Not Quite Nigella

Not Quite Nigella

Lorraine Elliott has long been a food enthusiast, but not so long ago she decided to ditch her day job as a highly-paid media strategist to cook, eat and write – even though she's not quite Nigella. Her fabulous food blog Not Quite Nigella is now the go-to internet destination for hundreds of thousands of foodies from around the world. With a quarter of a million unique readers a month, Not Quite Nigella is the most popular food and travel blog in Australia.

Not Quite Nigella, the book, is the story behind this journey. Full of never before published material, and told with her irresistible humour and optimism, Lorraine reveals the pitfalls, triumphs and challenges of becoming a full-time food blogger. She shares the best of her new-found wisdom: the secret to winning a man's heart through food, the key to baking perfect macaroons, tips on hosting unforgettable dinner parties, and how to create a successful blog. But most importantly Lorraine shares her inspiring story of bravely turning her dream career into a reality.

Interspersed with a select few of Lorraine's recipes, and much more than a celebration of food, Not Quite Nigella is a delightful memoir that will encourage you to follow your heart.


Lorraine Elliot is the founder and publisher of the popular food blog Not Quite Nigella. She began the blog in September of 2007 after repeated suggestions from friends and family. She has been blogging full time since January 2009 after making the decision to give up her corporate career in advertising. The blog features a new story daily with topics ranging from recipes, restaurant reviews, chef interviews, travel stories or store visits.

She lives Sydney's Eastern Suburbs with her food apathetic husband and her collection of 140 pairs of shoes. She wishes that she could sing.


Not Quite Nigella
Viking
Author: Lorraine Elliot
RRP: $29.99

Interview with Lorraine Elliot

Question: What originally inspired you to begin the Not Quite Nigella blog?

Lorraine Elliot: Six years ago I was working in advertising and I had quite boring clients and I needed a creative outlet and my husband had heard about -blogging' and he suggested I try it. I didn't have any inclination towards writing as I had only written briefs, reports and memos at my job however it sounded like an interesting thing to do. At the time, my sister lived in London and we used to talk about food all the time including recipes I'd made and where we'd eaten out and blogging was an easy way for me to show her what I'd done. To show her I'd upload photos and write about the food, I knew the blog was public but it was really meant to for my sister and I to communicate; it all began from there.


Question: Did you ever think the blog would be as popular, as it is?

Lorraine Elliot: No! It was never meant to be a job; it took me by surprise completely. I knew other people could read it but I wasn't really writing for other people. I thought maybe friends would sometimes have a peak if they were looking for somewhere to eat but I didn't think anyone would want to read it, to be honest.


Question: Why did you decide to write the book Not Quite Nigella?

Lorraine Elliot: I didn't expect the blog to be a job and I didn't think I had a book in me, to be honest. It took me a while to get into blogging because I'd regularly ask my husband 'who cares what I have to say about anything, I'm not famous or a celebrity, I'm a regular person, why would anyone care what I eat?" It took me a while to believe it could be of any value and it was the same when I was approached by an agent to write a book.

I was approached a year into the blog and she said 'I think there is potential for a book in there". Not Quite Nigella is not just blog posts put into a book, the agent knew there was a story behind the blog and that was four years ago now. Having a book published is a slow process which I didn't realise because blogging is so immediate and the whole process of a book takes a lot longer than you'd think. It's been a very interesting experience.


Question: Can you share with us some of your new-found food wisdom?

Lorraine Elliot: I'd hate to say wisdom because I don't think I'm very wise. When I was working in advertising I thought I was happy and I was content but a part of me knew I didn't want to do it for another 30 or 40 years. When I found something that I never even knew that I wanted and it made me so happy I knew then it was worth trying something out of your comfort zone.

People often wonder -why put yourself out there' but it may suit you even if you may never have thought it would be something you'd do. I never thought I had a blog in me, I never thought I had a book in me but stretching yourself out of your comfort zone can often lead to wonderful jobs and a job that you never knew you wanted or even a life that you never knew you could have.


Question: What's a typical day like, for you?

Lorraine Elliot: There is no real typical day because it's so varied. I travel a lot and I'm gone two out of four weeks a month, travelling. When I'm travelling I am writing about food in a particular destination. I love working from home and if I am at home, I get up at about 9am and it's a very easy commute across the apartment and I start cooking and writing. Because I do it all myself it's quite varied and I'll never know what I'll be doing one day and it could be boring or something exciting! As I handle everything myself, every day is so varied.


Question: Which recipe for you, holds the most memories?
Lorraine Elliot: My Mum's recipes hold many memories such as the Wontons recipe that features in the book, I always had them when I was sick and I have memories of eating them from a young age and also her Singapore Chilli Prawns.

Every recipe that is in the book has quite an interesting memory for me however those two are the deepest in my memory because I've eaten them for so many years. I asked my Mum to share my favourite recipes of hers and she didn't want to do that at first, she was very reluctant to share recipes for a while, she did come around because she saw people liked them. I think that parents can often not want to share in case you don't come home for those meals however she now realises that we still will and it's okay to share recipes.


Interview by Brooke Hunter