The Amateur Gourmet grows up
July 31st, 2011 at 7:16 pm ETI’ve sort of had my eye on the Amateur Gourmet’s blog off and on for the last couple of years, and the experience was a bit uneven at the beginning. But I have to say, Adam Roberts (the name on the Gourmet’s birth certificate) has really started to find his voice over the past few months.
When I first started following the blog, I must confess there was a bit too much “omigod, I’m just a kid, I really don’t know what I’m doing but let’s see if I can figure this out without setting the kitchen on fire” for my taste. Some of that is a matter of age (I’m 15 or 20 years older than Adam, give or take, and before you grouse, I know I was just as precious and tentative 15 or 20 years ago.) And once in a while it still grates. But you know what? It’s not the young’s fault that they were born after I was. And it’s become clear that Adam’s a real workhorse, and he’s invested the time and planning and hard work needed to build a successful professional life doing something that interests him. That’s worth admiring, and I admire it, and it has lifted my impression of the product.
Besides, Adam’s written voice has matured as his knowledge of cooking and food has expanded, and he’s built a network of professional contacts who seem to genuinely like him, which makes it more than namedropping when they show up in the blog, in person or by reference. I’ve even tried one or two of Adam’s recipes, which have come out great. So now I’m a regular reader.
Recently I’ve particularly been enjoying Adam’s “Someone’s In the Kitchen With…” video podcast series, in which he sits down in front of a webcam with some food personality or other (usually someone big enough that they’re recognizable, at least by role or credentials, but still human enough that they are capable of sitting down with Adam for a friendly chat without coming off like a blowhard) and leads them through a conversation about their work in food and their professional history. The latest, with chef/critic/memoirist Lauren Shockey, was typical: watchable for the full 30 minutes, only annoying once or twice, and substantive enough that I went right out and bought Shockey’s new book (and am going to make her frangipane tart). Given how reluctant I am to buy a new book in hardcover, even now with Amazon Prime, that’s indication of quality.
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Rich Mintz blogs on online fundraising and social media, American history and culture, bicycling and urbanism, food, technology, and other topics. Professionally, he's an expert in fundraising, constituency development, and social media for nonprofits, cultural organizations, cause-related marketers, and corporations. He is based in New York, where he serves as Vice President, Strategy, for 
