Food media is shifting from a traditional model of physical publication and singular critical voices, to increasingly digital and inclusive content. There are more outlets than ever to participate, yet there are still many barriers and questions about who gets to contribute, where, and how.
As the industry begins to shift its priorities and open its doors to more voices, how do you navigate the crowd, find your audience, and highlight meaningful stories, all while getting paid for your work. This honest panel will take a look at the food writing world, from the nitty gritty of pitching a story and monetizing your work, to bigger questions of where the industry is, and should be, heading.
Join Irina Groushevaia, Eric Kim, Khushbu Shah, and Nikita Richardson for a dynamic discussion on the ins and outs of food writing in 2019.
Illustration by Danie Drankwalter.
IRINA GROUSHEVAIA
Irina Groushevaia is a Russian non-binary and queer writer, residing in Ridgewood. Currently the Editor in Chief of the Bushwick Daily, Irina’s work can also be found in GRLSQUASH, Eaten, and other outlets, covering food, culture, and LGBTQ+.
ERIC KIM
Born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia to Korean immigrants, Eric Kim is the Senior Editor and 'Table for One' columnist at Food52. Formerly the Digital Manager of FoodNetwork.com and a writing instructor at Columbia University, he was featured in The New York Times in 2018 for a piece on cooking for one and only cried a little when he met his hero, Nigella Lawson, earlier that year. He writes about food, travel, and culture and lives in Manhattan with his dog.
NIKITA RICHARDSON
Nikita Richardson is a staff writer at Grub Street at New York Magazine, where she covers local restaurants, food culture, and status olive oils. She previous worked at Bon Appetit and Fast Company magazine. Find her on social media at @nomnomnikita
KHUSHBU SHAH
Khushbu Shah is a food writer whose work can be found in The Washington Post, the New York Times, Bon Appetit, Eater, GQ, and more. She was most recently the Senior Food Editor at Thrillist, where she traveled around the USA putting together a best new restaurants list. Her writing is also in Best American Food Writing 2018, and will also be in the forthcoming 2019 edition. She really hates it when people spell her name wrong.
JORDANA ROTHMAN
Jordana Rothman is a seasoned writer and editor, with a focus on American restaurant culture and a commitment to empowering marginalized voices in the food space. As Restaurant Editor-at-Large at Food & Wine, she spends half the year on the road researching the magazine’s Best New Chefs platform, now in its 31st year. In 2015 Jordana co-authored her first book, Tacos: Recipes + Provocations, with chef Alex Stupak of New York's Empellón restaurants; it was nominated for a prestigious James Beard Award and three IACP cookbook awards, even though they slipped a "Hail Satan" into the recipe index. Jordana also once challenged competitive eater Takeru Kobayashi to a hot dog eating contest. She lost.