Incredibly enough, McKenney is entirely self-taught, admitting to being in the kitchen most of her life. “From a very young age, I watched my mom and grandma work their baking magic, and once I picked up my first mixing spoon, I was hooked!” she recalls on her website.

According to McKenney, she first launched her website in 2011 as a personal blog and an easy way to share baking recipes with friends and family. But just a year and a half later, she quit her full-time job to build Sally’s Baking Addiction into a business.

Now her blog and accompanying Instagram page offers hundreds of from-scratch recipes, alongside plenty of helpful kitchen tips, lessons on baking basics, step-by-step photos, and video tutorials that will encourage you to grow and have confidence in the kitchen.

And with fall in full bloom, she admits to being an avid pumpkin eater. “It’s my favorite flavor to bake with,” she shared in an interview with Bakepedia. “I eat it all year round, but we are coming into the season where people look for it… pies, breads, all kinds of desserts with pumpkin! And apple pie is my very favorite dessert, so you can look forward to variations of that.”

Grab a cookie, take a seat, and have fun skimming through her recipes!

The post It’s Back to Baking Basics with Sally McKenney appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

Born in Australia, McKinnon established in 2011 a local salad-delivery business, which was run out of her home in Surry Hills, Sydney. Now based in Brooklyn, New York City, her most recent book, To Asia, With Love, is a homage to her roots—a joyous return to the flavors and meals of her childhood as a Chinese girl born in Australia.

Recipes range from the traditional—salt and pepper eggplant, red curry laksa, pea and ginger fried rice—to uniquely modern interpretations—such as buttery miso vegemite noodles, stir-fried salt and vinegar potatoes, cacio e pepe udon noodles, and grilled wombok caesar salad with wonton crackers. All share an emphasis on seasonal vegetables and creating irresistible Asian(ish) flavors using pantry staples.

“Since moving to the US, I have felt more connected with my cultural heritage than ever before,” McKinnon admitted in a candid interview with SBS. “Honestly, I have never felt more ‘Asian’ and proud of my cultural identity. And this story of self-discovery through food is one that I think will resonate with many children of immigrants who grew up in a Western world.

“The Chinese recipes in this book are all, in one way or another, inspired by my mother’s food,” she stressed.

Explore Asian home cooking through her book or follow her on Instagram.

The post Hetty McKinnon Returns to Her Roots with Her Recent Cookbook appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

“Everyone, literally everyone can bake,” stressed the seasoned baker in an interview with Whistles. “The internet is full of resources to the point where you can troubleshoot any issue you may have. It’s obvious to say but practicing technique and always tasting your food will get you there. If you want to take the plunge and become a chef, spend a week or two in a kitchen you admire to get a feel for it—it’s quite a different world from the one you may imagine,” she explains.

Having worked as a pastry chef for eight years, Gill contributes to numerous publications—including The Guardian, Observer Food Monthly, Feast, and Courier Magazine—and is currently set to be a new judge on Channel 4’s Junior Bake Off alongside Liam Charles and host Harry Hill.

According to Gill, with baking, some people take to it immediately, while others decide that a slightly different approach may work for them—like working in a production kitchen or a bakery. Gill reminds her readers and followers that while pastry is an art, it is also food, so you should always stay in touch with your ingredients, reflect the seasons in your food, and, for the love of God, never use strawberries in December.

Purchase her book here, and follow her Instagram for more.

The post Get Over Your Fear of Baking with Ravneet Gill appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

“I watched my Mom and Grandma spend their days baking for their families, and it was then I discovered that making food is a wholehearted expression of love,” she writes on her website.

With an inherent passion for food and cooking, Stadler launched Modern Honey in 2015 as an outlet for her creativity in the kitchen. On her viral platform, she shares tried and true recipes from decadent desserts (Stadler herself is a two-time Pillsbury Bake-Off finalist), quick and easy dinners, and healthy recipes.

