About Monica Bhide

I am an engineer-turned-writer based out of Washington, DC. I have been published in many major national and international publications, including Food & Wine, The New York Times, Parents, Cooking Light, Prevention, Health, SELF, Bon Appetit, Saveur, and many more. I wrote a weekly syndicated column for Scripps Howard Media called “Seasonings” and am a frequent contributor to NPR’s Kitchen Window and AARP-The Magazine. My work has garnered numerous accolades, such as my food essays being included in three Best Food Writing anthologies (2005, 2009 and 2010). I have published three cookbooks, the latest being Modern Spice: Inspired Indian Flavors for the Contemporary Kitchen (Simon & Schuster, 2009). My spice app, iSPICE, was just released for Apple products.

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Table of Contents

Introduction 5 Aarti Sequeira, Food Network star 7 Allison Winn Scotch, New York Times best-selling novelist 11 Amanda Hesser, co-creator of the revolutionary site Food 52 15 Joan Nathan, best-selling cookbook author 19 Corinne Trang, award-winning cookbook author 22 Andrea King Collier, award-winning author and essayist 27 Andrea Nguyen, best-selling cookbook author 31 Carla Hall, co-host, ABC’s The Chew 34 Camille Noe Pagán, debut novelist and longtime professional writer 40 Clotilde Dusoulier, best-selling cookbook author and blogger 44 Heidi Swanson, best-selling cookbook author and blogger 48 Daisy Martinez, Food Network star 51 Dana Cowin, editor-in-chief, Food & Wine magazine 55 Dorie Greenspan, legendary cookbook author 58 Elise Bauer, pioneering, super-successful blogger 61 Elissa Altman, award-winning writer and author 64 Frances Largeman-Roth, best-selling author 67 Grace Young, best-selling cookbook author 70 Bethanne Patrick, editor and best-selling author 73 Paula Wolfert, legendary cookbook author 78 Lisa Rogak, New York Times best-selling author 83 Kat Kinsman, managing editor for CNN’s food blog 87 Jaden Hair, best-selling cookbook author and blogger 90 Jen Singer, best-selling author 94 Karma Wilson, award-winning children’s book author 98 Kim Severson, best-selling author and New York Times journalist 102 Lisa Armstrong, award-winning journalist 106 Lynne Rossetto Kasper, award-winning radio show host and author 109 Meagan Francis, blogger and best-selling author 113 Melissa Clark, best-selling cookbook author 116

3 Nathalie Dupree, TV show host, best-selling cookbook author 120 Nycci Nellis, TV and radio show star 123 Padma Lakshmi, Top Chef host and cookbook author 128 Ramin Ganeshram, award-winning journalist and author 132 Ruth Reichl, former editor-in-chief of Gourmet, all-around superstar 136 Sarita Mandanna, debut novelist 140 Virginia Willis, best-selling cookbook author 146 Susan Orlean, superstar author 150 Tracey Jackson, best-selling novelist 153 Vivian Schiller, chief digital officer, NBC news 157 Chiki Sarkar, publisher, Penguin India 160 Rebecca Brooks, brilliant PR strategist 163 Dianne Jacob, award-winning writer and author 167 Diana Abu-Jaber, award-winning novelist 171 Mollie Cox Bryan, cookbook author and novelist 175 Sydny Miner, vice president, executive editor of Crown Archetype 179 Bee Yin Low, blogger and best-selling cookbook author 182 Molly Wizenberg, best-selling cookbook author 186 Deborah Madison, award-winning cookbook author 189 Aviva Goldfarb, best-selling author and owner of Six O’Clock Scramble 193 Rebecca Katz, best-selling cookbook author 198 Sara Moulton, TV show host and best-selling author 203 T. Susan Chang, award-winning writer and author 208 Pam Krauss, vice president, publishing director of Rodale 213 Saira Mohan, super model and author 218 Ritu Dalmia, chef, TV show host and best-selling author 222 Acknowledgements 225

4 Introduction

I read once that motivation is like bathing: it is recommended daily. Ah, I knew what that felt like from first-hand experience. The publishing industry had been hit hard and I felt like I needed a daily dose of motivation and inspiration to keep me going. With that in mind, in early 2011 I launched a series on my website called “In Conversation with Exceptional Women.”

I could not think of a better way for myself to get motivated than to talk with women who were making great strides despite the harsh economic climate. I chose women who I thought embodied positivity, reflected grace and possessed great smarts. The series initially featured interviews with more than twenty-five women who have inspired me over the years and whom I believed would be an inspiration to others.

I spoke with these women on how they defined success and how they lived life to its fullest potential. The interviews are intended to inspire and motivate, and I believe they are very successful in doing so. You will notice a theme in the selection of women: most are in media (writers, chefs, authors, celebrities). These are the women I am surrounded by in my life as a writer.

Today, I am happy to present you with these brief but intense interviews. In addition to the interviews that I conducted online, I have included over twenty additional interviews not previously published on my blog.

Among the interviewees are:

Kim Severson, former New York Times food writer and current Atlanta bureau chief

Ruth Reichl, former editor-in-chief of Gourmet and former restaurant critic of the New York Times

5 Susan Orlean, legendary New Yorker writer and book author

Lynne Rosetto Kasper, host of American Public Media’s The Splendid Table

Dana Cowin, editor-in-chief, Food & Wine magazine

I hope the interviews will inspire you as much as they have inspired me. Read the section on how successful women define success and then create your own definition. This one step helped me define who I am and what my purpose is.

My definition of success: Waking up with a smile on my face and going to bed with a smile in my heart.

Happy reading!

6

Aarti Sequeira, Food Network star

I was so thrilled when Aarti Sequeira [http://www.aartipaarti.com/] won the competition to become a Food Network star and now, she has just finished recording her third season of Aarti Party [http://www.foodnetwork.com/aarti-party/index.html]! How terrific! Bubbly, vivacious, full of life and just all around a great person, Aarti has proved over and over again that if you follow your passion, with all your might and with a positive attitude, you can and will succeed.

My one word for Aarti: Fantastic

Tell my readers a little bit about your background. You went from being on YouTube to becoming a Food Network star. Tell us a little bit about that journey. Did you always want to do this?

Oh gosh, no. It was a complete and utter surprise. Since the age of seventeen, I had decided that I was going to be a reporter, that Christiane Amanpour and I would walk arm in arm, dodging bullets to get the truth. Hey, I was seventeen.

But God had other ideas. I worked at CNN for a while, and then all of a sudden, work dried up. I couldn’t get work no matter how hard I tried. Then, a friend said, “You should have a cooking show.” I laughed at the idea because I hardly considered myself a cooking expert. I just liked to cook. But my husband, who has always been my biggest cheerleader, immediately took to the idea, and did a very Hollywood thing: he wrote a one-sheet concept of the show, which he called “Aarti Paarti.” Pretty soon we were shooting in our tiny kitchen, and working in variety elements that not only showcased our goofy personalities, but attracted viewers who don’t normally watch cooking shows.

When someone said that I should try out for Food Network Star, I was baffled yet again. There’s a running theme here, isn’t there? I’d watched a few episodes of the show, and it had quickened

7 my resting heart rate to concerning levels. Here were people who were food professionals, trained at the best schools in the world, with successful restaurants or catering businesses… and they were struggling. How the heck was I going to do it?

That’s why I count this all as a miracle. There’s no way that, on paper, I should have won. But somehow, I did. And it has changed my life.

What inspires you to cook?

Hunger. Ha!

Well, I really started learning to cook because I thought that was just what grown up women did! My mum was always so proud of the food she’d make—cooking wasn’t just about feeding us, it was about expressing our heritage or experimenting with a new ingredient or showcasing some incredibly fresh vegetables. I felt like I had to carry on that tradition. Cooking is something you can be proud of yourself for accomplishing—but free from stress and high stakes. I thank God every day for taste buds. Can you imagine eating food every day that was tasteless?!

I’m also inspired by creations I see on food blogs or at restaurants or in magazines. Oh, and the lavish spread of fruit and vegetables at our farmers’ markets here in Los Angeles—be still my beating heart! We are so spoiled; you can find a farmers’ market around town every day of the week. And everything is exquisite. We had strawberries in March this year! And they were red all the way through, juicy, sweet… amazing.

If you look back at your sixteen-year-old self, what advice would you offer yourself?

“This too shall pass.” I never felt like I fit in. I had pretty strict parents so I didn’t get to socialize outside of school all that much, which would make me feel like a bit of an outsider at school. That said, I did have some great friends. What I longed for most of all, though, was a boyfriend. Isn’t that funny? I based my self-worth on whether boys thought I was cute or not. I’m sure we all did at that age, right? I remember crying myself to sleep because I thought I was ugly and fat

8 and wouldn’t be of much use to anyone. That’s when all that negative self-talk probably started, and it haunts me to this day. Not only do I wish I could have told that sixteen-year-old version of myself that what a boy thinks of me doesn’t define me (heck, what anyone thinks of me doesn’t define me) but I wish I could have given her a glimpse of the future: I was going to meet a man on the third day of new student week at university who knocked my socks off with his kindness and genuine love, and that seven years later, I’d marry him and share a life with him that has been so much more exciting than I could ever imagine!

So, let’s pretend it is 11 p.m. and you are in the mood for a midnight snack. What do you reach for?

Ice cream ice cream ice cream ice cream. Any kind practically, although these days, since I found out that I’m allergic to gluten, I have to read the labels a bit more carefully—no more cookie dough! But yeah, ice cream is totally my Achilles heel. I could eat it every day for breakfast.

How do you motivate yourself?

I think about my kid sister in India, and my parents. I feel very responsible for them, especially for my sister who never got the chance to go to university. I now have the opportunity to take care of that for her, and eventually, to take care of my parents. I guess that’s the Indian in me.

If I opened your fridge, I would find…

At the moment, since I just finished shooting Season 3 (whoopee!), which means I haven’t had time to shop, you’d find a really weird assortment of things:

• Sapporo beer (gluten-free!) • Manchego cheese • Lots and lots of unsweetened almond milk • Lots and lots of Zico coconut water

9 • Various bottles of chutneys and homemade pickled beets and carrots and turnips • Gluten-free bread

One fact about you that would surprise people?

I love watching mixed martial arts! I hope to one day meet Dana White and kiss him on the top of his head.

What is your definition of success?

Having God say to me at the end of my life on earth: “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

What is next for you?

I just wrapped up shooting on Season 3 of Aarti Party so right now, I just need to clean up my apartment! But down the road, I want to write a cookbook, start a charity and organize a cool food-meets-music festival. That said, I’ve learned not to make plans. Look at my life so far! CRAZY!

Aarti Sequeira is an Indian-born, Los Angeles-based food blogger and host of the Internet cooking show Aarti Paarti. Her lifelong enthusiasm for food and background in television journalism helped her win Season 6 of Food Network Star and land her own show on the Food Network: the playful Aarti Party, in which Aarti uses Indian flavors to spice up American classics.

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Allison Winn Scotch, New York Times best-selling novelist

I met Allison several years ago on an online writing board. She was dynamic, funny and prolific. If it were school, I would have said that Allison would have been voted as “Most Likely to Succeed” by the writing group and I would have been right. This lovely lady who started out writing magazine articles went on to write a New York Times best-selling novel and more [http://www.amazon.com/Allison-Winn-Scotch/e/B001JSCC58]. What I love about Allison is that no matter how busy she is and no matter how much she has going on, she is always willing to help, always willing to lend a hand or a shoulder. I know you will find her as inspirational as I do.

My one word for Allison: Accomplished

Did you always want to be a writer? What do you think is the reason for your stupendous success in fiction? How and when did you decide to start writing fiction?

I think I always was a writer, but truthfully never considered it as a career because it seemed too outlandish. I mean, how the heck does one earn money writing things? Due to a fortuitous mix of circumstances, I, indeed, found myself being paid, and I haven’t looked back from there. While I wouldn’t call my success stupendous, I’d say that it’s due to a combination of many things. First, I do work my tush off. I’m very diligent when I’m in the thick of a manuscript, and I write every day, even when I don’t want to. Two, I’ve gotten lucky, of course, as has just about anyone who’s achieved a certain level of success. Timing always plays a part, and certainly, there were things that fell my way along the course of my career that may not have fallen my way had the timing been different. And three, I suppose that some of it has to do with my personality—my willingness to put myself out there and fail, and my refusal to accept anything less than the best, from both myself and the people I’ve surrounded myself with. I’m pretty lax in real life, but when it comes to my career, I push myself to be the best I can be.

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What inspires you to write?

Life. Life’s stories. My stories. My friends’ stories. Things I read, things I feel. I don’t know— it’s almost unquantifiable. Certainly, I go through periods when I worry that I won’t have anything else to say or write about, but almost inevitably, a seed of a new idea springs up— usually its roots are found in some emotion that I’m feeling at the time, whether it’s nostalgia or happiness or pain—and I find that I’m not yet out of words.

You have had a long and successful career. Who inspired you the most? Why?

Oh gosh, I’m not sure that I have a specific writing inspiration, but I will say that my parents really taught me the value of hard work and high expectations. My brother and I weren’t expected to be the best at everything we did, but we were expected to try our best. To compete with ourselves. (Without sounding like an Oprah quote.) My dad was never okay with second- best in his career, and I suppose that must have stuck with me.

If you look back at your sixteen-year-old self, what advice would you offer yourself?

Think big. (And tweeze your eyebrows.)

So, let’s pretend it is 11 p.m. and you are in the mood for a midnight snack. What do you reach for?

Ooh, good question! At 11 p.m., I’m almost always in bed, but hypothetically, it would be something sweet. I’ve always been a huge chocolate fiend, but lately, my taste buds have been pushing me in a tarter direction, so I may just reach for a pack of Sweet Tarts I keep in our upper cabinets (away from smaller hands).

How do you motivate yourself?

12 By setting limits. I think it’s really daunting to consider how far you have to go to write an entire book. I mean, to sit down and start at page 1 and get to page 300, and then anticipate four or five rounds of revisions? That feels crazy. So I take it day by day. I force myself to write 1-2k words a day, with the promise that once I’m done, I can totally be done for the day. Inevitably, I’m not done for the day—I have emails to answer and smaller projects like my blogs to manage—but if I so chose, after I reach that goal, I could conceivably blow off everything else for an afternoon of vegging. Dangling that treat for myself at the end of the line works pretty well.

If I opened your fridge, I would find…

This is so going to disappoint you because you’re such an amazing foodie, but my fridge is pretty basic. I have the standards for my kids: milk, yogurt, cheese, berries, carrots, orange juice, usually some roasted chicken and some guacamole or whatnot, and then some fresh pastas like pumpkin ravioli for my husband and me. Other than that? A lot of condiments! In my defense, I usually walk to the store as a way to get out of the house and get some exercise, so I almost always just pick up dinner the day of.

What is your definition of success?

Happiness. Surprisingly—and I suspect that a lot of authors will tell you this—this has very little to do with book sales, and much more to do with personal satisfaction of doing your best. And for me, raising kids who are excelling at being their best selves as well.

What are your top three bits of wisdom for new and aspiring fiction writers?

1) Have no ego about your work: constructive criticism is going to be your best friend, both now and for many years to come, and if you can’t heed it, you’re never going to get published.

2) Along those lines, always strive to get better. There is no resting on your laurels, no “I’m already good enough” in this industry.

13 3) Read the authors you admire and aspire to be as good as them.

Novelist Allison Winn Scotch is the New York Times best-selling author of The One That I Want, Time of My Life and The Department of Lost and Found. Her fourth book, The Song Remains the Same, will be released by Putnam Books in early 2012.

14

Amanda Hesser, co-creator of the revolutionary site Food 52

Amanda Hesser [http://www.food52.com/]. Ah, how do I describe her to you? I began to read her when I had just dipped my toe into the world of writing. And quite honestly, I was intimidated. She was über-talented, she was super young and she was playing with the big boys: my guess is that she was one of the youngest food writers ever at the New York Times. According to her site, in the eleven years that she was there, she wrote 800 stories. Eight hundred. And wrote books. And made babies. And made a huge name for herself along the way. Her recent The Essential New York Times Cookbook [http://www.amazon.com/Essential-New-York-Times- Cookbook/dp/0393061035] won the 2011 James Beard Foundation award, and recently she (and Merrill Stubbs) launched an innovative new food community called Food52. I had the pleasure of meeting her in person once, and she is just vibrant and beautiful. She is always on top of trends and often creates new ones. I, for one, cannot wait to see what she cooks up next.

My one word for Amanda: Brilliant

Congrats on all the success of Food 52! Simply amazing. In this day and age when the food publishing industry is struggling, what makes Food 52 so successful?

Well, it depends on how you measure success. They say the food publishing industry is struggling financially. But online, it’s not that much different. It’s still unclear if sites like food52 will be financially sustainable. We believe food52 will be because we approach media differently than traditional publishing. We see ourselves not as a content site but as a collaborative and constructive community—which means there is a point to our community. We use the site as a means to do things—to gather and vet recipes for cookbooks, to answer people’s food and cooking questions, to organize group cooking events, etc. One of our goals is to become the collaborative social hub for people who love food.

15 If you look back at your sixteen-year-old self, what advice would you offer yourself?

Don’t hesitate. Just go for it. And think of your career as a series of interesting and inspired experiences—then, if you find yourself bored or just complacent, you’ll know it’s time to push yourself to do something new.

So I have this well-documented “thing” for Nutella. Do you crave any particular junk food? Marshmallow fluff? Cheetos? Do share!

I’m a big fan of Fritos. They’re made with corn, salt and oil. Simple.

If I opened your fridge, I would find…

Oh, God. You would find so many bottles and jars and scraps of this and that—a trail of the makings of esoteric recipes, once-trendy ingredients, lots of olives and my husband’s beer.

The one ingredient that is your go-to solution when a recipe tastes blah?

Other than salt? Probably either Parmesan cheese or Tabasco.

What are some tips and tricks you use when developing recipes? How do you match and pair tastes and textures?

I’m lazy about dishwashing so I always try to figure out a way to use as few bowls and pans as possible. And as a general rule, unless you’re going for something with one wonderful texture, like pudding, then you probably want at least two to three contrasting textures. Also, you’ve probably heard of that rule with fashion—get dressed, then remove two accessories—well, recipe development is much the same. Work on your dish, then remove two ingredients.

If your son came to you and said that he wants to be a writer when he grows up, your reaction would be…?

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Yes, do become a writer, but please pursue it on the side. It’s become so difficult to make a living as a writer that I’d hate to see him go down what could be a frustrating or disappointing path. I’d much rather see him do something else that he loves that offers more stability, and for him to embrace the best part of being a writer: the writing itself.

One fact about you that would surprise people?

I love playing basketball.

What is your definition of success?

Getting to do what I want to be doing.

What drives you?

Fear of failure and fear of boredom. My parents had a very good work ethic—neither of them went to college, and when they had four young children, they risked everything to start a business. I’ve always felt a responsibility to work really hard.

What are the three pieces of advice you would give to new food writers?

Never eat the same meal twice.

Travel and experience as many different foods as you can.

Start a blog and find your voice.

Amanda Hesser wrote over 800 stories as a food reporter and editor at the New York Times, where she created the “Food Diary” and “Recipe Redux” columns. She is the author of the award-winning books The Cook and the Gardener, Cooking for Mr. Latte and most recently The

17 Essential New York Times Cookbook; the editor of the essay collection Eat, Memory; and cofounder of food52.com, a social hub for people who love food. She appears as herself in the film Julie & Julia.

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Joan Nathan, best-selling cookbook author

Joan Nathan is a force of nature! I love her intensity and her true love of her work. She works tirelessly to gather stories from around the globe and polish and then present them to the world. She has written so many books, but her enthusiasm to continue to do many more is really infectious. I always learn something when I talk to her: how to interview people, how to find the hidden stories, how to explore. The most important thing that I have learned from Joan is to go where the story is, to travel and get the information firsthand. That is what makes the difference!

My one word for Joan: Regal

Please tell us a little about your background. Where are you from? Where did you grow up?

I am from Providence, Rhode Island and grew up there and in the suburbs of New York City, in Larchmont.

You have had great success in your career as a cookbook author. For you personally, which success or achievement was the most important, and why?

That is like asking which baby you think is the most important. Each of my books is like a child to me, and I learn so much from writing each one and sharing with my readers what I have learned!

Can you tell us about one very difficult work-related situation you faced and how you came out of it?

19 The first time I wrote an article about a 90-year-old woman in Boston, I was so excited about the piece that I called her that morning. She complained to me about this and that and that her sister was angry that she wasn’t in the article. I was crestfallen. My next piece was about a fishmonger. The same thing happened when I called. I learned from those two experiences to lie low after you have written about someone. It is embarrassing, scary, and exciting to be in print but people have to get used to it. I also learned early on—and had done this with the people I wrote about—to always go over the facts and quotes copy with them before it is in print. I never go over the article. That is my province.

I love that your books have so many stories and are so rich. How do you find the stories? How do you get people to share their lives with you?

Writing my books is like going fishing. I know a lot of people and they lead me in the direction of people to write about. I also try to be myself and not to scare them. People’s stories, even more than the food, are the reason I write cookbooks. I also speak French and Hebrew fluently. When you make the effort to learn a foreign language, it is a big help with communicating with people.

If you look back at your sixteen-year-old self, what advice would you offer yourself?

Learn to type well (my father forced me to and I am so grateful). Learn as much as you can and go with your heart. Get experience and don’t worry that you don’t know where you are going. Life takes you on journeys you would never suspect. I thought I would be a sociologist, not a cookbook writer. I can’t think of a better way to spend my life.

So, let’s pretend it is 11:00 p.m. and you are in the mood for a midnight snack. What do you reach for?

A spoon right in the ice cream container, a piece of chocolate, or a glass of water, sometimes a glass of wine.

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How do you motivate yourself?

I make myself work every day… setting my own schedules. When you work for yourself you have to create your own schedule. I try to get out of the house every morning for a walk, a run (more like a real slow jog), a swim, or tennis. Then I come back as if to another space, my office. I work straight through, stopping for a quick lunch. (I really try not to take lunches out very often.) The time flies by somehow and I love each day.

If I opened your fridge, I would find …

A bottle of preserved lemons, lots of rhubarb from my garden waiting to be put into a pie, celery, carrots, cheese, butter, milk, yogurt, and feta from a local farm.

One fact about you that would surprise people?

I love catsup.

What is your definition of success? Doing something that you love and persevering at it.

What advice would you give aspiring cookbook authors?

Look at what is on the market, work hard, and follow what you love. Learn to write and to edit yourself!

Joan Nathan [joannathan.com] is the author of ten cookbooks including the recently published Quiches, Kugels and Couscous: My Search for Jewish Cooking in France (Knopf, November 2010). She is a regular contributor to the New York Times, Food Arts, and Tablet, among other publications.

21

Corinne Trang, award-winning cookbook author

Corinne is such a great inspiration. I have never seen any other writer marry food, spirituality, yoga, and meditation in the way that Corinne does. And she practices what she preaches. Her Facebook postings are frequently about how to detox and how to keep your body well and healthy. She has a genuinely generous spirit. Oh, and her cookbooks always make me super-hungry!

My one word for Corinne: Spiritual

Please tell us a little about your background. Where are you from? Where did you grow up?

I was born in France and raised partly there, but also in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, and the U.S. My cooking is largely influenced by that simple fact. My Chinese side of the family was in Cambodia, Vietnam, and Indonesia. I grew up eating all sorts of foods as a result, and cooking came somewhat naturally to me. I started my career as a food writer when I became Producing Editor and Test Kitchen Director at Saveur from 1995 to 1998. I left the magazine to write my first cookbook, Authentic Vietnamese Cooking: Food from a Family Table (1999), then came five other books including Essentials of Asian Cuisine (2003) and Noodles Every Day (2009). I’ve taught food writing at NYU and UT Austin and culinary arts at Drexel University and Syracuse University. I’ve also lectured on Asian food and culture at numerous other venues including Mass MoCA, Harvard, and Asia Society, for example. I really never thought I would make a career out of something so close to my heart. I always thought that I would share food with friends and family, until a friend said to me one day, “When you do what you love and are passionate about, it’s not work.” It’s true. To be able to practice what I love every day is truly a luxury.

22 I love your Facebook updates on life and living. Can you share with us your philosophy of life and dealing with its ups and downs?

I try to live my life in the present moment at all times. I do not dwell in the past, but rather reflect in order to move forward. I also prefer not to think too much about the future. My preference is to stay in the “now” and appreciate each day as it comes. I practice yoga daily, which brings me great peace, focus, strength, and balance, essentially. Through my regular practice of yoga, I found spirituality. The spiritual aspect of my life came to me fairly late in life, if you consider that many of us are assigned a religion shortly after we are born. My parents gave me a choice, rather than impose a belief system upon me. I’m very grateful for that. It wasn’t until about four or five years ago that I became interested in studying Buddhism, which to me feels more like a philosophy than a strict religion. My daily yoga practice includes meditation as many as three times a day. I like to read ancient scriptures such as the Baghavad Gita, The Dhammapada, and the Pali Canon, for example. These are books that I pick up to read a page or two at a time, and sometimes just a paragraph. The texts inspire me to slow down the pace, and be more mindful every day. When I slow down I have clarity and am able to do more. You can practice yoga, or live it. I choose to live it. I’ve learned to deal with life’s ups and downs by taking full responsibility for my actions. In other words, I point the finger at myself. In that way I experience a higher form of happiness and freedom.

Can you tell us about one very difficult work-related situation you faced and how you came out of it?

The Internet presented a difficult problem for a while. There I was happily making a living as a writer, when all of a sudden food bloggers and free recipes including my very own started showing up on the Internet. At first it scared me because as a cookbook author and contributor to magazines. I thought, “Well, if this keeps going, how am I ever going to continue making a living as a writer?” I knew that it was time for me to reinvent myself applying what I already knew about food with my style of living, to the next phase in my life and career. Food and yoga were two things I knew well. Today I have a

23 hybrid food coaching practice dedicated to helping people build healthy relationships with food. It’s not about dieting. My approach is to help people develop ways to connect body mind and spirit through food, one of life’s simple pleasures. I use yoga and meditation to help them focus. You can choose to live by simply going through the motions as in “eat on the run” without giving it much thought, or you can start feeling what you put in your body and learn to listen to what it’s craving, when, and how much. At first, clients ask to be put on a diet because they don’t want to have to think. Then I break the news and tell them that I have no interest in depriving them of food with the exception of junk food and processed foods, including those labeled “organic.” Through food meditations, I teach them how to connect the fives senses—SMELL, SIGHT, TOUCH, TASTE, SOUND—to the five flavor notes—SWEET, SOUR, SALTY, SPICY, and BITTER. From there I guide them through developing an intimate relationship with food. Eating is a sensual act, which can give great pleasure if celebrated rather than taken for granted. I came out of a difficult situation by thinking outside the box and offering to others what I’ve practiced for many years and have been asked about for almost as long. I’m happy to report that I’m also at work on another cookbook, when I didn’t think the contracts were coming. The funny thing is that my writing career has also shifted to address healthy eating more directly than in the past. I’ll be teaching “mindful eating” workshops at Kripalu and Omega in 2012. This year I’ll be teaching at Lake Austin Spa Resort several times on the same subject. A difficult situation forced me to grow and look at my own life more closely. It’s not without its challenges, but my “new and improved” career definitely speaks more to my lifestyle than ever before. I’ve developed a voice that is 100 percent my own as a result and one that is constantly evolving as I continue to learn and share with others.

You have had a long and successful career. Who inspired you the most? Why?

The women in my family inspire me the most. They work hard, face challenges rather well, and they’re amazing cooks!

24 Can you share your philosophy around recipe development? How do you create such wonderful dishes?

Keep it simple without compromising on flavor! My palate has changed over the years and I find that my food is more balanced today than it ever was. I listen to people and create foods that are accessible to anyone because at the end of the day, food is meant to be shared and enjoyed. Freshness in ingredients is key, and seasonal and local whenever possible. I want my food to inspire people to cook at home, not to scare them so they run to the phone and dial for take-out. I try to keep the ingredient list and cooking time to a minimum, as a result. For me getting people to cook healthful foods at home is like teaching them self-care. Indeed the Chinese consider food to be medicine. It’s all the same. If you eat well, you will be well.

If you look back at your sixteen-year-old self, what advice would you offer yourself?

Stop being so arrogant and listen to your elders. They may just have good advice.

So, let’s pretend it is 11:00 p.m. and you are in the mood for a midnight snack. What do you reach for?

I’m going to disappoint here, but I don’t snack at 11 p.m. and couldn’t even begin to pretend at this point in my life. But if I asked my sixteen-year-old self that same question, “camembert with baguette, and a glass of wine if no one is watching,” would be one answer.

How do you motivate yourself?

Knowing that I’m responsible for my own happiness is motivation enough.

If I opened your fridge, I would find…

25 Lots of vegetables and fruit, and cornichon, eggs, bread, chili pastes, shrimp paste, Dijon, curry paste, etc… It’s packed with good (sometimes weird) stuff!

One fact about you that would surprise people?

I’m an alto singer and love to sing whenever I get the chance… lately in the shower and the car, but I used to frequent the karaoke clubs when I traveled to Asia! And, I do a great Rocky Balboa screaming “ADRIENNE!” No joke!

What is your definition of success?

Inner peace!

What advice would you give new food writers?

If that’s what you truly want, go for it and don’t let anyone discourage you. Learn as much as you can about the world’s food cultures. If you can’t write anything nice, don’t write anything at all. It doesn’t serve anyone to write a negative review, especially when it isn’t balanced with something positive. Learn how to cook before you criticize someone else’s food. Be patient, fair, truthful, and mindful.

Corinne Trang is the award-winning author of several books including Noodles Every Day (2009), Curry Cuisine (2007), The Asian Grill (2006), A Food Lover’s Companion: Vietnamese (2006), Essentials of Asian Cuisine (2003), and Authentic Vietnamese Cooking (1999). Dubbed the “Julia Child of Asian Cuisine” by the Washington Post, she is a frequent television and radio guest and has appeared on national, regional, and cable networks. Trang is also the founder of Qi-Now, a hybrid food coaching and wellness program combining mindful eating, yoga, and meditation. The American Diabetes Association will publish her next book, The Asian Flavors Diabetes Cookbook, in 2012.

26

Andrea King Collier, award-winning author and essayist

Everyone needs a guru—a mentor whom you turn to in time of great need and in time of great happiness. Andrea King Collier [http://www.andreacollier.com/aboutandrea.html] is mine. She has stood by me through some really rough patches. She has guided my pen and my spirit many times. She catches me during my self-defeating moments and calls me on them. Andrea is super successful—she is the author of several books (including the award-winning Still With Me…A Daughter’s Journey of Love and Loss [http://www.amazon.com/Still-Me-Daughters-Journey- Love/dp/0743226100]), teaches sold-out essay writing classes and most recently appeared on TED and gave a talk on creativity. Look around yourself and find a guide like Andrea. Trust me, after that, the world is your oyster.

Oh, and trust me: You want to watch her TED talk. YOU WANT TO.

My one word for Andrea: Awesome

Did you always want to be a writer?

Yes, probably because I wasn’t good at anything else. I have always loved story and the ability to tell a good story. Now I had a period when I listened to people who told me that I couldn’t or wouldn’t be one. It was only when I listened to my heart that it started happening.

What inspired you to write your first book?

My first book or my first published book? LOL! My first book, Still With Me…A Daughter’s Journey of Love and Loss, which is being reissued as an e-book soon, is a story I ran from for about ten years. It is the story of mothers and daughters and all their stuff. My story just happens to have the backdrop of loss. It is a love letter to mothers and daughters.

27 Do you ever have writer’s block? How do you deal with it?

Not block, but I do get overwhelmed with ideas and don’t know where to start. So I will do anything to keep from wrestling down that blank page—or those 100 blank pages. Then there is a voice that shows up and says “If you don’t get your behind in that chair and start typing something, you are going to have to get a job swinging from a pole, and nobody wants to see that.” It is just enough to scare me over the hump.

You just gave a TED talk. What was the topic? What was the experience like?

The TEDx Lansing talk was amazing. I am such a geek that TED has been on my bucket list since I saw the first few on YouTube. My topic was creativity. And it was scary because I took away all my safety nets. No topics I am used to talking about. No PowerPoint, no notes. Just me, my thoughts on being invited to create and some boxes of crayons. And some live streaming—no pressure. I have an I Love Lucy philosophy on life. She’d try anything—crazy stuff. What’s the worst that could happen? What’s the best that could happen?

For me, I didn’t die, I didn’t pass out. I didn’t break out into the ugly cry or uncontrollable nervous laughter, or I didn’t freeze up for ten minutes. So it was good. And it was new territory.

If you look back at your sixteen-year-old self, what advice would you offer yourself?

It gets better. So much better than you can imagine.

So, let’s pretend it is 11 p.m. and you are in the mood for a midnight snack. What do you reach for?

I love ice cream. It is not good for me late at night. But that’s it. I am chasing this mythological Red Velvet Cake ice cream from Blue Bunny. They don’t sell it here. But I dream about it. Sick.

How do you motivate yourself?

28

I don’t. When I am unmotivated I don’t do much. But this doesn’t happen much. I think most people who know me well will tell you that I am always motivated and ready to kick butt. Why? Because I am fifty-four. If I don’t get it done now, when? And that specter of having to be an old stripper will always get me up off the couch and back to work.

One fact about you that would surprise people?

I am very introverted. An introverted extrovert. It is why writing is a perfect pursuit.

What is your definition of success?

