My interest and aspirations for cooking have hugely increased since I started working on this blog. Photographing the amazing recipes has inspired me to get into the kitchen more and try a few new challenging dishes expanding my repertoire. I am a self-taught photographer and really like taking photos of food that make people hungry, food is so emotive.

I take immense pleasure from food. Whether I am standing barefoot in the kitchen on a sunny Sunday morning blending herbs from the garden to make a quick pesto, planning a 3 course meal for a mid-winter dinner party, or standing over the stove surrounded by preserving jars, elbow deep in jam, I am happy.

My first food memory is of my little sister and I ‘helping’ my mum bake bread in the kitchen. Sat on the table, we dutifully assisted in kneading the dough and then spent the next however long asking if it was ready to eat!

As a child I was always a picky little eater, to be honest I never really grew out of it until I was about 25. However I have always loved being in the kitchen, as a child I was right there by my mothers side watching, listening and learning.

Ask anyone in my family and they will tell you I am the family member who is always doing something with food, whether it is eating or cooking, food is never far from my side. My fascination with food started from a young age, I think mainly because I was always hungry (and still am)! I remember always sneaking food, particularly biscuits, and I wouldn’t just take one either. I would be found behind the couch with the whole biscuit jar under my arm!

My passion for cooking has really grown out of my love of eating – and boy do I love to eat! Food to me is pleasure, if it were just fuel we wouldn’t have taste buds. I am possibly the world’s messiest cook (it’s chaos in the kitchen when hurricane Lauren is in town) but the results are (almost) always delicious, and I find it so enjoyable I can’t imagine a life without cooking.

It would be without exaggeration to make the statement that my life has grown to revolve around food. I don’t know where the obsession came from but I cracked on early in life that satisfying appetites was a way to make people happy.

I have always had a passion for cooking. I can’t exactly remember when it took hold whether it was my dad teaching me how to make scones, or the fact that my nana was an awesome baker or all of those crazy exploits in the kitchen with my childhood best friend. Somehow though, it got into my blood and as every good foodie knows once it gets there, it’s there to stay.