It seems odd that a farm girl from the South would develop an affinity for eating her way around the world. But then maybe not. Not when you consider that before I was even of school age my mother dressed me in red so she could find me, a tiny crimson dot on the horizon out exploring the fields and trucking down the gravel road that led from our farm to the main highway. I don’t recall just where I thought I was going, but I certainly was intent on getting there! When I wasn’t out and about, I was writing stories, illustrating them with pictures scissored from magazines and taping them into books I stapled together. While my friends were reading Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew, I was engrossed in National Geographic and studying maps.
And then there was my proclivity for eating pretty much anything I found on the farm that looked like it might be worth the experience (I’d appreciate if you’d not tell my mother about that!). While I was brought up on some pretty basic food—and it was good stuff, mind you—I was always on the lookout for any new culinary experience I could find.
Food, travel and writing framed my growing up years. Little did I realize they’d be my lifelong passions. But they are.
After a number of years of working as a freelance writer/editor and tour guide (I trained at the International Tour Management Institute), I decided to shift my focus to food. To bolster my culinary knowledge, which primarily consisted of that Southern penchant for deep frying everything, I attended the California School of Culinary Arts and earned a Le Cordon Bleu degree. Now I write about food (see my blog or click on the “Published Writings” tab to find my work) and make it the focus of the tours I conduct (that page is still under construction, but you can e-mail me at carol@hungrypassport.com for more information).
In 2017 I won the Award for Personal Essays/Memoir Writing, presented by the International Association of Culinary Professionals for my essay, “Churnin’.” Les Dames d’Escoffier International honored me in 2014 with the M.F.K. Fisher Award for Excellence in Culinary Writing for my essay, “My Fishing Trophy.” In 2010, I received the Apicius Scholarship from the Symposium for Professional Food Writers (this award is presented to “a professional food writer whose prose rings with a clear voice and reflects the delicious joys of the table. In the spirit of Apicius, the first Roman to write cookbooks, the goal is to grant this award to that writer whose work will stand the test of time.” I just had to include the scholarship description—it both tickles and humbles me.).
My work has appeared in the 2013 and 2016 editions of Best Food Writing, Leite’s Culinaria, Culture Magazine, The Cheese Professor, Gastronomica, The Kitchn, The Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, Cornbread Nation IV: The Best of Southern Food Writing, Farmhouse Magazine and the Christian Science Monitor. I am a past editor of Edible Los Angeles and a contributor to Edible: A Celebration of Local Foods and to a number of magazines within Edible Communities. I have taught at Le Cordon Bleu Los Angeles, and I teach the occasional class in blogging and food writing for Writing Pad, winner of the 2012 award from LA Weekly for Best Writing School for Foodies.
In addition to writing about food–and increasingly about cheese–I’m currently working as a cheesemonger in Seattle. I am a Certified Cheese Professional and a member of the American Cheese Society and the International Association of Culinary Professionals.
Carol, I would like to use your photo of the Thai Songkran Festival Dancers from your Blog on our KTLA Morning News Community Calendar tomorrow (Thurs 3/31). Short notice I realize – but I wanted to contact you nonetheless. Sorry the format does not permit a photo credit, but you would certainly know. Please let me know if you approve ASAP. Thanks much and I enjoy your various food blogs– who doesn’t love to eat?
Regards,
Ron Gaviati
Editor/Digital Imaging
KTLA-TV
Hi Ron,
You’re welcome to use the photo. In lieu of photo credit, you can just buy me an order of Thai sausage if we bump into each other at the festival! 😉
The highest-res image I have of that photo is 2.1 MB (thought I was shooting raw, but apparently not). Would you like me to send that to you?
You can contact me at carol >at< hungrypassport >dot< com. Thanks! Carol
Is there a place where I can sign up for your updates? I went to Log-in, but the message said I wasn’t signed-in, and I did not find a place to do that.
Hi Margie,
The log-in is just for my use. Right under that is Entries RSS. Click on that and at the top of the page it takes you to there will be a place for you to select the way you want to subscribe.
Thanks so much for reading. Sorry for the delay in responding!
Cheers!
Carol
Hello Carol,
I stumbled on your photo of eggs in copper while searching images for my restaurant’s Easter newsletter. (We cook almost exclusively in copper.) I was delighted to read the accompanying post and would like to link to it. May I use the photo in the newsletter, using it to link to your post?
Carolin Messier
Owner, The Harvest Vine
Seattle, WA
Absolutely, Carolin! Just one request: next time we’re in Seattle, may we please take a glimpse into your kitchen at your copper? Your menu looks lovely–we’ll definitely be adding you to our list of restaurants to visit.
I had two great “copper sightings” in NYC this week, Monday in Bon Appetit’s new test kitchen and in Zabar’s. That stuff so inspires me!
Thanks,
Carol
Hi Carol,
I hope you’re well. My team at Coke really enjoyed your piece on Coke and peanuts: http://leitesculinaria.com/81721/writings-coke-and-peanuts.html Please contact me, as we would like the opportunity to feature the piece on our website.
Best,
Ashley
Carol, I just read your 2012 Coke and Peanuts piece. It was so beautiful and image evoking that I had to read it to my husband. He was born and raised in Knoxville and is now living as an “ex-pat” (love your use of that term) in Ohio. He was moved to tears remembering his childhood experiences with Coke and Peanuts. Thank you for your touching piece. May God bless you and give you the opportunity to visit often those Tennessee hills.
Hi Janet, Thanks for the lovely note. I’m so glad y’all enjoyed this piece. It was such fun to write–and all the memories it brought up were just amazing! As for those Tennessee hills, they’re beautiful and I’d love to see them again, but I’m from the flatlands of West Tennessee, so I’d have to go an ever further distance to see them again. Maybe someday!
all best, Carol
Hi Carol — I read your fantastic article “6 Great Cheeses form Washington State and was wondering if you know of somewhere I could get a sampler for all 6 Cheesemakers. My best friend is a foodie living in the boonies back in the Southeast and I’d like to send her something of Washington for her birthday. Know of any outfit that does this? Thanks — Susan
Hi Susan,
I’m so happy to hear you’re interested in shipping an assortment of Washington State cheeses to a friend in the Southeast. I’m a Tennessee farm girl myself, and my family has been the recipient of a lot of great cheeses in the past few years!
I talked to my manager, and we’re going to pull together some cheeses for you. Do you want the specific ones mentioned in the article, or would you be okay with other good cheeses from Washington, just in case we’re sold out of some?
Once we know what you’re interested in sending—along with the budget you have in mind—we’ll get to work! You can e-mail me privately at carol@hungrypassport.com.
Cheers!
Carol