Food Blogger Camp, part 2

49 comments - 01.17.2010

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There’s nothing that can kill a great trip more than a bad airline experience. But since Twitter has now become the airline’s biggest public relations headache, I won’t complain about anything. Okay, except for the guy sitting in front of me for the 12-plus hour flight, who kept insisting that if he just leaned forward, then slammed his body backwards, his seat back would go back even further than the seat physically, would actually allow.

So even though it took a few minutes after we landed to remove my knees from my chest, (although I think I need to get some medical attention tomorrow for my bijoux de famille), I still have managed to keep a smile on my face after winging my way back from Ixtapa, Mexico for our first-ever Food Blogger Camp.

Aside from hooking up with my blogging pals; Elise, Matt, Jaden, Adam, Diane, and Dianne, I also met Diane’s other half, Todd, and Michael Ruhlman, who proved a formidable foe for the entire week. I don’t think we agreed about anything, except that we always agreed that we disagreed with each other.

Still, it was nothing that couldn’t be ironed out over a few bracing, citrusy margaritas, and by the end, we were flat on our backs, side-by-side, in the bar. But let’s hope those photos by his wife Donna don’t surface. I think those belong in my “What was I thinking?” file.

And locked.

I wish I had the space to tell you about all we learned about food blogging, from how to get great food photos to adding multi-media to your blog, which I’m been meaning to get around to myself. (And no, not starting off with videos of me in less-than-optimal positions.) But one thing that I’m happy to dedicate some bandwidth to is some snaps of me, Matt, and Romain learning the trapeze. One of the cool things about Club Med is that you can try any and all sports, no matter what your level is. Even if you’re a dork like me, and don’t care if you make a fool of yourself golf and water skiing, for example.

But here in Ixtapa, it was the trapeze ~~instructors~~ that held the most interest for us. And I practically had to hold Matt down to get him to slip into a harness. In fact, he was running from the instructors grasp, that I had to volunteer to go first.

Which was a mixed blessing. While I want to be the kind, caring friend I’m known to be, I also am happy to let others go first when faced with any danger. But after the instructor on the ledge told me to lean and jump (with a gentle shove), and various cameras trained on me, I had no recourse but to take the leap.

After a little prodding by whatever-his-name was, Matt was ready to go, and in no time was shimmying up the ladder, about to take the leap himself.

After he took his own leap o’ faith, and a few swings back and forth, Matt was ready to dismount. And although I couldn’t see his face, I think he was pretty much head-over-heels in love with the trapeze ~~instructor~~.

But since this week was mostly about food and food blogging, I gotta tell you, I had the best fries ever in Ixtapa. Although I made the mistake of telling Jaden, as she delicately lifting a chosen few onto her plate, how good they were. She said, “Oh—really, David?” And she ended up emptying the rest of the batch onto her plate. So that’s a reminder that the next time, I shouldn’t be so effusive to anyone in a food line in front of me.

So I stood there, waiting for the next batch, and made sure there was a clear, unobstructed path between me and les frites. Freshly-fried, made from real potatoes, sprinkled with bright little flashes of salt that crunched between your teeth. (Obviously I should’ve gotten more practice during Dianne Jacob’s food writing session if that’s the best description I could come up with.)

But having been awake for the last 37 hours, and counting, (how else could one explain including a reference to one’s reproductive organs in a food blog post?) that’ll have to do for now. I could certainly go on and on about the freshly-griddled corn tortillas that I ate by the stackful with the most amazing salsas I’ve ever had.

So, let’s get right to dessert, as I need to get into a real bed, and try to get some sleep without a seatback crushing my lungs. When they kitchen informed me—*gasp!* that they’d run out of chocolate sprinkles, I almost wanted to revoke Club Med’s all-inclusive status: how anyone could consider it a vacation without including sprinkles is beyond me.

But just because you see two spoons in it, don’t think for uno momento that I was planning on sharing any. It was just for the photo, even though I did learn from food stylist Adam Pearson that even-numbers are interdit, so I was justified in not wanting to share and should have just taken one.

I don’t know how all those trapeze instructor shots keep getting in the post. Really. But I must really be in some serious need of rest now. Yes, there was a giant pot of dulce de leche, and yes, I could take as much as I wanted. And no, I didn’t fill my pockets. Which wouldn’t have been possible anyways, as they were full of sand.

In addition to eating well, the week was filled with inspiring seminars, a few even held in the sand. And after I threatened to go on strike (…which worked! I must be more French than I thought…) my wish came true and the sprinkles started flowing again. And as for the Mexican food, I do miss it already.

But after I landed, I limped over to the bakery and bought a still-warm baguette ancienne, that exuded the creamy scent of apricots, grainy wheat, and butter, even though it was unadorned. I managed to polish most of it off by this evening, all by myself. However I did save some for my petit dejeuner tomorrow morning, seeing as I won’t be waking up tomorrow to huevos rancheros. But I’ll deal.

The lack of an ocean just outside my window? Well, that’s going to be a different story…

Related Posts from Participants

Food Blogger Camp, Part 1 (David Lebovitz)

All I Got From Food Blogger Camp… (Steamy Kitchen)

Food Blogger Camp: Food Writing, Photography & Styling Tips (White on Rice Couple)

Food Photography, Getting a Cookbook Deal & Zihua Market (White on Rice Couple)

Food Blogger Camp at Club Med Ixtapa (Dianasaur Dishes)

Clicking the Mental Refresh Button in Ixtapa (Foodspiration)

Food Blogger Camp Part Uno (A Beach Home Companion)

Food Blogger Camp: My Top Ten (Matt Bites)

Food Blogger Camp Part Dos (A Beach Home Companion)

Food Blogger Camp Part Tres (A Beach Home Companion)