With an emphasis on baking, Stadler is a self-proclaimed cookie junkie. “There’s probably a support group somewhere for people like me,” she jokes on her website, recalling how when she was a teenager, she would go to the library and thumb through cookbooks to find every single chocolate chip cookie recipe and would beg her Mom to try out the recipe creations almost daily. “Issues, I tell you,” she writes.

One of her most celebrated recipes in the Famous Levain Bakery Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe. “These aren’t some ordinary bite-size cookies,” writes Stadler. “No, these are a full-on meal. Well maybe for some people. Here’s the deal—you make them big. Really big. Like only four can fit on a cookie sheet, BIG. These are the BEST CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES EVER. Yep, I said it.”

You’ll find us busy in the kitchen…

The post Melissa Stadler’s Chocolate Chip Cookies Are Large and In Charge appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

Her second book, Taverna, is dedicated to the Cypriot kitchen, with traditional recipes evoking memories of sun-kissed Mediterranean holidays, including cinnamon-infused stews and orange-blossom scented pastries.

“I grew up in a very food-driven household,” she shared in an interview with National Geographic. “Both sets of grandparents had emigrated from Cyprus in the late 1950s, and my mum’s parents opened one of the first Greek Cypriot delis in London, importing traditional ingredients. My dad’s parents opened a Cypriot tavern, which they ran for almost 30 years, and I was born above the restaurant, so most of my early memories revolve around it.”

Having grown up, she went on to study Fine Art at university, after which her passion for food landed her a job as a food writer and stylist on various food magazines. Hayden then went on to join Jamie Oliver’s food team, where she worked for 12 years. While there she wrote, developed, and styled for magazine features, books, television projects and campaigns. She also wrote her first book, Stirring Slowly, which was published in 2016.

“For a long time, I didn’t realize how much my family influenced my life,” she admits, “I assumed all families were food-driven. Since then I’ve learned it was a pretty special childhood. Cooking was, and still is, instinctive—there are no written recipes, and my mum and yiayias would cook whatever was in season. We have a bit of land in Cyprus, and even into his 70s, my grandad grew and pressed his own extra virgin olive oil. We had an endless supply. In Greek Cypriot families, there’s always soulful, nourishing food, and always enough to feed at least 20 people. I still make far too much today.”

Apart from her books, Hayden documents her recipes and food travels on her blog and Instagram page, which we recommend you follow.

The post Georgina Hayden Welcomes You into the Cypriot Kitchen appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

Over the last two decades, Dunlop explored China and its food, with her articles and recipes appearing in top tier publications—including The Financial Times, The New Yorker, Lucky Peach, Gourmet, Saveur and The Observer.

Her most recent book, Land of Fish and Rice: Recipes from the Culinary Heart of China, is an introduction to the food and flavors of Shanghai and the Lower Yangtze or Jiangnan region, and has won the UK Guild of Food Writers Cookbook of the Year Award and the Andre Simon Food Book Award.

Describing Chinese cuisine as both very ancient and very contemporary, Dunlop explained in an interview with Eater that “China really was the original foodie culture, and people over the centuries have written about food.”

She relayed that “there is a Song dynasty, which is to say 12th or 13th century cookbook by a man called Lin Hong, which I think reads a bit like something that could have been written by René Redzepi of Noma in Copenhagen. It’s very esoteric, lyrically titled dishes, foraged ingredients, an interest in closeness to nature.”

According to Dunlop, Chinese gourmets through the centuries have been very concerned about the providence of their ingredients—with eating things in the right seasons. She adds that Sichuanese chefs and Sichuanese food aficionados will always say it’s not just about heat. “The thing about Sichuanese food is the thrilling variety,” says Dunlop.

Aside from writing, Dunlop leads expert culinary tours of China, which were designated “Tour of a Lifetime” by National Geographic Magazine. You’d want to follow her on Instagram.

The post Fuchsia Dunlop Will Teach You Everything You Need to Know About Chinese Cuisine appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

Working from her tiny farm outside Seattle, Howard grew up in Virginia at the base of the Blue Ridge Mountains, and has moved around quite a bit before settling down.

