Foodus Bloggerus in action
I recently did a story about 10 Things You Should Know About Food Bloggers. I didn’t realise how popular it would be, after all it was just my rambling musings on the topic but what I did find out was exactly how alike we are as a breed and how fantastically comforting that was. The comments and astute observations of other food bloggers made made me chuckle too and gave rise to a second post on the topic, 12 MORE Things You Should Know About Food Bloggers. So without further ado, here are another 12 things you should know about our particular, peculiar kind.
1. If you dine out with a Foodus Bloggerus, you’ll learn the art of dissecting food. An answer such as “It’s ok” is no longer sufficient. If you can create some oral poetry and describe the flavour or better still if you can pick the ingredients in it so that we can replicate it at home, you are a food blogger’s friend for life.
2. Is everyone at dinner thinking of ordering the same thing? Can you hear the voice in our head screaming “Dear God NO!” (or perhaps we even say it out loud). We love ordering different things as means that there’s more coverage of the dishes at the restaurant and it makes for a better story. In many cases when people ask me “What are you going to order?” my first response is “Depends on what you order” 
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Oh yes there’s the Eiffel Tower around here somewhere..but look at the queue for ice cream!
3. If you’ve ever seen a food blogger’s holiday snaps you’ll notice that 90% of the photos will be of the food and restaurants that we’ve visited. Sure there may be 1 or 2 of the Eiffel Tower thrown in but it may just be because there happens to be the Jules Verne restaurant there. And ok we may also include the non food ones because we know that you’ll laugh at us if it’s full of food photos.
4. Sharing is caring and we love to share. Have you ever cut up a chocolate into quarters? We have. After all everyone has to have a taste right? Even if you don’t want to, just try it and let’s talk about it some more 
5. Colleagues of food bloggers are the biggest benefactors of our habit. In order to try and maintain a reasonable weight, it’s much easier to foist our creations on you. Send us your Weight Watchers bill.
6. How do Food bloggers kill time? Scouring obscure ethnic grocery stores and high end food emporiums for unusual ingredients. Is it exotic? Does it derive from the petals of a plant that only opens 3 days in a year? Check! Into the basket it goes.
7. Spouses of food bloggers are generally patient people, ones whose credit cards may have run slightly dry at the purchase of gold leaf and saffron (”Honey I had to buy it. And didn’t they say that gold is a good investment?”). I don’t want to say long suffering though as they do reap the benefits of good food. Some spouses like Mr NQN even get into the process and photograph the food even though he has very little interest in food whilst some remain bemused and embarrassed by the whole thing. Just surrender to us and comply quietly. It will make things a lot easier, trust me…
8. Some food bloggers take notes. Please don’t be offended, just pretend that we’re typing into a Blackberry and hopefully that may seem more normal.
9. The bedside table of a food blogger is simply a cookbook book shelf with little post it flags stuck to each second page marking recipes we intend to cook – one day. It’s a socially acceptable form of pornography – food pornography.
Autograph from Marcus Wareing
10. We question because we care. A non caring/unknowledgeable waiter is our worst nightmare and we are their nightmare customer. If we’ve enjoyed a dish we want to know more about it. so we can a) blog about it and b) perhaps recreate it at home. If a waiter has been trained to know everything there is about a dish, their face brightens when we ask them as they finally get a chance to show off what they’ve been asked to learn. And it may lead to a kitchen tour which is pretty much like going backstage at a rock concert. And that’s why we collect autographed menus from chefs.
Danish Horn of Plenty
11.Got a birthday/christening/anniversary/wedding coming up? Chances are the foodus bloggerus will probably help out. After all when else are we going to have the opportunity to make a Croquembouche or a Danish Horn Of Plenty? I brought this Horn of Plenty to a friend’s party once and it was such a hit I vowed to turn up to every party with a Horn of Plenty.
12. We carry a spare battery and if it’s a once in a lifetime moment, we carry a spare lens and/or camera. I also carry a fork with me and a knife is in the car. I have a response already prepared for the police officer that stops me and is alarmed to see I have a knife in the glove compartment. “I’m sorry officer but you see I’m a Food Blogger”.
