Unplugged

Recently, I was delighted to be tagged over at cityhippyfarmgirl, to take part in the Food Bloggers Unplugged concept started by Susan.

There are 10 questions...here are my 10 answers.

1. What, or who inspired you to start a blog?

The blogging world generally, I think. I can't recall how I first stumbled on to the concept of blogs - although I think Oh She Glows was one of the first I followed - but after entering that world I wanted to be part of it. I had two brief blogging efforts before starting Bite-Sized Thoughts but this time around I stopped worrying about following a format or fitting the traditional 'food' blogger category. Also, I had finished my rather extended stint of studying, which may have made a difference.


These days, I can't imagine not having a blog. I love it, and I love the ongoing inspiration that comes from reading others' posts and seeing their ideas and creations.

2. Who is your foodie inspiration?

My answers to this would change all the time. However, I think my current answer may be Jamie Oliver (even though I almost never make his recipes and don't own any of his books). The reason? I have been constantly impressed and delighted by his efforts to educate children and families about healthy, real eating, as shown most widely in Jamie's School Dinners and Jamie's Food Revolution.

3. Your greasiest, batter - splattered food/drink book is?

Despite having some lovely cookbooks, which are relatively well-used, my most splattered recipes are those  scrawled on pieces of paper (or occasionally printed out) from recipes online. More and more of my recipes are getting to be in this format, and it's starting to be a bit of a problem!

They all end up in a drawer by the kitchen, which also houses the free cooking magazines given by certain chain store supermarkets, and that drawer is now a slight disaster. 

It's hard to believe I once claimed to like an organised desk...

4. Tell us all about the best thing you have ever eaten in another country, where was it, what was it?

This one is easy, and a joy to re-live. Last year Mr Bite and I travelled through Austria, Slovenia, Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic, on our first joint holiday and my first holiday as a 'real' (by which I mean working and thus slightly more cash equipped) adult. When driving from Salzburg in Austria, where I had been at a conference - partial justification for the whole trip - to Ljubljana in Slovenia, we stopped at Lake Bled for lunch.

 
We had crepes, sitting on a bench overlooking the lake. Mr Bite had an appropriately lunch-like tuna crepe, while I went for an inappropriately lunch-like strawberry one. But I am so glad I did!

The crepe itself was superb, better than any crepe or pancake I had ever tasted, and the strawberry filling was pureed strawberries rather than jam. 

I was hungry, the work part of the trip was over, we had 3 weeks of holiday ahead of us, the setting was amazing, and the meal was divine.

5. Another food bloggers table you'd like to eat at is?

I wouldn't turn down any invitations :) One of the things I like most about food blogs is that even when the meal in question isn't one that appeals, there are so often new ideas and new ways of cooking that give me inspiration at home. Everyone on my blog list has a table I'd like to visit for the food, the presentation, and/or the company.

6. What is the one kitchen gadget you would ask Santa for this year (money no object of course)?

I would love to have a KitchenAid Stand Mixer to complement my food processor, preferably in plum (yes, I have done my research). However, I think we would need a new kitchen to go with it, as there is literally no space at all for another appliance on either the bench tops or in the pantry.

Given that, a garlic press. I know, what an item to pick when money is no object! But I don't have one and when I want to crush garlic that is most inconvenient.

7. Who taught you how to cook?

I suppose my Mum, although it's difficult to recall a particular time when I learnt key things. The kitchen of my childhood was adjoining to the meals area, and we were often around doing homework (in the younger years, before homework required quiet and focused attention), or just hovering and making conversation in the lead up to dinner time. I also have fond memories of baking with my Mum from quite a young age, and think I learnt that side of things through helping (and tasting...) from 5 years or so onwards.

8. I'm coming to you for dinner what's your signature dish?

Once upon a time, vegetarian stuffed peppers. But the problem with signature dishes is that after a while you have made them for everyone you know, and so I think I have exhausted my stuffed pepper options for the next little while.

One thing I can say, though, is that it is likely to be oven baked. I hate worrying over stove tops when people are around, and ovens are my only comfortable option for heating / cooking when we have guests.

You may also get a choice of desserts.

9. What is your guilty food pleasure? 

I seem to recall that I don't believe in guilty pleasures :) However, if I was making an exception, I probably have two: cereal for lunch and chocolate during the day.

10. Reveal something about yourself that others would be surprised to learn?

Tricky...here are two that I think are unlikely to be known.

1. I was born in England, but spent most of the first 2 years of my life living in the Middle East. We came to Australia when I was 2.

2. The only person in my 'real' life who knows about this blog is Mr Bite.

Tag 5 other bloggers

The whole tagging scenario makes me a little anxious (who to pick? will they want to do it? will the people I don't pick feel left out?) so I have tried to pick 5 people who I feel I know comparatively little about...and have been a little flexible on the strictly food blogger aspect.

Eleah at Brocstar - I'm not sure she really wants to be tagged in the middle of college exams and assignments, but hopefully she will forgive me. Anyone who can run a marthon and understand college-level organic chemistry is someone I'd like to know more about!

Lisa at Blithe Moments - what I do know of Lisa suggests that we are remarkably similar when it comes to height, shoe requirements, and current work place challenges. My interest is piqued for more :)

Mrs Bok at The Bok Flock - entertaining tales, and gorgeous photos, of gardens and chickens and now a rabbit.

Shaheen at Allotment 2 Kitchen - incredibly creative recipes from Scotland, including black pepper and chocolate muffins that are sitting in my bookmarks list (among others...).

Theresa at Tropical Vegan - who has been entertaining me with travel stores (and now mango mania!) and lives a vegan lifestyle in Northern Queensland.

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