I’ve been fortunate to meet some interesting and prominent people in the food world, but I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone quite as impressive as Katie Stagliano.  Katie is a 13-year-old vegetable gardener who lives near Charleston, South Carolina.  She first shared her story with me during a workshop I held for members of the Three-Dot-Dash Global Teen Leaders Summit in New York.  Katie was one of 30 teen leaders chosen to attend the summit who are actively working on projects that promote a more peaceful society by addressing issues related to basic human needs:  food, water, health, shelter, safety, education and the environment.

When it comes to food, Katie has remarkable intuition and insight.  With nothing more than seeds, water, sunshine and love Katie is nurturing a movement to abolish hunger.  It all began with a giant cabbage.   In 2008 at the age of 9, Katie brought home a cabbage seedling and planted it in her garden.  With constant care, Katie’s cabbage grew until it weighed in at a whopping 40 pounds.

Former New York Times food writer Amanda Hesser – who now runs the recipe crowd sourcing website Food 52 – is the latest to cause a stir in the food world.  Her April 10 blog (link below) suggests that traditional food writing is a dying profession.   Hesser cites declining salaries as a major factor, and says if not for Food52, she would not be able to pay her bills as a full time food writer.

Hesser goes on to say that we are in a new era that is perhaps more exciting.  She suggests that aspiring food writers get involved in other aspects of the food world, and offers some helpful insights on what kinds of content sells today.   Hesser says the public now wants to hear from “the doers” as in chefs, cooks and farmers.   She also offers some surprisingly gritty advice for students graduating college that include getting your hands dirty in some kind of food operation, working at a place “that’s making change,” and even starting your own venture in the food world.

What is a recipe exactly?  What purpose does it serve? Is it a scientific formula, an historic record, a set of functional directions, a general guideline for inspiration or something more?

At the International Association of Culinary Professional's annual conference in New York last week, there was lots of in-the-moment talk of food, trends and fashion.   But, one panel, “Where Do Recipes Come From?” looked back in time to consider the question of what actually is communicated in the form of a recipe. 

What could be more energizing to a food lover than a trip to Paris during the holidays? This post tells of some highlights of a New Year's 2012 trip to my favorite city and some of the foodie hotspots I visited.

I’m pretty sure my son, Joe, thinks the streets of Paris are paved in chocolate. And if he does, I have only myself to blame. What else could he conclude after hearing of breakfast pastries filled with dark chocolate and entire shops dedicated to selling cones and cups and pyramids and geodes fashioned from this beloved elixir?

Brooklyn resident and devout foodie Erin Myers takes a tasty tour of some of the most delicious food destinations in the borough of Brooklyn, New York.