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More than Recipes: Inspired Food Writing with Meeru Dhalwala
We all have stories to tell about food.
This Tyee Master Class will help you develop a good focus and organized plan to begin writing them down. Join Meeru Dhalwala of Vij's restaurant for refreshments, catered hors d'oeuvres and four hours of intensive instruction on food, recipe and cookbook writing that will make your readers' mouths water.
Whether you’re looking to finally transcribe the lexicon of family recipes that lives only in your head, or to publish a bestselling compendium of your own culinary expertise, it can be daunting to know where to start.
In this four-hour workshop, participants will be guided through both the philosophical and practical elements of food and recipe writing. With seminar-style instruction and feedback on a short, in-class writing exercise, Meeru will teach you to leverage what it is about food that inspires you, while sharing some of the secrets that made Vij’s Elegant & Inspired Indian Cuisine and Vij’s At Home: Relax Honey award-winning successes.
Who’s it for? This class has a bit of something for everyone -- experienced and amateur writers, foodies, restauranteurs, local food advocates, bloggers, reviewers. If you dream of getting a cookbook published or starting a knock-out food blog, this class will provide you with the tools and inspiration to get started.
Required Materials: Laptop for writing exercises if you don’t wish to write by hand.
Meeru Dhalwala, with her husband Vikram Vij, owns and runs Vij’s and Rangoli restaurants in Vancouver, Canada. She is responsible for all of the recipes at both restaurants and manages both kitchens. She also penned their two cookbooks: Vij’s—Elegant and Inspired Indian Cuisine, which won Cuisine Canada’s 2007 Gold Award for Best Cookbook, and Vij’s at Home: Relax, Honey, which won silver in the Best Indian Cuisine Book in the World category at the 2010 Gourmand International World Cookbook Awards in Paris, France.
Meeru is also founder and organizer of an annual international food event called “Joy of Feeding” which is a fundraiser for UBC Farm and features 15 home cooks of various ethnic backgrounds and professions showcasing their family favorite comfort foods. Over 600 people attended the first Joy of Feeding event in 2011. For this event, Meeru compiles and edits a recipe book of all 15 recipes, which is given to each ticket holder upon entrance to the event.
Don't live in Vancouver? The Tyee has partnered with the Rosedale on Robson hotel to offer a 25% discount to Master Class participants. The Rosedale on Robson is a locally-owned, eco-friendly hotel within walking distance of the classes. Just mention you want The Tyee rate at the time of booking.