Meet the Blogger and GBBO Contestant: Holly Bell

Today’s blog post continues the series of blog interviews that began with an interview with Urvashi Roe a couple of weeks ago, and continued last week with an interview with Mary-Anne Boermans. Today, I’m very excited to be interviewing Holly Bell! If you’ve been watching the Great British Bake Off, you will have seen some amazing, beautiful-looking dishes made by Holly, with some very interesting flavour combinations. Not only is she a very talented bake-off contestant, but Holly also has a blog with some very yummy looking recipes and can be found on Twitter, where she tweets as @HollyBellMummy.

If you live in the UK and haven’t yet watched any episodes of the Great British Bake Off, why not catch up on BBC iPlayer before watching the next episode on BBC2 next Tuesday at 8pm. What do you think about the Great British Bake Off so far? Who do you think is going to win? Which of Holly’s bakes was your favourite? Leave a comment below this post and let me know!

Thank you for agreeing to be interviewed, Holly, and welcome to my little blog!

We’ll start with some quick-fire questions...

Starters or dessert?

Both. I'm a piglet. But if pushed then starter. 

Fruit or chocolate?

Do I even need to answer this? Okay then... chocolate of course! 

Cheese or cheesecake?

Cheese every time. The bluer and smellier the better. 

Blue or green?

Green. Please see my celebration cake, pesto quiche and lime meringue pie for evidence of this little obsession.  

Mary Berry or Paul Hollywood ... no just joking about the last one – you don’t have to answer!

Mary. Sorry Paul but she's the OBE of the baking world!

Congratulations on getting on to the Great British Bake Off this year. It seems like a pretty friendly atmosphere on the show, particularly compared to other cooking shows on TV. What was it like and has anyone recognised you in the street in the last couple of weeks since the show started airing?

The Bake Off was great fun but incredibly hard work. I learnt a huge amount from the judges and fellow contestants. It feels like a dream now. A very good one! As for being recognised -three times so far. Each person has asked me about Rob though; the little heart breaker! 

How has being on the show changed you as a baker (if it has)?

The show has given me lots more confidence as a baker and also made me try recipes I'd never previously have even looked at. Pork pie with quails egg anyone?

Where did you find inspiration for your recipes on the Great British Bake Off?

I developed a lot of recipes specifically with my son Charlie in mind. He's a huge fan of baking, both the past time and the eating. 

You have an awesome blog. How did you get into blogging, and what is your favourite recipe on your blog?

I started blogging when I went on maternity leave before having my youngest son. I have always loved food, writing and experimenting with recipes and suddenly had a little time to indulge myself. My fave recipe? So hard but probably sausage rolls with homemade sausage meat (take a peek here and here). You can't beat a good sausage roll!

Apart from your own (!), which blog (or blogs) are your favourite or particularly inspire you?

So many great food blogs so I will only name one to keep this shorter than 1000 words:

I love Recipe Rifle with a passion. Esther Walker is the Head Girl of blogging. I would have had a massive crush on her at school.  

And finally, in one sentence, what advice would you give an aspiring blogger?

Write about your true passion, whatever that may be and DO NOT obsess over viewing statistics! 

* Disclaimer: I’ve chosen to interview Holly Bell, and to talk about The Great British Bake Off, because I love the programme. I’ve not received any kind of compensation for this interview. All of Holly’s answers are copyright to her, and you will need to contact her if you want to replicate them in any way.

Meet the Blogger and GBBO Contestant: Mary-Anne Boermans

We’re steaming ahead with the Meet the Blogger series and today I’m interviewing Mary-Anne Boermans*, one of the contestants from the Great British Bake Off. When I watch the Great British Bake Off, I can’t help admiring Mary-Anne’s pioneering spirit in trying new or slightly different techniques, and the way she combines her own ideas with things that she’s picked up in old cookery books to make dishes that make me drool. For more delicious ideas from Mary-Anne, check out her blog or find her on Twitter, where she tweets as @wotchers.

