Editor's note: This is a series of food related interviews with industry professionals, writers, bloggers, executives, farmers and folks who have made a positive impact on the food cosmos.
As an industry professional that's incredibly curious about the landscape of food development, I've been drawn to a few folks online that have been making a mark with their food blogs. Joanne over at Fifteen Spatulus is one those innovative thinkers. She has a very eclectic staple of recipes that we've made and were often blown away by the taste profile and minimalistic approach she uses. I recently had the chance to ask Joanne a few questions about her passion and how food blogs are influencing the landscape of the online culinary underbelly.
I was about to start work at a finance company and quickly realized that it wasn’t right for me. It was one of those things that seemed right on paper given my education, but didn’t excite me at all. I wanted a life devoted to cooking and food, so I started the blog as a first step into the food world and as the beginning of a career in food. I had no idea what to expect when I started, but the experience has been nothing at all like I imagined. It’s easily one of the most fulfilling things I’ve ever done.
You obviously have a creative side that comes out through your recipes. Was starting a food blog an avenue for you to release this?
Absolutely! The food blog has not only been a great place to share my recipes, but the whole blogging experience has only made me more creative over time. You start to gain a following and you want to excite your readers every day they come by to read, so you play around more and take more risks. Food blogging has also helped me discover who I am as a food personality, and what I stand for. If the dish is good enough, I believe in plate scraping and licking, societal norms be darned!
How do you see social media impacting the world of food innovation?
Not too long ago it seemed that many recipes were “top secret,” not just restaurant recipes but also family recipes. You see it sometimes watching certain food shows featuring a restaurant, where they’ll say, “Now I’m going to add the secret ingredient, but I can’t tell you what it is.” I think that’s totally lame. The secrecy seems to be gone now for the most part, and I think it’s social media that we have to thank. People want to share their creations and recipes with others, and I think that’s how it should be. Food bloggers generally have an immense desire to help people make tasty food at home and provide any tips they have.
You had an opportunity recently to film a series at the Food Network studios. Describe that experience to us?
The Cooking Channel flew me up to the NYC Food Network studios to film my Potato Bacon and Caramelized Leek Stuffed Puff Pastry and do a short demo, and it was probably the coolest food world experience I’ve had yet. You watch these cooking shows on TV but you don’t see what’s going on behind the scenes, and you realize that it’s quite a production. Right next to the studio they had a prep kitchen that looked just like the one Bobby Flay uses on Throwdown, and there were several cooks prepping various stages of my recipe. You should have SEEN the hundreds upon hundreds of pots and pans in that room. I’m glad I wasn’t doing the dishes. Rachael Ray was in the other studio filming a new season of 30 Minute Meals, which was really cool too! The energy in the entire place is buzzing.
Are you still as creative with only 14 spatulus?
I’ve found I’m about 7% less efficient with 14 spatulas. Haha I kid, but 15 is really the minimum in my kitchen, and broken spatulas are immediately replaced. Sometimes people ask me, “Why so many spatulas?” And to be honest, I’m always dumbfounded by the question because I really do use them all pretty frequently. The food I make is so good that I can’t leave any behind in the bowl. I’ve become quite skilled at scraping!
*Make sure you watch all of Joanne's videos here!
