TAKE A SEAT
Since there’s a bit of a running joke online about food bloggers sharing their entire life story before a recipe for a midweek pasta bake, I’ll try to keep my backstory short and sweet (if you’re interested).
I’m Olivia, a home cook and baker who’s always thinking, writing, or talking about food in all forms, eager to experiment in the kitchen.
I grew up in a foodie family, and so my obsession with food has been built in since day one. But my interest in making it myself didn’t really begin until I was twelve, around the same time ‘rainbow recipes’ were all the rage, and my pre-teen self subjected my family to colourful jellies, cakes, and bread, most of which were either dense or sickly sweet.
And although my taste buds have since matured, my obsession with food is yet to fade.
Scottish With A Hint of Italian
In the early 20th century, many Italians began arriving in Scotland to seek better opportunities. By the 1920s, many had already established successful food businesses, bringing with them delicious pizza and ice cream, but some embraced the cuisine of their new land, selling a dish already beloved by the Scots: fish and chips.
My dad belonged to one of these families, where his dad opened up a cafe and his uncle set up a fish and chip restuarant. When they weren’t catering to the tastes of their Scottish customers, upstairs they were enjoying the food of the region they emigrated from – Lazio, home to Italy’s capital city, Rome.
The region of Lazio has produced some of the most famous Italian dishes, like carbonara and cacio e pepe.
It’s through cooking Italian food that I feel connected to this side of my heritage, despite being unable to speak the language. 10 years of inconsistent Duolingo sessions later and all I’ve learned to say is “Gli elephanti bevono aqcua (the elephants drink water)” which I’m sure will get me far if I ever move to Italy.
And as biased as it is to say, this cuisine is my favourite, so it’s no surprise that I have an entire series dedicated to it:
My mum’s side of the family is from Angus in Scotland, and although this cuisine gets slated for being a bit bland, I still stand by some of its wholesome gems – a platter of dropped scones slathered with butter and jam for supper, or a Sunday roast dinner with a side of skirlie – the Scottish version of stuffing.
Foodie Thoughts
Because making food has always taken centre stage in my household, I grew up thinking that most people spent their free time in the kitchen.
With slightly more wisdom gained, I quickly realised that this isn’t the ‘norm’ for many in favour of convenience food. And I don’t judge – I’m guilty of buying or ordering in at the best of times, arriving home after a long day at work to a bare fridge, tempted by the endless ready made delights on offer nowadays.
I have strong opinions about the current food system – which I’ll spare you from at the moment – but I really want to encourage people to get back into the kitchen and enjoy their time there. Not as a ‘chore’ to fill a hole, but to make something inspired, something that can be shared, rather than heated up in the microwave and eaten alone.
A Petition to Bring Back Dinner Parties
And now this leads me to the reasoning behind the name: onourtable.
I could easily have named this blog “on my table”, since it’s a one-woman-show, but behind the scenes, the food I’m creating and posting about every week is not only being eaten by me, but by my family at the dinner table or gifted to obliging friends.
Onourtable is synonymous with sharing, and despite the recent trends of single batch recipes, I still think it’s so much better to share when you can. Because, as cliché as it is to say, half the fun of food is in sharing it.
If I experiment with a new recipe, half the excitement is hearing what my family thinks – even if they have some constructive criticism…
If I try a new restaurant or cafe, half the fun is in critiquing the food with a friend, debating if it’s worth the hype.
And perhaps the greatest of all – if my family and I host a dinner party, half the fun is being a part of a collective culinary effort; and can even encourage some healthy competition.
Since community is becoming a bit harder to come by these days, I still believe in the power of food to bring people closer together. Bake a batch of cookies and share it round with your neighbours, classmates, colleagues, friends – and I can guarantee you’ll sweeten them up (literally).
So, don’t be shy – have a browse and make something to share on your table…
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