Sandra's Kitchen Studio

Book update

 By now, many of you know that I am busy writing my first cookbook, which will be published by the University of North Carolina Press in 2011. The process of writing a cookbook is arduous and long but if you ask me, it is also filled with exciting expectation. Suffice it to say that I am enjoying every minute of it. 

As promised on an earlier post, I will be periodically keeping you up to where I am in the process, without letting the cat out of the bag--not yet, anyway.

Every day is an exciting day at our house. I do a lot of writing and re-writing early in the day. Most afternoons you will find me developing recipes, testing some and re-testing others. On beautifully lit days, when the sunlight works with me, you will find me shooting photographs for my book.

Perhaps the most relaxing aspect of writing is researching all I can on my subject matter. Call me a geek, if you will, but I am the eternal student and the history of food, and the origin of ingredients are fascinating themes in which I can lose myself for hours at a time.

And sometimes I do.

If you are among those who believe that writing a cookbook is romantic, I will not rouse you from your dream. And at this juncture of my project, with so much road to walk ahead still, I continue to believe it is. So I take on each day with excitement, and tackle each blank page with gusto.

The best part of the food writing process, for me--whether I am writing a book or an article-- should come as no surprise to any of you. It is and always has been tasting the food. The one thing that surpasses my own pleasure, is witnessing the reactions of those who taste my culinary creations. To me, applause comes in the form of empty plates, and a standing ovation is a request for seconds.

"Do what you love", I've been told all my life. Today I can say that I love what I do.

 

The Demise of a Food Giant

My Facebook page is filled with shock waves. Riveting, sad news greeted food writers and avid cooks today. Readers, foodies, and food memorabilia collectors are in shock. Our culinary landscape has changed, quaked by the earthshattering news. 

Conde Nast has just announced that it is closing down Gourmet Magazine. Ever since it began publication in 1940, Gourmet has been considered the leading food magazine. It was the first food magazine of our  nation. Foodies, read this: Today, a culinary institution has died. To most, the news comes as a surprise. Some are arguing the merits of Conde Nast's decision to shutter one of its two  food publications, choosing it over the other (its sister publication is Bon Appetit). Everyone and their brother, it seems, has an opinion.

So do I.

I grew up reading both magazines; leafing through their pages became an obsession long before I began to dream of becoming a food writer. I couldn't choose between them; they each have their characteristics, their flaws and their virtues and I love them both.

 Frankly, this is a sad day for me. Personally, whether it is one or the other that ceases to exist is not what matters. One of them is gone. Another publication has closed its doors. One too many; always too many. This is devastating news. As a writer, I dread the thought of the enormous cost our economy is having on the written art, costing our nation so much in terms of talent. 

As a teacher, I shudder at the thought that people might not understand the merit of feeding the culinary curiosity through words.

So pardon me if I for one, hope the future of Bon Appetit is brighter in the years ahead. And forgive me also if I hope the future of all of the great food magazines that are still in print is safe, for that matter.

I will miss Gourmet, the way I miss good friends who are long-gone. I will miss the enjoyment of our monthly date over a pot of tea; of long, leisurely afternoons playing in the kitchen, and the time spent together discovering far away lands  over its glossy pages. I will miss its witty columns and innovative new recipes; the inspiration of many a meal. And mostly, the wonderful dinner conversations it sparked around my family table. Gourmet was the first magazine subscription I got as a new bride, and it has been part of my family meals ever since.

What does the future hold for food magazines at a time when so much change is coming to our publishing institutions? Perhaps the better question is: if Gourmet can't survive, are any other food magazines safe?

One thing is certain. Change happens. I am part of it, and if you are reading this blog, so are you. And I just wish to remind you that long ago, there was fear and uncertainty when the printing press was invented. So I am hopeful that good things await culinary minds within the context of the world of technology. Food writers may have to find new venues to teach and inform. But we are not disappearing.

So today I bid farewell to an old friend. Thanks, Gourmet, for the memories.

Copyright Sandra Gutierrez, 2009; All Rights Reserved.

Sandra is Writing a Book!

 

Photo Copyright Sandra Gutierrez; 2009; All Rights Reserved

I have been absent from my blog for a little while but am now back! I have a good excuse for abandoning you. I was waiting for the chance to give you the news. As we got closer to making a deal, I did not want to jinx it. Believe me: it was hard not to write and tell you what was going on. Good things do indeed, come to those who wait. And wait I did. The book writing process is a long one, I have come to discover but worth every moment, no doubt.