“I fell in love with baking about ten years ago,” she recalled in an interview with le buzz. “I started baking insane cakes after I had my son, and friends started asking for the recipes. When we moved to Seattle, my friend Holly of The Modern Proper encouraged me to start posting the recipes somewhere, so I did! I really had no expectations, it was just something fun for me to do,” she notes.

Now with a growing fanbase online, Howard shares her recipes on both her blog Oh Honey Bakes, and accompanying Instagram page.

“I started working with companies about six months after starting the blog,” she says. “I remember being SO elated, I couldn’t believe someone was going to pay me to bake things and take pictures of them. I’m honestly still so honored to work with the amazing companies I partner with.”

Recent recipes include a gluten-free apple cinnamon cake and a full campfire meal that will have you drooling.

“I transitioned to a gluten-free diet about a year ago, and while I still love over-the-top cakes, I want to create recipes for every day as well as for special occasions,” says Howard.

The post Tiffany Howard Bakes the Prettiest Cakes appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

Based in Vienna, Austria, Kutelas admits cooking had always been a great passion of hers, but after changing her diet and sticking to plant-based-food only, it quickly became more than that.

“In late 2015, I created About That Food because I wanted to offer a platform to help people who wanted to go on this wonderful journey of becoming vegan,” she shared in an interview with le buzz. “A journey that can sometimes be very confusing and frustrating but essentially is a very exciting and beautiful thing.”

After experimenting and creating her own recipes, her platform slowly grew, until a few years later it has become her full-time job.

“About That Food is meant to be a place to motivate yourself,” says Kutelas, “get inspired, and informed. Veganism isn’t that hard—if I can do it, so can you.”

Focusing on natural and seasonal ingredients (but with a little twist), Kutelas admits she doesn’t really have one favorite dish and changes her mind all the time. “To me, the most important ingredients are fresh vegetables, whatever is in season right now,” she notes.

You’d want to check her out.

The post You Don’t Have to Be Vegan to Enjoy Melina Kutelas’ Plant-Based Recipes appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

Her website, Gather and Feast, brings together people and food in a welcoming, all-encompassing, and delicious way. Full of beautiful food and delicious recipes, her platform leaves no cook behind.

A self-taught cook herself, Alexander knows what it takes to turn basic ingredients into a feast. Having spent a lot of her formative years in the kitchen cooking up a storm with her mum, tasting, learning, and experimenting—by the time Alexander was 12, she was already preparing three-course meals for dinner parties.

“I believe enjoying beautiful food with the people I love is one of life’s simple pleasures,” she writes on her website. “Many of my fondest memories are from around the kitchen table; meaningful moments spent while sharing a meal with others. Whether it’s a quiet night in with friends or an extravagant Christmas lunch celebrating with extended family, these moments are treasured and are almost always centered around food.”

According to Alexander, her love for food has inspired her to try new things and push her cooking skills. But when it comes to her signature dishes, it is ironically one of the easiest to prepare.

“It is simply a large platter of fresh and dried fruit, nuts, dark chocolate and any other fun food items I can find in the pantry, all piled high on a beautiful rustic board,” she notes.

Sounds (and looks) delightful!

The post Ashley Alexander Will Teach You How to Turn a Simple Meal Into a Feast appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

Swedish food and restaurant blogger based in Berlin Per Meurling has become somewhat of an authority when it comes to local restaurants, bars, and eateries in Berlin. Don’t take it from us, take it from his 95k followers on Instagram, who rely on his snappy reviews and mouth-watering photos when choosing their next spot to eat in.

“A well-executed dinner is like a symphony that touches you on so many levels,” reflected Meurling in an interview with Scandinavian Traveler. “Many of my best memories come from restaurants.”

According to Meurling, while TripAdvisor is all very well, who can be bothered to wade through hundreds of reviews written by people with a completely different frame of reference than you? “I think most people would rather have tips from someone they know they can trust,” he notes.

Meurling’s reviews include anything from top-notch restaurants to hole-in-the-wall joints. What matters is the quality of the food itself. You’d want to follow his guidance.

