There’s a hasty assumption that those who were raised in foreign lands have only naturally forgotten their roots. While this may be true for some, it remains wholly untrue about Ramona; who promotes her food and country in an award winning blog called ‘Curry and Comfort’.
For over two years this sweet lady has been cooking, photographing and documenting (step by step) her recipes and sharing it with the world. Her passion for food and commitment to her blog makes her very cool culinary icon.
What inspired you to start a food blog and did you ever think it would be such a hit?
Before I started blogging, I used to post step by step recipes in a cooking club my cousin started on Facebook and enjoyed it very much. My mother suggested I start a blog and that was some great advice.
I've been having fun ever since. It’s a thrill to get feedback from those that have tried and enjoyed my recipes. It makes all the time and effort worthwhile.
What do you love most about food blogging?
I thought the only pleasure I would have doing the blog would be the cooking part. Now, I have come to learn that there is so much more to blogging than just the cooking (that’s the easy part). I have really started to take an interest in food photography and I am learning something all the time on how to improve my photos.
I also never expected to find the friendships I have found through the food blogging community. I have met so many wonderful food bloggers that love to share their recipes, lives and knowledge. It’s been such a pleasure getting to know so many people out there with a mutual love of food and recipes.
Have you had any formal training in the culinary department?
I have never had formal culinary training. I learned to cook from my mother, watching cooking shows and reading cookbooks or just playing around in the kitchen.
Do you want to cook professionally some day?
Not really. I just like cooking for pleasure.
Your favorite food/s?
This is a good question. My favorite foods are the reason why I call my blog Curry and Comfort. Obviously, I am a curry girl. I love curry. My other favorite foods come from living in the United States since I was a small child.
America is a melting pot of cultures, so I not only discovered American comfort foods, but a world of food from Chinese, Thai, Italian, Mexican and the list goes on. I see food as something comforting to nourish your body and soul. So, the rest of my blog focuses on all the foods around the rest of the world I enjoy cooking and eating.
Do you cook for your family on a daily basis?
Yes, I cook every day for my family. My children love to spend time with me in the kitchen and just like my mother taught me to cook, I want to teach them. All the food I cook on Curry and Comfort is food that we eat for at home.
Has experience taught you that “the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach”?
Yes! My husband loves to eat and he enjoys all the culinary adventures I take him on.
Challenges you have faced in your blog?
Time is a big challenge. I am still a mother and wife, and have plenty to keep me busy. Blogging takes a lot of time because it’s not just about cooking and posting a recipe.
Photos are an important aspect of blogging and I have worked hard to learn a lot about improving my photos. I also spend a lot of time visiting various blogs in the blogging community to not only support my blogging friends, but network and expand my blog audience.
Have you ever had any kitchen disasters? What was your biggest?
Yes, definitely! You can’t be a cook and not have had some kind of cooking disaster. I have made over salted food, under cooked potatoes, burned dishes… and the list goes on. We all make mistakes and after you cry a little over the mishap, you learn from the lesson.
A recipe from your blog that you would insist on trying?
Gosh, this is a hard one. I have over 800 recipes on my blog and I love a lot of them. I say, look around and if it looks and sounds good… go for it and make it.
Given the popularity of Curry and Comfort, do you plan on converting it in to a book someday?
Taking my blog recipes and making it into a cookbook would be a wonderful accomplishment. Curry and Comfort is still a relatively new blog so I am hoping that someday that will be something I can do.
Any famous gastronomic personalities who have inspired or influenced you?
I enjoy cooking shows and that is something my kids and I love to watch together. I enjoy so many celebrity chefs that it is hard to pick just one. To tell you the truth, the biggest influence in my cooking is only famous in my life… my mother.
Everyone that has eaten a meal by my mother has said that she is an amazing cook. I am pretty lucky to have her as a culinary mentor.
Tips you would give to a new food blogger or a person who just started cooking?
If someone wants to start a food blog, I say go for it. Just find a free site, sign up and start with your first recipe. It’s important to share a little about yourself in the blog, so don’t just post a recipe. Also, photos are very important. You want everyone to see and “taste” how good the food is by the photo. That’s all they have to look at to encourage them to make the dish… so work on getting some great photos to post with your recipe.
In reference to first time cooks, just go for it. When you are cooking for yourself, don’t let it be such a burden. Cook something you want to eat and cook to your palate. Before, you know it, you have mastered a few dishes and you can even charm friends and family with your cooking.
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