Writing about food, besides being maybe the best job ever, requires much more than a sophisticated palate. Subtle nuances within dishes is important, yes. But so is capturing the stories behind the food, and the human beings along the way who were responsible for the meal in front of me. So often, food writing is actually people writing. Maybe that’s because eating is a thoroughly relational endeavor, and food means little if it is not shared. I think that’s the story behind the success of my piece about sustainable fast-food joints and why it was selected for Best Food Writing 2011 — I took a straightforward topic and made it both personal and relational.
I have enjoyed all the meals, yes. But even more, I relish the chance to engage with the humans who make the meals possible.
“The Guacamole Game,” Culinate.com, Aug. 2011 – As the first sentence clearly states, this is a story about being thoroughly trounced by a dip. I competed in a neighborhood guacamole competition / celebration, and boy, did I underestimate its difficulty. This is a step-by-step account of a cooking comedy of errors that left me green with envy.
“A Taste of Puebla,” Edible Boston, Winter 2010 – Oh, Angela’s, te amo. Just walking into the tiny East Boston restaurant conjures images of old Mexico, with a traditional Mexican family welcome to match. Here, I paint a picture not only of a Mexican grandmother cooking for the masses the dishes of her childhood, but tell the little-known story of mysterious mole poblano.
“Cooking Up Community,” Edible Boston, Summer 2010 – Sadly, Scup’s in the Harbour is no more. And the former restaurant’s namesake, Scup the dog, is no more either. But for a few glorious years, Scup’s served as a meeting place, a hub, if you will, for people of all backgrounds, united around that universal social glue: fresh, tasty food.
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