Writing about food involves more than taste buds. Presented by White Cap Books at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, The Art of the Review: Speaking of Taste Buds gave insights on what it takes to write a recipe book, and food and restaurants reviews.
The presentation was a fundraiser for the Writers’ Room at the KidSafe Project Society that supports literacy for at-risk children. Studies show that limited skills in reading and writing subsequently put vulnerable children at a greater risk of delinquency. Coordinator Sarah Maitland introduced the panelists who shared their views on writing about food:
- Host Taryn Boyd of the Literary Press Group of Canada
- Anna Olson – Sugar and Fresh Food Network Host, cookbook author
- Alexandra Gill – Globe and Mail food critic
- Andrew Morrison – Scout Magazine founder and editor, restaurant reviewer
Falling for Food
1. Alexandra Gill and Escargots
Escargots were the beginning of her love affair with food. She liked the ritual of the shells nesting on their special plates, the defiance of the grabbing tongs, and the triumphant dislodging of the buttery molluscs, with a two-tine fork. Forget about the garlic, the parsley and the texture of the escargots because, at times, food can be more of a visual event and less of an eating experience.
Then, in 2009 she was blown away by the diversity of Vancouver food culture compared to menus at Toronto’s restaurants. For example, she learned about Pacific and Atlantic, or wild and farmed salmon. As for food writing, her favorite critic is Jonathan Gold of L.A. Weekly, the only food writer to have earned a Pulitzer Prize.
2. Andrew Morrison and McCain Tater Tots
The fatal attraction was by the McCain Tater Tots served by his grandmother, a distraction from his mother’s delicatessen shop, where fresh pasta had lost its appeal. Yet, Morrison evidently never lost that expert twirl of the arm that morphs fettuccine into egg nests. His father being a businessman so passionate about food that he volunteered as a sous chef at a Toronto restaurant, Morrison found himself sandwiched between foodie parents. His only escape was his grand-mother’s no-nonsense treats. Yet, food found the writer in him.
3. Anna Olson and Coquilles Saint-Jacques
Other than her Slavic grandmother's perogies, her first heart-throbbing food was the coquilles Saint-Jacques at a restaurant of the Niagara Peninsula. That food could be served in its own self and wrapped in a blanket of odorant sauce seduced her eyes before her taste buds. This alliance of food and presentation introduced Anna Olson to the creative outlets of cooking, baking, and styling.
Since then, Anna Olson spent many hours in the kitchen before writing the first of seven cookbooks including one co-authored with her husband chef Michael Olson, and hosting the Food Network TV shows Sugar and Fresh, and introducing her ten-years-in-the-making latest book, Back to Baking.
The Condition of Food Critic
Globe and Mail food critic Alexandra Gill says, “Anonymity no longer matters.” Social media, blogs, and online publishing are all about exposure. Besides, too many factors can affect any meal at any restaurant on any given day. Sometimes, a restaurant will offer an extra course, wine, or the dessert that she is trying to ignore but, she can be served mediocre food even if her presence is known. For this reason, she emphasizes the importance of knowing the fundamentals of cooking to be a food critic.
Andrew Morrison held a grudge against food critics for a personal reason, until he became one for his food blog. And, as the restaurant reviewer for the Westender, his angle is neither all about the service, nor is it all about the food. He says that a restaurant can be different every day depending on where it sits on the Vancouver scene, on what happens in the kitchen and in the dining-room, and on the impact of music, lighting, and even patrons.
Then, he must portray the whole experience in 800 words or less. This task led him to think that food should not be the only focus, and that his taste slant should matter to no one. Instead, his purpose is to lead you to a good dining destination, and to keep you away from a bad one.
“Back to Baking”: The Development of a Cookbook
After listening to Anna Olson, writing a cookbook is not a quickly whipped affair. Back to Baking (White Cap Books) is her seventh book, and a ten-year labour of love that involved creating recipes, writing, revising, testing, annotating, and of course baking, to name some of the tasks involved.
Her advice is to start the process with a business plan so the publisher can determine if the project is deserving of the risk.
Conceiving a cookbook is about creation, gestation and delivery. No matter the sweat and the labor, when Olson holds that fresh first copy from the printer, she feels the same joy she did for her previous books.
Scout Magazine: Food, Music, Art, Culture
Andrew Morrison`s food blog evolved into Scout Magazine, a site covering food, music, art and culture and of which he is the editor. Morrison insists that Scout Magazine is neutral, conversely to the biased content of many newspapers. Yet, he gets a kick out of A.A. Gill (Adrian Anthony Gill) a controversial British writer for the Sunday Times of London. That's why Morrison might say it as it is,``There are no good fish restaurants in Vancouver.`` Apparently, recipes are so overdone that one craves a simple sautéed fillet. His (and Gill’s) best bet to eat good fish is at Chinese restaurants.
Morrison likes his reviews to situate the restaurant he is profiling. The historian in him indulges the reader with information completing the dining experience.
Pizza is the Food-Talk of the Year in Vancouver
At last, restaurant reviewers can salute the grand entrance of all Italian food in Vancouver. Pizza Restaurant, for example, is the news story with its wood-burning oven and authentic recipes. According to Morrison, permits for wood-burning ovens are granted only as a claim for authenticity, meaning that ingredients must be Italian imports. At CinCin Restaurant, the wood-burning oven has been grand-fathered, therefore recipes can be fused with exotic ingredients.
As for my own angle, food writers and panellists proved that "Food Writing" is more than "Speaking of Taste Buds."
Marie-Claude Arnott - Marie-Claude Arnott writes about topics that interest her, from experience and with passion.
