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Blogging bonanza

Posted at 11:40AM, 03 October 2008 by Graham Holliday - Blogger

By definition, foodies like to eat and talk about eating. Foodies who blog are the same, but they also do their eating and talking online and they're an inventive bunch. Some four years ago the first collaborative "cook off" was created. Alberto, who wrote the Il Forno blog until 2006, had the idea of encouraging bloggers to cook around a theme and blog about it on a designated day. He called the event Is my blog burning? It ran for around a year and it has spawned dozens of other food blogging events.

A quick scan through October's up and comings and we have the food blog world's take on British Food Fortnight. Giff Constable and Lisl Dunlop, who write The Constables' larder blog, are encouraging bloggers to braise and stew with their Low and Slow event and Beans Bistro heads up the 11th edition of Homegrown Gourmet with a focus on game.

There are some 25 events in the month of October alone

In all there are some 25 events in the month of October alone. The past four years have garnered some classic posts like Spiceblog's Dam and Lambnation and The Scent of Green Bananas creation made of oysters with salmon roe, chives, diced tomato and wasabi-vodka ice. However, if it's total creativity you're after, take a look at how inventive some food bloggers can be with an egg and a slice of toast by delving into the archives of the End of Month Egg on Toast Extravaganza event.

I haven't partaken in an event since creating The Deluxe and wrestling an eel into the pot a few years ago. However, there's one event that I've been wanting to get involved in for some time and this month I will. This month The Winehiker will host the 50th edition of Wine Blogging Wednesday.

The idea is simple; a theme is chosen by a wine blogger, other wine bloggers buy a wine related to the theme and they blog about it on a designated Wednesday every month. The theme this month is The Great Outdoors,

"Imagine you and your significant wineau walking in the cool woods of Autumn. An amber glow lights your path, golden leaves fall around you, and as you walk, you're working up a sizable hunger for that post-hike picnic you've got planned. Not to mention that sizable thirst! Which wine will you pour in the Great Outdoors?"

Bonus points are added for blogging about local wines and, this month at least, for drinking the wine somewhere in the wilderness. I can't guarantee the latter, but the former shouldn't be too difficult. I'm no wine buff and wine talk can sometimes be a bit threatening, but enthusiasm can go a long way in the blogosphere. Fingers crossed.

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