Lessons from Chicago's Hungry Hound

Food reporter Steve Dolinsky, also known as Chicago's Hungry Hound, shared some of his knowledge and experience with our class this past Monday. We are a lucky bunch because he was as honest as he was knowledgeable about the job. Here are the five takeaways from what he had to say.

1. "IF YOU WANT TO GET INTO FOOD WRITING, YOU GOTTA TRAVEL AND YOU GOTTA EAT A LOT."

Growing up in a Kosher household, Dolinsky had lots of food to taste once he left the nest. When he says you should travel lots and eat what different cultures have to offer, he doesn't mean going uptown and all around your city. He suggests going where the foods are from originally during your vacations to learn about them in depth. It's the only way to know if what you taste later is the real deal.

2. "HERE'S WHAT I DO, I KNOW FOOD BETTER THAN ANYONE ELSE IN TOWN..."

A younger Hungry Hound worked as a broadcast news reporter and took the skills he learned on that job to become the multimedia journalist he is today. He's never had an agent so he has had to learn to get the job by showing employers what he has to offer and why they should hire him. Back when food journalism was just taking off, Dolinsky would call television producers and invite them to lunch where he'd talk to them about his television and food reporting skills. It worked!

3. "I DON'T SPEAK KOREAN, I SPEAK KOREAN FOOD."

The learning never ends. Thanks to the different foods he's tried, Dolinsky has been able to communicate with people through their culture and their food, which is very gratifying to him. Exploring authentic cuisines where they're born like in Korea, for example, has been the ultimate education for him as a food journalist.

4. "HOW CAN I MAKE THIS INTERESTING TO SOMEONE SITTING AT HOME..."

When you produce stories and think about ideas that will resonate with people, you have to think about your audience. What would they find interesting about this dish or this way of cooking? Those ideas should be the driving force behind your stories in order for people to care about what you have to say.

5. "SEVENTY PERCENT OF THE PLACES I GO TO, I DON'T COVER."

Dolinsky was sure to point out that just because a publicist is being paid to promote a restaurant, doesn't mean the place is worth featuring. Food journalists are still journalists, and the job requires just as much legwork. You should go to the places and try them out for yourself. Don't let others tell you about it, have a voice of your own.

6. "TAKE SOMEONE SOMEWHERE."

You can know you've written delectable prose when it speaks in detail about an experience. It should be very descriptive and evocative of flavor. Read, read, read and learn the expression for specific flavors so you can write about them whenever they come up in a dish.

*Bonus tip*

Make sure you exercise frequently and drink lots of water to stay healthy. You want to taste and eat lots of delicious dishes but you also need to keep an eye on your waistline.

Click here to see Dolinsky's work.