Moving target. As I think about your question, it gives me an idea for an essay. In 2011, for me it is being able to do what I love, it is being willing to take risks, it is having a great family, and that I have been able to ride the freelance writer pony for over twenty years. It was having a pair of Christian Loboutins that I could walk in, last year.

You are such an amazing essayist. Can you give new essayists three pieces of advice on how to make their essays memorable?

Figure out what it’s about, and stop putting so much pressure on what happened. Understand that the first paragraph is usually throat clearing—write it and then kill it. If you are not willing to tell the truth, then maybe you aren’t ready to tell that story. And one more for good measure: take responsibility for what you write. Don’t act surprised when you piss people in your family off. Don’t be dumb.

Andrea King Collier has been writing about health and health policy issues for the last twenty years, with a focus on developing strategies to improve health outcomes in communities of color. She’s the author of the award-winning health memoir Still With Me…A Daughter’s Journey of Love and Loss and the lead author of The Black Woman’s Guide to Black Men’s Health. Her work appears regularly in Essence, More, Ladies Home Journal, Woman’s Day, O: The Oprah

29 Magazine, Real Health, Healthy Living, The National Medical Association Magazine, Better Homes and Gardens, AARP Magazine, Heart Healthy Living and many others.

30

Andrea Nguyen, best-selling cookbook author

Andrea Nguyen [http://www.vietworldkitchen.com/] never fails to amaze me. And when I say never, I mean never. A food writer and cookbook author, Andrea is on the top of her game. Her books are like Bibles for whatever topic she is handling at the moment. She researches her subjects, creates delectable recipes and writes like a dream. Andrea and I spoke to a group of students at Yale a year or so ago. I don’t know about the students, but I certainly walked away super-inspired by Andrea. She writes what she believes in, is on top of trends (her Asian Dumplings book [http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1580089755?ie=UTF8&tag=vietworldkitc- 20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1580089755], which I adored, now has embedded video and more), and has a no-nonsense approach to her work and radiates charm.

My one word for Andrea: Brilliant

What is the secret of your stupendous success?

Persistence, luck and pluck. This is not an easy industry to break into, but the opportunities are growing. But you have to have something to say, to contribute. You also have to hone your research, writing and communication skills. I like to be challenged so I try to work with the best people around. Putting yourself in the line of fire is a good thing because you force yourself to stretch. There are few overnight successes. You have nothing to lose in trying.

I’ve had many careers as a bank examiner, cook, university administrator and communication consultant. In the back of my mind, I wanted to be a cookbook author and didn’t know how exactly I’d get there. Things eventually worked out. Now I find myself applying skills from my previous jobs to my work as a professional food writer. Life is a long and winding road.

31

What inspires you to cook?

Cooking is a craft that I practice and learn from on a regular basis. My mother inspired me from childhood to understand how ingredients and techniques work in order to create good food. It’s that ongoing curiosity that brings me back to the kitchen every day.

If you look back at your sixteen-year-old self, what advice would you offer yourself?

First-generation Asian immigrants don’t all have to be doctors, lawyers, dentists, or bankers.

So, let’s pretend it is 11 p.m. and you are in the mood for a midnight snack. What do you reach for?

A bowl of rice topped with a slightly crisp fried egg finished with few shots of Maggi Seasoning Sauce and lots of black pepper.

How do you motivate yourself?

I’ve worked as a consultant and freelancer for years so I’m used to working alone or as part of a fluid team of virtual colleagues. What gets my mojo going? The obvious motivating forces are the deadlines and desire to be paid. But in addition to that, I enjoy creating something new and different.

If I opened your fridge, I would find …?

Lots of condiments, various kinds of tofu, vegetables and wine.

One fact about you that would surprise people?

I like instant noodle soup.

32

What is your definition of success?

Loving what you do and being able to make a living from it.

What does a typical day look like for you?

I wake up around 8 a.m., work out, and then have a cup of coffee and simple breakfast. Then I go online to do email, blog and check in on what’s happening on Twitter and Facebook. By late morning, I’m in the kitchen tweaking recipes, researching, or writing. Somewhere in there I fit in a shower and lunch. Then it’s back to work.

In late afternoon, I take a break for a daily walk with my husband, during which we chat about the day and buy groceries for dinner. We further decompress over wine and snacks while we make dinner together. After eating and cleanup, I usually go back to work for several more hours. When I’m on deadline for a book manuscript as I am now, I don’t get to bed till 11 p.m. or midnight.

Andrea Nguyen is a cookbook author, freelance writer and cooking instructor. Her website, VietWorldKitchen.com, explores the culinary traditions of Vietnam and other Asian countries. A contributing editor to Saveur, Andrea is also the author of Into the Vietnamese Kitchen (a James Beard award finalist for Best Asian Cookbook) and Asian Dumplings. Her latest book, Asian Tofu, will be released by Ten Speed Press in spring 2012.

33 Carla Hall, co-host, ABC’s The Chew

Carla Hall is a friend and a personal hero. I admire people who go through life finding out what they love and then pursuing it with a passion that equals no other. Carla’s energy and spirit is addicting. I talk with her and I feel uplifted. I know this interview will do that for you.

My one word for Carla: Uplifting

Tell my readers a little bit about your background. You are one of the most successful food personalities to date—what is the secret of your stupendous success? You went from being a CPA to a model to a TV star. What was the reason behind all the changes?

As a child I was very shy, and to bring me out of the shyness, my mother put me in a theatre summer camp. I just loved it, so much so that I continued to be involved in theatre from that point on throughout high school. I wanted to make acting and dancing a career, so I auditioned for the conservatory at Boston University. As things would have it, my admission would have been delayed, so I ended up at Howard University in Washington, DC where my sister was already enrolled. I made an about-face and majored in accounting but really, all I ever thought about was acting. After studying accounting, I figured I was supposed to go work for a Big Eight accounting firm (at the time), so I joined Price Waterhouse. I have always been about doing exceedingly well at whatever I am tasked with and about getting to the top, so I then went on to get a CPA.

While I was at Howard, I fell into the annual Fashion Show scene, which was quite popular there. Perhaps that was because I was tall and lanky. During my stint at Price Waterhouse in Tampa, Florida, I used my limited modeling experience as a way to meet people and to create a life outside of the accounting world. After two years of forcing a round peg into a square hole, I realized that I hated my job. My model friends were heading to Paris, and I couldn’t think of a single reason why I shouldn’t follow suit. I knew that was not what I wanted to do with the rest of my life but at the time, it was the right decision. This move would hopefully bridge the gap between what I definitely didn’t want to do, and what I would eventually love to do.

34

I told my mom that I had done all she ever wanted me to do and now I was going to try something different. So off I went to Paris with no full-time job and armed with only a few French words.

You know, I was mostly afraid to be forty and hating my job. I knew I was destined to do something else and I just had to find it.

I have always loved food. I had a great time in Paris, where a lot of the socialization took place in the kitchen (with a bunch of models, if you can believe that!), and in London. I came home really inspired.

My mom got sick, so I came back home to the U.S. to care for her. I began cooking even more from the cookbooks I had recently been stockpiling. Once my mom was well, I returned to DC with some learned recipes in my arsenal. One day I took lunch to a friend at her office and when asked what the name of the company was who was delivering, I immediately conjured up the name “The Lunch Basket.” A new business was born. I had seven clients in the first week and 14 another week after that. I felt like I had found my place: I loved cooking for people, I loved nurturing them and food allowed me to do all of that.

I remember working really hard, every day, back then and just absolutely loving it.

What inspires you to cook?

Honestly, for me cooking is the most nurturing thing you can do for someone. It’s not only a way for me to show love and nourish the ones that I have around me, but it’s also an honor to cook for others.

I think I am most creative with ingredients that I don’t like! I am always trying to figure out how to make them so that I would love them and the people whom I serve them to would love them!

35

The artist in me is inspired by everything around me.

You have an amazingly busy schedule, how do you manage to do it all and yet be so fun- spirited? I mean, I have never seen you cranky!

I think it comes back to my work and what I do. I want to make people happy. I feel I am successful when people around me are happy!

I do have my bad days but I am lucky to be surrounded by really good friends and my very supportive husband. They really help carry me through the bad times.

When something difficult or bad happens, I don’t put it on anyone else. I don’t blame anyone. I take responsibility and sometimes I cry (sometimes you just have to have a nice, noisy cry) and then I call the people I trust and talk to them. I try to figure out what lessons I can learn and how I can move on. And I trust that I will learn and I will move on and I will get to the other side.

I laugh a lot! I was at the grocery store the other day. It was raining outside and as soon as I rushed into the store, I fell. And I mean a bad, slow-motion fall and all I could think of was how funny and silly I must have looked and I could not stop laughing. I don’t take myself too seriously. I think this ability to laugh at myself keeps me very fun-spirited. But see, I knew I would get up from the fall. This is key in any bad situation—you may fall, but know that you will get up and recover and move on.

Overall, though, I think I am very energetic. I am always on the move and I think this helps keep my spirits high in general!

One thing that I have told you and others repeatedly is that I love how authentic you were on Top Chef. You were yourself. Did you ever feel the pressure to not be “you” and try something different in the face of all that fierce competition? How did you stop yourself?

36

When I was on Top Chef, I think I was still finding my food voice. I knew who I was, personally, but not professionally. When people are on reality TV, I think they keep adjusting to who they think their audience thinks they should be so it is hard to be yourself. I was just trying to find a small facet of myself, so being who I was at that point was not as hard. You know, one of my biggest fears was that of being judged! But I found myself on TV and faced exactly that fear in front of millions of people.

And now you are on The Chew. Is that different?

I have to tell you—I am having a ball on the show. It is a lot of fun to be on it and share with people who I am and what my food is about. I think the show shows who I am. It shows that I am not a one-dimensional person and that I have different attributes to my personality, just like everyone else does. One thing that is hard is being “ON”/engaging while juggling the cooking, and storytelling and time constraints of live TV. Some days I have low energy and I have to pull myself up so that I don’t let that energy reflect on the rest of the group and bring them down! But all in all, it is a great experience and I feel very blessed.

If you look back at your sixteen-year-old self, what advice would you offer yourself?

“Don’t be so hard on yourself.” I am very hard on myself and I try to be the “best” at whatever I am doing. I am so afraid of being judged and disappointing others that I keep working harder and harder and it becomes this never-ending cycle.

I think I would tell myself that it is okay not to know some things. That the answer is often times in the question, so don’t be afraid to ask questions. I would also say that I should love myself like I love other people. That is what will make everything fine!

So, let’s pretend it is 11 p.m. and you are in the mood for a midnight snack. What do you reach for?

37 I am usually asleep by 11 p.m. So let’s try nine! At that time, I would grab something sweet— cookies, or ice cream. I definitely have a sweet tooth (but nothing too sweet and sugary.)

How do you motivate yourself?

I have a mantra that I repeat everyday on my way to work: I release all my fears and I constantly remind myself to be grateful.

Also, people motivate me. I am an “elevator talker.” I love to talk to people and I get my energy from that. And I like to lift other people up. Lifting them lifts me!

If I opened your fridge, I would find…

Matthew’s (my husband) Diet Coke! Almond milk, and condiments. I love condiments: ketchup, mayo, Sriracha. I have gherkins which I love and oh, I may not have a single vegetable at times but I will always have a lemon! Lemons are my desert island ingredient—I cannot be without them!

One thing about you that would surprise people?

I have no sense of direction! I can read a map but I am always getting lost! I cannot be distracted when I’m trying to find my way some place.

What is your definition of success?

Success is being happy in the moment of what you are doing and learning something new every single day. Success is not a destination but all the joyous things that happen along the way.

Carla discovered her love for food while modeling in Europe. After graduating L’Academie de Cuisine, Carla worked as sous chef at the Henley Park Hotel, and Executive Chef at both The State Plaza Hotel and The Washington Club. America fell in love with Carla’s heartfelt approach

38 as she cooked her way into the finals on season five of the award-winning Bravo show Top Chef, and again in season eight on Top Chef All-Stars.Today, Carla continues to cook from the heart, and balances her Southern traditions, classic French training, and holistic approach to food as one of five hosts on ABC’s newest daytime talk show, The Chew, and as the creator and owner of Alchemy by Carla Hall, an artisan cookie company, in Washington, DC.

39 Camille Noe Pagán, debut novelist and longtime professional writer

If you are lucky, you will have a friend like Camille Noe Pagán [http://www.camillenoepagan.com/]. I met Camille on a writers’ board many years ago and followed her writing about nutrition and health magazines. She is every editor’s dream, I am sure. When I read her articles, I always come away having learned something new. Now, Camille has released her first novel, The Art of Forgetting [http://www.amazon.com/Art- Forgetting-Camille-Noe-Pagan/dp/0525952195]. I read the book earlier this year and I can tell you this: you will NOT forget it. It is about friendship and how quickly lives can change. She is a smart writer, no doubt, but she also has a terrific head on her shoulders. She is one of the most balanced people I know. On occasion, I have called her with my “sky is falling” rants. Camille is always calm, full of practical advice, and almost always talks me off the ledge.

My one word for Camille: Terrific

Tell my readers a little bit about your background and about your novel?

I write primarily about health and nutrition for consumer magazines and websites. I’ve always wanted to write fiction, though—and when I say always, I remember being a small child and making my own books! One of the highlights of my childhood was winning a young author’s contest in fourth grade. So fiction has definitely been a life-long dream.

A few years ago, I was doing research for a magazine article about brain health, and stumbled on research about brain injury. I ended up doing far more research than required, and I realized that I was looking at a great fiction idea. I’d always wanted to write a book about friends, too, and so the idea for The Art of Forgetting came together in my head in a really organic way.

The Art of Forgetting is the story of Marissa and Julia, two longtime friends whose relationship is irrevocably changed after Julia—the alpha friend—is in an accident that affects her memory and personality, and begins dredging up old issues between herself and Marissa. (There’s an excerpt on my web site.)

What inspires you to write? How/why did you decide to write fiction?

I don’t have a good answer to that question. I end up creating stories in my head, and every once in a while, one sticks with me and I decide to put it down on paper.

You have an amazingly busy schedule with little ones and magazine writing etc. How do you manage to find the time to do it all?

It’s really an ongoing challenge and I’m constantly shifting my schedule and priorities to figure out how to get it all in. Most days, I work on magazine articles and book publicity until about 2 or 3 in the afternoon—I have a sitter for my son, and my daughter goes to preschool part time. Then I’m with the kids. Around dinner, I check back on work stuff, and then after the kids go to bed, I write fiction. I work on the weekends, too, usually on fiction. I’m fortunate because right now, my husband is also freelancing and works from home, so we have a lot of flexibility. On days where one of us needs to work longer, the other can fill in.

If you look back at your sixteen-year-old self, what advice would you offer yourself?

Don’t take yourself so seriously. It will all work out.

So, let’s pretend it is 11 p.m. and you are in the mood for a midnight snack. What do you reach for?

A spoonful of peanut butter, preferably the chunky kind from Whole Foods.

How do you motivate yourself?

41 I’ve always been a goal-oriented person, so motivation usually comes easy. I find the key to getting things done is breaking it down in steps. That, and lists; I’m an obsessive list maker. My mother recently brought me a notebook from when I was about six or seven, and I had listed all of the stuffed animals that I kept on my bed.

If I opened your fridge, I would find …?

Today? Salad greens, dozens of condiments and cooking sauces, cheese, sparkling water, a skirt steak, two dozen eggs. And always, milk. My husband and I are both coffee fanatics and make espresso with warm milk several times a day.

One fact about you that would surprise people ?

I may be a health and nutrition writer, but I’m not afraid to eat McDonald’s from time to time. I probably shouldn’t say this, but I love their cheeseburgers.

What is your definition of success?

Being my own boss. Knowing I’ve done the things in life I set out to. Having a happy family. Getting ahead without stepping on anyone.

What are the three pieces of advice you would give to aspiring fiction writers?

1. Almost everyone you encounter will tell you it can’t be done, or will doubt your ability to do it. Ignore them.

2. Don’t be intimidated by word count. If you can write 250 words a day, you’ll complete a novel in less than a year.

42 3. Write the novel that you’d enjoy reading—not what you think other people want to read. Yes, you have to think commercially to some degree, but if you fake it, your readers will be able to tell.

Camille Noe Pagan is a journalist specializing in health and nutrition. Her articles have appeared in dozens of national publications and websites, including Allure, CookingLight, Glamour, O: The Oprah Magazine, Self and Women’s Health. She’s a contributing editor at Arthritis Today and co-founder of SvelteGourmand.com, a website dedicated to good food and good health. Her first novel, The Art of Forgetting, was released in 2011. Camille is currently hard at work on her second novel.

43

Clotilde Dusoulier, best-selling cookbook author and blogger

I have a crush on the Chocolate and Zucchini [http://chocolateandzucchini.com/] blog. Well, it is more than a crush. It is a love affair. I head there when I want to read and be happy! The face behind the blog is, as you all know, Clotilde Dusoulier, a wonderfully talented and extremely successful writer. I identify with her because just like me, she is a former engineer who turned to food writing. She has made a big name for herself in a very short time. I know you will find her as charming, inspiring and glorious as I do!

My one word for Clotilde: Magnificent

Tell my readers a little bit about your background. You are one of the most successful food personalities to date—what is the secret of your stupendous success?

I was born and raised in Paris, where I studied to become a software engineer. After graduation I worked for two years in Silicon Valley, and this is when I really started to cook and realize how passionate I was about food. I started my blog in 2003 to share that passion, and the enthusiastic response I got encouraged me to explore food writing as a career.

I gradually took on more and more assignments on the side while still working full-time at my software company, and after a couple of years I felt ready to quit the proverbial day job and give this new career a chance. That was six years ago, and I’ve now worked longer as a writer than as an engineer, so I think I can stop calling it my “new career.” It feels very nice.

I don’t think of myself as a stupendously successful food personality (though I do appreciate the kind words!), but the most important rules I work by are to one, follow my instincts; two, know when to say no; and three, take things one day at a time: I’m not a “master plan” sort of person, but rather I feel that it’s the smaller, daily decisions made carefully that add up to build a career.

44 What inspires you to cook?

I am definitely a produce-oriented cook, so it all begins with fruits and vegetables, and my wanting to make the most of them while they’re in season. Also, I’m very curious and always trying to discover new flavors, learn new techniques and try new ingredients.

If you look back at your sixteen-year-old self, what advice would you offer yourself?

I would give her a hug and tell her to lighten up, to trust that she already has most of it right, and that the rest will work itself out naturally.

So, let’s pretend it is 11 p.m. and you are in the mood for a midnight snack. What do you reach for?

I’m not really a late-night snacker, but if you twist my arm I’ll go for a couple of squares of dark chocolate.

How do you motivate yourself?

I’m a fairly self-disciplined person so it’s rare that it’s a problem, but what I’ve found is this: on those days when everything feels like trudging through mud, I’ve learned that it’s best to just give myself the afternoon off, do something fun and refreshing, and know that I’ll get back to work the next day in a much better mindset.

If I opened your fridge, I would find …

I am currently fridgeless because my kitchen is being renovated, but ordinarily you would find several kinds of nut butters, some apples, a bottle of water kefir [http://chocolateandzucchini.com/archives/2011/04/water_kefir_tibicos.php], strong mustard, harissa, a half-full bottle of wine from the night before, an overflowing produce drawer, and a bunch of containers with various leftovers that I try to keep organized.

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What is your definition of success?

Having the freedom to do what you love, and the luxury of doing only that.

What three pieces of wisdom would you share with new food bloggers?

Can I do five? They would be:

1. Stay true to yourself, your voice and your interests. The only way you’ll capture readers’ interest is by being genuine.

2. Connect. Blogging is all about community, so reach out to people whose work you enjoy, share information that you think they’ll find useful, contribute to the conversation.

3. Give credit where credit is due. No one writes or cooks in a vacuum, and if someone or something inspired you, say so. It doesn’t take anything away from you or your work, and intellectual honesty goes a long way to build trust between you and your readers.

4. Keep at it. It takes time and work to build a voice and an audience, and you’ll no doubt have moments of discouragement, but know that it gets easier and more gratifying with time, and your persistence will pay off.

5. Have fun. A blog is a great sandbox in which to play and experiment. It’s good to have some sense of your editorial line and general focus, but at the end of the day you should blog about whatever you’re excited about, and not be afraid to shake things up by trying new things, new topics and new formats.

Clotilde Dusolier is the Parisian food writer behind the award-winning blog Chocolate & Zucchini. She is the author of the cookbook Chocolate & Zucchini as well as Clotilde’s Edible Adventures in Paris, a guide to Parisian restaurants and food shops. Her stories and recipes have

46 appeared in French, British and American publications such as Bon Appétit, Saveur, Martha Stewart Living and the New York Times Magazine, among many others.

47 Heidi Swanson, best-selling cookbook author and blogger

Each time I think of Heidi Swanson, an old Indian melody plays in my head. I will attempt a translation: it is a love song about a beautiful woman and the likenesses she has in nature. She is likened to a warm, gentle rain, a dancing peacock, a poet’s dream, a moonlight night. Heidi reminds me of all of these. Her recipes are so soulful and so delightful, and there is always something for everyone to fall in love with.

My one word for Heidi: Refreshing

I really adore your website. It is so inspiring. I love your selection of recipes as well. They are always soulful. In this day and age when the food publishing industry is struggling, what makes your site so successful?

Thanks, Monica, that’s really nice of you to say. I’m not sure I have a good answer. I think some of my site’s reach can simply be attributed to the fact that it has been around so long. Beyond that, who even knows? I try not to think about it too much. I try to share things on my site that I’m genuinely excited about. I don’t spend much time thinking or trying to guess what people might want. I’m a certain flavor of cook that isn’t for everyone—i.e., natural foods, vegetarian. My hope is that I can eventually find “my people” and they can find me.

Beyond that, the primary function of my site has always been for it to serve as a creative outlet. A way for me to learn, and share, and connect with others. I still get excited about working on each post—and this is after the better part of a decade. I learn something new every time I share a recipe or a photo or a story. I’ve met countless enthusiastic, talented people I wouldn’t have otherwise. So, that’s a long way of saying my definition of success is likely different than someone else’s.

If you look back at your sixteen-year-old self, what advice would you offer yourself?

48 This question made me laugh a bit. I think I have more to learn from my sixteen-year-old self than the other way around. I actually think about this a good amount. I try not to lose that youthful sense of adventure, curiosity, brazenness and ability to want to carve your own path in the world.

If I opened your fridge, I would find …

Let’s see. From the looks of it, I’ve been on a bit of a homemade condiment bender lately. There’s homemade harissa, liptauer spread, almond aioli, mustard, curried brown butter and a trio of vinaigrettes. There’s a supply of homemade beer. Then, asparagus, pea greens, baby broccoli, tofu, eggs, film, bags of flour, bags of grains. Sheep ricotta, crème fraiche, milk, jam, maple syrup—yikes, that’s just for starters. There’s clearly not enough room on the Internet for the contents of my refrigerator.

The one ingredient that is your go-to solution when a recipe tastes blah…

Salt. But if we’re properly salted, depending on the recipe, I might reach for harissa, or citrus zest or juice, or a good toasted nut oil.

What are some tips and tricks you use when developing recipes? How do you match and pair tastes and textures?

Images sort of pop into my head, and I work from there. Let’s say I’m thinking about a cake. I know what it looks like—the shape and the color. I think to myself, what does it look like when I slice into it? What will I find? What will it smell like? Is it crumbly or sponge-like? Will the knife hit anything on the way down the slice? Maybe gooey chocolate or crunchy nuts? What happens when I take a bite? That’s sort of the rabbit hole I let myself fall down when I’m thinking about recipes.

One fact about you that would surprise people?

49 My closet is pretty much a solid bank of black and navy. Maybe a bit of grey.

What is your definition of success?

Being able to spend my time as I please.

Photographer and cookbook author Heidi Swanson is the creator of the award-winning food blog

101 Cookbooks[http://www.101cookbooks.com/about/], which focuses on natural, whole foods and ingredients. Her cookbook, Super Natural Cooking, was a New York Times best seller and a James Beard Award nominee. Heidi’s writing and photography have also been featured in the Washington Post and Vegetarian Times, and on NPR.

50 Daisy Martinez, Food Network star

Daisy Martinez is a star through and through. I started following her on Facebook a year or so ago and each time she posted a recipe, I thought, this lady knows how to cook. She is all about authenticity, whether it is in her recipes or in her persona. She tells it like it is! I adore her recipes and wanted to chat with her about her success as a Food Network star. Come and join me as she shares her secrets, gives us some tips and takes us on a very exciting journey… from culinary school to TV star!

My one word for Daisy: Stunning

What was your journey to the Food Network like?

Two weeks out of culinary school (I went to the French Culinary Institute) I was hired by Culinary Producer Chris Styler to work as a kitchen assistant and recipe tester for Lidia Bastianich’s PBS production, Lidia’s Italian-American Table. It was during this shoot that I was introduced to the Executive Producer of the show, Geoffrey Drummond. While having lunch and making small talk at the shoot, one day, we got into a conversation about what kind of food I liked to cook. By the end of that production, I had an offer to shoot a show on my passion, Latin food.

After shooting twenty-six episodes of Daisy Cooks! for PBS, I met Rachael Ray at a New York Times Sunday Magazine panel called “How We Eat,” and found we had great chemistry. She finessed a meeting with Food Network, when she decided to produce a new show for me, Viva Daisy!

What inspires you to cook?

Strangely, quite a number of things. I can be ecstatically happy, or seriously sad. The kitchen is my temple, and the cutting board the altar. Family holidays and birthdays, cooking for friends

51 and loved ones, or simply spur-of-the-moment get-togethers will send me scurrying into the kitchen to whip up a way to say “I love you.” Conversely, something as heart-wrenching as a death will also find me making my way into the kitchen to create a platter or bowl of comfort. Following the tragedy of September 11, I ran a kitchen out of my home for two weeks, providing the FDNY’s holding station in Brooklyn with two delivered meals a day. Cooking those meals and kissing my children were the only things that saved my sanity during those darkest of days.

I have watched your show and you are one of the few on TV who actually cook real food! How do you decide on what recipes to make?

That’s an easy question! The food I cook on television is the food I cook for my family! I really believe that is the reason that my fans are as rabid as they are. They recognize the emotional connection I have to the dishes I make, because they also have memory connections to that food.

If you look back at your sixteen-year-old self, what advice would you offer yourself?

Hmmmm …my daughter just turned sixteen. I think that I would have advised myself to travel more as a young person, and maybe wait until I was a little older before getting married (I married at twenty-three). I have made it my mission to make sure that my children have developed a thirst for travel and a curiosity about food and culture.

So, let’s pretend it is 11 p.m. and you are in the mood for a midnight snack. What do you reach for?

That’s easy! I always keep a canister of smoked almonds on my desk for those late night munchies. I also love tart, crispy apples, like Gala or Red Delicious. Yum!

How do you motivate yourself?

I give my children a lot of credit when it comes to motivation. When you are a mom, your responsibilities extend beyond yourself, and I have always taken those responsibilities very

52 seriously. They give me reason to look for and try new, healthy alternatives, and to serve as an example to them as responsible young adults. I hope I can live up to the task!

If I opened your fridge, I would find …

Cheese (at least four different ones!), the makings of a salad (greens, tomatoes, citrus fruits), unsalted butter and last night’s leftovers (I always make enough that there is something to nosh for lunch if the kids are around).

One fact about you that would surprise people?

I am a rabid J.R.R. Tolkien fan (I am a Lord of the Rings geek!) and I love RPG online games. They are my dirty little secret!

What is your definition of success?

If I can look at myself at the end of the day and be secure that I have been the best mom, daughter, sister, wife, friend, teacher, chef, writer, etc. that I can possibly be, I feel incredibly successful. I have the privilege of making an impact with something that I am incredibly passionate about, sharing joy through food, and I am able to make a living from that while raising the most amazing children in the world? Successful? More than that, I am blessed!

What is next for you?

Well, my two youngest are almost out of the house, so I am looking at a lot more spare time on my hands. I am looking forward to continue my food writing (magazines and a new book?), and I am currently shopping a new show (different from “dump and stir” format) that explores the “farm to fork” experience. Also, now that I have all this time available, my dream of having my own restaurant is more of a possibility. The future looks good, I’m “wearing my shades, and getting good grades!”

53 [http://www.daisymartinez.com/home.shtm] Daisy Martinez is the host of the PBS cooking show Daisy Cooks! as well as the Food Network series Viva Daisy!, both of which focus on celebrating life and family through food. Her cookbook, Daisy Cooks! Latin Flavors That Will Rock Your World, was an IACP nominee and winner of the Best Latino Cuisine Cookbook in the World by the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards. She is also the author of Daisy: Morning, Noon and Night: Bringing Your Family Together with Everyday Latin Dishes and Daisy’s Holiday Cooking: Delicious Latin Recipes for Everyday Entertaining.

54

Dana Cowin, editor-in-chief, Food & Wine magazine

Dana Cowin [http://www.foodandwine.com/articles/editors-letter-may-2011] is the editor-in- chief at Food & Wine. She holds a very special place in my heart and as it happens, in my writing career! Dana gave me my first break. The first glossy magazine essay [http://www.foodandwine.com/articles/a-passage-to-mumbai] I ever wrote was for Food & Wine. And since then, she has been there as a sounding board, always offering great advice, and her insights are totally on the money.

My one word (or phrase) for Dana: Razor-sharp

You have been successfully leading F&W for many years. What has it been like for you personally? How do you manage to keep up and many times ahead of the trends?

I am very lucky to be at Food & Wine. I have been there for seventeen years. I have a strong focus: I focus on what my readers want and that helps me define the direction of the magazine. I am a very curious person and am always looking for new things, and I think that is what the readers want from us as well—new, fun ideas and places.

What inspires you to cook? Do you cook often?

I usually don’t cook on weekdays. On weekends, I do love to cook. While I enjoy cooking for my family, I have a lot of fun having people over. I like to combine new groups of people and introduce them to each other. I also love cooking with new ingredients and trying new techniques. That is exciting.

Who inspired you the most? Why?

55 I would have to say my father. He was an amazing man, and while he was actually a businessman, he was very visual. He spent any free time he had looking for new and talented photographers. He had a great eye for new talent.

If you look back at your sixteen-year-old self, what advice would you offer yourself?

Ironically, I would give my sixteen-year-old self and myself now the same bit of advice: don’t procrastinate! I am very good at that. But it can be a terrible habit. I push certain things till the last minute—it used to be my term papers and now it is the Letter from the Editor! This is a bad character trait!

I know you went through a hard time recently as you dealt with having cancer. How did that affect you?

You know, it was a hard time, but I truly believed in my heart that the cancer I had was not life- threatening. And I treated it that way: I knew it would go away. While I underwent treatments, I still came to work. My team here at Food & Wine is amazing, and they supported me through the times when I was tired or exhausted from the treatments.

I am a very positive person and I think that has helped. And triage: I focused on things that had to get done and did those, and let other things go.

So, let’s pretend it is 11 p.m. and you are in the mood for a midnight snack. What do you reach for?

Depends! If I am in a crunchy mood, it will be either popcorn or an apple. And if I am in a creamy mood, it will be Greek yogurt with raspberry jam.

How do you motivate yourself?

56 I always wake up optimistic. It is just who I am. When I have things to do, I am very motivated. My problem is that when I have a clear day and nothing to do, then it is hard to be motivated!

If I opened your fridge, I would find ….

Food that has nothing to do with me! My husband and kids pack the fridge. So let’s see, there is: milk, golden grapefruit juice, apple cider, miso, cheese. Our vegetable drawer is overstuffed. And we have one bin just for apples. We are a big leftovers family and so yes, there are always leftovers in the fridge. Lots of condiments and lots of raspberry jam.

One fact about you that would surprise people?

I don’t drive!

What is your definition of success?

If you are happy every single day.

What advice would you give aspiring food writers, especially in this tough market?

1. Find something that you like and learn enough to be the expert on it. I mean the real expert who knows more than anyone else on that particular topic 2. Write something every day. 3. Share your writing every day.

Dana Cowin, the editor-in-chief of Food & Wine since 1995, has been writing about food, style and design for more than twenty-five years. She previously served as the executive editor of Mademoiselle, the managing editor of HG Magazine and associate editor of Vogue. She is also on the board of directors for City Harvest, an organization that feeds hungry New York residents with excess food from all segments of the food industry.

57

Dorie Greenspan, legendary cookbook author

If you want to know what I think of Dorie Greenspan [http://doriegreenspan.com/index.html], read “A Lady Named Dorie” on my blog. [http://www.monicabhide.com/2010/11/once-upon-a- story-a-lady-named-dorie.html]. Some people can just change your life. She is one of them. She is a cookbook author, a baker, an extraordinary writer and a role model for many. She has written ten cookbooks and won five James Beard and IACP awards for them, including Cookbook of the Year. Her success is what legends are made of. Her humility is what makes her my hero. She has seen success like few others, and she has the grace possessed by very few.

My one word for Dorie: Legendary

You are one of the most successful food personalities to date. What is the secret of your stupendous success?

Background: After I burned my parents’ kitchen down when I was thirteen, I didn’t cook again until I got married and had to—that’s when I turned a perfectly nice steak into a hockey puck. That I ended up being crazy about food and actually working in the field is proof that anything is possible. And it all happened from passion: the more I cooked, the better I got at it and the more I came to enjoy everything about cooking and baking, from choosing the ingredients, to transforming them into something delicious, and finally, and best of all, to sharing what I’d made with my husband and friends.

