An Introduction from David of BookTheCook

This Post was written by David from BookTheCook

1. Where are you based?
In East Boldon, Tyne & Wear, England (oop the frozen north!)

2. How long have you been blogging?
I began on 1st January this year (my 37th birthday!) after my wife had advised me it would be a good idea. As a frustrated writer, (frustrated because I wasn't actually doing any writing and making excuses for it!), it has been a great bit of advice and I am now addicted to it.

3. What's the best thing about food blogging?
I could talk about food all day. Just ask my long suffering family and friends! So food blogging is an amazing platform for getting those discussions, thoughts or recipes down without having to tell the whole world verbally. It is also a great way of building up your recipes and ideas, moulding your style and realising that food is the best discussion subject in the world. Another great thing about food blogging is meeting people from all over the world (well, meeting in cyberspace). I've had goodwill messages from all over the planet and I still find it amazing that one minute I'll be sat in my pyjamas on my settee in cold and wet Tyne & Wear typing a blog, then minutes after posting somebody in Australia is commenting on my post. I can never take it for granted. I've met so many lovely like-minded folk and they are a constant source of advice and encouragement.

4. What's the worst thing about food blogging?
Feeding your addiction by writing a post no matter what the circumstance or time of day! Or finding yet another amazing food blog, adding it to your favourites and hence condemning yourself to more hours of catching up with other people! Seriously though, I can't find much negative to say. Blogging has been good for me and I am so happy that I started it.

5. What inspires you to cook and write?
Food is pretty much my number one subject after family. It is the centre of my universe and I revolve my whole life around it. The perfect setting for me is a huge table laden with food I have prepared, lots of wine, lots of friends and family and lots of talk and laughter. We don't do it enough in the U.K. and I find that heartbreaking. So I cook through a sheer love of food, giving it to the people I love and watching them enjoy it. Watching my little daughter growing up and getting excited about food makes me feel really proud; she will eat anything - just like her dad! I guess it takes little for me to feel inspired to write. A memory, a new ingredient or a new potato ricer, the slightest thing and I am away chatting about it. Putting it down in writing saves eardrums and my vocal chords!

6. Where do you like to blog?
Anywhere. I suppose I do most of mine sitting on the settee with my laptop and my other addiction going on in the background - music.

7. What's your signature dish?
A difficult question. But as a lover of all things simple, I suppose an easy herb stuffed roasted chicken with lots of garlic, lemon and thyme and lots of seasonal vegetables takes some beating. I have lots of cakes in my repertoire too!

8. What about you might it surprise other bloggers to know?
I made the final 4 in BBC2's MasterChef Goes Large this year.