So tell me Dear Reader, is there anything that I’ve left out?
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88 Comments | Add your own
LOL! So true!
Cheers,
Rosa
Lol. Hilarious! Yes, ordering the same thing is a big NO!! I think it’s perfectly acceptable to carry around cutlery, I think I need to start doing it too!
I completely agree with no 7 and no 12! I’m always the one who has plenty of spare camera batteries (and since I got my dSLR, spare lenses) on me at all times.
Unfortunately I don’t carry a fork and knife with me, hehe. Maybe one day! 
Another fun post! Please bring the horn of plenty when you visit my house! Better yet let’s make it together!
Love it!!! Keep up the good work!
Hahahha – I especially love the first one – I really love anyone who can dissect a dish so I can make it myself
Lorraine this tops it again! I was nodding in agreement to every single point made! The spouses (or boyfriend, in my case) is very true, and my bedside table indeed looks like a cookbook library.
LOL – a great post to start the day with.
Great post! Hilarious and so true!! Especially No. 7
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Oh… this post is hilarious! I can’t tell anyone why I had an urge to start a food blog… but now I know it’s because I somehow inherited all the genetic traits of a Foodus Bloggerus! Thanks for the giggles.
I so feel your pain. I compared my photos of a recent visit to Thailand with a friend’s and wondered if we were on the same trip! Kerry
*nods* Guilty as charged! Especially the holiday photos of food (hahaha at the line for ice cream photo!), my last holiday was almost all photos of food and that was what inspired me to start my blog! Fantastic post Lorraine, keep them coming!
Tell me, are you looking forward to seeing Julie and Julia? Have you read the book?
Right on Lorraine. I take notes all the time. I love to help at parties etc. I’ve sent this to all my non food blogging friends. ehehe.
Haha, I’m not a food blogger, but all of these things apply to me (except perhaps number 12, and number seven, but only because I don’t have a spouse), so obviously I’m meant to be one!
Love it. So true.
I loves these rants by you about bloggers.
Sharing this on facebook so my friends can understand
I love it. And it so true about our partners. They must be so patient with us. Photo-taking, sometimes food turning cold! And friends as well when they eat with us. But they love what we do because we feed them well too!
hahahah so true. I regulalry “clear” my bedside stack of cookbooks, so I don’t look like such a foodnerd…
Lorraine, you are amazing! I first discovered your blog from your other post about the 10 things…
But now, I love this one as well! Nicely done and nicely put.
For some reason, whenever we have guests over and they’re looking at me as if I have 6 heads, my mom or sister will say, “He’s a food blogger and always takes photos of everything. Don’t worry, he’s still normal!”
What great family, I have, huh? LOL
It’s okay, I even take photos in the grocery store, which kind of freaks people out b/c they think I am taking photos of them. Uh, hello grocery buyers- I have better things to do than to take photos of your “interesting” faces- food is much more attractive and interesting.
Anyway, great post!
fabulous!!!! love it!
I love your posts about our “gender”! And I can’t believe you’ve made a Danish horn of plenty!
Haha. I’m not a food blogger, but a lot of my posts feature food. My family have had to get used to waiting before they dive into their meals … but they now enjoy pointing out things I should photograph for the blog. Now my husband has a camera, he likes to take photos too. At one market we had a nervous stallholder ask if we were detectives or tax inspectors!
What you’ve written is just so true. Every single one of it. I thought she read my mind but I think every blogger totally agrees with it.
How I wish I’ve learned about your blog a long time ago.. but I’m new to your blog. It’s a great, wonderful and fabulous blog.
Again, you’ve hit the nail on the head. Is it possible that Foodus Bloggerus is responsible for the obesity epidemic?
LOVE this post! I relate to SO MANY of these and was definitely LOLing! Especially these:
#3 — My trip pictures are always filled with food. And my bf took pictures of the food on his European trip to bring home to show me
#5 — Every weekend I’m carting sweets off to my family, my bf’s family, my friends. Must spread the love (and calories).
#6 — I scoured the Greek festival in my city for some fancy authentic Greek ingredients to use, because wouldn’t that look fancy on my blog?
