EatingKent's interview

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Interview by Laurence

We interviewed EatingKent!

Hello EatingKent, so tell us...

When did you begin your blog and what inspired you to start it?

I started Eating Kent in 2012 and it was only really for personal record to begin with. I was trying to develop new eating and shopping habits and wanted to keep a log of everything, so I set myself some rules and started documenting recipes I'd slung together and foody places I'd visited. My memory is pretty poor, so it's mostly to remind me of all the wonderful things I've consumed and where I got them otherwise they'd all be a new experience every time and I'd never learn anything.

In your wildest dreams, where is your blog going to take you as it develops?

Into Tom Hardy's bedroom. I'll settle for his kitchen though.

Ideally everyone would like to combine their passion with their job, and obviously if I could have my own pub or cafe selling meals of my recipes with ingredients from my garden, I'd be pretty much living the dream. Or an international food reviewer, that might not be too shabby either. Basically anything where I got to cook or eat in exchange for a living would be ideal and the correct way round, unlike now where I occasionally exchange services for gin.

Are you active in the blogging community? Have you met any interesting people through your blog or has it brought you to new places?

I'm more of a lurker, really. I'll sit alone in the dark and read your blog posts and take away recipes and tips in secret.
I'd love to meet up with other bloggers, I just haven't managed to infiltrate any of their secret societies yet.

Do you have a secret weapon in the kitchen?

Stick blender!

Don't want to mash? Stick blend.
Chopping takes too long? Stick blend.
Fancy churning your own butter? Stick blend.
Arms too weedy for a pestle & mortar? Stick blend!

I've never owned a food processor and until recently did everything by hand, so for me a stick blender is like some kind of freaking voodoo.

What would be your choice of dish or menu if you had to choose your "last meal ever"?!

Since going gluten free I really miss pies with puff pastry cases and suet dumplings. If I knew it was my last meal, I'd damn the consequences and have my mum's mince and onion pie with flaky pastry or boiled bacon with stew and dumplings. I'm rather into my traditional, hearty meals.

What is your earliest memory involving food?

Making rolls with my nan. She used to give out bread and iced buns to everyone in the village; neighbours, the butcher, the doctor- everyone and I spent a lot of my childhood in her kitchen slapping dough around with her for the rolls, buns and pasties and putting a little belly button in the centre of the proven mix to make it look like a buddha belly.

Are there any chefs that you admire in particular?

I love the ethics and recipes of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall. He practices excellent farming methods, clearly looks after his animals and is conscious of environmental impact whilst still making good, accessible and interesting food, and has some great ideas for veggie munch.

I also think Jamie Oliver is a brilliant household name and excellent at creating balanced meals that anyone can make, and his high standards trickle down through all of his restaurants, recipes and staff.

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

Bitchin' Kitchin' with Nadia G! I love her, she's who I aspire to be if I ever grow up a bit.

Which Gourmandize recipe would you recommend? (if none take your fancy add your own and share it with us!)

Have my recipe for Sprats with Rice Noodles in an Asian Style Dressing

for the sprats:
30 sprats, beheaded and guts removed
1/2 cup flour, pretty much any flour will do. I went with Doves Farm gf
1 tbsp chilli powder
1 tbsp paprika
salt & pepper
lemon grass, bruised (optional)

for the noodles:
2 handfuls of rice noodles
1 chilli, finely chopped
2 spring onions, finely chopped
boiling water

for the Szechaun dressing:
2 tbsp tamari
1 1/2 tsp Chinkiang vinegar
1 tsp caster sugar
4 tbsp chilli oil
1 tsp ground Szechaun pepper
1 tsp sesame oil

Pre-heat your grill to something of a moderate temperature. Sieve together your flour, chilli powder, paprika and seasoning. Wash and pat dry your little brats on some kitchen roll. Dunk them in the seasoned flour and arrange on an oiled and seasoned baking tray with the smashed lemon grass.

Place your noodles, spring onion and chilli in a bowl and cover with boiling water and leave.

Pop your coated brats under the grill for about 4 minutes or until browning and blistered. Turn and then grill on the other side to the same effect. We like symmetry.

Pop all the dressing ingredients in a small jar and shake vigorously.

Serve in a big pile with some blanched and well seasoned leeks and greens and dribbled liberally with the dressing.

Original recipe here: http://eatingkent.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/an-appeal-meal.html

Any last words or message for our readers?

Please come and say hello on my blog and Facebook page! I'd love to hear from you. I'm really interested in other people's food rules, recipe successes and failures and experiences, so come and tell me all about it.

Thank you EatingKent for answering our questions and see you soon!
Published by Laurence - 07/11/2013

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