Things have been a little busy here at chez Stasty, as we have moved into a new house. This time last year I was packing my things for the move to America and this September I packed our things ‘again’ to move into our new home. Things that were missing since the last move, suddenly turned up. A camera charger that I thought I lost in the move was found wrapped up in an old handbag. Of course, during this move, I managed to lose a whole heap of other things! That said we are settling in well into our new abode and I’m slowly coming to terms with a different kitchen.
Just before the big move, I attended the Foodista International Food Bloggers Conference, which was held in Seattle. So, if you have ever wondered what happens at a Food bloggers conference, then wonder no more 🙂 As you may have guessed the conference involved a lot of eating. Secondly food blogger events are very female. There were a few brave men at the event, but it is predominantly an estrogen fest! Most food bloggers write and cook as a hobby, and some are successfully making a career out of blogging.
The keynote speaker was Dorie Greenspan. She is an inspiring lady and has been writing cookbooks well before the age of ebooks and ipads. However, she has embraced technology so much that she has own online community of dedicated followers who cook together using her cookbooks. These fans cook together for Tuesdays with Dorie and French Fridays with Dorie. These groups weren’t forced together by some overzealous publishing agent, but they just came together out of their shared love for her recipe books. I could really see why you would warm to Dorie, she is humble, funny and full of great ideas and stories.
Having listened to Dorie regale us with stories about Julia Child, we were ready to start eating. Amazon was a sponsor and invited fifteen food companies selling products on Amazon to talk to us about their products. Food bloggers are not the easiest crowd as we ask a lot of questions – Is it local? What’s in it? Why is it better? How can I recycle the packet? Is it GMO? The companies were faced with over three hundred savvy food shoppers asking hard questions and tweeting their honest opinions. It was refreshing to hear the companies speak, and many were small family businesses who had found a niche and created a product. The highlights for me were Yum Fruit Earth Snacks and Stretch Island Fruit strips. I am not a huge fan of jellies or kiddies sweets, but both these snacks tasted really fruity and contained real ingredients. I kept a few packs handy as I was packing and I loved them. Another highlight was Manuka honey. I am a longtime fan of Manuka honey and love the fact that it has medicinal value as well as being delicious. Some hospitals in New Zealand use it to treat chronic wounds and reduce inflammation. It’s wonderful stuff, if you haven’t tried, you really should.
What followed later that evening was a huge showcase of food from local Seattle restaurants. We sampled Hors d’oeuvres and small plates from some of Seattles finest eateries. I’m still discovering new restaurants in Seattle, and new ones seem to pop up all the time. I was pleased to find Volunteer Park Café and The Hunt Club – both new to me, and both serving delicious food. It was fun to mingle and meet the owners and staff of the various restaurants. I went home feeling stuffed but happy and excited for the rest of the conference. More about that later this week …
This is a sponsored post, however all opinions and views are my own.