The post Per Meurling Will Help You Find Your Way Through Berlin’s Food Scene appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

Incredibly enough, McKenney is entirely self-taught, admitting to being in the kitchen most of her life. “From a very young age, I watched my mom and grandma work their baking magic, and once I picked up my first mixing spoon, I was hooked!” she recalls on her website.

According to McKenney, she first launched her website in 2011 as a personal blog and an easy way to share baking recipes with friends and family. But just a year and a half later, she quit her full-time job to build Sally’s Baking Addiction into a business.

Now her blog and accompanying Instagram page offers hundreds of from-scratch recipes, alongside plenty of helpful kitchen tips, lessons on baking basics, step-by-step photos, and video tutorials that will encourage you to grow and have confidence in the kitchen.

And with fall in full bloom, she admits to being an avid pumpkin eater. “It’s my favorite flavor to bake with,” she shared in an interview with Bakepedia. “I eat it all year round, but we are coming into the season where people look for it… pies, breads, all kinds of desserts with pumpkin! And apple pie is my very favorite dessert, so you can look forward to variations of that.”

Grab a cookie, take a seat, and have fun skimming through her recipes!

The post It’s Back to Baking Basics with Sally McKenney appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

Born in Australia, McKinnon established in 2011 a local salad-delivery business, which was run out of her home in Surry Hills, Sydney. Now based in Brooklyn, New York City, her most recent book, To Asia, With Love, is a homage to her roots—a joyous return to the flavors and meals of her childhood as a Chinese girl born in Australia.

Recipes range from the traditional—salt and pepper eggplant, red curry laksa, pea and ginger fried rice—to uniquely modern interpretations—such as buttery miso vegemite noodles, stir-fried salt and vinegar potatoes, cacio e pepe udon noodles, and grilled wombok caesar salad with wonton crackers. All share an emphasis on seasonal vegetables and creating irresistible Asian(ish) flavors using pantry staples.

“Since moving to the US, I have felt more connected with my cultural heritage than ever before,” McKinnon admitted in a candid interview with SBS. “Honestly, I have never felt more ‘Asian’ and proud of my cultural identity. And this story of self-discovery through food is one that I think will resonate with many children of immigrants who grew up in a Western world.

“The Chinese recipes in this book are all, in one way or another, inspired by my mother’s food,” she stressed.

Explore Asian home cooking through her book or follow her on Instagram.

The post Hetty McKinnon Returns to Her Roots with Her Recent Cookbook appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

“Everyone, literally everyone can bake,” stressed the seasoned baker in an interview with Whistles. “The internet is full of resources to the point where you can troubleshoot any issue you may have. It’s obvious to say but practicing technique and always tasting your food will get you there. If you want to take the plunge and become a chef, spend a week or two in a kitchen you admire to get a feel for it—it’s quite a different world from the one you may imagine,” she explains.

Having worked as a pastry chef for eight years, Gill contributes to numerous publications—including The Guardian, Observer Food Monthly, Feast, and Courier Magazine—and is currently set to be a new judge on Channel 4’s Junior Bake Off alongside Liam Charles and host Harry Hill.

According to Gill, with baking, some people take to it immediately, while others decide that a slightly different approach may work for them—like working in a production kitchen or a bakery. Gill reminds her readers and followers that while pastry is an art, it is also food, so you should always stay in touch with your ingredients, reflect the seasons in your food, and, for the love of God, never use strawberries in December.

Purchase her book here, and follow her Instagram for more.

The post Get Over Your Fear of Baking with Ravneet Gill appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

“I watched my Mom and Grandma spend their days baking for their families, and it was then I discovered that making food is a wholehearted expression of love,” she writes on her website.

With an inherent passion for food and cooking, Stadler launched Modern Honey in 2015 as an outlet for her creativity in the kitchen. On her viral platform, she shares tried and true recipes from decadent desserts (Stadler herself is a two-time Pillsbury Bake-Off finalist), quick and easy dinners, and healthy recipes.

With an emphasis on baking, Stadler is a self-proclaimed cookie junkie. “There’s probably a support group somewhere for people like me,” she jokes on her website, recalling how when she was a teenager, she would go to the library and thumb through cookbooks to find every single chocolate chip cookie recipe and would beg her Mom to try out the recipe creations almost daily. “Issues, I tell you,” she writes.

