Martyna Angell goes beyond the role of a food blogger at her visually delicious blog, Wholesome Cook. In fact, there is a bundle of hats she wears with ridiculous aplomb, including qualified food coach, food photographer, stylist, recipe developer, and author.
She’s totally honest, mostly paleo, an occasional wine drinker, and a daily coffee lover who doesn’t like chocolate ice-cream or a one-size-fits-all approach to diet. “I strongly believe in the concept of bio-individuality, because we are all different and no single diet fits everyone the same. Eating foods that are best for you is at the heart of my philosophy,” she tells us.
Growing up in Poland, Martyna learned to shop locally and cook from scratch in tune with the seasons. These days, she does it all in Sydney, Australia, with her husband and two step-kids, all the while sharing her original recipes (try her torched salmon sashimi tacos) in a tempting and approachable way that make healthy eating seem entirely doable.
“I’ve always been passionate about healthy cooking from scratch, and I wanted to share my passion and new recipes with family and friends… the website kind of took off from there. Because of a family history of allergies and food sensitivities, the blog became a place where I explore natural and mostly additive-free recipe ideas, like my cherry ripe bites.”
What sets your blog apart from other health-food blogs?
“My food philosophy. I call it the 90/10 rule: eat clean food that's right for you 90 per cent of time, indulge in the other 10. Giving up junk food is easier when you can cut yourself some slack and stop feeling guilty about an occasional indulgence.”
Who taught you to cook?
“My mum, who cooked everything from scratch. In Poland, we shopped together at farmers' markets and cooked with seasonal produce in mind. Our cellar was always filled with preserves, pickled wild mushrooms, and homemade pasta sauce. She’s always been an inventive cook, too, trying her hand at Asian dishes inspired by Dad’s travels to Mongolia and China. I think the love of Asian flavours and experimenting with new ingredients has really rubbed off on me.”
When did you move to Australia?
“I relocated just shy of my seventeenth birthday and, having always been intrigued by the flavours of the Far East, I've found a real foodie heaven here in Sydney.”
How does it compare to Poland?
“There's a world of flavour to gain by opening up our tastebuds to foods from other cuisines. After 15 years in Sydney, seafood and tropical fruit is definitely as much a part of the Christmas menu as carp is in Poland.”
Besides a seafood Christmas, what's the best thing about cooking in summer?
“The best thing is that you don’t really have to do much cooking at all. Summer salads, chilled freshly peeled prawns or a platter of fresh sashimi are so beautiful and cooling on the body, that cooking becomes secondary. And, if you must cook, it’s the season for cooking outdoors. There isn’t much in this world that can beat the smell and flavour of a summer barbecue [try her lemon myrtle prawns with vanilla hollandaise].”
Who are your other food heroes?
“I absolutely adore Sneh Roy from Cook Republic; her imagery, indulgent recipes and stories are always so beautiful. Emma Galloway from My Darling Lemon Thyme is an inspiration when it comes to gluten-free and vegetarian cooking. I’ve also recently discovered Jody Vassallo whose new book is based around bio-individuality.”
What’s the best advice you’ve been given?
“Celebrate the food you’re eating, indulge occasionally and, at those moments, focus all your attention on the pleasure of eating the food.”
1. Almond and peach muffins
2. Torched salmon tacos with mango salsa
3. Grilled prawns with lemon myrtle and vanilla hollandaise
4. Cherry ripe bites
Kitchen Farmacy editor Kris Franken
Source: Martyna Angell
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.
