It's getting better, but food journalism still has a pervasive race and class problem. I would tell my younger self that it's OK not to fit the mold of what might seem like a traditional food critic. My family didn't travel much and we very rarely ate out. So the advice I would give to my younger self is the same advice I would give to any insecure kid with big dreams but maybe no conventional pedigree: Speak up. You have a point of view and it needs to be heard.

Source: Los Angeles Times January 10, 2019 12:00 UTC