THIS JUST IN--NO CLASS TODAY APRIl 18--NYU CANCELLATION

HI ALL, NORMAN THOMAS CENTER IS CLOSED BECAUSE OF NYC PUBLIC SCHOOL PASSOVER/EASTER WEEK VACATION.

I've sent you an email about this. I'm going to post some material later, so you guys can get the benefit of the class I was going to teach (sort of)

Let's try and start a dialogue here.

best
Ramin

Check out the current issue of Writer Digest Magazine--Food Writing

The current issue of the magazine is dedicated to Food Writing with a piece by the incomparable Dianne Jacob. Check it out!

What Comes Up: Stomach Aches and Cures

It's probably safe to say that almost everyone has, at one time or another, vomited. For most people, it's an involuntary, bodily reaction, much like breathing or a heartbeat. For others, it's a dysfunctional, but pre-meditated lifestyle. But the one commonality for anyone who's ever regurgitated is that afterwards they crave relief. It's not by chance that since it was introduced in 1931, Alka-Seltzer has been the number one, gang-buster product from Miles Laboratories, generating 90 million per annum to this day as a hangover cure.

But it's not just booze hounds who seek alleviation. Ellen DeGeneres' spouse Portia de Rossi details a 300 calorie per-day meal plan in her memoir Unbearable Lightness. And when she deviated from that plan, the former Ally McBeal nemesis writes of eating "marker foods," or brightly-colored, nutrient-free items like Cheez Doodles, to gage where she was at in her purge, excavating her body with the precision of an archeologist in the field.

My own most memorable gaak happened in college. I attended a university in the south and this was summer. I had been lazing around my sweltering room in bed, hungover, when I noticed a stray yogurt on my window sill, where it had been basking in direct sunlight most of the day. How many days it had been doing this was anyone's guess, but I already prided myself on my cast iron stomach, often throwing my own stomach on the sword when food safety was at issue.

I picked the cup off the sill. It was one of those odd-shaped brands with stuff on the bottom and a foil lid. As I peeled back the crinkly top, a slight "zzzt" noise escaped the container and then something I knew couldn't be good: a delicate trace of smoke. Had there been flame, I might have paused, but with my index finger--this was an impulse, after all--I quickly stirred the bottom upwards and blueberries, now quite blackened, darkened the mix.

I jabbed by index finger back in and hauled up a healthy dollop of yogurt to my mouth. It still smelled like yogurt. My "here's to men of all classes" drinking cheer echoed something my nutritionist says today, "How can a food that's already fermented spoil?" Past the gullet, It tasted just like yogurt. Same texture, only hot. I tilted my head back, spooning the balance into my mouth like a hungry baboon and promptly collapsed onto my bed for a glorious, belly-full nap.

I'll spare you what came next, when I awoke explosively, but let's just say it bested the time I decided to "cure" myself of smoking by huffing an entire carton of cigarettes without breathing air so as to induce nicotine poisoning. And damn it, when it was all over, I felt exactly the same. "God, I want a cigarette," I announced, my voice echoing off the inside of the porcelain bowl.

Oddly enough, the cure I needed wasn't nicotine, but--and I can barely get this out even now without retching--more yogurt. This curdled milk custard, when not doing a slow burn on a window sill, contains probiotics, or the benevolent bacteria that keep our gut happy and functioning.

Other, stomach-friendly foods abound. Fennel contains an oil called Anethole in it's leaves and seeds that alleviates stomach cramps. Doctor Julie Ryan found that ginger root can actually reduce inflammation in the stomach staunching everything from motion to morning sickness. The menthol in peppermint oil can soothe irritated intestines while the fiber found in raspberries can tame even the wildest IBS.

So what to do with all of this nature's bounty? Were I able to sit down on the edge of the bed of my 20-something self, I would have stroked my hair and said, "Here, honey. Sit up and have some of this."

Cast-Iron Stomach Redux Recipe:

Raspberries and Yogurt with Ginger-Mint-Fennel Honey Dressing

Ingredients:

4 ounces plain Fage 2% fat Greek yogurt
2 teaspoons honey
1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
1 teaspoon fresh chopped mint

1 teaspoon fresh chopped fennel
1 cup raspberries

Directions:
Mix yogurt with honey, ginger, mint and fennel. Serve over berries. Top with chopped fennel.

REMINDER, NO CLASS APRIL 11th, MAKEUP MAY 16

Just a reminder, there will be no class on April 11th (next week). We will extend class 1 week at the end--to May 16th.

Demand Letter Generator

I just found this really nifty demand letter generator that spits out a very "it looks like a lawyer drafted this" formal demand for payment letter. Knock yourselves out sending demand letters to friends and family or just file away for a rainy day. I'm finding it super-useful. It's specific to California, but would probably work anywhere.

Burying the Lede

Humorous but on point story about burying the lede: have a read (this means you tony! :-)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/dc-sports-bog/post/gw-offers-strong-performance-during-virginias-perfect-game/2011/03/30/AFhbPg2B_blog.html

Interviewing--More Tips and Tricks

We've been talking about interviewing and how important it is. To recap, you do an interview not just for a profile but, often, of an expert to get background information you need, or to get a quote to add details or impart necessary information to a story.

Before the interview you should:

1) Do as much background research on the person that you can. If they have a publicist ask that person to send a bio. Check out any books about them and familiarize yourself with their work. Be wary of using the work (articles) of others as real background research. Instead these are just to paint a larger picture. See if you can pick out a theme in the way this person is portrayed. It might be a clue into their personality.

2) Write down your questions--they may not be all you'll ask, in fact they likely won't--but it presents a good starting point to keep you on track.

3) Do the interview in person (if it's a really important one) or on the phone as a second choice. Email interviews don't give you the opportunity to take the conversation in new directions or dive deeper if something interesting is said. It may seem easy but it produces flimsy work. Use it as a last resort.

Also are some link to good pieces on Interviewing. Please check them out...

1) Interviewing: The Forgotten Skill http://www.poynter.org/column.asp?id=36&aid=37661

2) Interview Techniques http://www.poynter.org/column.asp?id=36&aid=38681