Food writing resources

Bubastes

bananaed
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Just for grins, I decided to list some books that have really helped me in my own food writing. I've left out most of my cookbooks on purpose because I think those choices are so personal. I'd love to see what reference books other people use here!

The Recipe Writer's Handbook by Barbara Gibbs Ostmann (a comprehensive guide to the craft of recipe writing)
http://www.amazon.com/dp/0471405450/?tag=absolutewritedm-20

Recipes Into Type by Joan Whitman (another great guide on the craft of recipe writing. I prefer the Ostmann book, though)
http://www.amazon.com/dp/0062700340/?tag=absolutewritedm-20

Will Write For Food by Diane Jacob (great information on breaking into the food writing market)
http://www.amazon.com/dp/1569243778/?tag=absolutewritedm-20

Food Lover's Companion by Sharon Tyler Herbst (a great little food-centric dictionary)
http://www.amazon.com/dp/0764112589/?tag=absolutewritedm-20

On Food and Cooking by Harold McGee (one of Alton Brown's reference books -- it's food science made simple(r))
http://www.amazon.com/dp/0684800012/?tag=absolutewritedm-20

Best Food Writing (an annual compilation of the year's best food essays and articles. Yup, food pr0n. It's great inspiration for me. :D)
http://www.amazon.com/dp/1600940390/?tag=absolutewritedm-20

Vegetables from Amaranth to Zucchini: The Essential Reference by Elizabeth Schneider (I admit it. I'm a vegetable idiot, which is why I love this door-stopper of a book.):
http://www.amazon.com/dp/0688152600/?tag=absolutewritedm-20
 
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L M Ashton

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I have nothing, and until I read your post, I didn't realize that was a problem. I'm now re-thinking that.

I do have plans for a cookbook, but it won't be for a couple or three years, I don't think. I've written restaurant reviews, but that's it as far as food writing goes, unless I count my blog. Maybe I should re-think this, given that I have my mother-in-law's authentic Sri Lankan recipes that are, oh my goodness, terrific. And a couple of Sri Lankan cookbooks that were both written at least thirty years ago and are both a treasure trove of delightful stuff. This is where I admit I don't have a clue where to start. :) Hmm, maybe this is a clue...

Meanwhile, I guess I start salivating over the books that other people have. :)
 

Haggis

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www.penzeys.com

I buy real cinnamon and the best vanilla beans there all the time... among other things. Excellent service, decent prices, fresh stuff. And once you order, you get a catalog about once a quarter with recipes. Mmmmm.

This is my spice store of choice, though I don't get there in person often.
 

Haggis

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Oh... my... heaven. That's heaven; isn't it? We don't have anything remotely like that down here in the territory. ::sigh:: What's it like to walk through the door? What's it smell like? What's your favorite spice to get there? Tell us the story, Funny Uncle Haggis!

Once you walk through the door, you don't ever want to leave. It smells that good.

My favorite thing to buy? Vanilla beans, of course. :D

I also stock up on stuff for my blackening rub, and I'm about due to make up another batch.

Oh, and almost next door to Rafal's is the Germack Pistachio Company. They sell these ginormous jumbo raisins. Lemme tell you, when they've sucked up a few days worth of Meyer's Rum, ain't nothing better.
 

Sarita

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I'm sticking this. I hope people keep adding their resources! :)
 

CatSlave

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I have nothing, and until I read your post, I didn't realize that was a problem. I'm now re-thinking that.

I do have plans for a cookbook, but it won't be for a couple or three years, I don't think. I've written restaurant reviews, but that's it as far as food writing goes, unless I count my blog. Maybe I should re-think this, given that I have my mother-in-law's authentic Sri Lankan recipes that are, oh my goodness, terrific. And a couple of Sri Lankan cookbooks that were both written at least thirty years ago and are both a treasure trove of delightful stuff. This is where I admit I don't have a clue where to start. :) Hmm, maybe this is a clue...

Meanwhile, I guess I start salivating over the books that other people have. :)
You could test drive your recipes here. :)

And thank you, MeowGirl, for the links. Great resources!
 

