Why’d you call it potlikkery?
Originally it was potlikker. I liked how potlikker sounded. A little dirty. A little nostalgic. A little messy. It's spelled pot likker, two words. And before I knew exactly what pot likker was, my memories of licking the pot or bowl of cake batter surfaced, so there I was. The potlikker domain was taken, hence potlikkery. I don't love it, but it's easier to add a y than to come up with something else completely.
Can we exchange links?
No, thanks. I once had a blogroll focusing on southern food outlets, bloggers, etc. but I saw little evidence that it helped my readers, so I abandoned that practice. I may revisit that policy.
Why are there no ads on your blog?
I don't like their aesthetic. There's a certain look to blogs that host ads. You've seen it; the photos, text, and ads overwhelm the eye. In the end, those blogs with all the ads flock to the same template, and thus are too cookiecutter and lack distinction. At heart I'm a purist. I blog because I love doing it, for free. While "leveraging" my blog into some higher profile existence might be nice, it's not something I foresee as an immediate concern.
What products do you review?
Primarily books: Cookbooks, food memoirs, food history. I like universal topics, but am drawn to southern and appalachian themes as I'm well-grounded in those cultures. If I don't love a book or find value in its ideas, don't expect a positive review. I am fair and usually err on the side of kindness or reference my particular biases so that readers take that into account in making their own decisions. I try to live by my mother's advice of "Say something nice or say nothing at all."
It's possible I've raved about a product or featured equipment in the past because I liked it, own it,or found that it solved a problem in my kitchen. I'm not opposed to reviewing products for cash, but discounts don't do it for me. Make me an offer, and I'll consider it.
May I hire you?
Perhaps. I'm open to freelance writing, promotional opportunities, and product reviews, as stated above. I'd also love to have my circa 1960 kitchen completely renovated as it's current state of dishable prevents me from fully expressing my culinary imagination.
What camera do you use?
A Canon 5D. I like fixed lenses like the 85, 50, and 35.
I’m going to be in the Tri-Cities, TN/VA can you recommend someplace to eat?
For special occasions I recommend:
Troutdale Bristol, TN
Cafe Pacific Johnson City, TN (asian fusion)
For authentic flavors visit:
Bodega 105 Johnson City, TN (cuban)
El Charolais Johnson City, TN (mexican, order from the other menu)
Ridgewood Barbecue Bluff City, TN (bbq)
Taste Budz Johnson City, TN (soul food, open lunch only)
For lunch visit:
Main Street Cafe Jonesborough, TN
Mellow Mushroom Johnson City, TN (pizza)
Miss Melanie's Tea Room Johnson City, TN
Places I eat regularly not already mentioned:
Cafe Lola Johnson City, TN (bistro)
The Chop House Kingsport, TN
Cootie Brown's Johnson City, TN (cajun + variety)
Riverfront Kingsport, TN (seafood)
Yong Asian House Gray, TN
There are no vegetarian, no locavore restaurants in the Tri-Cities. Truly eating healthy away from home presents difficulties.
I appreciate multiple levels of cooking and sophistication in dishes. The lack of culinary variety in the Tri-Cities, TN/VA makes listmaking of this sort dicey and in need of clarification. Write me and I'll express specifics.
We have chains. When I recommend a chain, it's because it's above average. We have a few so-called gourmet restaurants, but I don't recommend them for several reasons:
- They claim to be gourmet but serve packaged, not fresh ingredients, such as avocado; or they substitute sushi grades because they think their clients are stupid enough not to know the difference;
- The service is indifferent and /or condescending;
- The food, while "upscale" or trendy in this immediate region bores the discriminating.
