Some of the wonderful sponsors of the LongHouse Food Writers Revival in Rensselaerville, NY on September 15 are giving gifts to people who ask great questions. We’re on to giveaway number two, and we’ve got a baker’s combination made in heaven! The smell of freshly baked cookies and decadent cakes will be filling your kitchen in no time!
Today, Ultragrain Flour by Conagra and Kitchen Aid team up to bring you their specially milled flour, recipes, a bowl scraper and a Kitchen Aid stand mixer.
Ultragrain® is the revolutionary, all-natural 100% whole wheat flour that combines the nutritional benefits of whole grains with the taste, texture and appearance of white flour. Made from specially selected white wheat and milled to the finest particle size in the industry, this best-of-both worlds ingredient makes it easy to turn everyday white-flour-based products into great-tasting and nutritious whole grain foods.
A timeless classic has just been elegantly elevated. Introducing the KitchenAid® Pro Line® 7-Quart Bowl-Lift Stand Mixer. Enjoy professional style results masterfully blended with distinctive counter style. It’s our most powerful, largest capacity, best-performing mixer ever.
For a chance to win these fabulous prizes, answer the following the comments below:
Why is food writing important?
(Please note products can only be shipped within the United States. Submissions accepted through Sunday, September 16. Winner selected and contacted within one week of submission deadline. Winner will be contacted via email.)
UPDATED: We have a winner!
Congratulations to Jennifer Pellette with the winning submission! We agree, writing about food is all about a great story!
Jennifer’s response:
Writing about food is combining two things that people love, a great story and food. Food can tell a story all on its own, when you get a big bowl of rich steaming pasta with thick hearty red sauce with a bit of parm sprinkled over the top, basil,garlic and oragano scents wafting out to greet you…You think of family, comfort, home. If you have a soft home baked amarosa roll, dripping with cheese, steak , carmalized onions and peppers you may think of a good time while eating a Philly cheesesteak, hanging with friends and family.
Food plays a huge part in our lives. We can recreate those thoughts and memories by the words we use and how we describe the foods we eat. A fruit is juicy, a cake is moist. You also want to know what you are getting into. You wouldn’t want to dive into a bowl of noodles. What is that? Noodles and what? does it have anything else? Or what if you just seen some thing that said “cake”? hmmmm How about Decant black forest cake, with layers of creamy chocolate mousse and sweet cherry filling all topped with light whipped cream and dark chocolate shavings…It is also about information. I love food, lets talk about it all day:)
Thank you to everyone who participated in this LongHouse Giveaway. Look out for more great giveaways in the future!
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
Writing about food is extremely important as it is the very history of the art of cooking. Each article, no matter the subject, is another strong link in the chain that binds each cook to the generations past and future.
I enjoy reading critics, chefs, recipes — the very language draws me in. There is always a point in which I find that subtle link that binds me to my grandmothers… or gently pushes me forward to my daughter’s forays into the kitchen.
We can’t lose it — we must be vigilant — we must always take our sip of wine, our crust of bread, and put pen to paper to tell the world what we’ve found.
Terri P
pr4gatheringroses AT gmail DOT com
In a world where much of the prevalent media centers on chaos, food writing provides solace much like a home cooked meal after a hectic day (or week–we’re busy folks!). The world is always changing, but we always have to eat. It’s so comforting to read about food. Food writing also promotes a more positive way of looking at the world; meals shared means more than money made.
Food writing is important because it allows most of us the opportunity to learn about and feel or experience a dish or ingredient in ways that are not normally available to most people. It is a way to better educate ourselves, and to expand our horizons together.
Writing about food is important because it makes gourmet food more accessible. I have expanded my culinary skills significantly through my obsession with food blogs. I would have never had the opportunity to do that if people weren’t writing about food.
Food writing is very important in this culture of rush. It inspires one to stop and to enjoy creating a culinary dish for one’s family. Partaking of a meal as a family/community, is one of the simplest, yet greatest joys, in learning simplicity.
Food writing is important because it keeps us informed.
Food writting is important because food connects people and it is an integral part of every culture. It is documenting and celebrating that link.
Food is our first step to good health. Too much of what we just “grab and go” is packed with things people don’t even realize are in there. Food writing gives people the chance to learn about what is going into their bodies. When we are knowledgeable we can make small steps and easy choices to help us feel better and live happier, healthier lives!
Writing about food, be it in cookbook form or review form is extremely important because it expands cooking throughout the world. Others who read about cooking and food can experience the tastes of other cultures around the world.
Not quite the writer I was a few years ago, but love to take recipes and turn them into my own. They can also give me ideas to go on and create something totally new, Would be over the moon to win the KitchenAid. Also, would love to know where I get get the Ultragrain flour. I had a coupon for it last year and was never able to find it in my area (Saint Petersburg, FL). I have a grandson who can’t have enriched flour and I believe this is one he can have. Thank you for the opportunity.
Food writing is important because it is sharing knowledge, experience, and passion. And what could be better than that?
Food writing It’s important because it’s how we pass on great traditions. Food brings people together and there is nothing like getting the recipe just right and passing it on to someone else. Then having that person relive beautiful memories with their loved ones.
Food writing is important because it also keeps people informed and builds confidence when a new comer is giving it a try.
Food writing is important because it’s about remembering and learning about real food. Not everyone has to opportunity to learn about foods outside of their comfort zone, and food writing provides folks with that opportunity to open up their eyes and taste buds to foods otherwise unknown.