One of her most celebrated recipes in the Famous Levain Bakery Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe. “These aren’t some ordinary bite-size cookies,” writes Stadler. “No, these are a full-on meal. Well maybe for some people. Here’s the deal—you make them big. Really big. Like only four can fit on a cookie sheet, BIG. These are the BEST CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES EVER. Yep, I said it.”

You’ll find us busy in the kitchen…

The post Melissa Stadler’s Chocolate Chip Cookies Are Large and In Charge appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

Her second book, Taverna, is dedicated to the Cypriot kitchen, with traditional recipes evoking memories of sun-kissed Mediterranean holidays, including cinnamon-infused stews and orange-blossom scented pastries.

“I grew up in a very food-driven household,” she shared in an interview with National Geographic. “Both sets of grandparents had emigrated from Cyprus in the late 1950s, and my mum’s parents opened one of the first Greek Cypriot delis in London, importing traditional ingredients. My dad’s parents opened a Cypriot tavern, which they ran for almost 30 years, and I was born above the restaurant, so most of my early memories revolve around it.”

Having grown up, she went on to study Fine Art at university, after which her passion for food landed her a job as a food writer and stylist on various food magazines. Hayden then went on to join Jamie Oliver’s food team, where she worked for 12 years. While there she wrote, developed, and styled for magazine features, books, television projects and campaigns. She also wrote her first book, Stirring Slowly, which was published in 2016.

“For a long time, I didn’t realize how much my family influenced my life,” she admits, “I assumed all families were food-driven. Since then I’ve learned it was a pretty special childhood. Cooking was, and still is, instinctive—there are no written recipes, and my mum and yiayias would cook whatever was in season. We have a bit of land in Cyprus, and even into his 70s, my grandad grew and pressed his own extra virgin olive oil. We had an endless supply. In Greek Cypriot families, there’s always soulful, nourishing food, and always enough to feed at least 20 people. I still make far too much today.”

Apart from her books, Hayden documents her recipes and food travels on her blog and Instagram page, which we recommend you follow.

The post Georgina Hayden Welcomes You into the Cypriot Kitchen appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

Over the last two decades, Dunlop explored China and its food, with her articles and recipes appearing in top tier publications—including The Financial Times, The New Yorker, Lucky Peach, Gourmet, Saveur and The Observer.

Her most recent book, Land of Fish and Rice: Recipes from the Culinary Heart of China, is an introduction to the food and flavors of Shanghai and the Lower Yangtze or Jiangnan region, and has won the UK Guild of Food Writers Cookbook of the Year Award and the Andre Simon Food Book Award.

Describing Chinese cuisine as both very ancient and very contemporary, Dunlop explained in an interview with Eater that “China really was the original foodie culture, and people over the centuries have written about food.”

She relayed that “there is a Song dynasty, which is to say 12th or 13th century cookbook by a man called Lin Hong, which I think reads a bit like something that could have been written by René Redzepi of Noma in Copenhagen. It’s very esoteric, lyrically titled dishes, foraged ingredients, an interest in closeness to nature.”

According to Dunlop, Chinese gourmets through the centuries have been very concerned about the providence of their ingredients—with eating things in the right seasons. She adds that Sichuanese chefs and Sichuanese food aficionados will always say it’s not just about heat. “The thing about Sichuanese food is the thrilling variety,” says Dunlop.

Aside from writing, Dunlop leads expert culinary tours of China, which were designated “Tour of a Lifetime” by National Geographic Magazine. You’d want to follow her on Instagram.

The post Fuchsia Dunlop Will Teach You Everything You Need to Know About Chinese Cuisine appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

Working from her tiny farm outside Seattle, Howard grew up in Virginia at the base of the Blue Ridge Mountains, and has moved around quite a bit before settling down.

