In my alternate life on Twitter, I came across some mini-tempest over a food blogger recruiting recipe testers for no fee, ingredient costs to be absorbed by honored cook. This is worse than pennies as the new dollars. And no amount of visibility can compensate for it. As some wag Tweeted: “Getting ‘published’ online is like getting a ‘blow job’ from your hand.”

And on a related topic, I can’t describe how depressed I am on learning that MFK wannabes are taking these big-name food-writing classes and coming out not knowing the most basic, basic skill. To put it succinctly: If you aren’t fast with a pen and notebook, use a goddamn tape recorder.