If you live in the UK and haven’t yet sat for an hour being tempted by the tasty baked goods on the Great British Bake Off, why not catch up on BBC iPlayer or watch the next episode next Tuesday at 8pm. What have you enjoyed most on the Great British Bake Off so far? Which of Mary-Anne’s creations has been your favourite? Leave a comment below and let me know!

Welcome to my little blog, Mary-Anne, and thank you for agreeing to the interviewed.

We’ll start with some quick-answer questions...

Cooking or Baking?

Cooking (which to my mind includes baking)

Sweet or savoury?

Savoury

Terry Pratchett or Jane Austen?

Terry. Always Terry.

Mel Giedroyc or Sue Perkins ... just joking – you don’t have to answer that one!

It'd be both, anyways. Both completely hilarious, and SO good at putting us at our ease in the beginning in what was, quite frankly, a very surreal experience.

Congratulations on getting on to the Great British Bake Off this year. I really admire the way you all produce such beautiful baking despite the time pressures. What was it like, and has your home baking speeded up?

Thank you. It was great being on the show because in some ways it reminded me of cookery lessons at school (yes, I am old enough to come from the era when cookery lessons were available in school - only for girls in my day though). Also, because I mostly cook and bake during the day when I'm on my own in the house, the group bake experience was a fun one. There were a lot of laughs in that tent - good times. It's not really affected my speed, because we were baking things I don't normally bake at home, but there have definitely been benefits.

How has being on the show changed you as a baker (if it has)?

I've been trying to make more of an effort with the presentation of my baking, since filming the show. My own personal 'style' if you like, is rustic, hearty and generous - so the small, dainty baking tasks we were being set were certainly a challenge. And I do think I am better now than before the show. I recently made some Coconut Gingerbread Cakes that were originally supposed to be cooked as spoonfuls of batter on a baking sheet, but I found a workaround that made them look a lot neater and much cuter - and I wouldn't have considered doing this before.

Where did you find inspiration for your recipes on the Great British Bake Off?

I really like old cookery books - and I mean REALLY old - Eliza Acton, Hannah Glasse, Mary Kettilby, Elizabeth Hammond, Hannah Woolley. Thanks to modern technology, I don't need to buy their books - facsimiles are available on the internet, and I love experimenting and reviving their recipes, which are absolutely delicious. I also like consulting my ever-growing collection of recipe books produced by the Womens Institutes of various counties. I am trying to get at least one from each county/region in the UK. Thirdly is the internet - I see a picture and try to recreate it, or put a twist on it if I think I can improve it in some way.

What is your best bake that hasn’t had any airtime so far?

I really liked my Coconut Lime Cupcakes from Round 1. Only the Banoffi Cupcakes got any screen time. Both recipes are on my blog though (here and here). I made three different macaroon flavours, but they only showed the not-so-great one (boo!) - the others (hazelnut & chocolate, and blackcurrant & mint) looked and tasted great! </modest> ;)

You have a great blog and an impressive number of page views despite only blogging for a few months. What is your secret, and what is your favourite post on your blog?

Thank you for the kind words. You're not the first to mention the page view numbers. Obviously, a lot of interest has been due to the return of the Bake Off - but I've also been lucky enough to have some blog pictures accepted by Tastespotting and Foodgawker, which has really boosted the visitor numbers - for example, over 2000 in just 36 hours, after I posted the Apple Rose Tart recipe. Although the popular posts are always encouraging, I don't really have a favourite post - all of the recipes are ones that I can vouch for in terms of taste and because I think they are achievable by anyone, especially those wanting to cook and bake for their families.

In your ‘about’ section on your blog, you seem to deride your photos – and yet they are great! Do you do your own food photography, and if so, what advice would you give an aspiring food photographer?

