thanks for the link. With any pH meter get one that you can test and calibrate with standard pH solutions so you know it’s working well.
Amen! And if more people with your visibility were honest about how it all feels to them, I think we'd find ourselves moving more quickly into a more sustainable way of communicating--so thank you for being honest here! Substack feels like that place, (speaking from someone with a smaller reach but still many years invested in this work). Veg-Table looks amazing and I hope it reaches all the people you hope to!
I respect your decision to prioritize quality over quantity. I think over saturation leads to burnout on both ends. There are some stacks I used to follow that would post 5 or 6 times a DAY! I don’t have time for that! I unsubscribed. I’m an introvert, so social media interactions are not my cup of tea. I deleted facebook and have zero interest in Instagram or TikTok. Substack is wonderful because there is so much great content and no preening, duck-lipped influencers!
I'd be happy if there were fewer social media options, a lot fewer. Lately I have been unfollowing/unsubscribing people I am actually interested in, because it's all begun requiring too much effort and time. My replacement is reading online -- news, stories, articles and newsletters. If I miss someone's self-promotion, hopefully I will see a recommendation or link elsewhere.
It's a lot to keep up with, for you and me both. I appreciate your support.
I think I understand. I can see why authors, artists and creators need to use all sorts of SM (esp Instagram, TikTok and YouTube) to advertise their work and find new customers. I used to particularly enjoy Instagram, but became exhausted by the visual clutter and the constant aggressive algorithmic manipulation that frequently suppresses content from those I follow. I can see how frustrating it would be to know that a video that required a lot of work to create might not be seen. Once I realized Insta is actually designed to be a continual advertising stream, it was easy to leave it behind.
In a different world, it would be nice if Substack (or similar SM sites) could be a point source for all content generated by a creator, and the SM sites that are primarily advertising pages were used only for that purpose... though it's pretty unfriendly that those SM advertising sites don't make it easy for people to leave the advertising and go straight to the product. (Aside: I actually think photographers, not just writers, could find new supporters for their published work on Substack. They don't have a Bandcamp like musicians have.)
I'll just keep buying your books and supporting your work here, and if I miss nice demos that you create for your advertising, oh well, my loss.
As a nurse that started in a burn unit, I am glad to hear that others are into disinfection and keeping things clean or sterile as needed. I applaud you for your saying no to more social media. Unnecessary and detrimental to mental health.
Thank you!
Coming to Portland, fantastic! Robin will also have some great recommendations as there are So Many Gems here.
Casual good exploration of fermentation: https://www.fermenterpdx.com/
Bright shiny stars:
https://kannrestaurant.com/about
Any of Peter Cho's places https://pdx.eater.com/2023/6/22/23768907/jeju-portland-anticipated-restaurant-opening-korean-barbecue-han-oak
Our pizza scene has been on fire for a solid 10 years or more. Ken's, Apizza Schols, & Red Sauce are fantastic, but there are so many other great ventures in this subject.
Wishing you well on all your travels
Thank you so much for all these recs! I’ll add them to list.
Thank you for not adding another channel. As a fan, I don't need it. Let me support you in ways where you benefit, like subscribing to substack, buying books etc. I don't need more noise. (A few great folks now have broadcast channels on ig and i just can't keep up)
Also, no chance of seeing you in the midwest on the book tour? I'd drive up to Chicago, after all we are the heartland of vegetables..
I'm so glad this resonated with so many people. I was worried that I might not be doing enough but there's only so much one can do. There might be a second phase of the book tour next year in spring and Chicago might be on the cards.
Thank you for perfectly capturing my feelings about social media. I just want to be happy writing and cooking!
My kitchen quirk is I keep most of my unrefrigerated food in clear bottles with no labels. I love the look of an open shelf full of bottles of food with no branding!
Come to Toronto on your book release tour!
HA, I know some folk that do this. They know exactly what's in front of them.
Hurrah for weighing things!! The first thing I check about any cookbook is - does it have weights or cups? If it’s cups only then I’m very unlikely to buy it. I’ve seen recipes with “6 cups of apricots”!! I love the precision of weights. If for some reason I make a recipe that uses cups I dutifully measure with the cups but plonk the cup contents onto the scale and note done the weights so that I can repeat the recipe later. I don’t mind Metric of Imperial measures.
I think my one of my obvious quirks is that I love making big batches of things. The freezers are always groaning with boxes of stews, soups and breads. The other quirk is I have two stand mixers - a Kenwood Chef and a Kenwood Major. Mostly the Major is for bread making. The Major can handle 4lbs of flour easily and I have pushed it to 5lbs. My breads are generally made in Imperial measures as they are my Mother’s recipes and she always preferred Imperial.
I can’t wait for the London date!! I’ve put it in my diary!!
I prefer weights for everything because it gives me more confidence and accuracy when I share recipes, it takes all the guess work away. I once had an editor that asked me to convert a large amount of spinach from oz/g to cups and it came up to 16 cups which was a little ridiculous to write.
You are right!! If I saw “16 cups” in a recipe I would turn loose all interest and move on to another recipe. I really appreciate the detail and accuracy of your recipes. I love the science of why they work. I tend to make things as written? Learn from them and then extrapolate so I can improvise and follow my nose with versions of that recipe and also use the understanding to come up with something else that works.
Do you know if/ where I can book for the London date yet?
The London events aren’t up yet on their sites but it should be soon.
Great!!
Congratulations on the new book. Go to Esther's Follies in Austin for a night of hilarious comedy, puns & laughs! I can't recommend it enough!!! Your newsletters are terrific.
Ooh, thank you for the recommendation!
The Vernier caliper! How brilliant.I need one! I’m always feeling stumped by rolling pastry to a certain tiny measurement, especially millimeters (in high school I had a drafting teacher who made us learn to estimate portions of an inch by eye which is still handy).
The VC comes in very handy for pastry thickness!
I'm like you. Years of microbiology make me a clean freak. Took me years of cooking to get used to the imprecision of cooking techniques vs lab methods
Ha, microbiology can really mess with the mind.
What would be a good ph meter? Was also interested in fermentation. Something like this? https://www.amazon.com/Apera-Instruments-Replaceable-Accuracy-2-00-16-00/dp/B01ENFOIK0?ref_=ast_sto_dp
I haven’t tried this one and I think I’m going to order one for myself. Thanks for the link. With any pH meter get one that you can test and calibrate with standard pH solutions so you know it’s working well.
Would love an article or newsletter on fermentation, if you had time. Seems a fascinating area.
anything in particular or general?
General, I think. Hot sauce is prob canonical, but any of vegetables, miso, yogurt, cheeses, drinks would be interesting.
Amen! And if more people with your visibility were honest about how it all feels to them, I think we'd find ourselves moving more quickly into a more sustainable way of communicating--so thank you for being honest here! Substack feels like that place, (speaking from someone with a smaller reach but still many years invested in this work). Veg-Table looks amazing and I hope it reaches all the people you hope to!
I respect your decision to prioritize quality over quantity. I think over saturation leads to burnout on both ends. There are some stacks I used to follow that would post 5 or 6 times a DAY! I don’t have time for that! I unsubscribed. I’m an introvert, so social media interactions are not my cup of tea. I deleted facebook and have zero interest in Instagram or TikTok. Substack is wonderful because there is so much great content and no preening, duck-lipped influencers!
And I completely agree about more increments of each platform taking your time/life in search of the 'holy grail'
GAH, the London Jikoni date clashes with me doing an event! You'll have to rearrange!