Now that contracts are signed and the ink is barely dry, I can share my good news with you: I am writing my first cookbook! Details on my progress, more on what the book is about and musings on how everything develops will follow  in future posts.

What I can share with you today is the sense of excitement that surrounds me as I take on this project. I find myself feeling very blessed and very grateful to my agent and my new editor for embracing this project with enthusiasm. The next few months will find me researching, creating and developing recipes, and testing, testing , testing!!!  That means that my office will now be moved into my kitchen where I will reside the next year (thankfully, it's my favorite place to be).

I shall continue teaching my classes in North Carolina and out of state (check out my new Class Registration Roster for more details), and writing articles for national and local magazines. The work continues but this is a labor of love, so believe me when I tell you that it does not burden me at all to do it.  However, the classes I teach in my studio will be fewer and only for private groups, so that the rest of the time, my kitchen can continue to work as my test kitchen and office.

Dreams do come true. And I continue to dream. I hope you will join me on my journey accross this amazing culinary landscape of ours. Keep on visiting this site for updates, recipes and fun food news!

Buen Provecho, everyone!

 

Sandra teaches course on The Grande Dames De Cuisine

On February 19, 2008 at the cooking school at A Southern Season (CLASS) in Chapel Hill, NC ., cooking school manager Marilyn Markel join forces with one of North Carolina's leading culinary instructors, Sandra Gutierrez for an exciting course on The Grande Dames de Cuisine--Julia Child, Marcella Hazan and Diana Kennedy.  An exclusive course on how these three women changed the way America eats today, this was the first time  this class was ever taught in America.

Chef Sandra Gutierrez had exclusive permission from Marcella and Diana to teach their recipes--which were personally chosen by each one of them for Sandra to teach.

The class was SOLD-OUT.  Guests enjoyed great stories, delicious food and wine pairings and partook in what was a very interactive discussion on the lives and vocations of these three famous women in the culinary world.

Main Stage, CLASS at A Southern Season, Chapel Hill, 2008.

Copyright. Sandra Gutierrez 2008. all rights reserved.

Chef Sandra Gutierrez and Cooking School Manager Marilyn Markel

Copyright Sandra A. Gutierrez 2008. All Rights Reserved

Chef Sandra Gutierrez , Class on Diana Kennedy, Julia Child and Marcella Hazan at A Southern Season in Chapel Hill, North Carolina 2008.

Picture Copyright Sandra Gutierrez. 2008. All Rights Reserved

Mole Poblano, recipe by Diana Kennedy, prepared by Chef Sandra Gutierrez. 

Copyright. Sandra Gutierrez 2008. All Rights Reserved.

Breaking News

Breaking News!

PRESS RELEASE

Chapel Hill, NC-- On February 19,2008, A Southern Season will be witness to a first in America, when Cooking School Manager Marilyn Markel will join forces with Sandra Gutierrez, one of North Carolina's leading cooking instructors, for what promises to be a sold-out event of historic proportions. together, they will teach a one-time only class on "The Grande Dames de Cuisine--Julia Child, Marcella Hazan, and Diana Kennedy". This exciting course will recount the stories of the three women most responsible for changing the way America eats today.

Adding to the uniqueness of this course--a first in America--recipes from each of these women will be prepared. Marilyn Markel, an expert on Julia Child, will cook one of Julia's most famous recipes.

For the occasion, Marcella Hazan, "The Queen of Italian Cooking", and Diana Kennedy, recognized as the "Ultimate Authority on Mexican Cuisine", have given their special blessing and exclusive permission for Sandra Gutierrez to teach their recipes, each one of them selecting their choice dish to be taught by this expert cooking instructor. Never has a lecture of this magnitude been offered to the public at large.

Tickets were available for purchase starting on November 23, 2007 and have SOLD OUT. This historic class will feature a lecture, cooking demonstrations and tasting. For tickets contact A Southern Season toll-free at (877) 929-7133 or purchase tickets online at www.southernseason.com

In February 2008, and over the span of two weeks, A Southern Season will celebrate the 6th Annual Festival of the Women throughout their entire store, with tasting events and cooking demonstrations. The Festival of the Women is based on "La Feste delle Donne", a national holiday that originated in Italy and which now celebrates and honors women in the food industry.

Be a part of culinary history and join Marilyn Markel and Sandra Gutierrez at A  Southern Season for this gastronomic first.