Dianne Jacob, Will Write For Food
Useful Tips, Interviews, and Stories to Inspire Food Writers and Bloggers
While reading a cookbook review for Food52’s Piglet cookbook tournament, I noticed that Bonnie S. Benwick, recipe editor for the Washington Post, mentioned the absence of recipespeak in one of the cookbooks.
“Recipespeak!” I exclaimed to myself. I wasn’t sure what it was, but I had to find out. [Read more…] about Are You Guilty of Recipespeak? Why the Washington Post’s Recipe Editor Hates It
Look at these two current covers from Saveur and Fine Cooking. Shame on them. The editors imply that only perfect food is worthwhile, and that anything else you make is — well, sub par.
And who makes food that is less than perfect? Me. Most of us. Like you, I [Read more…] about Let’s Take “Perfect” Out of Cooking
Leah’s most popular photo on Instagram, with a short narrative recipe. She wouldn’t put this in a cookbook.
A guest post by Leah Schapira
A few weeks ago, I posted a photo of a shredded beef pizza on Instagram. Here’s the caption:
Loving tonight’s shortcut dinner (yes, it’s as good as it looks!). Breadsmith’s Pizza Dough + pizza sauce (tomato paste, water, seasoning) + @jacksgourmet shredded beef on top. Place on a baking paper and bake directly on oven rack. Bake at 500F for 8-9 minutes. Drizzle with spicy mayo and Caesar dressing. #recipes #meatpizza #summercooking
It was probably my most popular [Read more…] about Sharing Online Recipes Versus Cookbook Recipes
Ever tried a mac and cheese pizza? It’s fantastic! If you have the correct recipe. Ouch. (Photo by Jeff Kauck)
An email arrived about an error. It was the kind all cookbook authors all dread. Someone was making the Mac and Cheese Pizza recipe in the cookbook I co-wrote, The United States of Pizza. But something was wrong.
“The ingredient list calls for [Read more…] about When a Reader Found a Cookbook Error
No, this isn’t Suzanne. But she’s probably pulling her hair right now, if she’s copy editing a cookbook.
A guest post by Suzanne Fass
Cookbook writers may hate me at first if they think that—once they’ve turned in their manuscript to a publisher—they’re done. I make them do more work. I want every cookbook to be the best it can be, the most useful for anyone cooking—and learning—from it.
As a copy editor, I try to save writers from embarrassment. I correct spelling, punctuation, and grammar. I fact-check. I query missing ingredients, missing steps, cross-references to recipes, and anything else that looks weird to me.
How many subrecipes does it take to make this Buffalo Chicken Pizza from The United States of Pizza? Two. You have to make the dough and the sauce, and then put it all together. (Photo by Jeff Kauck.)
When I read this line, I felt a shudder of recognition: “How many times have I begun working through a recipe only to realize halfway through that I needed to have started yesterday? F*ck2 that!”
You’re probably nodding. This writer hates not being warned about steps to take in advance. He probably also dislikes [Read more…] about A Revolutionary Way to Handle Subrecipes
Humorist Betty Teller, an accomplished cook, at a cooking party.
A guest essay by Betty Teller
It’s not my fault, not really. I will admit that I procrastinated to the last possible day. But I do that every week. I always put off writing, in the hope that I’ll have an adventure, or inspiration will otherwise strike, so I don’t have to write about raking the yard yet again.
But I woke up early this morning with every intention of jumping right in. I’d cleared my calendar in preparation. I had only one small item on the agenda before I could sit down at my computer.
I had to go buy a few ingredients for the moussaka I was making for the cookbook club dinner tonight. And then I needed to cook [Read more…] about Making a Chef’s Recipe? Don’t Cook Alone!