About Ella
One of my favourite feelings in the world is that which arises in me when I am in my kitchen, putting together a concoction of some sort that I know is going to taste like pure magic, or when I am putting the final few decorations on a cake that is so startlingly pretty that it looks like it came straight out of the pages of a fairytale book. And I know that the flavours and textures inside match its outer beauty. It elicits such giddiness, delight and a proud satisfaction in me. And then I think of the pleasure that what I have made will bring my loved ones, and I can’t wait to see their eyes widen, and for them to burst out laughing and tell me “this tastes STUPID”. That means rather good in case you were unclear. My wish in bringing ellafika to life and in sharing my most treasured recipes with you is that you may experience your own version of that joy.
My cooking and baking don’t fall into a niche category, such as adhering to a particular cuisine or diet, but the common element shared between them is that each one has been tinkered with, again and again, until it has reached my idea of perfection. I know that I often feel apprehensive when trying a new recipe—particularly if it’s for an important occasion, if it takes a long time to prepare, or if I am simply in no mood to be disappointed on a given day!—as there are so many available to us in this modern day, and too often is a cake not moist and rich like it promised to be, but rather dry and absolutely mundane! Or does a recipe lack flavour, and it would have been so much better with additional ingredients. Or, perhaps, do I feel after tasting the finished product that the given measurements were not optimal, and the writer either guessed, or simply didn’t take the time to experiment away in unlocking the perfect blend. I hope that this blog will be be a breath of fresh, relaxing, air for you, in that you can feel at ease in knowing that the measurements and instructions provided are exact and purposeful, and you shall not be led astray in your quest towards delighted tastebuds. As I write this, at the forefront of my mind is how the amount of salt used can make or break a dish (anybody who knows me well knows that I am an absolute salt fiend, and this shouldn’t come as any surprise!), if somebody doesn’t yet know how to judge it. Ditto for fats and acids. I have some friends who are working on developing their palates, and they tell me that they will taste what they are preparing and can often tell that the balance of flavours is off, but can’t yet tell what is lacking. They also tell me that “a pinch” or “a drizzle” are too ambiguous measurements for them, and this causes them stress. Well, we don’t want that, do we now?! Cooking and baking should be a means to relax and play! I have therefore endeavoured to eliminate the guesswork as much as is possible and practical, where it counts, so that the recipes that you will find here will be friendly to you if you are new to the kitchen, or equally if you are an old friend of it.
I have been an avid baker and cook for over a decade, although my love for beautiful food and ingredients has been a lifelong passion of mine. My father is a Frenchman from Paris, and my Polish mother lived in France for 10 years. It was there that she was exposed to the French culture’s focus on quality, refinement, and love of the art of gastronomy. You will find a plethora of French recipes on this blog, and you will equally find dishes from a wide array of cuisines—my approach to these, however, is influenced by my palate, which has been molded by my French upbringing. I suppose I must be transparent, however, in admitting that it has also been influenced by my Canadian roots, and I do love food that is very much “improper” by French standards, and completely unsophisticated. I have lived in Canada my whole life, and am equally here for all forms of fun foods, be it chicken and waffles, donuts galore, or anything drenched in maple syrup. These are all things that my Parisian father—who was born in the 1950s—will (lovingly and playfully!) laugh at me for eating. All of this to say: there is not a snobby bone in this French girl’s body, and I am here to support you in all of your adventures in the kitchen, whether you are on a quest to make an elegant quiche, or something twice-fried and then wrapped in bacon. But! I will offer the guidance to execute dishes like this last with an approach reflective of the discerning taste instilled in me by my French upbringing.