I ended up with only golden raisins. But they’re GREEK golden raisins, by golly.
#7 — For the past few recipes, I’ve bought plates, mini-muffin pans, a food processor, a silicon mat, a dough divider . . . $$$.
#8 — Finally figured out how to work my battery recharger correctly. All right!!
Thanks for this fun list!
I have a bundle of spare separately packed throwaway chopsticks in the glove box of my car!
You’ll have to give us a horn of plenty recipe – it looks phenomenal. The quartered chocolates are my mum’s approach to avoiding arguments about flavours too.
Fantastic Lorraine! At our place – child of Foodus blogerrus knows that “Mummy take photo first” before we dig in (this from the 2.5 year old) ;P
True, true and true!
Haha, quite true for me too–even before my food bloggin days. Only I carry chopsticks around in my handbag instead of knife and fork. ^^;
So funny, I love it because it is all so true!!
I loved it! LOL
You have summed me up for the most part, and this is SOOOO true, I get looks from other people sometimes… why is she taking a picture of FOOD? OMG GOSH.. have a melt down.. haha
The first 10 characteristics made me laugh out loud and had my fiance nodding in agreement. These subsequent 12 just take the (rather attractive-looking) cake!
And I love the term ‘food pornography’ – friends & I have used it to long describe our recipe folders, cookbooks, food mags…etc, etc
I’ve just fond this blog and I’m lovin it!!! Not sure if you have already been seen or been told but check out this site… http://www.thefoodpornographer.com/
Hehehe, you’ve hit the nail on the head again, with these observations. Especially when asking ‘What are you having?’ before making our own choice from the menu. To order the same dish as someone else at the table is such a boo-boo!
Hahahaha! I remember the last post on this! I LOVEd it!
So true on everything, particulary the ethnic grocery trip! I took Mimi to a Korean market and she’s now even more obsessed with kimchi and nori than I am!
excellent list – one thing I noticed on my one bloggers feast was that bloggers’ partners know to wait til the food is photographed before they eat
LOL LOL. I carry my camera everywhere with me even if I’m just popping out to the shops. Cos you’ll never know…
And I agree. I think all us food bloggers should pay a special tribute to our long suffering partners whose patience, we could never live without
Haha! I love the last one and the one about spouses starting to photograph food. Mine does and the boy would live on marmite if i let him do it. Very good observation.
I don’t think I can marry my girlfriend because of no.7 haha… damn being a man foodblogger
Well written Lorraine!!
hahahahaha,..what a lovely post this is!!
Yes, it is true,we are a bit different from the rest of the population!
You’ve got me hooked on it now. I just got started but want to photograph everything I cook and everywhere I eat. I was so bummed I forgot to photograph beautiful Mango eel rolls at Sansei Restaaurant on Maui recently that were presented magnificently. Next time, boohoo.
My husband is learning to be patient with me too!
♥
Aloha Lorraine,
Your site is so wonderful. I’m planning to make the Meyer’s lemon Meringue pie. Just bought the meyer’s Lemons today on Maui! Yay.
Marilyn
#3 is so true for me..hehe
Oi! I rememble these remarks!
Another great post!
As always, you hit the nail on the head! We’re so predictable aren’t we?
Oh, that made me smile. Will have to read the original 10 now. So true about #3, in fact first things i look at when planning a trip somewhere are not hotels and sights – it’s the food related stuff. Oh, and #7 – my flatmates and neighbors benefit few times a week whenever I am creating a new dish. My test rabbits!
Particularly like no. 12…!
Love it as per usual! Such an interesting breed is Foodus Bloggerus
I love your brilliant post, Lorraine. Regards
haha- Point #5 is spot on! Client meetings are never organised without my restaurant buy in.
And yes, our partners are very patient indeed…
Thanks
Keep eating!!!
hehe. loriieeee this is soooo trueeee!! great post!
cheers!
