Category Archives: Meet a Blogger Monday
meet a blogger monday – Christopher from Domestic Daddy
Today we meet Christopher from Domestic Daddy. His blog showcases fine living at its best. This is one of those blogs that I just love to delve into as a little escape from everyday life in Ohio. In Christopher’s world it always seems as though the sun is shining, the temperature is around 75 degrees, and there’s a deliciously crafted drink waiting for you when you arrive home from a long day at the office. As Liz Lemon would say, “I want to go to there.”
According to his bio, Christopher has always had a strong domestic streak, but since he and his partner had their daughter Julia last year, He’s learned to keep projects simpler, faster and more fun. They may be simple, but they’re presented beautifully. And if you’re looking for a great cocktail for a party, be sure to check out his expansive collection of drink options.
Name: Christopher Nordquist
Where are you: New York City and San Francisco
Blog: Domestic Daddy
How long have you been blogging: Since July, 2009
Why do you blog: I love sharing ideas about how to live well.
What’s been your favorite post: Probably the October 29, 2010 post about making Julia’s Halloween costume. It was a fun project, and her delight in wearing it warmed my heart.
Could you share a few of your favorite blogs that you read: The Selby, Smitten Kitchen, Remodelista, Modern Tonic, Sartorialist, and, of course, made by mike.
What’s “the one” big project/recipe that you are most looking forward to: Remodeling our new loft in Manhattan.
When you’re not blogging, what are you doing: Everything I blog about –and spending as much time as possible with my two year-old daughter, my partner and our family and friends.
Guiltiest pleasure: Sleeping in.
You’ll never cook with this ingredient: Velveeta.
Favorite Drink: Manhattan made with good bourbon and Carpano Antica Formula sweet vermouth.
Advice to the home cook: Have fun! Keep your projects simple and focused so you have enough time and energy left to enjoy the pleasures of cooking and eating.
meet a blogger monday – bradley from cleveland food and brews
Today we meet Bradley from Cleveland Food and Brews. If it’s not too obvious from his blog title, Bradley loves food and craft beers and developed a pretty great blog of Cleveland area restaurant reviews and tales of the great beers. If my count is correct, since starting his blog in September, Bradley has reviewed over 80 brews. That shows some real dedication to his blog. You can check out a very detailed ranking of those beers here. Now to the interview:
Name: Bradley Gillette
Where are you: Good old Cleveland Ohio
Blog: I write 2! One is all about local Restaurant Reviews at Cleveland Food and Brews and the other is all about Craftbeer Reviews.
How long have you been blogging: A little over 4 months
Why do you blog: I love food and craft beer and I want to share this passion with everyone!
What’s been you favorite post: My post at Washington Place Bistro and Inn because I got engaged that morning and that was our celebration dinner!
Could you share a few of your favorite blogs that you read: Poise in Parma and The Chubby Cook are two of my favorites, but there are many others are on my blogroll!
What’s “the one” big project/recipe/restaurant/beer that you are most looking forward to: I cannot wait to go to Fire Food and Drink for my Fiancee’s birthday in Mid-January! We have heard such great things and I know she is dying to try it out.
When you’re not blogging, what are you doing: Making the world a better place by Teaching Children!
Guiltiest pleasure: I don’t know…. I love Chips and French Onion Dip!
You’ll never eat a recipe with this ingredient in it: RICE! I know it is crazy but I don’t like it at all.
Favorite Drink: Give me an IPA or DIPA any day! Fat Head’s Head Hunter to be more specific.
Advice to the novice beer drinker: Know what you like, drink what you like, but don’t be totally close minded to trying new things. Give a beer a chance to grow on you before you pass judgment on it!
Meet a Blogger Monday – Michelle from One Ordinary Day
Meet a Blogger Monday returns today with Michelle from One Ordinary Day. I’ve been following Michelle’s cooking adventures for some time. You may remember that I made her chocolate peppermint thumbprint cookies a few weeks back. I’ve also made her white chicken chili which was simply amazing. I hope you’ll take a little time today to get to know a little bit more about Michelle and her wonderful blog. Trust me, you’ll get instantly hooked into its stream of great recipes, tips and beautiful photography. Who wouldn’t want to dive into that pitcher of mint and lime iced green tea up there?
Name: Michelle
Where are you: PA
Blog: One Ordinary Day
How long have you been blogging: I will have been blogging for two years in January. The time has gone by so quickly!
