Making food less abstract.

Tanya Steel: The web plays a really interesting role in the world of food.  It educates.  It inspires.  It entertains.  I think what I love most about it for Epicurious is that it creates a community.  It’s this vast global network of people who love food and who talk to each other all the time.  And it’s kind of like the warmest, most hospitable place to be, because you know that you’re all talking about something that’s wonderful, and loving, and generous, and good, and you all have your hearts and stomachs in the right place.  And I think that’s probably the greatest thing about food online.  One other thing is that the accessibility of it is so fantastic you can be in a supermarket and see salmon on sale, and plug into your cell phone – Epicurious has something called Epi to Go – and find hundreds and hundreds of salmon recipes right then and there and say, “Okay.  I’m gonna get that salmon, I’m gonna get the dill, and I’m done.  Here’s dinner.”  And so that’s another thing about online food web sites, is that the accessibility is just tremendous.  It’s just . . . it’s instantaneous.

Recorded on: 1/17/08