Food writing..no matter if it’s a blog or website or even emails among friends…these bring friends and families together. No matter who you are you have memories of wonderful meals with families and friends…sharing with others, recepies and memories is how we continue to make these memories!
Food writing is important to me because it is an escape from the realities and chaos in life. I love reading recipes and getting new ideas and techniques to use in the kitchen! And I love being exposed to new and exciting ingredients!
Writing about food is important because there are so many things going on in the world. We can find out some wonderful altermatives for tired old recipes and have more options for for a healthier meals. We could also find altermatives when there are food shortages due to weather catrasophies and poor growing seasons.
Food writing is important because it fills a variety of needs from different people. Some people cook for a living; some just for families; and others cook for one person. I think everyone has a desire to learn about food even if they don’t actually cook a lot.
Food writing is important because we all have to eat and it is important to reconnect as a family everyday. We can all share a meal as we share our day. Reading nutrition facts as well as new recipes helps us to vary the meals we share.
I believe food writing is important because it evokes a sense of passion. Passion for food, for information, for taste and learning. Cookbooks are the most important pieces of food writing, to me, since I love to learn new techniques, flavor profiles and cuisines. Earning a degree in Baking & Pastry Arts from The Culinary Institute of America has also made me appreciate the ‘family recipes’ that I come across, even though some of them aren’t from my specific family. Recreating someone’s family recipe brings you closer to how things used to be. Simpler times when the easiest prepared dinners were the most well received. Food writing also broadens my culinary horizons.
When I read the news and all that stuff its nice to hear something I WANT to hear at the end of the day. It’s a nice little relief to sit down and read about what I love!
I think in the day and age we are in, food writing has never been more important. People are so busy anymore that it’s much easier to stop by some fast food chain and grab a meal. People have actually began to think that this is “real” food. They have no idea what a home cooked meal is, or how to go about preparing one, or what it should taste like. There has never been a better time to enjoy cooking. You now have access to a variety of ingredients and unlimited kitchen gadgets to use, that our generations before us could have only dreamed of. I have a passion for cooking and believe it’s important to keep sharing the ever growing knowledge of this dying art!
Food writing is a way to teach others about the art of food. Not every one is able to travel but through food writing we are able to learn about differ foods and cultures.
I think that food writing is important in a culture where people are increasingly disconnected from the sources and processes involved in getting food to their tables. Yes, there is a significant “foodie” culture, but there are so many more in our society who are mostly unaware of how their food is made and why it is even important to know such things.
Food writing is important because food is important (understatement), and when we stop thinking about something as integral as the fuel we use to keep ourselves alive, we surrender a fundamental ability to protect ourselves and our health.
Food writing is important because more people can learn about different foods from cultures they may not be exposed to and ways to prepare foods that you read about and may want to try for yourself.
Food writing is so important because it gives us ideas on what to eat, how to prepare it and what to stay away from.
To read the written word about food is such a comfort. It takes me to my kitchen, which is the center of our family. It inspires me to try new things and in turn opens up a new world for my family. With life so busy we never to to the places that we want to go, but with food we get a little piece of that region and are able to explore new things.
My grandmother and my mother are no longer living but the aroma of their kitchens live on in my kitchen. I have many old cookbooks of theirs that were handed down, and papers with recipes scratched on them and of course ingredients splattered all over, which I cherish. My family has always been spoiled with a good home cooked meal, and I do remember going to my great grandmothers house, and the kids and women ate after the men! My mother always said, “when I have kids, they will eat first” and we always have. I cook big meals for my family from scratch, my husband doesn’t like stuff that comes out of boxes. I’m to blame for that. There is nothing any better than having all your family over with your counters full of home cooked food, and everyone can’t wait to eat.
“Food Writing” for me is an instructional guide to products and recipes that I would otherwise never have the opportunity to see or try. It is also an escape for me as I love to read food articles , recipes and magazines. It relieves the stress of the hectic days and at the same time, inspires me to try new things.
Food is our history. Where we can from, resources available to our ancestors, traditions passed down thru generations, that is our history. The days of recipes just being passed along in individual kitchen’s is sadly at a downturn. So without the written recipes being shared among those who care where would we be? Many of us would be in our kitchen’s trying to reinvent the wheel so to speak when a fabulous wheel with sparkling icing had already been invented. It is also a way to share another culture and open our minds not just our mouths to someone else’s history. To raise our children with an awareness of other’s by giving them something that is easily remembered. Was I raised eating homemade traditional Italian pasta? No but due to written recipes passed along and shared with the world my children will grow up eating it. Food is a way to explore the world without leaving your home and to travel back in time with just one bite. A special thank you to all of those who have shared the gifts let to them by others.
Food writing is vital for a representation of cultures; as food is a major aspect of family life, everyday society, and health. The various regions of the world represent their culture through food. It is a way of expression of individuality as well as a symbol of nourishment and warmth. Food gives way for the social element, family life, and heritage to be become a concrete symbol of one’s heritage. Writing about food is vital in carrying on traditions, recipes, preparation techniques, and customs.
In this digital age, I think food writing is even more important than ever. It is all about education. Living in a small rural area, everyone’s diet and menu are the same. I love that with the help of some great blogs and websites I have been able to change my family’s eating habits and learn about the importance of eating better, healthier, cleaner. Without access to food writing, I would never have been able to do that. Now that I am a mother and have a food allergic child, food writing has become a savior to me in keeping my son safe. I can find recipes, learn about food substitutes and share with other food allergic parents that I know.