Why do you blog: I started blogging with my sister, so we could share some of the things we’re passionate about. However, she turned out to not be much of a blogger, so One Ordinary Day has become a place for me to share what I love. It’s a sprinkling of recipes, going green tips, good books, and a bit about me and my family ~ the things that are a part of “one ordinary day.”
What’s been you favorite post: I’m not sure which post is my favorite, but one of my most memorable was definitely my post about the raspberry buttermilk cake I made for my mother-in-law’s birthday. My pup ended up taste-testing it before I got the chance to serve it, and it was too funny not to share.
Could you share a few of your favorite blogs that you read: I love reading other blogs and seeing what’s happening in other people’s kitchens. A few of my favorites are Savory Sweet Life; Back to the Cutting Board; Crepes of Wrath; 3 B’s – Baking, Baseball, & and Books; and Lick the Bowl Good.
What’s “the one” big project/recipe that you are most looking forward to: I really want to get myself a good Dutch oven and start baking bread in it.
When you’re not blogging, what are you doing: I spend most of my time at my kiddos’ school as a volunteer – working in the school library, helping out in classrooms, or participating in PTO projects. I also love to read, so you can always find a book or two in the works on my beside table.
Guiltiest pleasure: Oh, boy, that’s a hard one. I’d have to say it’s a toss-up between Starbucks and a website called Cool Math Games. I love playing Gem Swap II when no one’s looking!
You’ll never cook with this ingredient: I am not a seafood eater, so I’d never even think about cooking it, much to my husband’s disappointment. You can bet that when we get the chance to eat out, he typically orders seafood, because he knows he’ll never get it at home.
Favorite Drink: I’d love to say that my favorite drink is something exotic, but the truth is that I love an ice cold Pepsi better than anything else.
Advice to the home cook: Be brave, try anything, and be comfortable substituting ingredients. Just because a recipe calls for thyme and you don’t have any, doesn’t mean you can’t go for it anyway. One of my favorite webpages is the Joy of Baking’s Ingredient Substitution list. It’s indispensable, and I’ve turned to it more times than I can count.
meet a blogger monday – scott from the chubby cook
I’ve brought back my Meet a Blogger Monday series today. A while back I crossed paths with Scott of The Chubby Cook. In addition to having a great web site, he’s very generous with his time in promoting other food bloggers. Scott describes himself as, “Lover of food & everything related to it. Entrepreneur. Chef Wannabe. Food photographer. Recipe creator.” I have to mention that I’m just a tad jealous of him, because not too long from now he’ll have a Jeni’s storefront in his very own town.
If you’re interested in starting your own food blog, Scott is teaching a Food Blogging 101 class at the Western Reserve Cooking School in May. Click here for all of the details.
And now, here’s my interview with Scott. Enjoy!
Name: Scott Groth
Where are you: Chagrin Falls, Ohio
Blog: www.thechubbycook.com
How long have you been blogging: Seriously blogging, about six months. All together, about ten.
Why do you blog: Passion. Cooking is my passion and to share it with people makes me truly happy. Knowing that the food being created in my kitchen can be seen by potentially thousands of people really pushes me to cook better and think harder to create interesting flavor combinations. Another important reason to blog is to pass the information along in a way that anybody can easily understand. Too often recipes are quick to the punch and become intimidating. The Chubby Cook is written in a way that we basically walk through the recipe together.
What’s been you favorite post: My favorite post is the following: Pure Food: The Big Picture.
Could you share a few of your favorite blogs that you read: There are a couple blogs that I read on a weekly basis. The first is this blog, Made by Mike. I found this blog about two months ago and have been an avid follower. Initially, it was the pictures that caught my eye separating it out from the thousands of other sites I have seen. Since then, I think that it is a well thought through and intelligent blog site. I’ve also been a fan of Bite Buff for quite some time- the restaurant reviews are typically spot on. Before I hit a restaurant that is new to us, I’ll check out Bite Buff first to see what has been said. One site that I have followed since day 1 is Food Bloggers Unite which is a great resource for those bloggers trying to improve their photography. Excellent resource. There are so many that I try to keep up with though- typically I spend 1 day a month catching up- there’s so much great content out there. Here’s a couple more: Exploring Food My Way, Feeling Food Blog, Motu Vino and Drunk and Full.
