Treasures from the East...an ode to food bloggers

As much as I love cooking and baking, and even sharing my successes (and yes, failures) with you; my favorite thing about food blogging is the people.

I maintain a 'regular' blog, for those who might not of known, as well as this one. It's fun. My original intent, when I started keeping that sorta kinda online journal, was to keep my family and friends informed...I had recently become pregnant with Alex, we were about to move across the country; and every single person we knew was far, far away.
Cheaper than a phone call, or even a stamp; blogging was my way of letting those people I cared about what was going on in my life.

Somehow, and I think I can pinpoint the time to around Alex's birth, the blog became less about information, and more about fun. Quizzes, funny stories, odd news articles.

I still post the occasional revealing piece, but these days, my focus is really on this blog. My food blog.

And while I've made friends (and by friends, I'm pretty sure you all know what I mean...someone you've exchanged comments or even emails with, but have never met in person) with a few of my 'regular' bloggers, it's the food blogging community who've really welcomed me, and any number of foodies (who, like me, use run-on sentences. Bad English minor.), with open oven mitts.

Food bloggers...what an interesting group of people. Mostly women, but a decent showing by the guys, too. I like that. A man who cooks? Talk about sexy...

Diverse. I've 'met' people from all over the globe...Australia, Canada, Singapore, Denmark, New Zealand...and of course, all over these fifty states.

Careers. Housewives, lawyers, professional writers. Chefs, even. People from all walks of life, brought together by one passion: food.

And food bloggers are the most generous, supportive group I've never met. Put up a post about some dish you've made, and people are dropping by..telling you how tasty it sounds, what a gorgeous photo, and may they please have the recipe?
Ask a question; be it about an ingredient, or a dish, and you'll get responses from several continents. Food bloggers want to help. This is food we're talking about, after all.

And while there can be lively debates, I have not, in my experience, found examples of anyone degrading another blogger's attempts, or choices. We may not always agree with each other, but we're generally polite and positive about it.

Think about the various food blogging events...IMBB?. EoMEoTE. SHF. They bring us all together, for a common goal...without turning into a competition. There are no winners, and thus, no losers. Can you name many real-world events like this? When so many people put so much effort into something, and they don't walk away with a prize?

We grow older, we lose touch with our childhood friends. We move from our home base. But here, in the world of food blogging, we are surrounded by friends. We aren't clones; no, each one of us has a different personality, a different background. But we can all come together in the name of food.

And I don't know about the rest of the blogging community, but I've come to truly care about the day-to-day lives of many of you. My 'daily reads' are as much for the recipes as to see how you're doing. Make sure all's well with you.

When we begin to exchange emails, it's something like friendship, isn't it?

This past week has enforced that belief, somewhat. First, I received a lovely little package from Nic; cookies and candy, and a nice note...thanking me for participating in a new event: Blogging By Mail. What a wonderful surprise!

Saturday, it was another happy mail day, as Nicole of Craftapalooza sent, all the way from Australia, the May/June issue of the Donna Hay magazine (which I'm loving, by the way)...as a way of thanking me for sharing my crumpet recipe!

And this morning, another box from the mail man (that poor guy's always carrying packages to my door); this time, from Julia of Aroma Cookery, with whom I'd arranged a 'swap'. We sent a box filled with Mexican ingredients (not because we are Mexican...Matt's about as white as Wonder Bread, but because I'm told you don't find much authentic Mexican cuisine in Singapore), and Julia mailed one stuffed with local treats.

Our box arrived today...and the above picture shows what kind of goodies we got.

But it's not so much the stuff, although Matt kept saying 'oooh' to all the different packages; it's the fact someone I have not met face-to-face wanted to do this. Thought such a thing, a foodie swap, was important. That whatever our relationship is, it's important.

That's what I love about this community. That it is, in fact, a community. Don't ever change...