The dashing Ashley Rodriguez (and we say "dashing" as evidenced by her recipe videos) has three great loves: words, family and good food, well salted. Years ago, a gig at Spago in Beverly Hills, in which she was poised to become a pastry chef, was interrupted by her first pregnancy. Cut to today in Washington, D.C., and her dinner service no longer welcomes Tinseltown's elite, but a husband and three young children.
Starting a blog has led Ashley to a career that has smashed her expectations. Along the way, she has unearthed passions (and obvious talent) for writing, recipe creation and photography. Her food, inviting as it is, values sustenance over extravagance, and calls for smart technique and ingredient pairing. An example is her arroz con pollo, which, with its hefty lot of chanterelles, "somehow tastes of a hike through the woods," she muses. Here's the recipe. Also, the title of her blog, Not Without Salt, isn't an arbitrary one. Ashley even adds the stuff to custard. For those interested, Maldon flaky sea salt is a go-to; vanilla salt for baking.
It's a delight when a food blog reads just like a diary, giving us a sense of the inner self who's sharing their recipe for, say, leek tartine or chopped apple cake. Through hers, Ashley mindfully takes to kneading out life's kinks as she would shortcrust pastry. Each recipe discusses every-day miscellany and long-held personal goals, including authoring her first cookbook, which she ticked off in December last year. Ashley diligently poured three years into Date Night In, a collection of 120 recipes designed for busy couples who neglect quiet dinners together once children enter the picture. The idea was born from a promise to continue "dating" her husband, all the while raising a family with him. As a side note, she says: "Writing a book about date nights is the best accountability to actually having a weekly date night. I highly recommend it."
Originally, I started the blog as a way of promoting my wedding cake and dessert catering business, but as I grew and evolved as a person, and found out where my true passions are, the blog grew as well. Now the blog is where I seek to inspire others through food, writing and photos. It is my desire that people will get excited about the food they see on the pages of Not Without Salt and then jump into their kitchen to create the recipe. This is what brings me joy; creating delicious food then sharing it with others. Not Without Salt is my virtual table where I share with others and hope that they are excited to do the same with the people in their lives.
What I most enjoy about blogging is...
"That it constantly has me thinking about new, creative recipes that I want to share with people. It’s always pushing me to try harder, keep working and keep creating."
The last meal that really caught my attention was...
"Garlic miso ramen from The Ramen Shop in Oakland, California."
One tip for the kitchen novice?
"Don’t be afraid - to try new things, to fail, to turn a failure into something new."
The most popular recipe on my website is...
"My salted chocolate chip cookies. They're also my personal favourite."
A food I used to loathe but now love is...
"Oysters."
My most recent chef crush is on...
"Hmm, that’s hard. I don’t follow all the new, hip chefs like I used to, nor do I go out to eat like I used to. But I will say that for the past several years, I have had a deep admiration for [chef and restaurateur] Renee Erickson. She has several restaurants in Seattle and a cookbook that came out last year."
Tell us about audience reactions to your new cookbook, Date Night In.
"It’s been amazing. I’m so inspired, by those who have grabbed the book and immediately set out to have a regular date night in. I love that people are loving the recipes, happy to have the grocery list and timeline, and drooling over the photos, but what makes me the most proud is that people are reading and responding to the words. It’s not typical that a cookbook would have so many words, and I worried that it would feel out of place, but people seem to be doing exactly what I had hoped: finding a place for the book in the kitchen, as well as on the nightstand."
In what way are shared meals crucial to relationship happiness?
"Well, for me, the meal is what brings us to the table. Then at the table we connect. We talk about the week. We forget about all the other distractions and focus on us. Food is the instigator or the ice-breaker. The real work happens around the table."
As a mother, what food rules have you set in place for your youngsters?
"They eat what we eat. If they don’t like it, they choose to not eat it and run the risk of getting hungry later. We definitely make them try everything – many, many times. We encourage trying new things. We introduce a lot of new foods, but we also don’t force food on them. I want mealtimes to be remembered as a safe and happy time, not a time when we constantly fought. My desire and hope is that they love, appreciate and respect food."
Editor's picks from Not Without Salt
1. Asparagus tart with walnuts and parmesan
2. Melted leeks and ricotta tartine
3. Arroz con pollo chanterelles
Blog Appétit contributor April Smallwood
Blog Appétit is our curated list of go-to food blogs we love, with a focus on high-quality photography, trusted recipes, strong editorial themes and a unique voice and personality. View previous Blog Appétit entries.
SBS Food is a 24/7 foodie channel for all Australians, with a focus on simple, authentic and everyday food inspiration from cultures everywhere. NSW stream only. Read more about SBS Food
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