Frequently Asked Questions

Who designed your site?
I did. I coded the site and designed it from scratch. I designed it mostly because the designs that I was finding online weren’t very appealing, and because CSS and PHP are pretty handy to learn, especially if you like making changes to your blog as much as I do.

Can I use something from your site or from your Flickr page?
Simply- no. All of the content (including photos, the design, text, etc.) on this site and my photos on Flickr are protected by copyright. This means you may not copy or “borrow” anything from my site without my written permission. If you are found using any of my material(s), let’s just say that we’re not going to be as cool as we are now!

I am from a Magazine/Newspaper/News Station/Radio Station/Website, would you mind if we featured you or your site in our upcoming article/broadcast?
I’d be honored! A simple email sending me details, etc. would be much appreciated.

Will you try our product out and tell us what you think?
Honestly, it depends. You’re welcome to e-mail me about it and I will try to send you a response as soon as I can.

I am from a PR Company / I want you to review our products. Can I email you?
Please feel free to email me, but please keep in mind that if you do not receive a reply within 72 hours of your email, please take this as a kind decline.

Why don’t you advertise on your site? Are you interested in advertising with us?
I currently do not advertise on my site because I have not yet found a network that I feel fits well for the site, but please feel free to contact me if you feel that your ads are relevant and will fit well on the site (sorry- no text ads!).

Will you answer my e-mail / comment? If so, when?
Yes. You should receive a reply within 72-hours (max) of your email. If your email can easily be answered by a current post or one of the answers on this page, please note that you may not receive a reply. If I do reply to an email that is asking for help on a certain topic, a short “thank you” would be much appreciated (it’s only courteous!)

Who takes the photos on The Sophisticated Gourmet?
I take all of the photos on this site (and they are copyrighted), unless stated in the post.

What kind of camera do you use?
I am currently using a Nikon D70s dSLR camera and a 50mm f/1.8 lens.

Up until April 2010, all photos on this site were shot using a Canon PowerShot A550 point-and-shoot camera.

Kamran, you’re photography is awesome. Do you have a post that can help me better my photography?
Thanks so much! I am only an amateur… I obviously am not the best “photographer”, but I do have a post on my amateur thoughts on food photography (using a point-and-shoot camera) here.

I have a blog / website. Can you link to it? Would you like to exchange links? Can you check out my site?
I do not accept requests to exchange links / to check out sites for any reason.

Can you mention me on your site or on twitter?
Unless I feel the need to mention you or your blog on my site for a reason pertinent to a topic at hand, I will not mention your site if you asked me to.

Can I link to your food blog?
Yes! Please do. I would be honored.

Would you mind if I sent you an e-mail about a few grammatical mistakes that I saw on the site?
I wouldn’t mind at all. Please don’t be rude about it, though. I try not to make grammatical mistakes, but I am only human, so if you do find a few grammatical mistakes, misspelled, or misused words, an e-mail or a comment in that post would be nice. If you decide to email me, please sign your name at the end of the e-mail and be sure to include your blog link (if you have one) just so I know who to address.

Why didn’t you confirm my friend request on Facebook?
Honestly, I am rarely on Facebook and if I see that I have a request from someone random, or someone who I do not talk to regularly, I leave it pending. But if you’d like, you can become a fan of the blog on Facebook, here.

How do you find a happy balance in life when you fit 48-hour tasks in a 24-hour day? Do you have super powers?
Honestly, it’s all about time management and knowing when to get work done. If I didn’t manage my time well, I would not be food blogging at the moment. Instead, I would probably be finishing some last-minute thing due tomorrow morning. And the only super powers I have are the support of my wonderful family, friends, and fellow foodies who keep encouraging me to do what I love doing best!

Why the heck did you delete my comment?
If there is any case that I delete anyone’s comment it is if someone is being inappropriate, spamming, or it is an anonymous comment. This is not a site for people to use vulgar language on. I created this site to solely share my love for food, and for people to share their opinions. I did not create this site for people to be foul-mouthed or to be mean. I also feel that if someone is going to leave a comment, they should leave their name, so I can a) properly address them and b) they should support the comment that they made without being… what’s the word? Cowardly. Remember, I reserve the right to delete any comments I feel are inappropriate for myself and my readers. Please read my Site Rules to learn more…