David Leite

Oakglen, thanks. I've added it to my quickly growing list of places to go. With so many places to visit, I'll probably come back with a lightened wallet and an expanded waist.

Bux, Thanks for all the help, and for the suggestion of trawling old threads. That ALWAYS slips my mind. David

David, Thanks for this. I'll put it on my list and report when I return.

I'm off to Paris next week, and I have tons of recommendations for top-notch, star-spangled restaurants. I think this trip it's going to be Pierre Gagnaire. That means the rest of the time it's small, inexpensive places that offer great food with out the bite...financial, that is. Any suggestions? Thanks.

Soba, I figured that was the reference. I have to say that I (there's that first person again), unlike some eGulleters, am fond of her and her writing. I wasn't at first, but I decided to find out why. In the process, I became, for lack of a better word, a fan. I interviewed her for my Web site about "Mr. Latte," Amanda bashing, eGullet.com, it was very interesting. She's a very bright woman.

Dear Miss Funicello, You'll be hard pressed to find some of my tailored peices; they don't appear on my site. Some of the peices were for trade pubs. I'll be happy to e-mail you copies...if you're really that interested.

Well, when many of us were writing for the Oxford University Press's Encyclopedia of American Food and Drink, first person was simply out of the question. Also, most reported pieces (i.e. hard news food stories) don't use first person. Then there are those pieces that can go either way. For me, I have to consider my audience, my topic, and my relationship to the topic in order to decide. For example, there are times when a profile of a person is best told in third person. But if there is a lot of interaction, and my interaction and experience is a crucial part of the story arc, then I would go with first person. But I would be very careful to weight the story in favor of the subject, obviously. It's definitely subjective. But as a writer, you have to know your strength and weaknesses. If you have a strong, distinctive voice, that's something you own; you don't have to think about it. It's just there. Then it's a matter of using it when appropriate. I tailor my writing all the time, but I'm finding that I'm seeking out venue where I can write in my natural style. When I’m established, I'll tell you.

To me this is the crux of the matter. I love reading first-person food writing...if the writer, the main character, is fascinating, intriguing, interesting. When a writer's personality is so large that it can't be contained behind detached, third-person narrative, then first person is the way to go. That's why I find Riechl, Bourdain, Hesser, Trillin, and Steingarten appealing. Of course, sometimes first person is just plain wrong for a piece. A smart and judicious writer, and one who wants to keep working, will know when to switch.

I recently interviewed Hesser for my Web site; I thoroughly enjoyed it. She's smart, funny, unguarded, and irreverent. She had some interesting things to say about the whole Amanda bashing, which she's remarkably unaffected by. I wasn't a fan, but after reading "Mr. Latte," as well as "The Cook and the Gardener" and a pile of her articles, I am now.

I have been called many things, but never winsome. Thanks?!

No, it's not Schrambling. But my lips are sealed.

I agree. Almost all of my writing is first person. But I've seen one famous writer foam at the mouth when the subject was brought up. When I reminded her that most of her writing is in the first person, she actually said, "I'm different." I thought, different? Perhaps. Megalomaniacal? definitely.

Well, I feel better, considering you were writing in...the first person.

Care to elaborate?

Where do you guys weigh in on the use of the first person in food writing? I've seen many established, big name writers go ballistic when the topic comes up. They believe that a new writer should never use it, that it's indulgent, poor form, and a cover for lack of knowledge.

To me, the even bigger category is stilted just there to mask complete lack of knowledge of research humor. Yes, I'm getting nitpicky here, but many writers start off knowing very little about their assigned subject. There are times I knew just enough to get the assignment, but I knew where and how to research the rest of the information so that I could write a comprehensive piece. Many new writers feel completely intimidated because they're not walking encyclopedias of food knowledge -- not all of us are Alan Davidsons -- and therefore shilly-shally about querying pubs. Or they rely upon gee-ain't-I-funny humor, which gets tired quickly. You can even write a piece about not knowing your subject, as long as it’s well done…and well researched.

de nada.

Hi Suvir, Some of the classic ways of making thick cookies are to use more batter per cookie, chill the batter to prevent spread, and add a bit more flour (but this can make the cookies a bit cakey). I'm sure others will chime in with more ways.

Thanks for the plug, Plax! Yeah, whenever I'm in need of a little boost, I turn to these babies. I love them.

Jinmyo, Because your question was prompted by a post about me, I thought I'd throw in my two cents. To me humor in food writing should never be there for humor's sake. It should be an inseparable part of the writer's voice. The truth is not everyone is funny, and not everyone should write with humor. The piece that Claire797 was speaking about, I think, was my column in Bon Appétit about my Viking stove. The humor came naturally from me and my personality. It's clear when a writer writes something, as Steve says, to make a joke. It feels stilted, too bada-bing, too Jackie Mason-ish. But when the situation the writer finds himself in is flat-out funny, or the way he looks at it is funny, it then becomes pleasurable to the reader, and it serves the piece, as Suzanne Fass says. Depends where you're trying to get it taken seriously. Humor in the upcoming Encyclopedia of American Food and Drink by Oxford University Press wasn't an option. But well-written humor work does get noticed.

Rozrapp, You can be my editor/copy editor anytime.