Food writing is important because it serves to remind the reader that the ready-made model of feeding ourselves and our families is quite recent. It’s easy to forget that, not too long ago, microwave cooking was not the norm, that people spent a significant amount of time preparing the meals. Food writing also shares alternate methods of prep and cooking, giving the reader an insight to how others live and work, just by how they deal (or dealt) with day-to-day cooking. And food writing is fun to do (and read), for the entertaining mistakes that get recorded (“Don’t be surprised with [this] happens – it’s supposed to!” or “But if you put in [too much/not enough] of [that], you’ll be pulling a lump of carbonized rock from the oven.”). Food writing is important because everyone eats, and it’s interesting to see what others come up with.
Sadly, we live in a culture now days where the art of cooking, baking, nutrition, and a myriad of other things related to food has been mosty lost. Just a few generations ago, everything you learned about food was passed down from your mom, who learned it from her mom, who learned it from her mom…etc. Now, we live in a culture where we don’t want to take the time to do much, which includes cooking (and teaching), so we grab a meal that comes from a box and takes 8 minutes “from the box to the plate!” or that’s passes to us in a bag through a window, without even having to get out of the car and walk inside! Don’t get me wrong…I have a GREAT mom. But she’s a great mom who doesn’t cook, and therefore didn’t teach me much about cooking. Her mom had 6 kids and my mom fell right in the middle. The cooking was taught to the older daughters, but not to my mom.
I’m now a new wife, and a soon to be mother (5 weeks to go!). I love to bake, but I’m not a fan of cooking
Without food writing, I would be even more clueless than I already am! From reading cookbooks, blogs, and articles I feel like I’ve already learned so much, but I know there’s still so much for me to learn!
For the sake of our health and our budget, I want to develop a passion and a knowledge for cooking and nutrition. I also want to be able to pass this information on to my children so they don’t grow up to be clueless in te kitchen like me!
Food if such an integral part of our lives, our cultures and our histories. It tells the story of where we’ve been and where we are going, and sharing that story helps to preserve that tale. And writing about it can open someone’s eyes to something they have been missing!
Writing about food is important because it gives an extra perspective!
In today’s fast, technology and socual media driven society, many of us rely on those wjo write about their food experiences and trends. With out these blogs and magazines, many of us would never know about some of these foods. Some of us would miss out on that new eatery that just opened because it just gets lost in the mix. Food writing puts us in the authors place. We can virtually taste what they eat and visualize their surrounding. With out food writing, we wouldn’t learn and what kind of world that be?!
Food writting is important since it encourages those who are new to cooking to dive in and give cooking a try. It helps those who are experienced cooks to keep trying new recipes and enjoy cookbooks, food magazines and aricles. It encourages everyone to try new foods and techineques they haven’t tried yet. It makes your mouth water and pulls you into the kitchen to cook and feed your family with love. It gives us the history of foods, where our foods come from and helps us learn about our heritage as tied to food.
Good food writing transports you to a calm, comforting place where you are reminded to dine and not just eat.
WHY IS FOOD IMPORTANT?
By Cynthia Pena
The dictionary says that food is “any nourishing substance that is eaten, drunk, or otherwise taken into the body to sustain life, provide energy, promote growth, etc.”
Simply put food is fuel. If you think of yourself as an automobile, picture yourself as a Mercedes or Cadillac. If you owned one of those cars or even went further and chose a very fancy sports car, you would only consider the finest of gasoline to feed it. You would keep the inside purring through the finest filters, spark plugs, etc.
Now think about the choices we have in our society in terms of food/fuel for our bodies. Yes, there are convenient fast food choices and easy prepared foods in our supermarkets that don’t require alot of work to make and are horrible for our bodies…fuel that will leave residue, gunk and do us no good whatsoever.
When a fine car is carefully made, handled and delivered to the buyer.
Our food/fuel requires the same attention. Products like whole grains and strong equipment such as the KitchenAid are essential in the continued upkeep of our bodies.
Yes, it may take a tad longer to make but the benefits far outweigh any other choice. Think of it as an investment. Food/fuel is an important tool in investing in your future.
Food writing is important for our future cooks if no one ever writes it down they won’t have any way of knowing just how important food is to our families & the comfort it gives. I really enjoy reading about other peoples experiences with food, the joys of success & the agony of their failures inspires me to try new recipes.
Writing about food is important because it connects the past, present, and future. In a world that is always a whirlwind of everything changing from fashions, to trends, to technology and everything in between, it’s just a comfort to sit down and read through my grandma’s old collection of her favorite recipes. Some of my favorite recipes were favorites of my grandma and hers before that. It connects us in a very special way. Reading or writing about food from different parts of the world is a way of connecting people who may have no other connection besides their love of food and in a way allows you to experience parts of a culture you may not have a chance to otherwise. Reading or writing about food can not only bring you comfort, it gives you the chance to learn not only a new recipes, but possibly teaches you how to eat in a way that is better for your overall health.
Food writing is important for many reasons, only a few of which I’ll address here. First, it encourages people like me to try new foods whether I’m looking for healthy tasty meal ideas, new foods to experience, or healthy and tasty alternatives to things such as refined sugar or white flour. Food writing helps take some of the mystery and fear out of trying something that is different from the norm. We cannot all experience everything and it’s beneficial to be able to springboard off of someone else’s experiences. I like to be able to see what works well and what doesn’t without always putting in the time and expense myself. I can also have those lightbulb “I’ve never thought of that” moments.
