Leah's interview

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Interview by Laurence

We interviewed Leah!

Discover Leah's favourite recipe: Pasta with lardons and mushrooms and curry sauce

" My favourite looking dishes are the 'homely' dishes: pasta, risotto, pies...real food that makes you want to just dig in straight away and forget about the calories. "

Hello Leah, so tell us...

When and how did you decide to start your blog?

I decided to start a blog last year when I realised that I enjoyed cooking, and eating, more than just about anything. I have always loved trying new recipes but tended to make them up rather than following recipes precisely, so I decided to start writing them down and sharing them with people. I grew up in Asia and and as a result my cooking is a bit all over the place...I love Asian flavours but after having been on holiday to Europe a lot over the last 10 years, I'm now trying to cook more Mediterranean and varied food. My husband is the baking and dessert arm of the blog! At the moment my blog is a hobby and I'm a fiend on twitter - making connections particularly with those in the area local to where I live.

If you could go back in time, what is the one piece of advice you would give your younger self as they started out on your blog?

Not to worry too much about the details: like why you are doing it and how to make money from it: just start blogging.

Your photos are fantastic, in your opinion what makes a dish beautiful?

My favourite looking dishes are the 'homely' dishes: pasta, risotto, pies...real food that makes you want to just dig in straight away and forget about the calories. I think colour is really important and it's nice to use lots of different coloured vegetables, herbs etc to make it lovely and vibrant.

What is your earliest memory involving food?

I remember eating when I was really young (McDonalds stood out for me when I was little!) but the first moment I remember really enjoying food was eating piles of steamed prawns in Hong Kong when I was 7. We would get a huge plate of prawns in their shells at the table and the whole family would dig in, shelling prawns with our fingers. It was messy and delicious. My Dad used to try and freak me out by eating the heads.

What is your favorite type of cuisine?

Asian - but it is very hard to single out one particular country. I would say Singapore, because it is a wonderful mixture of Chinese, Malaysian, Indonesian and Indian food. It is also the food I grew up with. I absolutely love Vietnamese food, but I have never been so can't say I have had the real thing. I'm going in November though, so will be recording my experiences for the blog. I can't wait.

Are there any chefs that you admire in particular?

I love Jamie Oliver's simple and homely style of cooking. I think his 30 and 15 minute meals are a brilliant concept. I made a curry by the Hairy Bikers the other day and it was the best thing I have ever cooked, and one of the best curries I have ever eaten! One of my absolute favourites is Ching he huang - she shows you how wonderfully simple Chinese cooking can be and how to make things taste really authentic, whicih is hard to find at a restaurant in the UK.

If you could be a contestant or guest on any cooking show what show would you choose?

Saturday Kitchen! Previously I would have said Ready Steady Cook. I loved that show and couldn't believe how the chefs could make such delicious dishes from limited ingredients in barely any time at all.

Do you have a secret weapon in the kitchen?

soy sauce. It's not so secret though!
I also love tons of black pepper, and most recently since a holiday in Tuscany, great olive oil.

What Gourmandize recipe would you recommend? (if none take your fancy add your own!)

I haven't tried any yet, but I just had a look and I love the sound of pasta with lardons and curry sauce by Morel. Very unique!

Do you have anything else that you'd like to tell our readers about?

Just that I can't wait to add more recipes to my blog so keep checking it! There isn't a lot on there at the moment, as I have only been around for a few months, but I have loads of ideas and want to start doing more restaurant and travel reviews. I would like to do a few blogs focusing on healthy food, as although I don't only cook healthy recipes I do prioritise them. This is only the beginning!

Thank you Leah for answering our questions and see you soon!
Published by Laurence - 13/07/2013

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