Food Bloggers Unplugged!

There's a new tag in town, it's Food Bloggers Unplugged which has been started by Susan from A Little Bit of Heaven on a Plate and I have been tagged by Karen at Lavender and Lovage.

Food Bloggers Unplugged is to help you to find out a bit more about the tagged Food blogger, in this case ME!  So here goes:


What or who inspired you to start your blog?
I started my craft blog in July 2007, Farmersgirl Kitchen followed in August 2007.
I really couldn't remember exactly why I started it and thought that there was a bigger gap between the two blogs.  So I went back to see what I'd said in my first post:

Tuesday, 14th August 2007
First Post: I love food!
Yes, I really love food and lots of different food.  Just as well I like cooking too!

I am going to share some of my favourite recipes here and tell you all about what I am cooking and eating. Maybe some cookery book reviews too, I have too many cook books and have a tendency to do too much reading and not enough cooking.

I think the blog must have had the desired effect as I am cooking more than I am reading now!

Who is your foodie inspiration?
My mum is an incredible inspiration. When I was growing up she was always making something new and different and continues to be an excellent cook.  In her heyday she also entered a lot of baking competitions and would make a certain item again and again until she got it perfect. 

Your greasiest most batter splattered cook book is?
Now I really found this difficult as I don't have one book which I use all the time, there are quite a few which are greasy and splattered!  Anyway, I decided to pick out three and tell you about them.

These are three of the oldest books that I bought myself.
 
A Taste of the Country by Pamela Westland, I this got out of the library when I was 15, I trailed it in my suitcase on holiday to London and Belgium (it was hardback as well!).  Later I bought the paperback, used it to death and had to buy a replacement.
Cooking in a Bedsitter by Katherine Whitehorn was given to me by my Mum when I went to university and was well used. It is also a very good read, with lots of funny anecdotes.
The complete International Jewish Cookbook by Evelyn Rose was a book I bought in 1978 (I noticed that I had written my name and the date on the inside title page) and cooked from for many years, there are some fabulous recipes in there and I used to be able to live for a week from a 'boiling fowl' bought from the butchers, making it into all sorts of different dishes inpsired by Ms Rose.

The best thing you have ever eaten in another country, where was it and what was it?
Again this is difficult, I have quite a few foodie memories, but not sure that I could pick one out as the best.  However, the first time I went to another country it was on a family camping holiday to the South of France, it was a huge adventure and for a Scottish girl from a small country village in the early 1970s, I was very impressed by the bounty of the markets and particularly the fresh peaches, which we washed in the fountain by the market square and ate there and then.  I'd never tasted peaches so ripe and sweet.

Another Food Blogger's table you would like to eat at?
How on earth am I supposed to choose without offending all my bloggie friends?
I'd love to go to a dinner with Karen from Lavender and Lovage, Jac from Tinned Tomatoes,  Dom from Belleau Kitchen, Fiona from London Unattached , Susan from A little bit of Heaven on a Plate  and Kate from Turquoise Lemons. So I'll either have to tour round each one or they will all have to come to me.  You see, for me, it's all about the people not the food, a nice bowl of soup and some bread and cheese with like-minded friends would be fabulous.

What one kitchen gadget would you like Santa to bring you? (money no object)
I'd love a Magimix food processor.  My food processor just won't die so I don't feel I can justify getting one. The one I have is a Moulinex which I bought in 1980 and is very basic, but the motor in it must be solid state!

I'm coming to you for dinner, what is your signature dish?
It would have to be Beef in Barolo wine,  I've never actually used a bottle of Barolo, just a nice bottle of tannic red does the job. It's an ace recipe because all the work is done before hand, so you can spend time with your guests.

What is your guilty food pleasure?
I'm not sure I have one...I try not to feel guilty about food, it takes away the pleasure.

Reveal something about yourself that others would be surprised to learn?
I used to work for Donald Dewar MP, long before he became the first First Minister for Scotland. 

And now I have to tag five other Food Bloggers to answer these questions:

1. The Little Loaf
2. Home Baked Online
3. The Baking Addict
4. Chow and Chatter
5. Orange Thyme Blog