Writing about food is important because it gives us the opportunity to learn valuable tips and secrets to improve in the kitchen. These secrets used to be passed down from parent to child but it seems that these days everyone is just too busy. I am thrilled to learn something new! Keep up the good work!
Food is life and one of the few things we truly cannot live without. It is also one of the greatest means of bonding people together, whether it be around a family meal or various cultures coming together. Food writing helps to share the foods and traditions that different people have, allowing them to grow a little bit closer.
Many great stories, recipes, and more have been passed down from generation to generation. Writing about cooking ensures that the knowledge and skill will never be forgotten and the joys of cooking/baking will never become a lost art like so many things have. Cooking was, and still is, one of the many ways of bringing a family closer together and is one of the ways that I use to feel closer to my loved ones that have passed. Making their recipes makes me feel like they’re back in the kitchen with me.
writing about food is important because you get to share recipes,and tips to a whole lot of people at once. For a beginning baker like myself reading about food and where ingredients come is nice to know. And if it’s in writing you can have something to go back and look at.
What’s your favorite restaurant? How did you hear about this restaurant? A majority of the time the answer to this question is along the lines of “from a friend, relative, or online review.” Food writing is the very basis of the “word of mouth” marketing within the food industry. If it weren’t for food writers, knowledge of a food’s taste, quality, and presentation would be unknown entities until experienced first-hand. Technology these days have allowed for huge growth for food writers and the businesses these food writers are enthusiastic about. Urbanspoon is a great example of an online database where food writers, businesses, and consumers all benefit from this novel trade.
Food is something we all share. It evokes memories, creates traditions, comforts. Food writing makes us think, challenges us to be more creative or try something new.
Food writing is important to let each and every reader know that they are not alone, that their questions and concerns are shared by others. It gives the answers to unasked questions it guides the lost, it calms the confused, it soothes the irritated. It is a constant, in a hurry-up world. It is the gateway to the future.
I feel writing about food is important because it give people a chance to see inside of a person. Food is so important to our survival and when we write about it, we are giving a glimpse of our inner souls.
It’s important because it provides SO MANY variations on different dishes. When one person/blogger writes down the way they made it, another person (like I always do!) takes that recipe and changes it a little and passes it on. Then more people tweak it to their liking and so forth. Several variations can come from the original recipe this way and be spread to numerous people.
Food writing is very important because it is how we can connect with our senses. It connects the writer with the reader in a way that brings the food almost to the reader.
Food writing allows us – writer or reader – to reach deeply and widely at a personal level: deeply within ourselves, as food elicits memories and emotions; widely around ourselves, as food connects us with the people with whom we share it. Food writing allows us also to reach deeply and widely at a social level: deeply in the historical sense, as we look at food traditions, describe them, and carry them on, or adapt them, or rebel against them; widely in the geographical sense, as we learn about other people’s food traditions as a way to understand their culture. Food writing brings writer and reader at the table, and there, the conversation can flow in many directions. If it is nourishing, it will keep them engaged for a long time. Think about an Italian meal that stretches late into the evening, one that nobody wants to leave, because there is always another appealing dish coming out of the kitchen and the conversation is too good to miss.
Why is food writing important? Hmm, well I hadn’t really thought much about that before. But, in pondering the questions, I think it has something to do with connecting to what is really important. It speaks to not only a common theme (we all must eat), but also to a common experience (again, we all eat…and typically in groups rather than as individuals). Food reminds us of our similarity (necessary consumption) and yet allows for our individualism (taste preferences certainly vary). Food writing simply records and expounds upon this notion.
Food writing is important because a history of the evolvement of food throughout the years.
Food writing is a wonderful, important method of sharing collective knowledge. It is a medium to share experience, success, and failure.
Food writing allows people from all over the world to come together and learn about the different foods from every culture! Without food writing, we would never know about the different cuisines and what they are like from all over the world. Food writing really brings people of every age, race, religion, etc. together with one common love – food!
Writing about food is important because it helps people learn health benefits of cooking/eating and practicing a helathy lifestyle through good nutrition. It also helps us know what foods to limit or stay away from that would not be benefical to our good health.
Food writing is important in the same way writing about anything is important. We’ve been telling each other stories since we first developed language. And food is such an integral part of all our lives it should be an integral thing to talk, and write, about. Sharing a love of food, and any knowledge, is so important.
Food writing is important because…I love food. And love to read about food. And learn about it. And see what other people thinks is delicious or healthy or great!
I think food writing is important because it gives us information that helps us decide whether to try a certain food, go to a new restaurant, try a new recipe, etc. We gather a lot of information about food from those who write about it. I subscribe to several foodie blogs because they not only have good recipes but I love the way they write about their food. You can tell they have a passion for food writing….you can almost smell and taste the food.
In a world more and more disconnected, food is one of the few things which still draws people closer to each other. Dates are over dinner. Families share meals when they can. Picnics are a part of our summer experiences and chocolate dipped strawberries and champagne are perfect for an intimate evening at home.
When we write about food, we write about life. Snippets of what is important weave their way through our reasons for producing a menu item. Sharing food is sharing life, celebrating moments and making memories.
Food writing is important is because if we don’t write about food, how else will we know how wonderful it is? We need to write about it & inform people!
Food writing is essential because it helps us to discover new ideas and recipes that we may have glanced over. A good food writer can bring the reader into their kitchen and make them taste & smell the recipes even before they’ve read the full recipe. From the story written I can almost always tell if I want to try the recipe or not. Looking at just an ingredient list, I’m not always so sure. it can also really make a difference whether I decide to go to the store for the ingredient to make the recipe now or put it in my to try later file that never seems to get done. It also helps tie us to our history, I have great memories of cooking with my grandmother and through her recipes can share some of these experiences with my children who were very young when she passed away.
