If you've been paying attention to Salon's cover page today, you've probably noticed a couple of things 1. A large cartoon of Francis Lam, our new food writer, staring at a donut. 2. Salon's brand spanking new food section. Both are exciting new developments, not only because Francis spends much of his day recreating the exact same pose in our New York office, but because with our new food section, we're also kicking off a great new way for all of you Open Salon foodies (and I know that there's a lot of you) to get the attention you deserve.
The Salon Kitchen Challenge is our new weekly food feature in which we ask Open Salon bloggers to show us their most creative -- and delicious -- meals and recipes. Every week we'll lay out some rules, and the following week we'll select a winner (whose meal will be featured on Salon itself).
For the full details, check out Francis's post here. But, for convenience's sake, here's the inaugural challenge:
"We’re thrilled to be launching the good ship Salon Food right into the gravy sea of Thanksgiving.
So, this week, after the feasting and the football, open up that fridge and celebrate with us! Forget the couch-surfing turkey sandwich and knock out something shiny and new using your Thanksgiving leftovers"
We can't wait to see your delicious post-Turkey Day creations! (just remember to tag your posts: skc thanksgiving)
Tom Pantera
Skip Williamson
Kerry Lauerman
gail williams
J.D. Noir
Dan-onymous
Salon.com
Comments
I got a kitchen challenge of my own to solve soon (i.e., redesign an awful kitchen), but this is going to be DELICIOUSLY fun.
Hi Jodi! This is soooo exciting!
To echo VR, SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEE
Now if I thought that you might reach beyond your obvious favorites then this might mean something.
Cheers on the new permanent foodie at Salon.
There are many talented folks here and I echo Trig in hoping that the usual are not rewarded with dessert...
Victorian omelets would get you under MY covers anyday of the week, I mean, should get you on the cover of Salon. Trust me!
*singing*
:)
Great idea, hope it goes places!!!!! I'm still waiting for pyschotic sex on Tuesdays.
I think I could sooooooooo win that one!!!!
Teeheehee!
*wanders off*
*posts* Alrighty! All done! Let the games begin!
But WTF?
Jodi deserved this.
Just sayin'.
Maybe I just read it wrong...sorry for butting in, I don't normally call out like this.
I adore her too (and Thomas too actually, I think he does a hella job at the risk of sounding like an ass kisser...I couldn't do his job, my skin is too thin I think).
Anyway, cheers.
Thomas just does what he was taught by Kerry,
and as many have postulated, he may be overwhelmed.
That's not hard to imagine with the volume of posts here daily.
You ARE correct Barry, that I WAS digging at the editorial staff in general (I have nothing against Thomas).
Overhwhelmed as they are it's easy to imagine that they choose their "go to guys (or gals)", never bothering to even look at most others. Why does Amy T. make the cover constantly? That's a mystery I don't think anyone understands.. She draws readers? Not that I can tell. She's an abhorrent hack. I am not the only one that thinks this way.
All that being said, it costs me nothing to play here. I'm getting what I pay for.
Oh, and did I say I adore Jodi?
Thanks for the love, guys!
For the record, my "not cool" was aimed at the fact that my focus has been on making an authentic Victorian omelet for tomorrow's Foodie Tuesday post, as opposed to something creative and schmexy that might land me a spot on The Mothership's Kitchen Challenge.
This is about a new way for folks to be recognized in a larger forum. I would be tickled pink to be recognized that way, but the last thing I want is drama over the foodie posts!
I'm thrilled that there's a new Food section on Salon. It shows that there is an audience for those of us that have a focus on food in our work, which is great news!
So, yay!
Party on.
~sigh~ nevermind
Ms. Brady has a pretty good point here Thomas. Not all of our esteemed audience and contributors are in the USA. Even many here (the ones we stole the land from and slaughtered in particular) aren't that much into the whole Thanksgiving thing.
You're a Canadian? Do you have a work visa?
Not in my household!! Wink! Wink! Nudge! Nudge!
But it does involve butter and a slip and slide.
Never mind!! I love you all.
http://open.salon.com/blog/trudge164/2009/11/24/my_wifes_own_grape_jelly_meatball_recipe
What's next? A contest for tips for grouting your bathroom tile? How to pick out size 14 dresses that make you look 20 pounds thinner? I guess Salon.com is for serious people. The rest of us should take up macrame. Or find another place to cross post.
shoot, i would never have entered this contest if i knew my status as a SERIOUS BLOGGER was at risk. i'll never not get any book deals now!!
Are you promising to make this fair? Are you going read all the posts and give each serious consideration?
I ask because it sure looks like you've just been picking friends regularly with Foodie Tuesday. I can't really believe that the small number of people who are routinely picked for Foodie Tuesday are consistently making the grade in a fair competition. It looks to me more like you have an RSS feed to certain people and you post on the cover just about anything they crank out. It looks to me like the rest of the people are wasting their time, except that maybe you go to others when either your friends let you down or you get worried that it will be obvious how much this is just about featuring friends.
I've got nothing against the various people you feature—they're actually pretty nice people and I'm not going to name them by name here because that would sound like I thought they were wrong for doing what they do. They don't make you pick them. I assume they're not paying you for the space they so routinely get. But I absolutely don't believe they have, on merit, won their position on the cover.
I regard it as simple laziness and lack of commitment to inclusion on the part of the editing staff that they end up so routinely being chosen. Are they highly rated? Of course they are because you feature them so often. I daresay if you featured different people they would be popular, too. And yet you continue to allow the event as if it were a competition instead of saying “give it up, we chose some we like, the others need not apply.” That means there are people who try on a week after week basis to gain notice and are crestfallen that they have not made the grade (even when their creations are obviously the result of more interesting work than what has made the grade). I strongly suspect, though, that they were secretly never in the running.
None of this inspires one to think you're going to really put in the effort. So does this announcement really represent a shift in style and effort on the part of Salon?
Your referenced article promises this will be “very scientific” but then the hyperlink attached to that points to the Wikipedia entry for “passer rating”, suggesting that you're kidding. I don't think you should kid. If you make a promise in a public contest to be scientific and you are not, are you not exposing yourself to a lawsuit? It seems ill-advised to joke. I would say clearly, were I you, that it will not be scientific unless you plan to really carry through.
I doubt you understand the degree of upset that this causes for those who are not chosen on a regular basis.
Many OS members write for months without being selected for a cover for even an EP. Meanwhile others have the "Midas touch" and are regularly featured on the cover.
Recently I looked through the posts of one fellow who is regularly on the cover. In a 30 day period he had 13 covers and EPs. The posts were generally low-quality copy-and-paste items, with little original commentary or analysis. And the posts weren't even very popular; most of them had few ratings and only a couple of comments. Nonetheless, this fellow has been practically given a position as a staff writer.
Quality posts from anyone on any topic should always be welcome on the cover. But if posts are going to be selected on the basis of some editor's favorites list, then at least be honest about that.
http://open.salon.com/blog/julie_tarp/2009/11/30/turkey_tortilla_soup