Interview with Sydney Kramer from The Crepes of Wrath
Sydney Kramer is the genius behind the blog, The Crepes of Wrath, where she shares interesting new recipes with a readership that wants to get out of their cooking rut and try something fun, without needing crazy ingredients or breaking the bank on equipment.
What was your inspiration to start a food blog?
I gained a ton of weight in college, so I started cooking for myself in an effort to get control of my health. I had always been an avid photographer, so the two kind of went hand in hand – it was a natural progression from just photographing my food to sharing those photographs and recipes with the world.
What was the turning point for your blog? When did you realize it was successful?
I hope that it continues to grow and see more success, but being recognized on the street is pretty awesome! I also won a cookie competition on Anderson Cooper’s show and got to cook for Marco Pierre White – all huge achievements as far as I am concerned.
What’s your personal advice about food blogging to new bloggers?
Just go for it – don’t worry about having a theme or having the best photos or any of that. The hardest part is just starting. Everything else will come with time. Believe me, the first couple of years of my own blog aren’t beautiful, but they were an unforgettable learning experience and I wouldn’t be where I am without some fumbles along the way.
What was your readers’ most favorite blog post? What do you think is the reason why the post got people’s attention?
A recipe for Chocolate Chip Cookies by Jacques Torres. They were unlike any cookie that people had been making in their own homes – the New York Times had written about Jacques Torres’ cookies before, but there weren’t photos that showed how special they really were. Jacques Torres even gave me a call a few years back to tell me that he loved the photos and sent me a bunch of chocolate to make them again!
Where do you see food blogging in five years?
I think that people connect to food blogging and bloggers because we live the same lives as everyone else, minus the fact that we have an unhealthy desire to photograph everything we cook. Cooking is romantic and exciting to us, and it’s irresistible to share our kitchens with anyone that we possibly can. Food has become such a huge past time – it’s not just about gathering around a table and enjoying a meal with loved ones. It’s about seeking out new ingredients, about knowing where your food comes from and about understanding that sustainability and locality of your meal. I think the more people become aware of these kinds of things, the more wholesome and exciting our food is.
What’s the craziest recipe you cooked or baked? Why?
I made a waffle stuffing for Thanksgiving this year. I don’t know if it’s crazy, but it was definitely different and a surprise to my guests! I made Belgian waffles, then chopped them up, toasted them, and added them to the usual stuffing ingredients (celery, sausage, cranberries, etc.), but added in plenty of maple syrup to go along with it. The final product was a completely awesome breakfast-y version of a traditional Thanksgiving stuffing. I ate the leftovers with a fried egg for breakfast the next day! It’s really a recipe that shows my cooking style.
What’s your favorite Restaurant? Why do you love it?
Roberta’s in Bushwick. Roberta’s is known as a brick oven pizza spot to a lot of people, but they are doing so much more than that. They make amazing vegetable dishes, which are my favorite things to order there. Browned butter carrots with creamy marscapone, or roasted broccoli, kale and daikon with an anchovy sauce. I had a delicious mackerel dish there over the winter, as well as smoked togarashi ribs that really blew my mind. They are inventive without being stuffy. I love it.
What’s their best dish you could recommend? Why?
Any vegetable dish, for sure, but the menu is constantly changing with the season so my recommending something now doesn’t really mean much. Their bee sting pizza, though, is always on the menu – cured meats, honey, red pepper flakes…perfection.
If you do not like a particular dish at your favorite restaurant, what do you do?
I usually talk about it with whoever is at the table, and discuss what it is that I don’t particularly love about it. There’s always a reason for a dish to be served though, and I will always at least look for that reason and figure out what it is about my tastes that don’t agree with the chef’s. I don’t have to like it, but there’s no reason to be rude!
Name your favorite food blog and tell us why.
101 Cookbooks. It’s beautiful and the recipes are superb and again, vegetable heavy. Anyone can cook meat. Show me something interesting with vegetables.
If you could banish any food from the earth, what would it be? Why?
Those little sad, wilted mesclun salads that you get at so many restaurants. I want a nice, peppery vinaigrette or something else that makes them stand out. Whenever I get a boring, balsamic dressed, right-out-of-the-plastic-shell salad at a restaurant, I get a little pissed off. It’s filler. I don’t need filler. Just leave the damn thing off the plate entirely.
Your favorite photo on the blog that you shot yourself. Why do you like it?
I love pie so much, and this one is super in-your-face about the flaky, buttery crust and the deliciousness that lies within.
What’s your food guilty pleasure? (Something you love to eat, but feel guilty right after)
Nothing – and nobody should feel guilty about indulging in food. Go to the gym the next day and get over it. Nobody should feel shame for enjoying food.
What’s the most exotic meal you’ve had?
Balut, which is a fertilized duck embryo. The yolk is incredibly creamy and the embryo tastes like liver pate. I highly recommend it!
Another favorite photo on the blog that you shot yourself. Why do you like it?
This photo just really makes me want to eat bone marrow. It looks so warm and inviting!
What’s your favorite ingredient to cook with?
It always changes, but right now I’d probably say chickpeas. They are so versatile – you can make them healthy and light or hearty and soul-warming.
Who is your favorite celebrity chef? Why?
Tom Colicchio – he is self-taught, incredibly generous and cares about important causes. Plus I met him once and he signed a book for me! Done deal.