Week 11: Just One Cookbook

A blog that I found rather motivational and inspirational in my own life is Just One Cookbook. This blog posts Japanese recipes, tips for cooking and travelling to Japan, as well as some other personal experiences and knowledge that Nami (the author) wishes to impart. It looks more like a website (and I suppose that it's developed in to more of one too), but it started as and still mostly runs like a blog. I chose this blog because I use this website a lot, and well, who doesn't like a good bowl of ramen?

This blog/website hybrid has inspired me to explore more in the kitchen and to be more conscious of cultural traditions. I recently switched my major to Creative Writing from Japanese Language and Culture, and my previous program required me to study abroad, so I wanted to read up on how I should carry myself in Japan and some of the different foods I could eat there as well as what's in them so I don't have any surprises.

I believe that the blog is influential because the author banks on her credibility. Nami is someone who grew up in Japan, but came to live in the United States. So she is credible because she has a first-hand experience, and would be considered an authority on the subject. She also uses the tactic of consistency. Nami posts both easy and difficult recipes for her readers to follow, and encourages them to try out her recipes. Those who have successfully completed easier recipes are more apt to try out the more difficult ones. She also, in a sense, uses the method of consensus. She has her posts open to comments and interacts with readers on social media, particularly those who have made a recipe and posted about it. So one could read the comments and feel as though many others of the community are participating in creating the foods she presents, so they may want to as well.

While this blog particularly caters tho those who are interested in Japan and Japanese cuisine, I think the blog could be for anyone and everyone. There may be home chefs that want to broaden their palette and cook new things, or who may be taking a trip to Japan for the hell of it, and would want to know more about what it's like in a country that speaks minimal English. I think Just One Cookbook could be influential across many demographics.