As a food blogger, I am often challenged by the technical parts of the job. Developing a recipe, cooking it until it is just right, testing it several times to make sure it works, writing the recipe so that anybody can use it... all that is easy for me. I can even present my food in a way that looks appetizing enough and take a half decent picture... but when I come across something very dark or something with refried beans, I struggle. 

I blog my dinner. Every time. When the last photo has been taken, the pretty (and now cold) plate of food gets reheated and eaten rightaway. We don't use artificial lighting, all is taken in the pure, unadulterated and unforgiving, north-facing light that my Dublin kitchen provides. I use props to make my food beautiful and as a rule, the last photo must show the dish as I would eat it, as if I had cooked it just for a family dinner and not to be blogged. If it's not part of the finished dish, ie not going into my tummy, it's not going on the plate for the picture.   

I work alone... well apart from the camera help I get from my nice Daili Perez, a bubbly young, aspiring photographer. I normally cook the food and decide what plate, which background, where and what props go on the table. Daili checks lighting issues.  At the end, we both take pictures of the finished dish. We manage well together and although lighting is always an issue, particularly during the winter months, we soldier on.

Now a couple of weeks ago I sourced Cuitalcoche for the shop. Cuitlacoche is also known as Corn Truffle. Go on google it. It's bloody hidious looking! I absolutely adore it, but to be honest, when I opened the tin (and believe you me, I've seen it looking worse than this), I panicked! But what's to be panicked about - says you-