Food writing is important because desire begins in the imagination. When I read an article, the images in my mind create the emotions that connect me to the author and their experiences. For instance, when an author writes about a food experience or memory, I am able to “taste” that meal and be in that moment with them. A mere photograph cannot do that.
miyax15 at yahoo dot com
The recipes that keep family and friends close in spirit are frequently handed down in a loving fashion from one generation to the next. I have had recipes to hand down to my daughter in this way.
It’s important because at it’s most basic, it allows you to pass on recipes through the generations. At a higher level, it makes some of the most unmanageable become manageable. Interesting question and great giveaway!
To encourage a growing chef to step away from the familiar and sample the exotic, to remind a traveler far from home of the smells and tastes of mom’s cooking, to give a tired homemaker a window into setting a more glamorous table – these are but nibbles along the edges of why food writing is important.
Food writing allows people from many different backgrounds & locations, to connect on a personal and creative level. It helps inspire cooks and bakers, from the chef to the mom creating a meal plan for a week. It offers new, alternative, and sometimes healthier options to the usual. It can expose readers to new cuisine, a new superfood, or even just a new favorite family dessert. At least in the US, our lives very much revolve around food. Food writing is a way to connect everyone.
Food writing helps us to make sense of all the choices out there, to give us a line into a mind more tapped in than ours. With all the information out there, all the possible meal, ingredient, technique and tool choices, food writers help us to figure out how to actually feed ourselves and our families. It is a great relief to have a good idea handed to you in an interesting and informative way, but most importantly, in a way that makes your life healthier and better. Food writers help us to create home cooked food, a lovely gift to our own bodies and minds, and those of your kids and spouses.
Writing about food is a sharing process. It is a lesson from those before me and a legacy for those behind me. We learn, modify, correct, and compile skills through the knowledge of others. People who cook have become what they are because of the tips from others.
I can’t speak for everyone but for me personally, it has immensely transformed what I cook and the way I cook. I went from having eight to nine go-to recipes to 50+ recipes in less than three months! My husband and I are major foodies and are always looking for the next best meal. I turn to reviews and pictures when deciding what I will and will not make. Writing about food is definitely a gift that only few people hold. For them, I am grateful because I’m not one of those but I am a cook at heart and love to cook and bake in my kitchen. It is not only satisfying to put something delicious in front of my family to enjoy but it is therapeutic in its own way. Nothing makes me happier than seeing the people I love eat something that makes them smile from ear to ear.
I believe food writing is important to help other people who don’t know that much about food, recipes and general information on food. The more people know about food, the healthier decisions they can make.
Writing about food is important because it is a universal topic that brings people, families, communities , and even nations together. Almost everyone woman, and many men, love hearing about and tasting a new recipe. Social network, news media, magazines, and television usually have a story about food, diets, nutrition, and even contamination. I often jot down information about food/ingredients and my friends enjoying sharing reciepes by email or online! Write it, type it, send it, cook it, eat it and then share it!!!
Food writing is important because food is a big part of our lives. We wouldn’t have the chance to learn about the different styles of cooking around the world if people hadn’t recorded it. What may have started as pictures on cave walls evolved into cookbooks that have lasted generations. Of course modern technology has brought even more ways of displaying different cultures, however it’s simpler to read a recipe off of the internet or a magazine or a cookbook than it is to follow it on video. Some of my favorite chefs began their celebrity careers in writing. Call me old fashioned–I still look forward to leafing through the Food section of the newspaper–there’s something about it that still intrigues me.
Food writing is important because food is so much a part of our lives; after all, most people have 2 or 3 meals a day. Food writing enables us to preserve traditions of excellent recipes. It gives us a peek into someone’s daily life. It also encourages our hectic culture to slow down a bit and have a home-cooked meal. Instead of promoting fast food and frozen dinners, food writing preserves from-scratch family dinners that have long been a part of our culture.
Best said by John T. Edge: Food is essential to life. It’s arguably our nation’s biggest industry. Food, not sex, is our most frequently indulged pleasure. Food—too much, not enough, the wrong kind, the wrong frequency—is one of our society’s greatest causes of disease and death.
Food writing is important because it captures the creativity, history, and knowledge of amazing food. Whether its great grandma’s recipe or a complex recreation of a classic dish, food will always be the subject of a great read and good conversation!
To me it is simple. Well written articles or blog posts about food inspire me. It inspires me to cook better. The better I cook, the better I eat and the better I feel. Who wouldn’t want to feel great!?!
I like your comment. It is basically the same idea I have. I think we do inspire each other with our comments about food and cooking. It keeps the spice in our kitchens.
In a day and age where we spend so much time online and engaged in social community, food writing allows connection. Food brings people together. It’s comforting and social in nature. Why else would everyone congregate in the kitchen! Food writing is the virtual “cup of coffers with the neighbor” but your neighbor can be halfway around the world.
In an often superficial world, food writing allows us to become more mindful–not just of what we’re consuming, but also of other aspects of our lives we may be missing out on. When eating becomes another chore on our to-do list, an opportunity for social connection and community is lost. Food writing emphasizes the important role meals and cooking play in our lives. Nothing brings families and friends together like good food; and food writing captures this unique quality of meal times.
