Sara Forte is the author of the Sprouted Kitchen food blog. Her whole-food approach to eating and cooking sets a high standard for other bloggers!
Sara Forte discovered a love for whole foods when she volunteered at an organic farm while working towards her English degree at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.
This interest led to an internship in Italy at a bed and breakfast/cooking school, jobs at a few different markets, and eventually to creating a food blog, Sprouted Kitchen, that she produces with her husband Hugh.
Sara writes recipes and stories about life while Hugh documents the couple’s whole food approach to eating well. Sara has written two cookbooks, The Sprouted Kitchen, which was nominated for a James Beard in the Healthy Cookbooks Category, and Sprouted Kitchen: Bowl + Spoon.
Sara’s work is featured in InStyle, Better Home & Gardens, Sunset and Fine Cooking. The blog has been recognized by Saveur for Best Food Photography and Best Food Blog. Sara continues to work on a third book; she freelances in recipe development; and she is a personal chef and mother of two toddlers. Sara and Hugh currently live in Dana Point, California: working, eating and inspiring people to cook fresh, real food.
Hugh Forte is a self-taught photographer – an endeavor that was born from traveling and wanting to document the life playing out around him. While Hugh focuses most of his energy on wedding and lifestyle commissions, he created Sprouted Kitchen as a gift to Sara, for them to have a creative outlet together – her cooking and him documenting – and has since begun to experiment with a fresh approach to the art of food photography.
With an aesthetic inspired largely by the natural beauty of the subject, his talent is perfectly paired with Sara’s cooking style. Hugh’s work has been recognized by the Smithsonian, Photo District News and Conde Nast. While photography is both his profession and passion, Hugh’s time is also invested in great books, fun waves, and the pursuit of a really good cup of coffee.
Sara Forte Show Notes
Contact:
The Sprouted Kitchen
Mentions:
Books:
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The Sprouted Kitchen – Sara Forte
Sprouted Kitchen: Bowl + Spoon – Sara Forte
Super Natural Everyday – Heidi Swanson
Food52 Genius Recipes
The First Mess Cookbook – Laura Wright
At Home in the Whole Food Kitchen – Amy Chaplin
Questions:
Why did you start blogging?
Did he originally start with you, so that it was both of you?
You said you started 8 years ago?
How did you pick the name of your food blog?
When you first started, how many times a week did you publish a post?
Do you wish you published more, or are you just thinking what other people do?
Once you started, how long did it take you to make some money?
Do you feel that ads are your main source of income, or is it cookbooks? What do you feel is your main source?
What are the names of your cookbooks?
Do you have anyone that helps you with your business, like a virtual assistant?
Since you started, how many iterations of the website have you had?
What do you find is the hardest thing about food blogging?
What is your favorite media platform and why?
Are you on twitter at all?
What about Pinterest?
Does Hugh handle your SEO or can you do that yourself?
What is your biggest food failure?
What is your favorite cuisine to eat?
What is your favorite cookbook?
What is the one thing you can’t live without in your kitchen?
Can you give any advice to someone in their early years of food blogging or someone who wants to start a food blog?
Beth
This was another great podcast Elaine! She is a realist for sure!
Elaine
Thanks Beth! And she’s cute as a button!