Before I change up the entire syllabus and structure of my flagship class the Food Essay for a 2027 makeover, I’m going to teach a two-hour workshop in which we read one piece from each of the four styles of essay we discuss—reported, personal, cultural criticism, and recipe—to provide an abbreviated view on the subject for those who don’t want to commit to five weeks. If you enjoy this short version, though, I’m sure you’ll enjoy the deeper dive in the New Year!

Sign up now, for the Tuesday, October 27 edition or the Tuesday, November 17 edition: Both have options for 11 a.m. EST or 7 p.m. EST sessions. $150 for non-members; $100 for paid subscribers with the code to be found here.

Other housekeeping notes: You can still enter the giveaway for a copy of Cookbooking: A Fan’s Guide, a really fun and wonderfully designed tour through the history of cookbooks by Debbie Berne, by commenting on Monday’s post.

TODAY, I’ll be moderating a panel for IIJ on new indie models of food journalism at noon EST. We’re going to get into the nitty-gritty. The panelists include Soleil Ho, Jaya Saxena, Cynthia Greenlee, and Hanna Raskin.

I’ve been cutting regular-ass potatoes on the mandoline to lightly fry in a bit of olive oil, and when they begin to brown and blister, I crack an egg into the pan and cover it. I then move the potatoes and egg to a plate and garnish with whatever is around: avocado, feta, pickled things. Voilà: Lunch. This is the innovation.

We ate and drank at a new place thanks to a visiting cousin; I cooked up a storm; the dog got re-obsessed with Señor Paleta’s perro pops. Let’s get into it.