I was in the grocery store earlier this week, buying the usual things, and also on the lookout for fall recipe inspiration; I wanted to take some Halloween/fall photos of gourmet caramel apples, and experiment with my new candy thermometer a little bit. Next to the apples I found the most beautiful petite pears - no larger than my thumb. I pictured them drenched in thick caramel with bits of chopped candied pumpkin seeds and dusted with spice. I bagged about six of them, along with a few McIntosh apples.
Checkout Girl: I heard these pears are sweeter than the big ones. Is that true?
Me: I’m not sure. I’m buying just to take photos of them.
Checkout Girl: OK, I have to ask. What do you do that you need to take photos of food?
I hesitated. Paused. I wasn’t sure how to answer. I wasn’t sure how to explain my career change from design and marketing to food, and I wasn’t sure I felt confident enough to say it out loud.
“Oh, I’m a food writer,” I casually said while unloading the cart.
“Ha,” I thought to myself. “I’m a food writer. Cool.”
After the groceries were put away, I sat at the kitchen table and thought for a minute or two. I’m a food writer, and yeah, that’s neat. But I’m an unemployed food writer. I’m writing, but I’m not really being paid for my writing, which sort of makes me unemployed. And my paying job will end very soon with a layoff.
Needless to say, I was excited to be offered a phone interview with the directing editor of a major publishing company in Alabama, y’all, looking for a food editor. Our interview was today, and we had a great conversation — I told my food stories, we laughed, I talked about my journey, my experience, my passion.
And then came the big question: So, you’re looking to relocate to Alabama? Er, um, no. “Is telecommunting an option?” The answer was unfortuantely, “No.” They needed someone in house to manage a team, test recipes, etc. My dream job. Sigh.
I asked her to keep me in mind for any freelance work, and will follow up later today with a thank you and a few additional writing samples we discussed during the interview.
It was wonderful speaking with her, but I’m wondering now — will we, should we move for the sake of work? My dream job doesn’t seem to be anywhere near Orlando.
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Hello Dawn,
I am Emily, a student at Le Cordon Blue Atlanta and I love reading your blogs! I also think that it would be in you and your family’s best interest if you relocate for the job. I say this because in today’s economy, job offers are not as common as apples year round in the local supermarkets.
Best of luck,
Emily
That’s a big question. Sounds like you’re passionate about your cooking and ‘food writing’ :), you should think about the feasibility of moving there for your love. Or better yet, ask them if they would like to interview you in person, that way you can visit, and get a real feel on if moving away from your current position is even what you want to do. Road trip!
how about a cooking job…isn’t that what you’ve been writing about for god knows how long?
I thought the point of culinary school was learing how to cook…not writing about it…a few good meals and you can write about food
40k later and you’re still just a blogger
find a stage in the hardest possible job you can find…realize how much you’ve wasted on culinary school and get a real job like the few culinary students who actually learn from culinary school
if you don’t go home and think about what you did wrong in your 10 hours that day on the line and why chef yelled at you for 8 of those 10 hours then you’ll never really learn what you’ve been taught…and you’ll never really see what your investment was worth
take it from someone who was in your position…if you never have your butt kicked on the job then you’ll never be a real cook
Hi Emily and Jackson - yes, we’re seriously considering moving to where the jobs are. My passion is recipe development and testing, and teaching people how to cook. Test kitchen jobs with major food companies or publishers are few and far between in Orlando, unless something at Darden opens up…and I’m not crazy about their food ethics.
Barks - Although I suppose the butt kicking is a right of passage in the industry, I would be very happy with someone paying me 40K to blog about food. Take a look at some of the food blogs out there — writing about food, the right way, and in a way that home cooks can understand, isn’t that easy to do. It takes a little more than just a few good meals under your belt.
have you ever even worked in a professional kitchen? just asking no disrespect it will just let me know if i should keep reading your blogs or if your just one of those i have a passion people from school, peeling forty pounds of potatoes and working 12 hour shifts is passion
Fair enough but please stop referring to yourself as a chef. Chef implies restaurant…so does cook in fact. Blogger/private instructor is a much more accurate representation.
@barks - I always try to be respectful of the term “chef.” I don’t think I’ve ever referred to myself in a way that implied I was a restaurant chef, except if I were mulling over the idea on Chef2Chef. I do sometimes work as a private chef for a handful of local clients, and just this year began offering cooking lessons with the guidance/help of a certified executive chef acting as my mentor, and have also been a part time sous chef. I’m not actively marketing myself as something I’m not — I have no control over how others write about me, if you’re referring to Fox News or other interviews. Here is what is in my bio and press releases, which I think is pretty accurate and appropriate:
Dawn Viola is a food writer, award-winning competitive cook, private cooking instructor and artist from Central Florida.
@magic-city - yes, I do have some professional kitchen experience; I’ve worked in catering and fine dining, and have peeled my fair share of potatoes for 16+ hours.
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