Speaking Through Food

Food, for some, may be the gateway to heaven, while for others a mere means of sustenance. Only a few, though, seem to have mastered the art of marrying the two. They say that ‘one cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.’ To instill joy into the process of creating food for the self and our loved ones is perhaps one of the most important and nourishing acts we can perform.

In this stride, we bring a list of food bloggers who reinvent ways of cooking to make it a joyous and gratifying daily activity. As we ease into the New Year, experiment with cultures and cuisines to bring heart, healthy, and soulful food to the table each day.

Maya Leinenbach
For Maya Leinenbach, the only goal when it comes to food is to make it green and make it tasty! The 20-year-old German food creator focuses on uncomplicating complicated dishes with a vegan twist. Known as @fitgreenmind on Instagram, she samples food from around the globe and provides recipes to her audience, often ‘veganising’ traditional dishes. With Maya’s easy-to-follow, alternative recipes for dishes from India, Sweden, Hungary, Vietnam, and Sri Lanka to Afghanistan, China, Turkey, Germany, Thailand, and a host of other countries, you can taste the world on your plate. With videos on social media and a cookbook, Maya is reinventing food to be healthy, delectable, and innovative.

Olivia Tiedemann
As a private chef and food content creator, Olivia Tiedemann has garnered attention for her quick videos. With her nonchalant attitude, Olivia cooks up a storm, leaving her viewers awestruck and inspired. If you’re looking for quick tips and recipes to indulge in some purposeful cooking, her Instagram @oliviatied is the place to be. Her videos are young, fresh, and engaging while giving you all the tools to create your own meals.

Matthew Ryle
We all dream of a summer in Province, and with Matthew Ryle, we can have a taste of it in the ease of our homes. Inspired by cookery shows on TV, he has now created a name for himself in the culinary world. Lucky for us, he shares his most loved dishes on Instagram under the handle @matthewryle. Creating exotic French classics, he breaks down food as just a combination of a few ingredients put together in the right way. From an Oeuf Mimosa to a Pain Perdu, he reveals the secrets behind gourmet food, proving that nothing is out of reach with a little bit of effort.

Saloni Kukreja
Saloni’s love for flavourful food is evident in her recipes. As a young chef, she has been posting recipe videos on social media, as @salonikukreja, on Instagram, using seasonal and easily available ingredients specific to the Indian subcontinent. With her understanding of the foundation and function of each ingredient, she has managed to create dishes that create a symphony of pleasure on your tongue. Following her recipes is easy, and her warm, excitable persona only adds to the flavour of the whole process. From sweet treats to regional Indian food, her experiments with food always leave a lingering aftertaste to cherish.

Ayushi Gupta Mehra
With a remarkable background in economic consulting and digital media strategy, Ayushi started her Instagram page @the_foodiediaries, as a way to share her love for culinary goodness and compile her gastronomic travel experiences. From quick-fix noodles to gooey cheese eggs, her meals taste just as good as they look. Her easy, family-friendly recipes make for a fuss-free eating experience and instill joy in nourishment. She believes homemade is better-made. With her unique techniques, she has mastered the art of simplifying dishes, breaking them down into palatable steps. Ayushi has a knack for encouraging her audience to get into the kitchen and ignite a love for the process of cooking.