Weirdly, I just added a link to my facebook page of MY latest Yum-oh food-blog entry – and YOUR text from this post came up instead of mine… WEIRD, huh?! like we have become some sort of cyber-conjoined twins… oh well, if the cyber-universe is veering off the x-y axis, can’t think of anyone nicer to be conjoined with – I gave you a facebook plug in the correction I posted – something s.t.r.a.n.g.e. must be happening with feedburner lately… perhaps it is the RED DUST enveloping Sydney in the last 24 hours…
I hate being one of the last to comment on these wonderful observations as everyone else has said everything else I would have! haha! Seriously though, loved it all! Keep it coming. Waiting for the top 100 things we should know!
nice list. all quite true isn’t it. scary but true.
Hee hee I should do no.12 but we don’t have purses to hold a fork in and I don’t think it is a good idea to keep it in the back pocket…
i love reading your blog each day, but this particular post is by far my favorite! every single thing made me laugh out loud! and i too am guilty of the cookbook shelf beside the bed. DH thinks i’m nuts.
This is so funny but I am slightly offended and turned on by the Danish Horn of Plenty…
Lol I love these!! So true!! I especially agree with #6
I’ve been having to hoist things on others as well–and Ben always remarks as I take photos, “I’m going to be able to document every meal of my life.” Like that’s a bad thing?
Great list!
Brilliant post…I love it! My fav is #5…luckily I live in a large building with a lot of neighbors who reap the benefits of my labor in the kitchen!
You could do a book on this!
I can totally relate to the whole list.
BTW, I recognize the Berthillon store in Paris. They really make the best ice cream in the whole wide world.
Oh no! I can tick the majority of these. Must be evolving into the species – but what a fine species you all are lol!!
Oh god, I used to carry knives around in my school bag (doesn’t that sound terrible?! haha) because I’d make birthday cakes for people so often and knives were always needed for the birthday girl/boy to cut the cake! I didn’t advertise the fact, lmao.
That’s a great list! I totally agree with 2, 4, 5, and 11!!
I LOVE #7 Oh my poor boyfriend..
He has complained about me making him FAT! HAHA
Love it! So true =D. My friends are always asking me when I’m bring food to school next…
lol, I tick every single box!!! I only wavier on one thing, I carry a good plastic knife around with me. I figured that plastic is a little safer, still pretty good at dissecting thing though! I have to take a shot of the insides…..people want to know whats inside!! lol
HI Lorraine
Right on! I must be a blogger in waiting/training as all of these apply to me. I had a partner who even enabled my habit by arranging for me to meet my favourite Bris chef for my birthday. I’ve thought of another (you may have mentioned in your first 10, sorry) remembering all events by the food eaten. “Oh that was the night we had the slow cooked duck…” My friends give me heaps about this but they all ooh and aah along with the memories.
I just realized I was taking pictures of food in restaurants (trying also to figure out recipe) long before I was a food blogger. Hmmm, a new post idea. How do you know you’re going to turn into a food blogger. Look at your vacation photos.
Great post. I love your passion for this. Makes me feel quite normal.
autographed menus from chefs? very cool.
especially love the last line; i can only imagine the officer’s face ^^
Guilty as charged x 12 your honour, I have to confess I carry a tiny spoon around with me!
So funny! Husband is still a little embarrassed when I get my camera out. All my travel photos are of food and nothing else (though that will change with my new plan for the blog!). I always have a spare battery on me. And all my cookery books are marked with tiny Post-It notes (none of them overlapping of course!)
All very true
Great list!
I love number 2! It’s so true. I love the idea of communal dishes, where we all taste each other’s food. (Plus, sharing dishes family style is very much a part of my culture.) It’s qutie different from people who feel “ownership” over a dish they order. That simply won’t work with a food blogger!
As the husband of a food blogger (www.spinachtiger.com) I can attest to the truth of this post… and I could probably add a few. Like, I may never get to eat a hot meal at home again, because every dish must be photographed 100 times before it can be eaten, and by then it is cold. However, it is a small price to pay for the amazing food I get to eat. I tell Spinach Tiger almost daily, no man I know gets to eat like me. Most of my friends eat frozen dinners, Hamburger Helper, Ragu from a jar, and bagged salads, if they get salad at all.
