About The Minty Tomato …
Hello everyone, and welcome to The Minty Tomato! I do appreciate your interest in exploring what I have to offer!
Why “Minty Tomato”? Fresh garden tomatoes have been my favorite vegetable (even though technically a fruit) since my childhood and mint has long been a symbol of hospitality … hence, “The Minty Tomato”.
My name is Iryna and I live in the Greater Toronto area. Here are some highlights of who I am and what this blog is about.
What I am / not …
I am not:
- an experienced food blogger, just starting out 🙂
- a professional photographer, but I can handle a digital SLR camera
- specifically promoting any diet
- a nutritionist or dietitian
Also,
- I don’t have a formal education in cooking
- Nor have I published any cookbooks (yet!)
and yet I am:
- a “seasoned” (pun intended) home cook
- an advocate for natural, unrefined, original and authentic things in life
- inspired by genuine beauty in every aspect of our existence
- a healthy lifestyle promoter
- passionate about a balanced diet, whole foods, organic fruit and vegetables
- a follower (and result) of my own philosophy and example on how to stay healthy and successfully manage weight
- someone who has been fortunate to maintain the same weight since I was 18 years of age
My family and roots …
- Zoe – my sweet and kind canine who is sensitive to my moods and always attempts to comfort me if I feel blue.
- Brad – my partner and soulmate who inspires me with his creativity in everything and has helped me discover innovations in food ingredients and cooking methods. I appreciate his support for me in everything I do.
- John – my son, who frequently surprises me with his maturity and ambition and who has discovered the joys of cooking as well.
- My eastern European roots have certainly influenced my perspective and preferences for food and cooking, but … they continue to evolve.
- My parents still live in Belarus. Those are the people who shaped my life and provided such a happy childhood that I am blessed to reminisce about.
More background …
- I am educated as an engineer
- I work full time in business intelligence and analytics for an admirable non-profit organization in Toronto
- I am very passionate about my job but also about many other meaningful and important activities such as cooking for my family of course, travel, home design, gardening/landscaping, floristics, reading and curling, to name a few (Yep, that’s right … curling! Well, coming to Canada, it was either that or hockey and as you can see from my photo, I am not exactly built for battle).
What you can expect to find at my blog …
- My own recipes
- Well known (general) recipes in my personal interpretation
- Someone else’s recipes that inspired me (a link or mention provided for your reference)
- All recipes described, styled and photographed by me
- Content written by me
- 2-3 new recipes weekly
- Healthy life-style stories/comments
A note for new bloggers like myself …
In the Resources section (that is under development right now), you can expect to find step by step notes on how I started this blog, tips on what I learned related to food photography and managing digital images, Adobe Lightroom™ learnings, and overall updates on my blog progress and journey!
Your critical comments (favourable or unfavourable) are all welcome. Please ask questions or provide advice 🙂 … after all, that’s how we develop and improve, right?!
Yours,
Iryna
