This is my 5,000th post for The Passionate Foodie!
5,000 articles? It almost seems impossible that I've written that much. And that number doesn't even include all the various articles I've written for a number of newspapers and magazines. If I truly weren't passionate about writing, and food & drink, then I never would have reached this summit.
I've been writing for 16 years, since 2005, and 14.5 years of that time with The Passionate Foodie blog. 5000 posts averages out to about 6 blog posts every week for the last 16 years. I'm amazed myself about my prolific writing longevity. I still find immense enjoyment in writing and continue to challenge myself, which is probably an important reason for why my blog has lasted for so many years.
Another key to my longevity and prolific nature is that I've never had a narrow focus on my blog, though there are definitely subjects which capture more of my attention than others. I especially love to champion the underdogs, those niche food & wine items which don't receive as much attention as they deserve. Sake, Sherry, Port, Greek wines, Croatian wines, Baijiu, and more.
Another key to my longevity and prolific nature is that I've never had a narrow focus on my blog, though there are definitely subjects which capture more of my attention than others. I especially love to champion the underdogs, those niche food & wine items which don't receive as much attention as they deserve. Sake, Sherry, Port, Greek wines, Croatian wines, Baijiu, and more.
I've had the freedom to write about any food or drink topic which grabs my insatiable curiosity. I love that diversity, the ability to expand my palate in so many directions. It has also allowed me to learn about so many different foods and drinks, restaurants and wineries, food markets and distilleries. As I don't limit my explorations, I'll never run out of ideas to write about.
Back in May 2007, my first two posts on The Passionate Foodie were Which Wines Should You Drink? and Choosing A Wine Store. Both articles still stand up well after all these years. However, I also know that my writing has improved over the years, and continues to do so. My blog has also evolved over the years, continuing to try to inject something new, to challenge myself and continue to make it appealing to my readers.
One of the most transformative of my articles was A History of Sake Brewing in the U.S., which was first posted in April 2015. I engaged in extensive research, especially in old newspaper archives, to complete this comprehensive history. I'm extremely proud of the results, and have revised and expanded this article over the years. This was my first major historical article and would lead the way for many more such articles over the years. It has become a major component of my blog, and one that will continue to be so for years to come.
One of the most transformative of my articles was A History of Sake Brewing in the U.S., which was first posted in April 2015. I engaged in extensive research, especially in old newspaper archives, to complete this comprehensive history. I'm extremely proud of the results, and have revised and expanded this article over the years. This was my first major historical article and would lead the way for many more such articles over the years. It has become a major component of my blog, and one that will continue to be so for years to come.
These historical articles have broken new ground, expanding the known history of numerous foods and drinks, as well as dispelling origin myths. For example, An Expanded History of Pechuga Mezcal extended the known documented history of Pechuga back to 1863, when previously the oldest known documents were only from the 1950s!
More recently, I'm also very proud of my lengthy series, The First Restaurants in Boston's Chinatown, which continues to grow over time. These extensive articles have opened a window into the fascinating history of Boston's Chinatown, showcasing many stories that have largely been forgotten. You won't find a more complete history of Chinatown and its restaurants anywhere else.
In addition, I've written histories of the first Chinese restaurants in other communities in New England. Plus, I've written numerous origin tales of various Chinese dishes, examining (and sometimes disputing) the claims of those who state they have invented certain dishes.
Because of my blog, I've been fortunate to have many fantastic experiences, including travel to some amazing wine destinations, such as places like Croatia, Portugal, Argentina, Spain, Italy and France. I've also met so many interesting people over these past 16 years, some who have become good friends. My blog has opened many doors and I'm so grateful for those opportunities.
I look forward to continuing my writing for many more years to come, to continuing to learn more about food and drink, to exploring all the world has to offer. Thank to everyone who has contributed in any way to all that I have done. There are far too many people for me to name them all individually. And there will be even more people who will assist me, in a myriad of ways, in the future.
Now, it's time to celebrate my achievement of 5,000 posts!
For my Readers: What's your Favorite Post from The Passionate Foodie?
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