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Food Blogger Interview: Amanda of The Chunky Chef

Amanda - The Chunky Chef - portrait Amanda - The Chunky Chef - logo Amanda - The Chunky Chef - recipe3 Dishfolio.com has some of the best food bloggers around. They've got a ton of wisdom on creating great food blog content, which is why we love to interview them! Today, we're talking to Amanda of The Chunky Chef who talks about believing that any meal can be elevated into a gourmet meal, so her focus is on everyday meals with a dash of gourmet! Life is short; eat good food.

So you're a food blogger. What got you started?

My main goal is to inspire a love of cooking through sharing my recipes. I love interacting with my readers! I'm working hard to grow my blog and email subscriber list by promoting my posts on social media... although I've only been blogging about 6 months, I've learned so much from fellow bloggers!

From where do you get inspiration as a food blogger?

I taught myself to cook from watching the food network, and Rachel Ray inspired me. She was so friendly, upbeat, and just like me in the kitchen, all over the place. She didn't freak out when things didn't go as planned, just rolled with the punches. It was definitely inspiring!

How is your food blog in terms of earning money?

I'm making some money, although it's not enough to retire on yet, LOL. As a stay at home Mom, it's really nice to bring in a little money by doing something I love :) My secret isn't really a secret... it's just to create some great content. Make sure your photos are clear and convey that, "I have to eat that NOW" reaction. If you have great content and you engage with your readers, your blog will grow. Which in turn, leads to higher traffic, and more revenue via ads and sponsored posts (if you're so inclined).

What's your most favourite recipe?

My all-time favorite is my Mom's pecan pie. It starts with a deliciously flaky and buttery pie crust, made from scratch, and is filled with a wonderfully nutty pecan filling that is sweet, but not TOO sweet, baked to perfection and served with a nice big scoop of vanilla bean ice cream.

What advice can you give other food photographers?

Natural lighting is KEY! I like to shoot my food so that the natural light is behind/off to the side of the food... it creates a really nice lighting effect. Also, take the time to style your food. If you're shooting something that came off the grill, give it a little spritz with some cooking spray or a drizzle of olive oil, it makes it look super tasty and fresh off the grill!

What's your most loved kitchen tool?

My apron! It may sound old fashioned, but I love wearing my apron when I'm cooking or baking. Probably because I'm a messy cook, LOL. My second favorite though, would be my Kitchen Aid stand mixer.

Where do you see your blog going in the future?

I plan to continue growing and learning, and will be going with a new streamlined theme for my food blog, along with working on a FREE e-book to send to my email subscribers!

Thanks again to Amanda of The Chunky Chef for participating in this interview!