Secret to success: If only there were a secret to success… I don’t know much about how to become successful, but I know something about happiness, and I’ve always thought that happiness is the most important part of the definition of success. I work at what I love—and that makes me unfathomably happy. On a more concrete level, I think that to be good at anything, you have to stretch yourself and keep learning. As scary as it sometimes is, I always say “yes” to new experiences, and I always learn something important from them.

58

What inspires you to cook?

It doesn’t take much to inspire me to get into the kitchen: ingredients, for sure; France, always; pictures and stories in books and magazines; recipes that I come across; an occasion; a need to relax—cooking and baking are my work, but they’re also my favorite pastimes; or an urge to create something.

You have had a long and successful career. Who inspired you the most? Why?

Before I had even the slightest inkling that I would ever make food my life, I was inspired by the books of Maida Heatter and Gaston Lenotre. Later I was inspired and mentored by the wonderful chefs I worked with, among them Pierre Herme, Julia Child (who would never call herself a chef, but who had a tremendous influence on me and millions of other home cooks), Jean- Georges Vongerichten and Daniel Boulud. Each of them had knowledge, skill and talent that inspired me, but what they all had that was most inspiring was a deep commitment to their work and the most generous spirits I’ve ever encountered.

If you look back at your sixteen-year-old self, what advice would you offer yourself?

Be open to change. Things rarely go according to plans or wishes, and so often the twists and turns that pop up along the way bring something wonderful—be ready to follow them.

Favorite midnight snack:

M&Ms. I’ve been snacking on them since I was a kid.

How do you motivate yourself?

The work itself motivates me. The more I work, the more I want to work. There’s nothing like a stack of pages to motivate me to write more pages. But there are so many times when there

59 aren’t pages of completed work to motivate me and I find it very hard to get started. That’s when I walk or take endless showers (I think best under water) or read or force myself to sit down and write knowing that in all probability what I’ll write under those circumstances won’t be much good, but it just might get me on track.

If I opened your fridge, I’d find:

Milk, cream, butter and eggs—baking staples; yogurt (my working lunch has been the same for decades: apple, plain yogurt, raisins and sunflower seeds); sriracha; sesame oil; and too many kinds of mustard.

Surprising fact about you?

As a child, I was so shy that I wouldn’t raise my hand in class.

Definition of success?

Happiness equals success.

Food writer and cookbook author Dorie Greenspan has been called a “culinary guru” by the New York Times. She’s a contributing editor for Parade and longtime contributor to Bon Appétit, as well as a frequent guest on NPR’s All Things Considered and Splendid Table. Her ten award- winning cookbooks include the best-selling Baking with Julia (which accompanied Julia Childs’ PBS series), Baking from My Home to Yours and her newest book, Around My French Table.

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Elise Bauer, pioneering, super-successful blogger

Ah, Elise Bauer [http://simplyrecipes.com/]! I stumbled on to her website years and years ago while researching some ingredient, and then again, and again and again. I recall thinking that the content on the Internet was so good, and then I realized that it was because I was on the same site each time! Elise started blogging about food back in 2003 when no one else even knew how to do it. And boy, did she know how to do it right! Her website, Simply Recipes, should be your one-stop shop for delicious and simple recipes. You will lose yourself in her words, in her cooking and in her spirit. She will inspire you to cook and more importantly: she will inspire you to create. I met her recently when she came to DC for a visit. She is as charming in person as she is on her site.

My one word for Elise: Pioneering

You are one of the first and most successful food bloggers to date. Tell us why you started your blog.

I started my blog back in 2003, basically as a way to capture family recipes. I was already in my forties, didn’t really know how to cook (though I thought I did), my parents were entering their seventies, and I wanted to make sure I learned as much from them as I could. It helps me to remember things when I write them down, so for me the blog was a great tool to help me learn.

What inspires you to cook?

The delight in someone’s eyes when they’re eating something for the first time, something that they may have had reservations about, that is so amazingly good they want to eat the whole thing right then and there. I count myself with those “someones,” by the way. I always love discovering new (new-to-me) foods or cooking methods.

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I love the realness of your recipes. How do you decide which recipe you will blog about?

Sometimes it’s just taking a walk through the produce aisle at Whole Foods. Or checking to see what is ready in the garden. I also love exploring classic American comfort foods or regional dishes, and trying to give them a fresh spin. Hank Shaw of Hunter Angler Gardener Cook (http://honest-food.net), who works with me a couple days a week, is a great source of inspiration and ideas.

So, let’s pretend it is 11 p.m. and you are in the mood for a midnight snack. What do you reach for?

A spoonful of homemade marmalade. And then a spoonful of peanut butter. And then another one of marmalade. And then …

How do you motivate yourself?

I just keep doing what brings me joy. For several years I was too sick to work. I had so little energy that I could only muster it up for activities that nourished me back. I’m in the fortunate position these days that I am in better health and surrounded by people and things that inspire me.

If I opened your fridge, I would find …

Several jars of various pickle juices, the homemade pickles long eaten, but I can’t seem to part with the juices.

What is your definition of success?

The ability to envision and create one’s life.

62 The actual tangible milestones of “success” I don’t think matter that much. Whether it’s awards, money, or recognition, these are all things that come and go, and if you chase them too much, I think you can end up with a rather empty life.

When I was sick I lived at home with my mother and father, for seven years. I couldn’t work. I couldn’t even walk fifty yards without getting too winded to continue. Sometimes I felt like a complete failure. But mostly I felt deeply appreciative of my parents, their humor, their grit, their willingness to take in their forty-something daughter and provide a safe and sane home for her. My world became very small, confined as I was, mostly to one room, in a tract house, in a quiet suburb of Sacramento. But it was here in this small, quiet space that I created Simply Recipes. When I started I wasn’t much of a writer, and even less of a cook. But what a gift, that calm, long time with my parents turned out to be. I discovered that what I loved to do was to learn, create and share. I learned that what makes a beautiful life is being surrounded by people who deeply love you, who you love dearly in return.

Elise Bauer works full time publishing the cooking blog Simply Recipes, which she started as a hobby in 2003. With over 3 million unique visitors per month, SimplyRecipes.com is considered one of the web’s premier cooking sites. Elise, a former Internet software company executive and Silicon Valley strategy and marketing consultant, maintains several other blogs in addition to Simply Recipes, all of which can be found at Elise.com.

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Elissa Altman, award-winning writer and author

I was reading a story, years ago, and I loved the writer’s tone and style. It made me laugh, think and be energized all at the same time. To this day, I thank God that I found her: Elissa Altman, who was once aptly described as “the illegitimate love child of David Sedaris and M.F.K. Fisher.” Boy, can this lovely lady write and she, my readers, kicks ass. (IT is MY book and I can say that). Elissa writes for leading newspaper, magazines and is a columnist for The Huffington Post.

If, by some remote chance, you have not read her work, please go here and read [http://www.poormansfeast.com/] and THEN come back (the site was nominated for a Beard award this year). You will fall in love. I guarantee it.

My one word for Elissa: Phenomenal

You are stupendously successful. What led to where you are now?

My background is a bizarre amalgam of editor (HarperCollins, Clarkson Potter, Taunton, Random House) and writer (Huffington Post, Poor Man’s Feast, Big Food, Saveur, Garden Design, I could go on!), professionally-trained cook (ICE back when it was Peter Kump’s) and home cook. I wouldn’t necessarily call my success stupendous, but thank you. A lot of it has to do with total dedication and single-mindedness to my subject matter.

What inspires you to cook?

I’m inspired to cook not by restaurants or pro chefs, but by the grandmothers all over the world who stand in their kitchens and cook for their families, producing not only delicious, authentic food, but love and a fostering of their own culture.

64 You have had a long and successful career. Who inspired you the most? Why?

Tough question! The first cookbook author I ever read cover to cover was by Paula Wolfert, and she continues to inspire me. It would have to be a combination: Alice Waters for being so single- minded. Elizabeth David. The founding members of Saveur magazine—Dorothy Kalins, Colman Andrews, Christopher Hirsheimer, Melissa Hamilton, Kelly Alexander. Why? For completely changing the food landscape during a time (the early 1990s) when food was fancy, tall, and totally annoying. They made it okay to rave like a lunatic about your grandmother’s food.

If you look back at your sixteen-year-old self, what advice would you offer yourself?

Don’t worry so much about having curly hair and being short.

Let’s pretend it is 11 p.m. and you are in the mood for a midnight snack. What do you reach for?

Cold, leftover pasta. Every single time.

How do you motivate yourself?

I read; I go to the gym; I take the dogs out for a walk. And then I sit my rear down and work. No excuses.

If I opened your fridge, I would find….

Harissa, clam juice, frozen peas, Vermont butter and cheese butter, three different kinds of Italian sheep’s milk cheese, three opened bottles of Virginia wine, a bottle of Lillet, three baby kolhrabi that I have no plans for as yet.

One fact about you that would surprise people?

65 I’ve played the guitar since I was four and once opened for a famous folk singer at Passim in Boston in 1983. Beyond that, I won the 1967 Greater New York Shirley Temple Lookalike Contest. Yay for me.

What is your definition of success?

Happiness, health, kindness, and not having to worry so much. Being able to help the older members of my family if they need me.

What does a typical day look like for you?

Get up, walk the dogs, go to the gym, start to work at 9, knock off at 5, and make dinner for my partner. Every night.

As an editor and as a writer, what pieces of wisdom would you offer aspiring writers?

Read. Read read read read. Stop talking and listen to people who inspire you. And then sit down and work. No excuses.

Elissa Altman is an award-winning food writer, humorist, editor and contributor to publications including Saveur, Garden Design, the New York Times, the L.A. Times and more. A regular food columnist for the Huffington Post, she also maintains the blog Poor Man’s Feast. Her books include Big Food and the upcoming Poor Man’s Feast: A Love Story, to be published by Chronicle.

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Frances Largeman-Roth, best-selling author

To understand why Frances Largeman-Roth is exceptional, all you have to do is spend five minutes with her. She writes, she is on TV, she edits, she is a mom, she encourages, she motivates, she laughs (a lot), and through it all, she is one of the most pleasant people to be around. I interviewed her for the American Society of Journalists and Authors (ASJA) recently and I had to take a deep breath before reading her bio out aloud. Why? Read for yourself and see how busy she is and how much she has been able to accomplish.

My one word for Frances: Lovely

I was reading your bio out loud the other day, as I introduced you at ASJA conference, and I ran out of steam. Your bio reads like the perfect resume—best-selling books, appearances on national TV, working with top chefs …How do you do it all? What/who inspires you?

My mother is a huge inspiration for me. She grew up during wartime Germany, but always considered herself to be lucky because her parents owned an inn, which meant they had better access to food than most people. She was a generous host with a love of food, and was always ready for a celebration.

You pick the most interesting topics for your books. Can you tell me a little about how you decide what topic you will focus on?

I have always been fascinated by what women crave during their pregnancies. It can vary from day to day, and from pregnancy to pregnancy. I really enjoyed doing the research for Feed the Belly because it allowed me to talk to various women about something that’s so personal. The CarbLovers Diet grew out of interesting research that I first learned about in about 2005. But the term “resistant starch” was so unsexy that I couldn’t imagine doing an entire book on it initially.

67 The more we talked about it, though, the more I realized that people would be thrilled to know that yes, you can eat carbohydrates and actually lose weight. And it’s been so well received that we’re now doing a CarbLovers Diet cookbook. We are actually in the midst of shooting it right now.

As the food and nutrition editor at Health, what are some important things you learned that changed the way you look at food?

When I first started at Health seven years ago, I had never been on a photo shoot and I didn’t quite understand the connection between recipe development and the reader’s visual experience. I am much more tuned into that now, and of course there always has to be that delicate balance between a dish that’s healthful and one that’s also inspiring and inviting on the page.

Do you enjoy cooking? What is your favorite Monday-night meal?

Love to cook! But my meals have gotten less elaborate, thanks to my precocious two-year-old. So a typical meal is now a homemade pizza with fresh mozzarella, tomato and basil. Or bison burgers with corn on the cob, and fresh watermelon slices for dessert.

What advice would you give to your sixteen-year-old self?

Ahh … looking back on my sixteen-year-old self, I’d tell her to be more focused on experiencing life than on planning everything out. And that life is full of both cruel and wonderful twists of fate.

So, let’s pretend it is 11 p.m. and you are in the mood for a midnight snack. What do you reach for?

I’m five and a half months pregnant, so midnight snacks these days might consist of a slice of havarti or mint chocolate chip Breyers ice cream.

68 If I opened your fridge, I would find…

If you opened my fridge right now you’d find organic milk, fig jam, lots of condiments, white nectarines, homemade pasta salad and eye cream.

What is the one thing about you that would surprise people?

I grew up in a small town in western NY that’s located on a Native American reservation. Most people are quite shocked to learn that.

What is your definition of success?

I think I’ll be successful when the monetary rewards of my work provide me with more time and resources to spend with my family.

Editor, writer and lifestyle expert Frances Largeman-Roth, RD, [http://www.franceslargemanroth.com/], is the author of Feed the Belly: The Pregnant Mom’s Healthy Eating Guide (Sourcebooks, Inc.) and the New York Times best-selling The CarbLovers Diet (Oxmoor House, 2010). She is also the Senior Food & Nutrition Editor at Health magazine, where she works on healthy recipes, food trends, weight loss issues and the latest nutrition research. She was previously part of the editorial team at the Discovery Health Channel, and held the post of managing editor at FoodFit.com. She has had the opportunity to work with top chefs and food personalities, putting a healthier spin on recipes from Jamie Oliver, Mark Bittman, Bobby Flay, Rick Bayless and Cat Cora, among others.

69

Grace Young, best-selling cookbook author

Grace Young [http://www.graceyoung.com/about/] is all about the wok! Her last book, Stir Frying to the Sky’s Edge [http://www.amazon.com/Stir-Frying-Skys-Edge-Ultimate- Authentic/dp/1416580573/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_1], is a must-have—a true best seller. Her recipes and stories are engaging and interesting and always motivate me to go into the kitchen and cook. She writes like she talks: with great conviction, clarity and knowledge.

My one word for Grace: Extraordinary

Tell my readers a little bit about your background. You are so terrifically successful. Thoughts on that?

When the New York Times called me the “stir-fry guru,” I realized I am obsessed with stir-fries. I’ve looked at the technique from every angle including which wok achieves the best results. I love the culture and history of stir-fries and woks. I generally test recipes four or five times or until every instruction is clear. I’ll travel across the country, to China, or anywhere in the world if a cooking interview intrigues me. I love learning not only a new recipe or culinary secret, but equally, observing the unique way each home cook approaches a recipe.

What inspires you to cook?

Seasonal produce inspires all my cooking—I go to Chinatown, the farmer’s market, or our local market to see what’s freshest.

You have had a long and successful career. Who inspired you the most? Why?

70 Julia Child is the reason I got interested in cooking. When I was twelve years old I loved watching her show The French Chef. I was fascinated by French cuisine because it was so different from what I grew up with, and within a year I found an extraordinary teacher, Josephine Araldo, and began taking French cooking lessons.

If you look back at your sixteen-year-old self, what advice would you offer yourself?

Expect the unexpected.

Favorite midnight snack?

It’s a little scary because I can get all the dangerous goodies from vanilla Swiss almond ice cream to bittersweet chocolate in a second. Our NYC apartment is above a twenty-four-hour grocery store!

How do you motivate yourself?

Looking at looming deadlines on my calendar scares me into action.

If I opened your fridge, I would find …

That it’s surprisingly spare. I always have eggs, dairy staples, juice, ginger and a few condiments, but I shop daily for my meals.

One fact about you that would surprise people?

I’m constantly eating. For eighteen years I was the test kitchen director for Time-Life Books so my stomach got accustomed to tasting food every forty-five minutes. I need to eat a little something every two hours.

What is your definition of success?

71

Success is having a personal assistant (which I don’t have) to do the drudge office work.

What advice would you give to new food writers?

Learn and be inspired from the best. Read Laurie Colwin, Calvin Trillin, Betty Fussell, A. J. Liebling, Mark Kurlansky …

Grace Young, who has been called the Poet Laureate of the Wok, has devoted much of her career as a chef and cookbook author to demystifying the art of stir-frying and celebrating the traditions of wok cookery. Her award-winning cookbooks include The Wisdom of the Chinese Kitchen, The Breath of a Wok and Stir-Frying to the Sky’s Edge. The Breath of a Wok [http://www.amazon.com/Breath-Wok-Unlocking-Chinese- Cooking/dp/0743238273/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpi_2] won the IACP Le Cordon Bleu Best International Cookbook Award, the Jane Grigson Award for Distinguished Scholarship and the World Food Media Awards’ Best Food Book and was selected as one of the best cookbooks of the year by Food & Wine, Fine Cooking, Bon Appétit and Epicurious.

72 Bethanne Patrick, editor and best-selling author

I can honestly say that it is because of Bethanne that I read the best books! Why? She is the editor of Shelf Awareness where she picks and talks about really excellent fiction books. So I think I can honestly say that I am a better reader because of her! I adore her choices. She is smart and funny and a truly terrific individual.

My one word for Bethanne: Magnificent

Please tell us a little about your background. Where are you from? Where did you grow up?

I grew up in one of the most beautiful places on Earth: New York’s Hudson Valley. I was fortunate to have parents who took us (I have one younger sister) out into that beauty regularly, whether on hikes or in canoes. I grew up appreciating the river, the forests, the lakes, and the mountains—and, most important, seeing how they all fit together. I think that has served me well.

My childhood was quite standard: quiet street, good public schools, lots of music lessons and spelling bees. Even my overcrowded urban high school had high standards, and more Advanced Placement classes than any others nearby. However, despite those AP classes’ help in getting to the fantastic academic atmosphere at Smith, I wound up marrying a man who grew up only fifteen minutes away from me.

You have had great success in your career. For you personally, which success or achievement was the most important and why?

First, thank you for saying I’ve had great success. Second, I love this question because our personal choice can be so different from what others see.

73

One thing not everyone knows about me is that I married a military officer, and we spent over twenty years following his career and moving as that career dictated. The achievement I’m proudest of, therefore, is my success in developing and differentiating my own career from my husband’s, especially as we lived in a few places that made it very difficult for me to continue in my chosen field of books and publishing.

Can you tell us about one very difficult work-related situation you faced and how you came out of it?

Choices, choices! (I’m laughing… ) I had to make a very tough decision a few years ago. I’d taken a full-time job that I knew was too junior for me, but its benefits and working environment were absolutely wonderful. However, my reporting structure and day-to-day duties were miserable. I knew I had to quit and move on, but my husband was anxious about my losing income and my then-closest friend told me I should simply put up and shut up.

I quit, and I‘m so glad I did. I would not be where I am today if I had remained in that position. I learned two things: That I could use my skill set to bring in money and assuage my husband’s very real fears, and that friends who do not believe in your dreams are not worth keeping.

When you pick books to review, what are you looking for? Do you ever judge a book by its cover?

A huge question, so let me answer the second one first: We all judge books by their covers! That’s to say: An intriguing cover can sometimes make a difference in which book I pick up, and that goes back to the first question: Which book I pick up plays a big role in which book I review.

74 How’s that for unclear? What I’m trying to say is that there are so many books, and any advantage a book or its author has in getting me to sit down and read it is important. I try to be as fair and comprehensive as I can possibly be in choosing the books that I read and review, but good publicists will always know which reviewer buttons to push, and good book designers know those buttons, too. Your record as a reviewer/critic teaches publishers what to go after.

I don’t mean to be so meta. Here‘s the day-to-day truth: I read as many publisher catalogs as I can, as well as “early word” reviews (Publishers Weekly, Kirkus), and big-media reviews. I also pay a lot of attention to carefully curated sites like The Millions, The Awl, The Quarterly Conversation, etc. What I’m looking for depends on what types of books Shelf Awareness needs—that’s my current answer. What I personally am looking for is almost always superb literary fiction. I do dabble from time to time in mystery/detective fiction and fantasy. I read a lot of memoirs, too—something I once swore I’d never do!

If you look back at your sixteen-year-old self, what advice would you offer yourself?

Don’t worry about how many friends you have now. Not only will you have many in the future—you should concentrate on how to be a good friend, first.

So, let’s pretend it is 11:00 p.m. and you are in the mood for a midnight snack. What do you reach for?

Cookies and milk, preferably really good Scottish shortbread.

How do you motivate yourself?

Truthfully, I have trouble with this. The one thing in my favor is that I’m a real morning person. The minute I’m out of bed, I’m ready to think, chat, write, and brainstorm. As the day goes on and my “motivation” ebbs, I turn to reading.

75 If I opened your fridge, I would find …

Eggs, butter, jam, orange juice, Greek yogurt, and grapes. I think breakfast can be eaten at any time of the day.

One fact about you that would surprise people?

I wrote a master’s thesis on an old-English poem and wish I had made it my dissertation. If I had enough time, I’d go back for my doctorate.

What is your definition of success?

An integrated life. That’s what I always wanted. I believe you can have it all—but not at the same time. There will be seasons in any woman’s (or man’s!) life in which something has to take precedence: Career, relationship, children, spirituality, finances, health… I wanted try and move through those with as much grace as possible. I know that I made many mistakes in each of these areas (and probably others, too!), but success is a moving target.

What advice would you give aspiring novelists like myself?

From one aspiring novelist to another: Only the writing matters. As I heard this year at my first writing workshop from my amazing and successful teacher Dani Shapiro: So many of the writers we all admire had no success at all during their lifetimes. Are we to say, then, that they were not successful? Nope. It’s not for us to decide. But one thing I do know is that focusing on publication detracts from writing.

Bethanne Kelly Patrick is an author, book critic, and journalist. Currently the editor of Shelf Awareness (www.shelf-awareness.com), Patrick founded the AOL Books channel, was a contributing editor for Publishers Weekly, and has written for O: the Oprah Magazine, the Washington Post Book World, and AARP The Magazine, among many

76 others. Patrick is the author of An Uncommon History of Common Things and An Uncommon History of Common Courtesy, both from National Geographic Books. She is also the executive editor of bookriot.com

77

Paula Wolfert, legendary cookbook author

I wrote this open letter to Paula a year or so ago and I am honored to share it here. It will tell you all you need to know about how amazing she is.

Dear Paula:

A few months ago, Food & Wine did a fantastic story on you. It was written by the super- talented Emily Kaiser (who is a close friend of mine). I think I read that story ten times and then placed the magazine on my work table (i.e. my couch). It was the first time in my short, new food writing career that I wished I had written the story. There is no way I could have done the terrific job that Emily did; she is an amazing talent. My wish was more about being with you. I wished I could have travelled with you to Marrakech. I wish I could have seen what you saw. I wish I could have breathed the same air. I wish I could have watched as you got your recipes by hugging and kissing (as you say).

You are one of a kind, Paula. You probably don’t remember, the good-doers often forget, how much you helped me when I started writing about food. You would read my ramblings on eGullet (close to six years ago) and write and tell me that I had a shot at becoming a writer. I knew you were Paula Wolfert, the cookbook author. But I did not know, until much later, that you were Paula Wolfert, the legend.

I still remember the day you came to D.C. and asked me to be your date at an event at Zaytinya where you were signing books and hosting a dinner. I recall how people in the room approached you and talked to you about how your recipes had changed their life, how they made certain dishes and how the tastes reminded them of their travels. You listened, offered advice, and remained, as you always have, elegant and gracious.

78 I will never forget how you pulled me to the side, as I simply took in the moment and felt (at times) like a deer in headlights. You pulled me aside and whispered in my ear, “I spoke to the Executive Editor at MAJOR FOOD MAGAZINE about your amazing writing. You must pitch them. They should have your work in the magazine.” Paula, thanks to your kindness and graciousness, they were so open to speaking with me. They listened to my pitches and then assigned me a major story. And I landed the first travel story of my new career. I have thanked you many times but perhaps it is more that I don’t know how to thank you enough. It changed my life.

I made a vow the day when my travel story appeared in MAJOR magazine: I promised to pay it forward and help as many aspiring and deserving writers as I could. Paula, I think you would be proud. I am happy to say that I have kept my vow.

You are an inspiration, a shining example of how to do it right, and one of the classiest people I know.

Paula, thanks for all you do, and I love you very much.

My one word for Paula: Gracious

Please tell my readers a little bit about your background. You are one of the most successful food personalities to date. What is the secret of your stupendous success?

I wouldn’t use the words “stupendous,” or “most successful,” at least in the material sense. As for my “secret,” I’m very curious and very enthusiastic: I study what interests me, and then write about it. I’ve concentrated on a certain part of the world, the Mediterranean, a region I love. There are also common threads through my books: slow cooking; attaining richness without heaviness; the traditional cooking of Mediterranean women. I always try to understand the whys and wherefores behind a dish, a cuisine or a method, and I try, too, to convey my feelings of kinship and friendship with the people

79 whose cooking I admire. I also strive to create a bridge of friendship with my readers. Hopefully, all this adds up to some kind of success.

What inspires you to cook?

The creation of good-tasting food and the joy I take in the process. It’s a physical pleasure for me, akin to the pleasure a carpenter takes in working with wood, or a ceramist plunging her hands into clay. I love coaxing flavor out of food, especially using slow on-top-of-the-stove bottom-up style cooking. I love going to the market, seeing and touching beautiful products, thinking of what I can do with them when I take them home. I’m inspired too by my anticipation of the pleasure I can give by making and presenting great-tasting food. In the end I think it’s almost best giving pleasure to myself and to others.

You have had a long and successful career. Who inspired you the most? Why?

First, Dionne Lucas. By studying with her at her Cordon Bleu Cooking School in New York in the 1950s, I learned classical techniques. I left college and went to work for her full time without pay for a year to learn everything she had to teach. Also, the first four books by Elizabeth David, which are timeless: A Book of Mediterranean Food, French Country Cooking, Italian Food, and Summer Cooking. These were the essential books that taught me and inspired me.

If you look back at your sixteen-year-old self, what advice would you offer yourself?

Be as open as possible to the whole world. Travel as much as you can. Learn to savor your experiences. Resist the temptation to tell people how you do it and instead learn how they do it. Though I never articulated these principles back then, I pretty much lived by them even from age sixteen.

80 So, let’s pretend it is 11:00 p.m. and you are in the mood for a midnight snack. What do you reach for?

I am hard-wired for trail mix. I must have the hunter-gatherer gene. A good handful of Oregon Trail mix made from a combination of walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds, pumpkin seeds, bits of chocolate and dried fruits is my favorite snack anytime.

If I opened your fridge, I would find…

Eggs; local, fresh, and aged goat cheeses; seasonal vegetables; my “tomato magic” (home-made tomato paste constructed out of sundried tomatoes and long cooked tomatoes); preserved lemons; rendered duck fat; a jar of Moroccankhlii (a type of confit of beef or lamb); pitcher of ayran (local goat’s milk yogurt blended with cold water); olives; and a jar of Maras peppers from Turkey.

One fact about you that would surprise people?

I don’t know how to drive. As a result I often “depend on the kindness of strangers” (and, of course, my dear husband).

What wisdom would you share with new food writers?

That it’s not enough that a recipe be unique, interesting, oddball, previously unpublished, or simply “new.” A dish worth going after has to taste really good. That may sound obvious, but in our current culinary environment, in which there’s an emphasis on modernist cooking, deconstruction, and being provocative, it’s too often lost. Also, I’d say pick an aspect of cooking, a cuisine, a region, whatever, and then dive in really deep, because the deeper you go the more interesting it will be, and if it’s interesting to you it will interest your readers.

81 Paula Wolfert is an internationally known cookbook author. Her award-winning books are admired by chefs and cooking teachers throughout the U.S. and around the world. They include Couscous & Other Good Food from Morocco, Mediterranean Cooking, The Cooking of Southwest France, Paula Wolfert’s World of Food, The Cooking of the Eastern Mediterranean, Mediterranean Grains & Greens, The Slow Mediterranean Kitchen, Mediterranean Clay Pot Cooking and the soon-to-be-published The Food of Morocco. Paula has been honored with numerous awards including a Julia Child Award, a James Beard Award, a Tastemaker Award, the M. F. K. Fisher Prize, a Cooks magazine Platinum Plate Award, a Food Arts Silver Spoon Award, and the Perigueux Award for Lifetime Achievement.

82 Lisa Rogak, New York Times best-selling author

I truly admire writer Lisa Rogak for making writing look like such fun! She travels the world and writes about what makes her curious. Not a bad way to make a living! I admire her writing so much. Her most recent book is the biography of Steven Colbert.

My one word for Lisa: Awe-inspiring

Please tell us a little about your background. Where are you from? Where did you grow up?

I grew up in Glen Rock, New Jersey in the 1960s and 70s, and couldn't wait to leave. Suburbia always felt way too conformist and stifling for me, and I knew there was a lot more out there. I moved to Manhattan the day after I graduated from high school. Though today I do realize that growing up there gave me a great education.

Please tell us about your books—you do have so many wonderful books!

My first book was The Quotable Cat, and came out in 1992. By then I had already been freelancing since 1981. I thought I'd have a NYT bestseller by the time I was 30. It took a bit longer—until 2008, about sixteen years more.

Many of the books I wrote in the ’90s were series books on starting a business and cookbooks. Can you say “work for hire”? But they were great practice for putting my head down and just cranking it out, deadlines be damned. They paid peanuts, but again it was great training.

You have had terrific success in your career. For you personally, which success or achievement was the most important and why?

It's not one but more ongoing: the fact that I don't have to go to the same place for the

83 same amount of time each week and do the same thing despite how I feel is what makes me happy. Every time I've tried a regular job, I got fired inside of a month. People say what I do takes great discipline, but I've always thought it was the other way around. And I've always worked from home. Always.

Can you tell us about one very difficult situation (work-related) you faced and how you came out of it?

I suppose I've had many difficulties over the years, but I never viewed them as such, just as part of the cost of being in this business. Whatever it is, they've never been permanent and I've always been really good at shifting gears and having a thick, thick skin, which I think is another reason why I've been doing this so long. I never take it personally. After all, they're only words.

You have had a long and successful career. Who inspired you the most? Why?

I can't think of any one person who's inspired me; my insatiable curiosity to know everything about everyone and what makes them tick is inspiration enough.

Your latest book is on Steven Colbert. Did you get to spend time with him for the book? How did you research it?

I didn't meet Colbert, nor have I met any of the other subjects of my so far five biographies; two were already dead. I hate the term “unauthorized biography,” because it implies that I'm playing Kitty Kelley and out to slam my subjects. But a wise old editor told me long ago to write for the fans; I'll sell more books that way…

I do my research through interviews with people who know the subject, old articles and interviews and transcripts, and playing detective. Research always takes longer than the writing, but they use polar opposite sides of the brain.

84 If you look back at your sixteen-year-old self, what advice would you offer yourself?

While you think you know everything today, one day you're going to realize that you know very little, and are actually much happier because of it.

So, let’s pretend it is 11:00 p.m. and you are in the mood for a midnight snack. What do you reach for?

Some really good chocolate or salted mixed nuts.

How do you motivate yourself?

By opening my eyes each morning. That's motivation enough. My motto: Any day above ground is a good one. The fact that I drive a hearse just reinforces that fact, aside from making it easy to find in a parking lot.

If I opened your fridge, I would find…

Organic whole milk, unsalted butter, sriracha, some really good bread and dark roast coffee, and lots and lots of leftovers. After a year of vagabonding, I'm in the process of settling down in Berkeley, California, and I am like a pig in shit when it comes to the food scene out here, whether it's the restaurants or the stores and ethnic markets. Plus, I love love love having a kitchen again, even though it's tiny and has an electric stove. In some of the places I've traveled, people do much more with a lot less.

One fact about you that would surprise people?

I was supposed to be a classical pianist and actually attended conservatory for one year. But I'm not cut out to focus on just one thing, nor am I a perfectionist. That's why writing

85 about so many different subjects over the years has been perfect for me. But as I get older I find my mother's words—"You'll thank me one day for making you practice"—are all too true. I just bought a piano and actually physically crave playing just as I physically crave running or biking most days.

What is your definition of success?

It used to be being able to go into a restaurant and order whatever I wanted and not worry about the cost. Then it was making the New York Times list. I don't worry about success because writing is just what I do, it's not who I am. The problem with people knowing about my "successes" is that they have preconceived notions about what I'm like, or worse, they get all starry-eyed.

I don't know if this is a success, but what I most look forward to one day is going into a movie theater and seeing what once only existed inside my head splashed up there on the screen. It would be so surreal. I also write fiction, and it's my hope that I'll be able to experience this one day.

What advice would you give new writers?

Stay off Facebook! Truly, I often have to tell myself the same thing these days.

Seriously, go get some paper cuts: read read read BOOKS, not just websites and blogs. And write write write.

Lisa Rogak has been freelancing for thirty years. She has covered everything from sabbaticals to baby names to funeral food customs. She also writes biographies; one book, Barack Obama In His Own Words (Public Affairs, 2008), has been on the New York Times best-seller list and another, Haunted Heart (St Martins/Thomas Dunne 2009), was nominated for an Edgar.

86 Kat Kinsman, managing editor for CNN’s food blog

Kat Kinsman is one of the smartest food writers I know. She is the current food editor for CNN’s food blog, Eatocracy. She is funny and cuts through nonsense like no one else I know. I admire her honesty and I truly adore her graciousness. I hope you will find this interview as inspiring as I did. I know I am not supposed to pick favorites, but this is one of my most favorite interviews in this book!

