As far as food bloggers go, Jodi Moreno – of What’s Cooking Good Looking - has it all. There’s her unique wholesome, vegetable-based recipes that bring out the very best in healthy eating, as well as her knack for stunning food photography (she was trained by a wildlife photographer). Throw in her sweet storytelling ability with each post, and her backyard garden where she sources many ingredients, and you have one delicious blog. No wonder she was a finalist in this year’s Saveur Best Food Blog Awards.
Jodi is also a certified natural foods chef, shunning the usual cooking schools in favour of a natural food program that was plant-based with a focus on nutrition and culinary skills. “I cannot begin to get into all the incredible things I learned through that program,” Jodi tells us from her home in New York. “I learned about the long-term health benefits of a plant-based diet, as well as many different techniques and styles of cooking, from raw desserts (like my cherry chia seed parfait) to macrobiotic cooking.”
Why did you start your blog?
“I started it when I was in culinary school as a way to keep track of and share my favorite recipes and all the stuff I was learning about health, nutrition and clean eating. Since then, it has become so much more than that.”
Who taught you to cook?
“My mother and grandmother taught me how to cook. My mum's side is off-the-boat Italian, there were homemade meals every single night in our home. Her meals were on the healthier side, and there were always lots of vegetables around, so I consider myself very lucky. When I started to learn about how powerful food is for overall healthy wellbeing, as well as that it could help me with my general aches and pains, that’s when I really started to take a strong interest in healthy cooking.”
What’s the best advice you’ve ever been given?
“Don’t burn the garlic. And, on a more serious note, cutting out dairy - specifically cow's milk - completely has been one of the most life-changing, food-related pieces of advice for me. Prior to cutting out dairy, I had bizarre symptoms that I never knew were connected. Random acne outbreaks, a chronic cough - which I was told was everything from acid reflux to a lung condition - rashes, and a flaky scalp. All of these problems disappeared when I stopped eating dairy. I still indulge in a little goats' cheese (try her jalapeño poppers) from time to time, but I will never go back to my dairy-at-every-single-meal habit again.”
These days, what’s your food philosophy?
“I believe that food should be enjoyed in its purist form, and that good-quality ingredients will produce the best meals.”
What five ingredients are always handy in your fridge?
“Lots and lots of greens like kale and collards, a rainbow of other seasonal vegies, mustard, homemade nut milk, and hot sauce.”
What do friends always ask you to make for them?
As Australia’s weather warms up, New York is cooling down. What are you looking forward to?
“I love soup, stews and braises – I braise everything in the wintertime from beets to lentils. Slow cooking and comfort foods is what winter is all about. My favorite thing to do on weekends in the wintertime is to build a fire, start a stew or braise, and read magazines or a good book while it’s cooking.”
1. Heirloom tomato, avocado and zucchini stacks with a tomato almond pesto
2. Raw summer Pad Thai
3. Zucchini, corn and sweet potato fritters with homemade pita bread
4. Coconut rice pudding with roasted cherries
Kitchen Farmacy editor Kris Franken
Kitchen Farmacy is our food lover's blog where good health and great taste come together. Each fortnight we'll feature a health and wellbeing foodie blog, with recipes to nourish the soul and body. Here's to eating well (and satisfying all kinds of cravings). View previous Kitchen Farmacy blog entries.
