Rebecca Morris writes: “I’ve always loved to travel, but it wasn’t until my CIA (Culinary Institute of America) trip to Spain that I realized just how well food, wine, and the people that produce it can tell the story of a region.”

When my partner accepted a job in Australia, I barely hesitated to sell my car, leave my stable job as a recipe developer at America’s Test Kitchen in Boston, and head down under. Crazy? Not quite, just wanderlust.

I’ve been living in Sydney for two months now, and am happy to report that their advertising campaign is right: There really is nothing like Australia! In terms of the wide variety of food and wine, Australia goes way beyond the meat pie and the Vegemite. Take for instance the macadamia nuts that crunch and melt in your mouth, or the sensuous black truffles as big as your fist, or the rebel wine makers that are breaking all the stodgy ‘old world’ rules (and becoming wildly successful). There’s no way around it, Australia is primed to be the next destination on the bucket list of every food-loving traveler around the world.

At the moment, I’m in the running for an exciting food job in Australia that would allow me to stay for another six months. It is called, “One of the Best Jobs in the World” and is being promoted on by Tourism Australia.

When I heard of this opportunity, I had a gut feeling I should apply. I want to be a food writer and if I want to tell the story of a region through food, there is truly no better place to start than Australia because there is still so much to be discovered.

I put together a 30 second video highlighting my accomplishments and why I am qualified for the job of “Taste Master.” If hired, the job would involve going all over Western Australia (WA), eating, drinking, and foraging for the very best that their territory has to offer.

My goal at first was to just make it to the top 25, as there were over 45,000 applicants from all over the world applying for the same position as I was. Well, what do you know? I made the cut, and am now charging full speed ahead for the shot at being an ambassador to all things tasty in WA.

My next challenge will be to gain support on my social media sites until they narrow it down to the final three contestants on May 15th. You can keep up to date on my application, and read about what I’ve been up to in Sydney, on my travel blog, lucky country diaries.

A Personal Note: Rebecca, I am happy to be among the many voices who are singing your praises and hoping, hoping, hoping you win…Oh, I forgot…You are already a winner in my book!

A culinary student recently asked me to look at a cover letter he was about to send for an extern job he wanted more than anything in the world.

Before he showed me the letter, he spoke of his grandfather’s small farm. He described the excitement of getting outside after the long winter and planting new seeds. He described how he felt the earth between his fingers. His face glowed as he spoke of the first green shoots peeking through the soil, the flowering of the fruit trees, the gathering of vegetables, cooking dinner using the foods he had grown and picked.

He beamed.

He asked me to look at the cover letter he had written to the owner of a famous farm-to-table restaurant.

He had addressed the letter: “To Whom It May Concern”. (This is a term usually reserved for the lost luggage department of an airline.)

The letter was beautifully composed.

Textbook perfect.

Boring!

I despaired and hesitated…a little longer.

And hesitated more.

“May I suggest?” I finally suggested to him…”that you tear this up and write a new letter using exactly the same words you have just spoken.”

He had the courage to try this approach.

Less than a week later, he got the job! I don’t know whether he or I was the happier!

Irish Clog

I just met an Irish clog dancer. She dances competitively and loves it — or did love it until she decided she had to earn a living and enrolled in professional culinary school.

There she has to hop, skip and jump her way through her courses. But, her dancing has fallen by the wayside.

Now, she is two weeks away from graduation — and confused. She needs a food job.

She “confesses” all she truly wants to do is have a lot of children — and dance!

Thus.

Her new plan is to learn how to manage a bed & breakfast with a view to owning her own business.

The Woman Who Lived In a Shoe

Her soon-to-be-born children will live with her just like The Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe.  She will establish herself in her community by offering dancing classes.

This will surely be a far, far better thing than working as a line-cook in a hot kitchen.

Bed & Breakfast business owners may also offer picnic baskets for their guests during the day, and in the early evening, cocktails with hors d’oeuvres or even pastries and a dessert wine at the end of the day.

A bed & breakfast need not be all about beds and breakfasts.