Whether he’s giving us multiple reasons to drool as he leads us on a visual culinary tour of some of his favorite eating establishments or sharing the bounty of his CSA with new ways to enjoy veggies Brian Samuels speaks about food the same way he would speak of his grandmother, with respect and love.
Brian’s popular food blog, A Thought for Food, is in many ways like many blogs: a collection of personal stories, observations and tempting recipes. But Brian delves beyond the surface of traditional food blogging and gives his blog something special: his heart and voice.
Whether giving his devout readers back to basic tips for making your own butter or creating new twists on classic favorites, Brian unapologetically shares his personality—the good, bad and the naughty often topped off with an inspiring cocktail recipe and drool-worthy photography—Brian creates a welcome space in the blogosphere to sit back and savor.
Thanks to shared snippets of restrained enthusiasm for the life he shares with his husband Eric, his dog Maki and good, good friends, both online and off, Brian creates a welcoming space in the blogosphere to sit back and savor.
I had the opportunity to sit down with Brian and learn more about his thoughts (no pun intended—well, okay, maybe…) on food, photography and social media. Thanks for taking a glimpse into the life of today’s foodie crush, Brian of A Thought for Food.
When I asked Brian which favorite recipe I should try, he immediately recommended his recipe for Chocolate Cherry Scones with Saffron. I thought, PERFECT! I’ve been hoarding a box of Spanish saffron for years after being generously gifted to me by a friend’s father who happened to be a pilot and happened to bring me the colorful spice from one of his overseas trips.
Get the Chocolate Cherry Scones with Saffron recipe here.
Prior to this recipe, I was a scone virgin. Brian took care of that notch on my bedpost for me.
Why I haven’t made this type of pastry before is beyond me now. Dark chocolate and tart sour cherries are the perfect foil to the not too sweet pastry and perfect for coffee dunkin’.
And now a few more words from the magnanimous Brian. Thank you for being our foodie crush.
1. Describe your blog in 3 words:
Fresh. Intimate. Honest.
2. If you could be one food blogger other than yourself, who would you be?
There are too many to name, but I love David and Louise of Green Kitchen Stories.
3. Which 3 blogs do you follow/are obsessed with/can’t live a day without?
Chasing Delicious
Happyolks
Bakers Royale
4. What is the one kitchen tool you could never give up?
My chef’s knife is an obvious one, but besides that, it would have to be my food processor, which I use at least three times a week to make everything from pesto to scones.
5. What dish are you obsessed with mastering that you just can’t get quite right?
I’m still working on mastering egg dishes. I make mean scrambled eggs (there’s a lot of butter in them), but I haven’t nailed down poaching them.
6. What did you have for dinner last night?
Homemade baked falafel served over mixed greens with a lemon-tarragon vinaigrette.
7. What’s one secret talent outside of the kitchen nobody knows about you:
I love singing. In high school, I was in a number of choirs and a capella groups.
8. You’re happiest when cooking/eating:
I am happiest when eating breakfast at home with my husband, on a lazy Sunday morning.
9. You created a series on your blog called Silent Sunday, tell us what the inspiration was to start it and where do you find your inspiration for subjects to document?
Silent Sunday was inspired by Debra and Rod of the blog Smith Bites, who do a series called 52 Sundays, and I’ve always enjoyed reading those with my Sunday breakfast. My idea was to do photo-centric blog posts where I got to feature my favorite restaurants and shops.
While I haven’t given up on the Silent Sunday posts, I am moving away from just doing these on Sundays. I’ll continue to do these profiles, but they might go up on other days.
10. The one secret ingredient to your success is:
Writing a blog can be a trying process, but the key to being successful at it is to create a presence. I’ve always tried to keep a tight schedule and there hasn’t been a week in the past two years where I haven’t posted. With that being said, I think people have responded to my blog because they can relate to me and that’s because I stay true to who I am. I never post just for the sake of posting, but, rather, because I have something to share.
Thank you Brian for sharing with us! Brian will also be featured in the upcoming issue of Foodie Crush magazine and we’re thrilled to learn more about him there too and check out my other food blogger interviews.
Related Posts
Interview with Kristin Doyle of Dine and Dish
Interview with Helene Dujardin of Tartelette
Interview with Marla Meredith of Family Fresh Cooking
Thanks for reading and please keep in touch. Subscribe to Foodie Crush and follow me on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest and check out Foodie Crush magazine and Cookie Cravings cookbook.
Love this recipe so much. It looks absolutely yummy and very easy to make. Thank you for sharing this amazing cherry chocolate scones.
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In an hour MMA conditiioning circuit, take the last 5-10 minutes and step up the intensity to a max interval.
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They gained back all of the weight, and usually significantly
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The role of exercise is as important as the choice of diet.
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Or, is it because you miss having someone to spend time with.
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You should especially avoid combining fruit
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love this…
What a very refreshing interview! I enjoyed reading and watching.
It is my honor to know about Brian Samuels and I learn some things from him. He is an inspiration for me. Thanks for taking time to have an interview with Brian for us.
I love these interviews so much, Heidi! Brian is great, I like him even more now!
Fantastic interview, Heidi. I adore Brian. He was one of my first friends (and for a while, the only one)to comment on my blog when I started writing it. Forever supportive, sweet, and so talented. It’s lovely to see Brian here and he has great tips for anyone just starting out their food blog. :)
PS – I wish I would have thought to drink wine during my interview ;) That could have been fun!
I adore Brian and think this interview speaks to how he really is. Great job to both of you!