14. Food Blog: Cannelle et Vanille

What inspires you to write a food blog?

My memories about food and my family are what initially inspired me to start the blog. It is full of nostalgia as my upbringing was very linked to food and pastry in particular. Now I am inspired by my surroundings, my friends, the seasons, the produce I find and other chefs.

What sort of posting really gets your readers excited (good or bad)?

Meet the Food Bloggers: Chocolate and Zucchini

Clotilde Dusoulier blogs on her edible adventures in Paris

• Meet the Food Bloggers: Orangette

• Are French baguettes losing their crust?

Meet the Food Bloggers: Steamy Kitchen

Jaden Hair enthuses about how blogging won her a TV career, 'pimping' her kids in food videos and Gucci steaks

• It's all Chinese to me

• Good food in Belfast

• Meet the Food Bloggers: Use Real Butter

Related Links

• Meet the Food Bloggers: nordljus

• Meet the Food Bloggers: Delicious Days

It seems like every time I feature anything with chocolate my readers go crazy. I love how chocolate has that effect on people.

Which cookbook can you not do without and which chef is your hero/heroine?

So many… right now chef Stephane Glacier’s “Petits Gateaux et Verrines” tops my stack of cookbooks, also Johnny Luzzini’s “Dessert Fourplay”, Ignacio Migoya’s “Frozen Desserts”, Donna Hay’s “No Time to Cook”, Gerald Hirigoyen’s “Pintxos” and many more. And as far as my chef hero, that's easy - my daily inspiration is my grandfather Angel.

Share a seasonal recipe with us...and a tip for a local restaurant?

Any slow roasted fruit that is in season with vanilla bean ice cream. Nothing beats that. Simple, simple, simple.

I recently discovered a small, family owned restaurant in our neighborhood (Jupiter, Florida) called Leftovers. The menu changes regularly and is inspired by Caribbean and Asian food. A perfect mix of everything that we have in South Florida.

Tell us something about food from your part of the world?

I grew up in the Basque Country where we had access to great produce and seafood. Everything was always prepared simply, uncluttered. That has really stuck with me and is how I like to experience food in my life.

What would you eat for your last supper?

My mom’s arroz con leche (rice with milk). No doubt about it… with extra Maria cookies.

Which other food blogs do you read regularly?

They include: Tartelette ; La Tartine Gourmande ; Lemonpi ; B Comme Bon ; Pastry Studio ; Bread and Honey ; Eggbeater ;

Simply Breakfast ; Sunday Suppers ; Cook and Eat and all the other ones in my blogroll.

Times Recommends

• Top Ten most searched for recipes
• Chalet Chef 2010: the winning menus
• Gin and pomegranate jellies