Name: Allison Day
Blog name: Yummy Beet
Where were you born? Edmonton, Alberta
Where are you living now? Hamilton, Ontario
When did you start your blog? 2012
How did you decide on your blog name?
It’s a bit of play on the classic journalism “beats,” this being a food-related one. I think it sounds a little playful, welcoming, and unique yet easy to remember. And beets are a beautiful, slightly mysterious vegetable. They stick around for a while, staining your hands; they’re a vegetable with substance. I like what the beet represents.
What do you blog about?
Healthy, vegetable-focused recipes. They’re all vegetarian, with many fully vegan creations as well. I try to tie each recipe into a personal story of mine––it’s a lot like a diary this way. I do all of the food photography, too.
What post on your blog most encapsulates you?
Classic Vanilla Bean & Almond Rice Pudding: My family is partly Danish and rice pudding is a traditional Scandinavian food. I also talk about my mom, who died many years ago and is someone I rarely mention on my blog. It’s a nice tribute to her amusing childhood stories about my Grandpa’s grumpy, old school behaviour. This post is quite family-forward and my family is the most important thing in the world to me––sappy but true.
Which post do you wish received more love and why?
Roasted Garlic, Parsnip, and White Bean Soup. I truly believe it’s because of the photography, which seemed to go over well on Pinterest. The recipe is also fairly easy while remaining elegant.
Which post’s success surprised you and why?
My vegan and gluten-free banana bread post. It surprised me because it’s a rather plebeian food, but that’s what people want at the end of the day, something comforting and familiar (with a bit of a modern twist, of course).
What’s your biggest challenge as a blogger?
In the past it was learning a bit of basic coding (still a very real struggle) to make it look how I want it; ditto food photography and graphics. I’ve accepted that it will never look perfect and still suffer from “Blog Envy.”
Time is another massive challenge. I write for a living (my first cookbook, Whole Bowls, comes out spring 2016!) and can feel a bit spent talking about food for both work and my blog, which is a creative outlet, not how I make a living. Having interests and hobbies other than food (mine are tech, walking, art, space, music, science, ballet, and dogs!) or whatever it is you blog about is important for balance.
Share a couple of your favourite food blogs to read. Why do you like them?
Chocolate & Zucchini: This is the first food blog I ever read and still return to it. I always learn something new about cooking, Paris, and the French-speaking world when I read. Plus, you can read her blog in either English or French––how cool is that?
Chelsea’s Healthy Kitchen: Chelsea is the first friend I met through blogging. Her restaurant reviews are comprehensive, her food is what you want to have for dinner, and I enjoy her candor. She keeps it real.
Favourite food – care to share a recipe or a restaurant destination?
I don’t really have a favourite food, oddly. I do have a few things I return to again and again: pistachio gelato, Neapolitan-style pizza margherita, and hummus. The silkiest, smoothest hummus I’ve ever tasted was at Shaya in New Orleans, Louisiana. I asked the chef, Alon Shaya, what the secret to his hummus was and he told me: skinning the chickpeas.
What are you working on next for your blog?
Fall and winter recipes with plenty of squash, dark greens, whole grains, and root vegetables. This is my favourite time of year to get creative in the kitchen.
What else should we know about you that may or not be in your “About Me” page?
I practiced ballet for nearly 18 years and I’m still obsessed with it––obsessed! Food wise, I cook mainly gluten-free meals because I’m just used to it. My younger sister has celiac disease and if you’ve ever dined out with someone who has celiac disease, it is nearly impossible––everything is contaminated––so I learned to make gluten-free meals at home a decade before it became a blogger fad or SEO traffic-increasing initiative. (Can you detect my frustration? Ha.) I also don’t really love chocolate unless it’s hot chocolate; it’s a very unusual aversion.
I definitely don’t have these things in my bio, so there you go.
What makes your blog unique?
Tying my life into the recipes––I love a good segue. And I share my past more than the present as I find experiences need a bit of time (sometimes years) to ruminate in my brain before I can write them down. It’s not a day-to-day type of blog most of the time, but more of a retrospective journal.
What part of the FBC site do you find most useful?
The Blogger Resources are essential. And you need the FBC Newsletter to stay in the loop.
Follow Allison and Yummy Beet on Social Media
Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Google+ | Instagram
Editor’s note: Allison was just recently awarded the inaugural Taste Canada award for Best Food Blog Post – English. Congratulations Allison!