Food Blogger Interview: Ramona of Curry and Comfort
We just love our food bloggers at Dishfolio, which is why we want to tell the world about them! Today we're interviewing Ramona of Curry and Comfort who has a very diverse collection of recipes from various curries, burgers, pastas, desserts and much, much more.
Tell us about your food blogging goals: What are
they? How are you accomplishing them?
I have several food blogging goals. The first is to record most of my mother's recipes so my family and friends will always have her great cooking at their fingertips. I also want to learn to make dishes that I have always admired and try to recreate them with my own spin. Finally I want to just inspire others to experiment in the kitchen like I do. You don't have to just cook a dish one way all the time. Play in the kitchen and make it fun. Cooking should be as fun as eating.
Who is your foodie hero and how do they inspire you?
Well my foodie hero hands down has to be the first person that taught me all about food…my mother. The culinary imprint she has made in my life is undeniable. My mother has cooked for loads of people and they always say she is one of the best cooks they have ever met. One of the greatest lessons she taught me is to really taste your food and don't let the "rules" hold you back. I learned how to experiment in the kitchen thanks to her and that has helped me come with some great new recipes and a unique culinary viewpoint. My other inspirations are my kids. They are always honest about the food I put in front of them. They also keep me challenged when it comes to creating a recipe and working around their food likes and dislikes. Cooking and food is all about family for me so all the generations have their place in my kitchen.
What's the best food photography tip you've learned in the past year?
Food photography is something that I have learned to really love. I shudder at the photos I took when I started my blog. They were blurry, fuzzy, done at night with a flash. I have learned that lighting is a key component to taking a very good "mouth-watering" photo. Food styling is also important. I used to just take a photo of a plate full of food. Now I realize there is more to it and food styling is a must to make the dish look its best.
How many cookbooks do you own and which do you
reach for most often?
Before I answer this question, let me preface it with the fact that I love cookbooks and I have been collecting them for almost 20 years. Opening up a new cookbook makes me actually giddy… even looking at an old cookbook that I have not looked at for some time makes me happy. I love the recipes and more than that I love the pictures of food, so I always try to buy cookbooks with photos. Cookbooks inspire me. Okay, I guess I can tell you now that I own about 400 cookbooks. Wow!! Even I'm surprised by that number, I never counted them before. I may need a self-help group.
If you had to choose a kitchen tool you couldn't live without, what would it be and why?
I would say a good knife, but after saying that, I have to confess that I'm a bit of a kitchen gadget and tool nut. My kitchen is bursting at the seams with all my blenders, food processors, graters, reamers, pots, pans, bowls, mixers and the list goes on and on. I believe in being prepared in the kitchen so you make any dish.
What's next? How will you make yours the best food blog in town?
My blog is always evolving. I am learning not only new things in the kitchen, but more about how to blog and take food photographs. I hope the future is bright for my little corner of the culinary world here on the internet. I am still working hard at actually getting my blog from being a big hobby to becoming a career for me. Also someday in the future I want to have a cookbook with my name on it. It would be cool to be on someone' shelf and inspire them like all my cookbooks I own inspire me.