My one word for Kat: Inspiring

Tell my readers a little bit about your background…

I’m a lapsed Catholic white-girl mutt who grew up in the northern Kentucky suburbs with an Italian mother who made sauce from a jar and served Parmesan and garlic from shakers. Cooking was never her passion, but my dad started experimenting in the kitchen while she was teaching Sunday school. One day, he stumbled across a Madhur Jaffrey cookbook, and it was like that point in The Wizard of Oz when everything went from black and white to color. Suddenly, there was spice and texture and heavenly scent. This offered a window into a whole new world, and I’ve been climbing through it ever since.

What inspires you to cook?

Generally, sadly, it’s maintenance. During the week, my husband and I get home late and we try to make the healthiest meal we can in the shortest amount of time so we can maximize our time together. On the weekends, it’s a different story. My background is in fine arts—I have a painting and sculptural studies BFA and a metalsmithing MFA—and these days cooking scratches that itch. I like a project—a whole pig head, ten pounds of a vegetable, six dozen empty jars, a vintage aspic recipe—both because I get to learn something new and also because I have something concrete to show for it at the end. I am not afraid of failure.

87 Is Anderson Cooper as cute in real life as he is on TV? Dr. Gupta? Do they like to cook?

Anderson Cooper is almost too handsome to look at with your naked eyes. He orders the same meal from Boston Market once or twice a day and otherwise eats PB&J or drinks seltzer. I have only seen Sanjay across the room, but he seems quite attractive—and incredibly nice.

If you look back at your sixteen-year-old self, what advice would you offer yourself?

All the things that make you feel like the biggest, loneliest freak on earth right now are exactly the things that will set you apart and bring love to you later in life. Just hang on.

So, let’s pretend it is 11 p.m. and you are in the mood for a midnight snack. What do you reach for?

At 11 p.m. I am just coming awake, creatively speaking. I’m a popcorn freak, and I make it on the stovetop and shave Parmesan over it or dash it with smoked salt. There is physically not enough popcorn in the entire universe to ever satisfy me and I will eat it until there is no more. I’ve been popping it with water these days, from a Cooks Illustrated technique, but will otherwise use bacon grease or sesame oil. I quit drinking Diet Coke and now live on seltzer with bitters or Tabasco. I may cap the night with Luxardo Fernet [an Italian liqueur], which is the “Roto-Rooter of the soul.”

How do you motivate yourself?

It’s hard sometimes. I suffer through periods of intense anxiety and depression, and I have my whole life. The thing that gets me going is conversation with smart, creative people who are in love with life. That jump-starts me, and then I’m able, hopefully, to give the charge back.

88

If I opened your fridge, I would find…

A million little Tupperware containers with leftovers I’d totally meant to eat. Also, an entire drawer of regional cured pork products.

What is your definition of success?

When I was younger and horribly broke in New York, it was that someday, I’d be able to go to the grocery store and buy whatever I wanted. I’m still happy every time I can do that. Creatively, I’m never, ever satisfied and I’m pretty horrible to myself in terms of critique. But I feel best when I can move people by sharing a story—make them laugh, cry, think or act. That means I’ve done my job.

Two years from now, you will be…

Hopefully, as dissatisfied as ever, but still in love with what I get to do every day. My greatest professional pleasure is using the topic of food as a calling card to talk with anyone, ANYONE in the world, and I hope I’m still getting to do that.

What advice would you have for food writers?

Trust your own taste and your own story. Each person has a story that only they can tell. Have the confidence and generosity to share that, and you’ll have your place in the world.

Kat Kinsman is the managing editor of CNN Eatocracy, vice chair of the James Beard Journalism Committee and former senior editor for AOL Food and Slashfood. She can periodically be seen chatting about food on air on CNN and rather constantly on Twitter as @kittenwithawhip.

89

Jaden Hair, best-selling cookbook author and blogger

Take a deep breath and get ready to meet, or learn more about, the beautiful Jaden Hair. Why a deep breath? Here are just a few of the things she does. She’s the publisher of the web sites Steamy Kitchen, New Asian Cuisine & Food Blog Forum; a weekly food columnist for Discovery Health, TLC, and the Tampa Tribune; a television chef on Daytime Show; author of Steamy Kitchen Cookbook; speaker at conferences; recipe developer; and much, much more. Sounds impossible, doesn’t it? But not so for Jaden. While I have never met her in person, I have rarely seen anyone with such a passionate spirit and such energy. And she is one of the most giving bloggers I know—always happy to give advice, always happy to make connections. I am sure her good karma always rewards her well! Now go get a chilled glass of wine and sit down to read one of the most inspirational interviews featured in this series!

My one word for Jaden: Superb

Tell my readers a little bit about your background. You are one of the most successful food bloggers to date. Tell us why you started your blog.

I started the blog as a way to keep track of my recipes that my mom was dictating to me over the phone. Very quickly the blog started getting tons of traffic and noticed by some of the larger sites and food publications. Within three months, I knew I wanted to make Steamy Kitchen my business.

What inspires you to cook?

Photos! I’m a very visual person so when I see photos of amazing recipes in a cookbook. I just want to make them all!

What is the secret, you think, of your unstoppable success?

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Embracing failure as necessary part of a step to success. There’s not much that can stop me — pretty much my philosophy is that if I can imagine it, I can make it happen.

I love the realness of your recipes. How do you decide which recipe you will blog about?

As long as the recipes fit the motto of Steamy Kitchen, which is: fast, fresh and simple enough for tonight’s supper. Easy, non-intimidating recipes are perfect. Dishes that are long and complicated are just not my style.

If you look back at your sixteen-year-old self, what advice would you offer yourself?

That girl who made fun of you when you tripped down the stairs in front of entire school? She now works at a tire store and wears mom jeans.

So, let’s pretend it is 11 p.m. and you are in the mood for a midnight snack. What do you reach for?

Herradura tequila.

How do you motivate yourself?

I need very little motivation—I love what I do! But waving a fabulous sushi dinner in front of me certainly will help!

If I opened your fridge, I would find …

EVERYTHING. I have two refrigerators. Both are full. I love spontaneous cooking, and I hate it when I want to cook something and I don’t have the ingredients.

One fact about you that would surprise people?

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I’m not a big party person. I love small dinner parties with close friends, but I’m not really into big large gatherings all the time.

What is your definition of success?

Time. Lots of it with my family.

Three tips you would give a new food blogger?

1. Be part of the food blogging community—hang out at some of the online forums (like FoodBlogForum.com, SeriousEats.com); be active with other food bloggers on Twitter and come to events like BlogHer Food!

2. Blog from a place of authenticity—your blog is you, your voice. Being authentic means your blog should be congruent with who you are as a person and what you stand for.

3. Embrace spirit of generosity—we’re a tight community and we always help each other out. Link to others, celebrate others’ success and freely give advice.

What does a typical day look like for you?

Mornings are for getting through last night’s and this morning’s emails, blog admin stuff (those pesky spammers!) and any type of “work” I need to do like uploading photos, typing out recipes, etc. The afternoons are for playing in the kitchen, testing recipes, trying out new flavor combinations. If any of the recipes are ready to go, I’ll do a photo shoot. Then usually around 3:30 p.m. my work ends and I go pick up my kids. I used to work a lot in the evenings, but stopped doing that and instead I enjoy watching movies and knitting. Since I don’t consider my time in the kitchen working, I really only work two hours a day. The rest of the time is playtime for me. I specifically designed my business to run this way, because my quality of life and “success” is defined by how much time I spend in happy “play” mode, whether it’s with my kids,

92 my husband, cooking or hanging out with friends. My husband, Scott, also works with me. He’s a web developer and works behind the curtain making Steamy Kitchen, New Asian Cuisine and Food Blog Forum run smoothly. I couldn’t do it without him.

Jaden Hair is a television chef, food columnist and award-winning food blogger specializing in fast, fresh and easy recipes for the home cook. She runs Steamy Kitchen [http://steamykitchen.com/], New Asian Cuisine [http://newasiancuisine.com/] and Food Blog Forum [http://foodblogforum.com/] and is a food columnist for Discovery Health [http://health.discovery.com/], TLC [http://recipes.howstuffworks.com/] and the Tampa Tribune. [http://www2.tbo.com/] She’s also the author of The Steamy Kitchen Cookbook [http://www.amazon.com/Steamy-Kitchen-Cookbook-Recipes- Tonights/dp/0804840288/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpi_1]. You can watch her cook twice a month on the Daytime[http://daytimeonline.tv/about.htm] show, syndicated in 120 markets.

93

Jen Singer, best-selling author

Jen Singer is nothing short of a legend. She single-handedly built a career writing about motherhood and become a huge brand name. She is possibly one of the most dedicated people I know. I always look to her when I feel like I want to give up. She has not only created a valuable website where her readers depend on her for fantastic information and stories, she did it while battling cancer.

Usually I offer one word that makes me think of a person, but in Jen’s case, it is a phrase: We want to be you when we grow up.

Tell my readers a little bit about your background and about mommasaid.net

Back in 2003, before anybody had put together the words “mom and blogger,” I launched MommaSaid.net in part to build an audience for the books that I wanted to publish. (The other part was to assure myself that I wasn’t the only one who found this mothering thing harder than it looks.)

In time, I published five books, including You’re a Good Mom (and Your Kids Aren’t So Bad Either) (Sourcebooks) and the Stop Second-Guessing Yourself guides to parenting (HCI). I’ve also appeared on numerous TV and radio programs, including the Today show, The CBS Evening News and Radio Disney. I’ve written for many magazines, including Parenting, Family Circle and Newsweek. For two years, I wrote a parenting blog for GoodHousekeeping.com. I’ve served as a spokesperson for many large companies and brands, including Pull-Ups, Hershey’s and Microsoft.

That reads like a bio, but you wanted to know about me. I’m also the mom of two middle school boys and a soccer coach who spends my weekends yelling, “Shoot it!” at children.

94 You have done an amazing job over the years creating a brand for yourself. For someone who is just starting out, what advice would you give them regarding creating a brand and a platform for their work?

Social media—which I didn’t have when I started out—is the great equalizer. You can build up a nice following using Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Flickr and more.

But promotion isn’t enough if your brand doesn’t have these three important things: 1. Transparency (People say I am in person who I am on my blog.) 2. Consistency (You can’t post every day for three months and then stop.) 3. Community (You can’t just broadcast. To build a following, you need to cultivate conversation.)

What inspires you to write?

Things that make me laugh, things that tick me off, and things that make me wonder about the meaning of life. Also, sponges and the Monkey Wars.

Now, I have to ask: Do you enjoy cooking? What is your favorite, simple dish to make for your family?

Okay, so even though I’ve met Bobby Flay, and I hosted a Twitter party with Tyler Florence, I really don’t like cooking. I’ve liked it even less ever since my husband started watching the Food Network like other men watch ESPN. When I cook, he hovers as though I’m marlin fishing and I’ve snagged something on my line that I just can’t handle.

But because I work from home, I tend to do the weekday “hurry-up-you-have-soccer” meals. My favorite meals are quick and easy, yet tasty, such as Rachael Ray’s Messy Guiseppes, which I make with turkey meat. This winter, I made a simple stew involving tortellini, veggies and cooked turkey that everyone loved, but now I can’t find the recipe. So if you’ve got one, send it over.

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If you look back at your sixteen-year-old self, what advice would you offer yourself?

Don’t buy that Camaro. It’s a lemon.

So, let’s pretend it is 11 p.m. and you are in the mood for a midnight snack. What do you reach for?

I love breakfast food at other times of day, so I’d probably make a bowl of granola with blueberries and soy milk, which sounds overly healthy, so I’ll cop to the occasional Häagen Dazs coffee ice cream, too.

How do you motivate yourself?

By staring at my mortgage statement? Sometimes.

Look, I finished writing a book on the oncology floor at New York Hospital. Writing saved my mind during cancer. And now, three and a half years into remission from non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, writing continues to be the thing I get lost in, the thing I love, the thing I need to do when everything else is going wrong and even when it’s going right.

If I opened your fridge, I would find …

That I really need to go shopping. I’ve got two teenaged boys. The food tends to disappear quickly around here.

One fact about you that would surprise people?

When I was fifteen, I raised two baby raccoons. I bottle-fed them, taught them how to climb trees, and took them for walks around the yard. When they got older, I made my own baby raccoon food in the Cuisinart and usually wound up with smooshed bananas in my ears, courtesy

96 of two curious, climbing baby raccoons. At the end of the summer, I set them free, but they continued to visit until I left for college and my parents refused to feed the dozen or so raccoons that routinely visited us for free chow.

What is your definition of success?

When you get out of bed in the morning looking forward to the day ahead more often than not. Whether or not that includes dusting the coffee table for the Today show depends on what gets you out of bed in the first place.

Describe for us a typical Sunday in your life now?

See above: “Shoot it!”

What are the three pieces of advice you would give to new writers?

Don’t hang your hat on waiting for the big break that will change your life overnight. My three- book series came after four years of constant blogging and brand-building. There is a tremendous amount of work that comes with being an “overnight success.” But if you hunker down, do the work, take risks and don’t be afraid of failing, you will indeed succeed—depending, of course, on your own personal definition of success. If it makes you feel good to buy some Swiffers in case the Today show calls, go right ahead. You never know.

Jen Singer is the creator of MommaSaid.net [http://www.mommasaid.net/], a Forbes “Best of the Web” community for mothers. She’s the author of the Stop Second-Guessing Yourself parenting series and You’re a Good Mom (and Your Kids Aren’t So Bad Either), and the creator of Please Take My Children to Work Day, a holiday for at-home moms held annually in June that has been declared by governors in twelve states to date. For two years, she wrote the “Good Grief: A Tale of Two Tweens” blog for GoodHousekeeping.com, which was syndicated at Yahoo Shine.

97

Karma Wilson, award-winning children’s book author

I first “met” Karma Wilson on a writers’ board. I was immediately attracted to her fun and loving nature. We bought her book, Bear Snores On, and my kiddos and I became instant fans. I adore Karma’s children’s books; she has had over forty books accepted for publication. Read on to learn more from this amazing and inspiring author.

My one word for Karma—Sunshine

A bit about Karma from Karma:

I’ve been writing for about thirteen years now, ten of them professionally. I’m a wife and the mother of three gorgeous children (ages fourteen, sixteen and eighteen). Currently I live in the great state of Montana, tucked away on thirteen acres in the northwest corner. I have published over forty books for children, mostly picture and board book titles, but also two poetry volumes (one forthcoming).

We are huge fans of your kids’ books. What is the secret of your stupendous success?

Thank you! The secret? Luck? Star alignment? It’s tempting to take a look at today’s tough market and think so. But the reality is that for three years before my first book was published I obsessed on getting published like an ambitious person would. I read all the books I could find in the markets I was pursuing. I read to children to see what they liked. I read to adults to see what they liked (parents have to want to read your books or it’s no good). I joined SCBWI (Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators) and studied all the material they sent me. I joined critique groups and accepted as my dues the hours it took to critique for others so they would critique for me. I checked out every book about writing and getting published at the library. I plowed through every rejection and learned from them what I could, but didn’t allow them to

98 define me. I embraced the optimists and told the pessimists that I would be the exception. In short, I stubbornly ignored all the mounting evidence that I didn’t have a chance of getting published. And when I finally did get “the call” and my book sold I smugly said, “I told you so!” and secretly breathed a huge sigh of relief.

You have had a long and successful career. Who inspired you the most? Why?

I could not have done any of it without my husband. While I wrote for three years, never making a dime and coming close to neglecting the family while I learned my craft, he was there plugging away, working long, weird hours and bringing home a paycheck. He listened to all my ideas and brainstormed with me. He gently steered me away from really bad story plots. He’s given me some of my best ideas. We make a great writing team!

If you look back at your sixteen-year-old self, what advice would you offer yourself?

Don’t take this stage in life so seriously and don’t allow others to let your mistakes define who you are. I mean, it’s tempting to tell my young self to just not do all those stupid things (I know, I know … I’m a children’s book author, but I was a pretty bad teen, to tell the truth). But my young self would just see my older self as another know-it-all adult. And really, all those mistakes helped me grow and learn. But I let others tell me who I was based on the bad things I had done. When people told me I was a loser, I listened. It wasn’t until I started changing those voices in my head and telling myself I wasn’t a loser that I began to believe I could write. However, I wish I had done it when I was younger.

So, let’s pretend it is 11 p.m. and you are in the mood for a midnight snack. What do you reach for?

Wow, totally dependent on my mood. Maybe Greek yogurt with maple syrup. Maybe cashews. Maybe popcorn. Maybe Terra chips. Maybe dark chocolate almond butter on a banana. Maybe kippered snacks on whole grain toast. But if leftover pizza were available it would trump all.

99 How do you motivate yourself?

I’m terrible at motivating myself and any advice I have on the subject should be soundly ignored. Usually I put things off until not doing them becomes so terrifying and horrific an option that I must stop being silly and “just do it.” See? Not helpful.

If I opened your fridge, I would find …

A mess? I’ve actually had a nightmare that you came to visit me and I had forgotten to clean my fridge and spice cabinet. Loose pepper flakes and sauce spills abounded and I kept stammering and trying to explain it away by blaming my kids! Ha ha ha! My fridge is full of lots of sauces. Oyster sauce, soy, balsamic, mustard, horseradish, wasabi … Then there is the yogurt. Greek and Mountain High. I usually have a staple of these veggies: broccoli, cabbage, onion, carrots. Anything else is what’s seasonal. You will find farm-fresh eggs (we have chickens) and raw organic milk. Oh, and a lot of cheeses: paneer, queso, mozzarella, provolone, Parmesan and sharp cheddar at a minimum.

One fact about you that would surprise people?

I love the Ultimate Fighting Championship and support my son in his quest to be a cage fighter.

What is your definition of success?

Being content and as self-sufficient as possible.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to write a children’s book?

Pursue the dream with passion. Being a children’s book writer isn’t a job for the realist. You have to have to suspend reality and truly believe you will get published. So clap your hands, and repeat after me, “I do believe I’ll get published! I do, I do!” The people who really do believe it will pursue it in the manic way that makes it happen. Those who don’t will obsess on the odds

100 and their dreams of getting published will be squelched an annoying pessimist on their shoulder telling them, “Give up already. You’ll just get another rejection.”

Author Karma Wilson writes humorous, rhythmic pictures books for children. Her first book, Bear Snores On, was released in 2002; since then she has had more than thirty books accepted for publication. Karma’s award-winning books have been translated into dozens of languages, and a few have made an appearance on the New York Times best-seller list.

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Kim Severson, best-selling author and New York Times journalist

Kim Severson is the exceptional woman who inspired me to write about all the women who have changed my life in a good way. When I first read Kim’s memoir, Spoon Fed: How Eight Cooks Saved My Life, I cried. I loved every story. I loved how each woman had had such a profound impact on Kim’s life. Her writing has always motivated me, and I learn so much from it. Kim formerly wrote for the dining section of the New York Times and is now the Times’ Atlanta bureau chief. She has won several awards, including the Casey Medal for Meritorious Journalism for her work on childhood obesity in 2002, and four (!!) James Beard awards for food writing.

My one word for Kim: Uplifting

When I read your work, I always wonder what inspires you to write the stories you do. How do you pick and choose your topics?

There’s a little light that goes on. “Huh,” I think, “that’s a story.” After thirty years (if you count my high school paper) in journalism, it’s like a second sense. The way to think about it is this: does it interest you? That’s the big thing. Then, does it have some timeliness? Is the issue or subject surprising or new? Will people be surprised or delighted or angry or spurred into action by the story (this can even mean, when it comes to food writing, if they will be spurred to cook or eat differently)? And of course, would the story make a good narrative?

But mostly, imagine if the story you have in mind would be something you would want to tell someone else about. If it holds your interest, it will probably interest a reader.

If you look back at your sixteen-year-old self, what advice would you offer yourself?

Take good care of yourself. Study more. And realize that you are perfect exactly the way you are.

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So, let’s pretend it is 11 p.m. and you are in the mood for a midnight snack. What do you reach for?

I might make popcorn. I love making real popcorn. Like, in a pan. A friend taught me a little trick. You put the butter in the pan right after those first few test kernels pop and you are about to pour in the rest of the popcorn. And keep the lid tilted a bit so the steam doesn’t build up.

How do you motivate yourself?

Well, my paycheck is a pretty good motivator! But also, I try to break things down into little chunks with a reward at the end. Like, if I just sit down and write five hundred words, then I can go do (fill in your favorite distraction here). I find once I actually just sit down to work, I get things done. It’s the sitting-down part that is hard. And the deadlines get bigger and more nerve- wrecking the more I put them off. That sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach starts, and I start feeling overwhelmed. That can be crippling for a writer. Just sit down and write, even if you aren’t sure you are ready. Fingers on the keyboard. Now.

You wrote a book while working full time at the Times. How did you divide your time? I ask this because so many people say they are waiting for that BIG GAP in time to write their BIG BOOK and there really is no such thing. You have to fit it into your life, as is. Agree?

There never is the Big Gap, but I wouldn’t recommend doing it like I did. I didn’t have a choice. Couldn’t stop the paycheck and the book was just ready to be written. Plus, my partner was going to have a baby, so I knew the opportunity to get the book done wouldn’t come again for a few years.

I wrote on the weekends, on vacations and in the mornings. In the margins. It really can be done in small chunks at a time. You just have to move forward, one day at a time. By which I mean, you won’t get it done unless you start and work on things a little every day. Seriously, there is no

103 magic time. We writers spend a lot of time imagining a perfect scenario for writing, writing a narrative about how life needs to look before we can start writing. We are writers, after all! But if you get stuck trying to create a perfect situation for writing, you will never write.

If I opened your fridge, I would find…

Hmmmm. Let me go look. Half and half and local milk. Salted and unsalted butter. Sparkling water. Herbs. Some vegetables I should have cooked a couple of days ago. Juice boxes. Left over roasted chicken. An odd collection of cheese. Dijon. Maple syrup. Hummus. A Diet Coke (not mine)!

The one ingredient that is your go-to solution when a recipe tastes blah?

Salt. Lemon. Fresh herbs. Wait, that’s three.

One fact about you that would surprise people?

Self-doubt remains a good friend.

What is your definition of success?

Well, if I feel happy at the end of the day, then I feel successful. If I did some good work, have my bills paid, ate something good, put my toddler in bed and have had some laughs with some friends, then I am good.

Do you ever putter? I had to ask that. I picture you as super efficient in the kitchen, just as you are in your writing.

I putter in the margins. I wish I had more putter time. I love a day when I just get to cook or screw around. But I don’t have many of those. My new job on the national desk and a kid and yet another book deadline leave me not as much time to mess around in the kitchen as I like. I need

104 to cook for someone or I get out of whack fast. When I have someone coming over and a couple hours in front of me to cook for them, man, that is heaven.

What are the three pieces of advice you would give to new food writers?

1. Stick with it. I remember when I was starting out thinking every food story had been written and that I would never be able to come up with a story I could sell. But a good story will always find a home. 2. Work. You have to actually write and pitch stories and get rejected and write some more. I always think that every rejection meant I was getting close to a yes. But if I just sat around and thought of all the great stories I wanted to write, I would never get anything done. 3. Read. Great food writing is a good inspiration. And to know what is current and valuable to readers and editors, you have to know what is getting buzz and interest.

Kim Severson spent six years as a food writer for the New York Times and was recently appointed as the paper’s Atlanta bureau chief. She also spent six years writing about cooking and the culture of food for the San Francisco Chronicle. She’s the author of two cookbooks (The New Alaska Cookbook and The Trans Fat Solution: Cooking and Shopping to Eliminate the Deadliest Fat from Your Diet) as well as the food memoir Spoon Fed: How Eight Cooks Saved My Life [http://www.amazon.com/Spoon-Fed-Eight-Cooks-Saved/dp/B0043RT9C6].

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Lisa Armstrong, award-winning journalist

Lisa Armstrong is a career changer: she went from being an architect to becoming a writer. And a brilliant one at that. Whether she is visiting pyramids in Mexico, covering red-carpet celebs or writing about beading with women in Kenya, her writing is always mesmerizing. I was lucky enough to read a draft of her novel, The Tree of Forgetfulness, and I kept thinking it would pick up every award there is. Lisa is a magician with words—her approach, her tenderness, her amazing adeptness in what she does, is very inspiring. Lisa has an amazing eye—check out her photos. Oh, she reported on Haiti for the Pulitzer center and she also teaches at NYU! Talk about someone who does it all—and with such style!

My one word for Lisa: Stunning

Tell me about your background.

I was born in New York but moved to Kenya when I was three, and spent twelve years there. My parents are from Trinidad & Tobago, and so I obviously have strong ties to the Caribbean, but for me, Kenya is in many ways home. I became a journalist in part because I wanted to tell stories that showed a different side of the African continent. Far too often we hear about wars, famine and disease in Africa, but not so much about the good that’s happening there.

Journalism is actually a second career for me; I have a master’s in urban planning with a focus on international development and so worked as an architect and planner before going back to school to get a master’s in journalism.

What inspired you to go to Haiti and report from there? I have been following your reports. Heartbreaking.

106 After the earthquake, there were all these stories in the papers and on TV, and the narrative was always the same—“Haiti, the poorest country in this hemisphere, has been destroyed by an earthquake. How will they ever recover?” I’ve found that the media tend to paint people in certain parts of the world—Africa, for instance—as victims, and so I wanted to see for myself what the situation was in Haiti. I found that yes, Port au Prince had been destroyed, but I found on my first trip there that the people weren’t sitting down crying “Woe is me.” I went to one camp where, two and a half weeks after the earthquake, about 40,000 people had already set up what was a fully functioning community, with makeshift homes, vendors, etc. I’ve since written stories about people living under very difficult circumstances—women who have been raped, HIV-positive people living in the camps—and I am always struck by their strength.

You have had a long and successful career. Who inspired you the most? Why?

Hmm. I’ve been inspired by a number of different writers, either because I admire the work that they’re doing, or because I love the way they write.

If you look back at your sixteen-year-old self, what advice would you offer yourself?

Don’t worry so much about what other people think, and follow the path that you know is right for you as opposed to the one laid out by your parents!

So, let’s pretend it is 11 p.m. and you are in the mood for a midnight snack. What do you reach for?

Probably yogurt. It would previously have been Ike & Sam’s popcorn, but I recently found out I’m allergic to corn, so no more popcorn for me!

How do you motivate yourself?

Wow, that’s a hard one to answer. I really love what I do so I don’t really find myself looking for ways to motivate myself because this is what I want to be doing.

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If I opened your fridge, I would find…

Lots of fruits and veggies, yogurt, spelt bread, tofu, apple juice and various dressings, seasonings and sauces.

What is your definition of success?

Being happy. I think you obviously need to make a certain amount of money in order to be comfortable, but I think that, at least for myself, I measure success based on how happy I am (which ties very deeply into how happy my family and close friends are).

What does a typical day look like for you?

I get up as late as possible—usually 7–7:30—get my son up and out of the house to get the school bus, make some tea, write in my journal and then start working on assignments or querying or some other aspect of my freelance business. I typically go to yoga at some point during the day. I work until 4:30, when my son gets home, or later on the days that the babysitter comes. Then it’s making dinner, checking homework, making sure my son practices piano—all the typical mom-related after-school activities. I sometimes continue working after he has gone to bed, but I’m trying to cut back because my son says I work too much!

Lisa Armstrong [http://lisaarmstrong.net/] is an award-winning journalist whose work has seen her trekking up pyramids in Mexico to covering to awards-show after-parties to profiling a former gang member-turned champion fencer. She has been published in InStyle, National Geographic, the Washington Post, O: The Oprah Magazine, Parade, Ms., Essence and Redbook, among others. She is currently shopping around a book of short stories (entitled Stealing Nirvana) and working on a novel, The Tree of Forgetfulness [http://lisaarmstrong.net/the-tree-of- forgetfulness/].

108 Lynne Rossetto Kasper, award-winning radio show host and author

I have been listening to Lynne Rossetto Kasper [http://splendidtable.publicradio.org] for as long as I can remember. There is one thing I always learn from her show, The Splendid Table, and it is this: I still have a lot to learn! Her show has won countless awards; her book The Splendid Table’s How to Eat Supper won the James Beard award and the Julia Child First book award. Lynne, in person, is just as she is on the radio: warm, intelligent and a terrific conversationalist!

My one word for Lynne: Pure joy (okay, that’s two, but it is my book and I am allowed)

What inspires you to cook?

Possibilities, curiosity, new techniques, hunger, sensuality, pleasure, escape, focus, release, and making meals for people I care about.

You have had a long and successful career. Who inspired you the most? Why?

This is difficult to answer since there have been so many people. My passion is the way history and food connects and so folks who have worked in those arenas really inspire me. In particular, Barbara Wheaton, Anne Mendelson (one of the most gifted minds in food today), Piero Camporessi, to name just a few. Ettore Guatelli really inspired me with his vast ethnographic collection and his relationship with his heritage. He was the son of a sharecropper who hated the subservience of the system that governed farming over much of northern Italy. Yet, when the system was dismantled in the late 1960s, he found himself collecting artifacts of his people … the things they were throwing away. These were the implements they made with their hands to work, to cook, to play, to eat. He created a vast private museum in his father’s farm house. He is gone now, but he taught me so much.

And of course, my dear friend Cara de Silva. She is relentless in her scholarship and in the ways she finds information. Working with her is a total and complete joy.

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And I have to mention food artisans on both sides of the ocean. I love how they use their hands and carry on traditions of excellence. Their work draws me to food. In olden cultures, artisanal food had a real and incredible connection to the past. These artisans have taught me an important lesson: never think you know it all! There is always so much more to learn—the deeper you go into something, the more you find that you have yet to learn.

If you look back at your sixteen-year-old self, what advice would you offer yourself?

Fly! Be wild, believe in yourself and take big chances! Study food chemistry, become fluent in Arabic, Chinese and the romance languages.

So, let’s pretend it is 11 p.m. and you are in the mood for a midnight snack. What do you reach for?

Two things I love to eat late-night: one is pasta with my own homemade tomato sauce. It takes ten minutes to make. And number two, I love, love, love a Thai-style salad with fresh mangoes, mint, lots of greens, cucumbers. It is perfect—so fresh and so alive in flavors!

I don’t really crave ice cream although I love creamy things!

How do you motivate yourself?

Everyone has tough days, and when there is a lot going on, the best thing you can do is to take a break. Turn off the switch in your head—go for a walk, go to the museum, distract yourself any way you can. When you come back you will feel refreshed and ready to take on your problems. I meditate and that really helps. Sometimes, I just get up and walk away from my desk, and even a simple gesture like that helps. I believe in doing things like that—smell something wonderful, eat a great piece of chocolate, watch something captivating, take a walk outside. You have to get your senses to bubble up so that you can get outside your own head! It is the switch—switch it off. Go do something enjoyable and then come back and switch on!

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If I opened your fridge, I would find…

My chile collection! I have chilies from all around the world—Aleppo, Turkish so many different ones, all ground up! Hmm… every condiment known to man! Oh, and I have to tell you that no vegetable drawer is large enough for me. If you open my fridge, lettuce will fall out and hit you on the head! I have so many greens in there. I have Asian condiments, African and Latin American condiments. I love them!

One fact about you that would surprise people?

I will give you two: 1. I started my career teaching Chinese cooking in NYC and I was pretty good at it! 2. Twenty-five years ago, I quit smoking. I think it is terrible for your health and I don’t think anyone should go near a cigarette. That said, I get really upset with people who judge smokers. It is very hard to give up smoking. I know. But don’t judge people based on that (or on their height, weight, etc).

What is your definition of success?

Knowing in my gut that this is what I am supposed to be doing. Following your bliss is really true success. Doing work that you are proud of. And one important thing: success is being treasured by people whom I treasure.

What advice would you give someone who wants to get into food radio?

1. Have a point of view: Even if it is not obvious on air, you have to have a strong point of view. My radio show is about food and all its aspects. So we talk about food and all the pleasures of it—how it makes us feel, how it tastes, how it is grown. I have specific thoughts on all those.

111 2. Listen: Listen to as many shows on the radio as you can in your field of interest. See what they are talking about. Hear what works, what doesn’t work. This is a craft and it takes a long time to learn this craft. You have to be dedicated. 3. Find yourself a great producer: My producer Sally Swift is amazing and you should go find someone just as terrific!

Lynne Rossetto Kasper is an acclaimed food writer and radio journalist who hosts public radio’s food and lifestyle show The Splendid Table [http://splendidtable.publicradio.org], which explores everything we love about food, including the culture, science and history of what we eat. Lynne is a respected authority on food, having published three best-selling cookbooks: The Splendid Table, The Italian Country Table and The Splendid Table’s How to Eat Supper (co-authored with the show’s producer, Sally Swift). Her newest book, The Splendid Table’s How to Eat Weekends [http://www.amazon.com/Splendid-Tables-How-Weekends-Award- Winning/dp/0307590550/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpi_4], came out in fall 2011.

112

Meagan Francis, blogger and best-selling author

I was first introduced to Meagan Francis through one of her many smart articles on parenting. She is a witty and terrific writer. And then she stared her blog, The Happiest Mom. Every time I read that blog, I think: I want whatever she eats for breakfast! This mom of five, prolific writer (she released two books in 2011), and author is upbeat, full of common sense and inspiring—you will forget the worries of the terrible twos and focus on the brilliance of motherhood instead, and all with a smile!

My one word for Meagan: Vibrant

Tell me about your background:

I’ve been writing about parenthood almost as long as I’ve been a mom, but in the beginning I mostly wrote typical child-development stories you might see in parenting magazines—you know, potty training tips, why babies crawl, stuff like that. I was really more interested in taking a close look at the inner lives of moms: what makes them happy, what gets in the way of happiness. By the late 2000s books and blogs about motherhood seemed to be becoming more and more negative, and I felt like telling the world that we can be honest about the hard side of parenting without completely giving up! We really can be happy moms, and there are things we can do every day to make ourselves a little happier. So the blog, and then book, were born.