Sarita

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Just adding a few posts from around the boards. PM me if you see others you think should be thrown into the pot :)
 

TerzaRima

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I don't know if by food writing you mean cookbooks, reviews or other kinds or articles. I don't write about food, but I love reading about it. Anything by MFK Fisher is good--especially With Bold Knife and Fork and I Was So Very Hungry, as well as Laurie Colwin's work. I also would suggest Garlic and Sapphires by Ruth Reichl.
 

Bubastes

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I don't know if by food writing you mean cookbooks, reviews or other kinds or articles. I don't write about food, but I love reading about it. Anything by MFK Fisher is good--especially With Bold Knife and Fork and I Was So Very Hungry, as well as Laurie Colwin's work. I also would suggest Garlic and Sapphires by Ruth Reichl.

If it's writing and it's about food, I count it as food writing! :D

Oh yes, wonderful recommendations! In addition, I'd recommend anything by Anthony Bourdain or Michael Ruhlman. All of these writers have such distinctive voices. Who knew there was so much to say about food?
 

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My happy place: Zingerman's. It's expensive, but they have such wonderful treats!

http://www.zingermans.com

My brother-in-law is originally from Brooklyn. When he comes to town, he makes it a point to stop in Zingerman's. It's just like home to him.

And it's only a couple of miles away from me. :)

Why am I craving lox right now? I wonder if they're still open.
 

AngelicaRJackson

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I saw the post listing helpful books for food writing, but alas my library lists none of those. So before I go to greater lengths to track them down, I wanted to make sure they are what I am looking for.

I have in mind a cookbook for those with common food allergies (incl. gluten, dairy, eggs, etc) along the lines of Carol Fenster's books. I have never even submitted a recipe to a magazine before, so I'm looking for the basics of format, along with how to calculate nutritional info, etc. I'm not even sure how much of the book I would need to have completed before approaching a publisher, since I usually write short nonfiction articles, but I suspect that this would fall under a book proposal packet. Or this might be niche enough to warrant self-publishing.

I think one of the biggest issues I will run into is that I'm an intuitive cook and tweak recipes without even being aware of it, so that when I pass on a recipe sometimes my friend will say, "It didn't taste like the way you made it . . ." and then I'll say, "Oh yeah, I didn't have any cayenne so I used taco sauce," so I will need to work on consistency.
 

CountessaLuna

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Ok, so I found the recipes part of the site and there is no section for how to put recipes into your own book since it can be pretty hard giving credit to the right person. Ones I'm thinking about are more basic and shouldn't be messed with, so I can't just add or subtract ingredients to 'call it my own' like some do.

So can I get a little help here?
 

CAWriter

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Ok, so I found the recipes part of the site and there is no section for how to put recipes into your own book since it can be pretty hard giving credit to the right person. Ones I'm thinking about are more basic and shouldn't be messed with, so I can't just add or subtract ingredients to 'call it my own' like some do.

So can I get a little help here?

I know what you mean; this particular topic does seem to be more about what to cook/eat than actually writing about food.

Maybe I can help a little though...recipes themselves aren't really copyright-able (poor grammar, but you know what I mean). The list and amounts of ingredients, the order of assembly, etc is somewhat restricted because too much variation would make it a different recipe.

BUT, the exact wording about how to assemble the recipe can be copyrighted. So if you're including a recipe in something you're writing, you'd want to put the "how to" part in your own words. You might find that you do rearrange the steps a bit, or add a technique of your own that changes it some.

Many recipes are so common that it would be nearly impossible to credit the original 'inventor,' but if you do get a recipe from your mom's Junior League cookbook or whatever, you could credit that even though Millie French probably didn't actually invent green jello salad with cottage cheese and crushed pineapple.

Does that clarify it at all? FTR, I have published 3 books containing recipes so I did a lot of research/testing/writing recipes. Many of them were traditional to a particular culture, so they were widely known, but there were many, many variations of the recipes out there.
 

talal_essa

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A quick question !

What is the most famous cooking TV channel in USA?

Thank you