Life without food

And a food-writing contest

By Culinate staff

January 8, 2010

Yesterday Portland’s go-to restaurant site, Portland Food and Drink, posted a mention of film critic Roger Ebert's latest blog post, entitled “Nil by Mouth.” Ebert describes his inability to speak, eat, or drink — due to complications of cancer — and he says that what he finds saddest about the situation isn’t so much the loss of food, but the loss of dining:

It may be personal, but for [me], unless I’m alone, it doesn’t involve dinner if it doesn’t involve talking. The food and drink I can do without easily. The jokes, gossip, laughs, arguments and shared memories I miss. Sentences beginning with the words, “Remember that time?” I ran in crowds where anyone was likely to break out in a poetry recitation at any time. Me too. But not me anymore. So yes, it’s sad. Maybe that’s why I enjoy this blog. You don’t realize it, but we’re at dinner right now.

There’s much more to the piece, too. With ample description, Ebert recalls the food and drink of his past, and reminds us that food memories can be some of our most powerful recollections.

Speaking of descriptive food writing: Veteran writer and teacher Dianne Jacob, author of Will Write for Food, has posted a food-writing contest on her blog.

She’s looking for short (150-word) and sensuous descriptions of food; the winner will receive an hour of Jacob’s consulting time.