Brunch of Writers event moves online
There will be a few side benefits to this year's version of Litfest's Brunch of Writers.
The traditional Sunday afternoon capper to the non-fiction festival usually takes place at a larger venue, adding yummy brunch items and beverages to readings by prominent authors. Health concerns trump tradition, however.
With COVID-19 nudging the get-together into virtual space, this means that not only will the four participants be beaming in from their various kitchens, they'll also be opening themselves up for potential sitcom-style surprises.
“I have neighbours that walk into the house all the time,” says writer and moderator Jennifer Cockrall-king with a chuckle, from her home in the Okanagan.
“So there's about a 50-50 chance that one of them will show up not knowing that I'm doing an online event.”
Cockrall-king, who recently paired up with chef Shane Chartrand on his 2019 cookbook, Tawâw: Progressive Indigenous Cuisine, said she is happy to be participating in the pandemic edition of Brunch of Writers.
The award-winning food writer notes that a certain intimacy can be achieved via the internet that can't be replicated in a larger space. Plus, given the ways in which we've all been kept separate, Cockrall-king says that food is one of the few topics that invariably brings us together.
“It's universal,” she says, “and everybody has an opinion or angle on food. It's very emotional and nobody ever gets bored talking about it. It'll be fun learning about food from Argentina and the Philippines, and finding out what it means to people from those backgrounds.”
Chef Mary Berg agrees.
The author, Masterchef Season 3 winner, and host of Mary's Kitchen Crush acknowledges a lifelong love for learning as much as she can on the topic of food. The former insurance broker, who decided to hop careers midstream at the behest of her family, is excited to be sharing tips of the trade and recipes with her fellow foodies, and sharing stories with the audience. She's also happy to bring in the philosophy that suffuses her first cookbook, Kitchen Party: Effortless Recipes for Every Occasion.
“I'm someone who thinks that every good party begins in the kitchen,” says Berg, calling in from her cabin while waiting out a planned power outage that has her and her husband sitting in the dark. “That's the vibe for the virtual brunch. While we're not all going to be in the same room together there is a silver lining to all of this in that the virtual event expands on the borders of who can attend. It doesn't matter whether you're in Edmonton or Toronto or wherever, anyone can join in from anywhere.”
That also means that anyone can join along in preparing brunch with the participants; Berg's offering will be a version of her famous Dutch Baby pancakes.
“They're in my book,” she notes. “They're tasty, easy to make, and they come out of the oven looking magical. Hopefully people can cook along so it isn't just me showing off my Dutch Baby.”