Laura Wright's interview
Interview by RachelWe interviewed Laura Wright!
Visit the blog: The First Mess.
Hello Laura Wright, so tell us...
When did you begin The First Mess, and what was the inspiration behind it?
I started the blog in June of 2011. I had been experimenting more in the kitchen since taking up a more plant-based way of living. I had also graduated culinary school and had been working in restaurants for years by that point. I was ready to work in a new way creatively, and to share some of the knowledge I had gained to make wholesome/healthy living seem more accessible.
What are your culinary influences?
The season is a big, obvious one. But cookbook authors like Bryant Terry, Yotam Ottolenghi, and Deborah Madison have inspired me a lot. I love Alice Waters' work, in all of its amazing forms. Blogs get my wheels turning too--I particularly like My Darling Lemon Thyme (http://www.mydarlinglemonthyme.com/), Oh Ladycakes (http://www.ohladycakes.com/), The Vanilla Bean Blog (http://thevanillabeanblog.com/), The Year In Food (http://theyearinfood.com/), and Apartment 2B Baking Co (http://apt2bbakingco.blogspot.com/).
What is your earliest food memory?
There's a few. I remember my cousin showing me "ice cream soup" when both of our bowls had transitioned from perfect scoops to milky messes with chocolate sauce swirls. That was a good one. My mum always let my brother and I bake with her, and she still has the same Sunbeam MixMaster from the 70's, so every time I see it at her house I get happy flashbacks. My favorite toys were always the Fisher Price "play food" ones with the little kitchen and the cute grocery store cash register too. I got the little plastic soft serve machine when I turned four and the excitement for that was unbelievable.
Do you have a favorite foodie destination?
I love Montreal because it's close enough for us and because everything is just so, so good. The entire city is pleasure, magnified and blown up times a hundred. There's a feeling of closeness with restaurants and just general food and drink experiences there. That combination of genuine hospitality and inspiring eats is hard to forget.
What was your most memorable meal?
We had a beautiful dinner at Dan Barber's Blue Hill in Manhattan a couple springs ago. Some of the flavors and experiences from that still resonate with me. There were snap peas that had such intense, fresh, and sweet flavour. My eyes go wide just thinking about it.
How would you best describe your philosophy towards food?
If it came from the earth, then it's surely good enough to eat.
What has been the greatest obstacle or challenge since starting The First Mess and how have you overcome it? How do you continue to be inspired today?
The food/recipe inspiration always flows, but sometimes I'll just feel like I have nothing of value to write about or share. My blog is kind of a personal creative journal, so bits of life work their way in and sometimes it's hard to find a way to put it out there, but also avoid reaching the point where it's too immediate for the reader. The balance of it is tricky, but just being honest is usually a successful route.
Do you have a secret ingredient, a product you use a lot that is unexpected or that helps you save time?
I use a lot of vegetable stock, just to give grains and legumes more flavor. I also love utilizing saltier/umami kind of ingredients to bring out really full flavors--like tamari soy sauce, miso, ground up olives, capers, green tea etc.
Is there any dish, ingredient or type of food you refuse to cook? Or anything that you refuse to eat?
If I'm travelling or in the company of family, I'm a bit more relaxed in terms of food choices. I don't abide by a certain diet because I've always hated rules.
My worst food flop was...
There's been some heartbreak cakes in my time. Either the recipe itself just sucked, or I tried to de-pan it too soon and it just crumbled onto the counter. There's so much pressure with cake!
Thank you Laura Wright for answering our questions and see you soon!
Published by Rachel - 06/20/2014
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