Dishes that Migrate Should Keep Their Identity
The Beard Foundation annual awards took place last month. As a research project, click on the link to see what won, and read. You might inspire yourself. This year I see awards for The New York Times and New Yorker writers, which is new. High level competition!
I listened to The Sporkful’s award-wining podcast, What “Couscousgate” Tells Us About French Food. I learned that some people argue that because the French colonized North African countries, couscous (now ubiquitous in France because of migration), should be considered French. Quel horreur!
It reminded me of a previous newsletter I wrote, Preserving My Family's Food Culture, in which I described my family’s Iraqi-Jewish food, and how mad I got when The New York Times called Sabich Bowls “Israeli.”
Most of the Iraqi Jews in the world live in Israel now. An Iraqi guy there invented the sandwich from Iraqi-Jewish ingredients. But that doesn’t make it Israeli.
Lately, I’ve come around to the idea that sabich sandwiches — and maybe this bowl — are an Israeli-Iraqi mashup. But I can’t agree with this idea that when immigrants come to a country and sell their food, their dishes are somehow now owned by that country. That’s like saying that Israeli food eaten in America is “American” food. Ridiculous.
Meanwhile, if you can find a sabich sandwich, please eat one and enjoy all the textures and flavors! If you can’t, make some.
I held my first Substack chat a few weeks ago, about freelance writing strategies. It was fun, with a mix of beginners, mid-level and experienced freelancers. We had 41 people and almost 200 comments!
What’s bugging you? Want us to address a particular subject or question in the next chat? Please shoot me a quick email.
Hey, so am I. I’ve been doing some food-based book reviews and announcing events and classes. Click on the image to see more.
Thanks to everyone who signed up for my recent 3-hour Zoom class, So You’d Like to Write a Cookbook?, which sold out. I’ll be teaching another Jumpstart Your Cookbook Proposal class on Zoom in the fall.
Through a partner, Delicious Experiences
One-hour consult: $250
Book a Zoom consult for just one hour (or more, if you like). If you want to write a cookbook, get published or get better freelance assignments, let’s move you forward.
I like to brag about food writing accomplishments here. Send me an email: dj@diannej.com.
This is my multiple award-winning book, Will Write for Food: 2021: Pursue Your Passion and Bring Home the Dough Writing Recipes, Cookbooks, Blogs, and More (4th Edition). Have you read it yet? I’m also the co-author of:
Disclosures: I am an affiliate of Food Blogger Pro, Amazon and Bookshop.org.
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Dianne Jacob
Editor, Writer and Coach
Email: dj@diannej.com
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