Can you post a link to the New York magazine article? sounds like a good read.

Never mind - sorry, I see it's linked in the Amateur Gourmet piece.

I think everyone I want to look for I can already find on the food blogs I've been following in the last couple of years. I don't seek out new blogs, that's for sure, and the only reason I might consider following a new one would be if it was strongly recommended by a a someone whose tastes I can relate to (aka RL friends, not interlinkage).

everything*

"Am I saying it’s impossible to create a noteworthy, relevant food blog today? Not at all. But I am saying, in order to do so you can’t copy what’s come before; you have to forge something new. Whether it’s your concept, your design, your writing style, your subject matter, or your photography, you’ve got to find a way to push the genre forward."

I'd agree with that and if I read another 'we made this recipe and loved it' or 'look at my restaurant dinner' food blog my head will spin. I was also surprised to find that I was rarely buying cookbooks any longer because every one I'm interested in will be blogged within an inch of its binding. Perhaps published authors should be able to designate a couple recipes, that can be blogged about freely, in an effort to keep their own book sales strong? And does anyone else agree that one of the worst things is feeling pressured to be polite and upbeat about a friend's food blog when it doesn't fit your own style of cooking or baking?

What food blogging's really done to me, as a reader, is make me return to my own kitchen and get clear about what I truly enjoy cooking & baking (and discard all the rest). I find that now I'm far more likely to remake an old favorite recipe into something new through experimentation. The only place food blogging truly holds any interest now, for me, is in learning cutting edge techniques - or - new-to-me cooking (vegan, GF).

I use food blogs when looking for new recipes, but some of them are way too intensive when it comes to making a simple recipe like cookies or it has too much "personal" stuff for my taste. Nothing against people who post their lives and travels in the food blog, but I usually just want the food.

Am I the only one who had to look up the definition of "aughts"? I didn't think I was that out of touch. Getting old.....

I agree with Christine M. I don't seek out new blogs at all. However, sometimes I find new ones through links on this site that I start to peruse more and more often but they rarely become part of my daily schedule. I don't have time to visit more than a few every day so it has to be really special to replace an old one.

I read the article. I don't think food blogs are over. More precise questions might be, "Why do we follow food blogs?", and "Why would we want to start or continue a food blog?" What's the overall goal we're trying to achieve here? Is it to learn, explore, and/or interact in a community setting? Is it a career choice out of passion? What's the base drive in following and writing a food blog? For me personally, I cook and bake enough, that I get bored with seeing the same recipes posted over and over again. Now, it's more about the creative process of making food, sharing my enthusiasm for food, looking for any new nugget of knowledge to absorb that fits into my lifestyle. In a nutshell, I'm constantly looking for inspiration, and want to share my inspiration. I also want to connect with others who act on their creative inspiration. This is what drives me. This is what I believe pushes the food blog/food community envelope.

"The food blogs are still big, but they really had their moment in the early aughts."

I think we need to view that statement in it's context. This article is about a 'new wave' of young foodies (post-college, not yet thirty) who are focusing on discovering the next big thing in food. As epitomized by Ms. Chang, it's more about bragging rights and outside perceptions than food. Maybe it's the editing of the writer, but Chang comes off as shallow and snotty. There's very little focus on what she does like and so much emphasis on where she's buying her food and how much she's spending. Even if she does genuinely like something, the article implies that once accepted that pet favorite then immediately becomes passe. It made me wonder if she (and her crowd) actually likes food. I don't think food blogs are dead, just evolving to the next step. It's not enough to present what you've just made. People are realizing that to get an audience of any size, the content of the blog actually has to be good. Pretty pictures just aren't going to be enough. Hating gets really old, really fast. Finding a unique "voice" or style that speaks to others is big thing now. That's hard work and the main reason why most abandon their blogs (Chang's already on her third blog).

I think the food blog will be fine, if not better than it is right now.

I read this article yesterday and really enjoyed it. I've been chewing on it since then. I appreciated his point about forging something new. Part of the reason I became a food blogger is because no one else in Alaska is doing it. My state has some of the most amazing seafood and game in the world (not to mention endless summer sunshine which makes our produce grow at record pace and to record sizes) and yet it's hardly a culinary mecca.... it's barely on the culinary map. However, one glance at the Discovery Channel will tell you that people love Alaska and are intrigued by it; it's on everyone's bucket list to visit. So, I set out to do something new.

Maya
Alaska from Scratch

I agree with MissFifi. If I'm going to a food blog, I want a description of the food, the flavors, the cooking process, and the recipe and photos. I don't care to read about summers at your grandmother's lakeside cabin, or the time you hiked to the middle of the forest to forage for fresh berries.

That being said, I have two food blogs (shameless plugs, veggie101.com and thiscantbevegan.com). To be quite honest, I sometimes feel like I'm getting burnt out on it because EVERYONE has a food blog now. More recently, everyone has a VEGAN food blog. Not that that's a bad thing, the more information and creativity, the better.

