Everything It Takes To Write a Blog Post

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Ever wondered about everything it takes to write a blog post? I thought it was high time that I shared some details about what happens behind the scenes on What's Gaby Cooking.

Everything It Takes To Write a Blog Post from www.whatsgabycooking.com (@whatsgabycookin)

Here's the rundown...

Concept - I come up with an idea. It might be from something that I had at a restaurant, something that sparked my imagination from the farmers market, or something that I had at a friends house or on my travels. Bottom line, somehow I get inspired to create a new recipe and into the kitchen I go!

Testing - usually the first time I cook something I just wing it. After going to culinary school and developing recipes for a living for the past 7+ years (I think there are just over 1800 on WGC at this moment!), I just want to get creative and see how things pan out. If I love it, that's when the real work starts. Every recipe on What's Gaby Cooking is tested at MINIMUM 4 times before it goes up on the blog. It can take days or weeks to perfect a recipe. It gets tested in at least 2 kitchens and a minimum of 4 times like I said. There is a LOT of food at all times in my life 🙂

Everything It Takes To Write a Blog Post from www.whatsgabycooking.com (@whatsgabycookin)

Photoshoot Prep - once I have a handful of recipes ready to roll, I compile them up in a neat and tidy google drive and send them over to Adam + Matt. (without them WGC wouldn't be nearly as pretty as it is today)!  Adam is food stylist extraordinaire / genius and Matt the most incredible photographer of all times. They are also 2 of my very best friends so to say we have fun in the studio would be an understatement.

Everything It Takes To Write a Blog Post from www.whatsgabycooking.com (@whatsgabycookin)

Everything It Takes To Write a Blog Post from www.whatsgabycooking.com (@whatsgabycookin)

Adam pulls all the recipes together and makes a master shopping list. Either Adam, or someone on his team, will do a major grocery shop the day before the shoot and go buy all the things! That includes things that aren't necessarily in the recipe but might make a great side dish or garnish. For example if we're doing a dip, he'll also get a variety of chips that we can use for the shoot. Matt, on the other hand, gets all the recipes at the same time and starts crafting some ideas for art direction and photography pre-shoot.

Everything It Takes To Write a Blog Post from www.whatsgabycooking.com (@whatsgabycookin)

Shoot Day - we all make our way down to Matt & Adam's photo studio (or whatever if we're shooting on location we'll go to wherever that is) around 8am on whatever day we've reserved for What's Gaby Cooking. Typically we shoot every 2-3 weeks! It's a crew that includes Matt, his assistant, Adam, his 3 kitchen assistants, and me and sometimes a prop stylist!!

Everything It Takes To Write a Blog Post from www.whatsgabycooking.com (@whatsgabycookin)

Everything It Takes To Write a Blog Post from www.whatsgabycooking.com (@whatsgabycookin)

I roll down with a kombucha and off we go. Adam and his team prep, cook and style each and every recipe. If we need to make any last minute adjustments to the recipes we'll discuss right before we shoot. For example, sometimes we think we need more herbs as a garnish etc.

Everything It Takes To Write a Blog Post from www.whatsgabycooking.com (@whatsgabycookin)

Matt and his team put together sets, pull all the props and shoot all the recipes and make everything gorgeous. Matt, unlike a lot of photographers is incredibly hands on, but hates getting his $50,000 Phase One camera dirty so there are a LOT of gloves on rotation 🙂

Everything It Takes To Write a Blog Post from www.whatsgabycooking.com (@whatsgabycookin)

Everything is a team effort and the three of us are in constant discussion all day about styling, shooting, angles, props etc. The three of us have worked together a LOT the past few years on both What's Gaby Cooking editorial and advertising campaigns and by this point we're a well oiled machine!

We always make sure to have chocolate covered espresso beans on hand, great music, plenty of tea and a little gossip 🙂

Blog life wasn't always like this. I used to shoot / style / edit and develop on my own. But as I started to ramp up content and get into video and live broadcasts, I needed help! So that's when all my BFF's came into the WGC picture.

