When I started working on the idea of my food blog a bit more than two years ago, I spent hours and hours thinking of what I wanted to do with it. It wasn’t an easy task. Due to my love for cooking, I was already following a number of food blogs from around the world, so I kept asking myself: “What would my blog have to offer?” What would be different about it?I spent long hours reading and scrolling through different recipes. Savoury, sweet, healthy, vegan, gourmet and local recipes, all kinds of recipes really! It was extremely difficult for me to decide what new I had to suggest in this sea of endless options.

One thing I knew for sure was that I had to do everything in a way that is representative of who I am and what I love. And what I love is cooking, experimenting, trying new things and modifying classic recipes in my own way.. Making a mess in my kitchen on a daily basis.. Creating beautiful dishes with the purest and freshest ingredients –most of them from our own veggie garden-, decorating the table for my loved ones and sharing every part of this experience with you. In the meantime, I had discovered a new passion, my passion for photography and especially food photography! In the end, I found that the process of creating a blog post became simple, just honest and intimate.

There are no forbidden ingredients in my kitchen which also explains why I named this blog Not guilty food! My kitchen embraces all those dishes we grew up with and all the ingredients embodied in the extremely rich, healthy and adored by many, Mediterranean cuisine! Well-sourced local ingredients, balance and respect for nature! I had made up my mind; besides recipes and beautiful pictures, I was also passionate about the stories behind them. I love reading them myself, learning things I have never heard of before. The process of creating a dish, its origin, how many people gathered around the table, whether it was a success or not and why.

Thus, besides sharing my recipes, I naturally started writing short or long stories, as a form of diary. The story doesn’t always have to do with the recipe, it’s mostly about my feelings at that exact moment, my thoughts and struggles, parts of my daily life and memories awakened by certain dishes..

It’s true that food carries memories, stories, different yet powerful for each one of us. We all have a sweet memory of our mother or grandmother making our favourite dish. If we close our eyes, we can smell its scent, taste its heartwarming flavour, feel the touch of our loved ones or a kiss on the forehead.

Along with everything that happens in my kitchen, I usually also express and share my thoughts and emotions through a short story. I’m not after any literary award. It’s just as if we were together in my kitchen, cooking and talking about anything that crosses our minds. It’s a form of communication, accompanying the recipes and pictures of a post. Perhaps it’s a personal need of mine. I understand it’s not interesting to everyone, yet many of you seem to like it. But if you don’t really enjoy it, you can always skip to the part that interests you.

Speaking of food memories, today I’m making a soup that carries so many powerful childhood memories for me. It’s as simple as it gets; a sweet cabbage soup. In Serbia it’s considered a very classic recipe, a national dish even. My grandmother used to make it at least once every week during cold winter months, definitely. Of course, cabbage is quite popular in Greece as well, so I’ve found a number of similar Greek recipes that are just as delicious. I guess cabbage is a very Balkan affair, after all. But recipes vary depending on each region’s unique characteristics. Freezing winter days ask for more filling and nutritious meals, thus some kind of meat was sometimes added to make this soup a bit more comforting. If you want to elevate and enhance its flavour, you can add a piece of smoked meat and spicy chili pepper. This time I chose to use apaki, Cretan smoked pork. You don’t need much though, a small piece is enough to add a unique, smoky taste to your dish.

I recently discovered, through some friends, that this soup is quite famous as the main dish of a very popular detox diet that helps with weight loss. Either way, it’s delicious and very satisfying. And so, so easy to make. If you prefer to avoid adding smoked meat completely and decide to go for the vegan version instead, you can always add some sweet smoked paprika for a similar smoky effect. I believe the timing is perfect for this lovely detox cabbage soup! Not only is it packed with nutrients, but it will also warm you up and help you lose weight! Three in one! Who would say no to that?