Why did you start this blog?
I was at a crossroads in my life where, besides my son turning out the way I hoped that he would, nothing was going how I had planned it. I was quite demoralized and (mostly) trying not to feel sorry for myself. I needed to find a job. I had written a novel and had no idea how to find an agent. There was no money for any kind of external social life and I felt completely isolated from friends and family.
Strangely enough, I initially started this blog in order to process what I was feeling and ended up mostly documenting what I was cooking instead, admittedly with the occasional whine about something. Basically it was meant to be an emotional outlet but ended up being a creative one.
Plus, it will also serve as a cookbook for my son when he is off cooking for himself one day!
What is your food background?
I have been cooking since I was tiny, both with my grandmother and my mother.
I have eaten my way around the world, from 3 Michelin star churches-of-high-gastronomy to hole-in-the wall places off the beaten track.
I have worked in restaurant HR, operations and administration which, along with giving me a profound respect for how hard cooks work, made me realize that an amateur who knew a lot about a lot of different cuisines had something to offer alongside most professionals, who knew a lot about only one.
On a professional level, I have catered dinner parties, cocktail parties, art openings, filled people’s freezers with meals for the week and gotten paid for it and – of course – cook practically every single day of my life for my son.
Since you seem to cook such a wide assortment of things, are there food items or cuisines that that you really dislike?
Anything to do with olives. Except for olive oil, with which I strangely have no problem at all, and kitchen items made out of olive wood, which I find really beautiful.
Uni (sea urchins). Kidneys. Smoked oysters (I like fresh). It’s a textural thing. And I find the associated smells disgusting.
In-and-Out-Burger. IMHO the most overrated, boring hamburger chain in the history of the burger. And their fries are just plain bad.
Red Velvet anything. It’s just a lot of toxic red dye added to a perfectly good recipe, folks. I don’t get it.
Oaked Chardonnay (AKA 99% of the Chardonnay served in the US). I think of it as the Devil’s brew and do not drink it. Ever.
Molecular gastronomy. Not a fan. I was lucky enough to go to El Bulli when it was still open and, while I could appreciate the surroundings and the technical prowess of the chefs and the imagination that went into the beautifully plated food, the whole experience made me profoundly cross. In fact, I was so cross during the meal that I practically vibrated - much to my dinner companions’ enjoyment. I kept on thinking of the children’s story “The Emperor’s New Clothes”.
Other than that I appreciate most food related things. And will always go the extra mile for good Chinese food, especially dim sum, particularly if it is served from carts pushed by cranky "Aunties".
Your recipes don’t always give a portion size.
Unless otherwise indicated, all recipes are for 4 servings. Occasionally for 4 portions and lunch for me but I usually state that pretty clearly, sometimes including ways to transform that portion of leftovers. Another given (in passing) is that butter, when used, is always unsalted.
Your recipes don’t always give a link to an inspiration recipe.
Recipes that have no link to another recipe are original recipes that I have come up with on my own (in as much as that is possible since cooking is such a communal experience).
Why do you only have one (not particularly professional) photo per blog post?
I know that the fashion is to document each step of a recipe with a myriad of useless photos of the raw ingredients, along with stream of consciousness bubbly prose and then to show a perfectly styled final product but I find that really annoying. When I look for recipes online I just want the recipe, I don’t want all the bells and whistles that seem to come with it though I admit I do get a bit chatty in some posts!
Also, I am actually cooking the food in question for L. and me to eat so we want to dig in. That explains why sometimes there is no photo and just an image of a blackboard with the word recipe written on it - we were particularly hungry or the food smelled really delicious and we just served up and went with it, forgetting to document it first. Or, on occasion, it tasted good but looked like a dog's dinner and I decided not to share an image only a recipe.
Last, but certainly not least, I call BS on all the artsy photos that so many lifestyle bloggers “curate” for their readers. Perfectly styled casseroles carefully placed on “patinaed” wooden farm house tables with cutesy wine stains artfully dotted here and there, fluffy scones displayed on an artistically crumpled tea towel or cakes surrounded by carefully placed ingredients or “randomly” (hah!) strewn flower petals – I think it’s all a bit ridiculous. Family food should (of course) be as visually attractive as you can make it within your skill-set but the surrounding hoopla is too much and I would rather my recipe spoke for itself. Michelin dining is a different ball game. I semi-jokingly call my site an “anti-lifestyle” blog even if it is for Home Gourmands.
Long story short: I snap a few different shots with my cellphone's camera, pick the best one and then post it - no edits, no filters.
Why the difference between a regular recipe and a “Bonus Recipe” in various blog posts? What's that about?
Since my blog revolves around my weekly menu posts, a “recipe” is a dish that comes directly from a weekly menu and I post it as such with no fanfare, just the title of the dish in the blog post. A “bonus recipe” is something that I have made that did not feature in the weekly menu but that was too delicious not to share. A “requested recipe” also occurs from time to time - this is something that I have made in the past (so can stand behind as to how good it is) but that a friend or subscriber has specifically asked me for and that I have shared with all readers because, if I am going to go to the trouble to type it up, it might as well be useful for everyone!
Why do some recipes have a clock emoji (⏰) in front of their title and others don't? What's with the repeat emoji (🔁)?
The clock emoji indicates that this is a 20-Minute-Challenge recipe; something that you can get from kitchen to table in under 20 minutes; perfect for those nights when you are tired but still want good food. The repeat emoji means that I have caved into L.'s needs and am making a recipe that I have made and posted before again.