Lateral Eating

Firstly, thank you for writing this fantastic article about Marrickville Markets!  What prompted you to start writing about your "Lateral Eating" experiences and what is the premise behind the name

Thank you for reading my blog post!  I started blogging as a way of archiving memories, particularly those related to food.  I've been fascinated with nutrition since I saw the effect that diet had on my performance and body composition and later when I studied an introductory course; I believe eating real food (ie. not processed/packaged) is extremely important in order to be healthy, and that's how I cam up with the blog's name and tag line: "Lateral Eating: eating outside the box - literally".

You make a very interesting point about the misconception that Paleo eaters are not vegan haters.  How long has the Paleo way been part of your life and why the switch

Yeah and I hope that applies the other way round too!  I've been following a Paleo lifestyle (and I love how you didn't call it a diet) for a bit over 2 years.  I first heard about in 2007 and thought it made a lot of sense, but as with most people thought it would be too hard to follow.

As I got older and particularly after moving to Australia, some of my chronic health issues (knew pain, reflux etc) got worse. I also noticed my digestion, mood and energy levels were out of whack.

One day I stumbled across Mark Sisson's blog (Mark's Daily Apple which you can read more about "here") and decided it was time to try an ancestral approach, which obviously worked!

When writing an article, do you have a particular format in mind or do you simply write about what "speaks" to you at that time and place when visiting markets such as ours

Because I'm a control freak and the blog is what I do for fun, I try to be as spontaneous as possible with it.  I do have an endless list of places I want to visit and recipes I want to tweak and share, but what goes in posts is always what grabs my attention or reminds me of something; things I want to share with whoever lands on my blog.

If you had to choose a favourite stallie at Marrickville Markets, who would it be and why

The Butcher's Lunch, hands down, for their amazing pork and crackling, coleslaw and aioli (the roasted grass-fed beef is almost as good).  They sell it in a bun but are happy to serve it in a container if you BYO.

How would you sum up the world of Lateral Eating in 5 words

Eat real food, move, meditate

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Now for those of you who have yet to read this fantastic blog, simply click "here" and dive head first in to the world of Lateral Eating which we are pretty sure you will enjoy!

Enormous thank you to Lateral Eating for sharing some time with us and for writing a great article about our much loved Marrickville Markets.

Oysters & Oxtail

Gotta luv the catchy title of your blog.  How long have you been writing about your foodie experiences and why blogging

Thank you!  I started blogging in April 2012 mainly as a platform to practise writing. Food seemed like an obvious topic given that I was spending a lot of time reading about, shopping for and cooking it - why not write about it too!

What's great about blogging is that you can instantly self-publish and you can write exactly what you want.  Even if you don't care whether anyone reads it (which I certainly didn't to begin with), it forces you to be disciplined in a way that, say, simply writing a journal wouldn't.  I loved blogging so much that I started a food writing course with the University of Adelaide this year.  Unfortunately I had no time to keep up the blog as well, and it's currently still on hold while I figure out what's next.

Your article on Marrickville Markets is the perfect blend of words and photos.  How difficult is it to select which photos to include, or do you simply let the "moment" dictate or guide you to the end result

My post on Marrickville Markets has a far greater proportion of photos to words than most of my posts.  I really wanted to celebrate the markets and share the visitor experience with others

and I decided to just let the photos do the talking on this occasion.  After a good hour or so snapping away, I had an awful lot of photos and it was very difficult to edit them down - what's on the blog (which you can read "here") is just a fraction of what I took.

Marrickville Markets - as with so many markets - are so visually appealing and such rich, exciting material to photograph.  In selecting the best photos I think about composition, colour, texture - and with market photography I really like some element of human interaction.

How inspiring are markets like ours, to not only shop at but then to go and use the produce bought in a recipe book or two you may have lying around the at home

Absolutely!  The definition of my ideal Sunday would be to cycle to Marrickville Markets with my husband, buy lots of beautiful produce (and eat delicious things on the way round!), go home and cook a new recipe while listening to Radio National (I know, I'm starting to sound like a cliche!) and then eat it with a few glasses of wine.

From your perspective as not only a blogger but also a shopper, what is it about markets that make them "real"

What makes farmers' markets "real" is that direct connection with the people who grow and make the produce.  In today's Western world of food as a hugely commercial commodity controlled by a few powerful, faceless corporations, markets are increasingly popular as a way to experience a more authentic relationship with our food and where it comes from.  There's a beautiful sense of community that comes from sharing that experience of the market with other like-minded people.

