As the creator of Refrigerator Soup, writing this introduction to my own food blog seems a bit inappropriate, considering this is normally where I list all the things I love most about the blog we’ve chosen to feature that week. So I will just say this: I have a blog, and it’s called “The Wicked Noodle“. I would love for you to visit and, if you wish, stay awhile. I am no longer “officially” with Refrigerator Soup, and I really want to thank Laura for offering me the opportunity to be the featured blogger! Sort of my swan song…but I hope that you’ll keep in touch and visit me often!

How long have you had a food blog?

I started The Wicked Noodle in February ‘09, although I took about six months off while creating and maintaining Refrigerator Soup.

How would you describe your site to new readers?

My niche is easy recipes that deliver big results. I’m not a chef, I’m a home cook who enjoys finding – and occasionally creating – recipes that aren’t fussy but look as if they are!

What made you decide to start your site?

Boredom! I’ve always enjoyed writing and had landed a job working as a local newspaper reporter for our small town newspaper (in my spare time from raising my two little girls!). When my husband was laid off and we moved to Northern Virginia, I had no more part time job, no friends in my new area and, because it was the middle of winter, we weren’t getting out very often. One morning, the thought occurred to me that I should start a food blog. Best decision I ever made!

Is there any personal meaning behind the name?

Long before I started my blog, I’d used “wickednoodle” as my username whenever I signed up for new sites. It’s been so long that I can’t remember where or how I came up with it; it just sounded sorta neat and it just stuck! When my food blog was born, it just seemed to be the perfect choice.

What advice do you have for new bloggers?

Get your site set up before you start. Decide what kind of site you want and then go for it! Look at the food blogs you most admire and write down the things that attract you most to them; this will help you decide what direction you want to go in.

Having said that, try not to compare yourself to other bloggers! I am SO guilty of this, even today. My blog is not one that has long, well-thought posts, and I’m envious of those that do. When envy starts to rear its ugly head, I remind myself that my readers like my blog for a reason, and if I stay true to my own voice, they will stay true to me.

The most important advice is not to worry about making money. I’m not saying that’s not a great goal to have, but the reality is that most bloggers will never make any real kind of money from their blogs. However, if that’s something you want to attain, that should be a very long term goal with a lot of little goals along the way. Make your content number one, your readers a priority, regular posting a consistent habit, and eventually you’ll get there.

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

Truly, the readers. Every time I get a nice comment from someone it gives me the confidence and inspiration to keep going. Food blogging also makes perusing food magazines a lot more fun! I tend to look at each recipe with different eyes: it’s not just “Will my family like this?” but also “Will my readers like this?”

What’s the worst?

Not being in the mood to cook, photograph, write and post -  and having to do it anyway!

What food blog inspires you the most?

This has completely changed since starting Refrigerator Soup.  I’m going to list a few of my favorites – the ones who were with me since the beginning and who still inspire me today – and I really hope I don’t leave anyone out!

• Food.People.Want. Always gorgeous photographs and fabulous recipes.
• Guilty Kitchen. I’m especially partial to Elizabeth’s blog. For some reason, I’ve always felt a special bond with her and have always wanted her to find major success. Her food photography is stunning, her recipes healthy and delicious, and she just seems like an old soul.
• Inspired Taste. Adam and Joanne had just started their blog when they started submitting to Refrigerator Soup, and I was instantly impressed with their talents. My impression is that they’re young, full of life and passion, and it’s quite addicting to be a part of what they have going on. Gorgeous photos – especially for two bloggers just beginning – and  I really see big things for them.
• Jenn Cuisine – She’s such a dedicated blogger and takes such beautiful photographs. Very inspiring!
• Just Making Noise – Okay, here’s where my tears are starting to flow. I absolutely love this girl woman! Mare, you are simply a wonderful human being that I’m so pleased to have come in contact with. Genuine, inspiring and immensely talented…you’re just an awesome being.
• Life’s A Feast. Jamie…what can I say about Jamie that a zillion other people already haven’t said and felt? The best way I can describe how I feel about Jamie (major corny alert!) is when Dorothy, and the end of the Wizard of Oz, looks at the scarecrow and says, “I’m going to miss you most of all”. She’s such a giving, talented, warm and inspiring woman. I read every single post of hers and will continue to do so as long as she continues to blog!
• Our Life in the Kitchen. The photography is fabulous and the recipes delicious!
• Passionate About Baking. Everyone knows Deeba, but for the rare few who haven’t had the opportunity, this is one amazing site you simply must check out. Her photos are AMAZING, and her recipes are awesome!
• PickyCook.  Just love and adore this site! Love the recipes and the photos are just awesome!
• Sense and Serendipity. Divina is just about the nicest person you’d want to “meet”, and her photos and recipes are simply stunning.
• Sprinkle Bakes. She is so creative and her photos are amazing!
• The Urban Spork. Aside from the cool name, this blog always has impressive photos and delicious recipes! Love them!