What inspires you to write?

Gosh, is it totally cliché to say my kids? I’ve always been a writer, and would be writing in some form no matter what I was doing with my life right now. But the desire to be close to them and available to them (and yet also provide financially for them) was what inspired me to write professionally. I love that my work is my life and my life is my work.

113

You have an amazingly busy schedule. How do you manage to do it all and yet be so happy and kind?

It is busy, but I try not to take on more “busy-ness” than I can handle. I know my limits and I know what I can take on without completely snapping. I make sure that I follow really busy times with really slow times so I can recover. And I lean heavily on my husband for help—we are very much partners in everything, from business to child-rearing.

If you look back at your sixteen-year-old self, what advice would you offer yourself?

“Stop worrying what other people think about you!” and “He’s not worth it.” and “For goodness’ sakes, study!”

So, let’s pretend it is 11 p.m. and you are in the mood for a midnight snack. What do you reach for?

I have a hard time eating anything but the carbiest carbs late at night. So it would either be whole-wheat toast with butter and jelly or a bowl of cereal… Smart Start with blueberries sounds really good…

If I opened your fridge, I would find…

Right at this moment? Two gallons of milk (I have five children, remember!), butter, carrots, lettuce, two dozen eggs, a package of bacon, a half-eaten wheel of brie, four dozen condiments and dressings, a whole chicken I’m hoping to roast today… that’s just off the top of my head, but I’m sure there are some hidden unpleasant surprises lurking in there.

What is your definition of success?

114 For me personally, success is earning enough to live comfortably doing what I want to do, and doing it well. I think we can all make our own definitions, though.

What are the three pieces of advice you would give to writers?

1. If you actually write more than you think about, talk about, or worry about writing, the rest will fall into place. 2. Help other writers. Generosity will come back to you again and again. 3. Live fully, pay attention, keep your eyes open. You have to have something to write about.

Mother of five Meagan Francis [http://meaganfrancis.com/] blogs at The Happiest Mom [http://meaganfrancis.com/blog/]. is the author of four books [http://meaganfrancis.com/books/]: The Happiest Mom, One Year to an Organized Life with Baby; Table for Eight: Raising a Large Family in a Small-Family World and The Everything Health Guide to Postpartum Care: A Complete Guide to Looking and Feeling Your Best After Delivery and Beyond. She a frequent contributor of articles on parenting and family life for magazines and websites like Parenting, Parents, Fit Pregnancy, American Baby, Disney’s Family.com and Pregnancy, and also writes regularly about travel, Midwest lifestyle, health and body-mind wellness for magazines like Natural Health, Yoga Journal, AAA Living and Michigan BLUE.

115

Melissa Clark, best-selling cookbook author

Ah, Melissa Clark. Let me first tell you that she has written thirty-one cookbooks—and that most of them are best sellers. And then let me tell you that she is one of the most giving writers I have ever met. She shares her knowledge, her wisdom and her insights with great passion. Anytime I have had a doubt about something and I think Melissa can help, she has never let me down. She is a columnist for the New York Times and writes for many national food magazines.

My one word for Melissa: Generous

First and foremost, what do you attribute your amazing success to?

I think it’s being excited about my work. I love what I do so much that I don’t mind working hard, pretty much all the time. Everything I see, read, do, and of course, eat, is creative fodder. Then once I have an idea, I look for an outlet. And once I have the outlet, I try to think of new, suitable ideas. It’s a circle.

What inspires you to cook?

Everything! I am always translating my daily experiences into recipes-to-be. A trip to the museum to see a show on German Expressionism makes me crave homemade pretzels. A walk in the park brings picnics to mind, with their mushy egg salad sandwiches. So I go home and make those things, or at least tuck the idea away for when I have a chance to make them.

How many books have you written or co-authored? How do you find the time to do it all?

I’m up to thirty-one. And I have help! I have recipe testers who help me test the recipes for the books. I couldn’t do it without them. Time… I had more time pre-child, so it’s a good thing I

116 started young and then had my daughter pretty late. I wrote the majority of books before I got pregnant. Now, I have less time, so have to make sure to pick my projects really carefully. I don’t want to spend a year or two (or five!) on a book that I’m not in love with.

How do you pick topics for your wonderful Times column?

My editor and I sit down and chat about food and at the end of that meeting, we have a list of things for me to write about.

You have had a long and successful career. Who inspired you the most? Why?

I’ve had so many inspirations, both culinary and writerly. Alice Waters, Michael Pollan, Marion Nestle and Wendell Berry inspire me to eat thoughtfully and to let my work reflect that. Paula Deen inspires me to work my butt off and be professional at every turn without losing my inner self. Be real, be on time. MFK Fischer was a big inspiration when I first decided to become a food writer; re-reading her work over and over reminds me how good food writing can be. And then every time I read a smart magazine article or check into a well-crafted blog, I gain something and take it with me; it makes me want to do better.

If you look back at your sixteen-year-old self, what advice would you offer yourself?

Nothing about careers to my sixteen-year old self, because at that age I’d say, lighten up! Have more fun! Believe in your light and your exuberance and don’t worry about your career. But I have lots to tell my twenty-five-year-old self about careers, including “Don’t worry about pleasing everyone else.” And start thickening your skin. Luckily skin thickens naturally as we age and grow “wiser” or something.

So, let’s pretend it is 11 p.m. and you are in the mood for a midnight snack. What do you reach for?

117 Toast and butter! I love toast and butter! If I want savory, I eat toast with with butter and sliced avocados or tomatoes and salt. Or anchovies. If I want sweet I spread the butter with jam or good honey.

How do you motivate yourself?

Anxiety is the best motivator, and I’ve got it in spades.

If I opened your fridge, I would find…

That you couldn’t fit one more tiny wafer in there. It’s filled beyond sanity. But I like my condiments.

One fact about you that would surprise people?

That I love Baroque opera. And that I know the words to all six verses of My Darling Clementine. (These two things are not related.)

What is your definition of success?

I should answer like this: Doing what you love every day is the true measure of success. And on good days I believe this. On bad days I think darker thoughts, like this: Success is the thing that is just beyond my grasp. When I get it, I’ll be successful.

What does a typical day look like for you?

Get up with my toddler, play with her and make her breakfast (strawberry soufflé, which is what we call strawberries with sour cream). Sometimes I go for a run and my husband feeds the kiddo. Then babysitter comes at 9, and I sit at my desk and worry about what I have to get done. Sometimes I actually get it done. On some days I have a recipe tester come in and we cook, testing recipes for my column and cookbooks. On some days I sit and write all day. Sometimes I

118 go to cafés to write when I can’t concentrate at home. Sometimes I go to cafés to avoid my child, if she is in a needy mood and I have a deadline. Sometimes I have to put on professional clothes and leave the house—there are the occasional meetings to go to, the occasional lunch. But at 6 p.m. I become Mom again and then it’s dinner time and family time. I think it’s a day most working moms can relate to!

Melissa Clark [http://www.melissaclark.net/] is a food columnist for the New York Times and has written for Bon Appétit, Food & Wine, Every Day with Rachael Ray and Martha Stewart, among others. She has written more than thirty cookbooks, many of them in collaboration with some of New York’s most celebrated chefs. She recently published the acclaimed In the Kitchen with a Good Appetite, filled with essays and recipes based on her popular column, A Good Appetite. Her next book, Cook This Now, a collection of seasonally driven, inventive comfort food recipes, will be released in October 2011.

119

Nathalie Dupree, TV show host, best-selling cookbook author

After watching Nathalie Dupree for years on TV, I actually “met” her on Facebook! We began to interact about the food we ate, and slowly that relationship turned into a blessed friendship. She has done so much with her life. Consider: eleven cookbooks, over 300 TV episodes, and then at the tender age of seventy—yes, seventy—she ran for the U.S. Senate! I cannot say enough about her. But I will stop now. You have to read this interview, and you will know why I stopped: No one does Nathalie like Nathalie. Right now, I am learning to make biscuits from her latest book, Southern Biscuits.

My one word for Nathalie: Vibrant

You are one of the most successful food personalities to date. What is the secret of your stupendous success?

My success is in part due to the fact that there was no competition when I started. I was the first woman I knew to be chef of a restaurant in a restaurant in Spain or America. I did both. Money was not my goal—cooking was. I truly believe every person has the right to have a job they enjoy that makes the world a better place and earn enough to support themselves.

What inspires you to cook?

Gosh. I don’t know. I just have to.

You have had a long and successful career. Who inspired you the most? Why?

There were no such things as mentors when I came along. I didn’t know who Julia Child was until I met her the day of our final exam at the Cordon Bleu—I’d never seen her on television. But over the years I learned what a big path she had plowed for the rest of us, so certainly her.

120 But Paula Wolfert’s generosity of spirit and intellectual explorations inspired me, as did Elizabeth Schneider’s. Both would talk to me about my crazy ideas in the 1970s—like why could we eat prosciutto but not country ham? (We agreed you could, but the USDA didn’t agree with us.) And my students—who were always smarter than I was. They started out ahead and pulled me along.

If you look back at your sixteen-year-old self, what advice would you offer yourself?

Every job you have is important as you learn something that will help you sometime later in life. It is usually the thing you least expect. Do what comes to you. Keep studying, reading. Keep cooking and pushing yourself. Be true to yourself. Loving what you do is more important than money as long as you are supporting yourself as well as your contemporaries in other fields. Adopt the pork chop theory—if one pork chop is alone in a pan it goes dry; if there are two or more the fat from one feeds the other. The more we see there is room for all of us, and that another person in the field enlarges it and makes more for all of us, the better the field will be. Competition makes everyone grow.

So, let’s pretend it is 11 p.m. and you are in the mood for a midnight snack. What do you reach for?

It varies with what I have in the house. Usually there is something tasty around.

How do you motivate yourself?

I take one step after the other. I remind myself to keep the path clear, and not to put a hurdle right in front of me and then try to jump over it. Reading motivates me, as does cooking and talking about cooking.

If I opened your fridge, I would find…

121 Hm. The breast portion of a roast chicken; a fully cooked ham from a photo shoot today; the dregs of three briskets I tested this last week; a shelf of homemade orange marmalade, tomato conserve, pepper jelly, caramelized oranges… that might be my midnight snack. I love that bitter sweet. A bunch of condiments—olives, pickles, relishes, et al. Eggs, milk, buttermilk, two quarts of whipping cream. A drawer of Comté and Parmigiano, which I always have on hand. There are three or four biscuits in a plastic bag on the kitchen table, half a loaf of French bread a student made yesterday, apples, and bananas on the table too.

One fact about you that would surprise people?

I am still hampered by the feeling that women should not push to get ahead; I find it hard to assert myself in certain situations.

What is your definition of success?

Doing what you love doing, supporting yourself (and your responsibilities), and making the world a better place.

Award-winning author Nathalie Dupree [http://www.nathalie.com/bio.htm] has written eleven cookbooks on Southern cuisine, entertaining and cooking basics, including Southern Memories: Recipes and Reminiscences, Shrimp and Grits, and most recently, Southern Biscuits

[http://www.amazon.com/Southern-Biscuits-Nathalie-Dupree/dp/142362176X] (co-authored with Cynthia Graubart). Over the past fifteen years, Nathalie has hosted television shows on the Food Network, The Learning Channel, and PBS. She was previously chef of three restaurants and served as the director of Rich’s Cooking School in Atlanta.

122

Nycci Nellis, TV and radio show star

Nycci Nellis is a Washington, D.C. star! She talks about food on local radio and TV, hosts food events… Nycci does it all. And with such grace and style. I met Nycci several years ago and have always been a fan not just of her food-related activities but also of her overall energy and passion. Her passion is contagious. You cannot sit with her for five minutes and not walk away feeling that you can conquer the world. Not many people can make you feel that way.

My one word for Nycci—Energetic

You do it all— radio, TV, events… what inspires you to do all that?

I wasn’t born with a silver spoon in my mouth, but I was born with a fork, knife, and spoon… always ready to partake in any meal. As a child, I was fortunate to have a family that thoroughly enjoyed eating, and planning to eat, and who pursued new tastes everywhere, from our local grocers to New York’s Chinatown and Little Italy, to St. Martin, Mexico and beyond. We weren’t food obsessed—or were we? At breakfast, it was important to figure out what was for lunch and whether we should have a snack at the ready just in case hunger should arise before that. And what would we do for dinner? Would it be a wonderful meal whipped up by my mother, an excellent cook, or would we traipse into the city to find something new and foreign? To say we were—and still are—all passionate about the discoveries food can lead us to is an understatement.

As I ventured out on my own after college and here to D.C., food (dining, cooking, entertaining, and everything that comes with it) always remained on the front burner for me. I loved being a concierge to my friends with recommendations on the latest restaurant openings and comings and goings. While event planning in D.C., I met my husband and his three little boys. It wasn’t long until I was cooking for the four of them and more, as our family grew to five kids. I began

123 baking out of the house for area restaurants right after the birth of my youngest son (oops—that’s highly illegal, but no one at the restaurants seemed to mind) and was soon dipping my toe into the restaurant scene in DC. It was then that I realized that so many restaurants had so many promotions, events, cooking classes and tastings—I couldn’t believe there wasn’t one place to find out about it all. This was before the time of blogs (only 8 years ago). And, with that, ta-da: TheListAreYouOnIt.com was born.

I wanted TheListAreYouOnIt.com to be a comprehensive, one-stop resource for people who, like me, hungered for updated info about everything happening in and around D.C.’s food and wine scene. No snark, no opinion. An always-updated ezine for people who love the restaurant industry and love knowing what chefs, sommeliers, and mixologists are up to as much as I do. TheListAreYouOnIt.com provides that and much more: a standing list of restaurant openings, status updates of those coming soon, and original articles by chefs and wine professionals, both local and national.

“The List,” as we call it now, is seven years young and serves more than 30,000 subscribers. Thanks to its success, I am fortunate to be tapped regularly by many media outlets to comment, o come on the air or online to talk shop. It’s one of my absolute favorite things to do. In the past few years I have been featured on local and national TV, weekly radio segments and, most recently, I launched my own radio and cable shows, Foodie and the Beast, co-hosted by my husband, David.

There are many times when I find myself interviewing a chef I have long admired or am dining with other food writers whom I truly respect, and I really just want to pinch myself.

You have an amazingly busy schedule. How do you manage to do it all and yet be so fun- spirited?

At one point in my life, I was incredibly, obsessively organized. I wish I could reclaim that girl I once knew. Needless to say, I am a type-A personality with a go-go-go kind of spirit. It would be hard to juggle home, kids, husband, and friends and put in all the hours I do for The List and

124 Foodie and the Beast if I weren’t passionate about all of it. The good news is I work out of my house. I am able to make my kids breakfast and get them off to school and am here most days when they return (chauffeur hat ready). When I do attend (judge, emcee) events, dinners, etc., I try to have a meal at the ready for the kids so that they are still getting a home-cooked meal. Balance is crucial and not easy. I don’t succeed all the time but I sincerely hope that all my husband and kids see how much I love what I do and how much I love them.

Please tell my readers about your fun radio show. I love that you and your hubby host it together, and I have enjoyed being on it. What is it like to work with your spouse?

Well, David is a pretty straightforward guy in many ways, and that’s very true when it comes to food. He’s as happy—happier, really—with a good plate of ribs and slaw, or maybe the bratburger at Birch & Barley, than he is with fine dining and six courses coming his way. That’s just how he is. And, while I wouldn’t call him cheap, per se, it does pain him to spend a lot on a meal. I’m more adventurous with food, care much more about things like sourcing, presentation, and the like. So, the show is a reflection of people and topics that are attractive to our diverse interests, and we regularly have friendly “food fights” about all sorts of stuff. Plus, David is a born wiseguy, and so the show is peppered with weird asides, sound effects and even, a couple of weeks ago, a five-minute impersonation of Julia Child back from the dead. The show is the only food and wine variety show on the radio or TV (a taped and edited version of the Foodie and the Beast radio show that airs Sundays at 11 a.m. on 1500 AM starts airing on WRC-TV’s “Washington Nonstop” cable channel in May). I produce the show, theming each week’s lineup and selecting and booking all the talent, and David and I spend several hours every Saturday prepping for the radio show the next day. It’s a lot of work and a lot of fun. It’s been a complete thrill for me to be able to interview such national and international food celebs like Wolfgang Puck, Jean George, Thomas Keller, Marcella Hazan, Bobby Flay, the Ossio Brothers from Peru, and Coleman Andrews. No less fun are local faves like Robert Egger, Cathal Armstrong, Gin Chersevani, Todd Gray, Monica Bhide, Greg Engert, Joe Yonan, Tom Seitsema, and Ann Yonkers. And, working with my spouse is, even after all the food fights, a lot of fun—we’re really best friends and love what we’ve been doing with the show for the past three years.

125 If you look back at your sixteen-year-old self, what advice would you offer yourself?

Study a little more, party a little less, but never, ever stop skipping school to sneak off to New York with a girlfriend for a day of dining and shopping around in Soho.

So, let’s pretend it is 11 p.m. and you are in the mood for a midnight snack. What do you reach for?

Actually, I’m rarely hungry that late if I am home… “out” is usually a totally different story. However, since I do dine out regularly, I do my best to eat healthier at home. I have several glasses of green tea with ginger prior to bed and, if I were to grab anything at all, it probably would be a handful of roasted, unsalted almonds.

How do you motivate yourself?

It’s a mixture of fear, a jammed schedule, and a sprinkling of procrastination. I leave a lot of things to the last possible minute and then bust my tush on them until they’re perfect.

If I opened your fridge, I would find…

Olives (lots o’varieties), cheese (lots o’varieties again), harissa, farm-fresh eggs, Trickling Springs whole milk, something bubbly (Champagne or Prosecco) whatever fruit and veggies I picked up at the farmer’s market, Srircha, Skyr and Uncle Brutha’s Hot Sauce and sour cream— David cannot live without it.

One fact about you that would surprise people?

I was a gymnast growing up, and I still do front and back walkovers as part of my regular workout almost every day.

What is your definition of success?

126

Having a concrete goal in mind and eventually achieving it. Money is great—who would say otherwise? But truly enduring success lies in what you build, nurture, and sustain that makes you feel whole and centered. For me that includes family, lasting friendships, and my work.

What is next for you?

Good question. But I hope it’s tasty.

Nycci Nellis is the founder and editor of TheListAreYouOnIt.com, the Washington D.C. area’s premier food and wine events website, which offers details on hundreds of events every month, from chef appearances and cooking classes to wine seminars, local vineyard tours, special restaurant activities and promotions. and more. She and her husband, David, host a weekly food and wine radio show called Foodie and the Beast.

127 Padma Lakshmi, Top Chef host and cookbook author

When my book, Modern Spice [http://www.amazon.com/Modern-Spice-Inspired-Flavors- Contemporary/dp/1416566597], was about to be released, a friend suggested we send a copy to Padma Lakshmi since she herself was a cookbook author and superbly famous food personality. The reason was to see if we could get a blurb. I wasn’t hopeful. Padma is possibly one of the best known and most celebrated Indians out there, and I was (am) a little-known writer. But, hey, the world revolves around hope. We sent her a book and then moved on. I heard back once from her assistant that she had read it and enjoyed it but wanted to cook from it before she said anything about it. I was happy but never expected it to go any further.

Then came that fateful day in June 2009. Her publicist called me and told me to run to the store and buy a copy of Newsweek. I did and there it was. Padma had picked Modern Spice as one of her “BEST.BOOKS.EVER” for Newsweek.

I was stunned, happy, delirious! I could not believe my luck and her amazing grace.

I finally picked up the courage to go and meet her in her office to thank her for her kindness. If I tell you that she is lovely, I am stating the obvious, I know, but for the first time in my life, I found myself staring at a woman. She is simply beautiful. She sat next to me (!!) and do you know what she said? “What can I do to help you?” Help me? Wow! I was just there to thank her, to tell her how much she had inspired me. Padma is not only a famous model and host of Top Chef, she has her own line of jewelry, she has her own line of spices, she talks about endometriosis to help other women who have the disease, she is a loving mom who cares for her new baby… I could go on and on. She has proven, again and again, that if you have the determination, nothing is impossible. And think about it: after having it all, her first question is: How can I help you? Think about the power of that.

Meeting her and spending time with her was one of the most memorable moments of my life.

My one word for Padma: Memorable

Please tell my readers a little bit about your background. You went from being a model to a food star. What was the reason behind all the changes?

I was always interested in food, and what started as a very elevated hobby somehow got turned into a career with the publication of my first cookbook. Modeling did afford me the ability to travel to some wonderful corners of the earth, which informed my cooking and developed my tastes for global cuisine.

You have an amazingly busy schedule. How do you manage to do it all and yet be so fun- spirited?

Ha! It’s not so easy. I guess the thing I try to always remember is that I’m very lucky to be this busy and I try to balance all the different aspects of my life as best I can on an ongoing basis.

How did you get involved with Top Chef?

I met the head of the network, Lauren Zalaznick, and pitched her another food idea I had. They passed on that idea but wanted to do Top Chef with me involved. Unfortunately I couldn’t do it the first season because of prior work commitments, but I was able to join them during the second season.

How do you handle your disappointment when one of your favorites is eliminated on the show?

It’s always hard to see someone go, but those are the rules of the game, so we all do expect it to happen. It gets really hard toward the end when it comes down to the small details because by then anyone who has stuck around is very talented.

Most fun contestant ever—and why?

129

This is a tough one because they’re all so different, but I have to say Carla Hall was always a burst of sunshine in the kitchen. And her commentary, which I never see until the airing of the show, always makes me laugh.

If you look back at your sixteen-year-old self, what advice would you offer yourself?

Don’t buy that pair of acid-washed jeans.

So, let’s pretend it is 11 p.m. and you are in the mood for a midnight snack. What do you reach for?

Sea salt and vinegar potato chips.

If I opened your fridge, I would find…

Lots of leafy green vegetables, and fresh herbs as well as some French and Italian artisanal cheeses. Some jams and chutneys and champagne, milk, beer, juices, eggs, caviar, and the usual stuff.

One fact about you that would surprise people?

I box and have done so for ten years.

What is your definition of success?

Success is being content doing exactly what you are doing and doing it with the people you want.

Now you are cooking for a gorgeous little girl. What does she like to eat?

130 She loves lentils and rice, kale and other vegetables, as well as pasta. She is very easy to feed, hope it lasts!

Actress, model and award-winning writer Padma Lakshmi [http://www.lakshmifilms.com/padma_lakshmi.htm] is the host of the popular Bravo show Top Chef. Originally known as the first internationally successful Indian supermodel, Padma quickly branched out into acting (on television shows and miniseries as well as feature films) and food writing. Padma previously hosted Padma’s Passport, a cooking show on the Food Network focused on healthy ethnic cuisine, and a travel documentary series called Planet Food. She has written two cookbooks, Easy Exotic and Tangy, Tart, Hot & Sweet, and has contributed to magazines such as Vogue, Gourmet and Harper’s Bazaar.

131

Ramin Ganeshram, award-winning journalist and author

One of the best things about my job is that I never know when a hero will show up. I had heard about Ramin Ganeshram via Media Bistro. I remember reading her endless list of qualifications and thinking: wow, someday I would love to meet her. And someday arrived! We connected on Facebook and I immediately fell head over heels with her superb writing style and her practical advice. Her first novel, Stir It Up [http://www.amazon.com/Stir-Up-Novel-Ramin- Ganeshram/dp/0545165822/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpi_2], is a culinary novel for middle-grade readers and sold 140,000 copies before it was even released in August 2011. You must order it now; I know you will love it as much as I do.

My one word for Ramin: Gifted

You are one of the most gifted writers I know! I love reading your books and your writing. Did you always know you wanted to be a writer?

Yes, I always did—even when I was told it wasn’t a “real” profession and pursued other things. In college my parents wanted me to be pre-med, then settled upon pre-law. Journalism or writing was not an option—it was a hobby. Still, somehow, I always came back to it, even if the road was meandering, which goes to show that your dreams will nag at and haunt you until you stop and say, “OK, I’ll give you the time and space you need.”

If you look back at your sixteen-year-old self, what advice would you offer yourself?

The best advice I’d give myself is “You have as much or as little to offer as you think you do. You are inherently valuable—as we all are—but how you choose to express or deny that value is in your own hands.”

132 So, let’s pretend it is 11 p.m. and you are in the mood for a midnight snack. What do you reach for?

CHEESE. I am a cheese ADDICT. If I could live on cheese, I would. The stinkier the better. Thankfully, my husband despises cheese, and so this has helped curb my addiction.

How do you motivate yourself?

That’s a great question. Sometimes I don’t even know. I guess I look at things as one task at a time. The only issue with that is that if you are not careful you become an automaton and forget to put your head up and enjoy the view.

So now you have an amazing novel coming out. Please tell my readers a little bit about the novel.

The novel is for middle readers (ages ten to fourteen), but I think that adults and older kids alike will enjoy it because it’s about a topic that is so important to our culture—food and cooking! The story is about a Trinidadian American girl called Anjali Krishnan whose dream is to become a chef and be the youngest person to have her own show on the Food Network. Her family encourages her—but only to a point because, like my youthful passion for writing, “cooking is not a career, it’s a hobby.” Thanks to a chef-mentor Anjali gets her shot at that cooking show and pursues her dream, even against her parents’ wishes. To find out how she does that and what happens, you’ll have to read the book! The book also has Anjali’s recipes that young people can make easily, especially with the help of a parent.

You wrote a book while working full time. How did you divide your time? I ask this because so many people say they are waiting for that BIG GAP in time to write their BIG BOOK and there really is no such thing. You have to fit it into your life… as is. Agree?

I agree wholeheartedly. In fact, when I’ve tried to take time out of life and only write, it almost never works. I wind up goofing off. I think that Gretchen Rubin really articulated this idea well

133 in her book and blog The Happiness Project. She talks about realizing just how much productive time you need and focusing on that. In her case it was about 90 minutes, I believe. In mine, it’s about 2 hours or so. If I can get in two solid hours here and there, I can write a book in a few months’ time. Of course, that might average out to five hours on a particularly productive day (while my daughter is in bed usually) or one-hour spurts all week long. What I’ve learned is to not have a rigid standard I have to adhere to—it doesn’t work for me. In fact it stresses me out to stunt my ability to work.

If I opened your fridge, I would find…

Umeboshi plums (my latest obsession which I try to eat with EVERYTHING); coconut milk; two kinds of Thai curry paste (red and green); a bag of red Scotch Bonnet peppers; Persian barberries; Red Stripe; cruelty-free eggs.

The one ingredient that is your go to solution when a recipe tastes blah…

SALT. I’m a saltaholic. I adore salt. I would probably eat just salt (with my cheese LOL!) if I could get away with it.

One fact about you that would surprise people?

I like a lot of hip hop music. Not all but a lot. I also like to read period mysteries. I used to be addicted to Murder, She Wrote until I realized that if there were that many murders in such a small Maine town, a smart person would MOVE. Oops, that’s three facts. Sorry.

What is your definition of success?

Success to me would be the ability to be happy more than not. Part of that is a firm knowledge that the basics of life are taken care of. Once they are, I feel that if I could joy more than not, that will translate to a better life for my whole family.

134 What are the three pieces of advice you would give to new food writers?

1. Write. If you are not writing, then how are you a writer? Don’t talk about it, write it. 2. Be patient. With perseverance and a good game plan, you’ll get there. Overnight success is a rare and fleeting thing. You think you want it—but you don’t. And you probably won’t get it, so keep on trucking, you’ll get there. 3. Have a plan. This is probably the most important. Figure out what your angle or your platform is and have a laser focus on it. A little bit of everything is ok when you are trying to find out what it is you want to write about or what your passion is. But once you’ve figured it out you need to have a plan.

Writer and professional chef Ramin Ganeshram [http://www.caribbeancook.blogspot.com/] is the author of the cookbook Sweet Hands: Island Cooking from Trinidad and Tobago and co- editor of America I AM: Pass It Down Cookbook. Ramin’s work has appeared in Saveur, O, National Geographic Traveler, the New York Times and several other prestigious publications. Her first work of fiction, Stir It Up!, [http://www.amazon.com/Stir-Up-Novel-Ramin- Ganeshram/dp/0545165822/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpi_2] is about a teen chef who competes in a cooking reality show.

135 Ruth Reichl, former editor-in-chief of Gourmet, all-around superstar

A few years ago, I read Ruth Reichl’s memoir Not Becoming My Mother and really felt like I connected with the writing. I wrote Ruth, who was still the editor-in-chief at Gourmet at the time, and of course never expected to hear back. Not only did I get the nicest email back, we have stayed in touch since. From the little that I have gotten to know her via the emails, I can share one insight: Ruth is one insightful woman and despite her mind-boggling success, she manages to stay very real and, in my opinion, very humble. Read for yourself how inspiring she is. Take her words, digest them and internalize them. This is as close, I think, as we will get to a blueprint for making yourself successful:

My one word for Ruth: Inspiring

Your career is what dreams are made of! What /who has inspired you over the years?

As I wrote in For You Mom, Finally, my greatest inspiration was my mother, who had an enormous desire for me to have a more fulfilling life than she did. MFK Fisher was a huge influence too: At one point she told me that I had to go get a job at a newspaper. “You’re polishing every word,” she said. “You need to let your words go, let them be imperfect, know that tomorrow they’ll be wrapped around dead fish.” It was good advice.

You have an amazingly busy schedule. How do you manage to do it all and yet be so fun- spirited?

My husband says I was born with an excess of serotonin. It’s probably true. Maybe I’m fooling myself, but I have a really good time, most of the time. I like the people I work with and the work that I do.

The publishing world is changing so rapidly, no one seems to know that the right answer is. Does it ever keep you up at night? If yes, how to you deal with stress?

136

Lots of things keep me up at night; that’s not one of them. And for me it’s simple; if I can’t sleep, I get up and read.

If you look back at your sixteen-year-old self, what advice would you offer yourself?

I was so miserable at sixteen. I wish I could go back and tell myself how much better things were going to get. It would have helped.

So, let’s pretend it is 11 p.m. and you are in the mood for a midnight snack. What do you reach for?

Crackers topped with sour cream, salmon roe, and a splash of lemon juice.

How do you motivate yourself?

With difficulty.

If I opened your fridge, I would find…

Always: Butter. Eggs. Bacon. Parmesan cheese. Sriracha. Soy sauce. Lemons. White wine. Tortillas. Frozen chicken stock. Maple syrup. Miso. Milk. I usually have: Cooked rice. Milk. Scallions. Shiitake mushrooms. Salmon roe. Sour cream.

One fact about you that would surprise people?

I am miserable if there is no cat in my life.

What is your definition of success?

I don’t think anyone ever feels really successful. Or at least nobody with a conscience.

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If you were starting out today, in this new food-writing, publishing world, what are the three things you would do (basically, I am looking for what advice you would give new writers who may be really intimidated by the market today).

I wish I’d known that there is a huge hunger out there for good writing, and you can start at the top. At both the Los Angeles Times and Gourmet I often published first-time writers. If something good came in, from anywhere, we’d print it. So I wish I’d started out by being less intimidated. Find a good story, write the hell out of it and send it to the best outlets you can think of.

Secondly, I didn’t know then that many of the most famous food writers have been saved by their editors. Your own writing doesn’t have to be perfect; the editors are there to help.

And finally, I really didn’t understand that the more you write, the better you become. I look at some of my early work now and just cringe.

What’s next?

I’ve got a whole array of projects that I’m working on, starting with my novel, Delicious!, and a cookbook based on my Twitter feed. After that I’ll write the memoir about the Gourmet years.

I’m also editorial advisor to Gilt Taste, which launched in May 2011. It’s a project that’s very close to my heart—the next spin of the media wheel, a magazine that’s not advertising-based. Francis (Lam) and I just shoot ideas and pieces back and forth; it’s great fun to think about what this magazine might be.

I’m also editor-at-large at Random House, and I’ve got a few projects going there that I’m excited about. One huge ongoing book that’s not like anything that’s already out there.

And I’m developing a food show for NPR with Ming Tsai; we’re doing a pilot program.

138

On top of that I do a lot of speaking around the country. So life is very full.

Food writer and editor Ruth Reichl was the editor-in-chief of Gourmet for ten years until its closing in 2009 and is currently an editor-at-large at Random House. She’s the editor of the Modern Library Food series, and the author of three critically acclaimed food memoirs: Tender at the Bone: Growing Up at the Table, Comfort Me with Apples: More Adventures at the Table and Garlic and Sapphires: The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise (slated to become a film). Her most recent memoir is Not Becoming My Mother.

139 Sarita Mandanna, debut novelist

Sarita Mandanna is the friend of a friend. I met her at a dinner one time and my first reaction was, “Wow, she is simply gorgeous.” And then I heard about her background: MBA from a top school, and working at a prestigious firm in Manhattan. And then I heard about her debut novel, Tiger Hills. And then, the New York Times picked her debut novel as the Editor’s Choice. I remember thinking someone forgot to tell her that she cannot have it all! Sarita is one of the most inspirational people in my life. I am telling you, her story will make you want to run to your laptop and start writing. Be sure to order her book: it will mesmerize you. It is being compared to Gone with the Wind by critics!

My one word for Sarita: Inspirational

First, tell us a little bit about yourself and your previous life.

I’m from Coorg, an absolutely beautiful part of Southern India that used to be known as the “Scotland of India.” I grew up in India, worked in Hong Kong for a bit, and came to the U.S. for graduate school. After an MBA from the Wharton Business School, I moved to NYC where I worked as a private equity professional. Tiger Hills is my debut novel and was written over a five-year period while living and working in Manhattan.