Deride? Hrms - that wasn't my intention. I do do my own photography, and I base it on what I see as being important - i.e. the food. I wanted to show that, just because the recipes are budget conscious, doesn't mean they can't look just as inviting as those with more expensive ingredients. Plus I can't afford to go out and buy a whole stack of styling accessories just for the blog, so I use what we have in the house. For the aspiring food photographer I would say - just do it. Practice, practice, practice. In this age of digital cameras, you don't have to wait for pictures to be printed, you can see immediately whether you like them or not. And if not, then delete them and try again. Natural diffused (i.e.indirect) light from one side is ideal - and try using a big piece of white card on the opposite side to reflect the light back onto your subject. There are also many helpful tips and suggestions out there for creating favourable lighting conditions inside, without having to spend a great deal. Another reason to love the internet.

Apart from your own (!), which blog (or blogs) are your favourite or particularly inspire you?

Several of the Bake Off contestants have their own blogs and I have them listed on the blogroll on my home page. Even though we have the Bake Off in common, it's great to see how diverse they all are - and each one typical of the authors. Worthy of special mention I think are Yasmin Limbert's Pieces Of Rainbow and Jason White's Preheat The Oven. Yasmin is such a talented baker and cook, as well as being wonderfully creative in the craft projects she produces, and Jason shows exceptional talent, despite being just 19 years old.

And finally, you say on your blog that you’re a Terry Pratchett fan – what is your favourite character and/or book?

Granny Weatherwax, without a doubt. You probably need to read all 4 books with her in to fully appreciate the cleverness and completeness of the character/personality Sir Terry has created, but any one with her in is a favourite of mine. I especially like Lords and Ladies though - Midsummer Night's Dream, but not as we know it (but also much more believable and scary, I think).

*Disclaimer: I’ve chosen to interview Mary-Anne Boermans, and to talk about The Great British Bake Off, because I love the programme. I’ve not received any kind of compensation for this interview. All of Mary-Anne’s answers are copyright to her, and you will need to contact her if you want to replicate them in any way.

Baguette Pizza

I seem to be growing increasingly frustrated with myself at the moment. The entire PhD thesis is in now in its nearly-final version and the biggest task ahead for me is finishing off all the editing – the little turns of phrase, the missed commas, the tiny grammatical mistakes, the signposting between chapters, and those clinching sentences that show that I really do know what I’m talking about (or at least that’s the aim…) – and to finish off drawing lots and lots of maps and site plans. But, my brain seems to be at capacity today and I’m beginning to think that it is MIA, although I guess some of it has to be around for me to even be able to think that…

If you’re anything like me, there are times, like this time for me, when simplicity in the kitchen is a great relief. But, times of busy-ness are also often times when you want a bit of indulgence – something that feels a bit special or evokes one of your favourite meals and still feels good for you. I love this dish for times like that – it is quick and easy to prepare, if you add a salad, you’ll have a complete, and not entirely unhealthy, meal, and it evokes one of my favourite food types – pizza, although it does lack the round, loaded with too much cheese characteristics that proper pizzas should have (in my opinion). This bacon, olive and spring onion version tastes good, but these toppings are easily swopped for whatever you love best on pizza. I don’t have exact quantities, so in the true style of the title of this blog, just add some, according to your fancy, of each. Depending on hunger-levels, this will serve two to three people.

What you’ll need:

2 or 3 short baguettes, or one long one, cut in half

A small package of bacon rashers

A small jar of olives (black or green – you choose)

About 4 spring onions

One or two balls of mozzarella

Tomato sauce

Tomato paste

Freshly ground pepper

Dried herbs, like oregano or basil

What to do:

1. Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 6 (200º C or 400º F).

2. Cook the bacon, drain the olives, chop the spring onions and slice up the mozzarella.

3. Mix together a few spoons of tomato sauce and tomato paste, in roughly equal quantities.

4. Split the baguettes into two lengthways, and then generously cover each half with the tomato sauce/paste mixture. I find it easiest to do this with the back of a spoon.

5. Sprinkle the pepper and dried herbs over the tomato sauce, then add some cheese slices, spring onions, olive and bacon rashers to each. I think I prefer it in that order, but, if you want to, go wild and mix it up!