I know that there are more, and I apologize if I missed someone.  It’s so hard to choose! I actually tried to keep in down to ten, but you see how well that worked ;-)

What camera do you use?

I use a Canon SLR, but truth be told, my photos were just as good on a point and shoot!

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

Does high school Home Ec count? Seriously…no, I have no formal training. My mom has always been a fabulous home cook and I certainly benefited from having a home where a hot meal was prepared seven nights a week. We grew vegetables in the summertime and I always knew where my food came from. Having this be the norm in our house was a better foundation for cooking than any instructor could teach!

Do you watch a lot of cooking on TV?

When I first starting cooking five years ago, I watched Food TV about 24 hours a day. Most of my food TV these days is limited to Top Chef (the best guilty indulgence ever made!) and the soon to air “Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution”. I do occasionally watch a cooking show, but these days I look for inspiration in cooking magazines and food blogs.

Do you have a favorite chef, celebrity or otherwise?

My favorite chef will always be my mom. After her, I’d have to say Rick Bayless. His recipes are accessible and easily adaptable for the home cook. And he seems like such a genuine, down-to-earth good guy.

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

One of the things that took me a while to learn is that the best way to promote yourself is to promote others. If you just don’t worry about every little stat and comment, but instead reach out and celebrate what’s great about others blogs (and comment, tweet, etc.), they in turn will do the same for you. This is a great community we’re in and it’s extremely supportive. I still don’t have nearly the readers I’d eventually like to have, but I strongly believe that not worrying about it is the best way to go. I just try to put out the recipes that I like and I think others will enjoy, find inspiration from the amazing bloggers out there and promote them when it’s appropriate. It’ll all balance out in the end!

What types of food do you enjoy preparing most?

Anything easy that makes me look like a rock star!

Do you have a signature dish or two?

Quite a few actually, depending on who you ask. My most well-known would have to be my carrot souffle and twisted bacon. My husband would say my chicken wellington, and when my best friends Suzi and Lala come to the east coast for a visit, I always make them my overnight french toast.

Favorite kitchen gadget?

My kitchenaid mixer is by far my number one “gadget”. I have many others, but that’s one work horse I couldn’t live without!

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

Oh….bacon, butter, a juicy cheeseburger from Five Guys…and any kind of cheese I can get my hands on!

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

Shark fin soup. What a waste of an amazing animal!

What’s the one super power you wish you had?

Hands down, I wish I could fly. I’ve had dreams where I was flying, and they were amazing!

What’s your favorite thing about Refrigerator Soup?

This is a very personal question to me, for obvious reasons! I would have to say that my most favorite thing about Refrigerator Soup is the wonderful sense of community that has evolved since the first day I launched it in September. I knew what I envisioned for it, but I never anticipated the way in which it would be welcomed and embraced. I feel such a loyalty to the contributors, even though the site really no longer “officially” belongs to me. Thankfully, the fabulous Laura is encouraging me to continue to be a part of it, and I plan on staying as long as she’ll have me!

To see more of Kristy’s fabulous food photography, delicious recipes and to subscribe to her blog, please visit her at The Wicked Noodle.

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.

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