Today we’d like to introduce you to Christina Koncker.
Hi Christina, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
The idea to create a food blog occurred to me in 2014 upon discovering an income report from a food blog that has since become a favorite of mine, Pinch of Yum. I was aware that there were food bloggers but was floored to learn you could make money doing it. At the time I was writing gig food articles for sites like eHow and CBS Minnesota. It was fun but I didn’t get to pick what I got to write about and my words were edited prior to publishing. I was sold on the idea of full editorial control, of having my own food blog where I could write whatever I wanted.
I learned everything I could about setting up a food blog. I wanted to give it a try because it combined my two loves – writing and cooking.
I’ve enjoyed writing for as long as I can recall. I remember my high school English teacher Mr. (Robert) Gust gushing about my writing in front of the class one day. It was embarrassing at the time but those compliments stuck with me. In college, many of my professors encouraged me to keep writing. As I entered the job market, I gravitated towards professions that were writing intensive, like technical writing and proposal writing.
I admittedly wasn’t into cooking that much until I reached my mid-to-late 20s. At that time in my life I had settled in Minneapolis and was exposed to all different kinds of cuisines. Certainly, more than I had grown up with in small-town northern Minnesota! I wanted to learn how to cook the various dishes I was eating in restaurants, so I started learning and getting creative in the kitchen.
As a native Minnesotan, there’s a lot to love about the regional Midwestern cuisine – hot dishes, cream cheese-based appetizers, and bars! It’s all about comfort food. I am equally passionate about Mexican and Tex-Mex food – I adore the bold flavors of dishes like barbacoa and al pastor and prepare tacos for dinner weekly. My food blog (Midwexican) is dedicated to Midwestern and Mexican and Tex-Mex food, featuring dishes that are often fusions of the two.
There’s a lot that goes into food blogging, but writing, cooking, and recipe creation are my primary motivators. I do get satisfaction from taking a good-looking food photo, but I still consider myself a novice and am completely self-taught.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
No! There have been plenty of challenges (and opportunities!), but that’s what keeps food blogging interesting. There’s always something new to learn and improve upon – from learning about search engine optimization to improving photography skills to trying out new cooking techniques. And of course, there are things that are out of my control, like how the next Google update will impact my website’s traffic.
Despite all of the challenges that have popped up, the hardest part for me was just getting started. I’m almost ashamed to admit that I had my food blog (domain name and hosting) set up and active for 2 years before I ever published a blog post! I was so afraid that my content wasn’t going to be good enough.
That fear prevented me from hitting the Publish button. My advice? Begin, the rest is easy!
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am a part-time food blogger and try to publish weekly. My food niche focuses on Midwestern and Mexican and Tex-Mex foods, featuring dishes that are often a fusion of the two. My recipes are approachable and easy to execute, often containing just a few ingredients. You’ll find recipes for comfort foods (like Creamy Taco Soup), tacos (like Chorizo Street Tacos), and all kinds of condiments (like Pickle de Gallo and Honey Chipotle Sauce).
Having grown up with limited access to many ingredients, I try to be mindful of those who might not have physical access to exotic ingredients or ingredients they might only use a handful of times. And most importantly, the recipes I post are dishes I actually prepare at home. One of the best pieces of advice I’ve ever heard on writing is “write what you know.” I apply that sentiment to cooking as well, sharing recipes that I cook and serve at home.
What does success mean to you?
I would love to be a full-time food blogger and support myself with the revenue Midwexican generates.
I’m not there yet, but I still consider myself successful because I get to do what I love. I get to hit the Publish button and instantly share my recipes, which are all created, written, and photographed by me. Regardless of whether or not I’m ever able to make food blogging a full-time career, the fact that I published my first post in 2017 and am still doing it today equals success in my mind.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.midwexican.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/midwexican/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/midwexican
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/midwexican
- Other: https://www.pinterest.com/midwexican/