Guiltiest pleasure: Pork belly rillettes. Cubed, salt cured pork belly poached in duck fat for 6-8 hours. Place it while still warm on baguette slices which have been browned in duck fat with some fresh thyme sprigs. Sprinkle with some flat leaf parsley for good health and serve with Maille brand French Cornichon on the side. Wow- truly incredible.
You’ll never cook with this ingredient: Not sure? Every ingredient has its place somewhere, I just may not know where yet.
Favorite Drink: Dirty martini- very particular about it too. Here’s how I like it.
Advice to the home cook: Never adhere to a recipe (unless you are baking!). Instead, use the recipe as a guideline for technique and to achieve a particular flavor profile. Trust your gut and if it tells you that you should find a new recipe, then do it!
Finally, here a few photos of Scott’s culinary creations. Click on the photos to be directed to the recipes.
Panini Croque Monsieur
No Hangover Margarita - And let's be honest, couldn't we all use one of these?
Honey Walnut Baklava
meet a blogger monday – tracy from prickly pear bloom
Name: Tracy Harris
Where are you: Madison, WI
Blog: pricklypearbloom.wordpress.com
How long have you been blogging: A little over 4 years.
Why do you blog: I’m not even sure I remember why I started blogging. I think it had something to do with focusing inspiration somewhere. I stumbled upon Little Birds, and was so inspired by the notion that there were people out there who liked to make things and write about them, that there was a community like that, and I wanted to be a part of that community. I was planning my husband’s and my wedding, going to school, and thinking about all kinds of creative stuff, and at the same time working and trying not to get bogged down by boring stuff in the day-to-day grind of my job at the time, so the blog was a kind of a way out of that, to stay inspired. And it turned into connections and friendships with people, and motivation to pursue photography through flickr, and more inspiration and drive than I could possibly imagine. I’ve cut down my posting in the past year to once or twice a week, to avoid feeling overwhelmed and because I’ve gotten so much busier, and every so often I think about hanging it up and moving on, but at the same time, it’s brought so many good things my way, and I still enjoy having a space to put things, so I keep going. It’s definitely a part of my life for now, and my creative process.
What’s been you favorite post: I don’t think I can pinpoint a favorite post, because there are so many that I wouldn’t be the same without. But the closest I can come to a favorite post is the post about the wedding, I guess. (http://pricklypearbloom.wordpress.com/2007/05/30/these-are-the-hands-of-your-best-friend/) Partly because it’s one of the big things that I’m so thankful to have written about and stored so that I can go back and read in the future, partly because it was culmination of one of my first huge design projects (and many previous blog posts), and partly because it was just a darn good time.
Could you share a few of your favorite blogs that you read: I’m addicted to Dooce, I love Orangette (as we all know that girl can tell a mean story and has never led me wrong culinarily) and Sprouted Kitchen (beautiful photography AND awesome food!), and just got hooked on Food In Jars.
What’s “the one” big project you are most looking forward to: I don’t know if it’s “one” big project, since it’s sort of ongoing, or something that I’m just plain-looking forward to, but Knitcircus (www.knitcircus.com) has become such a big part of my life since I started working on it earlier this year, and I’m really looking forward to the winter issue. I feel like the fall issue was a giant project because it was a complete redesign, a fresh start, and now I am starting to enter into a space with it where I can play with each new issue and make it breathe a bit, evolve. And that’s exciting to me.
When you’re not blogging, what are you doing: Photographing, gardening, thinking of ways to expand my garden and make my outdoor space entirely edible, cooking, reading, and trying to find ways to get better at everything that I like to do.
Guiltiest pleasure: TV. I watch too much of it, especially given all of the other things I like to do. And it’s completely useless. Luckily I can knit while I watch now!
Favorite Drink: That’s a toughie! I do enjoy my drinks. I’m a beer snob, so I love a lot of great beer, especially hoppy pale ales. Lagunitas is my favorite brewery, it reminds me of my dad. I have a big appreciation for wine, though as well, and am partial to a few Italian varieties like Primitivo, Frascati, Salice Salentino. As for mixed drinks, the only one I ever drink is a GOOD margarita. None of those premixed, cloying strawberry ones, either.
meet a blogger monday – sam from today’s nest
It’s our first meet a blogger Monday that’s not about me. And I’m so honored that he agreed to be featured.
