15 February 2016

My name is Jamila and I am a passionate cook, amateur photographer and food writer based in London. Welcome to my blog!

pip & little blue has just turned three *blows out candles*! And what a three years it has been. So I thought I would tell you all about it in three new FAQs (yes, I have actually gone and interviewed myself)…

What is pip & little blue about?

In a nutshell: happy, healthy, colourful FOOD!

There is nothing I love more than to plonk down a great big pot of deliciousness in the middle of the dining table and have friends and family gather round for a good feed. Everything seems a bit better after a good meal. I think it’s all about nourishment in the widest sense of the word.

Fresh, simple, seasonal ingredients (mainly fruit & veggies) usually take centre stage around here and there is often a nutritional focus to my recipes. If you follow me on Instagram (@pipnlittlebluefood), you’ll know I’m a juice and smoothie fanatic! I draw a lot of inspiration from my travels to different countries and cultures too so you’ll find a real melting pot of flavours here rubbing up against the more familiar classics. And as well as recipes, you’ll see the odd restaurant review knocking about too. Eating out is almost as good as eating in. Almost.

pip & little blue is about the photos just as much as the words. I fell in love with photography years ago and my trusty camera has seen it all: from sea kayaking in New Zealand (I didn’t drop it in the sea!) and trekking in Peru (it didn’t freeze!), to temple-hopping in Cambodia (the monkeys didn’t steal it!) and wine-tasting in Argentina (I didn’t lose it drunk!). So when I’m at home, I snap delicious landscapes of spaghetti seas and mushroom trees instead! I use a Canon EOS 550D camera and a cheap and cheerful Nifty Fifty 50mm f/1.8 STM lens – I am also entirely self-taught so no technical questions please.

Why did you start blogging?

I started writing when I was on long-term sick leave from work as a busy City lawyer. A nasty virus led to a diagnosis of CFS/ME and I ended up taking a whopping eight months off work. I started pip & little blue to build a bit of structure back into my life and to rebuild my self-confidence, to reconnect with the world and to keep me busy whilst trying to sit still! My health, through diet, exercise, and sheer hard graft, has now gradually improved and I feel stronger and fitter by the day. It may sound trite but I really believe that blogging has saved me from the depression that can creep in with chronic illness and has shown me that there is always a silver lining, no matter how dark the cloud. I wish people talked about mental health more.

What’s new?

As I said before, I’m a lawyer. Or used to be, that is. I decided to leave my job at the end of last year for a whole host of reasons. A bit because I now realise that health is the linchpin to everything else good in life. And a lot because I’ve decided to jump into the big, wide world of food and see if I can make it my day job. Life is just too short to live in fear. Remind me I said that if things don’t quite go to plan! So *drumroll* in January this year, I went back to school and enrolled on a 9-month Le Cordon Bleu cookery course here in London – out with the stilettos and in with the clogs! It’s still only early days but I don’t miss law yet and, at the time of writing, retain all 10 fingers. 2016 is the year of being brave, I say. JUMP.

***HOT OFF THE PRESS – MARCH 2016 – PASSED MY 1ST TERM AT LE CORDON BLEU!!***

I was also recently shortlisted as a finalist for the Bloggers’ Lounge Blogger of the Year 2015 award in the food category which was, to say the least, extremely exciting. It sounds silly but it finally made me realise that I should be really proud, and not shy, of my blog. A huge, HUGE thank you to all those who voted for me.

Welcome again and I look forward to hearing tales from your kitchen

pip & little blue

P.S. If you would like to reproduce any of my recipes or images, or would like to discuss a writing, cooking or photography opportunity, please drop me an email on pipandlittleblue@gmail.com or DM on Twitter (@pipnlittleblue).

Source: Images and words by pip & little blue.