If you’re laden down with a bountiful harvest and need some recipe inspiration then may we recommend heading over to our favourite food blog All That I’m Eating. We caught up with the brains behind the recipes, Caroline Taylor, to quiz her on food, foraging and, of course, booze…
Why did you decide to start writing a food blog?
I started writing it as a way to get all my thoughts and ideas down and be able to refer back to them. I find food has a certain way of bringing back memories like nothing else.
I started writing it as a way to get all my thoughts and ideas down and be able to refer back to them. I find food has a certain way of bringing back memories like nothing else.
The site is crammed full with recipe ideas. Do you ever worry that you might run out of inspiration for new things to try?
I don’t think I’ll ever run out ideas. There’s always something new to try; a new style of cooking, a new ingredient or trend. I find it amazing how many different things you can do with one ingredient, it’s just a case of giving it a try!
Is there one of your own recipes you keep returning to?
One of the things I do cook regularly is risotto (mushroom, tomato or pea) or slight variations of (like my cheat’s paella). I do try to eat a varied diet and I don’t tend to eat the same things week in week out. I do live by meal plans though and I try to upload my weekly meal plan on Instagram each week.
You’re honest enough to say that not all recipes have quite worked out as you hoped. What has been the biggest disappointment?
I think it’s just as important to post about things that didn’t quite work out as planned so other people can avoid the same mistakes! The biggest disappointment was definitely the Sausage and Bacon Toad in the Hole I tried; I had such high expectations and my Yorkshire puddings ended up like pancakes. At least the sausages and bacon were still tasty!
There’s a large sections of recipes using foraged ingredients. When did the foraging bug strike and what is it’s biggest appeal?
I love wild food. Getting outside and seeing what’s edible and on your doorstep is amazing; berries, salad leaves, fruit and even vegetables (although I’m yet to pull any wild horseradish!). I find it’s a great way to really connect with the land and using the ingredients to cook up recipes (you can have a look at some of mine here) is a lovely way to make the most of them.
We’re starting to gather plenty of wild garlic. Got any tips on how we should use it?
Adding it to a salad or an omelette is always a good place to start. I have successfully made Wild Garlic Gnocchi and Creamy Mushrooms and Wild Garlic on Toast which are both certainly worth a try!
You would also appear to quite like booze. What drinks recipes can you recommend we try?
I do like a good tipple and to add a bit of foraging into the mix too is always good. I can highly recommend making some wild elderflower cordial and knocking up my Elderflower and Blackcurrant Gin and Tonic. Perfect summer sipping!
Besides writing about your own cooking you also include restaurant reviews on your website. What do you look from a restaurant and which establishments have particularly impressed?
I like to try something new and different but equally I really enjoy properly executed traditional cooking. I hate it when a restaurant gets arrogant and a bit big for its boots; when it thinks the food is so good that the service, price and experience don’t matter (I can think of several of these near me but I won’t name names!). I have been really impressed recently with The Five Bells at Wickham; reasonably priced, well cooked and delicious food with a fantastic selection of local and global beers.
Has the success of your blog opened up any doors for you? What are your food related plans for the future?
Indeed it has. I have had some amazing experiences from blogging (a cookery class at Le Manoir and a day of filming with Kenwood being two big highlights) and I actually quit my job to take blogging a bit more full time and now work freelance in food and drink PR.
And finally, what advice can you share for any budding food bloggers?
Be yourself. Post regularly. Interact with other bloggers. Don’t say yes to everything. Know your value.
Hi Nick, your interview with the food blogger is awesome to me. Really, it is a inspirational interview for the newbie along with the pro- food blogger. I have learned several new things about wild garlic and a little bit recipe along with creamy mushrooms. Finally, I am expecting the next one interview from a established food blogger.