The Joy Of Food Writing

Ten years ago, I made a decision that changed my career, although it’s taken me this long to embrace it.

I had recently purchased a new condo, and I had a budget for kitchen updates. Then came the email from Patricia Wells.

Months before, I had gotten on the waiting list for to take one of her famous cooking classes in Paris.

They tended to sell out years in advance, and indeed, there seemed no chance I would get in for the foreseeable future. But I sent in my email address, and promptly forgot.

Until that moment. A spot had opened up in a class in October, 2006. I had two weeks to accept. Oh, and I had to send the payment of $4,500 in full with my acceptance. That happened to be my entire kitchen budget.

I agonized. I asked my mother, who, being practical and a child of the Depression, told me to stay focused on my renovations. I asked friends, who shouted, “Of course, you have to go!”

I decided to go with my instincts, gave up on stainless steel, and sent in the money. (In retrospect, I got a bargain because the price has since gone up.)

Patricia’s class was a turning point. The group of us around her dining table formed a bond for that week. I found myself teaching fellow students some techniques that who knows where I had learned — probably from…