Some terrific reading on food and writing (and writing on writing) that came across our desk this week:
Why do cookbooks matter? Elise of Poor Man’s Gourmet answers this question with a lovely essay, saying “Cookbooks tell us who we are, what we’ve done, and how we’ve lived. We’d do well to remember that, to hang on to them like family bibles, and to pass them on to others who’ll cherish them.”
Michael Ruhlman and Dianne Jacobs discuss when a cookbook can be deemed ‘successful.’ Says Ruhlman, “I believe a cookbook is successful if it inspires someone to cook; if it advances our understanding of food or our skill in the kitchen. For the cookbook writer, it’s successful if convinces a publisher to give you money to do another one!”
Gretchen Rubin provides nine tips to break through your writer’s block and get writing. At the top of her list? Write every day, even if it is only for 15 minutes.
Take a peek inside Tony Maws’ home kitchen. When he and his wife first moved in to their condo, they looked for a kitchen that was, “open, because both of us knew we were going to be spending time in here, and we couldn’t afford a big glorious kitchen in this time of our lives.”
“Food is not static. What we eat is constantly evolving and changing.” What is ‘authentic’ international cooking? And does it really matter, asks the Atlantic?
Photo Credit: marazmova, Creative Commons 2.0
Touch a star-fruit to see what the skin is like, smell the clementine, listen to the talkers on the train, watch the sunrise again and again. Food writing is all about the senses and the more you hone yours, the stronger your work will be.–Monica Bhide
This is really interesting, Molly. I loved looking at Tony Maws’ kitchen and how he lives his kitchen life at home and seeing what was in his fridge. Can’t wait to see Gretchen Rubin’s tips next!