I have done some curation work and feedback sessions for some of the communities I have been in and it's a hard thing to do. It is a matter of being able to objectively provide feedback and give positive critique to individuals so that they can improve and become a better Steemian.

In this quest, we were asked to do an in-depth analysis of a post of one of nine people listed that writes about Travel, Food, and Homesteading which are the topics for the week. I am doing a Travel piece for my other post and so I made a choice to do Food post analysis. Besides I am a foodie so it's a good way for me to be able to provide feedback.

I have gone across the work of @Gringalicious before and Alvin (@howtostartablog) work is very familiar to me as when I started out I was joining his #dailyfoodphotography series and in fact won a couple of times. Winning made me feel more confident in the things that I share which eventually I wrote about my Charity Organization, @giftinkindph

Alvin was also the first person to nominate me for an OCD vote because of that and I am very grateful to him discovering that. So whenever we have new members I always ask them to join his #dailyfoodphotography.

So there was an unfamiliar name on the list and I picked to analyze her.

Who is @thegalavantgirl?

Before we analyze the chosen post let us analyze the author herself first. It's a habit I have from doing background checks for Human Resources.

Elise McMullen-Ciotti is a writer, editor, foodie, and enjoyer of life from Manhattan. She has her own website http://www.thegalavantgirl.com/ which she created while being in a travel writing assignment in Italy in 2010.

She joined Steemit last September 2017 and have made 9 posts. Like her non-Steemit blog, she writes about recipes, photography, her journey and inspirations.

She answered in one of her comments the meaning of her handle.

TheGalavantGirl means "a woman who travels about exploring things."

I was curious about her phrase *"Can a cranberry teach us about patience?" After some searching and more reading of recipes I found it in this article “Patience,” says the cranberry. It is such a great piece about bidding your time and having the clarity and focuses to realize your goals at the right time.

I love this line from her father.

I was thinking that this process has been a lot like your cranberry compote. You just needed to give it the time it needs, boil everything down, so that it would all come into focus for you.”
-Elise's father

Analysis of the Post

Okay on to the analysis! I have chosen her most recent post as my article today.

TheGalavantGirl's Food Is Now...Wait for It...a NYC Tourist Attraction?

Here she talks about hosting brunch for two Italian guys who wanted a memorable experience in New York City while they are on their honeymoon.

In her post, she talks why she chose Brunch as a very American experience for her Italian guests. She even mentions a great episode of Bob's Burger Brunchsquatch which I remember watching! I love Bob's Burger.

When people say a Manhattan Brunch I think of Eggs Benedict, Avocado Toast, and endless Mimosas.This has spawned various memes especially regarding the price of brunch!

Based on the post she served them pancakes with fruit compote (she absolutely loves her fruit compotes!) and French Toast with Orange and Vanilla. I love making French Toast for breakfast on Sundays. I add a dash of cinnamon on my version.

Formatting and Images

As expected of an experienced blogger her formatting and spacing are very clean. Images are uniformly sized. She chose a great thumbnail image of the French Toast brightly colored and accented with wooden forks, a checkered red and white tablecloth that says Americana and contrasted by with green table napkin. I also liked the orange rind flower decoration as well as the orchid she placed in her presentation. It really make the colors pop out.

The image just shows that each element was added to enhance the visual impact of the dish which is very important for food blogs.

Images used added dimension to the post and helped break up the text at the right intervals.

Tone and Content

She is able to convey a warm and vibrant tone to her post. You feel the passion she has for creating and serving food not just to feed but to make an enjoyable memory.

She adds tidbits of the planning and what needs to be done to make it official. Each scene is infused with her character, giving us a glimpse of who she is.

I think that's what makes her a successful food blogger. The warmth and passion she shares with each dish she prepares it and she shares personal insights and anecdotes about herself that just makes us care more about her.

We see these in the likes of Rachael Ray, Ina Garten, and Nigella Lawson. Each episode has their character and stories why they enjoy that dish and who they shared it. Those little details make them endearing.

Ending

Like all of her other posts, she ends with a recipe. It is very detailed and provides clear instructions. The manner that she explains the cooking process is very simple and does not use a lot of technical cooking terms.

She is a master at presentation and her own branding. She knows how to capture the attention with the right image. Once you are pulled in she keeps you interested with the tidbits and anecdotes she sprinkles the post.

Midway you are already enchanted with her and she further makes you like her by showing you more about her life and her series about Brunch with a New Yorker that you want to read her next guest.

If I was to add anything it could be a time-lapse video of her making the French toast like those short Tasty videos that you see on Facebook. It is only optional but she is very good at what she does and I am now a follower of hers.

One key takeaway that I got reading all of her is how to present recipe posts that will make people care and read it. I have seen so many people write what they had for lunch and how they prepared. Just a rundown of ingredients and the process. No character, no insight that would charm us.

A lot of the people that write about food can definitely learn a thing or two when they read her posts. In fact, I am taking the lessons and will share it with my community.

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I would like to thank both @anomadsoul and @guyfawkes4-20 for this great quest. It will be hard as it takes you to unknown experiences, it will open your eyes and make you reach in deep and overcome the hesitations that you have and just go for it.

I am ready for the next quest.

I support @steemfreelancers