I have just started following after I saw this question. It's crazy. Back in the day cook would work for chefs for many years to learn their ideas and ideals. Now everyone is putting it out there for everyone to see. I'm not saying a cook can learn how to be a chef in 3 years but following things like this and reading for sure helps cooks find and learn from more than just the chef they are working for.

I generally avoid following prolific re-tweeters. This said, many of their
one line quips and their unique approach to food makes it tolerable. Their
work on the blog is unparalleled and they've really set the bar for what an
online presence can be. I wouldn't say it;'s been a huge influence on my
own blog, but I am a fan and there have certainly been times where their
approach to cuisine has had influence on my menus.


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Ideas in Food is important because it continues to explore new areas of
cooking and expands our knowledge of why food behaves the way it does
(which is right down my alley b/c of my former college science degree
"life"). Also, it gives chefs the information to create a better product.


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Ideas in Food is definitely an interesting site, but I don't really frequent it. In fact, I've probably only looked at it briefly one or two times. Personally I'm much more concerned with first preserving and then revitalizing the lost arts of butchering, canning, preserving, controlled fermentation, and translating them into the old farmstead necessity of eating seasonally. Our rural economy is still in crisis, with farmers leaving the land every day and the new generation is just starting to gain interest. I'd rather spend my energies figuring out how to make this work than finding another novel way to play with food. Some chefs and amateurs are interested in what Ideas in Food does and I won't fault them, it's interesting stuff. Personally with my busy schedule I spend my limited amount of research time looking for solutions to the many problems endemic in our current food system and figuring out how to play them out in my restaurant.

I haven't looked at ideas in food in a long time. We don't exactly play in
the same sandbox, so they aren't one I check in on often. I do respect
their tenacity for putting their ideas out there and being among the first
to have a serious food blog that has remained current over the last several
years. I have been sent links to their blog about some of the stuff they
do with meat glue and sous vide. Someone on Facebook suggested I follow
along and meat glue together some odds and ends to a bone to come up with
some, "Cheaper steak options." Again, not really our thing. If you want a
cheaper steak option, we have plenty, but there idea was definitely
creative and interesting. I love the fact that in one post they are gluing
beef to a bone and calling it a steak, and in the next they whizzed up some
olives and yogurt in the food processor and extolled the simple brilliance
of olives, yogurt and lamb. These are thoughtful people who care greatly
about food. Their attention to detail and their quest for new and
interesting things is admirable.


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Ideas in food is a great site. For me the photos alone are very inspirational. I do not follow all the conversational rhetoric as much. Just reading the blog posts regarding dishes always sparks a lot of new ideas for dishes. I have a ribeye "curing" in blue cheese right now that they did at home. Sounded so freakin delicious I had to try it!! They are doing an amazing job at what they do. 

I've been following ideas in food since I began cooking a short 5 years ago. I have been influenced by their work and have often referenced them when talking to friends and co workers about food. I do like some of their innovative techniques and concepts when dealing with food, but I have never personally contributed to one of their "community conversations" with chefs.