Sree's interview

Interview by Gitanjali

We interviewed Sree!

Visit the blog: Ammaji Kitchen.

See profile page and recipes

Discover Sree's favorite recipe: Fried Pineapple Quinoa

Join Sreevalli from the blog "Ammaji's Kitchen" on her culinary voyage from her home country to the USA!

Hello Sree, so tell us...

When did you begin your blog, and what inspired you to start it?

It was in 2005, I was a newbie in cooking & was looking for motivation to improve my cooking skills. I came along a few regional blogs, which helped me a lot. I was inspired by them & started my blog in 2009 & it is going steady till now.

Are you involved in the blogging community - how do you attract new readers?

I’m a member of a few Indian blogger communities. I share recipes, links to recipes & a few interesting photographs that attract readers from different parts of the world. I do network with other bloggers & participate in events happening around the communities which does attract new readers to my blog.

Who are your culinary influences?

My hubby & I are food explorers & always love experimenting with different cuisines, even with our limitations. I follow a few food shows & would agree that they did their part in influencing me. I follow “Giada De Laurentiis” & “Ina Garten” & in my view they show how tastefully you can cook a dish without any stress.

What was it like leaving your home country and going to the United States? And what was it like learning to cook there?

I first left my home country & accompanied my husband to South Korea. It was an adventure at first to get accustomed to a new country. It was also the place where I learned & improved my cooking skills. The USA was our second destination & it definitely took me a while to make it a home. I have a supportive husband who taught & encouraged me in my cooking journey.

What is your earliest food memory?

I was born in a vegetarian family. For many years I was raised as a vegetarian & then my pediatrician came into the picture. He suggested that my parents add eggs to my diet in order to improve my health situation. That’s when I officially became an Ovo-Lacto Vegetarian.

Do you have a secret ingredient, a product you use a lot that is unexpected or that helps you save time?

It’s a seasonal thing for me. I keep changing it from time to time. For now I’m in love with fennel seeds & they are friendly to Indian cuisine. They bring out the uniqueness in dishes. So it’s a party as long as it lasts & I jump to the next one to satisfy my taste buds.

Is there any dish, ingredient or type of food you refuse to cook? Or anything that you refuse to eat?

I’m hesitant to cook & eat non-vegetarian. I can say because of my cultural & traditional attachments, I may not be willing to try. Also it’s not hard to survive when you have wide options in what you believe.

Is it difficult finding creative recipe ideas when you're ovo-lacto vegetarian?

No, when you have eggs as an option you are covering most of the dishes there. Also it makes life easier when you love baked food.

What are your goals for your blog? Where would you like to see it in the next year? Five years?

For the past couple of years it’s been a bumpy ride to my blog. I’m trying to fill in the gap I have created & would definitely want to be more active on it. I have ideas pouring in & one of them is to writing a cookbook. It might take a while in making one, but that is one of my goals.

What is your favorite Gourmandize recipe? And could you share one of your own favorite recipes with us?

It is hard to mention just one recipe when you have a collection of them. In particular I love the dessert section, as most of the recipes are very friendly to my diet. If I need to pick one, I would go with “ Fried Pineapple Quinoa”. This dish is filled with flavors that linger in your mouth for days.

Thank you Sree for answering our questions and see you soon!
Published by Gitanjali - 03/28/2014

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