to Writing Success
By Pamela White
As a food critic, I can think of no better
way to spend the work day than dining on the
best and most exotic dishes and then sharing
that information with tens of thousands of
readers through a daily newspaper or regional
magazine. Online publications, both those
using restaurant reviews to round out their
content and those completely focusing on
culinary arts, are also searching for
qualified food critics.
The field of food writing, and especially,
food critiquing is growing. Every day new
opportunities are opening up: weekly and
alternative newspapers attract readers with
news of dining establishments; gardening and
leisure time magazines are seeking food-
related stories to meet the needs of their
customers. The Internet alone has opened a
new world of wonder for food writers, and
food critics in particular. E-zines, e-
newsletters, websites on food and websites on
cities or tourist destinations are
advertising for writers knowledgeable about
food.
Sure, it's a job, but you can't take it too
seriously, for after all, food should be fun.
So what exactly does a food critic do? Eat
too much and too often, and get paid to tell
readers an educated opinion about the food,
restaurant ambiance, wait staff and the value
of the overall experience. It may sound like
something you do anyway û spreading the word
about your favorite restaurants, but as a
professional food critic, you choose your
words carefully when you chide the chef on
his gaffes and praise him on his triumphs.
You tell your readers enough information so
they can decide if a particular rowdy family
restaurant is right for them, or if they
might prefer to celebrate their anniversaries
at that intimate French restaurant that
overlooks the bay.
As you grow with the job of food writer, life
just gets better. You have the perfect excuse
to travel û on the publication's tab. Your
readers need to know what's out there for a
day trip or a trip around the world. Food
critics are sent on assignment to France,
Italy, Argentina, Australia, Viet Nam and
Egypt. Closer to home, you might be sent to
do a round up of the Mexican restaurants in
Chicago, or San Francisco's restaurants on
the wharf.
Intrigued? Wondering how you can break into
food criticism or do restaurant reviews as a
freelancer? There is no one specific career
path to becoming a food critic. Success comes
to those with two primary passions, though,
writing and food. Or food and writing,
depending on who you're asking. Neither skill
can be forced: a restaurant employee who
lacks writing skills cannot carry off the
role of food critic, nor can a writer who
merely eats to live convey the passion for
dining readers demand. But while neither
skill can be coerced, both can be nurtured if
a small seed of interest is present.
The benefits of a career in food writing are
many. As a food critic I have eaten at
restaurants I could not have afforded on my
own, as well as eaten food items I would
never have chosen if my job did not require
me to taste a wide range of dishes. It's also
easy to make friends when you feed them on
savory shepherd's pie one week and chocolate
bread pudding the next. How many times do we,
as amateur diners, return to the same
restaurants and order our regular meal?
That's a big no-no for food critics, and to
be honest, once you start moving forward on
your career, you'll be anxious to explore new
cuisines and exotic dishes. When compared
with salaries of journalists in general, the
wages tend to be fair whether you are writing
one article per week as a freelance writer,
or working as food editor, including
critiques, at a large paper or magazine.
Another benefit - this is a job that you can
expand on. There is always a larger paper, a
bigger audience, a more prestigious magazine
and another book to be conquered. Do you
crave personal growth, never wishing to
stagnate in a career? Then this is the one
for you.
Here's more good news: the food world is
getting bigger even as you read this. Chefs
are creating new culinary fusions by
combining two or more ethnic cuisines and
rediscovering traditional ways. Even if you
don't have access to the world's restaurants
or culinary arts institutes, you can use the
Internet as an invaluable research tool. In
addition, explore bookstores, study cookbooks
and learn from local cooking teachers to
grasp exciting new food preparation skills,
understand trendy dishes and employ newly
imported herbs and seasonings. As the food
world grows, your skills will be more
valuable. The average diner needs your
expertise, knowledge and guidance on where to
go, what to order and how to eat it.
What qualifications are editors looking for?
Writing skills - do you have professional
writing experience? Previously published
writing clips will show your abilities; food
writing samples can push you to the front of
the crowd. A passion for food is the second
requirement, whether you've worked in
restaurants, catered at parties, published
cookbooks or studied culinary arts as an
avocation.
As a food critic, your job will be to tackle
critical writing. In this context, critical
does not mean negative; critical is a blend
of analysis and opinion. When you wrote
papers in your English literature class
comparing Herman Melville's Billy Budd and
Moby Dick, you were writing critically. You
relied on your study of the novels, your
understanding of the themes, and your own
experience and opinion to write a
satisfactory paper.
As a food critic you will use your skills of
observation: you will look at the building
and its dÚcor, you will note the plating, or
presentation of the dishes you've ordered.
You will listen to neighboring tables'
discussions on how their dinner is
progressing. When stumped at an ingredient or
disappointed to have the promised portobello
mushrooms replaced with white button
mushrooms, you will ask the waiter for
information. Prior to dining, you will have
researched the restaurant whether using the
newspaper library for owner and chef
information or calling and asking about the
dress, specials, menu personality.
Unique to food criticism is the use of all
the senses. You will look and hear, but also
smell, taste and touch. Your previous
culinary studies, whether in school or at
home, will guide you when tasting the
combination of herbs, preparation of the
meats and texture of the vegetables. You will
touch the food, whether you pick up the hard
sourdough rolls and feel the crunch as you
break them open, or you touch the cream sauce
with your mouth.
Critical writers must know their facts and
use these facts to analyze the situation and
present an educated opinion. You will be
expected to provide evidence to back up your
conclusion, whether that evidence is facts
(traditional Caesar salad is made with
romaine lettuce, fresh grated parmesan,
anchovies and garlic vinaigrette), personal
observation (grilled steak was added to the
Caesar salad) and opinion (the variation on
the traditional salad was worthy of Caesar Cardina.
About the Author
Pamela White is the author of "Become a Food Writer,"
available at www.fabjob.com. She is the editor of a new
online newsletter - Food Writing - availabe through her
website at http://www.food-writing.com. She is also the
the marketing and promotions director of FUTURES
MYSTERIOUS ANTHOLOGY MAGAZINE (http://www.fmam.biz)
and the Cooking and Cooking with Kids editor at
http://www.busyparentsonline.com