USA Network just created a blog in support of its Character Approved Awards celebrating the people, places and things that are making a mark by positively influencing our cultural landscape—and I’m writing weekly food pieces for it!
It’s getting harder to avoid me. A couple of weeks ago, I mentioned that I was 1/55th of the new eBook 55 Knives. Well, as of this past Monday, I’m 1/10th of the writing staff for an exciting new blog. It’s in soft launch mode right now; they’re expecting an official launch this summer.
Cable channel USA Network has just launched the USA Character Approved Blog. Every day, you’ll find stories of people and places and things having a positive influence on the way we live now. To create these stories, they’ve assembled a team of 10 writers to “discuss the ideas and trends impacting the cultural landscape around us.” The areas the blog covers include architecture, art, design, fashion, film/TV, food, music, social good/giving, technology/new media and writing. I’ll be writing about food—well, and on occasion, drink.
Don’t expect to find the typical headline makers covered on USA’s blog. You’re much more likely to find personal stories about individuals and small organizations quietly making a difference in their communities. But often, they’re part of something larger, of fundamental changes happening all around us.
Food is a perfect example of that. The biggest trends in food these days are happening on the smallest scale—farmers markets, locavore restaurants, food trucks, home gardening and even raising chickens and bees in the city. As we all become more aware of the food we eat, where it comes from and its impact on our health and the planet, small is suddenly huge.
The three stories I currently have on the USA blog illustrate this well, I think. Chicago restaurant Uncommon Ground takes locavorism to extremes with an organic farm on their rooftop that supplies some of their produce and serves as an educational resource for the community. California vintner Randall Grahm downsized his thriving business from 450,000 cases a year to about 30,000 cases—to concentrate on producing fewer, but superior wines intimately connected to place, to the soil. And chef Rob Levitt respects the animals whose meat he so perfectly prepares. He locally sources his ingredients from small farms where the animals are humanely raised and wastes nothing in his nose-to-tail cooking. He shares that respect with customers, with well-attended pig butchering classes.
I’ll be posting a new story every week. No set day—the blog plans to mix it up to keep content fresh. So check in daily for stories on art, film, technology and more. Bookmark the USA Character Approved Blog. You can also click on this graphic in my left sidebar. It will take you to the food section of the blog (self-serving, I know), but you can get to all the other stuff from there.
In addition to this blog, USA Network honors characters through the Character Approved Awards. These awards pay tribute to the real characters who are changing the face of American culture. You’ll find a list of the 2010 honorees here.
Exciting news! Congrats. I don’t post much, but I’ve been following your blog ever since you posted that rotisserie chicken sandwich with apricot preserves. Or before. I can’t remember now, but that’s one delicious sandwich.
Might have to venture over to USA next Monday.
Oh, excellent! So happy for you; wonderful looking site. Will explore.
FABulous, Terry! Great articles. I’m happy to follow you there. I must say, you are even more handsome than I imagined. {{Grin}}
Congratulations!!
Going over to have a peek right now.
So proud of you, Terry. What a fun new blog. Congratulations and best of luck! And btw Dani…although he will protest with vigor, Terry’s even better-looking in person. And even harder to believe, his food is too!
Thanks, Sam! I’m really happy that my Chicken, Goat Cheese & Apricot Jam Sandwich is what won you over. I want one right now! As it turns out, my posts won’t always appear on Mondays—USA is going to mix it up. But I will have a new post each week.
Altadenahiker—I know! Totally legit looking, right?
Awww, thanks, Dani. So much for the anonymity of blogging.
Thanks, Randi!
I can see right through you, Ronnie Ann. You just want to get invited over for my bistro steaks!
Oh my gosh, that is excellent Terry. You so deserve this. I am very excited to read your articles there also. You are a true inspiration and proof that hard work, stick-to-it-ness & great writing pay off. Congratulations!
wow, that is wonderful news! I hope they can include your wonderful recipes at some point?
I love the whole sustainable food/restaurant movement. Good for you about writing about this important cultural shift.
Awww, thanks, Melissa! I’m excited to see where you’re going with blogging, my friend. I also mean that literally as well as figuratively—you’ve been giving Marion and me some great ideas for new places to eat here in Chicago.
Thanks, Kitty! Actually, I’m happy to have another forum to write about what’s going on in food. I love cooking and posting recipes, but we’re living in an exciting time foodwise, and there are so many cool stories out there to be told.
I love your take on a simple strip steak. This is something I can make inside without a grill. Thanks for the Idea.
And it’s really an honor to have Bikeloc be a part of this. Thanks, Terry! Keep up the good work.