There are so many food blogs out there that at times it can be overwhelming to find the ones that you look forward to reading day in and day out.  It’s that much more difficult for us to find the blogs we choose to feature, but this week we had it easy.  Sense & Serendipity is one of those rare gems that makes us thankful we’re a small part of the food blogging world.  Divina is the passionate, talented and engaging writer behind it all – three things that you don’t find on every blog.  It’s not only her delicious and healthy recipes that keep us reading and coming back for more, it’s her dedication and passion that comes through in her writing that inspires us with each visit.

How long have you had a food blog (or other foodie type site)?

My blog started on the last week of November 2008, so it’s been more than a year now.

How would you describe your site to new readers?

My site is about part food and cooking (sometimes baking), part health and nutrition. Both areas are inseparable. Both are part of life. Combining them both at the same time makes eating and living more radiant and vibrant without being too rigid on what, how and why we eat.

What you decide to start your site?

I started this site because of my friend’s encouragement. She says my blog would be my collection of kitchen experiments. When you give up your career for years because you have to take care of an ailing parent, it is hard to bounce back into the food industry. I followed my friend’s advice and started a food blog which is a fulfilling and a rewarding experience. I was not only able to write about food but it also gave me to chance to inspire people to eat better.

Is there any personal meaning behind the name?

Yes. The first thing that came to my mind is the word “sense” which is the perfect word because of the involvement of  sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch in food and cooking. I always want people to be sensual when they cook and eat. But I needed another word to complete the title and “sensibility” was the next word because of its association with the movie: Sense and Sensibility. But it still doesn’t make sense and I started writing phrases that would make a great title. Some of them are corny while the others are too formal. So, I went back to the word “sensibility”. And the only word that slightly rhymes is “serendipity which is a word that I absolutely love. Serendipity is finding something valuable or delightful when you are not looking for it. For me, it also means being at the right place, at the right time and at the right moment whether in your career, relationships, family and life in general. These are chance meetings and refreshing encounters in unexpected moment. It’s unrehearsed and it’s full of good surprises. And it could happen in food as well.

What advice do you have for new bloggers?

Am I qualified to do that? Find out the reason why you want to start a food blog. Do you want to document your recipes or do you want to inspire someone or you want to do both? Second, always be inspired when you write. There was a time I wanted to publish a blog post just because I needed to, not because I wanted to. Third, be active in the blogging community by joining a food blog community such as Foodbuzz or even Twitter. You’ll meet wonderful people and you will definitely learn from them not only about food about also about life.

What’s the best thing about being a food blogger?

The best thing about being a food blogger is meeting other food bloggers. Although I don’t really see them in person, they are indeed a blessing. I realized that these food bloggers are sincere and friendly and they do really care about what you do. You really meet true friends through your blogging journey. Another best thing about being a food blogger is that I discovered that I actually like photography. Then my friend also mentioned that I actually could write beautifully. Sometimes through blogging alone, you can discover talents and skills that you thought you never had before. From there, you can fully develop it. The best thing that is yet to happen is that food blogging can open new great opportunities in your life such as a project or even the best job in the world.

What’s the worst?

A few worst things about being a food blogger are not having access to really fresh ingredients. There are some ingredients that I absolutely love and would like to work with such as artichokes and fennel but they’re not available from where I live. Another frustration is time; writing, preparing, cooking, photographing food could be time consuming. Another worst thing is spending longer time in front of the computer and taking a bad photograph and composition paired with a bad food styling.

What food blog inspires you the most?

Although I’m inspired by blogs with good writing, visual designs and food photography, what inspires me most at this time is what I can do with food that could help people stay healthy. The food blog that inspires me the most and actually is the first blog that I really like is 101 Cookbooks because her work is exactly what I want to do in the future. Then I discovered Just Making Noise around May 2009 and her introduction to nourishing tradition inspired me and gave me a vision to teach this to culinary students in the future. A Little Bit of Spain in Iowa, The Nourishing Gourmet, The Nourished Kitchen, The Leftover Queen to name a few who are also on the same category.

What camera do you use?

Nikon D40

Do you have any formal training in the field of cooking?

Yes. Aside from learning how to cook from my late-father, I also did have some formal training when I took my 3^rd year college at Les Roches, a hotel management school in Switzerland. I also took professional culinary arts at Dubrulle Culinary Institute ( which is now known as The Arts Institute of Vancouver) in Canada.

Do you watch a lot of cooking on TV?

I used to watch a lot of cooking shows in Canada and in the Philippines. But because of blogging, I rarely watch TV and failed to watch Top Chef.

Do you have a favorite chef, celebrity or otherwise?

I would say Jamie Oliver as what he did with the school menu was a lot of hard work. He has done a lot of great things to improve cafeteria food and is still continuing to do so in other projects not only for the children but for adults as well. His approach to eating and preparing good food is simple and unpretentious.

How challenging has it been to find a loyal reader base?

It was difficult at the beginning but slowly as you learn the ins and outs of blogging, you begin to expand your networking by joining social networks and also by interacting with other food bloggers. It is still challenging today even after one year of blogging.

What types of food do you enjoy preparing most?

I enjoyed preparing foods that is made with whole and real ingredients. I’ve been attracted to making dishes out of vegetables, grain, legumes, nuts and seeds and other wholesome ingredients while using minimal condiments as flavorings. But I still definitely cook with meat, poultry and fish, the wholesome way.

Do you have a signature dish or two?

My family would say it’s the Baked Mussels that I usually make whenever we have family dinner, out of my mother’s request for my nephew. The other one is the Grilled Lemon-Coriander Prawns.

My favorite gadget?

Swiss peeler, kitchen tongs, Microplane zester

If you could choose to be any food, what would it be?

Dark chocolate

If you could banish just one food from the earth, what would it be?

I would like to say soda and any food that is overly processed and refined. But one of the foods that I would like to banish is tripe.

What’s one super power you wish you had?

To be able to grow any ingredient that I want in my garden.

What’s your favorite thing about “Refrigerator Soup”?

My favorite thing about “Refrigerator Soup” is your passion in discovering new food sites. It’s more of a community than a website that cares about food and each other.  I also love the layout with the photos where they speak for itself to “choose and try me”.

To see more of Divina’s fabulous food photography, delicious recipes and to subscribe to her blog, please visit her at Sense & Serendipity.

To learn about how you can get Featured, please email us at twentyquestions [at] refrigeratorsoup [dot] com.   Note:  Priority is given to those bloggers who consistently submit photographs, so please keep that in mind before inquiring.  We are not adding to the schedule at this time as we are currently booked through mid-March, 2010, but welcome inquiries from those interested in being featured (we will respond to those inquiries sometime in February).

Featured bloggers from weeks past…

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Twenty Questions with Guilty Kitchen

Twenty Questions with A Good Appetite

Twenty Questions with Sunita’s World

Twenty Questions with Spicie Foodie

Twenty Questions with Greedy Gourmet

Twenty Questions with Sweetopia

Twenty Questions with Real Mom Kitchen

Twenty Questions with Inspired Taste

Twenty Questions with Passionate About Baking

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