Did you always want to be a writer?

The desire to write itself took me somewhat by surprise. I was always an avid reader, and while I did think that I would write, it was very much a “one day, some day” kind of aspiration. About seven years ago, after a particularly draining week, I came back home from work itching for a creative outlet. I booted up my laptop and began to write. That initial output became a short story, followed by six more in rapid succession, and was the springboard to writing Tiger Hills.

What inspired you to write your novel?

140

The inspiration for Tiger Hills stems from a deeply personal vein. Tiger Hills is set in Coorg. My family traces roots here for centuries on end, and I’ve always felt a deep connectedness with this part of the world. Perhaps inevitably then, when I began to write Tiger Hills, Coorg was the setting that naturally unfurled.

Tell us a little about the book and about the NYT review.

Tiger Hills is a multi-generational epic spanning the years between 1878 through after WWII. As the first girl to be born to the Nachimandas in over sixty years, spirited Devi is adored by her entire family. She befriends Devanna, a gifted young boy whose mother has died in tragic circumstances. The two quickly become inseparable, “like two eggs in a nest,” as they grow up amidst the jungles and coffee plantations of Coorg. Their futures seem inevitably linked, but everything changes when, one night, they attend a “tiger wedding.” It is there that Devi gets her first glimpse of Devanna’s cousin, Machu, a celebrated tiger killer and a hunter of great repute. It is the tangled relationships between these three that lead to a tragedy that has consequences for the generations to come. While Coorg forms the highly personalized canvas of Tiger Hills, I wanted to write a universal story that would resonate with readers regardless of where they lived or came from. Tiger Hills is almost classical in structure—a large, old-fashioned narrative, whose characters struggle with universal themes.

On the NYT review—it’s the NYT!! I was thrilled to hear that Tiger Hills was selected as Editor’s Choice. These things are impossible to predict, and I feel fortunate to have had it happen.

How long did it take?

Tiger Hills was over five years in the crafting. Rights were acquired in April 2009, so all in all it has been over seven years to see it come to fruition.

What were some of the obstacles you faced? How did you overcome them?

141

The biggest challenge was the sheer amount of time involved in writing Tiger Hills. I wrote in a vacuum, not knowing all the while if I would ever get published. I was a no-name, debut author, working away in secret, for five long years. I tried to block all of that out, and to focus on the writing alone.

That being said, it wasn’t an easy time—while the process of writing was satisfying in the aggregate, there were many days when I seriously questioned my sanity for taking this on. Extracting yourself from the immediate world, the physicality of it, and immersing yourself in one of the imagination takes a bit of transitioning, and it was all the more challenging in the case of Tiger Hills because I was working full time as well. There were many hours spent staring at my laptop without writing a word as I made the mental leap from bright lights, big city New York to nineteenth-century Coorg. I just stuck with it, doggedly writing chapter after chapter. Much as I chafed being tied to my laptop, there was little else I could do—I was obsessed with Tiger Hills as soon as I began it.

How does a brand-new writer go on to sell a fiction book?

The key thing is to find a great agent. I was lucky to have David Godwin. He’s incredibly passionate about the books he takes on, and was able to open doors for Tiger Hills that might have taken far longer otherwise. Tiger Hills is being published in eighteen countries around the world, and David has had a great deal to do with that. It was selected as one of the Ten Best Reads by the 2011 TV Book Club in the UK, and was long-listed for the 2011 Man Asian Literary Prize.

You wrote this book while working full time at a very high-paced job. How did you find the time?

While work took priority, I wrote in all the spare time that I had. It was a strict process of compartmentalization—I walked to work in Manhattan and would give myself time to think

142 about the plot and characters until I reached the doors of the building. Once I was in, that was it, the story was shut away. I’d walk back home late at night, and once home, give myself an hour to unwind. I’d then begin to write once more, working until I was simply too tired to go any further. I wrote on the weekends when I wasn’t working, even carrying drafts to the gym to edit on the treadmill. That schedule meant that I slept very little, averaging about 3-4 hours of sleep during all the years I was working on Tiger Hills. I am still a recovering insomniac—there is at least one night a month where no matter what, I am unable to sleep at all.

When people say to you, “I just don’t have the time to write my great book,” your response is?

“Make the time!”

If you look back at your sixteen-year-old self, what advice would you offer yourself?

I would tell her not to sweat the small stuff, and to believe in herself—that no matter the circumstances, hard work and concerted effort will propel you forward.

So, let’s pretend it is 11 p.m. and you are in the mood for a midnight snack. What do you reach for?

Maybe a bit of cheese, or more likely, something sweet! I try not to keep snacks in the house precisely to avoid midnight binges, but where there is a will… All of last week, my go-to dessert has been a combination of shredded coconut, toasted sesame seeds and a squirt of Sri Lankan Kithul treacle (a palm syrup of sorts that tastes divine), warmed in the microwave. Delicious, spur of the moment and goodness knows how many calories consumed as I work my way through that bottle of treacle!

How do you motivate yourself?

143 With a sense of time ticking by, I suppose. The notion that days have a way of running into one another, that before you know it, months and then years have gone past. If there is something I want to do, I tell myself that I had better get to it now. It works, sometimes. I do have a gift for procrastination.

If I opened your fridge, I would find…

Cheese, lemons, limes, carrot juice from Bolt farms, berries of some sort, cartons of plain yogurt, my mother’s mango pickle, basil, coriander, curry leaves, a variety of peppers and mushrooms, smoked salmon, brown eggs, country butter, whole grain mustard, almond milk, salad greens, wheat tortillas, and a fresh roast or two. In the freezer, shrimp, edamame, haricot verts, petit pois, wonton wrappers, phyllo pastry, and green onion pancakes from Chinatown.

What is your definition of success?

To be comfortable in your own skin. To love what you do. To have people to care about, and who care about you.

What are the three pieces of advice you would give to wannabe fiction writers?

1. There is never going to be the “perfect time” to start—just dive in and write. 2. Write what feels truest to you. Everyone is different, but I personally believe that once you begin to write with a specific audience, editor, or critic in mind, it can taint the integrity of the writing. 3. Finally: edit, edit, edit. Be your own worst critic—Tiger Hills was in its 7th draft before I was ready to show it around.

How can readers reach you online?

I have a Facebook page [http://www.facebook.com/tigerhillssaritamandanna] where I post updates.

144

Novelist Sarita Mandanna is from Coorg, India, which is also the setting for her critically acclaimed debut novel, Tiger Hills [http://www.amazon.com/Tiger-Hills-Sarita- Mandanna/dp/0446564109/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpi_1]. A graduate of the Indian Institute of Management, Sarita has an MBA from the Wharton Business School and was most recently a private equity investor in New York City. Tiger Hills, a multigenerational historical epic that has been called the Indian Gone with the Wind, is being translated into fourteen languages around the world and was long-listed for the 2011 Man Asian Literary Prize.

145 Virginia Willis, best-selling cookbook author

If you have never met Virginia Willis, you are missing out on one of life’s greatest pleasures! She is a magnificent woman with great knowledge about food and is not afraid to share it. I met her once and remember that I was smiling for weeks after that. She has that effect on people. Her books will inspire you to cook, her story will inspire you to follow your dreams, and her tweets will make you smile. A perfect combination!

My one word for Virginia: Unforgetable

Please tell us a little about your background. Where are you from? Where did you grow up?

I was born in Augusta, Georgia and grew up in both Louisiana and South Georgia. After graduating from the University of Georgia I floundered around a little bit, then eventually realized my passion was cooking. I apprenticed with Nathalie Dupree for a year, attended L’Academie de Cuisine, then went to France to apprentice at LaVarenne with Anne Willian. I was meant to be there for three months and stayed for nearly three years. After I returned to the states I was the kitchen director for Bobby Flay, then Martha Stewart. After I left MSL I was the executive producer for Epicurious on the Discovery channel. September 11 brought about many changes and subsequently, I left NYC and returned to the South in 2002 after over ten years away. It’s good to be home.

I honestly think that you are one of the few people with a perfect résumé! You have had great success in your career as cookbook author. For you personally, which success or achievement was the most important and why?

I’ve been very fortunate about who I have learned from, worked for, and worked with in my career. I am not sure about perfect, but I am very thankful for the opportunities. Each came at a very specific time and it has been and continues to be a work in progress, as am

146 I. My proudest moment to date is undoubtedly when my first cookbook, Bon Appétit, Y’all was published in 2008. It was a long time coming since the idea came into being at the Food Writer’s Symposium at the Greenbrier in 1996. The feeling that arose holding that book in my hand the first time is indescribable.

Can you tell us about one very difficult work-related situation you faced and how you came out of it?

Several years ago I was asked to style the food for a commercial with Paula Deen. They called me during the ten-day photo shoot for my first cookbook, Bon Appétit, Y’all. I was exhausted, but it was good work, and I have an attitude that you can do anything for two days. I drove south and, with toothpicks holding my eyes open, did my work. On the afternoon of the second day, Paula’s assistant told me Ladies Home Journal was coming to shoot the Thanksgiving cover story, a big deal in the magazine world. He said, “We thought they were bringing a stylist; they thought we had a stylist. Will you stay two more days?” Well, I can do anything for two days so I pushed through and stayed, creating an iconic roast Thanksgiving turkey cover shot and all. The experience turned out to be a life lesson. Six months later, Ladies’ Home Journal posted that my first cookbook was one of their favorite books of the year, and Paula soon thereafter had me as a guest on her show. I believe sometimes you have to put it all out there for good to happen. That, and you can do anything for two days.

What was the most important thing that you learned during your time at Martha Stewart? How did it help your career?

The most important thing that I learned at MSL was the importance of precision and details. Martha was a real inspiration to work for—she really does want to learn something new every day. And, she was perfectly clear about wanting A+ people working at MSL. It was very empowering to work with so many talented people in an incredibly creative environment with the tools to do our jobs. I am still dear friends with some of the folks I worked with at MSL. It helped my career on many levels for many

147 reasons. First, what I learned about the importance of attention to detail changed my game, elevated my skills. Second, her name recognition and reputation is undoubtedly strong. It was a great experience.

If you look back at your sixteen-year-old self, what advice would you offer yourself?

That’s complicated—my sixteenth year was pretty intense. My parents divorced, my high school closed, and I subsequently started college—all at age sixteen. I grew up in a town of around 3000 people—not much happened. So, sixteen was a momentous year. I suppose if I were to say anything to that scared, sheltered girl from a little town in South Georgia it would be to tell her that there’s a big huge world out there past the county line. Get ready to explore.

How do you motivate yourself?

I find everything I put into my mouth to be inspiration. It’s a joy to do what I love and love what I do. I don’t have to motivate myself, I just do. That and, of course, deadlines. Deadlines and bills.

If I opened your fridge, I would find…

Eggs, cheese, milk, lots of homemade preserves and condiments made by me or friends. I usually have some sort of saucisson or ham. Then, mirepoix, greens, cornmeal, and grits. I almost always keep a fully stocked refrigerator; I love to cook.

One fact about you that would surprise people?

I am actually a big redneck. I love baseball, fishing, SEC football, and pick-up trucks.

What advice would you give aspiring food writers?

148 It doesn’t matter how many rejections you get. It only takes one yes.

Virginia Willis [http://www.virginiawillis.com] has cooked Lapin Normandie with Julia Child, prepared lunch for President Clinton, and catered a bowling party for Jane Fonda. She began her culinary career tossing pizzas in college and has since foraged for wild herbs in the Alps, made mustard in Dijon, crushed olives in California, and harvested capers in the shadow of a smoldering volcano in Sicily. Her first job in a professional kitchen was as an apprentice for Nathalie Dupree’s TV cooking show on PBS. Willis has subsequently produced over one thousand TV episodes, working for Martha Stewart, Bobby Flay, and Epicurious on The Discovery Channel. Her latest book, Basic to Brilliant Y’all: 150 Refined Southern Recipes and Ways to Dress Them Up for Company, is the lead book at Ten Speed Press for fall of 2011.

149

Susan Orlean, superstar author

Originally on my blog, this was my final interview in this series. As I wondered who I should close the series with, I realized it was a no-brainer. I started the series with the woman who inspired me to surround myself with passionate and talented women, so I would end the series with the woman who has inspired me the most in my life: Susan Orlean. If someone had told me that I would meet Susan Orlean and have lunch with her and actually get to interview her, I would have called them stark, raving mad. But, wow, what can I say? They were right!

I stayed up nights wondering how I would introduce Susan Orlean. Well, I remember in a tweet long ago Susan asked a question (I’m paraphrasing from memory): Will I be remembered as Susan Orlean, a writer, or Susan Orlean, THE WRITER?

So without further adieu, let me introduce you to: Susan Orlean—THE WRITER.

My one word for Susan: Exceptional

Did you always want to be a writer?

Always. It’s the only thing I’ve ever really wanted to be. I started dreaming about being a writer when I was about five. I started writing little books and imagining them being published.

What do you think is the reason for your amazing success?

Luck, perseverance, and conviction. I knew what I wanted, and that guided me along.

If you look back at your sixteen-year-old self, what advice would you offer yourself?

150 Don’t rush — enjoy being sixteen! And get a better haircut, please.

So, let’s pretend it is 11 p.m. and you are in the mood for a midnight snack.

Graham crackers. Chocolate. Then, graham crackers with chocolate. Repeat.

What is your writing process like? Give us an insider view.

I work alone, with my notes spread out around me. I write from the beginning to the end, rather than writing chunks and rearranging them, and I polish as I go along. I usually get rolling midday, and if I didn’t have a family I’d work until seven or eight—those are the best hours for me. But reality requires me to knock off around 5 and be domestic.

How do you motivate yourself?

DEADLINES! I am amazed by anyone who can write without a deadline looming. The sense of obligation and guilt is quite motivating.

If I opened your fridge, I would find…

Yogurt, six different mustards, sliced turkey, some weird barbecue sauce I don’t remember buying, capers, eggs from my chickens, Diet Coke.

One fact about you that would surprise people?

I used to be afraid to fly.

What is your definition of success?

Ah, that’s a moving target. As soon as I’ve achieved something, it no longer seems like the measure of success, so I set a new goal. Good for motivating, bad for relaxing.

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Tell us about a little bit your new book.

It’s the story of Rin Tin Tin, the dog actor and character, and the almost hundred years of popular culture that he has been part of. It’s a story about what we love and what finally lasts.

Journalist Susan Orlean [http://www.susanorlean.com/] has been a staff writer for the New Yorker since 1992 and has contributed articles to Vogue, Rolling Stone, Esquire and Outside. She has written eight nonfiction books, including The Orchid Thief, a profile of Florida orchid grower John Laroche, on which the film Adaptation is loosely based. Her most recent book, Rin Tin Tin: The Life and the Legend, a biography of the canine actor Rin Tin Tin, came out in September 2011.

152

Tracey Jackson, best-selling novelist

Tracey Jackson is a writer, director, producer and a screenwriter. She is, simply put, brilliant. She wrote The Guru and released her new book, Between a Rock and a Hot Place, in early 2011. I met Tracey virtually via a friend and was immediately engaged by her writing style and her way of telling stories.

My one word for Tracey: Talented

Did you always want to be a writer?

No. I had every intention of being an actress. In fact, up until age twenty-seven, that is what I did. And then as thirty was approaching—I always have an eye open for big birthdays—I decided I should do something else; the acting wasn’t working out so well. So a friend suggested I write a play. And that was the beginning was what turned into my career.

I think you are stupendously successful. Thoughts?

Nora Ephron is stupendously successful. Mira Nair is stupendously successful. I have done very well and I have been blessed that in every thing I have endeavored to do, I have found a level of acceptance, and my work has been produced, published and in some cases like The Guru, become an actual cult favorite. I think if there is a secret to success it’s staying in the game and not giving up. The other thing that has helped me is I am willing and able to reinvent myself and do new things when the old ones get stale. I never feel compelled to do only one thing. I like trying new things and I never hear no. I hear “no” as ”not now,” or I ignore it and it spurs me on.

What inspires you to write?

153 Life inspires me to write. The truth inspires me to write. Sharing inspires me to write. Sadness, happiness, beauty, funny things all inspire me to write. Writing is what I do. I think oftentimes it’s about survival. It’s the way I live and the way I know to communicate. And then on another level, I like to entertain and hopefully enlighten. Like with my new book, Between a Rock and a Hot Place, I am able to hopefully shine the light on things while making people laugh.

I don’t know that any one person inspired me. I’ve never actually understood the concept of being inspired by people to do what you do. I think real inspiration is internal. It’s a need, a discipline and way of being in the world.

Tell me about The Guru.

The Guru came about because I had a deal with the company Working Title, and they also had a deal with Shakar Kapur. And around this time I had just completed a film in India for Goldie Hawn called Ashes to Ashes, and I had been going to India since 1979. Shakar had had an idea for a long time called The Guru of Sex, a title I much prefer to The Guru. Working Title had not been able to find a comedic writer in the West who really understood India. You have to remember, this was before we were making films here that had anything to do with India. So they had us meet and he pitched me the idea. I loved it. And that was the beginning of that.

If you look back at your sixteen-year-old self, what advice would you offer yourself?

Wow, let’s see, sixteen is an age where I think you have to live. I think you have to experiment and try on different things. I think I might have told myself “don’t let every guy break your heart,” but then I think that is where we learn our lessons. I don’t think I would have sat myself down and really given myself a talking-to until around twenty-five, that is when I think someone should have said, these are big years, be more focused, save some money. I didn’t really start getting serious until twenty-seven or twenty-eight and since then I have sort of been a machine. So, I guess I made up for lost time.

So, let’s pretend it is 11 p.m. and you are in the mood for a midnight snack.

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I am very disciplined with food. I try not to eat after dinner. If if I have to have something, I might take a square of organic dark chocolate before bed. But that is it.

I’m very boring when it comes to that stuff. I wish I could say I go into the kitchen and whip up a batch of samosas and turn on a Bollywood movie and have a party, but I go in the kitchen and get some water and go to sleep!

How do you motivate yourself?

I have a burning desire to succeed; it’s just implanted in my DNA. I don’t really have to do much. The thought of failing or not being productive or not really doing something each day is all I need to motivate me.

How do you define success?

My definition of success has changed over the years. When I was younger it was: how big is the project? How much money would I make? Might it make me famous? Now, for me success is reaching people—having my work matter to me and to others. It’s about more personal things and being able to say freely what I want. I think success is the freedom to do what you want and make the choices you want based on your ideas and needs at that moment. That being said, I would be lying if I didn’t care how many books I sold. I check Amazon daily. But in some ways that is a function of what the world thinks is success. The late Sidney Lumet said to me, “If you like what you have done, then it is a success.” I think that is great advice and a great rule to live by.

Your three top bits of wisdom for aspiring screenwriters?

Turn around, run away, do something else! But if you really want to do it, I always say the same thing: WRITE. Writers write whether they are getting hired, fired or paid. They just do it. Sit down each day and get good at what you do. Don’t believe that anyone can do this and sell

155 something for a zillion dollars. It’s a hard, tough, mean business, and only the strong have a shot. So write and hang in there. You will be in for a bumpy ride.

Writer, director, producer, and screenwriter Tracey Jackson [http://www.traceyjacksononline.com/] has written over fifteen feature films and fourteen television pilots. She adapted Confessions of a Shopaholic for the screen and wrote The Guru, the first Hollywood/Bollywood crossover film. The documentary Lucky Ducks—which she wrote, directed, produced, and stars in—is a personal film that explores who we are as children and how that carries over into our parenting. Tracey’s first book, Between a Rock and a Hot Place [http://www.traceyjacksononline.com/book/], released in early 2011, takes a comedic look at aging.

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Vivian Schiller, chief digital officer, NBC news

Several years ago, my family and I were dining at an Indian restaurant in D.C. There was a family sitting next to us and their son was tasting some of the food for his upcoming bat mitzvah. I was so happy to see how much this young man loved Indian food that, of course, I had to introduce myself and chat with them. They were lovely and friendly and not at all annoyed that a total stranger had interrupted their family dinner. That is how I met Vivian Schiller, former CEO of NPR. You find heroes in the most unlikely places!

I have since gotten to know her and she is nothing but admirable, strong, and talented. What I admire most about her is how forward-thinking she is, and her grace.

My one word for Vivian: Classy

First, let me start by saying in public what I have said to you many times over email and in person: You are one of my heroes. You have an energy about you that I have rarely seen in others. Please tell my readers a little bit about yourself — who is Vivian? Where did you grow up? How did you get into the world of media?

I grew up much the way I live now—in a leafy suburb, going to public school. Nothing out of the ordinary. Media was an accident for me. I was drifting after grad school, working as a tour guide when I got a call that Turner Broadcasting was looking for a production assistant. That was in 1988 and I’ve been in media ever since!

You have directed Emmy award-winning documentaries (Survivors of the Holocaust), worked on terrific projects like “Word Wars,” done seriously good work at the New York Times and, more recently, as the CEO of NPR. What makes you choose the kinds of projects you do?

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My problem is I’m interested in everything, which turns out to be perfectly compatible with journalism. Whether in film, in print, on the radio, on TV, or online, you can move from story to story. I’ve never been bored a day in my life since I went into this line of work.

In your world, how do you define success?

I’ll take a line from Sandra Day O’Connor who said the definition of happiness is “work worth doing.” That’s my definition of success on a personal level.

What has been your most favorite project?

Whatever I’m doing at the moment.

Over the years, who has been your source of inspiration?

I have too many mentors to count. But I’ll name two—not coincidentally, both women: Pat Mitchell, whom I worked for and learned so much from at Turner. And Janet Robinson at the New York Times who believed in me and showed me how to lead. They are both influential in my life to this day.

The last few weeks at NPR were rough for you. How did you manage to stay so graceful and so strong?

The best piece of advice came from a friend who advised me to “stay on the high road because the low road is awfully crowded.” I took that to heart inwardly as well. Life is short, so why waste it being angry or sad?

What advice would you give your sixteen-year-old self?

High school ends.

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Fame or money… your choice would be?

Neither. Family, friends, and work are what matter to me most.

One thing about you that would surprise people?

I was a simultaneous Russian interpreter in my early twenties… and now can barely speak a word of it.

What is next for you?

Watch this space!

Vivian Schiller is the former CEO of National Public Radio. In 2009, Washingtonian magazine named her one of D.C.’s 100 most powerful women [http://www.washingtonian.com/print/articles/11/0/13804.html]. Prior to leading NPR, Vivian was a senior vice president of NYTimes.com, executive vice president and general manager for the Discovery Times Channel and executive vice president of CNN Productions. During her tenure with CNN, she received numerous awards, including five Emmys and two Peabodys. She recently accepted a position as the chief digital officer at NBC News.

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Chiki Sarkar, publisher, Penguin India

Chiki was the editor on my book Modern Spice when she purchased it for Random House, India. She was a delight to work with and really opened my eyes to the Indian food-writing marketplace. I learned a lot from her. She is one of the youngest names in Indian publishing today and one of the most revered. I read once that she hated to comb her hair because it was a waste of time. I asked her about it. She laughed and with a twinkle in her eye continued to talk about her big love: books.

My one word for Chiki: Brilliant

Please tell us about your background.

I grew up in Calcutta, India, in a large ugly house with my granny, cousins, aunts and uncles, and my parents and twin sister. When I was sixteen I went to boarding school in Kodaikanal, which I adored. I finished high school there and went to Oxford University to study modern history and English. Five days after my finals I was working at Bloomsbury Publishing in London, where I worked for seven years. I then moved to Delhi to head up the newly set up Random House India. About a month ago I moved to Penguin India.

You have been one of my favorite editors to write for. You brought out the best in me! So tell me, who has been one of your personal favorite writers to edit, and why?

My favorite writer is often the one I am working with at the moment. I am editing a marvelous young writer called Anjum Hasan right now who writes these acute, sensitive, and slightly ironic stories, often about young couples who haven’t arrived at their mid-

160 life crises but experience small, invisible tremors of their own kind. I am rereading them and falling in love with them all over again.

When you are reading proposals, what makes a good proposal stand out? Style of writing? Content? What is the difference that makes the difference?

Story, voice, and my gut feeling about it.

If you look back at your sixteen-year-old self, what advice would you offer yourself?

Not to take myself so seriously

So, let’s pretend it is 11:00 p.m. and you are in the mood for a midnight snack. What do you reach for?

I have a single girl’s fridge: wine and moldy leftovers, unless I had folks over for dinner! So I would probably starve!

How do you motivate yourself?

I think my nature is to try my absolute best and throw myself into everything I do, so my motivation is to say to myself, Chiki, you ain‘t doing enough! Come on, lady!

If I opened your fridge, I would find…

At the moment the fridge has tonic water, very good gin, eggs, butter and jam, and some Parmesan.

One fact about you that would surprise people?

I am a real worrier and also a loner.

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What is your definition of success?

Being the best version of yourself.

What advice would you give new writers about getting published?

Have another job alongside the writing.

What are you going to be doing at Penguin? Give us a peek.

Penguin is an amazing company, so I don’t have to do much, but I would like to infuse it with my passion and energy, my two best qualities.

Chiki Sarkar was born in 1977. She was educated at Oxford University and went on to work at Bloomsbury publishing in U.K. for seven years. In 2006, she returned to India to become the first editor-in-chief of Random House India, which was established in 2005. In August of 2011, she joined Penguin India as their publisher.

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Rebecca Brooks, brilliant PR strategist

Rebecca represents some of the biggest food names in the industry. What I really love about her is her practical approach to her work and her motto of loving the people she represents. It shows in her work.

My one word for Rebecca: Magical

Please tell us a little about your background. Where are you from? Where did you grow up?

I grew up in St. James, Long Island, which is in Suffolk County right on the Long Island Sound. My parents were extremely loving and supportive and provided me with the confidence and can-do attitude I have today. Growing up I had several jobs, from babysitting, teaching tennis, and candy striping to working as an assistant in my Dad’s doctor’s office. I ran track, played competitive tennis, and loved being outdoors. I have a sister and one cousin—sis lives in D.C. and cousin lives in San Francisco. I went to Boston University and studied Communications and majored in PR. I loved going to college there—loved the city, loved having such a wide range of friends, and most of all loved that I met my husband, Marc.

You have had stupendous success in your career. For you personally, which success or achievement was the most important and why?

I’m extremely proud that I started The Brooks Group when I was twenty-five and have been able to work with people and brands that are groundbreaking and inspiring. There are so many that make me proud, but two examples are Bare Escentuals and Rachael Ray. We worked with BE for eight years and were integral in building the brand and making mineral makeup “cool.” We worked with Rachael for four years leading up to

163 her daytime talk show and during that time launched several books, products, her magazine, several shows and more. We secured her “first” in all the biggest press from the New York Times, Tonight Show, Late Show with David Letterman and People magazine to Good Morning America, Parade, Glamour, Regis & Kelly and of course the biggest of them all … The Oprah Winfrey Show!

Can you tell us about one very difficult work-related situation you faced and how you came out of it?

After working with a client for many years whom I was very close with personally and did an amazing job for professionally, our relationship ended abruptly due to bureaucracy and corporate culture. It was my first taste of the “ugly” side of Hollywood. It took some time, but I learned that sometimes business is not personal and I came out of it stronger, smarter, and more successful than ever.

You have had a very successful career in PR. Who inspired you the most?

There have been many people who have inspired me along the way. The most important person has been my husband. He studied business and also runs his own business. I shared office space with him for my first five years and during that time he taught me everything about running a business and making smart decisions for the short and long term. Along the way, there have also been a few clients who have inspired me. My first client, Denie Schach, was a hairstylist and inventor who created a hairstyling tool called The Hairdini Magic Styling Wand. Everyone told her it wouldn’t work and there was no way she could make money and be a success. She was a kind, giving person, and was so passionate about it and didn’t give up—not only did she make it work, but she made more than $20 million in less than two years. I learned to follow my dreams, not give up, and always be a good, caring person. Fast-forward almost ten years and there are a few other clients who have made an impact and inspired me. Rachael Ray, for her extremely hard work and ability to connect with absolutely everyone she meets; Gary Vaynerchuk, who always reminds me (with his actions) that exuding passion and extremely hard work

164 are king; and Guy Fieri and Buddy Valastro, who are inspiring not only for their incredible talent and success, but for their dedication to their families.

If you look back at your sixteen-year-old self, what advice would you offer yourself?

I would tell myself not to sweat the small stuff.

So, let’s pretend it is 11:00 p.m. and you are in the mood for a midnight snack. What do you reach for?

I rarely ever reach for a midnight snack, but on those rare occasions I can‘t stop myself I love peanut butter chocolate ice cream.

If a new author came to you, and they did not have a big platform behind them, what would be the criteria you would use to take them on?

For me to take them on, they would truly need a point of difference. I would need to be very inspired by their book and their personality —I’d need to feel the passion and personal connection the moment I met them.

How important is TV and social media presence in today’s world for authors and writers?

Today in order to build a brand and even make a little money, it is extremely important. For many it is hard to control the outcome of getting a TV show, but if you dedicate time to social media every day (talking, listening and reacting), you will build a community that will be there for you in the future.

If I opened your fridge, I would find…

165 Almond milk, tons of fruits and veggies, turkey, a range of cheeses, zatar, natural chunky peanut butter, smoked salmon.

One fact about you that would surprise people?

I grew up going to the race track with my dad and love the thrill of driving fast.

What is your definition of success?

Waking up in the morning with a smile and looking forward to the day ahead.

What publicity advice would you give some who has just had a book released?

In addition to having a great publicist, contact each person personally in your Rolodex to let them know about your book (no mass emails, please) and leave no stone unturned.

Rebecca Brooks is the PR lady to the stars and counts folks like Rachael Ray Guy Fieri, Gary Vaynerchuk, Cat Cora, Samantha Brown, Mally Roncal and many more in her portfolio.

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Dianne Jacob, award-winning writer and author

Ah, Dianne! Let me count the ways in which I love her. Over the years, I have learned a lot about the food writing from Dianne. I have read her lovely books, followed her newsletters, and devoured everything she writes on her blog. Dianne is a true teacher: full of knowledge and always ready to share it.

My one word for Dianne: Giving

Please tell us a little about your background.

I graduated from journalism school twice: once in Vancouver, Canada, where I’m from; and once from Cal State Northridge. I moved to L.A. when I was twenty-two. I had already been a newspaper reporter and editor and a magazine editor. After journalism school I continued as a magazine editor, took a break and was the vice president of a Los Angeles public relations firm, and became an interactive book editor in 1994. I think we were designing iPads back then and didn’t know it. I became self-employed in 1996.

Journalism school has been an excellent training ground for my career as a writer. It taught me to produce copy, how to write headlines and leads, and how to interview and conduct research. It made me stubborn—I don‘t give up on a story easily. It taught me how to edit. And it taught me about ethics, which has been a satisfying source of discussion on my blog.

I love, love, love your book, Will Write for Food, and recommend it to my students all the time. Can you tell me what made you decide to write the book? Also, for my readers, can you talk a little about the new edition and what it contains?

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Thank you so much, Monica. It means a lot to me that you find it valuable.

I decided to write the book because I was teaching food writing in the San Francisco Bay Area and couldn’t find a book on the subject. Plus, I had never written a book before, although I had edited them. I thought it would be a good challenge. I had four months to write the book. I was so excited that I wrote 80,000 words when the contract asked for 50,000. The editor liked the content enough to keep it. There were seventy-five interviews and references to around 250 books.

The new edition contains a big chapter on food blogging, plus updates on how writing has changed since 2004, when I wrote the first edition. I started a blog a year before the book came out so I could have a first-hand experience of what blogging is like. There’s more about self-publishing and freelance writing on the Web in the new edition, too.

Can you tell us about one very difficult work-related situation you faced and how you came out of it?

In my last job as an editor-in-chief, I worked for a rageaholic who did not respect me. Two years into the job, he demoted me and replaced me with three full-time editors (no irony there, apparently).

After that, I became self-employed. Sometimes I feel a little isolated, and I miss working as part of a team, but 90 percent of the time, I know it was a great decision. I’m super productive, and I can do what interests and excites me. I have re-invented myself a few times. In addition to an editor and writer, I‘ve been a website designer, public relations person, blogger, cookbook judge, teacher, recipe developer, and speaker.

I often go to your blog and read your updates on current situations related to food writing. What are your thoughts about self-publishing and e-books (in the cookbook arena)?

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Self-published writers who are good marketers and who can get a distributor stand a good chance of success. A lot of traditionally published writers wonder if they should be going in that direction. For beginning writers, if you can sell a few thousand copies, a traditional publisher might pick up your book.

Regarding e-books, right now most are books that have already been published traditionally. I’m sure that will change eventually, where more people write original books as e-books.

If you look back at your sixteen-year-old self, what advice would you offer yourself?

Enjoy your body! It’s never going to be that firm or that small again!

So, let’s pretend it is 11:00 p.m. and you are in the mood for a midnight snack. What do you reach for?

I never get tired of fried egg sandwiches. The only variations are which bread, which cheese and whether to add fried salami for true decadence.

How do you motivate yourself?

When I first became self-employed, a mentor told me to do all work as soon as I got it. That way, I wouldn’t get bogged down and have to turn down work I wanted. I still adhere to that strategy. I also give myself a weekly deadline for a blog post. I try to get one done by Tuesday evening.

If I opened your fridge, I would find…

Meyer lemons from my neighbor’s tree, produce from a nearby farmers’ market, Greek yogurt, cheeses, and my husband’s stash of hot dog condiments.

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One fact about you that would surprise people?

