I was interviewed byJoanne Sweeney Burke on Wednesday for her digital media podcast.
One of the questions Joanne asked me was how do i promote my business and Sonder through social media.
I explained that i make short videos for snap chat and facebook ,”check” in to Sonder or wherever I’m purchasing ingredients and generally post photos and recipes on the food that I create and serve.
After the interview I was thinking about all the food that is promoted on TV , social media , snap chat , Instagram, etc.
by Martin Anderson
When you think about it taking pictures of your dinner when you are out has become a very trendy thing to do, so much so now that many restaurants prohibit the use of camera phones at the table!
“Why?” you may ask. They discovered that there was an increase in complaints from diners that their food was cold and that it wasn’t like what they had seen on a friends social media account.
Now let’s be realistic for a second. Their friends were probably using a filter when they took the photo and how would you expect the food to be exactly the same as in the photo.
Fast food restaurants are notorious for using false items of food for their pictures, many burgers are positioned to the front of the bap and layers of freshly sliced ,sprayed with wax vegetables are secured with hidden cocktail sticks so that they don’t fall over, that lovely fresh cream poured over the apple pie is probably white paint to ensure the correct consistency , smoke machines blow smoke over soup to give that steamy effect.
If you search you tube you will find a clip of a guy in japan that specialises in plastic foods for deli counter displays , i have to admit his food is very realistic and in fairness it does work .
Snap Chat is a wonderful app (add me @cheftothestars if you wish!) I have posted many recipes there but they only last for 24hrs thats the only problem and everyday I give a daily update of what we are serving for lunch and of course we have many special offers on there too.
What I want to know is when are they going to invent an app that allows you to smell the food!
Can you imagine the aromas that would come out of your phone? It’s a long way off I would say yet but food for thought as they say.
Have you ever been disappointed by the food that you received after looking at the wonderful photo on the menu board?
I know I have. I love to see the food in real life before I choose it. I hate standing staring at a neon sign trying to figure out which deal is the best , what will I go for, would you like to supersize for an extra €1 , no thanks but i would like the food to taste as good as it looks on that flippen picture you have.
When I was a young boy one of my families treats when in Dublin was to visit Micky D’s you know the one I’m on about on O’Connell street.
You could pull up outside, run in get the Big meal and head out to Glasnevin cemetery car park and sit and eat it.
The burgers were real , the fries were plentyful the coke wasn’t that watered syrup stuff and the apple pie would burn the lips clean off you it was that hot.
I remember it would take both hands to hold the burger, so tasty and filling , I love the pickles and special sauce that came with it.
These days there is more packaging wrapped around the food than there is food. I know it’s all about the money but when you are prepared to spend nearly €8.00 on a meal deal it should be good.
I usually eat in Sonder before i head home. Salad and a bit of left over carvey or as the girls will tell you I’m partial to a nice wee bit of roasted goats cheese and one of Cafe Banba’s pecan slices – so tasty.
On a Saturday night though I usually go for a sneaky takeaway , at the moment I’m very partial to a local pizza place Pats Too.
I have to admit being able to see the pizza slices in front of of you is such a great idea , they are always busy which shows that the food is good. They are helpful and service is speedy it reminds me of a new york style pizzeria, great pizza base and there toppings are plentiful and reasonably priced , hard to beat.
Give them a shout sometime if your about and looking for a real tasty treat.
check out my face book page to to follow whats going on in Sonder.
www.facebook.com/SONDER2016
I’m also taking part in The Taste of Donegal Food Festival this Sunday if you are about Donegal town , the festival is on all weekend and it’s always a great day or even couple of days out , check out their website for details.
http://www.atasteofdonegal.com/
Anyway this weeks recipe is not for pizza but for a breakfast Granola , everyone will be back to school shortly and this is a great start to the day, much better than the shop bought options and a lot tastier too .
You can serve this with low fat yogurt , fresh berries or just on its own with ice cold milk , enjoy.
Granola.
You will need.
2 tablespoons of clear Honey
2 table spoons of brown sugar or coconut sugar.
50 g of Butter
300g of porridge Oats, jumbo if you can get them.
Sultanas or dried fruits of your choice
100g of Flaked almonds
50 g of dried Coconut
Seeds & nuts of your choice.
2 tsp of chai seeds.
Method.
Pre heat your oven to 170c
In roasting tray mix the coconut , oats, nuts & seeds.
Gently toast until golden in colour, shake the tray during the cooking process to avoid burning, this also gives an even colour.
While they are cooking, melt the honey, butter & sugar in a pot or microwave until all the sugar is dissolved.
Remove the dry mix from the oven and stir in the wet mix & fruits, you may wish to transfer all the ingredients to a large bowl to do this remember it’s very hot.
When the are all mixed return them to the roasting tray.
Bake again for 20 minutes, remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.
When cooled simple break up again with your hands.
serve in bowls or you can fill jam jars with layers of yogurt , berries and finish with the granola as shown below .
