That’s not only a catchy title for a return to the blog, but it’s also the name of Betty’s next panel. Here are the details:
Feb. 18 | Panel: “What’s New, What’s Next?” with Marion Nestle, Bill Telepan and Michael Hurwitz
International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP)
New York Regional Conference | 3 – 4 p.m. (location TBD)
And coming up in March is a food memoir workshop that everyone is welcome to at the Institute for Culinary Education:
March 16 | Workshop: “Writing Your Food Memoir”
The Institute of Culinary Education, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.
Register here ($75)
Food memoir has become as natural and popular a form of food writing today as blogging or twittering. But finding the right way to present in print an extended story that will grab and hold your reader requires craft. Strategies for discovering how to find the personal voice that suits you best, how to shape your narrative and keep the story moving, how to clarify your goal in telling it — all of these are basic writing skills crucial to memoir. Food as both subject and means aids memoir with its communal appeal. A few quick oral and writing exercises in class will initiate our work as a group to improve the skills that will help each of you communicate your individual story.
The dates on Betty’s Word of Mouth writing workshop in Tepoztlán, Mexico have been changed to July 3 – July 11. The workshop is designed for those with an interest in food journalism — memoirs, restaurant reviews, cultural histories or cookbooks. More info is posted here.
Running concurrently is a Summer Feast cooking class that involves hands-on cooking classes with village women. Participants in both workshops will meet for the main meal each day, and share in such excursions as an art trip to Cuernavaca and a trip to the beautifully preserved 10th century citadel of Xochicalco. Learn more at Cocinar Mexicano.
Betty Fussell returns to Mexico this summer to teach Word of Mouth, a writing workshop designed for those with an interest in food journalism — memoirs, restaurant reviews, cultural histories or cookbooks.
The week-long workshop will be held July 11- July 18 in Tepoztlán [Update: dates have changed to July 3 - July 11]. Here’s what you can expect:
- Daily 3-hour writing workshops in legendary village one hour from Mexico City
- Opportunities for interviews with urban chefs and village women
- Curated dining in Mexico City & cultural excursions
The program is co-sponsored by Under the Volcano writer’s workshops and Cocinar Mexicano, which issued this release:
Distinguished food critic and cultural historian Betty Fussell returns to Mexico this summer to teach Word of Mouth, a food writing workshop that overlaps our Summer Feast in the Art of Mexican Cooking. Geared to writers who cook and cooks who write, the weeklong workshop will be held in Tepoztlán, one of Mexico’s official “magic villages,” from July 11th-18th.
Fussell’s workshop will convene every morning for three hours while Summer Feast participants take hands-on classes with village women. Word of Mouth participants will work both sides of the table, observing prep and process, then joining the cooks for their main meal of the day. Menus will range from such traditional favorites as moles and tamales to the sophisticated contemporary dishes for which Cocinar is known, including a special array of original desserts.
Afternoons are free for writing, reporting, conducting interviews and revision, as well as for exploring the cultural attractions of the village. Individual writing conferences with Ms. Fussell are scheduled ad hoc throughout the week.
This workshop offers an ideal format for those with an interest in food journalism, memoirs, essays, restaurant reviews, cultural histories or cookbooks, as well as anyone hoping to break into the field of food writing. The focus is on Mexican cuisine, and applicants are encouraged to plan projects that take full advantage of this immersion in authentic village culinary life.
Participants in Word of Mouth enjoy all the evening activities and excursions scheduled for the week, including a day of curated dining with our Mexico City chefs, market orientation and Chiles 101, bartending and wine tasting sessions, visits to village kitchens and museums, pre-Hispanic technique classes, and a guided climb to the 14th century pyramid that overlooks the village. They may also join in optional day trips to nearby Cuernavaca, the ruins of Xochicalco, or the pottery village of Tlayacapan. Exact offerings will vary depending on the the availability of our city guest chefs and local hosts.
Enrollment in Word of Mouth is limited to twelve participants. A brief writing sample is required. Registration is also open for the Summer Feast. Please see our website for application guidelines and details: www.cocinarmexicano.com
