Contrary to popular belief, my name isn’t Candy (and I’m not a stripper)

It’s Karen actually

…it means ‘pure maiden’. But I suppose that’s obvious right? 

I’m the self-taught cook, baker, frolicker, photographer, writer, smart-arse and culprit behind this Sydney food blog which sprung into life in October of 2008.

See that gorgeous mound of fluff? That’s Orfy; my life, my soul, my love, my boy, my everything. He’s wicked smart, way more photogenic than I am and has one heck of a personality.

The other man in my life is The Captain; my partner-in-crime, fearless taste-tester, mariner, backseat driver, kitchenhand, dishwasher, therapist, occasional hand model and handbag holder.

I was born in Waltham Forest, London but I’ve lived in Australia for 25 + years and my Hokkien/Chinese parents are from Malaysia.

When it comes to grub, I’ve always have been influenced by Malaysian, Chinese, Aussie and English cuisines (now that last one, I’m intensely passionate about). Amazing for the tastebuds. Bad for the waistline.

Btw, I cheer for Liverpool FC. Do NOT talk about Chelsea to me. But I digress.

Behind the blogger, I’m just your average beach-goin’, vegemite-happy, pub-rockin’, Holden-hooning, car-loving, Cold Chisel-grunting, meat pie-shovelling Aussie girl who loves the open road.

About this blog

Citrus and Candy is part recipe collection, part food pornography and part journal. All lovingly written with minimal cursing and good vocabulary – hopefully! 

I love cooking English food and am getting in touch with my roots and Malaysian food but here, you’ll find sweet and savoury recipes of all kinds . There’s nothing I love more than discovering (and rediscovering) old recipes particular those with a smattering of nostalgia thrown in. Closest to my heart though is classic home cooking, comfort food and well, trashy and super indulgent desserts.

If you’re mainly after sugar-free, gluten-free, fat-free, carb-free, vegan, super healthy gourmet organic whatever-diet food, this is NOT the place for you. Sorry folks. I like my naughty stuff. I like it trashy. And I like being a bad girl. I firmly believe moderation over abstinence is the key to my happiness. The words ‘sugar-free’ makes me shudder.

All recipes will always be written in metric and by weight measurements. Unless specified:

• 1 Cup = 250ml
• 1 Tbl = 15ml
• 1 tsp = 5ml  

About the Photography

Sadly I’m still using the very first (basic) DSLR that I bought after I started the blog – a Canon EOS 1000D with a Canon EF 50mm F/1.8 lens. However I’m a firm believer that it’s not always about having the most fanciest equipment but about learning the basics and using your camera to its full potential. A little bit of lighting knowledge and post-editing savviness helps out too (yes I’m a proud Photoshop whore). Personally, I prefer a sweet and simple approach to photos with minimal props and styling, natural daylight and putting the food in the spotlight.

Now here’s a quick guide to the boring technical stuff:

In general, I don’t write sponsored or paid posts or advertorials.

Oh and if you could oblige me by not sending me press/media releases or requests for my stats and traffic so you could see if I’m worthy of your attention, that would be marvellous. Darn things just clogs up my inbox.

Due to the volume of emails (and a very enthusiastic spam filter), I may not always get around to replying. Massive apologies for any inconvenience. If you have any questions about recipes, please leave a comment on the post and I’ll be able to reply sooner. Or give me a holler on twitter.

I have no problems if you want to use my photos/text/recipe in your blog or website as long as I’m properly credited and with a link back to my blog. Naturally I prefer if you ask for my permission first.

All content on this blog is copyrighted and all rights reserved. Steal anything and I will lose my marbles. Cheers!

Email: kitchen [@] citrusandcandy [.] com

Twitter: citrusandcandy

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