Food writing gives readers a chance to learn more about their own and other cultures. It gives them a way to bond with their families, cooking and coming together around the table for the family dinner. It can pull them out of the stress and chaos of modern living and into a calm place of simple pleasures. It can even make them feel contentment and gratitude for what they have. Reading good food writing is a thing apart from viewing the frenetic world of celebrity cheffery and cutthroat competitive cookery. Aaahh … let’s all settle in for a good read!
Food writing is important because young aspiring cooks need to learn about food from people who know!
Writing about food is the ultimate link between generations. One of my most cherished items is a hand written cookbook by my grandmother who died when I was just 5. It shows her creativity, passion and commitment to saving money by canning and using everything and wasting nothing. It allowed me thru the notes in the margins to meet a woman I didn’t really get to know in real life.
I am a self-admitted cookbook, food article, recipe addict. I collect family recipes and have my mother-in-law’s recipe box and all of my grandmother’s recipe clippings, jottings on scraps of paper, recipe booklets, and cookbooks – some dating all the way back to 1917. I am working on a collection of family & friend recipes that I can pass along to my 4 daughters. I feel writing about food in any form is a way of preserving history. Alot of the older recipes are being lost among the generations and I would like to ensure that our family food history is passed on through the generations to come.
Cooking is an art. The art of cooking is the passion for many people . So the secret of many recepies should be preserved for the needy. Here lies the importance of food writing. It can be mentioned into points below.———-1, Reach to a larger audience in a shorter period. -2, .It can be used from generations to generations. 3,if the food writing is in a social medium will get the feedback, which can help for further improvisations.4, through food writing the tastesof the past is passes to the present and future .5, last by not least it will help the writer to increase his fame and economic status in the society.
It is very important in the fact that it has taught us how to cook for years. Without the writing of all the generations that have preceded us we would not have the privilege of their knowledge. All of our great chefs have taken what has been taught and improved upon them and created amazing creations of their own. I still have my first cookbook, it was Betty Crocker Junior and to me looking through a cookbook is like reading a good novel. In fact, our cookbooks were like the first food blog before blogs came into its own. I love the bold fire-engine red color of the Kitchen Aid that is shown.
I feel that this is so important especially to encourage those to try something they would never try before, whether they hadn’t heard about it, or thought it was too hard.
Food writing give a great perspective from others and ideas/solutions to their food issues.
Sharing our recipes, hints, tips and photos of foods that we love are what bring us together as a culture. Writing about our foods and their preparation is like inviting friends and family into our kitchen to share what simmers on the stove, bakes in the oven and graces our tables. The kitchen is where family gathers; where friends feel at home and where entertaining makes its beginning. Writing about the essence of our existence through the foods we love is as fundamentally important as historical writing.
Food writing is important because it helps those who can’t boil water. It informs those who don’t have time to research these things themselves. It makes us aspire to want better than the highly processed frankenstuff that passes as food these days.
Writing about cooking helps document history and leaves a legacy for those who follow us. My grandma passed many years ago and I took her handwritten and typed (on a manual typewriter) recipes stored in an old Constant Comment box along with a few well used cookbooks. Others were more interested in things that had more value such as a television, bed, furniture, etc. Over the years, family members have called and requested so many recipes from the “box” that many feel that I took the item of the most value. Many of the recipes are documented without measurements and just include ingredients, but it was enough to tell grandma how to create one of her wonderful dishes.
Food writing is important because it gives us great recipes.
Food writing is important because food is more than the calories or methods or ingredients. Food is an experience and writing about it provides connections.
Food writing is important, by sharing different recipes, trends, and techniques, but most of all it brings together different culinary tastes and cultures for our palate’s to explore. p.s. sometimes the accompanying pictures can cause excessive drooling.
Writing about food helps to educate and entertain way more people than it would if people depended solely on their own social networks for culinary education. It’s also vital for nutritional information.
As the saying goes, “Knowledge is power” – and what better way to gain a sense of enlightenment and power than to understand one of the basic human necessities. Having the ability to make a mindful decision based on food writing is giving any and all individuals the avenue to a healthier and more fruitful (pun intended) lifestyle.
Food writing, GOOD food writing, like any other kind of writing, is important because it enables people to experience vicariously things to which they may not have access otherwise. Ideally, this will lead people to seek out more experiences related to food, which can also expand people’s experiences related to culture since food and culture and tied tightly together. Ultimately, seeking out new food and culture experiences can lead people to realize that people from different cultures are really more the same than they are different, and that the differences really are to be celebrated, rather than to serve to drive us apart.
Food writing is important, to share the tricks and traditions that we have learned with the younger generation
Food writing keeps people informed about trends, health, cooking techniques, culture, traditions and more. The written word is powerful and elemental.
It’s important because it passes down traditions, and makes it easier for people to try new things.
Writing connects hearts and strangers through shared emotions. For me, food is at the center of so many memories. Writing about crazy family dinners makes me think of growing up with a home-cooked meal each night and brings back warm memories. Writing about holidays takes me back home for Christmas, surrounded by sweet family members, and all of the smells and tastes that are special to the season. Writing about hospitality reminds me of how important it is to invite over guests and neighbors to share dinner around the table, taking a break from the hectic non-stop pace of modern life.
Writing about food brings us all together. It is our common language, one we share, enjoy, laugh over and bond while enjoying. Food is more than nourishment for the body… it nourishes our souls..
Writing is important to teach techniques and to discover new flavors.
