Food Writing

Obviously, I love to eat but I also love to write. Indeed, I would describe myself as a writer first, then a cook but that's probably only because I've been doing the writing thing longer than the cooking thing. Of course, what I've done longer than either is eating. I mean, we eat to live and some of us live to eat. Can I get an A'men?

While I spend most of my time (and food budget) in my own kitchen writing and cooking up delectable recipes of my own and others' invention, I also like to see what local restaurants, pubs, breweries, wineries, food trucks, local farmers, and market vendors have in stock, on tap, or in the field. And though I love the big night out scouring vellum-thin menus laden with ingredients I don't know and wine from regions of the world I've never been to, I also love -- indeed, I relish -- finding the hidden kitchens in my region and the smallholders producing the ingredients that stock their pantries. I'm always looking to connect with the smaller, quieter, unpretentious owners of diners and cafes, BBQ juke joints, river-side fish camps and homesteads that may not have extensive menus or trendy produce, but do what they do really well and ethically.

As I live and work in Western North Carolina and Eastern Tennessee on a five acre modern hobby farm, the range of restaurants I review spans about 60 miles in all directions, so you'll find most of my reviews are of kitchens in this neck o' the woods. But as I also enjoy traveling and visiting with friends and family who are slung across the globe (and of course eating my way through those visits and towns), I might throw in one or two reviews from these travels too. This as-the-mood-strikes-me blog is a mashup of restaurant reviews, gardening tips, recipes, and general musings on food, life and farming, written with a pinch (or three) of my signature sauciness. 

Fair warning, I'm a sucker for a well-placed cuss word and make no promises the newsletter content will be G-rated. But, there won't be any snark, pretension, or trolling (okay, maybe a little pretension 'cause, remember, I'm fancy), just sometimes funny, often poignant, but always honest and authentic writing about food, farming, and life in Appalachia. If this sounds like something you're interested in, then shoot me an email and I'll add you to my Substack. No spamming, no selling your private info, just some occasional food porn and deep thoughts. 

Take care, 

Sarah Long