Eve's story reminds us how easily we can find ourselves getting in the way of our own dreams. But trying to adjust your attitude and 'think positively!' when you're out of work, or up against any obstacle at all, really, is easier said than done. What does help is to hear from someone who faced her fears and overcame them, and because the worst part about inspiration is that it wears off eventually, we'll be here next week (and the week after), too.

When did you know that you wanted to work in food?

I learned the joys of food during my college semester abroad in Barcelona.  Spain has a spectacular culinary culture, but on a student budget I found myself eating mostly bocadillos of jamón or manchego.  I was lucky to have roommates from around the world (Tunisia, Venezuela, England) who loved to cook and wonderful friends who loved to eat.  I began hosting dinners, each night learning to cook something new: Thai green curry, paella, kugel, tacos.  It was then that I realized the joy of cooking and eating with friends, along with the varieties and techniques of world cuisines.  It was also a great lesson in the globalization and connecting powers of food - my Venezuelan roommate taught me how to make sushi.

Still, it wasn't until an internship at an expat newspaper in Buenos Aires that I really fell in love with food writing.  Receiving assignments for restaurant reviews and cooking class reviews, I soon realized the profound connection between a culture's food and its values, traditions and environment.

How did you get your current good food job?

I've had various food writing jobs: an expat paper in Buenos Aires, NPR's Kitchen Window, CityEats New York, and editing the online food magazine "The Inquisitive Eater: New School Food." Each job was achieved through persistence.  The biggest advice I can give for anyone wanting to break into food writing, or any writing for that matter, is to do just that - write and submit your work.  Don't be afraid of rejection and always follow up on a lead.  I was lucky enough to speak with the editor of Kitchen Window (disclaimer: an old friend of my mother's) at an event soon after my return from Argentina.  I told her about my new-found love of food writing.  She nonchalantly told me to send her something I'd written.  While my family insisted she was just being nice in the moment, I went home, researched and completed an article, photos, recipes and all (in the style of KW) and sent it to her.  She didn't take the article I wrote but told me I clearly understood the purpose and point-of-view of Kitchen Window and gave me a proper assignment.  It's been two and a half years since then and I'm still contributing regularly to the column and she's been a fantastic mentor along the way.

How did your previous work or life experience prepare you for a good food job?

I worked in restaurants through high school, college and post-college as a hostess or waitress, providing me with great insight into the restaurant world and inner workings of hospitality service.  In college I studied psychology, and while my focus was far from food, it stoked my interest in research and helped me learn the skills of gathering information and translating it into a comprehensive work.  I've also taken the time to travel: Europe, South America, Central America, Southeast Asia, opening my eyes to new ways of cooking and celebrating food.  Today, I enjoy researching the history of food, ways of cooking and interviewing and learning from others.

What was the greatest obstacle you had to overcome in pursuing your Good Food Job dream?

My dad is a writer and the biggest hurtle for me to overcome was admitting to myself that I too want to write.  I will never attempt to write legal thrillers, my father's specialty, but simply overcoming my fears of comparison or giving into what's expected was the biggest challenge to following my desired career.

What can you identify as the greatest opportunities in food right now?

With the proliferation of food blogs, I think there are plenty of opportunities for new, unique angles on the world of food.  Food is the new hot topic and people want to know everything there is to know about it.  That's a lot to write about!

If you could be compensated for your work with something other than money, what would it be?

A ticket and time to travel around the world.

Do you write about food? Share a link to your work here.