Camera Eats First by: Two Market Girls

Saying the thing that no one wants to hear: there's no guaranteed growth strategy on social media. It's different for every creator, every platform, and every audience. Let's talk about some things that might help and some that might hinder.

There seems to be a trend in vegan marketing that's getting more common- cringe. After Oatly made a song, Sol Cuisine decided to make a song about cauliflower. Then THIS in the UK said hold my beer and made an ad about tricking vegans into thinking they're eating meat. What's going on?!

Sol Cuisine Song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAyZPS5noaQ

Oatly Song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_HQU0MB0D5A

Oatly patches: https://www.instagram.com/p/CZhWXjnoOv2/

Oatly apology?: https://www.instagram.com/p/CZtNuNTsc6j/

THIS Uk ad: https://www.instagram.com/p/CaRxhjHq7G9/

Some of our favourite cooking advice comes from Julia Child- butter and fearlessness in the kitchen are key! We watch the movie Julie & Julia to learn about the history of Julia Child and the lessons she passed on to Julie Powell many years later.

We watched Simon Amstell's mockumentary Carnage so you don't have to. We'll tell you the good parts, so you don't have to sit through the triggering and graphic parts.

Vegnuary is all about going vegan for the month of January, but what happens after that? Instead of going all in for 31 days, we're proposing a more sustainable approach to going vegan that's all about making small, long-term changes that aren't overwhelming or intimidating.

Vegan recipe creators to follow:

The Viet Vegan: https://thevietvegan.com/

Okonomi Kitchen: https://okonomikitchen.com/

Ally Lazare: https://allylazare.com/

Nora Cooks: https://www.noracooks.com/

Hot for Food: https://www.hotforfoodblog.com/

The Korean Vegan: https://thekoreanvegan.com/

We're wrapping up the year with our favourite recipes, videos, podcasts, and things that brought us joy. We'll be back in January for another year of food, cooking, and fun!

We're reviewing the heartbreaking movie Okja and what it says about the farming industry, consumerism, and people's perceptions of animals.

From DIY meal kits, to artisanal chocolates and many treats in between, we're going through our lists of gift ideas for all the foodies in your life and sharing some small businesses to help support along the way.

Businesses/Brands mentioned:

VdeV

Ye11ow Studio

Wabanaki Maple Syrup

Framebridge

Hedley and Bennett

Club Backdrops

Grounds and Hounds

Indie Coffee Roasters

Lake and Oak Tea Co.

ChocoSol Traders

Vaka Craft Chocolate

Watercolours by Carly

Natura Soy Candles

Which came first, the marketing or the product? The answer might not be as clear cut as you'd expect. Marketing is in just about everything, especially our food, but it doesn't have to be feared by consumers... most of the time.

As we considered common perceptions people have about vegans, we ended up examining our choices as vegans and what they mean for being imperfect vegans who hang out in the 'grey' area. 

In honour of spooky season, we're reviewing Larry Cohen's The Stuff. What did we learn? The scariest thing we should all fear is...consumerism! 

A few months ago, we made the first changes to our YouTube content and schedule since we started our channel five years ago. We're taking some time to talk about how those changes are going and what adjustments might be still to come.

This is not a riddle, these days it's a genuine question. As influencers continue to rise in popularity and impact, the reasons why they're treated differently than "traditional" Hollywood celebrities, become less convincing.

We're taking everyone's favourite flavours from Thanksgiving and remixing them in some fun new ways. Would you try a Thanksgiving brunch?

We're reviewing the film Chocolat and even though it leaves you wanting so much chocolate, it's actually the strong female characters that make it one of our favourite food themed movies.

Time for some in-depth daydreaming as we plan out the concept for our own vegan food truck.

We ask our non-vegan families what vegan meals or foods are their favourites to help us determine what options make good starting points for people who are looking to add some vegan meals into their life.

Lab grown meat might be paraded as the answer to the planet's future, but is it really? We discuss how the growth of lab grown meats could impact vegans, non-vegans, and the environment. 

We're watching the movie Big Night and discussing the friction that can happen when business decisions clash with the art and expression of the food being cooked by the chef in a restaurant.

Diving into the dessert discourse and if that’s not already a thing, we’re making it a thing. We’re ranking all the types of desserts from best to worst and rethinking our relationships with ice cream and chocolate.

Do you think pineapple belongs on pizza? If you had to give up either bagels or donuts, which would you choose? This episode is a buffet of food questions and debates. Kat is reminded of a food she’s loved but been missing too long, and Dev’s veganism is challenged.

Guy Fieri's recently announced $80 million Food Network deal got us thinking about the machine that this cable food channel has become. We consider their history, how they got where they are today with their various shows, and what they should consider for the future. 

Of all the appliances and gadgets that can be found in a kitchen, which ones could you not live without? We're sharing our favourites, our dream appliances, and the ones we just don't need.

It's part two of our Salt Fat Acid Heat review, where we learn about how to master the use acid and heat in our cooking. Samin Nosrat leaves us with her joyful philosophy around home cooking and how sharing this experience with others is what makes food so special.

Taking a look back at the beginnings of food TV and how it has progressed over the years. You'd be surprised how much from the early days still shines through in the times of social media and food entertainment.

Learn more about the history:

https://gastropod.com/tv-dinners/

Even though we're very fortunate to have lots of vegan and accidentally vegan foods available, there are still some that we're dreaming of. Warning this episode may make you hungry or very nostalgic.

Did you know Ritz crackers are vegan? We're listing some of our favourite accidentally vegan foods, aka our favourite treasures to come across in the grocery store. Disclaimer: we are only referencing Canadian/Ontario products, so make sure to double check the labels wherever you are shopping.

After seeing some potentially harmful takes on a new TikTok food trend, we got talking about all the ways social media and the amount of information about food and eating habits is out there. It's not always bad, but there's not doubt we are constantly seeing it and knowingly or unknowingly being influenced by it.

Content warning: diet culture, weight discussions