Vicki Montague is a force to be reckoned with and an inspiration to us. This scientist and freelance recipe developer became a food blogger as well to help and inspire people to live a "positive, wholesome life" based on her own experiences.
She also created the first wholegrain gluten-free flour blend, free of rice too, in the world, and you can read about this and many more below!
1. What got you into Cooking?
My mum and granny. I loved cooking as a child and was often found in the kitchen helping my mum and granny. I especially loved to cook puddings (and eat them!).
2. What determined you to start Free From Fairy?
I started the Free From Fairy in 2012 as a way of sharing recipes with friends and family.
In 2008 my daughter was diagnosed with egg and milk protein allergies and then in 2010, she was diagnosed with coeliac disease.
Often, people didn’t know what to cook for her, so I set up the blog to direct people to. Since then, millions of people have been helped by it and I’ve gone on to develop and bring to market my own wholegrain
I also create recipes and do cooking demonstrations for brands wishing to showcase their ingredients in innovative ways.
3. What inspires you to keep going, even when the Food’s not Done, the kitchen’s on Fire (Oh god, no!)?
My daughter inspires me to keep going. Sometimes it can be challenging to create gluten-free recipes but I keep going because I don’t want her to miss out on anything.
4. What’s your Favourite Recipe?
I have so many! But one of my
5. Want to share your Comfort Food or Guilty Pleasure too?
It has to be chocolate! I’m a self confessed addict!
6. Your biggest Culinary Pride: what dish are you most proud of?
I am most proud of my bread recipes. It can be tricky to make gluten-free bread and I have so many great comments about them.
7. Do you have a Favourite Ingredient?
Chocolate!!!
8. A kitchen Tool that you couldn’t do without?
My knives. I don’t think it’s necessary to have too many gadgets in the kitchen.
I try to keep my recipes as simple as possible to not overwhelm people. The object of what I do is to inspire people to think that making their own food is possible for everyone.
I don’t want to create recipes that use lots of ingredients or gadgets because that puts people off.
9. Beware! Sharp Objects Ahead: do you Use and Have a Favourite Knife or just any will do?
10. What’s the Best Cooking Tip you ever got?
Read the recipe through at least once before starting anything. Then when you’re cooking, check through the ingredients again to check you’ve added everything.
11. Chef Admiration: who Inspires you the most?
Jamie Oliver. Although a lot of his recipes can be complicated and use lots of ingredients, I am incredibly inspired by him and all he does to try to get people eating healthily.
12. The Fun Part: what’s the Strangest Thing you’ve eaten?
Probably crickets.
13. One Last Question: what would you advise someone that is just now Learning how to Cook?
Try, fail, try again, fail better. Never give up!
Cooking can take practice, like anything, but the health benefits of cooking your own food are worth it.
Also, enlist some help. I run 1:1 cookery classes via video link from your kitchen to mine so that I can help you create the dishes you most want to learn how to make.
You can find out more about Vicki and her mission by watching the Free From Fairy trailer bellow.
To keep up-to-date with her recipes, be sure to follow her on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, and Bloglovin’.
Vicki also told us about her wintertime holiday favorites, and especially about the recipes she likes making for Christmas day. All are, of course, gluten-free and you can read more about them in the article!