I have always loved food. I enjoyed making chocolate chip cookies and birthday cakes for my mom when I was a kid, but I got more seriously into cooking as a teenager. That dropped off when I went to college (Boston College, class of 2001) and got a bachelor’s in English. I didn’t do much cooking at university, but I waitressed and learned to toss a mean Caesar salad. I also went to London for my junior year where I developed a tremendous appreciation for good curry and good beer.

After discovering the world of food blogs, it didn’t take long to decide to start my own, in June 2006. I had been in the corporate world for a few years, and all I thought about in my spare time was the cookbook I want to write someday and how much I hated sitting in an office. The blog gave me a reason to write all the time, and it gave me confidence to go after the career I really wanted. I quit my job to become a full-time freelance writer, and while it’s the toughest job I’ve ever had, I love working whenever I want, in my pajamas if I want.

My professional writing website is www.julieoharawriter.com

Here are a few other things you might want to know:

• I live in Fort Lauderdale, Florida with my fabulous husband (and sous chef/bartender), Mike.
• Tasca, a tapas restaurant in Boston, started my obsessive love for tapas, Spanish food and Sangria. I have never been to Spain—a travesty.
• My favorite food city is Tokyo. Or Boston. Or Singapore.
• My favorite restaurant is Rioja in Denver. Or Teatro in Boston. Or Lemongrass in Ho Chi Minh City.
• The greatest burger I have ever eaten was at The Hitching Post 2 (only available on Monday night) in Buellton, California.
• I am a flexitarian, I guess.
• My favorite cookbook is How to Eat by Nigella Lawson.
• My favorite foodie book is Garlic and Sapphires by Ruth Reichl.
• Three restaurants I would love to eat at someday are El Bulli in Spain, Alinea in Chicago and The French Laundry in Napa.
• The next five (new) countries I want to visit are: Spain, Turkey, Papua New Guinea, Croatia and Argentina.

1. American southern food
2. Greek wine
3. Middle Eastern Cuisine (give me more great Turkish, Syrian, and Persian restaurants!)

1. The “comfort food” trend (if I see one more recipe for gourmet mac n’ cheese, I’ll throw up)
2. Fusion cuisine
3. Designer cocktails (give me a Bombay Sapphire and tonic any day)