I like to write about food more as a doorway into people’s lives. It is an amazing way to explore how people live through what’s on their table. And being invited to join them at the table is an incredible privilege.
I am so excited to welcome Shane Mitchell to the CulturallyOurs podcast. Shane is a food, culture and travel writer who had worked with some of the biggest names out like Travel and Leisure, Bon Appetite, and Saveur to name a few. She has won three James Beard awards – one of the highest honors given to people in books, journalism, broadcast media, food, and lifetime achievements.
However my reason for talking to Shane wasn’t for these awards, which I have to admit when I found out about, was a little intimidating. I was very conscious of my conversational grammar and vocabulary. But Shane was so easy to talk to. You see, I discovered Shane a few years ago when I stumbled across her book ‘Far Afield – Food Encounters From Around The World.’ It is by far one of my favorite books and is so beautifully written and photographed. Shane shares stories of people she met through her travels, the food they shared with her and the glimpses she got of their everyday lives. She immediately transported me around the world and I got absolutely lost in her narratives.
Shane was such a delight to speak with. We chatted about her experiences in writing for the past 30 years, her decade long journey with the book, and her connections with people and their lands. Food is such an incredibility intimate way to connect with others. You leave all your biases, prejudices and ego at the door and sit down to share something so deeply personal – a meal, right?
We also talked about the journalism space and how things are changing. This concept of parachute journalism where people go in, spend as little time on the ground as possible and proceed to document and write about a community, culture and people without even taking the time to get to know them. It is less about the connection than it is about churning out a story.
As always, I know you are going to thoroughly enjoy getting to know Shane on this episode of CulturallyOurs and do yourself a favor and buy the book. It makes for an interesting read and a perfect way to learn more about people around the world as it relates to their culinary habits and culture.
{Photographs copyright © 2016 by James Fisher from Far Afield Book, Published by Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC}
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