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Dear Ms. Bauer,
Thank you for your funny and perceptive essay. I am a chef in New York, and for as long, have done side work as a food writer. I am particularly turned off by the “foodie” world of gloss and celebrity. While it is in my professional interest to stay attuned to the food press, I am increasingly put off by its blind obligation to fawn over novelty or to express what often seems like arbitrary disdain.
I have always been partial to food critics who show a nimble mind and affection for words--writers, in other words, not primadonnas of taste. Sadly, most food writers serve up pre-processed metaphors rather than personal experience and, like slutty clothes, their words distract more than describe. Eroticism in food writing is an especially ineffective stylistic tool. Chefs don’t think their food is sexy, unless (for some) it is shaped like a cucumber, which is just sad and embarrassing.
