Introducing The Well Fed Network

Remember when I posted about six weeks ago, asking what food magazines people liked to read?

Well, there was a reason for that.

But, I couldn’t tell y’all at the time, so I kept my mouth shut and just asked my question and went on my merry little secretive way, behind the scenes, whiling away the days, working on a project which has finally been unveiled.

The Well Fed Network is a group of food blogs, linked together (hence, “networked”) for the purpose of bringing high quality, edited content to readers. Kate of The Accidental Hedonist brought me on board as an editor, and I am working on one of the first four blogs to be released by the Network, The Paper Palate, which covers food magazines and food and dining sections of major newspapers.

It suddenly all comes clear, doesn’t it?

But that is not all–there are three other fine blogs so far appearing on the Well Fed Network. There is Growers and Grocers, edited by Derrick of An Obsession with Food, which covers just what it says it does: food from the farmer to the checkout line.

For news and views of what to drink, how to drink it and when to drink it, check out The Spirit World, edited by Brenda Pederson of Culinary Fool.

Satisfying sweet tooths everywhere, Cynthia Meyers, the blogger behind Food Migration, presents Sugar Saavy, which covers the realm of chocolate, confections and candy.

There will be more. As Kate explains, there will eventually be 40 blogs included in the Well Fed Network, on a myriad of food-related topics, so stay tuned, and look sharp, because there are a lot of good writers and editors cooking up something new in the food blogosphere this year.

Now, just to give you a taste of what we have been up to over at The Paper Palate, here are a few samples of our work.

First up, check out what I have to say about Rachael Ray’s new magazine.

Reid of Ono Kine Grindz tests a chicken recipe from last month’s issue of Food & Wine, and pronounces the results quite flavorful.

Courtney bakes a batch of Chow’s Intense Brownies, but finds the flavor oddly lacking, so she returns to her family’s ancestral brownie recipe.

And finally, after reading Nora Ephram’s New York Times Op Ed piece, “The Lost Strudel” I mused upon a beloved confection from my childhood I will never taste again: my Grandma’s black walnut cookies.

I know this is a lot of information to digest in a single post, but I could think of no other way to ‘fess up to what I have been up to recently, while giving all of the editors and writers their due.

Email me or post on The Paper Palate, or here, and let me know what you think of what we have done so far, and where we might go in the future. It is all new, we are learning as we go, and having fun while we do it.

I hope we manage to entertain plenty of readers along the way.

2 Comments

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1. A month ago I bought Rachel Ray’s Everyday magazine to do pretty much the same–review it (albeit for myself).

   Although I came to a similar conclusion that this magazine was not meant for me (a cook much more interest in authentic ingredients and technique), I see how it would be great for some of my friends–busy harried NY’ers whose idea of cooking something a bit more complex means boiling water for pasta. Many of them, even with graduate degrees, are ill-informed and uninspired when it comes to eating well and cooking their own food.

   I really liked your review. It was thorough and clear. I look forward to more reviews and articles.

   Comment by Rose — January 3, 2006 #

2. Thank you, Rose!

   The fact that Rachael Ray gets folks who are uninspired to cook to cook makes her okay in my book.

   I just wish the magazine had better photographers and food stylists–when white balances are off and photographs are not in focus, that is a big problem.

   Comment by Barbara — January 3, 2006 #

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