I’d like to introduce you to Sam. I ran into Sam on twitter a while back and became quite enamored with his fantastic blog, Today’s Nest. As the title of his blog indicates, Sam combines modern life, home, food, art and design. He does it in a very beautiful way with stunning photographs and meaningful words. One day, he’ll teach you how to make a woven wooden art piece (it’s spectacular and one of my favorite projects he’s done), the next day a lesson on olives. And the recipes…they are to die for. Last week I made his apple cookies with maple brown sugar frosting. They are simply the most amazing cookies I’ve ever baked and will become a staple of my fall recipes for many years to come. Below are a few of the gorgeous photographs from Today’s Nest. I mean look at how he classed up a simple hot dog’s condiments! Following that, is my short interview with Sam. I hope you’ll take a few moments today to subscribe to his blog. You will not be disappointed. It’s always a pleasure to see Sam’s newest post, and I always leave being inspired and feeling as though I have learned a little bit more about the subject.
Name: Sam Henderson
Blog: Today’s Nest
How long have you blogging: Seven months
Why do you blog: Because I have a secret (not that secret anymore) desire to have a book or magazine one day. Because I have a head full of information and creativity that I think might be useful to somebody somewhere. As an extension of my design work… I think everybody has the right and ability to live in a beautiful stylish home (whatever the style). I would totally steal “design for all”, but Target would sue me.
What’s been your favorite post: That is so hard to say. If I had enough time I would do two posts per day. I love design, food, and photography equally. If I must choose one, I would say the lamington post. I think I may have shown many of my readers this treat for the very first time.
Could you share a few of your favorite blogs that you read: For food: mowielicious.com (beautiful photos), oneperfectbite.blogspot.com, and cannelle-vanille.blogspot.com. For design: apartmenttherapy.com, contemporist.com, designspongeonline.com. For fun and randomness – artofmanliness.com.
What’s “the one” big project you are most looking forward to: Launch day of our e-bakery (Savour Bakery). We have been hard at work trying to finalize marketing and other details. Right now it looks like mid-Oct.
When you’re not blogging, what are you doing: Wrapping up a career in finance and ramping up my “real” life. I have had a design business for years and will be taking it into full production by the end of the year.
Guiltiest pleasure: Project Runway. I don’t have much time for TV, but I almost never miss this show.
Favorite Drink: Gin and Tonic (with lemon).
These are the lamingtons that Sam mentioned. How beautiful.
meet a blogger monday: yours truly
I read a lot of blogs from a lot of creative people. These bloggers really inspire me, and I want to share them with you. Beginning this week, I plan to feature a blogger every Monday, in a series called Meet a Blogger. I hope that you’ll find some great ideas and information from these generous folks. To kick off the series, meet me.
Name: Michael Derr
Where are you: Tallmadge, Ohio….just outside the bustling metropolis of Akron.
Blog: made by mike blog
How long have you been blogging: Probably about 6 years or so. I finally found my true blogging voice about 5 months ago with the creation of the made by mike blog.
Why do you blog: I guess because I’m self-absorbed. Seriously, I need a creative outlet in my life. I enjoy cooking and sharing food with my friends. I love photography and sharing that too. The blog gives me a place to share all of that and a little slice of my life too. When I first started blogging it was just a few friends and family following along. The past couple of month have brought a larger more diverse audience my way. It’s been amazing meeting some pretty wonderful people and sharing recipes, ideas and inspirations.
What’s been you favorite post: Probably the post where I introduced my Everyday Food Challenge. It got picked up on Martha Stewart’s Everyday Food Blog and really kick-started my commitment to blog writing. At that point, I had basically committed to cooking a recipe a week from each issue of Everyday Food Magazine. At this point there are 77 issues in publication, with a new one coming each month. I’m up to Issue #15, so I have a long way to go, but it’s been a blast.
Could you share a few of your favorite blogs that you read: Smitten Kitchen, Today’s Nest, Abby Try Again, and Orangette inspire me with every new post. And their older posts are great too.
What’s “the one” big project you are most looking forward to: Planning my wedding to Greg. We’ll be celebrating our tenth anniversary together in December. I know that each day we’re getting closer to the day that we can legally wed. I won a Martha Stewart Wedding Cakes book a few weeks back, and it got me thinking. It’s no longer a question of if we’ll be able to get married, it’s now a question of when. It’s going to be one hell of a party.
When you’re not blogging, what are you doing: Working as the Marketing/Events Supervisor for our local library system.
Guiltiest pleasure: The Real Housewives Series on Bravo.
Favorite Drink: An ice-cold Diet Coke.
*and yes that’s an angry toaster on my t-shirt. I like toast.
