Urvashi has also contributed recipes and articles to Great British Chefs, BBC Food, Olive Magazine, and the BBC Good Food Magazine. She volunteers with Forty Hall Farm and the Enfield Feasts supper club.

In this fascinating and insightful conversation, we talk about being a food and travel writer, family history, being a contestant on The Great British Bake Off, her future aspirations, the stories she wants to tell and how important it was to discuss the cover of her book ‘Biting Biting’ with her family before publishing.

Quick Links mentioned in the show

• Urvashi’s Instagram

• Bite #10 - Great British Bake Off memories and musings on spontaneity - this goes into more detail about Urvashi’s Great British Bake Off journey.

• Bite #5 - The day I face planted into a pile of Converse - Urvashi alluded to this post as this ‘event’ was the transition for me out of the corporate world and back into the world of food writing.

• Bite #3 - by Urvashi Roe - Biting Biting - a little about Urvashi’s volunteering journey.

• Olive Magazine podcast with guest Urvashi Row - Gujarati Snacking

By ‘Biting Biting’ on Amazon and at Kitchen Press - Independent food publisher

Transcript

When viewing the transcript, please note it is generated using speech recognition software and may contain errors. Please review the audio recording before quoting from this transcript.

• 00:04:24 Applying for the Great British Bake Off

• 00:13:19 “Because that could give me a bit of a heart attack” Discussing the cook book cover with family before being published.

• 00:20:16 Hardest section of Biting Biting to write

• 00:42:59 Future Aspirations

• 00:44:55 Spending time in India and Sri Lanka

• 00:46:43 Gujarati Food, returning to her homeland, meeting people ranging from Maharajas to Goat Herders.

Additional links

• Who Writes What podcast

• List of Podcasts

• List of Food Writers

• List of Cookbooks

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From freelance marketing consultant to becoming a recipe developer, food photographer and the writer behind multiple publications such as ‘Of Batter and Dough’, ‘A Little and A Lot’, ‘Let’s Get Lost ’, ‘Mastermind for Food Writers’, and ‘The Food Writers Business Lab’, how does Rebecca plan, develop and photograph recipes and manage her multiple websites and publications while travelling on the road with her husband in an RV and more recently, a sailboat, which they travel on Lake Michigan in the summer.

In this chat, we discuss how Rebecca transitioned over to Substack, how she organises, plans, and develops recipes for her multiple websites. How and why her writing style has changed since moving to Substack. And the ‘Scandalous Story’ behind the title ‘Let’s Get Lost’.

See her kitchen inside her RV and sailboat in this Other People’s Kitchens Q&A with Rebecca.

Watch on YouTube HERE

Transcript

When viewing the transcript, please note it is generated using speech recognition software and may contain errors. Please review the audio recording before quoting from this transcript.

00:09:29 Moving into an RV

00:11.59 Transitioning over to Substack

00:15:56 How and why Rebecca’s writing style has changed

00:19:46 How Rebecca manages multiple websites and tasks.

00:37:19 Having a good time with Coffee chats.

00:42.02 Back burner ideas.

00:45:17 Hear the ‘Scandalous Story’ behind the title ‘Let’s Get Lost’ and the ‘drive to explore'.

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Cookbooks mentioned

Let's Get Lost

Recipes and stories for curious people who believe experiences are more important than things and who want more adventure. Served up by a full time nomad with a generous helping of humor and honesty, and a pinch of snark.

By Rebecca Blackwell

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I’ve been busy behind the scenes, and I’ve already booked two conversations with food writers. And we’re going to be recording later this month. I’m aiming to publish monthly, possibly fortnightly. And the first episode should be published at the end of September, early October.

So in the meantime, bye.

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Get more from Lynn Hill in the Substack app

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What do Recipe developers, food photographers, cookbook literary agents, food travel writers and restaurant reviewers have in common? A passion for writing about food.

Many things connect people, but nothing more than food. We write about it in different voices, some with romantic prose about taste, texture, and aroma. Others centre their writing around food location, variety and origins. Others stay closer to home and write about locally grown produce, and publish recipes they have developed.

Who Writes What

In this new section of FoodStak - ‘Who Writes What’, I will be having conversations with food writers of all kinds. We will discuss what drives them forward, and the impact and influence they have on others. Where did their passion for writing come from? Who and what were their earliest influences?

Food Writers on Substack

Below are just a few amazing writers on Substack. Each one has their own writing style and connection with food.

(Let’s Get Lost) - ‘a recipe developer, food photographer, passionate people watcher, and chaser of new experiences.’ I write recipes and stories for curious people who believe experiences are more important than things and who want more adventure.

( Smashed ) - ‘a freelance writer and author specialising in food, drink and travel. I've been writing about restaurants and chefs for the national press for over two decades.

( Abundance ) - ‘a writer, cook, gardener, walker and photographer.’ I write about life, mostly through food and everything connected with it. I’ve written over a dozen books, winning 14 writing and 4 photography awards, including Food Book of the Year twice, and Garden Book of the Year twice.

( Not So Secret Agent )- A senior literary agent ‘I share my opinions on the publishing industry, with a specific focus on the nuances of cookbook publishing.’

With a wealth of food writers on Substack, it’s not hard to find a favourite writer. But what goes on beneath the surface of recipe testing, restaurant reviews, publishing cookbooks and articles?

I intend to find out and share these conversations with you.

Leave a comment

Hit reply or leave a comment with the name of a food writer who has influenced the way you cook or write about food. Did their passion for food writing encourage you to create your own publication and even publish a cookbook?

Until the next time.

Lynn H.

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Who Writes What looks beneath the surface of recipes, cookbooks, and restaurant reviews. It explores the obsession required to write about food.

Writing for a community is different from writing for search engines. It can be poetic and descriptive, but this can be stripped away when writing for SEO (Search Engine Optimisation).

AI has its place in the world, but it cannot taste a juicy ripe apple from the orchard, or tart Rhubarb plucked from underneath a terracotta forcing pot.