6. Place the baguettes on a baking tray (no need to grease it) and bake for about 10 or 15 minutes in the middle of the pre-heated oven, until the cheese has melted and the edges of the baguette are getting crispy.

7. Devour, preferably with some yummy salad and a glass of wine.

Carrot and Ginger Muffins

I often have ideas for things to bake or cook a couple of months or weeks before I actually get round to trying them. More than once, another blogger had posted a recipe too similar to the one in my head, or recorded in photos but not yet turned into a blog post, for me to feel fully comfortable posting my recipe without feeling like I’m just copying them. A recent example of that started the process that ultimately led to these muffins. My original idea was peach muffins and I just had to buy some peaches prior to attempting them, when a recipe post for Peachy-keen Muffins appeared on the TastyKitchen blog. So I got creative, and rather than post another Peach Muffin recipe, particularly so soon after that one had been posted, I decided to try make Carrot and Peach Muffins. I thought they were pretty good, but J, my resident taster, did not think they were blog-worthy (something about wet bits of peach not being a good texture experience…). So I went back to the drawing board my wooden spoon, whisk and oven, and came up with these Carrot and Ginger Muffins. I’m not fully happy with them, largely, I think, because I over-baked them, and so the outsides came out a bit too dry. Unfortunately, though I’m too wrapped up in trying to finish my PhD to do more than brief playing around in the kitchen, and so these are coming to you without the further trials that I’d usually do to try improve the recipe. If you think of, or do, anything that improves them, I’d love to know! This recipe makes about 10 medium-sized muffins. All the cup measurements below were made using a 250 ml mug as equivalent to 1 cup. If you prefer a sweeter muffin than the recipe below provides, it should be okay to add a bit more sugar, though I’ve not tried doing so.

What you’ll need

2 1/2 cups self-raising flour

Pinch salt

4 tablespoons dark brown sugar

2 cups grated carrot

1 teaspoon dried ginger

1 cup orange juice

1 egg

1 1/2 tablespoons butter/margarine, melted

What to do:

1. Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 5 (190º C or 375º F).

2. Sieve the flour and salt into a bowl, and add the sugar, grated carrot and dried ginger, before mixing everything together thoroughly.

3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the orange juice, egg and melted butter/margarine.

4. Pour the liquid ingredients into the bowl with the dry ingredients and mix together quickly with a wooden spoon.

5. Spoon the muffin mixture into a prepared muffin tin. If, like me, you don’t have any muffin cases and are too lazy to grease the tin, you can make your own cases using baking parchment. To do so, first cut out as many rectangles of baking parchment as you need muffin cases – my rectangles were about 14/15 by 19/20 cm. Then, one at a time, push a rectangle of paper down into a muffin hole in the tin with one hand, shaping it to the tin, whilst straightening and pulling up the sides with the other hand. Apologies for the pictures below – this is a two-handed job and, with a camera in one hand, I was one hand short. Hopefully they’ll still help to show what I mean.

  Unfortunately, no amount of photo editing can compensate for an out of focus photo…

6. Bake the muffins in the middle of the pre-heated oven for about half an hour, or until golden-brown on top.

7. When the muffins have baked, let them cool on a wire rack. I think they taste better when fully cool (they’re a bit squishy when hot), and they taste even better the day after you make them.

Meet the Blogger and GBBO Contestant: Urvashi Roe

I am very excited about today’s blog post – a blog interview with one of the contestants from the Great British Bake Off, Urvashi Roe. If you’ve been watching the Great British Bake Off, you’ll have seen some delicious-sounding, and looking, dishes made by Urvashi. If you live in the UK and haven’t watched any episodes, I suggest you go straight over to BBC iPlayer and rectify that immediately, and then follow up that good work by watching the next episode on BBC2 next Tuesday at 8pm*. If you don’t live in the UK, or if you do and you want to see more of Urvashi’s tasty baking, head over to her blog, The Botanical Baker, or find Urvashi on Twitter, where she tweets as @botanicalbaker. What do you think about the Great British Bake Off so far? Which of Urvashi’s bakes is your favourite? Leave a comment and let me know!

