In October 2014, I received an email from Refinery29's Editor-in-Chief, Christene Barberich, asking me to come in for a meeting. I thought we were going to have a routine conversation around how I could contribute to the site, but then Christene started telling me about how she was looking for an Executive Food Editor. I didn't really get what she was saying until she explicitly spelled out that she wanted me for this job. To be honest, I felt shocked, excited, and completely freaked out. I mean, I have an educational background in food, I've run a pop-up restaurant business, and I have my own food site, but never did I imagine I'd be cooking up food stories on this scale. Despite my doubts, I closed my eyes, summoned my inner Sheryl Sandberg, and told myself, "Dude, just lean in." I have now been Refinery29's Executive Food Editor for a month strong, and, well, I thought it was time to reveal a few things about myself, as well as what we want to create here with you.
Food, food information, and food storytelling, despite its efforts to bring people together, can make us feel a little disconnected from real life. There's this assumption that I live in Martha Stewart's kitchen, with all the fancy gadgets, a magic pantry with a trillion weird spices and sauces, an unlimited budget, and shiny pots and pans galore. Please — I live in a one-bedroom apartment with my husband and our dog, and our kitchen is in our living room. (I'm sure a lot of you can relate.) But, despite these limitations, I really want to make an effort to cook, because I know it's important: It's the way I take care of myself, share with my family, and connect to my community. But, yeah, buying, understanding, and making food for yourself can often seem like a major drag. And, I can tell you this: From my few weeks at R29, I'm already finding many of you feel the same.
So, I have some news for you: Refinery29 Food is created specifically for YOU. We will cover everything from the cooking basics to more sophisticated fare. We'll relish in the excitement of something like learning how to really peel a tomato (joy!), and dive into discussions about the most interesting food issues of our time, like genetic modification and lab-produced, synthetic meat...and, yes, we may even share a laugh over stuff like this. My goal is for you to click on the R29 Food & Drinks section and feel like you're joining the best dinner party you've been to in a long time. Now, let's get the party started...just remember: No fruit (see video above).
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