If you had to sum up the world of Oysters & Oxtail in 5 words what would they be

For the love of food

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And on that note we say an ENORMOUS thank you to Oysters & Oxtail for not only sharing some of her time with us, but for writing an incredible blog on Marrickville Markets and sharing a little bit of insight as to why she feels markets like ours are an important part of today's busy, chaotic lifestyle where we all need to take time to "breath", enjoy the moment and get back to basics 

Jugernauts

Your blog Jugernauts is a fantastic mixture of pictorial with the odd paragraph or two thrown in to the mix.  What drew you initially to want to include Marrickville Markets

I was doing all these restaurant write ups and then realised that the markets don't tend to get written about as much so I thought I'd do a section for it as there is a lot of good food to be had there.

I also sell tees and have sold at other locations (newtown/glebe/finders keepers) and I appreciate the hardwork these vendors go through (packing, setting up.  It's a labour of love so yes I wanted to reflect that in my blog with a section dedicated to the markets.

And I had to include Marrickville Markets because I discovered it so late and it was such a different one.  More food focussed, less knick-knacks.  I had just to the AROM to check out The Bowery but the markets just kind of impressed.  

The stalls are unlike just anything I've seen at other markets.

As a blogger do you find at times it can 'take over" all other normalities in life; ie: are you driven to distraction by the irritating need to have to work to pay the bills, yet all the while yearning to simply go taste, photograph and celebrate via blogging

My blog is an extension of my lifestyle which is very much still in subsists of heading out to experience what Sydney (well, a lot of it is in the Inner West as I live in Newtown and just run around the local area) has to offer.  It's part of my life very much at the moment.  The blog is never far from my mind and being able to blog on the ipad (on the go) helps!

Who is one of your fave stallies and why

There's some great food to be had there:the satay tofu burgers, the truffles, the snag stand, some excellent home baked goods and vegetarian butchers

And of course the organic fruit & veg sellers.  It's a nice mix of eats and the tree lined "arcade" means you can just sit in the shade and take it all in...with the band playing.

It is one of the better markets around as it's not just a barrage of standard food kiosks in a market (location).

What is it about these markets that makes it such a unique experience from your point of view

The really good thing about Marrickville Market is that it adjoins The Bowery and Reverse Garbage and that's a highlight.

The organic produce, the hand made cheeses and truffles (again...having the truffles at market is just great!).  Also some superb pastries to be had.  The dulche de Leche Brownie is amazing!

It's one of the few markets on a Sunday...it's easy!

If you had to sum up Marrickville Markets in 5 words what would they be

Gem, artisanal, innerwest, organic, lazysundays

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Huge shoutout to Jugernauts for sharing some time not only blogging about Marrickville Markets, but being part of this blog and allowing us to include their photos.

You can check out the write up on our markets here

vegeTARAian

Can you give us a little bit of insight and history in to the world known as vegeTARAian

vegeTARAian is the creative outlet and inspiration for my exploration in to the world of food and cooking.  I share recipes, veg friendly eating options in restaurants and conversational pieces on ethical eating.

I'm particularly interested in reconnecting with food, to become more aware of what we are eating, local and seasonal produce, reducing food waste and raising awareness about factory farming.

As the food revolution as grown and become more accepting of alternate eating styles (eg: vegans, vegetarians, gluten free'ers etc), what have been some notable changes you have observed both personally and objectively

It's really exciting to see people genuinely showing an interest and being more accommodating to those of us with different eating requirements.

I find eating out so much easier now than it was a few years ago.  Restaurants are increasingly offering veg friendly options and where there isn't and advertised option, most venues are happy to alter a menu item if you ask.  

There are also a lot more vegetarian/vegan brands stepping in to the mainstream, available in supermarkets which is fantastic!

How did you come to discover Marrickville Markets and what was it that compelled you to write the beautiful piece that you did

I really enjoying exploring the Inner West, it's just an area that fascinates me.  When my sister moved to Marrickville she told how me how great the markets were and I just had to pop down and check it out and I'm SO glad I did!

I love the community feel and that you can spend the whole day there - chatting with the stallholders to learn more about their products, having breakfast and/or lunch with all the fresh and delicious snacks for sale.

Your blog with its innovative, creative and user-friendliness makes it not only for a fantastic read, but it is also educational and celebratory.  

How do you strike that all important balance where you don't drown people in words and select the appropriate photos to accompany whichever topic you are focussing on.

It's important to stay true to myself in my writing - I think people see right through you if you aren't genuine and honest.  While I'm still new to the world of photography, the one thing that stays with me is to think about what I want the images to say before taking the photo.

A lot of text isn't needed when you've got images that do a good job of telling the story.

For those who have been to Marrickville Market but maybe not been at the point to simply dive in and give it a go with Raw and Vegan, what 5 words of encouragement would you give

Local and fresh is best!

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A MASSIVE thank you to Tara and sharing a little piece of her world with us.  You can check out her amazing blog "here" and be transported in to the delights of alternative eating fabulosity.