TL;DR

August 30, 2025 by
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Remember food blogs? You know, the ones that had charming stories that ultimately led to a recipe that you wanted to try? It seems that in our increasingly fast-paced world, reading a few paragraphs takes too much time. In the last few years much ado has been made about food blogs being a waste of time and that bloggers should skip the boring stuff and head straight to the recipe. Many bloggers have shifted to a different format such as a newsletter where they can cultivate subscribers in lieu of relying on search engines (Molly Wizenberg, formerly of Orangette, is one). Others are diversifying, adding podcasts or videos alongside blog posts (for example, Smitten Kitchen’s Deb Perelman has a podcast with J. Kenji Lopez-Alt).

While it is premature to publish an obituary for food blogs, it may be wise to start working on a draft. Reading in general has taken a hit, especially with younger people. Short-form videos and podcasts have displaced reading for a large segment of the population. College professors are reporting that incoming freshman find it difficult to do the required readings for courses. People turn to AI to provide summaries of online stories, and websites are adding key points or takeaways at the top of the page, even for short articles. The TL;DR crowd is being well served.

The reduction in long form food blogging does not correlate to a lack of interest in cooking and baking, however. Aspiring cooks are merely using different media to find what they need. One interesting note is that, at least for now, cookbooks seem to be a common denominator between those who love food blogs and those who prefer TikTok: both groups are buying cookbooks.

One of the key benefits of blogs is that they are (generally) free; bloggers receive revenue from sponsorships or ad placements. With those moneymaking avenues drying up, the shift to a subscription-based service like Substack or Buttondown makes financial sense, even if it does change the dynamic between reader and writer. The biggest obstacle to this model for both parties is that consumers are experiencing subscription fatigue. I can relate to that; I recently re-evaluated my monthly budget and was surprised to see how much I have been spending on subscriptions and Patreons. While I enjoy all of them, I am nearing (okay, at) the limit of what is a reasonable amount to spend on this form of entertainment. Looks like I need to start reading blogs again.

Category: Antipasto

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12 Comments

  • Fyretigger  on  August 31, 2025

    My frustration with blogs isn’t the writing of the authors, it’s the advertisements. And it’s not even really the advertisements, I understand the necessity of it. My biggest complaint is the dynamic layout of the pages, shifting as advertisements slowly load and suddenly make room for themselves, changing again when a different ad loads in its place. You’re reading along, and suddenly the line you were reading jumps somewhere else on the page. It’s a horrible experience and if it happens too much, I just leave.

  • lean1  on  August 31, 2025

    I will not pay for substack. I will either buy their books or not subscribe.

  • Indio32  on  August 31, 2025

    It’s hard not to see that the Internet is broken. Went to one of the internets first food bloggers website and it requires me to accept ‘cookies’ from what seems like 100’s & 100’s of advertisers yet most of the content is now firmly hidden behind a substack paywall. Yes, content creators should be paid but the current model is dystopia.
    Another vote for the books!

  • dmass  on  August 31, 2025

    It’s tough. I would like to support all the different podcasters, bloggers, and writers I listen to and read, but you are right, I just can’t afford the subscriptions. I’m a reader and my interests are varied, so I will continue to opt for books.

  • demomcook  on  August 31, 2025

    I’m happy to read, but the ad placement and intentional padding of the intro to allow for more ad placements makes it next to impossible to get through most blogs.

  • Rinshin  on  September 1, 2025

    No podcasts for me and although I follow one Substack when I remember it, youtube has a strong pull for me. I make more recipes from Japanese chefs on youtube along with other international food youtubers than blogs. I don’t trust tiktok. I would rate number of recipes made as book/youtube and second blogs/magazines.

  • KarenGlad  on  September 3, 2025

    I can’t afford an individual subscription to each and every food writer I’d like to follow. But I will buy their books, after I check them out here and on ckbk first. I don’t mind reading a blog but all the advertising is frustratingly annoying, and yes many are just too wordy. I do occasionally use the online recipe search here, but most of the time I use my hard copy books and ckbk.

  • MaryMM  on  September 4, 2025

    I just cancelled my last sub (Milk Street). Nothing wrong with it. I just got bored with the sameness. I think I have a lifetime supply of their recipes. I’ve gone back to buying cookbooks. About the only online site I still read is Serious Eats. I can’t put up with all the advertising. I also watch some food prep videos.

  • Therese  on  September 5, 2025

    @Rinshen could you share some You Tube suggestions ? YT is not one of my go to places ( i think it’s just an age thing) .
    Agree wholeheartedly with @Indio32 and others .
    The challenge is curating what works for oneself . Remember when all we yearned for was an easy way to search our own cookbooks? 😎

  • Therese  on  September 5, 2025

    @Rinshen could you share some You Tube suggestions ? YT is not one of my go to places ( i think it’s just an age thing) .
    Agree wholeheartedly with @Indio32 and others that the internet is broken.
    The challenge is curating what works for oneself . Remember when all we yearned for was an easy way to search our own cookbooks? 😎

  • MollyB  on  September 5, 2025

    As all of the cooking magazines–and related websites–that I liked have shut down, and as more food blogs stop or shift to platforms like Substack, I have put the money I used to put toward cooking magazines to selectively subscribe to Substacks. I still buy cookbooks and borrow from the library, but what I’m subscribing to are authors whose cookbooks I own and like and whose recipes are reliable. (I’m a big fan of Julia Turshen in all formats!) I’d rather pay for a subscription than suffer through annoying and intrusive ads.

  • ccav  on  September 10, 2025

    I too cannot afford to subscribe to all of the individual substacks, but do sign up for many of their free versions.
    One site I pay (a very nominal) annual fee for ad-free access is Heidi Swanson’s 101 Cookbooks. Always loved her recipes, writing and elegantly simple website. And I own all of her books. Physical books are still the winner, and I will never stop buying them!

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