This site launched more than a decade ago, and now it has a brand new style!
It’s here — welcome to the new, refreshed Food Fanatic.
It’s been more than a decade since this site launched. Since then, we’ve published thousands of recipes, cooking tips, how-to guides, news articles, and more, all aimed to serve home cooks and food fanatics like you. In that daily churn of editing, cooking, researching photographing, testing, interviewing, and writing, there hasn’t been as much space for a larger overhaul.
Until now.
As you can see, Food Fanatic looks considerably different. Gone is the light green — we’re rocking a cleaner logo and a bolder blue now. We’ve reworked the site navigation with you in mind, making it easier to find what you’re looking for or get inspired. The site is easier to read, lightning-fast, and more intuitive. And we’ve kept all your favorite features, from recipe ratings to popular content and beyond.
As the new editor of Food Fanatic (more on that in a minute), I can take credit for very little of this transformation or the years of loving, steady-handed leadership that brought us to this point. The lion’s share of the lifting fell to my predecessors, namely Food Fanatic’s founding editor, Amber Bracegirdle, and most recent captain, Cyd Converse. It’s also thanks to my technically-minded colleagues who planned this transformation over the last several years and those who carried it out over the last few weeks.
Like me, you may be new to Food Fanatic. Welcome! The changes we’ve made are all aimed at making the site more useful to you, and to keep you coming back. Because frankly, it’s readers like you who keep this site going. You’re the proverbial wind beneath our wings. Much as we love food and writing about it, if nobody reads it, this thing we’re doing withers on the vine. So please accept our heartfelt thanks, even if it’s your first time here.
Okay, so who is this “we” I’m speaking of, and who’s your faceless narrator anyway?
I’m Eric Ginsburg, and I’ve been a journalist for more than a dozen years. For the majority of that time, I’ve focused almost exclusively on food. I’ve done a little bit of everything, contributing to magazines like Bon Appétit, judging the James Beard Awards, and even co-founding a newspaper. But the truth is, I never planned to be a food writer.
It just kinda happened.
Ten years ago, an editor of mine assigned me to the food beat. I’d be writing a weekly column about food in the three cities this newspaper covered, and I felt deeply inadequate. I’d never worked in a restaurant before, and my summer behind the counter at a smoothie shop wasn’t the training I needed to describe food. Hell, I was 26 and couldn’t cook much of anything at all. Shouldn’t I be writing about something else?
Plenty has changed in the intervening decade. But I keep that memory close as I run Food Fanatic, because I want us to be a resource for skilled kitchen vets and green newcomers alike. There’s no shame or judgment here — if you love food and want to understand it better, you’ve come to the right place.
Trying new things, even in the comfort of your own kitchen, can be intimidating. I still don’t really think of myself as a baker, for example, and while I’ll eagerly try new dishes I’ve never heard of at a restaurant, I’m not automatically inclined to pursue the most challenging home recipe for the same sake of exploration. I’m guessing there’s something about food that makes you feel similarly, be it a cooking technique like parboiling, an involved recipe for tamales or croissants, hosting a dinner party for the first time, a flavor or ingredient you haven’t experienced before, using a kitchen tool for the first time, or even reheating leftovers properly and safely.
We’re here to take the stress out of the equation.
Be sure to check out our deep trove of how-to guides, frequently asked questions, and recipes organized by categories. As you do, you’ll notice that almost none of what you’re reading is written by me.
Because, like I mentioned, Food Fanatic has been around for quite some time. And even now, I couldn’t go it alone.
In addition to a well of recipes and other contributions from dozens and dozens of food bloggers, recipe developers, and writers, I’m also indebted to Nicole Austin. She’s our primary contributor these days, answering your most burning questions, sharing her expertise, and offering recipes and cooking tips. Based in Maine, this mother of six is a self-published author of more than one novel. Though this isn’t her day job, Nicole is still one of the most reliable writers I’ve worked with in 13 years in this industry and across four different editor jobs.
Which is to say Nicole is fantastic, and we’re lucky to have her.
Food Fanatic also benefits from the enthusiastic support of Tyler Johnson, our associate editor, who works across several sites in the Mediavine family, and our talented and wise Editorial Director Tammy Kennon.
Why should you care about any of this? Because if you think about this site like a fulfilling meal, it’s this team’s work that makes up the key ingredients of the recipe. And it’s worth knowing where your food comes from, especially the fact that this is a small, independent site run by real people who genuinely enjoy what they’re doing.
We hope that comes across as you explore the refreshed Food Fanatic. We’re here to inform and serve you, while offering kindling to your food fanaticism and enjoying ourselves in the process. The kitchen is the heart of your home, and we’re grateful to play a role in helping you get the most out of it.
Learn more about us.