DC
I will add one more, cause this one is a bit of a soar point. Food Bloggers never get invited to people’s homes for dinner. I can only assume it is because our friends are intimidated by Spinach Tiger’s food and think they can’t measure up. We tell our friends, “We’ll eat anything, don’t worry about it, just throw something on the grill”… but nothing works. We never get invited. But we sure do get the hints… “we’d LOVE to come to your house for dinner some time!”
Hi Rosa-Thanks so much!
Hi Betty-Hehe yes I can’t do it even though I sometimes really want to
Hehe cool! I just use disposabel wooden ones (seen less as a weapon I suppose 
)
Hi Su-yin-Cool!
Yes the battery often dies at inopportune times! 
Haha one day! 
Hi Barbara-Thankyou so much! Sure! Now that would be fun!
Hi sandra_Thanks so much
Hi Anita-Ahhh thanks!
Yep guilty as charged 
HI Trisha-Thankyou very much!
Hehe that reminds me, I need to tidy mine!
Hi Cakelaw-Thankyou!
Hi Madelin-Why thankyou very much!
Ahh those poor spouses 
Hi Elaine-Thankyou-yes perhaps it was destined given our habits
You’re welcome! 
Hi Kerry -LOL It’s like that isn’t it!
Hi Steph-Hehe I think we took a couple of the Eiffel tower…somewhere in that pile!
Thankyou so much! 
Hi Paula-I am but I haven’t read the book-yet!
Hi Katherine-Haha that’s good, it will help them understand our kind!
Hi Anna-Hehe I think you are perhaps destined to be one! Not a bad fate mind you!
HI Barbara-Thankyou!
Hi Iron Chef Shellie-Hehe thankyou! That’s great, more about our misunderstood kind!
Hi Penny-I know, they’re saints really as are friends
A foodblogger is lost without wonderful friends! 
Hi Reemski-Hehe I don’t clear mine as often as I should! So it ends up like a tower
Hi Kamran-Aww thankyou so much for your kind words!
Haha still normal! 
My parents have given up on explaining 
Hehe yes people din’t understand, we’re interested in the food, them less so! Thankyou!
Hi Betty-Thanks so much!
Hi Paula- Hehe at gender!
Sadly I haven’t made it yet but I really want to! 
Hi MrsDesperate-Isn’t it great when people get into it!? Haha detectives or tax inspectors? We sometimes get “the competition”
Hi Divina-Thankyou so much!
And you are too kind, thanks so much! 
Hi Conor-Thanks so much-eheh thankyou our baked treats probably are!
Hi Julie-lol! That’s great and I can feel your pain at #6. I mean golden raisins are still unusual! Yes the equipment and where to store it. I’ve become an expert stacker
You’re welcome! 
Hi Howard-Haha good stuff! Break in case of emergency!
Hi Arwen-I will when I make it
Haha a mum tactic-clever!
Hi Shaz-Thankyou! Haha that’s so cute!
Hi CookiePie-Thanks so much!
Hi yygall-Good idea, I mean you never know where a meal will come from right?
Hi Rilsta-Hehe thankyou!
Hi clekitty-Thankyou!
Hi April Marie-Haha yes they’re always so curious but nowadays I see all sorts of people taking photos. Perhaps they’re tourists!
Hi ms delicieuse-Hehe thankyou so much!
Yep food porn, nothing wrong with that and probably the only socially acceptable form of porn 
Hi Mel-Thankyou so much! Yes I’ve seen it thanks!
Hi Belle-Hehe yes it just horrifies me the idea of ordering the same thing
Hi Sophia-Thankyou!
Yes supermarkets are fun, especially ethnic ones with a guide! 
Hi Johanna-Thanks, yes they’re very well “trained” for lack of a better word!
Hi Karen-Yes you never know!
Yes raise a glass to our partners, we couldn’t do it without them 
Hi bethany-hehe yes my husband would eat pasta bottled and sauce every day if he were by himself
Hi Lex-hehe really? She’s not into photographing food?
Hi Sophie-Thankyou so much! Yes hopefully different in a good way
Hi Marilyn-Hehe that’s great!
Mango eel rolls? How fantastic! 
That’s absolutely wonderful to hear! 
You are too kind and I hope you like the pie! Woohoo! 