But I think the market is definitely oversaturated, especially with the likes of Tastespotting, Food Gawker, etc. I would imagine most blogs get the majority of their traffic from these kinds of sites, and then it really just becomes a popularity contest and a race for who can have the most photos "accepted."

I've been toying with the idea of starting a food blog and offering downloadable/printable recipe cards (Google Docs) with each recipe post. One idea that could work well with this, would be to invite readers to send in suggested modifications/variations on these recipes (on their own recipe cards--which would be added to an ever-growing post). Blurs the line between a blog and a community.

I have to say I've had the feeling food blogs were over for a while now. When I started my blog a few years ago, it was because I didn't know (or thought I didn't know!) that many people who loved cooking and food the way I do, and I was inspired by the communities that seemed to have coalesced around my favorite food blogs. But by that time, nearly everyone I met who had a food blog was doing it in hopes of making it a career--I mean, who hasn't dreamed about that, but it just made it all seem empty and fake to me.

The rest of us in 3rd world USA are just now really getting around to them. You know, we are suppossed to be 10 years behind the 'trend' or whatever. We're still taking down wood paneling. Or is that in style again? Dammit.

@Karewn, "aughts" is actually an archaism. You're not getting old... you're too young!

There seem to be way too many food blogs for them to be "over"! But I haven't found a new one I'm excited about in quite a long time, and some that I used to follow because of their awesome recipes have started to annoy me because they're all about the authors' adventures or travels. I understand that this is because some of them are getting really successful, publishing books, going on book tours, etc., and that's great for them, but it either means that they're moving away from food blogging, or my idea of a good food blog is getting really old fashioned. Also, I have no interest in restaurant reviews because the likelihood I'll ever get to them is so low. How to find good blogs that are full of recipes nowadays is my question!

As far as aughts go, it reminds me of when I was in the UK for new years 2010. They generally say naught instead of zero, and it seemed like all of the absurdly irritating young anchors reporting from various celebrations were saying goodbye to "the naughties." Every time I heard it I wanted to shoot myself in the face, it was the most irritating phrase ever. I am SO glad that whenever I hear them called the aughts rather than the naughties now. Ugh.

Anyway, I think the fact that the vast majority of food blogs are not even worth looking at doesn't mean that as a group they are "over." People who started a food blog just to repost every recipe they've made from someone else's post on some other blog will probably get bored of it and move on, and that's fine. The ones that are at least somewhat innovative, and not just vomiting up other people's recipes with their own mediocre photos, will probably keep it interesting enough to keep their readers on track and thrive. Lots of people love food passionately, and there are practically infinite dishes to be made and lusted after, so I'm not sure there is any way to kill the food blog. But it does seem to be an area of the internet due for a self-pruning.

The only food blog I follow outside of the kitchn is The Bitten Word, which doesn't adhere to the formula as rigidly. I also like David Lebovitz and Dorie Greenspan and their blogs; funny that they are both in Paris...

I've followed food blogs for a short time, but lose interest eventually. But, when I'm looking for a recipe for a specific dish, I often visit various food blogs, but rarely hang around.

Are decor blogs over?

Eh, the article sounds like the sort of thing someone would say simply because they know people will comment on it and link to it. Just like sticking innapropriate movies in top ten lists and such. Real life trolling is too cynical for my tastes.

People have made very good points - the interest in food blogs is far from being over (IMO), but it's true that most famous blogs were 1.started at least a few years ago and 2.rely mostly on the voice of the writer. Whether you like them or not, sites like the Pioneer Woman, Joy the Baker, SmittenKitchen, David Leibovitz etc. are popular because not only do they post gorgeous photos, but they also make you want to READ them. I may not cook all their recipes, but they always leave me wanting to read more and more from these people. In a way, it's as much about the voice than the food.

More recent blogs rarely have that originality (possibly because they don't have a few years' worth of writing behind them?) or different take.

While I still have a small group of blogs that I check out regularly, I still think there is room for new voices. Most of my favorite food blog authors have gotten book deals in the last year or so which has led to less frequent posting. Obviously I am happy for them but I also miss having more favorites that post often. I don't search blogs for specific recipes, but more for inspiration so I like when there are frequent updates.

I don't think food blogs are over, because it's not really a trend per-se. People have always and will always cook, and now the internet is how we share information....so I don't see how food blogs will die down. The novelty certain has changed though. Smitten Kitchen used to seem so unique and exciting, now it's a pretty common format.

Hmm the Kitchn is really the only food blog I read on a regular basis. I love SkinnyTaste, Smitten Kitchen and the Pioneer Woman and they are who I turn to first if I have a specific recipe in mind. But if I get an idea for a meal and type it into google I try out new food blogs. Maybe they ARE over because there are just too many of them out there for anyone to get a decent sized following.

I have though about starting a food blog, but not one geared towards home cooks. I was thinking about one geared towards people who are afraid of cooking, don't know how to cook, or cook everything out of a can/jar. Simple stuff.

That is so interesting! I never knew that about Alaska!