Food Writing: Crafting Culinary Essays, Reviews, and Cookbooks

Food Writing: Crafting Culinary Essays, Reviews, and Cookbooks is an original Mai Studies programme in food history, literature & media. Over 4 weeks and roughly 20 guided hours you work through recorded classes, written notes, practical activities, knowledge checks and assessed tasks marked against a published rubric with an 80% pass mark. All material is written in-house. Mai Studies is independent: no official examination content, question bank, recording or branding from any certification body is reproduced, and completion leads to a Mai Studies completion certificate rather than a regulated or accredited qualification.

4 weeks 20 guided hours Intermediate

Join membership to study

Included with Mai Studies membership at no extra cost. Fee waivers are available through scholarships and open access.

Food Writing: Crafting Culinary Essays, Reviews, and Cookbooks course artwork

What you will achieve

Explain the core principles of food writing: crafting culinary essays, reviews, and cookbooks in plain language
Apply the methods safely and correctly to realistic scenarios
Produce a documented portfolio piece assessed against a published rubric
Plan your next steps in food writing, reviewing and cookbook craft

Entry guidance

— Comfortable with beginner-level food writing, reviewing and cookbook craft
— Willingness to complete weekly practical work

Original Mai Studies learning material. This is a professional completion programme, not a regulated qualification or university accreditation.

Programme syllabus

3 applied modules

Lessons: 6
Assessed tasks: 3
Practice questions: 4
Timed mock papers: 0

Foundations of Food Writing: Crafting Culinary Essays, Reviews, and Cookbooks

Core concepts, vocabulary and working environment for food writing: crafting culinary essays, reviews, and cookbooks.

2 lessons · 1 practice questions · 1 assessed task

1. What food writing: crafting culinary essays, reviews, and cookbooks really involves21 min study · 3 learning objectives · practical activity
A grounded tour of the problems this intermediate programme solves and the language practitioners use.
2. Setting up your working environment21 min study · 3 learning objectives · practical activity
Prepare the tools, accounts and folder structure you will use throughout the programme.

Foundations of Food Writing: Crafting Culinary Essays, Reviews, and Cookbooks: assessed task — marked out of 100, pass at 80%

Applied practice in Food Writing: Crafting Culinary Essays, Reviews, and Cookbooks

Hands-on work that turns theory into a repeatable method for food writing, reviewing and cookbook craft.

2 lessons · 1 practice questions · 1 assessed task

1. Working through a realistic scenario21 min study · 3 learning objectives · practical activity
Follow a complete worked example end to end, explaining each decision as you go.
2. Common mistakes and how to avoid them21 min study · 3 learning objectives · practical activity
The errors that cost practitioners most time, and the checks that catch them early.

Applied practice in Food Writing: Crafting Culinary Essays, Reviews, and Cookbooks: assessed task — marked out of 100, pass at 80%

Portfolio project, assessment and next steps

Produce assessed evidence of your capability and plan the study that follows this programme.

2 lessons · 2 practice questions · 1 assessed task

1. Building your portfolio piece21 min study · 3 learning objectives · practical activity
Plan, build and document a piece of work you can show to an employer or client.
2. Where to go next21 min study · 3 learning objectives · practical activity
Honest guidance on further study, practice habits and how this fits a wider career path.

Portfolio project, assessment and next steps: assessed task — marked out of 100, pass at 80%

Lesson pages, assessed tasks and mock papers open the moment you join this programme. Teaching material is studied online; the notes you write are yours to download.

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