Siriously Delicious – an Interview with Siri Daly

Of all the thousands (millions?) of food blogs out there, I have found Siri Daly’s blog, Siriously Delicious, to be the most realistic for the “mom” lifestyle. It also happens to be hilarious. Two of her posts (this one and this one) had me lol-ing with my sister. In the awesome blogosphere, of which I am a part, bloggers often collaborate with other bloggers. I reached out to Siri and asked her if would she like to participate in an online interview. Lucky me, she said yes. Please read the interview below, it is bound to bring a smile to your face and some good ideas to your table. p.s. her radish sandwich is amazing. p.p.s. I use 7-grain or a baguette.

Tell us about yourself and how Siriously Delicious came to be.
After my first child was born, I suddenly found myself at home in a domestic situation, and I wasn’t used to it! Carson and I cooked occasionally, but we also worked long hours and went out to eat more than we should have. When Jack (our firstborn) was old enough to eat, I started the blog as a way to document the meals I made – the hits and the misses. It sort of took off from there!

Did you like to cook as a child? What was your childhood ambition?
Growing up, my mom and dad always loved to cook. I guess I inherited that love from them. And we love to eat! When we first cooked a meal in Home Ec, I was so excited to make it for my family. I even forced my younger siblings to record me with our giant camcorder while I baked cookies, as I pretended I had my own food show, of course. However, I’m not exactly sure cooking was my childhood ambition.

I would love to hear about your first job experience!
My first job in high school, I worked at a gift shop that my neighbor owned called All The Best. Our claim to fame in the 90’s? Beanie Babies! I dealt with crazy a$$ moms that couldn’t get enough of the furry stuffed animal 🙂 My first professional job was as a Production Assistant for the TV show Frasier. It was their last season and I was immensely spoiled. I was fed lunch (and usually dinner) from the nicest Hollywood restaurants around (even if I did have to take everyone’s order and pick most of it up in my tiny Honda Civic). The cast even took the entire crew to Hawaii as a parting gift! Let’s just say my next PA job wasn’t as glamorous.

Walk me through the step-by-step process that you went through to begin your blog?
I used Blogger.com to start mine. As I’m not very tech savvy, it’s gone through many different stages as I learn through trial and error. In fact, my next step is to turn it over to a professional web designer, so stay tune for some changes in 2016!

What are your kids favorite meals? Carson’s? Yours?
Oh gosh, it’s boring, but my kid’s favorite is probably mac & cheese (and um, no, not homemade). My favorite meal would be a short rib ragu pasta dish. Carson’s would probably be sliced steak with crispy, roasted vegetables.

What do you enjoy most about blogging?
Blogging is a creative outlet for me. Before I had kids, I was working as a Writer’s Assistant and Segment Producer for the late-night show, Last Call with Carson Daly. I really enjoyed comedy writing, and I try to insert some of that into my blog. Cooking shouldn’t be intimidating, it should be fun! And I have fun writing about the process.

A career highlight?
Hands down, my career highlight has been my experience on the Today Show as a Food Contributor. I still have to pinch myself every time we’re about to go live. I mean, hello Matt Lauer, let me tell you how to cook in front of all of these cameras and, oh, the country watching at home. It’s a wild dream come true.

Spaghetti pie from Today Show Food Club launch , pictured below

What are the five most used ingredients in your kitchen?
Probably olive oil, garlic, Parmesan cheese, chicken stock and chocolate chips!

Having and feeding 3 children is no easy task – what advice do you have for moms of young children who are trying to cook a tasty and healthy dinner with limited time available?
This might be the hardest part about motherhood for me – making homemade and healthy foods for my picky eaters. The consistency of it. The redundancy of it. My biggest advice is to find a balance – if you make homemade turkey meatballs full of veggies one night, give yourself a break the next night with a box of mac & cheese! Also, try to meal plan on Sundays. It’s not easy (and I find I rarely do it), but it will take so much stress out of your week! Finally, when you find yourself in ruts, turn to your fellow moms! Ask on Facebook, Twitter, etc, what people are making their kids. Check food blogs. Find inspiration wherever you can!

Any cooking disasters on TV?
One time I was cooking with Rachael Ray (here and here, too) and we were “blowing eggs” out of the shells which has the potential of getting very messy (it also sounds dirty in an entirely different way). One of the eggs exploded all over Rachael’s face – thankfully not mine!

Do you and Carson ever cook together?
Yes, a lot! We have our “jobs” for lack of a better word. He makes cocktails and mans the grill, and is great on clean-up duty. I do most of the cooking, I’d say, but we hang out together in the kitchen and use it as our time to catch up.

If someone walked up to you and asked for your advice on how to start a blog, what would your 3 best tips be?
Keep it simple, keep it true to your passions, and keep it consistent. My favorite blogs are the ones that are clearly focused on one topic, and not all over the place. That’s not to say you can’t write about more than one subject, but if you have a clear path it will make it easier for you to write and for your reader to enjoy. Also, write about what you love! If you are passionate about your blog, that will come across to your audience. Lastly, and this is the hardest part (that I struggle with each week), keep it consistent. I am case in point that life gets in the way, but if you try to update as much as possible, it will keep your readers coming back for more.

Tell us a random fact about Siri that we would be surprised to know.
I love to sing! When I was a kid, I was SURE I’d grow up to be a rockstar. I was always in choir, musicals, voice lessons, and I even traveled in a singing/dancing show during college. People who know that I sing sometimes ask me if I’d ever try out for The Voice and I say, hahahahaha… I’m not THAT good (also, I think there’s a conflict of interest there).

Siri, thank you so much for agreeing to this interview. I know my readers and I love this little glimpse into your life and I am sure they will love Siriously Delicious as much as I do!

Images courtesy of Siri Daly, Siriously Delicious, The Today Show and Samantha Okazaki