Today our Sunday Food Blogger Spotlight falls on two self-proclaimed, “lazy foodies,” Robin Donovan and Juliana Gallin, who co-author the blog, Two Lazy Gourmets. As friends and “kitchen collaborators” since they were housemates in college, the women have created a blog filled with tasty recipes, gorgeous photos and fun tidbits about their inspiration for each dish.
Why did you start your food blog? We started it to promote our cookbook,The Lazy Gourmet: Magnificent Meals Made Easy. But now that we’ve been at it for two years, it’s taken on a life of its own. We’ve been friends since college, and many of our early bonding experiences were based around cooking experiments. In fact, they still are. Now we get to share those experiments with the whole internet.
How would you describe your approach to eating/health? We cook most of our food from scratch. We always start with good quality ingredients, like fresh produce and organic meats. We do take shortcuts, like using pre-cubed butternut squash or store-bought pie crusts, but even then, we buy products that contain only natural ingredients whenever possible. We’re both drawn more to veggies and fish than to meat, but our “approach” also includes an obsession with cheese, donuts, and bacon, so it’s not like we’re strict health nuts.
Have you always had an interest in healthy food or did it come later in life? We were both addicted to junk food as kids. Robin craved the packaged foods that weren’t allowed in her health-conscious household—frozen chicken pot pies, sugar cereals, and white bread. Juliana loved candy and Pringles, and celebrated Junk Food Day—one day a year when her mother would allow her to stuff herself sick on anything she wanted. We came around to eating healthy foods as we became more adept at cooking.
What is your favorite (or a few of your favorites) food/ingredient to use in the kitchen? Our list of favorite ingredients is practically endless, but here are a few that we reach for frequently: fennel, goat cheese, fresh herbs, chilies, citrus fruits, creme fraiche, dried mushrooms, nuts, olives, and balsamic vinegar.
Has blogging changed the way you view food and cooking? If so, how? It’s made us think more about what kinds of recipes people really want. People love indulgent food that’s full of flavor. We like to eat healthy so we’ve had to figure out how to make food that’s flavorful without being overloaded with fat and sugar. Everyone wants delicious food and if you can make it healthy, too, it’s a total bonus.
Favorite recipe to date? One of our newest recipes, for Roasted Beet and White Bean Hummus fits the Lazy Gourmet profile to a tee: It’s super easy to make, delicious, and surprising in both flavor and appearance.
Three recipes you’d like to share with our readers?
Spicy Korean Gochujang Chicken
Muhammara (Syrian Red Pepper, Walnut, and Pomegranate Dip
Easy, Dairy-Free Thai Black Rice Pudding with Coconut Milk
Robin and Juliana are featured in our series of spotlights on healthy food bloggers. Be sure to check back next Sunday to meet another food blogger in our midst.
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