The Tasty and Fun Perks of Being a Writer

As a writer and editor with a penchant for local flavor—food and otherwise—fun opportunities to explore the Bay Area and taste what’s cooking come my way. Sometimes I get insider access for “research” purposes, and other times, I get to partake in my clients’ generous appreciation events. Last month all these things converged, prompting me to reflect on how extraordinary my job is because of the people I meet and their acceptance of me in their world, even if just for a few hours.

I never dreamt I’d get to do a luxury cake tasting session, especially since no significant cake-worthy events are on the way in my life. But PUNCH Magazine assigned me to write an article about Jamie Cake SF’s sculpted designer cakes. I met with Creative Designer Jamie Li, cake making extraordinaire, in her Bay Meadows neighborhood, where she had a gorgeous spread of cake slices ready for me to taste. She walked me through each bite: cake, filling and topping flavor. I got my first taste of gold flake and a forkful of moist vanilla cake with tangy mango-coconut filling.

My newsletter client, ProActive Network Consulting, surprised me by inviting me to their 25^th-anniversary celebration aboard the Empress Yacht for a San Francisco Bay cruise. I got to bring my hubby along, and we enjoyed a different perspective of San Francisco’s skyline from the Bay. ProActive, a family-owned business, has built many strong and enduring relationships with San Francisco Financial District firms. As I chatted with other guests, I found that the appreciation ProActive has for its clients is wholeheartedly reciprocated.

And my new blog client Devour Tours took me on a culinary tour through San Francisco’s North Beach and Chinatown neighborhoods. I participated in the tour’s test run and did my best to pay attention to all the details, especially the flavors. My tour guide knew how to find fresh neighborhood-made focaccia bread after it sells out at the bakery, and she showed us how to experience tourist hot spots and the delicacies hidden within neighborhoods. I tasted everything from dim sum to cioppino, and it was all delicious.