E's Whoopie Pies at the First Person Festival

The First Person Festival is underway! We've met Ruth Reichl, consumed burgers, and eaten America. We still have one more foodie event on the roster, The Girl from Foreign, with Indian food courtesy of Ekta.

And in more foodie/First Person news, E from Foodaphilia is stocking our concessions stand. And here is the line-up:

Oatmeal Whoopie Pies

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies
Chocolate Whoopie Pies
Coconut Crunch Cookies- coconut, toffee, almonds, oatmeal
Junk in the Trunk- white and dark chocolate, cookie pieces, pretzels and potato chips

A BIG thanks to E and A Full Plate Cafe for their support of First Person Arts!

The First Person Festival is taking place November 3-8 at the Painted Bride, 2nd and Vine St.

(photo from Foodaphilia)

Hanging Out with Ruth Reichl

I have already expressed my fondness for Gourmet and the sadness brought on by its recent demise. So I was especially excited to attend First Person Art's First Taste Preview Dinner with Ruth Reichl at Supper this past Monday. And then First Person asked me to blog about it. Rather than re-recount the event, allow me to share what I wrote for First Person's blog. Visit the original post for some great pictures of Ruth at the event.

Ruth Reichl Quiz

Which of the following statements about Ruth Reichl’s early career as a food writer is false?

A) She published her first cookbook at age 21.
B) She wanted her first gig as a food critic so she could satisfy the fellow members of her commune with free food.
C) She crafted her early restaurant reviews as if they were plots out of film noir and sci-fi flicks.
D) All three statements are true.

The answer is D.

Reichl shared the tale of her unconventional start as a writer at last night’s First Taste Preview Dinner. A packed house at Supper listened as Reichl joked about her early days in Berkeley and her wobbly transition to the big leagues at the LA Times. Despite her eccentric beginnings, she ultimately crafted a career as one of the top food journalists in America without so much as a degree in writing or journalism. (She has a master’s degree in art history.)

Some of the most touching remarks of the evening came from Mitch Prensky, chef and owner of Supper. He admitted that his childhood was not a typical one. With parents in the food business, average family outings included trips to Zabar’s and Dean and Deluca. Prensky also acknowledged the influence that the California cuisine movement of the 70’s (and Reichl herself) had on his own cooking style. It was obvious that Reichl is a food hero to Prensky and he was clearly honored to be preparing a meal for her.

Of course, the Q & A visited upon the recent (and controversial) decision by Condé Nast to stop publishing Gourmet after 68 years in print. Reichl handled the questions with grace, though it was clear that she was saddened by the change.

The rest of the evening included a four-course meal prepared by Prensky and ended with a book signing. It was a lovely kick-off to the 8th Annual Festival of Memoir and Documentary Art, featuring the wit and humor of one of our top food writers and memoirists.

Ciao Gourmet

Sadly, Gourmet Magazine is being cut from the Conde Nast publication roster. And while the magazine had become very ad-heavy in recent years and was trying a little too hard to be cool and hip for the young foodie set, it is still my preferred food magazine. It's the one I grew up with. My father has been subscribing to Gourmet since the 70s and it was a staple in my home as a child. When I first started cooking (save an adventure with the recipes from my first issue of Seventeen), I always referred to Gourmet. I also recently argued with my father about holding on to his stash of old Gourmets, if only for my own personal magazine collection. I most certainly hope he heeded my advice.

This will make Ruth Reichl's appearance with First Person Arts even more interesting, I say!

First Person Arts (and Eats)

My latest gig is with the awesome organization First Person Arts. I'm coordinating volunteers for their Festival of Memoir and Documentary Art, taking place November 3 - 8. kitchenplay was one of the first things we talked about in my job interview, in part because food is a topic prominently showcased throughout the festival. A number of events focus on food and food writing, including a preview event with Gourmet editor, Ruth Reichl. How could I not share all of this with you?



First Taste Preview Dinner with Ruth Reichl
Monday, October 26
Supper Restaurant
6-9pm
Enjoy a four-course dinner from Supper chef Mitch Prensky and hear about Reichl's life with food from the woman herself.

Edible World: Foobooz Burger Cruise
Tuesday, November 3
Meet in the lobby of 1 S. Broad St.
6-9pm
Foobooz editor Arthur Etchells leads a tour of burger eats around town.

America Eats
Wednesday, November 4
The Painted Bride
6-7:30pm
Food writer Pat Willard took up where a WPA-era writer left off: documenting the regional cuisines of the United States. Join her for a presentation of her findings over a buffet of traditional American eats.

The Girl from Foreign
Sunday, November 8
The Painted Bride
noon to 2pm
Sadia Shepard discusses her memoir, The Girl from Foreign, and presents a screening of her film, In Search of the Bene Israel, telling the tale of her personal journey through her Jewish Indian heritage. Her story is rounded out by Indian food from Ekta Indian Restaurant.

Ticket prices and more information can be found here. I'll be reminding you about these events closer to the actual dates too.

And if you're interested in volunteering with the Festival, write me at karina@firstpersonarts.org!