Hi Ja-Hehe cool!
Hi Kavey-Thanks so much!
Hi Fuji Mama-hehe we are but that’s a good thing right?
Hi NotAnotherFoodBlog-Yep you need to look out for the food for sure!
We choose destinations based on food sometimes 
They must be very happy flatmates and neighbours! 
Hi aforkfulofspaghetti-Thankyou!
Hi Esz-Thankyou very much. We are rather strange aren’t we!
Hi Anja-Thankyou!
Hi Adrian-Hehe yes got to look out for the stomach
Thankyou! 
Hi nora-Thankyou!
Hi Kyle-How strange!
Perhaps we have? I know my feedburner has been acting up badly. Or yes maybe it’s the tang that’s enveloping Sydney! 
Hi Trissa-Hehe that’s cool! Thankyou so much-100 now that’s a challenge but I think I can do it possibly!
Hi Simon-Scary but true!
Hi Ffichiban-Surely you have a man bag no?
No not the back pocket-you could hurt yourself! 
Hi LK-Thankyou so much!
Hehe but I’m sure he’s happy when he gets to eat it all right? 
Hi Morta Di Fame-LOL yes it’s certainly a conversation piece!
Hi Avanika -Hehe wonderful, thankyou!
Hi Blond Duck-That’s a good thing. I mean food memories are great! I love flicking through photos and being reminded of food
Hi faith-Thankyou so much!
Ahh you would be the most popular tenant there I think the way you cook!
Hi The Duo Dishes-Hehe true!
Hi Jackie-Hehe cool!
Yes I agree, there’s no ice cream like Berthillon! 
Hi Shanks-hehe you definitely are then! Thankyou!
Hi Indigo-Haha it’s for practical reasons totally!
Hi Palidor-That’s great thankyou so much!
Hi Phuoc-Hehe hubby is worried about that too. Luckily he is a string bean that does lots of exercise (but perhaps that’s more as a precautionary measure)
Hi Lauren-Hehe thanks! Yep they must be rubbing their stomachs in anticipation
Hi Maria-Hehe cool!
Oh yes it’s all disposable. Yes it’s for practical reasons really!
Hi Kel-Yep it sounds like you’re definitely a blogger to come!
Hehe food is how I remember things too! 
Hi Angela-Yep me too -nothing wrong with that
Perhaps that’s how we all start! 
Thankyou so much! 
Hi zaou-They are the rock stars!
Hehe thanks, I guess their expression would depend on whether they read food blogs or they don’t. Hopefully they will 
Hi Moya-yep cool! It’s a good idea I say!
Hi Helen-Hehe perhaps he will get used to it
Yup of course not and all in descending order 
Hi 5 Star Foodie-Thanks so much!
Hi Jessica-Thanks!
Yes sharing is definitely the way 
Yes I can’t work with those people! 
Hi DC-Ahh you must be a very lucky man indeed!
Yes Angela dishes up some amazing food so I’m sure you’re not worried if the food isn’t quite piping hot. Aww no really? She must be a brilliantly intimidating cook. 
how did i miss this one? thank goodness i backtracked and found it–it’s a great read. i particularly agree with #5, except for the bill part. nobody’s forcing them to devour the goodies i bring!
Hi grace-Hehe yes it’s speaking to you?
Haha true true, we come with a disclaimer!
i laughed so hard when reading this, i am a chef and this post resonates with every point-with the exception that rather than share it with everyone on the internet, we go and talk about it with Head Chef, dissect it, make it, dissect it again and make it our own, then obsess about it until we find something new!
Hilarious – and SO true! I am sending this to all my family and friends who constantly roll their eyes when I stop everything and pull out the camera. My husband gets extra brownie points for allowing so many meals to go cold.
wow, that danish horn of plenty looks remarkable! is there a recipe on here?
OMG – I just left a comment on your 10 things re food bloggers post and I now I come here and in the first paragraph you pretty much sum up what I wrote! Too funny.
On a recent trip overseas I received an email from my father. There were no niceties…just “Can we have some pictures of people please?”
It says something doesn’t it?!
“Just surrender to us and comply quietly.” Love it!
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