sneak-peek blogs :: gourmande in the kitchen

and i am back! i am back for a delicious feature! why? because as you can see from the title, it is about blogs and food… and who doesn’t love food blogs? unless the photography is a bit crappy, we all love some food styling, right? i always try to do something like what i see, but it seems i lack the rustic wood tables, the good looking tea-towels and of course, the delicious food. but i know someone that does this in a very delicious way! her name is sylvie and she was already here on the blog for to share a {crostini recipe}! today i invited her to talk about her blog… called {gourmande in the kitchen}.

why you started it… “i document my love of food through my photography and my blog. food makes my world go ’round: thinking about it, making it, eating it, photographing it, and talking about it.  i’ve been cooking, reading, eating and immersing myself in everything related to food for as long as i can remember.  i feel most alive when i am photographing food and capturing all the beautiful little details: the colors, the textures, the shapes. food inspires me, it makes me think, create and appreciate.”

what’s behind the name… “the name of my blog {gourmande in the kitchen} reflects my love of food. gourmande is a french word that describes a person who has a great interest in food, someone who eats eagerly and with great passion. “in the kitchen” is where you can be sure to find me!”

what do you wish to accomplish with the blog… “the blog is about celebrating the pleasure that food brings to our lives on a daily basis. my motto is: cook simply. i don’t think you always need a lot of time or a long list of ingredients to make satisfying and delicious food. for me good food isn’t fussy or pretentious; it’s simple, it’s real and it’s made with love for those we love.  i hope to inspire others to embrace food, to follow their instincts, trust their taste buds, and find a sense of confidence in the kitchen.”

where does your love for food comes from… “i’ve been drawn to food and cooking from a very young age.  as a child, i spent every summer in france with my maternal grandparents.  those summers were filled with some of my most cherished memories: picking fragrant wild blackberries and raspberries in the woods with which we prepared large batches of jam, and helping to thinly slice apples for my grandmother’s perfectly arranged apple tart.  each meal was lovingly prepared with fresh ingredients we bought almost daily from the local merchants.  a favorite treat was biting into the crusty end (le crouton) of a still warm baguette on the way home from the bakery.  food was the center of daily life; when one meal was finished, we immediately planned and anticipated the next.”

sylvie is such a nice gal… she is a sweet friend, has an incredible eye for delicious food and simple as well, and i like how warm her pictures look, just like if we were invited to sit and eat in comfortable table with some friends. it is also curious because i can see french flavours and colours… or even italian… mediterranean food is an inspiration for sure. i hope you can take the time to visit {gourmande in the kitchen} and why not try some of sylvie’s recipes? she can also be found on {flickr} and {facebook}! enjoy…

images: sylvie shirazi via gourmande in the kitchen