Food For Thought

When food lovers and cooks alike find Half Hour Meals, we also find them. The other day I discovered a brand new member and her web site, Delishhh. She hails all the way from the west coast, in Seattle Washington and she is passionate about blogging and food. As I looked about her blog I noticed the nice way she had it sectioned off for her food, recipe index and restaurant reviews. She claims the blog was started as an experiment but she has mixed together the correct ingredients and delivered an excellent blog. Her name is Ewa pronounced Eva and here she is right now.

Please share with us how you developed your writing style. Did you have a difficult time creating your site or did everything fall into place as soon as you started posting your recipes?

I had so much information I wanted to share at the same time, but I know a food blog is a work in progress. I started with the recipes that I was cooking for the week.  Then I began digging into my unorganized cookbook with lots of handwritten notes, newspaper clippings and old printouts.  I wondered how I was going to organize this mess and just thought if I get through the binder one recipe at time it will all fall into place.

Your quiche looks marvelous, do you make any variations of this recipe and if so, what else do you add in the mix?

This is my Quiche at its best.  I have tried all kinds of Quiche recipes over the years and everyone seems to rave about this one. I think I found the secret ingredient–Dyson mustard, which you bake on top of your crust before you put in the egg mixture.  I always have meat and a vegetable; so those could vary from bacon, to sausage and the vegetable could really be anything you want.  This recipe is my favorite.

How long have you been cooking and who was the person who encouraged you to come into the kitchen and learn about food?

My parents have been my inspiration.  Their hobby has always been cooking and hosting dinner parties.  Growing up, they would wake up early in the morning and stand in the kitchen all day long and they loved it.  So I have been in the kitchen with them ever since I could remember.

Name some of the key ingredients you must always have in your pantry or fridge.

Here are few of those items: Garlic, soy sauce, olive oil, vanilla sugar, Korean hot pepper paste (kochujang), Dijon mustard, and butter.

Has blogging affected your family life? Are you married? Any Children? If so, do they help you when you are preparing meals?

I am married but no kids. I have a full time day job that is pretty stressful so this is my outlet. I usually cook during the weekends for the week and have already prepared or marinated meals for the week.  Most of my blogging is during the weekend and then I just tweak or post them during the evenings.  I think I am more organized and prepared now that I am writing a blog about it.  My husband is an excellent cook but I think I just enjoy feeding him good food and he enjoys eating it.

Are you a dessert person, or a baker, as well as cooking savory meals? Please name a few of your favorite dishes or baked goods you most enjoy making.

I am probably a savory meals person first and then second a dessert and baker.  My parents never made desserts so that is something that I had to learn on my own.  Some of my favorite dishes are soups, which I love and enjoy making. Not only do they taste good, but they make you feel good.  I also enjoy baking breakfast items such as quiches and strata.  Some of the desserts I enjoy making are cinnamon rolls and brownies.  I like simple desserts.  It is funny but the things I enjoy making I never order at a restaurant.  At restaurants I like to order complex dishes that I would not make at home, or which are too time-consuming to make.

How did you end up reviewing the restaurants where you have dined? Do you foresee writing for your local newspaper, or perhaps some magazines, down the road?

Since I consider myself a foodie I love to try out new restaurants and know the good places to go in a city.  Folks always come to me for recommendations and I usually have a list for them depending on what they want.  This was another reason I started writing a blog.  I kept being asked for my restaurant reviews and I just thought why not add them to my food blog so I can send people there instead.

I saw the posts you have written about traditions and foods for the religious holidays. How are you going to celebrate? Which foods have you chosen for your big meal?

I like traditions and have lived in Asia, Sweden and the US. Since I have experienced several different traditions I like to pick and choose my favorites and make my own traditions.  Easter to me involves great memories of my childhood in Sweden, of dressing up as a witch, and now I am making new traditions living in the US. For Easter we usually attend or host a brunch and for Passover we also usually attend or host a big family dinner.   Food is always the main centerpiece of any tradition.

Are you originally from Seattle, Washington? Do you like the rainy weather they have?

No I am originally from Sweden and was born and raised there.  From there, I moved to South Korea and then to the US. First I lived in Boston, MA and then I moved to Seattle, WA.  I would rather have rain than cold and snow.

If you could sit down and have a dinner with a celebrity chef, who would it be, why and where would you take them to eat? Which restaurant would really measure up?

A: Wow that is a really hard question because there are so many.  But after thinking about it I would love to meet the chef that runs the best restaurant in the world, Chef Ferran Adia, and have a meal at his restaurant, El Bulli.  Wouldn’t you after reading this description?

“El Bulli is a Michelin 3-star Spanish restaurant run by Chef Ferran Adrià.

The small restaurant overlooks the Cala Montjoi bay, in Roses on the Costa Brava in Catalonia, Spain, and has been described as “the most imaginative generator of haute cuisine on the planet” and does a great deal of work on molecular gastronomy.

Restaurant has judged El Bulli as Number One on Restaurant (magazine) Top 50 list of the world’s best restaurants a record five times — in 2002, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009.

The restaurant has a limited season: the 2010 season, for example, will run from June 15 to December 20. Bookings for the next year are taken on a single day after the closing of the current season. It accommodates only 8,000 diners a season, but gets more than two million requests. The average cost of a meal is €250; the restaurant itself has operated at a loss since 2000, with operating profit coming from El Bulli-related books, and lectures from Adrià. As of April 2008 the restaurant employed 42 chefs.”

Do you see yourself blogging two years from now?

Yes definitely, I feel as though I have so much to share, and I would like to have my blog as my cooking archive as well; it helps me organize my recipes and put them on paper. On top of that it is very relaxing to me.

How did you learn about Half Hour Meals and what made you decide to signup?

I saw a link on another blog and the name stood out to me.  When I came on to the site I just thought it was a great idea.  I have a full time job and the last thing I want to do some nights is stand in my kitchen for hours, but I still want something good to eat and don’t want it to take longer than 30 minutes to make.  I am always looking to make quick great recipes and wanted to be part of learning new ones as well as sharing my own.

What would you tell your friends about our site?

If you have a busy life and still want time to cook a great meal, Half Hour Meals is an excellent resource.

Ewa I want to thank you for sharing with our members because you really have a lovely food site. I expect you will be wowing us with your food for a long time. Please visit Ewa’s profile page here at HHM.