Thank you for agreeing to be interviewed, Urvashi, and welcome to my little blog!

Let’s start with some quick-answer questions!

Sweet tart or savoury pie?

Sweet tart always 

Starter or dessert?

Dah! Dessert! 

Baking in the Great British Bake Off tent, or baking in your own kitchen?

Baking in the tent was exciting and the adrenalin was pumping but I love the peace and calm of my own kitchen. I know where everything is and there isn't a time restraint!

Congratulations on getting on to the Great British Bake Off this year. I really admire the way you all bake so beautifully despite the knowledge that the nation will watch what you do. What was it like, and how has it challenged you as a baker?

My application and audition process was so quick that I didn't really have a chance to think through all the elements that would or could be involved.  It's the first time I've just gone with things and been quite relaxed about the unexpected happening.  

It REALLY challenged me as a baker as I had to bake things I don't usually bake - like quiche for example.  I hate quiche but actually experimenting with recipes to use for the show changed my view.  Developing the recipes and making sure they reflected my personality and baking style was one of the best parts of the experience. 

Where did you find inspiration for your recipes on the Great British Bake Off?

I LOVE food and travel.  I've been lucky enough to have travelled to so many places and savoured some amazing food. I flicked through travel albums of my past, cookery books and newspaper clippings. I also spent EVERY evening brainstorming ideas with my hubby who is also a big foodie.   

What is your best bake that hasn’t had any airtime so far?

My best bakes were my little tarts because pastry was my nemesis.  Again I hadn't done much pastry before Bake Off and was really proud of my Country Garden theme.  They didn't really show the Strawberry and Basil which was a really tasty and pretty one.   

You have a great blog, which seems to emphasise your interest in flowers and plants and their nutritional values. Where does that interest come from, and what is your favourite recipe on your blog?

Thank you.  It took a long while to come up with a blog idea that reflects my passions.  I am obsessed with understanding why something is good or bad for you from a health perspective.  I think it comes from having babies and wanting to make sure you know what is going into their tiny, vulnerable bodies. I find it fascinating that there are natural foods that you can eat to help different ailments or health issues - or even at different stages of your life.  I just wanted to be able to share the research I do on this with people.    

My favourite recipe currently on the blog is probably The Blueberry and Coconut Tart. I made it up and got it right first time plus the coconut is my all time favourite fruit! 

Your blog is quite new – what was the inspiration for starting it and where do you get ideas for new posts?

I had such a fantastic time in my thirties and did so many amazing things.  That can be harder to do when children come along so I committed to do/try 40 new things when I turned 40 last December to make sure life stays as interesting as possible.  I also love writing and so the blog is a great way to make sure I do that for fun. (I do a lot of writing at work!)

My inspiration comes from my garden, my weekends at the pick your own farm down the road, food in season, unusual food, tastes I want to experiment with, the media but also from my travels.  I've just been to India and have come back buzzing with ideas to try out based on food I tasted and plants I saw in the wild.  I love that feeling you get when something in your head turns out amazing from the oven!       

Apart from your own (!), which blog (or blogs) are your favourite or particularly inspire you?

Oooh that's tough.  I like blogs that feel honest and give a bit of history so my favourite blogs from other contestants are Holly's and Mary Anne's.

And finally, what advice would you give an aspiring food blogger?

Pick an area you feel passionate about and just have a go.  You don't have to make the blog public at first if you don’t want to or are not sure what your "style" should be. But just have a go and try something new.  You'll make a load of great new friends around the world who are into the same thing as you. Go for it!

*Disclaimer: I’ve chosen to interview Urvashi Roe, and to talk about The Great British Bake Off, because I love the programme. I’ve not received any kind of compensation for this interview. All of Urvashi’s answers are copyright to her, and you will need to contact her if you want to replicate them in any way.