Screen handle:  Carly’s Whey

Website:  www.carlyswhey.blogspot.com

Where are you based? Toronto

Why did you start your site?

I had dallied with the idea of starting a food blog for a couple of years, but never just sat down and did it.  I was taking a food writing course at the University of Toronto, and met a woman, just like me, who had taken the plunge and started one.  (She has a lovely site called Dinner Plate Diaries, check it out).  Anyway, it was the last little push I needed.

How long have you been blogging?

Only since June, 2011!  See above re procrastinating.

What kind of impact do you think bloggers have made in restaurant reviews/cooking/dining in general, if at all?

I think bloggers, and “food opinion writing” has opened up and in some ways democratized the food scene.  Everybody has a say now, and that’s awesome.  And I know it has certainly changed what food writing that I read:  I have about 20 or so food blogs that I regularly consult, mainly for recipe inspiration.  Restaurant reviews are a bit different, I think.  Though I do check out restaurant review blogs, I have stayed away from writing reviews myself; I think that I have more relevant things to say on my blog simply about the food that I cook and what has worked for me in my home kitchen.  Because I’ve cooked forever, I think it gives me some authority in that specific realm.

What’s your definition of a “foodie”? Do you consider yourself to be one?

I think the term ‘foodie’ just needs to go away, if I’m being honest.  It has all kinds of bad and pretentious connotations, and evokes snobby people that consider food to be a status symbol.  To me, at least, that’s what the term represents.  So, no, I don’t consider myself to be one.  I really hope that I don’t act like one!  I love food, so I guess I’m a food-lover?  We always have to name things in our culture, eh?

Favourite type of cuisine?

Hmmm.  I love love love Vietnamese food.  I took a fantastic trip to Southeast Asia in 2007, and a friend and I took two weeks to eat our way through Vietnam.  I ate food there that tasted entirely different than anything I had ever tried before – it was so exciting.  I love a bowl of pho, or bun, and some cold rolls, any day of the week.  The citrus, chilis, cilantro, fish sauce combos blow my mind.

I’m also partial to French food.  I love how luscious it is, and the high percentage of braised dishes that are part of the French tradition.  Braises rule.  I’m so happy that the weather is turning so I can start making things like coq au vin again.

Restaurant?

I love Le Select for French food, and the atmosphere is wonderful.  If you squint you could be in Paris.  Golden Turtle is my favourite Vietnamese.  Addis Ababa for Ethiopian which I also love.

Do you make that kind of cuisine or do you prefer to go to restaurants?

I love cooking at home, but there are times when you just can’t be arsed and going out to a restaurant is the only solution.  I love both experiences:  there is something that is incredibly satisfying about cooking for yourself or those you love at your house.  You stay in, get cozy, no one has any other plans for the evening, and contentment abounds.  But there is so much to be said for a night out at a great restaurant.  It can feel so lively and exciting, and when dinner is over you all spill out onto the street, satisfied and, hopefully, a bit tipsy.

Do you take pictures of food with a camera-camera or your phone?  Do people think it’s weird?

For the blog, I take pictures of the food that I make with a camera-camera.  Sometimes it’s a bit weird when I make a dish and people want to dig in and I won’t let them until I get a perfect shot, but if I’m cooking for them they’ll usually indulge me.  I don’t take photos in restaurants – I like to focus on the eating, and not worry about the lighting or the styling of the food.  If I’m eating something delicious, I want to save all my energy for enjoying it.  Also, my blog is about home cooking, so there’s really no need to take photos in restaurants.