Full of life, laughter and good humour – la dolce vita with cookingwithmarica

Italian blogger Marica (@cookingwithmar1) chatted with us about her take on delicious Italian food and what bloggers she enjoys reading (including an #FB5 speaker!) as well as her blog, Cooking with Marica.

What are you most looking forward to about #FBC5?

To improve management of my blog and and to exchange experiences with bloggers from other countries.

What motivated you to blog about food and how has food blogging changed your life?

I love eating, cooking and discovering food everywhere in the world.  In my family there is a big tradition of cooking, but only after I married did I start to cook with a passion. My husband helps me to combine food and wine. Blogging makes my life happier and is an essential part of my life.

Do you blog full time or, if not, what’s your day job? What does your family/partner think of your blog?

I’m a part-time food blogger. I am a sales representative of medical products. My family is part of my blog and tasters of new recipes, so I think they are supporters of this very time-consuming passion.

What are your future aspirations for the blog? From where do you get inspiration and who taught you to cook?

To be a full time job. I do a lot of cooking courses and I read a lot of books. My inspiration comes from encouragement from my husband because the first time we had dinner together alone I ordered a pizza to be delivered!

Which other food bloggers do you follow most closely? Tell us something you learned from reading blogs you probably wouldn’t know otherwise?

I follow a lot of bloggers who seem to be constantly changing.  Now I’m follow Lavender and Lovage, Jul’s Kitchen, Labna, and other new bloggers that I met in FBC12 last year. What I enjoy most from reading other’s blogs is the personal background to the recipes they publish (personal stories, histories, jokes, tricks).

What’s your favourite/least favourite food? What’s been your ultimate meal to date? And what would your last meal be?

We change a lot. Our favorite is any risotto and pizza to go. Champagne and sea food with different kinds of homemade breads. Our last meal: fois gras, pain brioche with sauter.

How many cookbooks do you own? Who is your favourite celebrity chef and and who is your favourite food writer? Why?

More than 100 and counting. My favorite is an Italian: Carlo Cracco in Milano, judge of the Masterchef Italia. I like to read Nigella Lawson because she has the talent of making difficult things seem easy.

What’s your signature dish? If you want us to feature your favourite recipe from your own blog, include the link here!

My signature dish is a Sardinian recipe: Fregula with clams and saffron.

Do you have a favourite kitchen tool/appliance? What’s the hottest item on your shopping list? (can be current foodie favourite or a desired gadget/book etc)

Fresco, Irinox, Blast Chiller. I would like to buy a Steam Oven.