Overheard in Food #1 -- or -- What people are talking about when they're talking about food

So, this week F.S.I. online turns one. I'm actually quite surprised this has come around so quickly, but then I suppose I have been neglecting things a little of late. Somehow I managed 52 posts (53 including this one, and 54 including another one I later deleted) in 52 weeks, and a little over 27k page views in the year. An average of one post and 500 views per week is not bad for someone who does this in spare spare time. And when you consider that a 'quick post' usually takes around 3-4 hours to write. (Some, like Marque, took around 12 hours.)

If you're interested in stats there are more below the comic.

I thought I'd try something a little different this week. Yes, I have reviews to write (about Momofuku and about truffles) but, gee Molly, I'll get to it soon OK?

First up is the tail end of a conversation about the official Bologna ragu recipe (from which Spaghetti Bolognese has evolved, for better or worse).  [Also mentioned in SMH this week -- it's a great recipe and worth a try] :

And then this. Regarding this fascinating blog post about how we remember experiences (pain, restaurants etc):  "How we remember things (including restaurants)". Worth a read if you have 10-minutes to spare. You could even apply it to whatever you do for work, perhaps?

The gist is that how we experience things and how we remember them are different. We remember the peaks and the ending -- so a good vs bad ending might determine how likely you are to recommend a restaurant to friends.

Comedy tradition dictates that I have a third example. I don't. Write your own, maybe?

Stats? Love 'em.
Of my top ten all time posts (in terms of page views), three of the places have since closed. Within the year. I can also think of a few others which closed shortly after I visited (Ramen Bar was replaced by a mum 'n' bub cafe, Becasse went bust, BirdCowFish called it a day, Hugo's got closed by council, and Lochiel House changed hands). I am starting to feel like a jinx.

Nine of my top ten posts are in Newtown, with the other one in Stanmore. Well, I did set out to cover the local places which were otherwise (largely) ignored.

Aside from odd or particularly attractive food, the number of photos taken per dish is usually three. Usually between f2.2 and f2.8 and almost always at ISO 1600.

I have received one meal completely free (Hugo's launch -- still not sure how I made the PR invite list), a few free drinks and dishes here and there, and otherwise injected a lot of department money into the local restaurant industry.

Countries reported on: 5 (Australia, New Zealand, Iceland, Norway, Belgium)
Photos of myself in comics: just the one, I think (above, with cat).
Best referrers: Chocolate Suze and Miss Piggy. Thanks, ladies.
Number of people who have found the blog by searching for "fish pun": 4.



See you at the next sitting,
Detective Chow