Dianne Jacob, Will Write For Food

Useful Tips, Interviews, and Stories to Inspire Food Writers and Bloggers

Food blogging

Thank You

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Teaching in Dubai in October 2013, thanks to Food Blogger Connect.

That’s me, lucky enough to teach a food writing workshop in Dubai this past year, thanks to Bethany Kehdy and Food Blogger Connect. From there, I vacationed in Jordan and Israel. (Photo by Owen Rubin.)

At the end of 2013 — my fourth year as a blogger — I’m taking time to say how grateful I am to have you as a reader. Whether you’re a frequent commenter or you’ve never left a note, I’m thankful you’re here. 

To be honest, sometimes I’m surprised that anyone wants to read, considering how much [Read more…] about Thank You

2 Books for Your Holiday Wish List

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Do you make a list of what to buy friends and family at the holidays? What about your own wish list?

On my desk is a list of names I wrote by hand on a long, yellow lined sheet. I’ve checked off all of them now, which is good because Hanukkah is long gone, and Christmas is a week away.

My personal wish list is new. I started it last year, buying myself one (pricey) book I’ve coveted in December, and vowing to do so every year. In 2012 it was the cookbook Plenty, since I already had Jerusalem, and have been enjoying both ever since.

This month I’ve been lusting for The Most of Nora Ephron, a collection of her work, published posthumously. Ephron was my writing hero: sassy, funny, and so right about women, love, and politics. At $35, it’s a tome, but I bet the pages aren’t as yellowed as her old paperbacks on my shelf. There’s a section on food writing, including [Read more…] about 2 Books for Your Holiday Wish List

13 Must-Read Links for Food Writers

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Israeli bagels at the Carmel Market in Tel Aviv.

Wondering how to be more effective on social media, how to become a better food photographer, or whether to publish an e-book? You need the top links from my most recent newsletter.

But before you skip down to the list below, please sign up for the Will Write for Food newsletter. It’s free, and best of all, you’ll get only four emails per year. It’s filled with useful info for food writers, bloggers, recipe developers, cookbook authors and social media mavens. The next one’s coming out at the end of December, so sign up now.

1. A scientific guide to writing great headlines on Twitter, Facebook and your Blog. Great tips on how to be more effective on social media, based on writing that grabs people.

2. Along the same lines, read How to Write Compelling Titles for Blogs & Content. I like her [Read more…] about 13 Must-Read Links for Food Writers

100 Verbs for Recipes, from Julia Child

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image for post on 100 verbs from Julia Child.You’re sick of writing “add” and “place” in recipes, aren’t you? (If not, you should be.)

Here’s help. Use some of Julia Child’s verbs. I spent a pleasurable hour reading through Mastering the Art of French Cooking to [Read more…] about 100 Verbs for Recipes, from Julia Child

Dubai, Jordan and Israel

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Food writing students at my Dubai workshop, working on a writing exercise on using the senses.

It’s been an incredible three weeks away, starting with a writing workshop in Dubai. Our group comprised local Dubai food bloggers and three students from South America, Lebanon and Pakistan.

Put on by Food Blogger Connect, the students feasted on Middle-Eastern food and high-end Asian each night of the two-day workshop. The second day featured photography and recipe writing tips by Ellen Silverman and Martha Holmberg.

Our workshop caught the attention of the local Dubai paper, which interviewed me and listed the top bloggers of Dubai, some of whom attended my class. That’s quite an honor.

Food Blogger Connect founder Bethany Kehdy, fresh from her fabulous cookbook signing in Lebanon, coordinated the first-ever Dubai workshop  with her sister Joslin Kehdy. [Read more…] about Dubai, Jordan and Israel

Do You Make These 5 Mistakes with Salt in Recipes?

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Using-Salt-in-RecipesWhenever I edit recipes, I feel my blood pressure rising (and I haven’t even consumed the salt yet!) Three things about using salt set me off:

Why do so many recipes fail to specify the amount of salt? Why do recipes say to season with salt when you can’t know if you’re adding the right amount? Why do recipes say to add salt at the wrong time?

As you know, I have opinions on recipe writing, and specifying salt is no exception. Here’s my take on where many recipes go wrong, and how to fix them:

1. Adding “to taste” to salt in the ingredients list. The ingredients list comes before [Read more…] about Do You Make These 5 Mistakes with Salt in Recipes?

10 More Links for Food Bloggers and Writers

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Just thought I’d get your attention. These are pastries from Tartine Bakery in San Francisco.

A while ago I decided to start sharing links from my quarterly newsletter.

The post was so successful, ricocheting around Twitter and Facebook, that I’ve decided to post a list after each newsletter comes out.

So, in the meantime, sign up for the Will Write for Food newsletter. You’ll get only four emails per year, with the next one at the end of September. It’s filled with useful info for food [Read more…] about 10 More Links for Food Bloggers and Writers