Everything It Takes To Write a Blog Post from www.whatsgabycooking.com (@whatsgabycookin)

8ish hours later we wrap and have more food than we know what to do with! Photos are done, files are saved and the food gets divvied up between everyone on set and we all take it home!

Post-Shoot - after we wrap for the day, Matt edits all the images and then they get delivered to yours truly. We usually shoot 2-3 images per post so he has upwards of 30-40+ images to edit. I bank them all in a folder and whip out my editorial calendar. I put every recipe in the queue on a little post it and put it up on the calendar. We usually shoot a few weeks out but we're also able to move things around as needed. If a really timely recipe pops into my mind, I can move things around to accommodate. If a partnership comes up with a brand last minute, we can move things around as needed... you get the idea! But I'm a planner, so having a loose idea of what is going up when is very helpful. ESPECIALLY for months like November when the entire blog is Thanksgiving focused and I want to make sure we cover every aspect of that meal!

Writing - now that all the recipes are perfected and photos are done the next step is writing! I write each blog post usually the day before it goes up on the blog. Some posts have a little story to go along with the recipe and others have comments on whatever is going on that day/week so I don't like to get too far ahead of myself!

Ready to Roll - once the blog post is ready, it gets scheduled for the following morning and then it's time to get that beautiful recipe out into the world! It's goes on the blog, all my social channels and then into YOUR kitchens (which is my most favorite part!)! Sometimes I'll do an Insta Live or Snapisode and share the recipe via video too! And then it's back into the kitchen to do it all over again 🙂

So there you have it!! Everything that happens so I can deliver recipes to you on a daily basis! And that just is the blog! I'll save the rest of WGC for another day, creative development for brands, sponsorship work, travel + travel related research, obsessed research, speaking gigs, video production, meal planning, spokesperson work, hosting gigs, product development, cookbook testing, plus some secret projects... the works.

Questions - shout them out below in the comments! And THANK YOU for bringing these WGC recipes into your kitchen! It's seriously the best part of my job.

31 Comments

  1. I call myself a home “cooker”. Our main entertainment is dinner parties. Needless to say, all that has changed since last March. I adore trying new things. I am a reader. Reading cookbooks is my favorite of all. I troll the internet constantly. I am a faithful stalker of your website and recommend it constantly to friends. You are such a joy!!!! Thank you, thank you, thank you!! Jane

  2. Thank you for sharing this . It seems like a lot of work goes into it and never imagined what all goes into it .
    For someone who is just starting out and want to share recipes .. what advice can u give? Is it better to start by writing blogs or more Instagram story ?

  3. Oh my goodness! Being a huge foodie, boutique caterer and just now starting to think about getting a blog of my own, I am now so excited and completely terrified as I read how much you put into your recipes and photos. Well, that is why I always come back to your website because I am never disappointed in any recipe that I get from you and the beautiful presentation that I have recreated just looking at your photo's! Keep on doing what you do Gaby.

  4. This was great to read, loved all the behind the scene info and pics! Like Giovanna asked, could you tell us more about what it was like before all the help? How were you able to get such a great following? Thanks!!

  5. Love this post!! Thank you for sharing everything that goes on behind the scenes to create your amazing posts! Could you share what it was like before you started working with your team, when you were doing everything solo? Thanks!

  6. Wow! Thanks for taking us behind the scenes! So much dedicated work goes into what you do - and you can tell - the end product is amazing! I love following you and enjoying your great recipes!

  7. Such a great post, Gaby!! It's so cool of you to break it down and show us! I don't know, I think you guys are having way too much fun! Haha! xO

  8. Wow! This is a fantastic behind the scenes showing how much work goes into every post. Makes me love them even more knowing all the thought and hard work that goes into each one.

  9. Wow! You put so much work into these posts, I had no idea it was such a process! Sounds like you have a great team! Thanks for sharing all of your amazing recipes with us!

  10. Wow, Gaby, there sure is a great deal of thought and work that goes into the entire process! Thanks so much for sharing! I do wonder about one thing: does the advertising cover the cost of such a production?

  11. This was so insightful to read and makes me appreciate so much more all the effort that goes into your delicious recipes. Just curious what you do with all of the food when you are recipe testing? Do you donate it somewhere?

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