Food and all things concerned with food has been a part of my life, probably from the day I was born!

I'm Mary, a forty  fifty - something (don't tell everyone!) food lover who is admittedly obsessed with the whole food thing.

ENJOYING FOOD FROM A YOUNG AGE.....

I was born and raised in Hong Kong, and for any of you lucky enough to have lived or been on holiday there, you will have an understanding of how food can literally take over your life!

During my early twenties and thirties, I lived in the United Kingdom, which is where I really had to teach myself how to cook.

I found I could gain satisfaction from being able to make something creative and tasty, using very little money, and I also enjoyed going for High Teas, and then coming home and trying to recreate the elegance and pomp of a real long English tradition.

During my 40's I lived in the Netherlands, and renovated a 300 year old Dutch Farmhouse. It was during this period I began Lovefoodies, making my favorite dishes which I found impossible to buy in Holland. I found myself creating various recipes using the ingredients I could get there, which as you can imagine, are limited in comparison to the UK and the USA.

I now live in the United Kingdom where I spend my time doing cookery workshops, recipe testing (can be very fattening!!) and working on Lovefoodies as well as restoring houses.

I don't profess to be qualified in nutritional advice, nor do I make claims to have any university degrees in the scientific study of food.

What I do have is a desire, and need to share experiences, opinions and discoveries with fellow foodies, show that you don't have to be a Michelin Star Chef to cook great food, and that cooking, experimenting with tastes, textures, and flavors can be fun, exciting, and at times enlightening. My philosophy is.. so long as you have a mouth, nose, and eyes, you can enjoy all the different sensations food has on offer.

Even if you are lacking in a sense or two, enjoying food, and having the opportunity to taste new things and be able to share experiences with friends cannot be matched by any other means...in my opinion!

ALWAYS TRYING TO RECREATE DISHES FROM MY CHILDHOOD

Over the years, I've been lucky enough to have traveled extensively, sampling local foods, visiting local markets (a 'MUST DO' on every holiday!), chatting to locals about food, and from time to time, been successful in my often cheeky requests to watch the cook in a favorite restaurant create a local dish.

There are some cuisines I favor more than others.....Cantonese food, for example, is my 'home' food. I also have a leaning toward spices and herbs, and I guess my biggest leaning is toward the desserts.... but to be perfectly honest......all food is great

You will often see a fusion of Eastern and Western ideas in my recipes, and perhaps some of the recipes you might think 'I would never have thought to do that'!

So all in all, I hope I can inspire, encourage, and make you feel confident in the kitchen. I love traveling and try to visit places that are a little off the beaten track.

I hunt out local markets, eat in restaurants and stalls where I can see locals eating, and will order whatever the table beside me has ordered! I'll try anything and love the adventure of discovery.

I hope you enjoy my ever developing food site. If you have any questions or just want to say hello, drop me a line by contacting me using the form below.

And for those of you new to Lovefoodies, you will soon learn I have a big weakness for cake. Any cake, so long as it's cake. So you'll often see me making up all kinds of recipes with different combinations. I can guarantee, they're all delicious so go ahead and try one! Here's one of my latest cakes for you to try now, Spiced Pecan Carrot Cake

Oh so tasty! So please enjoy all that you see and let us know what you tried and what you love eating the most!