#Project 366–Week 3

A week in the life of a food fanatic, as viewed through the lens of a camera…

Day #15 – Resisting the Sunday evening chocolate craving with this oatmeal, raisin and walnut Clif energy bar that I’d saved from Saturday’s trip to the Outdoors Show 

Healthy seafood suppers to get fit quick

Back in December it seemed like I had subscribed to the “seefood” diet – in other words, any time I spotted some appetising morsel, I would immediately feel the need to stuff it in my mouth.

I was tired of counting the calories in every ingredient in every meal, tired of denying myself from testing out the tempting treats on offer at food festivals, and tired of waking up at 6am most mornings to drag my weary body to the gym in the hope of staying slim. In short, I felt exhausted, mentally and physically.

So like most people at the end of the year, I overindulged – even achieving the rather impressive feat of consuming two of Outsider Tart’s baseball-sized carrot and cream cheese whoopie pies in two days. My feeding frenzy climaxed at Christmas, in a haze of gooey chocolates, juicy roasted meat and crunchy amaretto tiramisu.

#Project366 – week 2

The first fortnight of my #Project366 challenge is now over! I’m already in the habit of pausing to take a picture of my meal before actually taking a bite, so my problem so far hasn’t been remembering to take a food-related photo, but deciding which snapshot should be *the* image that accurately reflects my activities and mood each day.

Here’s a brief glimpse into my daily diet and my most memorable gastronomic moments of the week…

Day #8 – Mashed avocado mixed with tuna, sweetcorn and diced red pepper and hastily thrown into a chargrilled tortilla to provide me with a light lunch late in the afternoon

Introducing #Project366 – week 1

One of the challenges I’ve set for myself in 2012 is to follow in the footsteps of Shutterbean, one of my blogging idols, and capture a food-related photograph every day.

With the aim of improving my photographic skills, I’ve decided to add another element to my gastronomic version of #Project366 and only use Instagram to edit these snapshots. The single shape option offered in this package will force me to think more carefully about the composition of my images, and I’m intending to develop the art of focussing the viewer’s gaze on a certain spot by using the tilt-shift tool and wide range of filters more effectively. 

I hope that you enjoy these brief insights into how everyday life appears through the eyes of a food fanatic!

Day #1 – Having totally forgotten to take any photos of the numerous meals I’d cooked during the first day of 2012, I was forced to settle for a snapshot of my healthy bedtime snack (my favourite Jordan’s cereal bar and mug of tea)

Finest dining experiences of 2011

After reading my reviews of The Brekky’s Club’s mashed avocado and bacon on toast and Camden Bar’s blueberry pancakes, you'd assume that I only ever went out for brunch. In fact, I've dined at an array of excellent eateries over the past year at all different times of the day - I just haven't been very good at reporting back. So following on from my favourite foodie finds, I decided to end my series of 2011 reflections with a photo gallery of the most memorable meals I've experienced away from my kitchen.

Rather than providing any elaborate flavour descriptions, I’ll let these snapshots speak for themselves. Just like your favourite childhood story before it is transformed into a garish cinema blockbuster, sometimes it’s better to just use your imagination…

Favourite foodie finds from 2011

Before I devote my full attention on this blog to the gastronomic wonders of 2012, I thought I’d spend a few moments looking back at some of the palatable independent produce that has caught my eye since moving to the “big smoke” during the summer.

Each of these foodie finds are so outstanding that they really deserve an article from me dedicated solely to their own deliciousness (and I know you’ll find rave reviews from journalists and bloggers alike if you Google any one of their names) but as I recently confessed, a combination of time and timidity limited my writing rate in 2011. However, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to spread the word on the culinary creations that have prevented my hunger pangs over the last few months, and that I predict to be even more successful in 2012!

Reflecting on 2011 - goals for the Feel-good Foodbook in 2012

I’ve always enjoyed fine dining and experimenting with intriguing flavour combinations in the kitchen, but 2011 was a gastronomic game-changer for me.

My cooking skills rapidly accelerated, as I attempted to portray myself as a Nigella-esque domestic goddess to my boyfriend. My repertoire of recipes expanded, as I pushed myself to practice new dishes and to perfect old faithfuls. My interest in photography blossomed, as I realised that a meal’s presentation was second only in importance to its flavour. My tastebuds tingled, as I moved to London and investigated the capital’s exceptional independent eateries. When my desire to share this passion for good food became irrepressible, I decided to join the growing mass of food bloggers and diarise my taste sensations online.


But it’s been harder than I expected to reproduce my obsession for culinary delights on the page. My excuse is that I’ve lacked the time to post frequently, but the truth is that I’ve been afraid that my writing style lacked the eloquence to make for an captivating read. The library of food photos on my computer grew exponentially, but the correlating stories remained locked inside my head – too timid to be released into the wider world.