I collect cookbooks. I love to cook (and eat); I also dig thumbing through the pages to marvel at the creativity shown by the chefs on the pages.

Peruse my shelves and you’ll see a well-worn copy of The Joy of Cooking, spiral-bound volumes churches and synagogues all over the country, and glossy tomes from celebrities. If I pulled a recipe from a book to make for every meal for the rest of my life, I wouldn’t even come close to making it through all of them.

A personal favorite is the Atlas Van Lines International Cookbook. Recipes published by a trucking company might not sounds delectable, but it’s delightful. Here’s Dick Clark’s mushroom soup recipe, there’s Abigail “Dear Abby” Van Buren’s pecan pie; and look, the chicken adobo recipe from the personal recipe box of former Philippines president and prime minister Ferdinand Marcos. All of the food is clearly made with a lot of love—and if something’s made with love, it tastes better.

One cookbook didn’t last long in my collection. The title bore the name and likeness of a celebrity trainer on a reality show I used to watch. Typically I check out the recipes before purchasing a cookbook, but not this time (pro tip: always check out the recipes first).

When I got home with my purchase, I flipped to the foreword. There, among myriad words touting the importance of a healthy and active lifestyle, was a shocking confession. The trainer admitted that she didn’t enjoy cooking—and what’s more, she also said she didn’t much fancy eating. Her lack of enthusiasm for food definitely showed in the recipes, which were positively yawn-inducing. Into the “donation” pile it went.

Much like the namesake journeys of our elementary school days, a field trip for a trade journalist is an opportunity to stretch your legs, go someplace new, and learn. When Kemin Industries, Des Moines, IA, extended an invitation to a select group of food industry reporters to visit its Bakery Innovation Center (BIC) at their headquarters, I happily accepted—in small part for a change of scenery, but mostly because in-person learning opportunities have been in short supply since the start of the pandemic.

During the visit, the other journalists (including my BNP Media colleague Prepared Foods Chief Editor Bob Garrison) and I used all five senses in our tour of the BIC, a 2,300-square-foot facility equipped with an analytical lab, pilot-scale production equipment, and other features. We got to see the BIC staff in action, hear them explain the various services they offer tortilla and baked-good customers, get our hands on corn tortillas as we mixed and baked them in preparation for testing, smell the aroma of the cooking disks, and taste the fruits of our labor. Then, we got to put fresh-made tortillas through a number of tests. According to Marketing Director Courtney Schwartz, Kemin customers are invited to visit the BIC and share in these experiences.

Since joining SF&WB, I’ve noticed the lack of appreciation for food that personal trainer possessed definitely isn’t shared with the snack and bakery professionals wechat with every day. Whether they’re producing better-for-you snack bars, indulgent doughnuts, or air-fried potato chips, their passion for food shows in the products they make. What’s more—and this makes my job easier—they love talking about food as much as they enjoy eating and making it.

At the end of every interview, I like to ask the subject what their favorite snack and bakery products are. The answers don’t always make it into the finished piece, but they always respond—with items from their company, as well as those put out by competitors. They aren’t just food makers—they are food fans. They love their work, and at SF&WB, we love writing about it.

If you’d like to talk to us about your work, we’d love to listen. Please reach out to me at spinnerj@bnpmedia.com and let’s talk. SF&WB