Food writing is important for many reasons. It is a multifaceted expression. It reaches readers in many ways on both an emotional and intellectual level, providing readers with an aesthetic experience. As a part of history, food writing serves as a lense through which we see the culture of food and its development over time. In my life, cookbooks and home-economics books provide me with the information I crave. Food writing will forever be an important part of my life!
We live in a delicious world where everyday we experience new ideas, tastes and creations. And if we’re capable of creating something so delectable and delicious, then why not make it memorable for a lifetime? And pass it on from one generation to another… I believe food writing is important, because in writing it preserves our passion towards something so unique and delectable.
Food writing inspires us. Food writing brings back memories. Food writing invites us to explore.
* Nothing brings back the days of “way back when’ more than the aroma and taste of our past. Food Writing helps us to express this.
Foodwriting is important because it keeps the spice in the marriage of recipe and cook. Keeping the spice and enthusiasm in our cooking is as important as keeping the spice and enthusiasm in a marital relationship. cooking is something that we have to work at as faithfully as we work at our marriage if we want to succeed.
Food writing is important because it reconnects us with that which is most important to life–food. Food is nourishment, and writing about food helps us connect with the others socially, nourishing our minds and lives.
Food writing also helps us to document how our tastes and opinions of food evolve over time. Our blogs help us reveal a view into our lives as we share what we eat, how easy or difficult it was to make, and what we love or dislike about the world itself.
to share new and old ideas and recipes and explain exactly how to do things and why
Food writing is an important step to separating fact from fiction!
Food writing is an essential part of the food culture. Without putting the description, taste and texture of food into the written word, the experience is not complete. Additionally, being able to find out more about a certain food by reading about it brings much more exposure to an otherwise possibly obscure plate.
Food writing is at least as important as any other type of writing, but perhaps more so because it bridges the gaps between cultures and generations: a vital role in today’s fragmented world.
Food bridges cultures. Sharing our foods through writing brings people closer together.
Food writing is important because it taps a rich vein of human interest, politics, geography, folklore and community. It communicates news and information to readers who are of like (or unlike) mind, increasing our awareness of the world around us. By knowing how someone eats or produces food, or alternately suffers through famine, we gain a greater understanding of the human condition through the ages.
Food writing is beautiful: How often can one read a passage in Proust about lime-scented tea or in Jane Austen about the benefits of apricot marmalade on a bruised knee or a bruised ego? Endlessly. Food writing is funny, too. Have you ever listened to the Kinks’ rollicking song about hot potatoes or a southern blues tune full of “jelly-roll” and “honey from a bee” as metaphors for lust?
In all, food writing is a great connector among people. Everybody eats; everybody has an opinion about food. Food writing is the vehicle that ties the great tangle of food, words and experience together.
If we are, even in part, what we eat, food deserves inclusion in our cultural narrative. The ability to produce and appreciate something good to eat is an essential unifying aspect of our humanness and part of an active engagement with our God-given creation. To describe the methods and ideas surrounding food, its preparation, and its consumption is to glimpse the core of a culture, time, and place. Done thoughtfully, food writing educates and challenges each generation, preserving and defining the current one for the future.
Food itself is tradition, being with friends, special events, new ideas etc. Writing about food shares these topics and connects people through ways that they don’t expect.
The culture of food in any civilization is as important as any other element as a way in to understanding that society, people and time period. However, unlike music, or a painting or a piece of architecture, the experience of food is so fleeting, so of that particular moment in time, and so much more about everything else in the room, than just the recipe. A recipe, of course, can be handed down, and we can look to them for their historical significance, but food writing, helps give us the bigger picture, so we can understand that recipe (or holiday or ingredient or farmer or restaurant) within a context.
Oh wow. I could probably write a book about this…
For me, food writing isn’t really about the food, not its origins, not the producers, consumers, cherished memories, nor the stories we weave to make sense of it all, but the ever-present community that it encapsulates. Every story, every recipe creates a moment, every moment a connection, every connection a human experience that can last a mere second or a lifetime. You never know when a simple act will linger in a memory, impress a mind forever, change a life. A moment as simple as how a mother peels an orange in one long spiraling tendril that inspires a fondness; a seafood extravaganza for a land-locked young midwestern boy who compares all extravagance to that moment; the way a hand measures flour and practice makes the perfect bread – they are all intertwined, relatable, evocative and so simply, elegantly, pure in their origin: the sustenace that makes us survive also makes us thrive. Food writing makes all of that tangible, legible, and real again – it transports us beyond the food and the writing to a better, more connected version of humanity.
Food writing is a way to reach people. It’s how you empower the idle reader who may not have confidence enough to be brave in the kitchen. You entice reactions to foods people have never tasted. You make them experience the aroma, flavour, texture, temperature and appearance of something they’ve never seen or tasted or smelled. It is a powerful tool to comfort and remind people of food -and by extension- the people who made that food from their past. Oh my. It is the real deal. It binds people and gives them commonalities. It’s food, nourishment, love…
Food writing is important because it broadens your cooking horizons, and you may cook something that you might not of thought about exploring to cook.
Beyond the sheer passion that food can bring, so is the art of food writing. From describing the very basic ingredients can make or brake what the reader can imagine creating. For instance, when my grandmother passed away and I found her recipe box, the treasure of her food writing left a legacyfor me. The homemade whipped icing was discovering her mother’s recipes. This was a priceless form of food writing especially when reading my great grandmother’s word about placing such and such “over the fire”, in other words when these beautiful record of recipes were penned, she did not own a stove.
