After the Flavor = Taste + Mouthfeel + Aroma + “The X Factor” session, the day continued with five more informative, food-focused seminars– 3 of which are highlighted in this post. (The other 2 are coming soon!)
Today’s Recipe Box
As you probably know, more and more people are preparing meals at home and are looking for recipe ideas that fit a variety of occasions– from quick breakfasts and easy family dinners to fun appetizers and delectable desserts. At the same time, technology is advancing at warp-speed and today’s savvy home cooks are finding recipes and meal ideas in a number of new ways.
In this session, Dr. Rita Wheat of G2 Interactive and Esmee Williams of Allrecipes.com unveiled research about consumers’ evolving recipe habits and showed the impact that technology is having on recipe sharing today. All of it was really interesting!
Fun facts:
- 1 in 3 online users visit food and cooking websites
- 79% of people save recipe print outs, while 56% save them to an online recipe box
- When it comes to sharing recipes, 53% say digital technology has made them more likely to share recipe experiences
- 27% of people post links or discussion about recipes via social media
Embracing New Media: Balancing, Reaching, Stretching
The next session of the day involved a panel of food editors and bloggers, who discussed how they reach today’s cooks using social media. They specifically talked about how social media has launched and/or grown their career, which was personally very helpful to me.
The panel included:
- Jaden Hair of Steamy Kitchen
- Jennifer Perillo of In Jennie’s Kitchen
- Carolyn Jung of Food Gal
- Jeff Houck of The Tampa Tribune
Takeaways from the panel:
- You don’t want your blog/Twitter to be a one-way street. Answer questions, reply to comments, keep the discussion going.
- Check Google Trends to see the top 100 things that people are talking about each day on the internet (aka good Twitter material).
- Your brand is important. Keep you message consistent across all social media mediums.
- Find what works for you. If Facebook makes sense for networking, don’t feel like you need to use LinkedIn.
Fabulous Spring Soirees
Colin Cowie, a world renowned lifestyle authority, shared his ideas for planning a springtime event, including party themes, table settings, easy recipes, decorations, and much more.
Colin Cowie is widely known for designing and producing the most spectacular celebrations across the globe. With an international clientele that reads like the guest list at the Academy Awards, Colin Cowie Lifestyle has designed and produced celebrations for a long list of other A-list celebrities. He also is the author of eight best-selling books, including five wedding books (Colin Cowie Weddings, For The Bride, For The Groom, Extraordinary Weddings, Colin Cowie Wedding Chic), two entertaining cookbooks (Effortless Elegance and Dinner After Dark) and a book on living with style (Colin Cowie Chic). Cowie is a much-in-demand television personality with appearances on The Today Show, The Ellen Degeneres Show and The Oprah Winfrey Show.
I must say, he was quite the handsome devil, especially with his British accent. 😉
Takeaways from Colin’s presentation:
- Keeps things simple. Aim for 5 ingredients or less in your recipes, centerpieces, etc. Entertaining today is all about being savvy and resourceful.
- Never use the word “perfect.” When it comes to entertaining, your best is more than good enough. It’s not a competition.
- Bigger the ice cube, the colder the drink. Colin specifically mentioned the Spherical Ice Tray Set from the MoMa.
- When entertaining, do ALL of your preparation ahead of time so you can enjoy the event with your guests.
- His favorite go-to dish: Chicken Provencal
- When it comes to the food that he eats: If it includes ingredients that preserves it outside the body, it likely preserves things inside the body.
I was lucky to have the opportunity to meet Colin briefly and snap a photo with him. He seemed like a really nice guy!
Still more to come!
