Inside the newsroom with Patricia Talorico

I started my News Journal career ‒ let’s just say it was when one of the George Bushes was president ‒ the way no one does anymore: I wrote obituaries.

“Short stories about life and death,” as my dear friend and fellow obit writer Katie Salvatore used to say.

It couldn’t have been a more accurate description.

At that time, obituaries were treated like news stories. We called the families and friends of the deceased person and interviewed them. To be frank, I hated the job and wanted out as soon as possible. But the process taught me about almost every town in Delaware and how to spell and pronounce it. (Houston, Delaware, is pronounced HOWS-TON, not HEWS-TON as one angry Kent Countian told me.)

I learned about companies, organizations, churches, schools, communities, hobbies and groups I had never heard about before. Perhaps most importantly, it taught me how to gently ask questions and listen in a kind, caring and empathetic manner when people are most vulnerable. It was invaluable training and has served me well over the last three decades.

Thankfully, I moved on to news and covered crime. My dream while at the University of Delaware studying journalism was to be like Edna Buchanan, a Pulitzer Prize-winning crime reporter for the Miami Herald. And, for a time, I got my chance. I froze outside of convicted murderer John du Pont’s house in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, in January 1996 while waiting for him to surrender to police after he shot Olympic wrestler Dave Schultz. I spent hours downing Wawa coffee to stay warm and had to borrow contact lens solution from a 6ABC reporter because the cold left my eyeballs red and scratchy. It’s not the glamorous life.

In recent years with my longtime colleague Esteban Parra, we have delved back into old murder cases including reexamining the case of Steven Pennell, Delaware’s only known serial killer, the death of former Gov. Carper’s secretary at the hands of Wilmington attorney Tom Capano, a strange cold case where a Bear man was poisoned with cyanide, and a sad tale of a Hockessin man who stabbed his parents to death, killed another person in California and became one of “America’s Most Wanted” criminals.

My career also has included writing stories about education, community news, political events and campaigns, business, city and county council meetings, and even sports. I wrote about so much development and zoning that I never wanted to write the words “area variance” ever again.

While at Delaware Online/The News Journal, I was “loaned” to our sister paper USA TODAY, and worked at its Washington, D.C., headquarters for several months. I was part of a team that covered the Academy Awards and the Grammys among other things. I’ve also freelanced for The Washington Post, Bon Appetit, Food Network magazines, and countless other publications.

But, the most satisfying part of my 35 years in Delaware journalism has been writing about its places, events and residents. I feel very fortunate to have had a front seat to history, although no one ever tells you that waiting for history to happen, usually with a scrum of other restless, caffeine-fueled reporters and photographers, can sometimes be very boring. Again, it’s not the glamorous life.

I was lucky to have some great role models and mentors who in their own way made me a better journalist and person.

Switching over to the food beat in the 1990s was perfect timing for me, not just because I’ve been a longtime, passionate cook and almost left journalism to go to culinary school in New York, but also because the Food Network and the entire food scene were just gaining national prominence.

New dining option: The revamped restaurant at Longwood Gardens offers great views, new menu and bar & lounge

Interviewing legendary best friends Julia Child and Jacques Pepin was a hoot, especially when Julia began asking me personal questions about my then-boyfriend. Even Jacques, a perfect gentleman, seemed surprised at how nosy Julia was being. I met Anthony Bourdain, who asked me to call him Tony when he wasn’t yet the TV superstar he would later become. We stayed in touch until he died in 2018.

Ina Garten, the “Barefoot Contessa,” and I hit it off after meeting in Wilmington and she asked me to interview her on stage three times including at the sold-out Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts in Philadelphia. I got my own dressing room that had my name on the door, a pretty good buffet before the show, and a fully stocked bar. Now, that was the glamorous life.

I’ve also been on the set of many TV cooking shows and talked to everyone from Rachael Ray and Martha Stewart to Emeril Lagasse and Bobby Flay. I’ve covered the James Beard Awards many times and was fortunate enough to have twice been nominated for Beard writing awards.

Talking to celebrities is fine, but I much prefer writing about our own food community in Delaware. Seeing the passion, dedication, and hard work of the state’s hospitality industry, especially during the scary times of the pandemic, has made a lasting impact.

Flashback: Delaware Restaurant Association honors reporter Patricia Talorico for impact on industry

It’s an honor to shine a spotlight on the industry, operators, and workforce that make up Delaware’s remarkable culinary scene. You can subscribe and read my weekly Delaware Eats newsletter and feel free to drop me a line anytime at [email protected] if you have an idea or want to comment on a story or life in general.

As always, thanks for reading, and please continue supporting local journalism.

Patricia Talorico writes about food and restaurants. You can find her on Instagram, X, and Facebook. Email  [email protected]. Sign up for her  Delaware Eats newsletter.

This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Sharing Delaware stories is highlight of distinguished journalism career