Food is a part of everyone’s lives. The amount of meals one eats or prepares is enormous. Food writing provides new and exciting ways to prepare or eat foods in ways you’ve never thought of, or places to visit that get the taste buds going again. It spreads the word about nutrition, the next “big thing” in the food world, and will always be a part of lives. It is forever here to stay.
Food writing is important to me because a well written recipe or post can help me make a meal perfect and special! I get so much information from food writers, whether it’s a blogger, magazine writer, or a cooking show on television! Food writing teaches me so many new techniques and inspires me to create something different for my family! I am so grateful for the talents of so many great food writers!
Personally, I see food blog writing as vital and important as it seems an extension of recipe exchanges and sharing of food ideas that were previously done within a family, in a community/neighborhood, or other close social circles. In the not so distant past home cooks read ‘Hints from Heloise’, purchased locally available magazines and cookbooks. Nowadays there are food blogs that take us from the kitchens and recipes of the Midwestern USA to those of Bengali cooks living in Kolkata, India. This has been just one of the most beneficial aspects of the internet that has impacted our lives in a most positive way.
Food writing is important, because it shares heritage, enjoyment, knowledge, passion and culture with others around the world. It gives people a glimpse of how people cook and eat from all different regions and often times shares with them the techniques and cooking methods that other cultures use. It widens people’s appreciation for food and other cultures while expanding their food experience.
Food writing is important to broaden the experience of amateur and even professional cooks through tutorials and recipes from around the world.
It is important to write about food so that you can share your experiences with others who are still learning about food. As I was growing up, my mother taught me basics of cooking, but I continue to learn so much about food and creativity from what I read. With the internet at your fingertips to the world, we now have a greater opportunity to share even more exotic foods and flavors with the world. My family is from Peru, and the foods are not easily found around here in the Midwest, so I just love it when I read an article about not only Peruvian food, but other foods. Just knowing that I can make a dish from across the globe in my kitchen is amazing! I can’t wait to find my next dish and read not only the how-to but the history behind the dish.
Thanks for the giveaway and asking, Happy cooking and baking everyone!
Diana C
Food writing is very important because it helps us learn about nutrition. It helps us change our lifestyle by infor ming us and bringjng awareness to health issues. It tells us what foods that are bad for us and what foods are good for us. It has an impact on the whole world. It affects our culture. It creates bonds and help us keep connected from generation to generation. It brings promises to our future. It tells stories about people life changing experiences. It keeps us informed about government and corporation food decisions. It has a huge impact on our society today. It helps raise awareness with problems in our food systems, impacts on farming, communities and landscapes. It helps us to control diseases such as cancer. heart disease,obesity and weight loss. It is a public service that can change millions of people lives by influence. Finally, food writing is very important because it affects us physically, mentality, spiritility and emotionally. The way we eat affects us health on a national and international level, economically, financially, and politically.
Writing about food is combining two things that people love, a great story and food. Food can tell a story all on its own, when you get a big bowl of rich steaming pasta with thick hearty red sauce with a bit of parm sprinkled over the top, basil,garlic and oragano scents wafting out to greet you…You think of family, comfort, home. If you have a soft home baked amarosa roll, dripping with cheese, steak , carmalized onions and peppers you may think of a good time while eating a Philly cheesesteak, hanging with friends and family.
Food plays a huge part in our lives. We can recreate those thoughts and memories by the words we use and how we describe the foods we eat. A fruit is juicy, a cake is moist. You also want to know what you are getting into. You wouldn’t want to dive into a bowl of noodles. What is that? Noodles and what? does it have anything else? Or what if you just seen some thing that said “cake”? hmmmm How about Decant black forest cake, with layers of creamy chocolate mousse and sweet cherry filling all topped with light whipped cream and dark chocolate shavings…It is also about information. I love food, lets talk about it all day:)
I feel food writing is important for many reasons. You learn about nutrition, different cooking styles, latest trends. You can learn about ingredients you’ve never used before, textures and flavors you haven’t experienced. It can be about different restaurants to try, their ambience, service and featured cuisines.You may learn the history of food products. If you are curious about how a certain food came to be, or how one dish evolved into another. It may teach you about how food affects our culture, how it connects us with our past, how it can create bonds with our family,friends,neighbors as well as other cultures. You may learn so much love and appreciation by reading about food in so many different ways.
Food brings all types of people together. There’s nothing like sitting around a table of amazing food with your family and friends. No matter who you are or where you come from food makes us feel. We feel comfort or memories from certain foods. That’s why food writing is important. It makes the food experience more accessible to people. It gives food the respect it deserves as something that brings people together to create memories that last a lifetime.
Food writing is important because we can share and pass down out recipes to our future. Writing what we create is appart of food history. without the first food writing would wouldn’t have any written document of how dishes were made. These food writings has helped many to lean how to cook or even change the recipe to make it there own special recipe
Food writing is important because it whets the appetite! Food writers can educate and inspire their readers and hopefully encourage a future generation.
Food writing is important to the preservation of a culture because it preserves not only tradition but also the tiny details that can be such an integral part of the preparation of a dish.
Writing about food is very important as it helps you keep a record of those little things you do to make your dish special and unique and enables you to share that experience and secrets with future generations. It also enables you to experience a different aspect of preparing that particular dish through actually taking the time to write what goes into it. As I write down every ingredient and step, it evokes certain feelings and memories associated with those.
WHO WON?
OMG I cant believe I won! Thank you so much! I truly am so amazed! I love food and can’t wait to start using my new KitchenAid! My first thing will be a big batch of whole wheat bread made with Ultragrain flour!