About the Author
Nicole Gulotta is a grantmaker by day and gourmet home cook by night. She received an MFA in creative writing from Vermont College of Fine Arts and a BA from the University of California, Santa Barbara. In 2011, she founded The Giving Table, a website that helps people change the food system through personal philanthropy. She is based in Los Angeles, where she lives with her husband and French bulldog. [photo by Hugh Forte]
A Literary Food Blog
Eat This Poem brings poetry to the table.
Don't be polite.
Bite in.
Pick it up with your fingers and lick the juice that
may run down your chin.
-from "How to Eat a Poem" by Eve Merriam
The Story of Eat This Poem
When I graduated with an MFA in poetry in 2007, I wasted no time visiting the nearest Williams-Sonoma to purchase a dune-colored Le Creuset Dutch oven with the graduation money I received from my parents. I didn't recognize the significance at the time, but food was beginning to emerge as a driving force in my life. I soon launched the food blog Cooking After Five, and wrote it for almost four years before poetry tugged on my spirit again. (If you're searching for an old CAF recipe, the site is still accessible through my archives.)
In just a few lines, poetry can illuminate the seemingly small and insignificant moments in our lives and remind us that all the little things matter. I invite you to join me as we explore how literature can be interpreted from page to plate, and inspire our palates along the way.
*All recipes are my own unless otherwise noted.
email: nicolecooks (at) gmail (dot) com
*
News & Accolades
"Her focused analysis of the poems (in the way that only a creative writing grad can do) and careful consideration of the recipes to follow is inspiring." —Gather Journal, Eat This Poem (1/8/13)
"Gulotta’s blog is striking in an unfussy way — quaint, like reading poetry from hardbound books while sipping tea."—Arizona Daily Wildcat, "Eat This Poem creator mixes wordplay with food play" (10/1/12)
"The poem now lives on and off the page." —Food & Think Blog, Smithsonian Magazine, "From the Page to Plate: Bringing Literary Dishes to Life" (8/20/12)
"She is at her best, and the connections most interesting, when she is inspired by a poem that contains a direct reference to a foodstuff." —Food As Art, The Guardian (8/3/12)
"Nicole serves up poetic analysis, personal anecdotes, and some killer recipes." —"Two Blogs for Chefs and Poets Alike," Poetry Foundation Blog (7/6/12)
"With insightful and eloquent posts, a well-curated selection of poetry, and delicious original recipes, we are thoroughly taken with her unique approach to food blogging." —Saveur, Sites We Love (7/5/12)
"We're happy to introduce you to a fabulous food blogger..." —Alimentum Journal, Food Blog Favs (7/1/12)
"Eat This Poem is written by Nicole Gulotta who has an MFA in poetry enabling her to marry beautiful words with delicious food." —Christian Science Monitor, Stir it Up! (6/28/12)
"So far the blog is very new, but it's already charmed its way into my heart." —The Kitchn, Food Blog Spotlight: Eat This Poem (2/1/12)
Publicatons & Guest Posts
Life & Thyme, Guest Post: Prosciutto + Basil Pizza Plus a Poem (5/3/13)
Turntable Kitchen, Guest Post: "A Haiku + Baby Chard, White Bean and Anchovy Crostini" (3/4/13)
The Food Poet, Guest Post: "On Leaving the Bachelorette Brunch by Rachel Wetzsteon and Sesame Crackers with Smoked Salmona and Chive Creme Fraiche," (2/25/13)
Good Food Stories, "(Wood) Fired Up for Lunch at Oakland's Camino" (2/4/13)
Jama's Alphabet Soup, Guest Post (1/25/13)
Christian Science Monitor: "Ripe for a Bagel Spread," (online and print editions; 4/12/12)
Remedy Quarterly, "The Global Table," (Issue 5, 2011)
Real Simple Simply Stated blog (11/5/10), Contributor
Migration published by Iowa State University Press/ Winner, flyway: Journal of Writing and Environment chapbook contest (2009)
Winner, California Writer's Club poetry contest for "La Jolla" (2008)
*Poetry published in The Allegheny Review, The Portland Review, Georgetown Review, Journal of Ekphrasis, The Birmingham Review, Natural Bridge, and Spectrum, among others.
Features
"Spring Reads," Kinfolk Magazine Blog (5/10/13)
X City Life (3/20/13)
My Best Friend's Recipe: Lentil Stew, ArchetypeMe (2/15/13)
Ingredient of the Week: Butternut Squash, O Canada (1/15/13)