What’s Cookin’? Not Much…
I have spent many a rainy afternoon watching hours upon hours of food network, and absolutely love trying out many of the recipes I watch my favorite chefs make on their shows. Unfortunately, those recipes are about all you can find on the Food Network website.
Of corse, I began my research on the main website for the network, and to my disappointment, there was not one link on the home page to a blog, webcast, or anything of the sort. The closest thing to social media in sight is a poll (asking “What is your favorite food to throw on the grill?” to which I answered chicken.)
After scrutinizing every link on the page, I actually did find one line that linked to “Bob’s Blog.” The blog itself is not bad. It seems to be a weekly recap of a few shows, and includes videos, links, and a place to email Bob himself. The main problem is that there should be more of these.
I next went to some of the individual chefs’ pages on the Food Network site to see if they linked to blogs: they did not. Most chefs had links to their personal websites where they had a FAQ page, or a place to email the chef. For example, the “Ask Bobby” page on Bobby Flay’s website, where he personally answeres viewer questions. Sandra Lee had a press kit on her website, but it just showcases all of her magazine appearances.
One blog that did impress me was Duff Goldman’s, of Ace of Cakes (one of my favorite shows.) On his blog (which is actually written by Mary Alice, one of the decorators in the show,but is featured right in the middle of his show’s website,) includes videos from episodes, links to competitions, and upcoming events. Since Ace of Cakes is such a hip and contemporaty show, I think this is really appropriate.
As a last ditch effort to find some sort of social media usage by Food Network, I googled it. I got a few blogs of Food Network fanatics, but nothing from the network itself. Nothing on SmartBrief either.
Overall, I am a little suprised that Food Network is so behind in social media. To me, recipes are something that require a lot of discussion, and I don’t see the network offering a place for that. I hope in the future I don’t have any comments or suggestions about the shows I watch or the recipes I cook, because I wouldn’t know what to do with them.
