While I am sorting the pics from our trip to Wales (post to come) and slowly adjusting to everyday live again, I leave you for the moment with another great food blog and its authors to get to know (better).
Probably there aren’t a lot of foodies who don’t know
Sara and Hugh Fortes blog Sprouted Kitchen.
Since the release of their cookbook at the latest they belong to THE stars of the food blogging scene.
However, this unique blog cannot be missing in this series about my favourite food blogs and I am proud that Sara found the time to answer my questions.
It’s one of the first food blogs I started to read regularly. And it was exactly the “clear writing voice, a related emotional attachment to food/cooking/dining, beautiful visuals, simplicity, authenticity, practical ingredients/steps” that Sara is talking about further down, that made me stick to this blog since.
It’s all about seasonal, whole food dishes, that are focused on their natural ingredients. No over-processing of vegetable, that you don’t recognize anymore in the end (neither by taste, nor by the look) no fussy preparation, but clear step-by-step descriptions that don’t corset you with exact measurements like “1/3 teaspoon of XY” but leave enough space for making your own experiences – with some guidance. My favourite recipes are the lentil “meatballs” and of course the multigrain maple mini muffins, that both proof that healthy and yummy isn’t an opposition.
At least as captivating as the dishes are the photographs on Sprouted Kitchen – although I think both are closely related to each other. Hughs pictures have a strong visual signature and underline the sense of Saras cooking – and I do mean cooking: The pictures don’t only put the cooked food into the limelight, but also capture the process of cooking. Hughs pictures are dynamic, always in motion and in their perspective close to the process … flying whisks, bread kneading hands give the viewer the feeling to be him/herself right in middle.
Now, let Sara speak for herself:
What is your main motivation for writing your food blog?
Connecting with other writers, cooks, pursuers of wellness. Engaging in life and doing it well requires community – I find that in having a blog.
What is your favourite recipe that you’ve posted?
The day we got engaged or our anniversary post. Neither have anything to do with food, but they were the easiest to write.
What is your favourite ingredient?
Ice cream!
What are the main influences of your cooking?
Produce. Seasons. Using what I have. CSA baskets. Practicality.
What is good food?
Using good ingredients to start and intentional preparation. Doesn’t have to be complicated or fussy, just great ingredients prepared well.
What does cooking mean for you?
It is giving and sharing and care taking.
You’ve just published your first cooking book. What are your future visions?
Our plan is to publish a few more cookbooks. I would like to continue to write freelance articles/recipes for magazines and maybe start teaching classes/workshops with Hugh in the next few years.
How important is the photography of your food for you?
Cooking was completely different for me before Hugh started taking photos of what I made. I couldn’t care less about presentation, now I understand how important it is. The textures and colors – it all contributes to how you experience food.
What do you think about sponsored blogging?
It can be done gracefully. Blogging takes a lot of time with not a lot of monetary kickback (in general), the sponsored posts are ways for bloggers to earn money or perks. I understand that incentive. It comes across “sales-y” sometimes and I think that takes away from a writers voice, but now and then, I understand it’s part of this business.
What is essential for buying a cook book or for visiting a food blog regularly?
A clear writing voice, a related emotional attachment to food/cooking/dining, beautiful visuals, simplicity, authenticity, practical ingredients/steps. I follow blogs where I feel like I know the author to some extent, or at least get a glimpse into their life. Cooking is personal!
What is your favourite cooking book at the moment?
I am loving Vegetarian Everyday from the authors of Green Kitchen Stories and Deborah Madisons new Vegetable Literacy.
What is your favourite food blog?
I have a few dozen, can’t pick my favorites 🙂
Recipes and Photos by Sara and Hugh Forte for Sprouted Kitchen.
nadel&gabel 