What Does Digital Kitchen Mean to You?
The Blogworld and TECHmunch Conference is just days away and I’ll be participating in the “Digital Kitchen” panel (on behalf of FoodiesLive) along with Melody Pepaj (BakeSpace.com), Sara and Lee O’Donnell (Average Betty), Daniel Delany (VendrTV), and moderator Marsha Collier (@marshacollier). We were each asked to define “Digital Kitchen,” which to be honest, I hadn’t really thought about the meaning until that point.
There are of course the obvious definitions…bringing cameras, microphones, and the internet into the kitchen, etc., but it really goes much deeper than that.
Food is one of the few common bonds we share, and gathering around it is a unique social tradition that connects people from all walks of life. Today, through technology, we’ve sort of reinvented that tradition. We can now connect with people globally through food more easily than we’ve ever been able to do.
Food is a universal language. The digital kitchen allows us to see, hear and in some cases interact live with food creators. It ignites dialog, and allows us to experience and share in the culture of food from a variety of perspectives.
Sure we have food media outlets like the Food Network, Travel Channel and TLC, that provide a glimpse into the lives of other foodies, but their bandwidth can only stretch so far. With the proliferation of technology, and food bloggers and story tellers, we are now able to be a part of “Chili Takedowns,” or learn how other foodies taught themselves to smoke fish or make gourmet chocolates (FoodCurated.com), or see the crazy brisket tacos being served up by the Taceaux Loceaux artisan truck in New Orleans (VendrTV).
We are able to experience the rich and diverse culture that surrounds food as told from many point of views rather than a select grouping of TV hosts.
In terms of marketing, food curators, chefs, and restaurateurs now have the ability to tell their story. No longer at the mercy of the news media. They can show the behind-the-scenes action from their kitchen, what makes a good flavor combination, what drives their passion for food, and the list goes on. They’re also getting the attention they deserve now thanks to all of these amazing food bloggers. It’s an exciting time to be a part of the Digital Kitchen!