I was once the editor in chief of an international automotive magazine, with a staff of fifteen men.

What is your definition of success?

When I am happy with myself.

What advice would you give aspiring cookbook authors and new food writers?

Well, I’ve got a whole book on that subject, and a blog. Let‘s see. For aspiring cookbook authors, I’d say to develop written expertise in your subject matter before attempting a book. For new food writers, start a blog! It’s the best way to write regularly.

Dianne Jacob is the author of Will Write for Food: The Complete Guide to Writing Cookbooks, Blogs, Reviews, Memoir, and More. The first edition won the Cordon D’Or International Award for Best Literary Food Reference Book in 2005. The second edition won the Gourmand World Cookbook Award in 2010 for best book in its category in the U.S. Her blog, Will Write for Food: Pithy Snippets about Food Writing, covers food writing trends and technique.

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Diana Abu-Jaber, award-winning novelist

Diana Abu-Jaber makes me want to read all day. All day, every day. Her book, The Birds of Paradise, is one of my most favorite books ever. I get lost in her prose and hate it when her books come to an end. I want her to write forever and ever and share with us the magic of her prose. Diana is such a generous writer. I once sent her a collection of my unpublished short stories. She did not know me from Adam. But she took the time to read my stories and even gave me an amazing blurb. I will never forget her generosity.

My one word for Diana: Gifted

Please tell us a little about your background. Where are you from? Where did you grow up?

I was born in Syracuse, New York. I mostly grew up in and around Syracuse, although my father—who immigrated to this country from Jordan as a young man—kept trying to move the family back to his homeland. We moved, or nearly moved, to Jordan several times when I was growing up. The longest we stayed was for a year when I was 7–8 years old. But Dad is very split in his loyalties: every time we went to Jordan, he’d get anxious after a few months or weeks and start missing the States. Next thing we knew, we’d be right back here again.

You have had great success in your career as a novelist. For you personally, which success or achievement was the most important and why?

Aw, thank you, Monica! It’s a tough question because I’ve found that each book is its own very unique journey. Just to give you a few examples: Arabian Jazz was significant for me because it was my first publication. Book publication seemed so enormous and elusive to me that when the first one sold, it felt like I’d walked through some sort of

171 impossible looking glass. Crescent was personally important because I’d loaded myself down with teaching and journalism and there was a big nine-year hiatus between my first two books. It reassured me that I’d be able to get back into the game. Birds of Paradise, my latest, was a very big deal to me—maybe the biggest of all—because I wrote most of it with a baby on my lap. Over the years, I’d been warned by several teachers and friends that I’d have to choose between being a mother and a writer. It was an enormous relief to discover that it wasn’t necessarily true.

Can you share your philosophy around writing books with a strong food focus? What comes first: the food or the story?

Two of my novels—Crescent and Birds of Paradise—have a food focus, but in both of those cases, the characters and story were very much the primary concern. Food was an important principle in their lives, but—just as in real life—it was just one element, a bright particle making up the cosmos of the novel. I’ve always enjoyed writing about cooking, and that interest dovetailed with those story lines. On the other hand, food was much more a part of the foreground in my memoir, The Language of Baklava. The book was actively structured around the idea of food, its preparation and ingredients. In large part, I have to confess, that’s because my editor gave me the idea for the book. I didn’t even think I’d have enough culinary memories to write that sort of memoir, but once I began listing them, I discovered I actually had way too many to include.

If you look back at your sixteen-year-old self, what advice would you offer yourself?

Take more risks. Skip the Ph.D. and go to film school; move to Manhattan; keep pestering the people at the New Yorker; and don’t marry that first guy!

So, let’s pretend it is 11:00 p.m. and you are in the mood for a midnight snack. What do you reach for?

Love, love, love white Arabic cheese melted on olive oil-fried pita, dusted with zataar.

172 On the other hand, if there’s any of my ice box chocolate-banana ice cream around, well …

How do you motivate yourself?

I scare myself. I figure out how long it will take me to finish a given project if I keep going at the (snail’s) pace that I’m at, and that’s usually good for a little (temporary) bump in productivity. Really, the biggest thing I need to do is to physically remove myself from the Internet—I work at a table in the backyard or go to a café. I also like to invite other writers over for work sessions—I love the companionship and working alongside someone who understands the struggle to concentrate.

If I opened your fridge, I would find…

Yikes… okay, full disclosure: leftover Mexican burritos, whole milk, heavy cream, brick of Callebaut chocolate, pita, ground sirloin, mangoes, peaches, key limes, blueberries, apples, carrots, broccoli, four heads of garlic, head of butter leaf, chunks of salted and unsalted butter, huckleberry jam, round of Syrian basket cheese, some manchego and gouda, quince paste, a few bottles of Kalick, a pitcher of iced tea, a million condiments and pastes… I feel at this juncture I must pause and point out that summer in Miami means you’ve got to refrigerate a lot of stuff!

One fact about you that would surprise people?

(Deep breath…) I was once Miss Oswego County. (I needed the scholarship money!)

What is your definition of success?

Contentment, balance, release, friendship, love, openness, acceptance, travel, water, music, chocolate, dance. Not working for or toward anything that imprisons you, your

173 mind or your emotions. Freeing yourself. Engaging yourself in the things closest to your heart.

What advice would you give aspiring novelists like me?

I think the injunctions to read copiously and well and to establish a writing practice are already amply covered. If you want to dig a little deeper, I think it’s very important, for novelists especially, to develop a sense of faith, purpose, vocation in their craft. There are a lot of people out there who will say no to you, tell you that you can’t do it, or that you’re not good enough, or that you’re fine but nothing special. And worst of all is that it’s easy to believe it, to start to say no to yourself—especially when working on something as long and circuitous and crafty and exhausting as a novel. You start to doubt your abilities and your sanity. You must nourish a very big sense of strength in your work—however you can, through friends, a writing group, a spouse, written affirmations, a writing journal—whatever it takes—so that when you start hearing the dark little whispers of I can’t, I can’t, you can keep going. You learn to tell yourself, I can and I must.

Diana Abu-Jaber is the author of several novels, including Arabian Jazz, Crescent, and Birds of Paradise. Crescent was awarded the 2004 PEN Center USA Award for Literary Fiction and the Before Columbus Foundation’s American Book Award, and was named one of the twenty best novels of 2003 by The Christian Science Monitor. Arabian Jazz won the 1994 Oregon Book Award and was nominated for the PEN/Faulkner Award.

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Mollie Cox Bryan, cookbook author and novelist

Mollie is a dear friend of mine. She is the author of a fantastic book on pie and now a novelist with her first novel, Scrapbook of Shadows (A Cumberland Creek Mystery), releasing soon. For me personally, Mollie is a constant source of encouragement and a great role model full of grace and style. I look to her for support and she is always there. She is one of the hardest working writers I know and deserves all the kudos she gets!

My one word for Mollie: Artistic

Please tell us a little about your background. Where are you from? Where did you grow up?

I’m from Raccoon Township, a rural area outside of Aliquippa, Pa. (Near Pittsburgh.)

Tell me about your pie book. How did you decide to write it? Which is your personal favorite pie and why?

My personal favorite pie is pumpkin. I think it’s because my mom made them so well. So much about our food preferences go straight back to our childhood. Pie is all about that home comfort for many of us.

My first cookbook, Mrs. Rowe’s Restaurant Cookbook: A Lifetime of Recipes from the Shenandoah Valley, is a narrative cookbook that tells the life story of Mrs. Rowe and the history of her food and restaurant. The pie book is an outgrowth of the first book. We couldn’t fit all the pie (or dessert) recipes in the first book—and she was famous for her pie.

175 Can you tell us about one very difficult work-related situation you faced and how you came out of it?

The first book was a 300-page biography with just a few recipes. Nobody wanted to publish it. Ten Speed Press came back to me and said, “This book needs to be a cookbook. Can you do it?” I said yes, of course. I had never written a cookbook before— the learning curve was steep. I studied cookbooks, cookbook stylebooks, and recipe writing. I tore the biography apart and told the story with a condensed narrative, with the recipe head notes, in sidebars, and with the photo captions. It was painful—I was so in love with that story! But I had already put two years into research, interviews, and writing and it seemed that writing it as a cookbook was the only way for me to see any return on it. And I have to tell you that the editors at Ten Speed were absolutely correct and we have a better book for it.

You are writing your novels now. How is that process different from writing cookbooks?

My cookbooks were more journalistic. These recipes are not mine. So there was a whole process of interviewing, gathering recipes and information, checking sources, and sifting through all of it to find the story. But once the story is in place—the process is very much the same as writing my novels. I sit at my computer and hammer it out. That said, fiction is different. It’s freeing for me to allow myself to be so creative, to make up stories and characters. With nonfiction, of course, it’s more sticking to the facts and presenting them in a concise but as creative as possible way.

My nonfiction influences the way I approach my fiction, though. For example, I don’t wait for the muse to descend. I have the habit of writing every day, whether or not I feel inspired. And that habit goes straight back to my nonfiction experience of having to write on a deadline.

If you look back at your sixteen-year-old self, what advice would you offer yourself?

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Stay away from “bad boys.”

So, let’s pretend it is 11:00 p.m. and you are in the mood for a midnight snack. What do you reach for?

I’m not picky at that time of night. Anything will do. But usually, it’s a piece of cheese or fruit. Sometimes a granola bar.

If I opened your fridge, I would find…

Fresh yogurt, cucumbers, vanilla soymilk, organic milk, eggs, squash, greens, and leftover corn.

One fact about you that would surprise people?

I don’t bake pie every day. In fact, I may bake pie three times a year.

What is your definition of success?

Being happy with yourself and being able make a living at what you love doing.

What advice would you give new food writers or aspiring novelists (you can pick one or do both!).

Learn your craft. Be open to mentors—like good editors and publishers—who offer guidance. When they tell you to “kill your darlings,” listen and learn. No matter what kind of writing you do, find a good poetry class. It will inform your writing and hopefully your life.

177 Mollie Cox Bryan is a cookbook author and novelist living in Waynesboro, Va. Her first novel, Scrapbook of Shadows, (A Cumberland Creek Mystery) will be published by Kensington Publishing in Feburary 2012. Her first cookbook is Mrs. Rowe’s Restaurant Cookbook: A Lifetime of Recipes from the Shenandoah Valley (Ten Speed Press, 2006). Her second cookbook, Mrs. Rowe’s Little Book of Southern Pies (Ten Speed Press/Random House 2009) was recently named one of the Best Cookbooks of the Year by All Foods Considered. It was also selected as a Summer 2009 “Cookbook to Watch” by the New York Times online. Mollie has written for NPR’s Kitchen Window, the Christian Science Monitor, the Chicago Sun Times, Relish, Grit, and Taste of the South as well as in several regional parenting magazines across the country. She’s a regular radio essayist on WVTF.

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Sydny Miner, vice president, executive editor of Crown Archetype

Sydny was my editor at Simon & Schuster and purchased and edited Modern Spice. She believed in my voice and made me believe in my work. There are very few editors in the world like Sydny who can inspire and motivate with such grace. I am truly honored she agreed to do this interview.

My one word for Sydny: Incomparable

Please tell us a little about your background. Where are you from? Where did you grow up?

I’m from the South Shore of Long Island, about twenty miles from NYC. We lived in a mostly Jewish community, and had a housekeeper from South Carolina—I grew up with a real appreciation for a good corned beef sandwich on seeded rye as well as fry bread, collard greens, and chicken fricassee.

In school I was the kid with a paperback hidden behind her math book, but my passion for books didn’t translate into an early ambition to be an editor. I was more interested in the possibility of medical school.

When you are reading proposals, what makes a good proposal stand out? Style of writing? Content? What is the difference that makes the difference?

A good proposal makes me want to the read the finished book. It shows me, implicitly or explicitly, what makes the book different and unique. Voice is really important; I want to hear the personality and POV of the author on the page. That said, the book has to fit the list I’m buying for. Each publishing house has different strengths; if I don’t think it’s a good fit, or we can’t sell the book well, I won’t offer.

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Can you tell us about one very difficult work-related situation you faced and how you came out of it?

I had to reject a book from an author I had worked with for a number of years. This person had had a number of very big successes, but the book delivered simply wasn’t good. The author wouldn’t make the changes I felt were necessary to make the book publishable and we had to cancel the contract. It was upsetting both personally and professionally, but it’s part of the business. Fortunately, it’s not a situation I’ve had to deal with often.

You have had a long and successful career. Who inspired you the most? Why?

My authors, each in their own way.

If you look back at your sixteen-year-old self, what advice would you offer yourself?

Don’t be scared.

So, let’s pretend it is 11:00 p.m. and you are in the mood for a midnight snack. What do you reach for?

Fresh popped popcorn with olive oil and sea salt.

How do you motivate yourself?

The mortgage.

If I opened your fridge, I would find…

180 Too many condiments. I love chutneys and mustard, but my favorite thing is a pesto-ish thing I make with blanched radish leaves, whatever I have in the herb garden, garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper and a whole seeded lemon. Whir it in the food processor. I always have a jar in the fridge and I put it on everything.

One fact about you that would surprise people?

I’m reading my way through George RR Martin’s Game of Thrones books. Winter is coming!

What is your definition of success?

To be able to work at a job that I love and still have time for my family and friends.

What advice would you give new writers about getting published?

The best publishing house for your book isn’t always the biggest or best-known house. Don’t get hung up on name or reputation; go where there’s enthusiasm for your work.

Sydny Miner is a Vice President, Executive Editor of Crown Archetype. During her career she has worked with many award-winning and best-selling authors, including Paula Deen, Hillary Clinton, Bob Greene, Terrell Owens, and Mark Bittman. Her areas of expertise include practical advice, how-to, health, diet and fitness, psychology/self-help/relationships, and parenting. She has spoken at the Wordstock Literary Festival, the IACP (International Association of Culinary Professionals) National Conference, and the Greenbrier Symposium.

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Bee Yin Low, blogger and best-selling cookbook author

Bee is such a lovely lady. She is a cookbook author and writes a wonderful blog, Rasa Malaysia, on Malaysian food. I have always adored her blog and her photos and was so happy when she agreed to be interviewed here. I love her style and the ease with which she shares stories on her blog.

My one word for Bee: Talented

Tell my readers a little bit about your background.

I am a Chinese-Malaysian, born and raised in Penang, the street-food mecca of Asia. I came from a big family; I am the youngest of seven siblings. I was Chinese-educated and speak five languages.

You are one of the most successful food bloggers to date. Tell us why you started your blog.

I grew up in a big family where food is a celebration. My late grandmother was a Nyonya and a master in Nyonya food. My late mother was Hokkien and made killer Chinese food. Growing up, I was exposed to a plethora of exotic spices and ingredients; complex cuisines; and a wide spectrum of tastes and cooking techniques. I started the blog in 2006 to document my family’s recipes. I also wanted to educate the world about Malaysian cuisine. Being in the United States, it dawned on me how little Americans know about Malaysia and its food. I wanted my readers to learn more about Malaysia and its colorful and scrumptious cuisines.

What inspires you to cook?

182 I love to eat very well, and it’s one of the reasons that inspires me to cook most of the time. Cooking is also my way of showing love; I feel “accomplished” when my family and friends enjoy the food I prepare for them.

I love the realness of your recipes. How do you decide which recipe you will blog about?

When I first started, I blogged about the dishes I liked to eat. I didn’t have any planning; it was just very spontaneous. Whatever I cooked would end up on Rasa Malaysia. Nowadays, I share popular Asian recipes with my readers, no longer confined to my family’s recipes, Chinese food, or Malaysian food. Many are requested by my readers as they love my easy and delicious recipes.

Tell me about your new cookbook. How did you feel about working on it? What did you love most about the process?

My cookbook Easy Chinese Recipes is about simple Chinese cooking: all-time favorites, classics, Chinatown favorites such as dim sum, Cantonese BBQ, and dumplings. I wanted to teach people how to make restaurant-style Chinese dishes that they wished to make at home; I wanted Chinese food lovers to know that they don’t have to trek to Chinatown for a serving of char siu (Cantonese BBQ pork) or siu mai (a popular dim sum item); I wanted to share really good and delicious Chinese recipes that work.

It was a fun project even though I was pregnant when I was working on it. I pretty much spent my second and third trimester developing the recipes, cooking, styling, photographing, and writing the book. There was no help, and many times I was limited by my pregnancy (for example: I couldn’t shoot the photos at the desired angles because of the bulging stomach!) but I did it. I love it that it challenged me to do my best.

If you look back at your sixteen-year-old self, what advice would you offer yourself?

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Don’t complain about the food that mom cooked because she fed us well, very well (a revelation that I realized much later in life.)

So, let’s pretend it is 11:00 p.m. and you are in the mood for a midnight snack. What do you reach for?

Recently, it’s the Korean sweet potato chips with a glass of cold soy bean milk.

How do you motivate yourself?

I motivate myself by rewarding myself—traveling, retail therapy, spa, facial, massage, and all the fun things in life.

If I opened your fridge, I would find…

Sambal, chili paste, soy milk, shrimp, fish balls, vegetables, and meat. I never run out of these basic ingredients.

One fact about you that would surprise people?

I look ten years younger than my real age.

What is your definition of success?

My definition of success is when I am able to give back to my family in Malaysia, without having to worry about my own financial stability.

Three tips you would give a new food blogger?

184 1. Be very passionate about what you do. People will notice. 2. Be patient. Readership doesn’t grow overnight. 3. Invest in a DSLR camera (entry level is good enough) and a good lens for food photography.

What is next for you?

I hope to work on a Malaysian and Nyonya cookbook soon. I wanted to put Malaysian cuisine on the culinary map of Americans.

Bee Yin Low of the blog Rasa Malaysia [http://rasamalaysia.com] is a food blogger, cookbook author, and recipe developer specializing in Asian recipes. Bee’s first cookbook, Easy Chinese Recipes, was released in the U.S .on Sept 10, 2011. Bee started Rasa Malaysia in 2006 to document her family’s recipes and also to educate the world about Malaysian cuisine. The blog soon blossomed to become one of the most popular Asian cooking sites on the Internet. Born and raised in Penang, Malaysia, Bee and her husband and baby boy now reside in Southern California.

185

Molly Wizenberg, best-selling cookbook author

Molly Wizenberg! When Molly first started writing her blog, and then her cookbook, I remember the water-cooler gossip: everyone wanted to be her! We all wanted to emulate her style, her success, and her glory. Many tried and none, at least to my knowledge, succeeded. Thankfully, there is only one Molly! I did this interview so I could learn from her, and I did.

My one word for Molly: Magnificent

Please tell us a little about your background. Where are you from? Where did you grow up?

I live in Seattle, but I’m originally from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Both of my parents were avid home cooks, and when I was a kid, most of our time as a family was spent in the kitchen. I never really knew what I wanted to do, career-wise, but I went to school for human biology and French, and I have a master’s in cultural anthropology. I had no idea that I would make my living in and around food until I was in my late twenties, and honestly, I have no idea where I’ll be twenty or so years from now! We’ll see. I like figuring it out as I go.

You have had stupendous success in your career. For you personally, which success or achievement was the most important and why?

Getting to make a living doing work that I care about, believe in, and can feel proud of. I hope I never take that for granted.

Can you tell us about one very difficult work-related situation you faced and how you came out of it?

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I’ve had some difficult moments with editors, and the truth is, sometimes being edited is just uncomfortable. I’m trying to get more comfortable with that! But I think the most difficult situation for me has been burnout. After my first book came out, I went through a period of real depression, feeling lost and drained and just really, really empty. It’s hard for me to talk about it, even today. The book launch was a very heady time, and in a lot of ways, I felt like a million bucks, but I also felt more unsure of myself than I ever had before. I had no idea then that the end of a creative process could feel that way. I wound up taking a two-month hiatus from my blog to recharge and rethink things. In retrospect, I think it was very natural, and I know now that it happens to a lot of people. But at the time, I felt a tremendous amount of pressure to hurry up and write another book, and that only made it worse.

I think one of the best things about being a writer is that it’s sort of your job to get out and live—get out and make stories, you know? But there’s a lot of pressure to keep producing and producing and producing, and it’s tricky to find a way to step back and do that necessary living. I’m still working on finding a balance.

Can you share your philosophy around recipe development? How do you create such wonderful dishes?

I don’t really have a philosophy! Well, maybe I do. I like simple food made from good ingredients. That’s what I like to eat, what I like to cook, and what I like to share.

If you look back at your sixteen-year-old self, what advice would you offer yourself?

Don’t think so hard. What’s the worst thing that could happen if you just went ahead and did it? (Incidentally, this would also be good advice for me today. And probably forever.)

So, let’s pretend it is 11:00 p.m. and you are in the mood for a midnight snack. What do you reach for?

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Buttered toast. Or a slice of whatever cake or sweet is on the counter. Maybe a bowl of granola with milk. Last night, I had a bowl of fresh strawberries that were nice and cold from the fridge.

Tell us about your new upcoming book.

Well, the tentative title is Delancey, which is also the name of our restaurant, and the manuscript is due next March. (EEEEEK.) It’s a memoir with twenty or so recipes, and it’s about the experience of opening Delancey with my husband, Brandon Pettit. Opening the restaurant was the hardest thing either of us had ever done, and it took me a long time to feel like I had enough distance from it to write about it. Now I can’t imagine us without it. (Ain’t that always the way!) We’ve thought a lot about the kind of business that we want to run, about the way we hope the place will feel to our customers and our staff, and we’re still learning all the time how to get there. Delancey is our community now—our friendships, our neighborhood, our little part of the city.

How do you motivate yourself?

Deadlines. And setting up “work dates” with friends is very helpful, too. Whenever I need to get something done, that’s what I do.

Molly Wizenberg is a writer and photographer. She is the voice behind Orangette [http://www.orangette.net], named the best food blog in the world by the London Times, and her first book, A Homemade Life: Stories and Recipes from My Kitchen Table, was a New York Times best seller. Her work has been published in the Best Food Writing series, the Washington Post, The Art of Eating, Creative Nonfiction, and on NYTimes.com and Gourmet.com. She wrote a monthly column in Bon Appetit from 2008 to 2011. With her husband Brandon Pettit, she owns the restaurant Delancey, in Seattle. She is currently working on her second book, also called Delancey.

188 Deborah Madison, award-winning cookbook author

I have, sadly, never met Deborah Madison in person. Everyone I have ever talked to who has met her tells me how gracious and helpful she is. Her books have made a real difference in this world and she truly walks the talk. I love her writing and her openness. Perhaps this is exactly what legends are made of.

My one word for Deborah: Inspiring

Please tell us a little about your background. Where are you from? Where did you grow up?

I grew up in Davis, California, which was both an agricultural town and a university town. My father, who had been a dairy farmer, was a professor at UC Davis. We had lots of fruit trees and always a garden.

You have had great success in your career as a cookbook author. For you personally, which success or achievement was the most important and why?

Probably Local Flavors was most important to me because the idea of connecting directly to one’s food and farmers was always foremost in my mind, even when I was at Greens and when I was writing Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone. Now everything is farm to table, but I was working on Local Flavors in the l990s when we weren’t quite there yet. There were only 3000 farmers’ markets nationwide. I was managing a market. No one was writing about them, nor were they writing about the idea that seasonal and local are the same thing in the end, really, and that what the particulars of seasonality look like has to do with where you live. The idea of universal seasons of food is somewhat flawed. I visited about 100 markets across the country and really felt that they offered the truest expression of regional food cultures and good farming practices.

Can you tell us about one very difficult work-related situation you faced and how you came out of it?

Writing a cookbook when I was going through a divorce was really very hard. I had also just moved so I was doubly disoriented. I could hardly get out of bed in the morning, I couldn’t taste anything, I had no interest in food. Food really is about connecting with others—at least I found that out. What did I do? I made friends with my neighbor who had little kids and gave her my test dishes. She was so appreciative that it helped get me out of that black hole and made me happy to cook again.

I love your statement that you “connect people with the food they eat.” Can you tell my readers a little more about that and why it is so important, especially in this day and age?

Well, that’s been answered thousands of times. Food is what nourishes us. It’s fundamental. But it’s also very corrupted, and its production is frequently harmful to other forms of life and to us. If we want to eat what’s best for us, food that is deeply nourishing, we really have to work to go outside the usual channels to find food that is honestly produced. And that usually means we have to connect with the source of our food—the producers, growers, cheese makers, ranchers, bakers and so forth. If we’re informed, we can at least ask the right questions of a producer and have a chance at getting an honest answer. It’s much harder to ask a company about a policy, a process, or an ingredient, or whatever you want to know, and get an answer, let alone one you can believe is honest. I think the food industry overall is pretty corrupt. Being in charge to the degree that you can of what you put in your mouth is essential. It’s one reason why home gardening has returned and is persisting. Self-reliance.

If you look back at your sixteen-year-old self, what advice would you offer yourself?

Plan on going to grad school!

190 So, let’s pretend it is 11:00 p.m. and you are in the mood for a midnight snack. What do you reach for?

I don’t snack at 11:00 p.m. But I’d probably reach for the jar of almond butter.

How do you motivate yourself? I like to work! I like to write and do research. It’s not hard for me to sit down at my desk. But it is sometimes hard for me to stay there when my garden is also calling for attention.

If I opened your fridge, I would find…

A bag of quinoa greens, beets and amaranth from my garden, cooked quinoa, cooked lentils, a sorrel-yogurt sauce, La Nogalera walnut oil, two bottles of Bandol Rose and one bottle of champagne. Strauss yogurt. Some fabulous eggs from my neighbor. Different kinds of flour from Anson Mills (in the freezer) as well as some local meat from our meat CSA. Organic butter. Ghee.

One fact about you that would surprise people?

What people may not know about me is that I love donkeys! All kinds. All sizes. I would love to have a herd of them, but my backyard isn’t quite big enough.

What is your definition of success?

Enjoying what you do.

What advice would you give aspiring cookbook authors?

Always, write from your passion, not a conception.

191 That said, I know that it’s a very different world out there for new authors. I really don’t like that the blog has become the ticket to a book. Blogging is a certain kind of writing— it’s short, it’s breezy—and I know there are a lot of people who have real depth and rich experience who are having a hard time getting published because they don’t have a popular blog. But I believe that will change one day.

Deborah Madison, a Chez Panisse "graduate", was the founding chef of Greens restaurant in l979 and is the author of 11 cookbooks. In addition to cooking and writing, Deborah has been involved in starting local charter school garden, her farmers market, the Seed Savers Exchange and other groups related to food and farming. She lives in Galisteo, New Mexico where she writes and gardens.

192

Aviva Goldfarb, best-selling author and owner of Six O’Clock Scramble

Every time I talk to Aviva, I learn something. She is a super-smart cookbook author and an excellent businesswoman. Aviva taught me how to set up my work and how to focus on making it run efficiently. Her focus is always laser sharp and her business is thriving, and yet, when I call and ask for help or guidance, she is always there.

My one word for Aviva – Entreprenurial

Please tell us a little about your background. Where are you from? Where did you grow up?

I was born in the Chicago area and lived there in a town called Glencoe until I was eleven, when my dad dragged us all out to Santa Barbara, California. We really were miserable about it at first (can you believe it?), but within a few months I had adjusted and was roller skating around town with friends and eating avocados and oranges.

I’ve also lived in Philadelphia, where I went to college (University of Pennsylvania), and in Washington, D.C., and now I’m in Chevy Chase, Maryland, which is a suburb of D.C. I’m still trying to get back to Santa Barbara!

You have had great success in your career. For you personally, which success or achievement was the most important and why?

Of course success means something different to each person. Overall I’ve had a great deal of success, by my measure, because I’ve kept my business not only alive but growing steadily for the past nine years, and I’ve been able to make a career out of doing what I love. I have learned so much, met absolutely fascinating people, and have gotten to eat some terrific food, so yes, I’ve been blessed with much success.

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Probably one of the most exciting days of my career was when O magazine wrote about my fledgling menu planning service, which drew in thousands of customers for the first time and really signaled to me that this idea was going to take off. Holding my cookbooks for the first time is also both scary (because it seems so permanent and I’m always afraid I’ll find mistakes) and utterly thrilling, and when the Washington Post Food section named my latest book one of the best books of 2010, I was completely overjoyed. But in between all of those exciting moments, as you know, Monica, is when the really difficult and sometimes frightening moments happen, which is all the more reason to celebrate our brief achievements.

Can you tell us about one very difficult work-related situation you faced and how you came out of it?

So many to choose from! I think the first time someone didn’t like one of my recipes or found a typo in one was incredibly stressful. Over the years I’ve developed a much thicker skin, but from a business perspective, those experiences were ultimately positive because they encouraged me to set up rigorous testing and editing systems for all of my recipes so that wouldn’t happen again, or at least very rarely.

Now that I have a team in place to help me run The Scramble these crises are so much less stressful because I have people to vent to and people who can help me when things go wrong, as they so often do. When it was just me, my poor husband Andrew was stuck helping me through all of my disasters.

How did you come up with the Six O’Clock Scramble? You have set it up so well. Can you tell us a little about the logistics and how it works?

The Scramble grew out of my own experiences making dinners for my family. After my first child was born, I really struggled to put a nutritious dinner on the table amidst the chaos of family life. I asked my mom for advice, and she reminded me how she used to

194 sit down every week with her recipes and plan meals for the week and make a grocery list, so she could grocery shop less often and nightly dinners would be calmer. Once I followed her advice and made and followed a weekly dinner plan, I was amazed at how much less stressful not just dinnertime was, but really my whole day! So my idea was to share my weekly dinner plans with other busy and stressed-out moms who wanted to make healthy, delicious and easy meals for their family.

I launched The Six O’Clock Scramble online in 2003, and fortunately the idea has taken off. Each week, I send thousands of subscribers the weekly plan, including main and side dishes and a grocery list, which they can customize to their families’ tastes, dietary needs and/or schedules. It’s not for everyone, but so many of the people who use my service tell me that it has “saved” their sanity, their health, or their marriage!

If you look back at your sixteen-year-old self, what advice would you offer yourself?

Keep learning, writing, traveling, and experiencing because it will pay off for many years to come. And don’t worry so much about boys!

So, let’s pretend it is 11:00 p.m. and you are in the mood for a midnight snack. What do you reach for?

Either mint chocolate chip ice cream if I’m in the mood for sweets, or peanut butter if I want something savory.

How do you motivate yourself?

Fear! That’s partially true—I’m always worried about not getting things done in time or not being able to do something, so when I tackle the tasks, the fear subsides. But I also have moments of great clarity, passion and motivation when I get ambitious and launch new plans or projects, or get really excited about existing ones. These almost always occur right after I have my afternoon coffee…

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If I opened your fridge, I would find…

Depends if I just did my weekly shopping or I’m in need of a trip. If I just shopped, I have lots of fresh veggies and fruit, at least four kinds of cheese, whole wheat tortillas, Greek yogurt, kefir, milk in glass bottles from a local dairy (yum!), and locally made pickles. I also have tons of condiments and hot sauces for recipe development, and I can hardly last a day without using lemons and limes. I hate waste, so I challenge myself every week to finish almost everything in the fridge before shopping again—sometimes the shelves can look really bare.

One fact about you that would surprise people?

I open bags of marshmallows, let them get nice and stale, and then sneak them out of the cabinet one at a time and savor them.

What is your definition of success?

Finding something in your life that you love, that you are good at, and that makes you a richer (spiritually, not necessarily financially) person as you develop it. Setting goals and achieving them. Overcoming fears. Having balance between work, family, and other interests so that you can enjoy spending time on each of them.

What advice would you give people who want to set up a business like yours?

Ask lots of people for advice. Listen, but don’t try to follow all of it. Listen to and interact with your customers religiously, be flexible and don’t be wedded to the business plan, and work with smart, experienced people who have senses of humor. Finally, be organized and forward-thinking—you’ll thank yourself later!

What is next for you?

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My first ebook came out this summer called The Six O’Clock Scramble: Dinners in 20 Minutes or Less. We also launched a redesigned website and hope to continue to offer more features to our subscribers, including more food photos. We plan to launch an app soon to make grocery shopping with Six O’Clock Scramble plans even easier. In the meantime I’ll just try to keep an open mind, keep listening for food and technology trends, and try to keep up with them. And I plan to say “yes” to new people, new foods, and new opportunities whenever possible.

Aviva Goldfarb helps busy parents let go of all the stress at 6:00 and bring joy back to the dinner table. She is a mother of two and the author and founder of The Six O’Clock Scramble [www.thescramble.com], an online weekly menu planning system and cookbook (St. Martin’s Press, 2006), and is author of the cookbook SOS! The Six O¹Clock Scramble to the Rescue: Earth Friendly, Kid-Pleasing Meals for Busy Families (St. Martin¹s Press, 2010), which was named one of the best cookbooks of 2010 by the Washington Post. She is also a weekly contributor to the Kitchen Explorers blog on PBSparents.org.

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Rebecca Katz, best-selling cookbook author

The world is a better place because of Rebecca Katz. Her book, The Cancer Fighting Kitchen, is a blessing to everyone who is ill and learning how to eat better. In the book, Rebecca tells us not only how to use spices but how to use them for maximum benefit. I cannot tell you how many people I have gifted the book to; it’s easily one of the best things in this world!

My one word for Rebecca: Awesome

Please tell us a little about your background. Where are you from? Where did you grow up?

I live in the San Francisco Bay Area, just north of the Golden Gate Bridge in Marin County, California. Some people move to California to be the next Steve Jobs or a movie star; I moved west for the Meyer lemons. I grew up in Baltimore, Maryland and spent my coming-of-age years living in New York City. When I was in my early thirties, I took a life sabbatical and landed in Italy, where I studied Mediterranean cuisine from chefs and signoras from Florence to Sicily. This shaped my philosophy that health-supportive food must taste great in order to be nourishing and healing.

