Return me to the tropics
like the sun setting into the sea;
you drip lusciously down my chin
with your soft flesh, sensuous, yielding
gently to the touch.
Jewel tones of your unique paisley curve;
endorphins on call.
What am I?
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Food through our senses.
Respected food writer and lecturer, Monica Bhide led the group through writing exercises that made us put on our creative thinking caps.
Follow your heart, be authentic in your writing and the cream will rise to the top.
Yes, you have to have good writing and editing skills and do your homework, but most of all be yourself. If you are not yourself, your readers will know it. Look at your blog posts and see which ones have the most comments. Go back and read those posts and see what made them so popular with your readers. What really makes your heart sing when you write? There lies a secret to your success.
Do you tell a story, evoke emotion or do you bring back a memory? Bring your reader into the story to experience what you share. Read and reread what you write, then edit it again and again. Amplify your story and take your reader on a little journey through your words.
Monica is authentic, grateful and humble in all she shared. Creativity doesn't always follow an 8 to 5 timeline.
If creative juices flow in the middle of the night, so be it. Answer the call.
Being consistent and regular with your writing. Create opportunities for stories to unfold by finding new experiences each week.
Val Harrison (left) and Bonnie Deahl (right) pose with Monica Bhide(center).
My first introduction to Monica Bhide was through my favorite local indian restaurant, Rangoli in Chantilly, VA. I had taken an indian cooking class presented by the owner Kumar Iyer, who had glowing words about this progressive indian woman/cookbook author named Monica Bhide. I naturally had to buy her cookbook, Modern Spice to find out for myself. Her writing style takes you to places like Bahrain and Mumbai and makes you feel as if you are there, feeling the heat of the outdoors and smells of exotic spices.
I had the opportunity to take a class with Monica at the Smithsonian last September and took her online 6 week food writing course last winter. To this day I am consistently inspired by her work.
Am I a fan? But, of course.
Ethan Adeland and Laura Tabacca pause for the papparazzi during a food styling exercise.
I never knew what ingenuity could come from photographing food on a plate. Our morning started with a session in food styling and photography. The hands on session was led by Lisa Cherasky and Renee Comet. Together they have choreographed countless cookbooks and won numerous awards for their work. Making food look good for the camera is not easy, especially when it is cooked. We learned many tricks to making food look appealing to the camera.
Timing is everything. Lighting is everything. Creativity and a keen eye is everything.
By the time we broke for lunch I was in awe of the talent all around me, from the presenters to the organizers to the attendees. I am a newbie in this food blog world. My blog was started back in December 2010 as a way of sharing my passion for cooking, former world travels and ethnic cuisines.
These are the gluten free girls! From L to R: Rella Kaplowitz, Diane Eblin, Wendy Gregory Kaho, and Johnna Perry.
When I arrived at McCormick & Schmick's I took a seat at one of the tables. My table mates are pictured above. I felt like I was at a special table indeed since all had dietary requests for today's meal. The chef came out and explained each pairing and entree to the attendees. Once that was done, he came over to our table and explained all the changes made to each dish. All were gluten free, but there were some with no dairy also. We were told that a sous chef was assigned to each special meal in the back so that everything would be as requested.
Accommodating dietary needs is becoming a growing practice among restaurants today. There is an education that needs to occur in restaurants so that not only chefs, but also servers are sensitive to special needs and diets and be able to cater to them. Sometimes it is not a huge change, but minor modification to serve a guest what they can eat. It was a pleasure meeting everyone at lunch today and being a part of the exclusive gluten free table!
From L to R: Jael McHenry, Kathy Blake, and Wendy Bazil.
You know, I love red things. And I don't have a KitchenAide...yet.
The afternoon was spent at CulinAerie on 14th Street. Chef Susan Holt presented ways to prepare endive (pronounced Ahn-deev) in three different ways. Each table had 4 stations with mise en place for our class. What was really cool was the monitors above each row of tables so students could see what the chef was doing at the front of the room. Since I sat near the back of the class, I really appreciated being able to view the monitors.
My favorite recipe was the endive, grapefruit, & avocado salad. A refreshing salad for a summer meal, this selection was elegant and fresh. Since I have been home, I have made this three times and the kids loved it begging for more. Last night I taught my 20 year old son how to make the salad himself. He asked me to teach him some recipes so that when he goes up to Canada this summer to play ice hockey (he's a goalie) he can cook for his roommates. I think he is a budding foodie. I wonder where he got that from!
From L to R: Olga Berman, Nikki Rappaport, and Rella Kaplowitz.
Endive, Avocado, Grapefruit salad...I have now made this 3 times since I got home.
Evening is yet to come.
Find your passion. Be Authentic. Follow your heart.
Blog creatively, my friends. Blog authentically.
Bonnie
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