Your Beginnings?

[JaneFrame]

what made you start, other than Anna Wintour?

I am wondering what your influences are, both food and writing. I think I hear Wodehouse and Benson in your writing, and I mean that in the best way. Thank you for your elaborate experimentation into various foods, I have enjoyed being in your kitchen via your articles.

[Jeffrey Steingarten]

Although I'm a major fan of Wodehouse (my favorite novel of his is "Joy in the Morning"), I hear S.J. Perlman more often as I write. Or at least I used to. Now when I read, usually fiction, I learn something in every story or book that I'd like to try out; and sometimes, it actually works out. Recently reading James Elroy's amazing "American Tabloid" made me want to write in sentences all five words or shorter--quite the opposite of what I typically do. I never accomplished this, though the piece I just completed on Cooking Large for Vogue's February issue has lots of short sentences. I hope this lesson sticks.

I'd be indebted to you for information on who this Benson character is!

As for biographical information: Most people like to explain themselves by telling stories--their first discovery that they possessed a tongue, watching their grandmother cooking, etc., etc. But the truth may be far less romantic and more biochemical. Please refer to the second chapter of "It Must've Been Something I Ate,"--it's called "Brainstorm"--and see if you don't agree that my behavior may be largely explained by a lesion in the right frontal hemisphere of my brain.

[JaneFrame]

Benson is E. F. Benson, British author of several books, notably Mapp & Lucia (plus others in the series).

If you like Wodehose, you'll very likely enjoy E.F. Benson.