though i'm not quite sure what my dream job is, i definitely look at kim severson's from time to time and imagine how wonderful it must be.

i had the great luck of meeting kim when i was just starting out as a cook. i'd just graduated from school, was editing the daily cal for the summer, and thought what i wanted was to be a newspaper food writer. she was working at the chronicle, and was very generous with her time and insight. she offered me a lot of help, which i didn't take. i sometimes wonder where i'd be now if i had gone down that path.

after she broke the trans-fat stories and entered the national spotlight, she moved to the ny times and now writes the kind of stories i look for first every tuesday night when i dorkily read the food section before i go to bed. she writes about people first, and food second. about culture and relationships to food, about history and tradition, and all with a sense of humor.

i totes look up to her, and i recommend her stories to everyone. check her out...