Blogger of the Week: Whole Food Diary

We read lots of blogs, about all sorts of things (kittens) but given our obsession with good food, interesting recipes and delectable photography, food blogs will always be our first love. We wanted to introduce you to some of our favourite bloggers; telling you a bit about them and their wonderful sites and most importantly what they like to make!

Each week we will introduce you to our new Blogger of the Week, kicking off this week we have the wonderful Whole Food Diary written by Cecilia Halling. 

Tell us a bit about your site?

The Whole Food Diary is my personal food journal and recipe log which mainly contains vegetarian dishes. It’s all about cooking from scratch with good quality produce, preferably local and organically grown when possible.

What inspired you to start writing it? 

I have always loved cooking and experimenting in the kitchen and when I realised that nearly all the photos on my phone were of food, starting a blog seemed like the obvious thing to do. It’s also great for me as I no longer have loose bits of paper with recipes scribbled on them laying around the house.

Describe the sort of recipes you like to make and experiment with

I find that a lot of celebrity chefs give vegetarian food bad press so I try to develop dishes that appeal to everyone, even the most devoted carnivores. I’m also a little bit sensitive to gluten so lately I’ve explored gluten-free baking, often using almond meal and coconut flour as a substitute. It makes lovely and moist cakes that often turn out better than the conventional types.

What 3 foods couldn’t you live without?

Halloumi cheese, fresh herbs and a really good olive oil.

And what food can you not stand?

Sadly I just can’t stand coriander. I’d love to be able to use it in Asian recipes and for years I tried to gradually get used to the flavour, but I’ve had to give up. It’s just not going to happen.

If you were planning a dream dinner party what would you cook and for whom? 

I realise that it would be more interesting if I listed my favourite celebrities here but I actually think it would have to be all my girlfriends from back home in Sweden as I don’t get to see them anywhere near as often as I’d like. I’d serve lots of small summery dishes like salads, cheeses, dips and homemade bread. It allows you to spend more time with your guests and it’s exactly the sort of thing you want to eat when it’s hot and sunny outside.

What’s your favourite midnight snack? 

I would always choose a savoury snack over a sweet and I happen to be obsessed with popcorn. They must be home-popped on the stove in olive oil (yes, olive oil, not butter) and be generously salted. If you want to try something unusual, swap for herbal salt - I love it!

What are your favourite things about writing a blog? 

That would have to be all the interesting feedback from the readers. When I started my blog a few months ago I really wasn’t expecting to get many followers at all so it’s been a really nice surprise that readers are getting in touch with questions, comments or to share their experiences. It makes it all well worthwhile. 

Has blogging made you think differently/changed the way you approach food?

Not really, I have always cooked everything from scratch and been interested in trying new things in the kitchen. I do however get a lot of inspiration from fellow bloggers though which I discover new ingredients and techniques. 

Do you feel like it makes you experiment more when in the kitchen? 

It definitely has in the sense that I have to come up with new dishes and recipes on a weekly basis to keep the blog interesting to returning readers. If it wasn’t for that fact I would probably cook the same things much more often rather than having to constantly regenerate.

And finally what should all our readers make when they get home tonight?

Why not try something as unusual as a bright pink risotto? I love a good risotto and always try to reinvent my standard recipe with new ingredients and beetroot is one of my latest favourites. Also flavoured with white wine, parmesan and thyme is doesn't just look great, it's incredibly tasty!

Check back later in the week to see Cecilia's pink risotto recipe and you can visit her fantastic blog here