Food bloggers unplugged!

I was very excited to learn today that I've been tagged by Anne at Anne's Kitchen, to take part in the Food Bloggers Unplugged series that's going on at the moment.

Apparently the whole thing was started by Susan at A Little Bit of Heaven on a Plate and it's just a bit of fun that will colour in a little of each blogger's character.  (Although if you haven't worked my character out by now, I've not been trying hard enough!).  So here you have my ten questions, duly answered - and the five bloggers who I've tagged in return.  Do go and have a look at their blogs if you don't know them already, as they're all well worth the visit.


What, or who, inspired you to start a blog? 

I was writing an "everyday" kind of blog over on Multiply and as a matter of course, recipes that worked well for me I just wanted to pass on so that others could enjoy them too.  So I began including them.  Fairly soon, the majority of the blog was beginning to be recipes and I began to consider putting them all together somewhere that they'd be easier to retrieve, and somewhere that they'd be able to be more widely publicised.  Hence, Jenny Eatwell's Rhubarb & Ginger was born!

Who is your foodie inspiration?

Now this is an incredibly difficult one for me to answer.  Well, to give one name, anyway!  You see, my Mum has always been known as a great cook and of course, I did the usual thing of learning at my Mum's knee - as she had done with her Mum (who was known for her shortcrust pastry, which has yet to be bettered in the family).  However, I spent a number of years being totally sidetracked from food, when I dedicated my every waking hour to my horses.  Since my last horse died and I became a Mum (which was all within 3 years) I moved - of necessity, at first - back towards food as I was required to feed the family.  Since I've been cooking more seriously, I have absorbed every inspiration at every turn.  

Your greasiest, batter - splattered food/drink book is? 

There are two, which I have to say are too precious to become greasy or food stained, but are the two to which I turn most frequently when looking for inspiration.  They are "The Cook Book" and "Plenty" both by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi.

Tell us all about the best thing you have ever eaten in another country, where was it, what was it?  

Having not been abroad for years, this answer takes me back to childhood and memories of travelling from either Munster or Berlin in Germany back to the U.K. for holidays, during the period my Dad was in the Army.  We would always aim to stop overnight at Aachen in order to break up the journey and I can vividly recall looking forward to my dinner that night of Bockwurst und Kartoffelsalat.  Simply put, it's just a German sausage with potato salad - but I've not been able to reproduce either of them satisfactorily, in this country.  I'll just have to go back to Germany, I suppose! 

Another food bloggers table you'd like to eat at is? 

Oh heck, now you're asking an impossible question!  There are so many!  There's Anne's Kitchen (of course!), Thibeault's Table, Food Urchin, The WW Foodie, Adora's Box, Sudden Lunch! and far too many that I've not mentioned here.  However, if you were to tie me down and threaten to never let me have a boiled egg and soldiers ever again if I didn't come up with one name, I'd probably have to cough up and say Karen's "Lavender and Lovage".

 

What is the one kitchen gadget you would ask Santa for this year (money no object of course)? 

That's easy.  A dishwasher - to save my poor hubby's hands!

Who taught you how to cook? 

Well, I learned the basics at my Mum's knee as I said previously.  I also did Home Economics at school, although it didn't do me much good - as I can clearly recall making a hideous Greek Lemon Soup and also blowing up the oven with a militant Gingerbread recipe.  In later years, I'd say I've taught myself through the trial and error method.  It's only a wonder that the family are still here, when I think back to some of my earlier efforts!
 
I'm coming to you for dinner what's your signature dish? 

Hmmmn, well that's a tricky one too - as an awful lot of the recipes I make I've only done the once, so as to keep the blog ticking over.  However, if I think back to the dish that I've made the most over the years - right from when I left home, up to nowadays - it has to be Kedgeree.  Although, having said that, hubby would reckon the Ottolenghi Fennel, Cherry Tomato & Crumble Gratin or the Beetroot & Chocolate Cake might take the honours!


What is your guilty food pleasure?

Anything involving lashings of farmhouse butter on fresh white bread.  Oh, now you've done it - I'd been trying not to think about things like that!

15 yrs ago in my office at Hampton Court!

Reveal something about yourself that others would be surprised to learn? 

I used to live on a Houseboat, moored at Kingston Upon Thames - and got deeply involved in the appeal to keep the houseboats in Kingston.

Or maybe that I used to show my ponies to County level, our best result being with Kellie of Whitefield when she took the reserve Champion Mountain & Moorland Pony at the South of England Show.

Or maybe that I used to ride a motorbike for years, right up until my 250cc Kawasaki was stolen and I made the transition to cars.

Or perhaps that I used to work as a Personal Assistant for the Commercial Director of Historic Royal Palaces at Hampton Court Palace & The Tower of London.

I don't know - there are so many to choose from!


Okay, so here's the five I've tagged to respond (although it's perfectly fine if you don't want to join in - I know it's a busy time of year!) :

Karen at Lavender & Lovage : http://lavenderandlovage.blogspot.com/
Paula at Sweethart's Cakes and Bakes : http://www.sweethartscakesandbakes.com/
Seren at The WW Foodie : http://thewwfoodie.blogspot.com/
Jo at Comfort Bites : http://comfortbites.blogspot.com/
Working London Mummy : http://www.workinglondonmummy.com/