Cookbook author Justine Doiron is utilizing her @justine_snacks account to explore culinary inquiries through a project called NYQ, or New York Questions [1, 2].
The project highlights the intersection of digital food creation and real-world urban exploration. By documenting her search for culinary answers, Doiron bridges the gap between curated social media content and the tangible food landscapes of New York City.
Doiron focuses her efforts on identifying a specific culinary spectrum. Curbed described the project as an attempt to determine where the creator falls on a scale of Sweetgreen to the Greenmarket [1]. This comparison contrasts the standardized, corporate nature of fast-casual dining with the artisanal, raw environment of local farmers markets.
The project serves as a vehicle for Doiron to refine her approach to food. "I'm trying to figure out how to make my snacks more interesting," Doiron said [2].
Through the @justine_snacks account, Doiron engages with the diverse food offerings available in the city. The NYQ project treats the city as a laboratory for food discovery, moving beyond simple recipes to ask broader questions about how ingredients and environments influence the eating experience [1].
By framing her exploration as a series of questions, Doiron invites her audience into the process of discovery. This method transforms the act of snacking into a structured investigation of New York City's food culture [1, 2].
“"I'm trying to figure out how to make my snacks more interesting,"”
The NYQ project reflects a broader trend in the creator economy where influencers move from providing definitive answers or recipes to documenting a process of inquiry. By leveraging the specific geography of New York City, Doiron is shifting the value of her brand from 'expert' to 'explorer,' which encourages higher audience engagement through shared curiosity.
