Portland Culinary Alliance

October’s first Saturday brought blustery fall weather but PCA members and guests stayed cozy inside the beautiful Hotel deLuxe as six esteemed authors read us their deliciously inspiring words.  The literary symposium featured writers of food fiction and food memoir.  The novelists included:

Jennie Shortridge, Eating Heaven and Love and Biology at the Center of the Universe

Erica Bauermeister, The School of Essential Ingredients

Diana Abu-Jaber, Crescent and The Language of Baklava

These authors are passionate about food and cooking in their personal lives, and the plots and characters in their novels are intricately connected to food as well.  All three women reminisced about their characters like old friends, and proved to us how deeply emotional food experiences can be. The featured memoirists were:

Matthew Amster-Burton, Hungry Monkey

Shauna James Ahern, Gluten-Free Girl

Molly Wizenberg, A Homemade Life

This dynamic, Seattle-based trio happens to be great friends, and they all have popular blogs. As Matthew joked, if you want to get published, know one of them! Their books and blogs capture how food is woven into their careers, relationships, families, and daily living. The stories bring tears, joy, and laughter; it was interesting to hear how they each balance sharing their personal journeys with the world. 

There were many other food writers in attendance curious about how writing fits into the schedules of the six talented authors. During a panel discussion with each group, the audience posed insightful questions to the authors. The presenters all quickly dispelled any glamorous notions of being able to delve into the world of their work for long stretches at a time. They have busy lives with other jobs, children, and chores, but writing was clearly a joy and passion for all of them.

Stomachs were growling as we listened to each mouth-watering story. Fortunately, our bellies were filled with delicious food from the chefs of six Portland restaurants. Each chef created a menu item inspired by one author and their work, and they took a moment to share how the food in each story spoke to them and why they created their dish.  From breakfast to dessert, every bite had a story. Flaky plum jammer scones, silky mushroom soup with delicate olive oil lemon cookies, hearty Wagyu brisket sliders, creamy butternut squash cannelloni, tender braised lamb shoulder, and crunchy, sweet baklava.

A feast to celebrate our love of food!

Thank you to all the chefs for a memorable meal and the authors for sharing their appetizing prose.

-Caroline Ford