Food Blogger Interview: Nicole Nared of Brown Sugar: A City Girl Making Cooking Look Sexy
The Dishfolio community
is a mix of the most ingenious and inventive food bloggers and food
photographers around. We love having to chance to hear their voice
and thoughts to motivate other aspiring food bloggers and food
enthusiasts alike. Today we're stoked to have Nicole Nared of Brown Sugar: A City Girl Making Cooking Look
Sexy. Her blog is designed to provide easy and delicious
recipes to anyone who thinks cooking has to be boring and domestic.
She's redefining what it means for a woman to be in the kitchen by
showing how cooking can be excitingly appealing and
fun, no matter if you are a stay-at-home mom or a
business professional.
Who is your foodie hero and how do they inspire you?
When I first started blogging about food (a year and a half ago), I didn't know that there was an entire community of food bloggers. I honestly thought it would be weird having a blog based upon food. When I started to get deeper into I came across several bloggers that influenced me but the three that has influenced me the most is Darla of Bakingdom, Jessica of How Sweet It is, and Ree of The Pioneer Woman. Their recipes influenced my creativity in the kitchen and really got me going with my photos as well. I appreciate their artistry in food and it is really inspiring.
What's your go-to literary tool and how does it make your food blog successful?
I have been told that I am funny. I am just being honest. I have
a Master's degree and sometimes it's really hard for me to write
informally. But I want people to feel connected to me and feel that
they know me personally.
So, I write how I talk, in most cases. I also have a column on my
blog where I write about Love& Relationships and I really try
to 
push the envelope with my
verbiage. I want people to feel what I am talking
about in those articles and really feel that it is me that is
giving them the advice. My blog isn't only for adults in terms of
content but it isn't "squeaky clean" either. I am an honest person
and want to connect with my audience so there is some humor and
honesty in my thoughts as well.
What ethical food issues get you talking with your friends and
family?
I think veganism gets us talking a lot. I am not a vegan
but I love eating vegan meals that taste good. There are a few
vegan 
dishes on my blog that
are suitable for all eating categories. I am lactose intolerant and
as I get older, it isn't getting any better. Therefore, vegan meals
are a great help to my diet where I don't get bloated, feel heavy,
and food doesn't upset my stomach. My family is far from eating
vegan but I try to educate them on the benefits as much as I
can. That along with making as much of the food you eat, even
if it's just the basics, as home. For instance, seasonings,
condiments, and baked goods people surely can make at home. I feel
better knowing that I know what is going in my food versus always
buying processed foods and not know where it came from.
What's the best food photography tip you've learned in the past year?
I love Lindsay of Pinch of Yum. She is an amazing, God honoring women that I hope to become best food blogging friends with someday. Her story and journey through food blogging is so similar to mine that I take a lot of tips from her and her husband, Bjork (I hope they are reading this). When she published her Tasty Food Photography book, my pictures have never been the same. I really learned a lot from her and her story and pictures are so inspiring to me I have to give her the credit for that. The biggest tips however, is to find your light, the way pictures look on a camera looks differently on the computer, and take a lot of pictures to get the perfect one.
What keywords or cooking types would you like to be best known for?
First and foremost, I want my blog to serve as an influence in the African American Community. There aren't that many African American food bloggers, and that is fine, but I want people within my community to know that with passion and dedication you can live your passion and make a career based upon your own rules. I am not close to retirement from my blog but I believe with hard work, good content, and positivity that, someday, I may be able to move in that direction. Secondly, I feel that society has created a domesticated depiction of what women look like in the kitchen and what it means for a woman to cook for her family. You see women cook for their families out of obligation, more or less, and women are older and have children. I want to show a different side to that. I think women can have their careers, have their girlfriends and their families and still feel sexy while cooking in the kitchen instead of feeling inferior to a norm that infuriates women instead of uplifting them. You can think of me as Beyoncé and Julia Child wrapped up in one.
Sweet and Salty Brownies
The best of both worlds. Sweet and salty brownies with Pretzel M&M's.
by brownsugar
