We found out what The Lazy Baker's Kathryn likes to eat when she's not styling food on photoshoots...
A food stylist assistant, recipe tester and developer (we know, it sounds like a dream job to us too) and private caterer, Kathryn Bruton also manages to (somehow) find the time to run food blog The Lazy Baker.
Filled with delicious recipes and equally appealing pictures, Kathryn even creates videos to go alongside her recipes to make your cooking experience as easy and enjoyable as possible.
We sat down with the passionate cook to find out where she gets her recipe inspiration from and what a food stylist keeps in their fridge…
What do you hope people will take away from your blog?
I like to create recipes which are packed full of flavour, easy to create, visually beautiful and which are also healthy. When writing recipes, I aim to give as much detail as I can without overwhelming the reader with information, but at the same time, making them feel confident and assured when it comes to cooking in the kitchen. Video demonstrations on my blog help to bring a recipe to life. The most important thing is to create a recipe which gives my readers great results and great food.
Which 5 things would we find in your fridge?
As I work with food everyday (food styling), I often have my main meals throughout the day, as we eat on shoot. So my fridge is set up for quite basic needs - I often crave simple, easy, healthy and straightforward meals and snacks outside of work. I have two drawers in my fridge, always full of fruit and vegetables. I have natural yogurt with fruit for breakfast everyday (usually teamed with muesli or porridge). Eggs are the perfect, amazingly versatile fast food, and will always have a place in my fridge. Avocados are one of my favourite things to eat right now, and I couldn't live without hummus. I make my own, flavoring it with herbs, and vegetables to mix it up a little.
What’s your personal food philosophy?
Balance. Everything in good measure is the most sustainable food habit. I have always lived by the philosophy of eating well, enjoying a little indulgence, and making exercise a part of my day to day life. All of the above have their own individual feel good factors, and are all good for body, mind and soul.
What’s your top cooking tip?
Read a recipe twice before you cook it and get all of your ingredients ready before you start. You will be amazed the difference this will make to how much you enjoy the process of cooking. And as for recipes, they are a guide as much as a process - trust your palate. Don’t be afraid to add your personality to a recipe and do it your way - once you follow the fundamentals the rest is open to interpretation. Any mistakes you make you will learn from and you will become a better cook. Most of all, enjoy it. Nothing beats the feeling of creating something great in the kitchen.
Where do you get your recipe ideas from?
For me, a recipe idea will always begin with flavour. I will suddenly be struck by an idea for a combination for flavour and the recipe will evolve form that. Inspiration can come from anywhere - books, magazines, television, my work, nature. Just this week I have been picking blackberries from the hedges in the countryside, and my mind is awash with what I can do with them. Recipe ideas are a never ending stream of consciousness. The creative process behind creating a recipe is what drives my passion and love for what I do.