Jacqueline's interview

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Interview by Laurence

We interviewed Jacqueline!

Hello Jacqueline, so tell us...

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

I actually started blogging about 2.5 years ago under another blog and later defined it as a food blog. The food blog was a way to capture and tap into my creative skills. I wanted to register and share dishes that I enjoy cooking. I love experimenting with new ingredients so it was a way to log my creations and reach out and leverage from a wider foodie community.

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?

Invest time in assessing all blogging platform options available to you. Appreciate the level of your technical ability and select accordingly.

What is your favorite dish of all time?

That's a tough question and not one I can easily answer as there are far too many to choose from. I would say that my three favorite types of cuisine are Vietnamese, French and Japanese.

You clearly take a great deal of care with your photos, in your opinion what makes a dish beautiful?

Above all, natural light. All my blog photos are taken during the day to maximise the use of natural light. I also think certain types of food are conducive to producing good photographs e.g tomatoes and cherries. Dishes such as curries and stews are a bit more problematic!
Reasonably sized portions and good props also help!

Do you have a secret weapon in the kitchen?

Not so much a secret weapon but I couldn't do without my garlic press or my food processor/blender.

What is your earliest memory involving food?

I think it must be a family outing for fruit picking (predominantly strawberries and raspberries) in Scotland. I remember it being very warm (which is surprising for Scotland) and the strong and sweet fragrance of those ripe berries. A very happy childhood memory.

Are there any chefs that you admire in particular?

Although I don't like the term celebrity chef as to me they are first and foremost a chef, I have great admiration for Raymond Blanc. I find his enthusiasm and passion for cooking infectious and he always produces mouthwatering dishes.

As you are married to a Frenchman, you must be in an excellent position to judge; what are the main differences you see in the British and French approaches to cooking and food?

Where do I start? The culture surrounding food is completely different in France. Most people in France will buy fish at their fishmongers, fruit at weekly markets or greengrocers, cheese at the cheesemongers. They support local artisans and the quality of produce is far superior than those produced in supermarkets. In the UK we increasingly rely on supermarkets which focus on price and sometimes that means selling products that are devoid of flavour.
From an early age, children are encouraged to appreciate food, the culture of separate menus for children doesn't really exist. Snacking between meals is also quite rare.

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

I quite like my Nut Crusted, Twice Baked, Cheddar and Chive Soufflé

Any last words or message for our readers?

Thanks for taking the time to read my interview and I'd love for you to connect with me via my blog:
http://howtobeagourmand.com/
On Twitter:
https://twitter.com/how2beagourmand
On Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/howtobeagourmand

Thank you Jacqueline for answering our questions and see you soon!
Published by Laurence - 13/08/2013

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