We should eat to live, not live to eat, advises the old saying. Eating shouldn’t be your passion, your favourite activity, but something you do to stay healthy in order to keep doing other things. We disagree. While we think you should always eat a balanced, healthy diet and you should try to eat and cook with the best food you can find, we also think it’s ok to love food, cooking and trying to things.
If you’re also a foodie, you might like the following mini interview we prepared for you. We’re talking with Michael Paynic, the blogger, cook and food stylist behind the food blog Inspiring the Everyday.
If you’re interested in Michael’s Butternut Squash, Celeriac, Parsnip & Apple Soup recipe jump here.
eDreams: Who is Michael Paynic and what does he do?
Michael: I currently live in Saint Paul, Minnesota working full time in the natural food community. I love working my days with amazing and talented individuals. Other than that I write and photograph my blog Inspiring the Everyday The blog keeps me very active in the kitchen, when I am not, I think of food constantly. Other than that I have a love of gardening.
Do you cook all you photograph?
Yes indeed! For the blog, everything cooked, styled and photographed is done me. I absolutely love it.
How does a normal day in Michael Paynic’s world start and end?
Every day is a bit different, but typically I am up around 5 am. I work with natural light, so when I can, I plan and prepare for the shooting the day before.
On any given day I like to have a balance: practice photography, cook every day, spending quality time with people I care about and getting out into the garden.
Inspiration can come from many places. It can be the amazing raspberries I just pasted while shopping for tonight’s dinner
Where do you get your inspiration from?
Inspiration can come from many places. It can be the amazing raspberries I just pasted while shopping for tonight’s dinner. I am very attracted to the produce aisle and materials available at hand. From there I work a recipe around something I am particularly craving or attracted to at the moment.
Is it important to use seasonal products in your recipes or do you focus more on what inspires you on the moment?
I think both! The best products are ones used at their peak, but sometimes you stumble upon something special. For everyday cooking using seasonal produce is what cooking is all about for me. I do not like to alter food to taste good, it should look, taste and smell delicious naturally. Besides the seasonal aspect of eating, I consider organic high quality ingredients to be a must.
Besides the seasonal aspect of eating, I consider organic high quality ingredients to be a must
How did you decide to write a food blog?
I started the blog as a creative outlet for myself. It was an “I’ll give it a try.” moment a month before my first post. Often friends would ask me how to make a particular dish or if I had a recipe on hand for another when I decided to do an online recipe journal, though photography is important when discussing a recipe, it was an afterthought. I have been learning about photography ever since.
Next: Butternut Squash, Celeriac, Parsnip & Apple Soup Recipe
