Name: Kristy Gardner
Blog name: She Eats
Where were you born? Calgary, Alberta
Where are you living now? Vancouver, BC (Kitsilano baby!)
Why did you start your blog?
I needed to justify my bourbon habit...
Also, She Eats evolved out of a consciousness that grew from my university career. I majored in Women's Studies and specialized in food politics. It both wrecked and inspired me and so I started She Eats as an outlet for the things I was learning with respect to the interconnected relationships between our food, environment and culture.
I wanted to dare people to think that the many different versions of conscious food choices/consumption could be aligned and allied for many purposes. I wanted to make eating ethically more accessible and to connect around our food ways and our rights to real, local, ethically sourced food.
4 Years later the over-arching premise is the same. Just with better photographs. And more bourbon.
How did you decide on your blog name?
Originally my academic wordiness (not to be confused with snobbery, okay maybe a little bit) coaxed me into calling my blog Gastronomical Sovereignty (say that 3X fast!), meaning the practice or art of cooking and eating good food with authority, independence and freedom.
When I rebranded I opted for an easier to speak & spell name and much to my surprise, something that sounded a whole lot dirtier. But knowing me & my sense of humor, that's really not a surprise.
What do you blog about?
Real food, locally seasonal ingredients, boozy laced concoctions. My unsurpassed affection for fishnet tights, napping and music from the 50's.
What post are you most proud of and why?
Oh geez. I work so hard to create delicious recipes for you guys, it's tricky to pick just one! If I absolutely life-threateningly had to though... I'd say the Pumpkin Bruschetta with creamy ricotta, caramelized onions & crispy sage crostini I recently published.
Not only is the recipe stunningly simple to make, everyone - even pumpkin haters who be hatin' the pumpkin - have found pleasure in eating it. Plus I had a lot of fun taking the photos for the post (despite my near death experience).
Which post do you wish received more love and why?
Is it weird if I give you another post with crostini? My ridiculously luscious Arugula Pesto Crostini was just that - ridiculously luscious. And so versatile - you can spread it on crackers, mix it into steaming hot pasta, or chuck it on scrambled eggs. I don't know why the post didn't get as much love as it should have - it's damn simple (and oh so delicious).
Which post’s success surprised you and why?
My bourbon soaked cherries recipe. I guess I simply under-estimated the power of juicy seasonal Summer fruit and booze. Silly, me.
What is one (non-kitchen) gadget you can’t live without?
As much as I hate to admit it, my iPhone, aka Audrey.
What is one kitchen gadget you can’t live without?
I really be hatin' on useless kitchen gadgets but I do have a few tools that I'll never give up. My Kitchen Aid 13C food processor is my most prized. She dices, she slices, she purees and she's sharp as a girl can be. Which is pretty darn sharp!
Favourite food, care to share a recipe?
I love scratch Italian carbs. Gnocchi, pasta, pizza, bread. Probably even more than Audrey and my food processor. Maybe even bourbon..... Okay, probably not bourbon.
I know slow food like this isn't an every day occurrence but man alive, Saturdays are scratch pasta day in my house. Incorporate a few organically grown, locally sourced vegetables and I'm happy as a pig in... homemade pasta and vegetables.
What else should we know about you that may or not be in your “About Me” page?
I have zero grace. Physically I mean. I'm pretty graceful in uncomfortable situations and when I need to make an exit but physically, I walk into just about everything. If there's a wall, table or corner near me, I'm probably stepping right onto it.
Also, I dig pigs. A lot.
What makes your blog unique?
You mean besides the unnecessary cursing?
... I think just about every blog is the same in their respective niches. But it's the personalities behind the blogs - the stories, experiences and lewd jokes - that make them unique. I like to think I tell good ones.
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Fantastic interview Kristy…your personality really shines through. And I love that you studied Food Politics in uni…I wish I had too! What a great foundation on which to build a foodie blog 🙂
G’day Great feature and enjoyed the interview in learning something about a fellow food blog from Canada!
Cheers! Joanne