My Citizens…the unmatched and magnificent members of TFD Nation – attend and pay heed, for the Count of Continuity, the Blessed One who alone is TFD! – wishes to share some thoughts with you on the glorious 5 year anniversary of The Food Dictator blog!
It was on this day, after waking up in Texas while visiting my in-laws for the holiday, that it occurred to me to start a blog. Not just any blog, but one that would detail the enormous diversity of world recipes while including an historical background of each country and the recipe I shared. Not just any recipe, but only those that reflected true authenticity, true flavors and true history – all without compromise!
It was that ironclad rule of adamantine exactitude that gave me the idea to name the blog ‘The Food Dictator’ and to write my Manifesto – little did I know 5 years ago how this would explode into one of the world’s most visited food blogs with more than 50,000+ followers by our 5th anniversary!
For perspective – As of January 2019 there were over 1.94 billion websites on the Internet.
The struggle was great, in the beginning – before I found my true ‘voice’ as TFD, , before I realized how much money, time and effort it would take to make this blog a success. On our 5th anniversary, all of these obstacles have been identified and (hopefully) overcome!
All that said, I wouldn’t change a thing – this is my hobby, my passion and my destiny and I am honored to have all of you present and accounted for as we undertake culinary revolution of the highest order!
So what does 2020 hold for the future of TFD? I’m glad you asked!
I have been steadily updating the blog with new features, including an amazing new commenting system, as well as many changes on the back-end of the server to make it blazingly fast and optimized for your reading pleasure.
In 2020, I intend to publish more of the so-called ‘classic’ recipes that I have studiously avoided in the past so as to share lesser-known recipes from around the world. You’ll still see all of these rare recipes being posted as the majority, but you will also see more classics than in the past – French, Italian and more!
These recipes of yore deserve a place of honor at your table, and many are sadly a rarity in homes and restaurants alike. You will see these having a showcased place of honor in 2020! Of course, you will still see a majority of unique recipe posts from around the world as is my custom and norm, so never fear on that front!
I will also be sharing recipes from chefs and authors now sadly almost forgotten – people like the amazing NY Times writer Craig Claiborne, who was the writer who first got me interested in fine cuisine! I’ll also be digging deeper into my 300+ cookbook collection to share recipes that are long out of print for the sole benefit of TFD Nation. The same will be true as I excavate into my 40+ year old collection of clipped recipes from newspapers and magazines that are not online at all and deserve to be exposed to a new generation!
As a 2020 New Year’s Resolution, my hope is that I will be able to find a publisher to help create the TFD cookbook, as it is my longstanding dream to write one (or several)! I have been a devoted paid supporter and user of Wikipedia since the beginning of TFD, as it is truly one of the great projects in human history. Should my cookbook come to pass, I plan to donate a substantial portion of its revenue back to Wikipedia, and perhaps I can even make them an ‘official’ co-author!
A very important change you will also see in 2020 is one that I want you to fully understand and appreciate before it goes live – TFD will soon have a few ads sprinkled throughout the site as well as a few sponsored posts.
Nothing obtrusive, and nothing that isn’t food-related – any recipe that is a sponsored post will be clearly labeled as such and will still be my own. For example, I am in discussions with one of the most acclaimed grass-fed beef producers to sponsor some posts, and I’m very excited to see where this leads. There will be contests to win prime beef (always a great meal!) and my recipes that are sponsored by them will be amongst my best!
As to advertising – I have resisted monetizing the blog for 5 years, but the time has come to offset the several hundred dollars a month it costs me to host, advertise and market the blog that I have absorbed for 60 long months and after having researched, written and posted more than 1,000 recipes.
I humbly and respectfully ask that you consider viewing these ads and not blocking them – they will be food-related, infrequent and quite probably of strong interest to you. I am exquisitely sensitive to obnoxious advertising and assure you this will be done with a light touch and extreme care in placement.
If you prefer not to see ads, you could of course block them – but that would prevent me from receiving any revenue and surely you want your Leader to make an honest living! As an alternative, I am seriously considering creating a paid plan for those who want to take their support of TFD to the next level!
Want to become a ‘Citizen Prime’ like me? Want to have a badge that shows TFD Nation you are one step above? What about zero advertising, exclusive recipes just for paid members, exclusive prizes and contests and so much more! Is that worth $3 per month to you? If so, please comment and let me know, as this could be a great solution for many Citizens who want to show ongoing support to the blog and TFD Himself!
TFD has been my passion project for 5 years – it continues to grow (incredibly fast!) and while the blog may evolve, its core mission will NEVER change!
You are all the living heart and soul of TFD Nation and I am beyond honored to be your guide through the amazing collection of world recipes posted here and still to come! This anniversary milestone is one that I truly thought would never happen and I am humbled in how you have all made this possible.
Thank you for being part of my life and my world – and ALL GLORY TO TFD NATION, now and in the years to come! Happy anniversary and let’s move forward as one to bring the unstoppable revolution of recipe revelations to its inevitable victory!
Battle on, my Citizens – YOUR Generalissimo
salutations and congratulations on the 5 year anniversary of your excellent and engaging food blog! i just discovered the supremely stringent culinary musings of the generalissimo a few months back, and have been happily mining the recipes since. long may you lead the battle for preservation of the global food heritage and all things delicious! hail the food dictator!
You honor me – THANK YOU SO MUCH, Citizen!!! 😀
Greetings, Your Gustatory Excellency!
Today I had the great honor of whitelisting your most sublime site. Hopefully, my fellow subjects will follow suit without delay.
Humble wishes for a world-conquering 2020 from your faithful servant in Houston, Texas!
Citizen Zion, you are truly the most loyal of Citizens and We are honored to have you amongst us! 🙂