Oct 24 2008
Cake or death
I’ve just been reading through the blog from the Kamikaze Cookery people and I’m pretty disappointed to be honest. They don’t apparently seem to like food. Rice apparently “tastes okay”; peas, likewise, “taste okay”. And all the recipes from various books that they do seem to turn out really badly. Why is it we never have these problems?
I’d like to think that a food blog would be a tad more excited about food than this. I know Helen is a lot more enthusiastic than that, and I’m pretty sure it comes across in her writing.
8 Responses to “Cake or death”
I’ll have the chicken please.
i may possibly have been across to that website and then had a big ol rant on one of their posts, the one about student food which makes it sound like as a student you are condemned to eating dull dull food :o(
Dude, seriously - you read one post out of, what, 40-odd, and decided the entire site was bad on that basis?
given that we’ve both commented on multiple entries at Kami, surely it’s clearly we’re not basing our opinion on a single post. Fact is we’re both massive geeks and have been back reading since we heard about the blog. Give us some credit.
That said, only last night I was defending you, Hugh, as being more enthusiastic than the other writers. But he pointed out that while you often enthuse about processes and ideas you very rarely talk flavours, endpoints, results. I’d not really noticed that side of things- clearly we read with different outcome measures!- but looking back, tis kinda true.
Fair point. I know both of you have commented over there on several posts - and thanks for that. Your comments are generally really interesting (and you might be interested to hear we’re trying a Nigella recipe in two weeks).
Having said that, for readers of this blog, Dougal has just said
“I’ve just been reading through the blog from the Kamikaze Cookery people … They don’t apparently seem to like food … Rice apparently “tastes okay”; peas, likewise, “taste okay”.”
Now, I was really surprised to read that, because I know Dougal’s a regular viewer, and this post certainly sounds like Dougal’s taking that single post (and one episode) as representative of all the content on the blog. That may not be what the intention was, but if I was one of his readers, I’d assume that he was saying that was what every single post on there was focussed on.
Anyway - I understand that Alex will be replying to your comment about his entry, on the KKCook blog. I believe the point he was getting at was to try to speak to people who may not be as enthusiastic about food as us, but I’ll let him talk about that.
Your comment about my writing style is interesting. I must admit, I tend not to gush about flavour and end result too much because I’m trying really hard not to write “food porn”. Whilst it’s fun to read, I’m never convinced that purple prose about food encourages people to cook - indeed, in some cases (and I’m afraid that I’d lump Nigel Slater’s “Kitchen Diaries” in here, much as I love his other stuff), I think it makes people think that they’ll never be able to make food that good, so why bother trying?
Nonetheless, it’s an interesting point, and you’re right, I don’t focus on flavour and end results as much as I should. I’ll look to correct that in future - thanks!
Also, it should be noted that I am guilty as charged (or to be charged) regarding food porn. I was into food porn before I even knew such a thing existed.
Personally, I think your line in food porn is TASTY…..
Enthusiasm when merited is great, but you are equally less enthusiastic when recipes are dull/disappointing/down work out.
oops: “don’t work out” sorry