You have had stupendous success in your career. For you personally, which success or achievement was the most important and why?

My greatest achievements are wrapped up in little successes that have happened throughout my career. For example, I’ve been working at Commonweal’s Cancer Help Program for ten years. When I hear that involuntary spasm of vocal delight, which is “YUM” coming from the dining room table during cancer retreat, that’s success. I feel a tremendous amount of gratitude for having the opportunity to nourish others through good food. Being able to do what I love to do, even when it’s been difficult, is my

198 greatest achievement.

Can you tell us about one very difficult work-related situation you faced and how you came out of it?

I was about to give the final keynote at a major conference with 350 healthcare practitioners sitting in the audience. It wasn’t a power point presentation, it was a full-on live demonstration where I had to talk, chop, and cook at the same time. Ten minutes before I was supposed to begin, the stage wasn’t set and nothing was ready. It was like a bad anxiety dream come to life!

When these things happen, and I know I have no real control over the situation, I have to just let go, take a deep breath, and know it will be what it will be. Thankfully, I had my levelheaded colleague with me, and what would normally have taken thirty minutes to set up, took 8 minutes. There was a lot of culinary improvisation happening on that stage, and one of my best efforts to date. There’s something to be said about the spontaneity of being in the heat of the moment.

Tell me how and why you decided to write Your Cancer-Fighting Kitchen. I think it is such an amazing book.

Twelve years ago, my father was diagnosed with throat cancer. The radiation treatments made swallowing nearly impossible. Food was the platform of my Dad’s life, and here I was a trained chef feeling totally helpless. What did I know about feeding someone with cancer? The lessons I learned led to my first book One Bite at a Time: Nourishing Recipes for Cancer Survivors and Their Friends (2004, 2008). The Cancer-Fighting Kitchen: Nourishing Big-Flavor Recipes for Cancer Treatment and Recovery (2009) was written because there was so much more nutritional science that was revealing the incredible properties foods have to fight cancer and limit the side effects of treatment. I felt this topic needed to be delved into in much more detail and that the information needed to be translated from the science to tasty bites of yum that help people feel

199 nourished during a fragile time.

Tell me more about your next book on longevity. How are you researching for it? What are any early insights that you can share?

Making better nutritional choices throughout your life can extend longevity and reduce the burden of chronic disease that limits both the quantity and quality of your life. The scientific community has come to recognize the power our culinary choices have over the proper functioning of the human body and has spawned the cutting-edge fields of “nutritional epigenetics” (how what we eat impacts the expression of genes that can turn off chronic diseases such as cancer and diabetes) and “nutrigenomics.” In addition to translating the very best of this science into your kitchen, this book extends the idea into “epicurean genetics,” culturally-specific, nutrient-dense foods that best promote health and longevity, leading to certain regions of the world being renowned for the vigorous and vital long lives of their inhabitants.

If you look back at your sixteen-year-old self, what advice would you offer yourself?

You have everything you need, right inside yourself; all you have to do is listen. And, what were you thinking when you wore those lime-green bell bottoms?

So, let’s pretend it is 11:00 p.m. and you are in the mood for a midnight snack. What do you reach for?

We would have to turn the clock back since I’m in bed, asleep with a book flat on my face at 11:00 p.m.—but it would be something salty and crunchy. Probably some cumin- and coriander-spiced, roasted almonds sprinkled with sea salt.

How do you motivate yourself?

200 Seeing people who need nourishment, whether it’s because they’re dealing with a disease like cancer, or they just have had a bad day and need a culinary hug. Not to mention a deadline!

If I opened your fridge, I would find…

I’m in recipe development mode right now, so my refrigerator is full of food experiments and a cornucopia of vegetables.

One fact about you that would surprise people?

For two days every month I’m the private chef for someone very important—Bella, my seven-and-a-half–year-old Portuguese water dog. She was a former canine cancer scent dog, who was fired for her lack of work ethic. Now she’s my culinary assistant.

What is your definition of success?

Being aware of and present to all the pearls of wisdom that come my way in any given day, and then being able to use that knowledge to help others.

What advice would you give new food writers?

I think it’s important to find your niche and become an authority in a subject you are passionate about.

A nationally-recognized expert on the role of food in supporting health for the chronically ill, Rebecca Katz [http://www.rebeccakatz.com] has a Masters of Science degree in Health and Nutrition Education, and received her culinary training from New York’s Natural Gourmet Institute for Health and Culinary Arts. Rebecca is the Executive Chef for The Center for Mind-Body Medicine’s Food As Medicine and CancerGuides Professional Training Programs, which attracts the country’s top cancer wellness

201 physicians, nurses, social workers, and researchers. She is also visiting chef and nutrition educator at Commonweal’s Cancer Help Program in Bolinas, California, which offers intensive self-care programs for cancer patients and their caregivers. She is the author of award-winning cookbook The Cancer-Fighting Kitchen: Nourishing Big-Flavor Recipes for Cancer Treatment and Beyond (Ten Speed Press, 2009), and One Bite at a Time: Nourishing Recipes for Cancer Survivors and their Friends (Second Edition).

202

Sara Moulton, TV show host and best-selling author

I love watching Sara Moulton on TV. She has such a great sense of food and somehow watching her makes me feel like all is and will be well with this world. I met her when she attended a talk I was giving in NYC. I could hardly believe my luck: Sara Moulton was in the audience. I went up to her after the talk to say hello and was struck by how gracious and kind she is in real life as well. She has seen the kind of success few have and here she shares some lovely insights.

My one word for Sara: Comforting

Please tell us a little about your background. Where are you from? Where did you grow up?

I was born in New York Hospital and grew up in New York City, first in Peter Cooper and then in Gramercy Park. I left the city to go to college when I was eighteen.

You have had stupendous success in your career with books and TV. For you personally, which success or achievement was the most important and why?

I have two—oddly enough, one happened before I ever started working in the field. When I went to the Culinary Institute of America in 1975 there were not many female students, and most of the male students as well as most of the chef instructors (also all men, save one women mockingly dubbed “Juicy Lucy” because nobody could take her seriously) told me and the other female students that we were in the wrong profession. Women could not handle the heat or the pressure of working in a restaurant and did not have the brawn to lift the pots. This was a challenge to me. Catnip. When I started I did

203 not know how to use a French knife (my experience in kitchens up to then was slinging burgers in a bar) but I worked really really hard and graduated second in my class of 452 students. I only missed first in my class by one tenth of one percent (Damn you Wayne Gisslen! No, actually we are friends now). I am very proud of that accomplishment.

I guess the second thing I am most proud of was my show on the Food Network, Cooking Live. It was a ton of work and quite stressful but I loved it and I think did a great job. It was a live one-hour call-in show, and I mean live, complete with dirty phone calls. I dropped it, I burned it, sometimes I did not even get it on the stove. But I learned a ton and I think my viewers did too. It was like a town meeting—every night we had a subject such as one-pot meals or burgers or blueberries. We all discussed the subject and exchanged ideas. I taped over 1200 hours of that show. I wish I were still doing it now.

Social media has really changed the way people view TV personalities. What are your thoughts on using Twitter and Facebook?

If you want to get your brand out there you must use Twitter and Facebook, but boy it is challenging for us older folks. I don’t mind Twitter –140 characters is sort of fun, a haiku paragraph, but I find Facebook overwhelming. And it seems so self-indulgent, I mean who really cares what I am doing right now? I think it brings out the worst in some people.

You have had a long and successful career. Who inspired you the most? Why?

There are several people, starting with my grandmother, Ruth Moulton, who was a superb ye olde New England cook, then my Mom, who traveled afar and came back wanting to cook the food of the country she’d just visited. My Mom was serving endive, fresh fennel, shad roe and veal scallopine in the early sixties. We used to throw dinner parties based on recipes from the New York Times.

204 Julia Child was a huge influence and inspiration. I was lucky enough to work for her in 1979 on one of her PBS shows, and that started a lifetime relationship. Julia was one of the few people I have met who truly knew who she was. There was not a phony bone in her body. She was so refreshing to be around. She was all about excellence and working hard (it is her fault I have always had two or three jobs at the same time) and she believed that you never stopped learning.

I also admire Jacques Pepin enormously. I was lucky to work with him on several occasions. His technique is absolutely unparalleled and his enthusiasm is contagious. He, like Julia, has been a generous mentor to thousands.

Finally there is Jean Anderson. She lived in my building in Gramercy Park and we became friends after I went to cooking school. I was lucky enough to work with her on some cookbook projects and to travel to Europe with her as her photographic assistant. She is a walking encyclopedia on all things culinary. When I did my live show she was my red phone. If I did not know the answer to a question, she did.

Can you share your philosophy around recipe development? How do you create such wonderful dishes?

I just try to put together ingredients and combinations that I like, or I will put a spin on a classic combination. I think it is very rare that anyone, including me, comes up with something completely new but I try to make all of my recipes exciting even if they aren’t groundbreaking. I like to combine different flavors and textures. You will rarely find something creamy in my books without a crunchy counterpart or something fatty without an acid complement. At the end of the day a recipe must work. There is nothing worse than buying a bunch of ingredients and preparing a recipe that comes out blah.

If you look back at your sixteen-year-old self, what advice would you offer yourself?

205 Try to have more confidence, don’t doubt yourself so much, and just explore many options.

So, let’s pretend it is 11:00 p.m. and you are in the mood for a midnight snack. What do you reach for?

Wow—herbal tea. I am not a midnight-snack kind of gal but I do like bedtime tea. But if you want to know what is my favorite indulgence? Stinky cheese—like epoisse on good old crusty baguette slices.

How do you motivate yourself?

I don’t have to. This wonderful world of food we are all in keeps me motivated.

If I opened your fridge, I would find…

Lots of things. I still cook dinner for the family at least five nights a week, but aside from what you will find for those dinners, I always have lemons, parmigiano-reggiano, eggs, cheddar, white wine, olives, Greek yogurt, seltzer, one-percent milk.

One fact about you that would surprise people? I don’t like to entertain. You have to clean the house and make a spectacular meal because you are a chef and they expect it.

What is your definition of success?

Being happy.

What is next for you?

206 Well, I am just finishing up an iPhone app—sixty recipes, sixty photos, ten videos, all done in my house by me and a good friend of my daughter who is a new photographer. We’ll see where that goes.

And I just finished taping season two of my PBS show, Sara’s Weeknight Meals, Hopefully there will be a season three and four… I love taping that show because I am in the driver’s seat.

I am a free agent now that there is no more Gourmet. I have already worked on several freelance projects, with Mission Tortilla, Aetna, Celebrity Cruises… and I am about to start one with Weight Watchers. I’m looking forward to more of that.

Sara Moulton may be a professional chef and television personality, but she’s also a working mother who enjoys making dinner for husband and children. Whether you’re new to the kitchen or just looking for a few new ways to spice up your repertoire, Sara’s recipes and tips are a great resource to learn from. A new season of Sara’s Weeknight Meals premiered in fall 2011 on Public Television, featuring Sara’s reliable kitchen advice and delicious recipes that have made her a beloved presence on television on Good Morning America, at Gourmet magazine, and on the Food Network with Cooking Live and Sara’s Secrets.

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T. Susan Chang, award-winning writer and author

I want to write like Susan Chang. I think this could become my daily prayer! She is an amazing writer with a terrific voice. I think her voice is really authentic and her writing is addicting! I find her to be very inspiring, full of joy, with just the right wit.

My one word for Susan: Authentic

Please tell us a little about your background. Where are you from? Where did you grow up?

I’m basically a New York girl. My parents both came over from China when they were young. But I was born in Manhattan, grew up in the suburbs, went away for college, and returned to Manhattan for a decade before settling in western Massachusetts.

You have had great success in your career as a writer, and now you have a new book coming out. Tell us about your book and the process of writing it. What part of the process did you like the most? The least?

I loved writing about my family. For a long time I thought of myself as getting into food in my twenties, when I learned to cook. But in writing about the past, I was surprised and moved to realize that I had been surrounded by good food and the love expressed by food for, really, my entire life.

In general, I liked everything about the writing process for the book. It was much more satisfying than just working on a little story and then having to let it go. I think the worst part was when I worked really hard on one particular chapter and did my best, and still didn’t like it in the end. But even when the writing went badly, I’d think, “I can’t believe I get to do this for work, and somebody has enough faith in it to publish it! All I have to do is write as well as I can. That’s it.” I even liked the editing process—I couldn’t help being amazed by how many people were working so hard to try and make my book as good as possible, even if I didn’t agree with every last judgment.

Can you tell us about one very difficult work-related situation you faced and how you came out of it?

You know, there isn’t a single incident that stands out. There are many recurring situations we face as writers that I don’t enjoy: being rejected or ignored, being badly edited, getting hateful comments from readers. Over the years I’ve gotten better at dealing with all of those the right way: i.e., preserve the appearance of dignity and publicly take the high road, while privately wigging out with your family and friends and other writers. (I know you know what I’m talking about!) I learned a long time ago that if you’re dealing with someone difficult and you handle it well, you develop a reputation for being “good to work with.” In the long term, that pays off, and the whole situation sometimes turns out to have been an opportunity in disguise.

I think that overall, the most difficult situation we face as writers is a general, global one: the devaluation of content. Not only does it mean that it’s harder to get paid; it also means that good writing doesn’t get the respect and attention it should. The only solution for that, I think, is to write as well as you can and hope that someone, somewhere loves it as much as you do, since that’s the only currency that really lasts.

You select the best cookbooks of the year for NPR. How do you make your selections? What are some criteria you use?

Well, I guess I look for books that “enlighten, inform, and entertain”! To be sure, not all books meet all three criteria. I definitely look for the books that will get stained and dog- eared in your kitchen over time—the books you will hug to your chest one last time before giving them to your son or daughter. I like books with a story, books with a voice, books that show the fruits of years of hard work, and books that can be used as lifelong

209 references. I don’t like books that are really just souvenirs, or marketing tools in disguise, and I don’t like books where the recipes don’t work, or only work under very specific, demanding circumstances (there are a surprising number of these, particularly by restaurant chefs).

For the summer roundup, I think I look for slightly more light-hearted books, and I always include at least one that’s just a rollicking good read, in case you don’t actually want to get up out of your hammock to cook. For the end-of-year roundup, I just search and search for those books that look like you’ll prize them forever.

If you look back at your sixteen-year-old self, what advice would you offer yourself?

Sixteen was an important but difficult time for me. My mother had died when I was fourteen and my father re-married a year later, and despite having a lot of friends I was still feeling pretty alienated. I basically tried to make sense of the world by writing, all the time. Since I was quite depressed I probably would not have listened to any advice, but if I could, these are the things I’d tell myself: don’t be so afraid to make mistakes. Go ahead and admit it if you don’t understand something. Ask people for help—the worst they can do is say no. In general, “No” means “Find another way,” not “give up.” Also: things are going to be a lot better in just a few years, and even better when Google gets invented. Also: That guy? He’s never going to make you happy, so don’t waste your time.

So, let’s pretend it is 11:00 p.m. and you are in the mood for a midnight snack. What do you reach for?

Chocolate. Or something crunchy. Or something crunchy and chocolatey. In case I don’t have anything I’ve made on hand I keep an emergency supply of LU cookies in the freezer. Le Petit Ecolier and Le Chocolatier are my favorites. I can usually get away with eating just one. One cookie will usually take care of the problem, whatever it is.

210 How do you motivate yourself?

This is very difficult. I have an elaborate system of carrots and sticks that changes constantly, but usually has to do with food and/or entertainment: i.e., if I finish 500 words, I can read my novel while eating the leftover ribs for lunch. After I do my invoicing, I can go out to the vegetable garden while listening to Radiolab!

Because I am hardwired as an editor, in the beginning it was really hard for me to loosen up enough to create anything. When I first started writing, it was so painful to face myself every day I had to write pep talks to myself for about an hour before I could even get started! The pep talks were usually longer than whatever I was supposed to be writing.

If I opened your fridge, I would find…

If it’s shopping day, you would find 4 dozen eggs, 2 1/2 gallons of milk, OJ, fish or shellfish, bacon, fruit, cheese (Parmigiano, pecorino, Jarlsberg, and up to half a dozen of my husband’s mystery cheeses), jars and jars of condiments, and the Halves Bucket. The Halves Bucket is where I put half an onion, half a lemon, half a shallot, etc., so I remember to use it first next time. That’s the basics—when I’m testing a cookbook (most of the time), there’s a wildly changing array of ingredients on top of that. I plan everything I’m going to test for the week the night before shopping. I love that system because it means I don’t have to figure out what’s for dinner every day at 5:00.

You wouldn’t find many leftovers because my family is voracious. You wouldn’t find much meat because I keep a chest freezer full of meat in the basement (I buy 1/4 of a steer every fall and a whole lamb twice a year). In the summer, you wouldn’t find many vegetables because I get them directly out of my very large kitchen garden (sixteen 4x8 beds).

One fact about you that would surprise people?

211 I’m a Certified Professional Tarot Reader. I don’t do readings much now, but for a while in my twenties I used to have a gig in a coffee shop, after work.

What is your definition of success?

Getting to work at what you love in a sustainable fashion. I definitely love what I do, but I am still working on making it sustainable.

What advice would you give aspiring food writers?

On a practical level? Get a treadmill desk! So you can write about the food and work it off simultaneously!

On a work-life balance level? I’m not sure, since I think I’m still figuring it out myself. If you can make it work financially, I think it’s one of the better jobs you can combine with having kids, because having kids around to share in the cooking and eating part of your work adds to rather than taking away from the experience.

On writing as a profession? After all these years, the most important things I’ve learned have turned out to be the ones any writer will tell you—but they’re really true: 1. Rejection is normal, so just keep trying. 2. Writing is a job like any other, so approach it with discipline, and don’t wait around for inspiration. 3. Writing is by definition a lonely profession, so commiserate and commune with other writers whenever you can.

T. Susan Chang [tsusanchang.com] is a freelance food writer who regularly reviews cookbooks for the Boston Globe and NPR. She is a regular contributor to NPR’s Kitchen Window column and the cookbook reviewer for Eat Your Books, the cookbook-indexing website. Her first book is A Spoonful of Promises (Lyons Press, November 2011) and she blogs at Cookbooks for Dinner.

212

Pam Krauss, vice president, publishing director of Rodale

Just as Virginia Willis has the perfect author résumé, Pam Krauss, I have to say, has the perfect editor résumé. She has worked with the crème-de-la-crème of the food world. I have always enjoyed reading and cooking from the books she has edited and was delighted when she agreed to speak with me about her publishing world.

My one word for Pam: Insightful

Please tell us a little about your background. Where are you from? Where did you grow up?

I’m a Jersey girl, born and bred in the Garden State. I spent most of my childhood in Princeton, NJ, where my mother was a departmental administrator at the university and my father taught briefly.

You have had stupendous success in your career. For you personally, which success or achievement was the most important and why?

I suppose you never forget your first best seller, which in my case was a book called Cooking from Quilt Country by Marcia Adams, a collection of Amish and Mennonite recipes from Ohio, Illinois, and Indiana. It was the first cookbook proposal I just “had” to buy. My mother’s family has a Pennsylvania Dutch background so the food really spoke to me, and because the author used food to illuminate a little-known culture in such an interesting, respectful way, I had a strong feeling it would resonate with other people too. My boss was skeptical (to put it mildly) but agreed to let me offer a $10,000 advance. We went on to sell well over 300,000 copies of that book, which was also later the basis of a long-running PBS series. It certainly taught me the importance of a TV platform in driving book sales, but more than that, it showed me that a cookbook doesn’t have to be about novelty foods or cutting edge techniques to strike a chord with cooks—what everyone wants most of all is delicious recipes that work and put smiles on peoples faces when you bring them to the table. More recently it was very satisfying to see Alice Waters’ The Art of Simple Food reach the top of the best seller lists, the first of her books to do so (and without the assistance of TV show).

Can you tell us about one very difficult work-related situation you faced and how you came out of it?

Only a fortunate handful of books don’t hit some kind of rough patch somewhere along the way, whether in the creation, the editing, production, or publication. That’s what makes this business challenging and also what keeps it interesting. The good news is that the books themselves generally have a much longer and happier half-life than any difficulties that cropped up on the path. To a young editor facing a difficult situation I’d just say, as long as the parties on both sides are truly committed to producing a good book and publishing it well, there’s not much that can’t ultimately be worked through by investing more time and effort, or more money, and usually both.

You have had a long and successful career working with some really big-name writers. Is there one author that stands out for their dedication to their craft? What did you learn from this person?

I think the thing that has kept me engaged and interested in the cookbook world for nearly three decades now is how incredibly dedicated nearly all of the authors I’ve been lucky enough to work with are, whether it’s their first book or their tenth. Ina Garten is certainly someone I’ve learned from enormously, both about the importance of understanding and staying true to your “brand,” however you define it, and about going the extra mile (or 100) to ensure that what ends up on the page and between the covers is

214 a true reflection of your vision. Alicia Silverstone, whose Kind Diet we published a couple years ago, also impressed me with the clarity of her vision and the way she nuanced her message to make it accessible to a very broad audience. She has also probably had the greatest impact on the way I eat and cook day to day of anyone I’ve worked with, and that is saying a lot.

What makes a book proposal good enough for you? What is the difference in it that makes a difference?

Uniqueness is good but authenticity is better. If the only thing your concept has going for it is novelty, that can be a red flag. As I tell my mother every time she reminds me there still is no cookbook devoted entirely to rutabagas (a project she has been threatening to tackle for years), there is probably a good reason for that. The proposals I respond to most strongly are those whose authors convince me that they and they alone are the perfect person to write the book, whether it’s because they have a unique perspective, a lifelong passion, an intriguing new approach, unparalleled entree—something that only they can bring to the table. Now and then agents call and ask if we have any book ideas knocking around that need writers; I simply don’t work that way. If an author doesn’t find his or her way to the topic, it’s probably not something they are going to elevate beyond the basic concept. I also appreciate an author who has a good sense of the audience for his or her book—what readers want and need that this author is uniquely able to provide and that’s not already out there. And of course it should go without saying the sample writing should be engaging, and the recipes should make me itch to get into the kitchen.

If you look back at your sixteen-year-old self, what advice would you offer yourself?

Don’t be so worried about looking foolish. As I kid I missed out on a lot of opportunities to learn from really smart, interesting people because I was afraid of asking dumb questions, or of trying things I didn’t already know how to do and doing them badly—the perfectionist in me rearing its ugly head. Of course now I realize that no matter how

215 many things I master there will always be someone who can do any one of them 1,000 times better; the great gift of this job is that occasionally one gets to meet those people and pick their brains. Failing to take advantage of those occasions would be the bigger mistake, even if it means looking ignorant sometimes.

So, let’s pretend it is 11:00 p.m. and you are in the mood for a midnight snack. What do you reach for?

Honestly, I don’t get the whole midnight snack thing—I hate going to sleep on a full stomach. But Donatella Arpaia’s truffled popcorn, which I make vegan-style with Earth Balance “butter,” truffle salt, fresh rosemary, and nutritional yeast, is a rainy-afternoon go-to.

How do you motivate yourself?

Everyone is so overworked these days I don’t know that motivation is really an issue, especially when you work in an office setting full of other people working flat out. If I do procrastinate it usually takes the form of doing the work I’d rather do instead of the work I should be doing—but it’s all stuff that needs to get done.

If I opened your fridge, I would find…

Ugh, too much, I’m a chronic overshopper since my kids left home. But I’ve usually got tofu from The Bridge; almond milk; seltzer in old-fashioned siphons; greens of all descriptions, especially dino kale and baby arugula; figs and raspberries from the back yard when they’re in season; and odds and ends of food scavenged from a photo shoot (waste makes me crazy).

One fact about you that would surprise people?

216 My house in Brooklyn was originally built for Mary Pickford, the silent film star—which may explain why I’m obsessed with black-and-white movies from the thirties and forties.

What is your definition of success?

Having the luxury of passing on projects I know are commercial but that don’t feel special or interesting or meaningful in some way.

What advice would you give new food writers?

Travel as often as you can and as widely as you can and keep a journal of your food experiences. Eating at a French restaurant in New York can’t compare to visiting a market in the south of France and seeing what people are buying, talking to the vendors, and cooking in someone’s home. Take a cooking class in Laos or Mexico or drive across country and try the meatloaf or lemon meringue pie at every truck stop you pass. You need a global perspective to understand what makes local food great.

Thirty-year publishing veteran Pam Krauss is VP, Publishing Director of Rodale’s trade book division and has worked with New York Times best-selling authors including Rachael Ray, Giada DeLaurentiis, Ina Garten, Alice Waters, Alicia Silverstone, Trisha Yearwood, Mario Batali, and Tyler Florence, to name just a few. She has also published award-winning gardening books, health and diet titles (including the just-published Wheat Belly), and numerous fitness, design, and other nonfiction titles, such as Steven R. Schirripa’s best-selling The Goomba’s Guide to Life and Eugenia Bone’s upcoming Mycophilia. She and her husband live in Brooklyn, NY.

217

Saira Mohan, super model and author

Okay, so first things first: Saira Mohan is drop-dead gorgeous. I mean, truly, she is one of the most stunning women I have ever met. Of course, she is a top fashion model and was on the cover of Newsweek as the most “perfect face” in the world. I spoke with her on a panel in Washington D.C. and I swear, I had to stop staring! In addition to being stunning, Saira is really very insightful about what it takes to succeed in a very competitive world. I found her to be very generous with her guidance.

My one word for Saira: Perfect

Please tell us a little about your background. Where are you from? Where did you grow up?

I am a half Punjabi, French, Irish, Canadian, American girl who grew up in the Canadian Rockies: Calgary, Alberta was a city I used to call home. I was born in Montreal, raised in Calgary until the age of eleven, then we headed to California. Then New York, London, Paris, Geneva, and Chicago!

You have had stupendous success in your career as a model and now as a movie star (Bollywood) and author. For you personally, which success or achievement was the most important and why?

I think my most important achievement is probably something I haven’t achieved yet. With that said, my most important role at the moment is being a present wife and mother to the family I’ve created. Everything else is secondary. I am proud to have the opportunity to take risks and to try new things. That’s been the best part about all of this… but I wouldn’t consider what I do for a living to run as deep as who I am internally and emotionally.

218

Can you tell us about one very difficult work-related situation you faced and how you came out of it?

I had a photographer proposition me. We were in Hawaii, I was fifteen and we were shooting a magazine cover. It was my second or third location shoot. The photographer, who was very nice and always smiling, tricked me in to coming to his room by telling me that some people from our team would be there. So I went up and he answered the door in a robe, fresh out of the shower. He then invited me into his empty hotel room, asked if I’d like a drink. I said yes. When I asked where everyone was, he told me they’d be arriving soon and that they were probably showering. I was afraid, but became complacent with him worried that I’d ruin my relationship with this client. I then walked out onto the balcony and he approached me from behind, I felt his breath on my neck and then a cold wet piece of ice that he had in his hands as he began stroking my neck with it. I stood there frozen. He began kissing my neck with his open mouth, and went to brush away my hair to expose more of my neck. I turned around and asked him what he was doing! He told that he liked me and this would be a good thing for me to do. I made a beeline for the door and ran away. I went back to my hotel room and got on the phone with my then-boyfriend, who told me to get the hell out of there, which I did. I packed my things, jumped in a cab and was on the next plane out. I didn’t say goodbye. I got home and told my agent what happened and she dealt with it. I came out of it more aware. I was—and still am—a trusting soul. One needs to be cautious and consider what can go wrong.

When Newsweek put you on the cover of their magazine with the title “the Perfect Face," your first reaction was….

…Really?!?! Wow! My Dad reads this! I did not know I was on the cover until it had come out. It was a wonderful surprise, especially since I was pregnant with my first child at the time.

219 If you look back at your sixteen-year-old self, what advice would you offer yourself?

I would tell my sixteen-year-old-self to stop worrying about her butt!

So, let’s pretend it is 11:00 p.m. and you are in the mood for a midnight snack. What do you reach for?

After dark, I reach for Dortios and dill dip.

How do you motivate yourself?

I get up, take a shower, and just do it.

If I opened your fridge, I would find….

In my fridge there is always sparkling mineral water, lemonade, fruit, eggs, veggies, cheese, whole grain bread, lots of vitamins and supplements… and lots of frozen pizza in my freezer!

One fact about you that would surprise people?

I’m related to Warren Buffett!

What is your definition of success?

I believe success is directly linked to action. When realistic goals are met—goals I set for myself and my sons, things that I value and find important—once those goals are met, I feel successful.

What advice would you give new and aspiring models?

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If somebody is curious about becoming a model, I would tell them to be realistic about your measurements and whether or not you’re photogenic. Make sure to go to a reputable agency, like Ford Models, and meet agents face-to-face in person. They will give you feedback, but don’t take what anyone says too seriously—or even yourself for that matter. You’ve got to have thick skin to laugh off any criticisms you may encounter.

Saira Mohan is a veteran of the New York fashion world and enjoys one of the most professional reputations in the business. She began her career at age thirteen after winning an Elite Look-Of-The-Year contest at a mall in Los Angeles, which gave birth to an international career that is still strong today. She has been featured on covers, in interviews, and in fashion spreads for top publications including Marie Claire, Glamour, Vogue, Elle, GQ, Maxim (“Top 100 Models”), Stuff, Allure, Vital, Shape, Esquire, and Cosmopolitan.

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Ritu Dalmia, chef, TV show host and best-selling author

To know Ritu Dalmia is to love Ritu Dalmia. This Delhi-based chef specializes in Italian cooking and has an amazing zest for life and all it’s wonders. One conversation with her and you will feel like you can accomplish anything. She is smart and funny and I feel very blessed to be able to call her my friend.

My one word for Ritu: Inspiring

Please tell us a little about your background. Where are you from? Where did you grow up?

Born in Calcutta, moved to Delhi with parents when I was 8. Schooling from CJM, new Delhi. I had barely finished school when I started working in our family marble business. Quit at twenty-one and started my first restaurant, Mezzaluna, in 1993. Failed, moved to the UK in 1996. Returned to Delhi in 2000, opened Diva—and rest is history.

You have had stupendous success in your career at your restaurant, then your TV show and of course, your books. For you personally, which success or achievement was the most important and why?

Do I?? This is news! For me what makes me tick, what gives me my thrills and sense of achievement, are my restaurants. I enjoy both books and TV shows immensely as well; that is really loads of fun and the bonus that comes with my job

Can you tell us about one very difficult work-related situation you faced and how you came out of it?

Many many such situations… I had my collar scruffed by a client in the middle of the restaurant because there was no electricity and it was very very hot. The other guests were all ready to beat him up for behaving so badly. I kept my calm, requested that he leave, and sent drinks to everyone on the house. Later when I went home, all my dignity and all my calm crumbled, and I howled for being humiliated like that.

You have had a long and successful career as a chef. Who inspired you the most? Why?

Actually, one of the chefs who really inspired me was Rose Grey of River Café. When I first ate at River Café I knew I one day wanted to be like her, and when Diva opened, in some ways it was inspired by River Café. Fresh ingredients, honest cooking. At the moment I am quite in awe of an Austrian-Korean chef called Kim, who has a restaurant called Kim Kocht. In my opinion she is super talented.

Can you share your philosophy around recipe development at your restaurant and café? How do you create such wonderful dishes?

All my dishes take shape purely by my trying them out. You eat something nice when you’re traveling, and you say to yourself, “Hmmmm, that is interesting…” Then you come home t try something inspired by it, but something totally different comes along, yet delicious. So there is no technique, no pattern, just puttering around.

If you look back at your sixteen-year-old self, what advice would you offer yourself?

I would not be in such a great hurry to start living in the real world. I would have finished my education, had a bit of fun, gone around the world as a backpacker before getting into the “I-have–to-build-my-career” mode.

So, let’s pretend it is 11:00 p.m. and you are in the mood for a midnight snack. What do you reach for?

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Chocolates. With hazelnuts and nougat. Hummus with pita bread (there is always some dip in my fridge since I am great midnight snacker) Or grilled haloumi.

How do you motivate yourself?

I do nothing to do any such thing (ha!).

If I opened your fridge, I would find…

Always a piece of Parmesan, some dips, fruits like cherries, green apple and pears, cartons of slim milk, cartons of yoghurt, some Prosecco and definitely a bottle of champagne.

One fact about you that would surprise people…

I eat very, very simple food, and I am a sucker for junk food.

What is your definition of success?

Whatever you do, you’ve got to love it.

What advice would you give new and aspiring chefs?

Think out of the box, travel a lot, and follow your instincts more than techniques.

Ritu Dalmia is among India’s best-known super chefs and restaurateurs. Her restaurants in New Delhi—the award-winning Diva, Café Diva and Latitude 28—have been widely acclaimed for their superior quality of service and cuisine. She also runs the popular café at the Italian Cultural Centre and hosts two immensely successful cookery shows on national TV. She is the author of Italian Khana (Random House India, 2008).

224 Acknowledgements

No book is ever the work of one person! I am so appreciative to all who helped make this book a reality. Sandra Hume for copyediting, Tana Butler for the cover design, Sada Preisch for research and editing the bios, Gretchen Roberts for her sage advice, Ramin Ganeshram for NOT giving up on me—I thank you all. And a big thanks to all the women who participated in this series. And finally, thanks to my family for putting up with me and giving me so much love and support. I love you all!

Copyright ©  by Monica Bhide. All rights reserved.

Cover photo is stock art from iSTOCK