Editor-in-Chief of ‘Food and Wine,’ Dana Cowin, Mastering Her Mistakes in Portland

Saturday, November 08, 2014

Amanda Benson, GoLocalPDX Contributor

Dana Cowin of Food and Wine Magazine, via Twitter

Dana Cowin, Editor-in-Chief of Food and Wine since 1995 has stayed on top of the latest food trends and has kept a loyal legion of readers through the economic crisis that hit magazines like Gourmet hard enough to knock them down. Now, she tackles a book that forces her to come clean about a dark secret she’s kept for more than 18 years: Dana Cowin, Editor and Chief of Food and Wine, didn’t know how to cook.

In her new book, “Mastering My Mistakes,” Cowin takes on recipes that previously gave her grief with the help of major chefs like Tom Colicchio, Thomas Keller, Alice Waters and Portland’s own Jenn Louis of Lincoln and Andy Ricker of Pok Pok.

With simple recipes along with helpful tips for any type of cook to live by, Cowin has created recipes that inspire and also challenge those of us who are afraid to even crack an egg.

Recently in town to promote the new book, GoLocalPDX spoke with Dana Cowin.

GoLocalPDX: I read in an interview that you, at one point, had no intention of writing a cookbook, especially a memoir-based work. You said a more likely effort would be a “party book.” What changed in wanting to publish this particular work? Was there a moment that made you realize how important this could be for some “scared-home-cooks”?

Dana Cowin: Having worked at “Food and Wine”, I felt like it would be such a missed opportunity if I didn’t learn how to cook. I decided to do this particular book in a backwards way. After taking on the role of Editor in Chief at “Food and Wine” I ended up taking a knife skills class at what is now ICE (Institute for Culinary Education), and people looked at me like “what are you doing here?” I decided then and there that

I don’t want to embarrass myself going to a culinary school – I swore I would not parade my lack of knowledge again. That was my feeling for the longest time. Then I had this idea of learning to cook with chefs whom I knew through the magazine and I thought that if I’m going to learn so much I wanted to share it. Once I decided it would be fun to share, I felt like it should be a book.

What are you really hoping this book gives its readers in the kitchen? Who’s your ideal reader?

I feel like [this book] has a broad audience. It’s good for a fearful cook - maybe they have tried a couple of things and they just feel so untalented. I’m hoping this book will entice those types of people back into the kitchen and take “the fear factor” out. For the everyday cook – this book would be fun for them and good to add to their repertoire.

The reason this book would be good for the advanced cook is because the chefs I feature give terrific insights into cooking. There are sections called “why didn’t I think of that?” where chefs take on the recipe and give different versions of it that you can try as well. The “bullseye readers” of this book are those who want to get food on the table.

What comes to mind when you think of Portland cuisine?

Well, I have a joke around the audience to change the cover of “Food and Wine” to “Portland Monthly”. We cover Portland more than we cover any other city in the entire country. There is so much creativity and passion in Portland, and I’m so excited to visit because I’ve never had those particular chefs’ food in their own town. We did a December issue with Salt and Straw that involved a collaborative cookie party. Gabe [Rucker] is working closely with “Food and Wine” on a section called Chef’s Club. I feel like we have deep connections to chefs in Portland and they are all family to me and to the magazine.

A lot of chefs cringe at the word “microwave,” but it is part of your “equipment primer” section – a large section. Is it time to forgive the microwave?

I really came away form this book believing in the microwave. It’s been wronged as just a way to pop popcorn. The chefs I worked with had so many smart ways to use the microwave, though. For instance I talk about using a microwave to help open oysters. The reason I even heard about this method is that I was trying to open an oyster using all the traditional tools at my disposal. This whole thing was being videotaped, and it proved to be embarrassing for me because they would just not pop for me. The way it was edited, it seemed like I struggled and failed but toward the end, the chef with whom I was working asked “is there a microwave?” It makes total sense because people will put shellfish on the grill or in the oven to pop them open – but I was stunned by the microwave.

I really like the inclusion of “trash cooking” in your recipes and utilizing food that we often throw away at home -- that restaurant kitchens hold onto for something they can use later. I call it “brunch.” Are you working on other “trash cooking” recipes or are you currently interested in a “trash ingredient” in particular that people often overlook?

Basically it pains me if people throw out good food and even good scraps. The French housewife, as a culture, has done more with this idea of finding use for everything and I thing we need to turn this around for us. Any type of top, like carrot tops or celery leaves have so much flavor, it’s fantastic! Chef René Redzepi does this so well – he’ll stuff and cook leek tops and present those like they are the prized part of the vegetable.

What is the best advice you can give to someone who is aspiring to be a cook?

I think that if you truly want to become a better cook, the best thing you can do is commit to cooking something new and different every week. Just be sure you actually are cooking. Give yourself a handicap, something that you know will take you a while to learn. That wantonness will make your food taste better. While you’re cooking, pay attention to what you’re doing and take notes. Though simple, those things will change your life.

"Mastering My Mistakes in the Kitchen," by Dana Cowin, is published by Ecco.

Amanda Benson received an MFA in nonfiction in California before heading to New York to study at the French Culinary Institute. She has worked in kitchens in both Brooklyn and Portland. She continues her education by eating and writing about food.