“I fell in love with baking about ten years ago,” she recalled in an interview with le buzz. “I started baking insane cakes after I had my son, and friends started asking for the recipes. When we moved to Seattle, my friend Holly of The Modern Proper encouraged me to start posting the recipes somewhere, so I did! I really had no expectations, it was just something fun for me to do,” she notes.

Now with a growing fanbase online, Howard shares her recipes on both her blog Oh Honey Bakes, and accompanying Instagram page.

“I started working with companies about six months after starting the blog,” she says. “I remember being SO elated, I couldn’t believe someone was going to pay me to bake things and take pictures of them. I’m honestly still so honored to work with the amazing companies I partner with.”

Recent recipes include a gluten-free apple cinnamon cake and a full campfire meal that will have you drooling.

“I transitioned to a gluten-free diet about a year ago, and while I still love over-the-top cakes, I want to create recipes for every day as well as for special occasions,” says Howard.

The post Tiffany Howard Bakes the Prettiest Cakes appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

Based in Vienna, Austria, Kutelas admits cooking had always been a great passion of hers, but after changing her diet and sticking to plant-based-food only, it quickly became more than that.

“In late 2015, I created About That Food because I wanted to offer a platform to help people who wanted to go on this wonderful journey of becoming vegan,” she shared in an interview with le buzz. “A journey that can sometimes be very confusing and frustrating but essentially is a very exciting and beautiful thing.”

After experimenting and creating her own recipes, her platform slowly grew, until a few years later it has become her full-time job.

“About That Food is meant to be a place to motivate yourself,” says Kutelas, “get inspired, and informed. Veganism isn’t that hard—if I can do it, so can you.”

Focusing on natural and seasonal ingredients (but with a little twist), Kutelas admits she doesn’t really have one favorite dish and changes her mind all the time. “To me, the most important ingredients are fresh vegetables, whatever is in season right now,” she notes.

You’d want to check her out.

The post You Don’t Have to Be Vegan to Enjoy Melina Kutelas’ Plant-Based Recipes appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

Her website, Gather and Feast, brings together people and food in a welcoming, all-encompassing, and delicious way. Full of beautiful food and delicious recipes, her platform leaves no cook behind.

A self-taught cook herself, Alexander knows what it takes to turn basic ingredients into a feast. Having spent a lot of her formative years in the kitchen cooking up a storm with her mum, tasting, learning, and experimenting—by the time Alexander was 12, she was already preparing three-course meals for dinner parties.

“I believe enjoying beautiful food with the people I love is one of life’s simple pleasures,” she writes on her website. “Many of my fondest memories are from around the kitchen table; meaningful moments spent while sharing a meal with others. Whether it’s a quiet night in with friends or an extravagant Christmas lunch celebrating with extended family, these moments are treasured and are almost always centered around food.”

According to Alexander, her love for food has inspired her to try new things and push her cooking skills. But when it comes to her signature dishes, it is ironically one of the easiest to prepare.

“It is simply a large platter of fresh and dried fruit, nuts, dark chocolate and any other fun food items I can find in the pantry, all piled high on a beautiful rustic board,” she notes.

Sounds (and looks) delightful!

The post Ashley Alexander Will Teach You How to Turn a Simple Meal Into a Feast appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.

Swedish food and restaurant blogger based in Berlin Per Meurling has become somewhat of an authority when it comes to local restaurants, bars, and eateries in Berlin. Don’t take it from us, take it from his 95k followers on Instagram, who rely on his snappy reviews and mouth-watering photos when choosing their next spot to eat in.

“A well-executed dinner is like a symphony that touches you on so many levels,” reflected Meurling in an interview with Scandinavian Traveler. “Many of my best memories come from restaurants.”

According to Meurling, while TripAdvisor is all very well, who can be bothered to wade through hundreds of reviews written by people with a completely different frame of reference than you? “I think most people would rather have tips from someone they know they can trust,” he notes.

Meurling’s reviews include anything from top-notch restaurants to hole-in-the-wall joints. What matters is the quality of the food itself. You’d want to follow his guidance.

The post Per Meurling Will Help You Find Your Way Through Berlin’s Food Scene appeared first on thedancingcucumber.com.