Here's another good Iconowatch microtrend. I told C this reminds me of how I feel about her...and I imagine I'm not the only one!!
OBSERVATION
Scared cookless: Foodiephobia takes shape
WHAT'S HAPPENING
•In a recent blog post for TheAtlantic.com, Lesley Freeman Riva wrote about a phenomenon she calls Foodiephobia: When Friends Fear Feeding You (5.26.10).
•Freeman Riva describes how she happily entertains (and cooks for) friends at her house, but then she began to notice that people rarely reciprocate. Finally, some of them started to admit things like, "Oh, I'd be too nervous to cook for you."
•Because people think of her as a talented and breezy cook, they're hesitant to open themselves up to possible judgment.
WHAT THIS MEANS TO BUSINESS
•As foodies proliferate but some consumers stay behind in the skill and interest department, watch for heightened sensitivity in the home-entertaining space.
•Many consumers lack (but seek) the tools to keep up with the foodies, and they want any attempts to appear effortless.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Post from Iconowatch...So very true
FROM OUR EDITORS
THE DAILY BEAST
By Charlotte Beal, Lead Editor
I love food, but I hate my lifestage when it comes to food. I have a job, a picky preschooler, a Bjorn-saddled infant and a husband who doesn’t get home from work until late evening. The dinner ritual pretty much consists of me doctoring something in a mad dash, only to find a kid who refuses to eat and a baby who refuses to let me eat. Delicious, freshly prepared, leisurely meals? Maybe in about 18 years.
We’ve been talking to bigger circles of moms recently, and they all echo similar challenges. Some choice quotes, often said with a sigh: “I love to cook, but at this point in my life I’m lucky to throw stuff together. If you can call that cooking.” “Dinnertime is my least favorite part of the day.” “My only hope is to make a few big pots of soup over the weekend to eat throughout the week.” The moms vent to each other, but they also share strategies and recipes — anything to make them feel less alone and stumped.
For many parents, especially foodies, planning the meals and doing the shopping feels a bit like torture. We want to be creative, but there’s no time. We want to cook wholesomely, but not everyone will eat it. We want to cook conveniently, but many time-saving products are unhealthy and expensive.
Food makers and retailers, we’ll strike a deal with you: Offer the holy grail of easy, tasty, nutritious and cheap meals. And we’ll hold out for adjectives like “transcendent” and “peaceful” until the kids go to college.
THE DAILY BEAST
By Charlotte Beal, Lead Editor
I love food, but I hate my lifestage when it comes to food. I have a job, a picky preschooler, a Bjorn-saddled infant and a husband who doesn’t get home from work until late evening. The dinner ritual pretty much consists of me doctoring something in a mad dash, only to find a kid who refuses to eat and a baby who refuses to let me eat. Delicious, freshly prepared, leisurely meals? Maybe in about 18 years.
We’ve been talking to bigger circles of moms recently, and they all echo similar challenges. Some choice quotes, often said with a sigh: “I love to cook, but at this point in my life I’m lucky to throw stuff together. If you can call that cooking.” “Dinnertime is my least favorite part of the day.” “My only hope is to make a few big pots of soup over the weekend to eat throughout the week.” The moms vent to each other, but they also share strategies and recipes — anything to make them feel less alone and stumped.
For many parents, especially foodies, planning the meals and doing the shopping feels a bit like torture. We want to be creative, but there’s no time. We want to cook wholesomely, but not everyone will eat it. We want to cook conveniently, but many time-saving products are unhealthy and expensive.
Food makers and retailers, we’ll strike a deal with you: Offer the holy grail of easy, tasty, nutritious and cheap meals. And we’ll hold out for adjectives like “transcendent” and “peaceful” until the kids go to college.
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