Food is such an obsession for me that I usually have a week worth of meals planned at any given time.
When I go to the library, I don’t just check out a cookbook or two; I check out stacks. Whether I’m in the throes of grading or relaxing during spring break, I read recipes like they’re trashy romance novels. I constantly try new recipes and rate them on a five-star scale. Monthly, I fill 3-inch binders with printer-friendly recipes from Epicurious, glossy magazine pages torn out of Bon Appetit, and recipe cards from family and friends. I drive my husband crazy with my menu flip-flopping and anal-retentive grocery lists. And I eat. So much I could probably go into competitive eating. I blog about what I eat at The Everyday Palate (www.everydaypalate.blogspot.com).Lately, I’ve even been obsessing about my food obsession. Why do I need to read about food, write about food, cook food, eat food, talk food, and share food the way I do?
As strange as it sounds, food is something close to religion to me. It creates community, gives comfort, provides challenges, and literally nourishes me. Food is not just something I eat; it embodies my political views, my environmental practices, my spiritual philosophies, and my social principles. Connecting the art of writing that I studied in my MFA with my love of food feels completely natural. Quite frankly, if I weren’t a food writer, I’d probably need to see my shrink much more often.
In this issue of From Plate to Palate, I asked a few food writers why it is they write about food. Their answers only solidified my own food writing aesthetics. Again and again, they shared that food is a commonality among all people; it ignites bonds and sustains communities. That food is a form of art and how writing about it can recreate that art. That food in itself revives memories and helps shape stories, stories that can be passed down through generations. This crew of contributors speaks my language.
This issue I welcome Kristin Abraham, Fort Collin’s Italian Restaurant Examiner, who shares her appreciation of food through the art of restaurant reviews. Salli Swindell picks up on the art theme and shows just how food can inspire art in “They Cook and Draw.” Using food writing to challenge her own boundaries as a cook and diner, Kate Graham expresses how her blog A Recipe Written has impacted her writing and her life. Elizabeth Eckel’s respect for food, which she eloquently writes of in “Eat the Cookie,” echoes many of the sentiments food lovers hold dear. Concluding this issue, home cook and food blogger Sarah Lenz reflects upon how food writing recreated a sense of home and helped her find new communities.
Feast your eyes on this luscious issue. I promise a culinary and literary adventure. You just might be inspired to do some food writing of your own. And if so, be sure to submit to From Plate to Palate, where we’re always looking to support established and emerging food writers.