Ria, Tell us something about yourself.
To make it short, I
am a person who believes in quality over quantity. I am a severe case of OCD
and I repeat doing the same thing over and over again until I get it right.
Even though I love to cook and bake, there are so many kinds of food that you
will never see me eating!
When did your passion for baking and food begin? And what
was your inspiration to start your food blog?
I started cooking
from when I was 3 years old. Cooking and baking is in my blood. It’s the first
thing that I turn to when I am happy or sad. For me, food plays an important
role in creating memories. So, kitchen is my happiest place in our house.
I used to have a
recipe diary from when I was a little girl. Every recipe that would capture my
attention with its photographs or description would find a place in it.
Therefore it was natural for that diary to grow bulkier as the years went by.
My cousins and I would exchange recipe notes via emails and when my little
brother saw me frantically typing recipe after recipe, he asked me why I didn’t
start a food blog which would make things easier. The rest is history.
Have you taken any formal training in baking/cooking? And
do you experiment in baking and cooking?
I was trained under the watchful eyes of my
mother growing up. I experiment a LOT in my kitchen and almost all of them have
been delicious. Now, after all these years of cooking and baking, I can easily
figure out if a recipe is good or not by just reading through the ingredient
list and quantity. So disasters are very few.
Currently,I am a
student at Le Cordon Bleu specializing in Baking and Patisserie.
Your food photography definitely stands out. Have you had
any training in photography? Any tips in photography for fellow bloggers?
Thanks! No, I am a
self taught food photographer (if I can call myself that way!). I always shoot
in natural light and try to keep the props to a minimum so that the food is the
main focus.
Browse as many
websites as possible which focuses on food photography. See what they do to
bring their food to focus and then try to develop a style of your own. In a
photograph, food looks good in smaller quantities and on smaller plates/bowls.
What is the most gratifying aspect for blogging?
It is the network
that I’ve built over the past 7 years. I have readers all over the globe and I
am in constant touch with them. When they try out my recipes and write to me to
tell me about their experience, it’s immensely satisfying. It helps me realize
how wonderful it is to share something good with others.
Do you have any other passions apart from blogging and
photography?
Family, of course!
It is my first priority any day!
What are your future plans? Can we
expect a cook book?
Once I graduate, I
want to gain experience from working under experienced chefs and then maybe a
few years down the lane,when I am confident enough,I will start something on my
own. I don’t know if it’s going to be a bakery or a café .It will be something
that will give me enough freedom to take a vacation whenever I want to!
Cookbooks…hmmm. I
would love to write one but that needs a lot of dedication,focus and hardwork.
I don’t know if there will be one in my near future as I am literally drowning
in homework and test papers from school!
Here are some of her popular recipes and pictures... please click on the caption of each picture for the recipe
