Why Write a Headnote

A headnote is the paragraph after the title of the recipe and before the ingredient list starts. It can be as little as one sentence or as much as a few paragraphs. I think the best headnotes strike a balance somewhere in between. Headnotes can be quirky, fun, personal, instructional, or even mostly be a quote--for example if you have taken down someone else's recipe and are just recounting what they have said. You can also make the headnote into a tiny article with some narrative and a quote if it serves your purpose well.

To recap: there are several reasons to write a headnote:

1) You are telling a little story or history about the dish or the person who prepared it
2) It is a good place for substitutions suggestions or general uses: "Basic chicken stock is great, not just for soup, but for sauces and stews. I also use it instead of water to make a flavorful rice."
3) The headnote is a good place to put in the "mundane" details like prep time suggestions or buying suggestions "You'll want to make this stew 1 day ahead for best flavor" or "the curry leaves, tamarind, and asfoetida may all be found in an Indian market. I like Kalustyan's in New York."

Read as many headnotes as you can...try and dissect them. What is that little paragraph doing? How much info did you get out of those few lines? Enough? Did you want more? Did it give you the details you felt you needed or wanted to be successful at the recipe?

Can you think of other reasons you'd write a headnote?

Can you post headnotes you've read and loved here?

Interview techniques

All--you have links to interview technique readings in your syllabus. Also, check this STORY on NPR where ESPN reporter John Sawatsky talks about, well, interviewing!

Will Run for Food

Click on the link to access the article How to Push Past The Pain, as the Champions Do the article I referenced in class today. It applies to all facets of life, not just marathon running.

Enjoy!

Recipe Writing Article

There is a great short two page letter from the editor on recipe writing called Reading Between The Lines in the most recent edition of Gastronomica: The Journal for Food and Culture magazine.

As we write our own recipes perhaps the individual ingredients and nostalgia behind each plate will be more telling than the recipe itself!

Also in this edition is an interview with Rene Redzepi of Noma. (Noma is everywhere!)

Foraging at the World's Best Restaurant NOMA

Guys here's an interesting NPR piece on the restaurant that Sandra was telling us about.


http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=130517065G

NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINE FOOD ISSUE, 2010

Hello Everyone

In case you didn't see it in print, here is the New York Times Magazine 2010 Food Issue. Worth a read.

http://www.nytimes.com/pages/magazine/index.html

Eat Fresh! Or Not.

In the age old debate over organic vs. conventional, what would you be most compelled to read about?

-What are the food system costs involved in the transportation of organic vs. conventional?

-Is there intrinsic value eating organic foods? Or are we just supporting farming methods?

-What are the costs involved in destroying organic vs. conventional foods?

(e.g. How do you get rid of a twinkie with an indefinite shelf life?)

Additional thoughts? Suggestions? Please share!

New "a-ha!" moment!

Perhaps there is a skewed cultural perception/attitude growing up around the organic movement - a weird sense of elitism and entitlement. Then coupled with the marketing savvy of the non-produce product companies that have found a way to convince the public that if it says "organic" its healthy, meanwhile the goods are loaded with fat and carbs similar to conventional products identified to trigger obesity. (Remember when everything was marketed as "0 calories"? The sugar content doubled and even tripled in some cases to make up for the missing calories.)

NOMA: Time and Place in Nordic Cuisine

After saving up money for more than a year I finally got the money to go to Noma in Copenhagen, Denmark. The restaurant (which happens to be in my home town) just made it to number 1 on The S. Pelegrino World's 50 Best Restaurants 2010. And yesterday I got a reservation after trying for the longest time: Three months from now I'm having lunch at Noma!

To pass the time I'm going to buy the cook book that just came out by the head chef Rene Redzepi: NOMA: Time and place in Nordic Cuisine.

It looks amazing even though I don't think I'll be trying to make any of the recipes any time soon. Not unless I go out and invest in a 'Thermomix' or a 'circulation water bath' whatever that is..

But really I just want to look at the pictures, read about the food and the chef that reinvented my country's way of thinking about food.

Ever wonder about Edible Communities?

I'm sure you've all read the Edible magazines--which are almost entirely written by freelancers. Here's an op to learn more about them from the Publisher herself. Radio Host Lael Sara Caplan Hazan (yes Marcella is her mother in law) is speaking with Tracy Freeman, the publisher of Edible Sarasota at 10:00-11:00am on Wednesday, 10/6 EST, streaming live at WSLR.org. They'd love your question. Tweet @educatedpalate, ask here or call in (941) 355-4540 - studio.