Susan Thye works full time as a sub-editor for an online magazine, loves to bake on the weekend, and founded a biscuit company called The Biscuit Tree. Her spare time is devoted to eating and blogging her finds on chocolatesuze.com.

We chat with Susan about her penchant for desserts, unusual food challenges, and what she considers the hallmarks of a great Reuben sandwich.

How has your Malaysian background influenced your food tastes?
Pretty much everything in Malaysia is sweet! The amount of sugar in the food and drinks has ensured that I have sugar running in my veins! As much as I love Malaysia and all its food, I am unfortunately unable to handle anything spicy, much to my parents dismay.

Under which exceptional circumstances will you forego dessert after dinner?
The only reason I will not eat dessert after dinner is when I’ve had dessert for dinner… I always think about what’s for dessert before deciding what to have for my dinner. If I’m at a restaurant and the dessert options look so incredibly tempting, I’ve been known to order dessert for my main as well as another dessert for afters.

Reuben sandwiches are a favourite of yours. What are the hallmarks of a stand-out Reuben?
Piping hot slabs of juicy, delicious pastrami or corned beef innards, melted Swiss cheese, a little sauerkraut and tangy dressing sandwiched between rye bread and the pickle on the side! I have issues with texture and need the pickle on the side to munch on!

Where do you get the scoop on the newest restaurants and cafes to visit?
Definitely other food blogs, like Grab Your Fork and The Unbearable Lightness of Being Hungry and by stalking my Twitter stream for ideas on where to go to eat.

What did you do in your spare time prior to your blog?
I barely remember! But I do recall sleeping better… TV featured heavily in my schedule, usually anything sci-fi with aliens and robots. I still like trying to fit in some baking every now and then, as I find it therapeutic measuring out ingredients and producing something delicious.

What’s the best part about being a food blogger?
Meeting and getting to know people with the same crazy interests as me. Food brings everyone closer and it’s great to know there are people out there who have the same love for deep-fried foods.

You’ve gotten up to some pretty crazy antics (like filling a bathtub with ice-cream). Got any other ideas in the pipeline?
I would very much like to get a kiddie swimming pool and fill it with jelly. I think my obsession with tubs filled with food began with the movie Patch Adams, where he filled a pool with spaghetti. It’s also a dream of mine to one day create a room made of chocolate and everything inside it will be edible, à la Willy Wonka.

What would your last meal entail? And who would you share it with?
I think my last meal would be so freaking fatty that I will have a heart attack whilst eating it: a cheese burger with extra cheese; crispy bacon and poached eggs on buttered toast; curly fries with aioli; a piece or two of fried chicken with gravy; a tall glass of Coke with ice, and to finish, a short stack of blueberry pancakes with a giant scoop of vanilla ice-cream, dusted in icing sugar; a slice of apple pie; a fudgy chocolate brownie; and a salted caramel macaron.

What’s been an unexpected outcome of having your own food blog?
Meeting incredible people! Helen from Grab Your Fork has become one of my closest friends and was my maid of honour at my wedding. The food blogger community is just awesome and we all love to share our thoughts and food finds with the world. Food blogger meet-ups are always a crazy time if a group of us converge on somewhere, and we always come armed with cameras and hungry stomachs.

Would you say that blogging has made you a better cook?
I wouldn’t say better… but maybe more willing to attempt a recipe. I love checking out beautifully presented and photographed baked goods. And although my food styling ain’t so great, I do love sharing cake with friends and family and getting their feedback. And cake just makes everybody smile.

Follow Susan on Twitter.