Food Journalism - Is it for you?

Sam Hoffer, http://cherokeescout.com/ writes food column

Peg Russell

Sam Hoffer who writes "From My Carolina Kitchen," a food column for the Cherokee Scout which emphasizes casual yet elegant recipes and "how to tips," sent a newsletter with the following recommendation:
"This is an interesting newsletter I subscribe to from a food writer. Even though it is about food, it has some very good points for everyone.

The lesson about querying gives some good ideas about different kinds of publications to send queries to. In the section about Oprah, the quote, last paragraph, last sentence says it all. News you can use, third paragraph, talks about blogs and making money."

This is a market some of our members might find interesting to try. http://www.diannej.com/ Click this site and see what think. To read the newsletter Sam Hoffer refers to, you must sign up on the website. This latest newsletter is not on the site yet.
Dianne's research finds that women read and prefer food blogs over print journalism.
For some time I subscribed to Recipes.com and it was great fun to read a recipe and then read the comments from those who had tried it already. Some made a few changes and liked the recipe better than the original.

On the subject of food, I want to share Peg Russell's marvelous recipe for the Rum Cake she brought to the Netwest picnic this year.

BACARDI GOLD RUM CAKE
1/2 cup Bacardi Gold Rum
1 cup ch pecans
1 pk yellow cake mix
1 pk instant vanilla pudding mix
4 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup water
Grease and flour a 12-cup bundt pan. Preheat oven to 300. Sprinkle nuts in bottom of pan. Mix rest of ingredients; beat at high speed for two minutes. Pour over nuts. Bake one hour. Cool 15 minutes. Invert over a serving plate.

GLAZE
1/2 cup Bacardi Gold Rum
1/2 stick of butter
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup water (I omit)
Melt butter. Stir in sugar, water, rum. Boil five minutes, stirring constantly. Prick top of cake with a fork and brush glaze evenly over top and sides.

Note: Can gently shake cake loose in pan, and pour glaze in sides of cake while in the pan. Leave in pan for transport.



Peg gives some history and interesting anecdotes on this recipe.

"The recipe came from a free Bacardi Rum booklet from years ago. The special gold rum (Bacardi Gold)has a strong flavor, and is best for cooking. Three years ago, my only baking pan was a bundt cake pan, and for that year I found many good recipes for bundt cakes. Last year I added tiny tart pans to make pecan tassies, and this year at a local church rummage sale, I bought a cookie press. I've already mastered the little flower press cookies (it said to put the cookie sheets in the freezer so dough would stick and it worked).

I would advise other wives not to send their husbands shopping with a list if it can be avoided. If I want something, by golly, Mike makes sure I have lots of it. The above cake recipe calls for a total of one cup of gold rum. Last fall Mike came home with a big bottle of Bacardi Gold. I took rum cakes to church luncheons, library pot-luck, Senior Games/SilverArts dinner, Marine Corps League dinner, served it for company... I think I made at least seven cakes to use all the gold rum."

Let us know when you try this Rum Cake recipe if you like it. Thanks Peg Russell and Sam Hoffer for sharing with our Netwest Mountain Writers and Poets readers.

Too Many Books, but I'm addicted

I and my friends are helping to build a library at my sister's retirement center in Atlanta, GA. I don't mean I'm doing any sawing or hammering. I donate books to the library which the residents are already enjoying. At first I heard that only hard cover books would be accepted, but found out later there is a section for paper backs in good condition. I only have one problem. The books I collect from friends call me to look at them, read the inside dust cover, and then I want to keep them for myself. Of course I come to my senses and realize I have more books on my shelves now than I'll be able to read unless I live to be 100. Tonight I'm drawn to keep The Double Bind by Chris Bohjalian, a psychological literary thriller. This is the author of Midwives, a Publishers Weekly Best Book and an Oprah book club choice. The first two pages grabbed me and I will have to finish it before it goes to the library shelf at Somerby. This book is based on a story of a homeless man's death and the box of photographs he left behind. This part is true, but the rest of the story is fiction, I understand.
Reminds me of Mike Keller who found an old leather wallet at a flea market and upon searching through it, found old, old, letters crumbling but readable with a story that begged to be told. She wrote a poem. Now is this a found poem, a letter poem, a persona poem or what?
Our other Team member, Nancy, might tell us.