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Writer's pictureBrennan

GWW - Notebook #1: Angles and My Brother's Green Papaya Curry (A Proud Memoir)

Updated: Jul 11, 2021

As I mentioned in the previous post, I'm going to be posting my work and the feedback I got in my food writing class. If you have any input, please feel free to let me know in the comments.


Assignment:

Article:

Come up with a good angle for each of the following:

  • Food-related feature article

  • Food-related destination article

  • Cooking article

AND


Memoir:

Write a short memoir about a personal experience with cooking or eating a meal.


Note: ^X refers to an endnote, see below.


Article Angles

  • The best fried chicken on Earth is cooked by an elderly restaurateur who sings of his grandmother’s cornbread in his antebellum restaurant overlooking America’s Blues Highway. As the town disappears, he contemplates retirement, his legacy, and the loss of his fried chicken.^1

  • New Orleans, known as the Cajun and Creole cuisine capital of the world, is also home to a thriving community of Southeast Asian immigrants. Just outside the city, they have built a culinary empire on pho, banh mi, and the most sought-after Mardi Gras King Cakes in the world.^2

  • Ras el hanout, the fragrant Moroccan spice blend,^3 can intimidate home cooks. Here are some ways to use it to bring depth and richness to many kinds of dishes.


Memoir

I lifted the fragrant spoonful to my lips, and shot a furtive grin at my brother, who was also tasting his handiwork.

June dusk tinted the Mississippi sky orange, a stunning canvas for the backyard dinner, with its green papaya curry, chickpeas, and rosé on the gray tablecloth.

I was an interloper: my brother Ryan invited me to the party hosted by his chef boss and friends, none of whom I knew. Ryan worked full-time for the University’s Music Department, but in a fit of angst, he walked into this man’s restaurant (a grandiose description, in reality a tiny kitchen in a bungalow with a phone manned by the chef’s wife, a robust relationship with food delivery services, and a growing take-out business) and asked for a job.

He had no experience, but was eager and hardworking. The chef couldn’t pay him, but would give him two meals per shift.^4 A few months later, I found myself surrounded by these new friends.

He had followed me into developing a serious interest in food, just as he had done with guitar, rugby, and theater. He was the better guitarist and actor, though rugby was my strong suit. It should have come as no surprise then, that that first bite of his green papaya curry with chickpeas, over star anise-perfumed jasmine rice, confirmed that he was also the better cook.

As the conversation faded to indistinguishable white noise around me, I was lost in the depth of flavor. The curry was elegant and complex, but I was overcome not by gustatory sensation, but with pride and love for my brother.

I couldn’t fathom the talent which had gone unnoticed, unwielded for so long.^5 He’d spent most of his life fighting for respect and searching for purpose, but had become a self-assured, driven, happy cook.

I struggled to tell him how much I liked the dish, and he understood that I wasn’t talking about the curry. After many weeks of long hours, he was able to quit his university job and cook full-time. Professional growth drove personal growth, creating an adult - no longer my goofy little brother - before my eyes, who married and moved cross-country to pursue his dream.

Sibling rivalry notwithstanding, I couldn’t be happier to be second-best.

End Notes 1 This sounds like a compelling story that goes well beyond amazing fried chicken. I did wonder about "antebellum" - does the restaurant really date to before the Civil War? 2 A lot of people, even regular visitors, aren't aware of New Orleans' Vietnamese community - great story idea! 3 Another good - introducing a particular ingredient, and showing readers how to use it, is always a winning formula. 4 What a great story! 5 Structurally, something I appreciate about this tale is the way that you gradually peel back the contextual layers behind this meal, showing us more and more about your brother and your relationship with him.


Comments Brennan, Great job on both parts of this assignment. Your story angles are sharp and engaging, and I greatly enjoyed the short memoir - a story that's about so much more than that remarkable-sounding green papaya curry. See the bluemark notes for a few more specific comments.

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