Two sisters from North California, spent two nights in a cold and rainy forest and were found safe and well on Sunday morning. Leia Carrico, eight, and Caroline, five, wandered away from home on Friday afternoon and got lost in the woodland. They survived by drinking water from huckleberry leaves and eating cereal bars that they had brought with them. Dozens of police and rescue officials, using helicopters and dogs, were involved in the search.
The girls did not listen to their mother who refused to let them go out for a walk around their neighbourhood. They told the rescuers that they got lost while following a deer trail and made the decision to stay put under a bush where they were later found. Paramedics assessed the two girls and said that they were dehydrated and cold.
How much or a risk-taker are you? or an interview with a very courageous food blogger.
“The blog was the catalyst for me to leave investment banking and move into food.”
An amicable food blogger, Luiz Hara was quick to say yes when asked whether he would want to be interviewed for a university project. A former investment banker, he was not afraid to move into a new freelance career that makes him now the happiest he has ever been before.
Luiz Hara walked into his living room smiling with confidence as he glanced Tofu and Truffle down at the two happy balls of fur jumping about near his feet: “Have you met Tofu and Truffle yet?” He asked me, his voice laced with happiness at the sight of the two petite Shih Tzu pups.
The Brazil born food blogger with genes originating from two gastronomically rich countries, Japan and Italy began his career in a completely different field before taking the leap of fate into the world of gastronomical orgasms.
“I didn’t know what I wanted to do,” he admitted, “but I have always loved food.” Luiz moved to England in 1992 as part of his degree in hotel management and has never suspected that the “gentrified neighbourhood” of Islington would capture his heart for the next 20 years. Deciding to change his degree to study International Business in Italian, Luiz worked in the field for the next 12 years of his life.
“As a student, I had no money … I had to learn and start cooking, so when I started, I just loved it.” In 2009, he started a blog named The London Foodie, inspired by the famous TV show, Master Chef and Som Saa cook, Andy Oliver. “I never realised that people can write about food! I started discovering so many food blogs and [realised]… that I can do this.” His voice filled with amazement as he re-encountered back the memories.
“I was working in investment banking and I was incredibly unhappy.” Luiz admitted half way through the interview. A shadow crossed his eyes and the classical music that played in the background rose into a crescendo: “I needed something creative… and I was in a job that was actually stifling my creativity.”
Luiz personally knows the struggle and dangers of leaving a job you hate but is secure to do something you might enjoy in the future. He himself, also admitted that he “nearly didn’t do it,” but as the soft snores of the two small dogs laying near his feet reached my ears, Luiz took in a deep breath, his eyes shined with happiness as he said that he would never change what he has now for anything.
After bidding his final farewell to investment baking, Luiz moved to Tokyo to pursue the art of Japanese cooking and upon his return to the UK he enrolled into one of the most prestigious cookery schools in London; Le Cordon Bleau.
In 2015, Luiz published his first ever book on Nikkei cuisine; a culinary style that emerged in South America with the migration of Japanese people and the cuisine that they have created by using local ingredients. “It’s a very personal book for me,” Luiz mentioned, reminding me of his heritage and bringing up in a North American culture. His voice filled with passion and pride as he spoke about the magic of Japanese cookery that is hiding in the “fantastic regional ingredients.”
The success of his first book (which was translated into six different languages), was soon followed by a second book called the Japanese Larder- Bringing Japanese Ingredients into Every Day Cooking. When asked about any plans that might soon follow, Luiz does not hesitate to mention his third book in progress, as he proudly shows off his published works that are decorating the walls in the hallway of his home.
Luiz proudly showed off all of the version of his first book on Nikkei cuisine
His home feels like a museum where you can observe everything from a distance that would make any curator lose their mind. Countless dark wooden statuettes brought from various countries are spread out all over the living room. One of the walls houses a humongous Chinese painting, passed down in Luiz’s family for over 300 years now. His partner Gerold Coakley, explained that it is one of the rarest family heirlooms that has survived for such a long period of time.
At home, Luiz organises cooking events knows as supper clubs. They are private events, for around 30 people each evening, where Luiz plans the menus himself and prepares mouth-watering dishes for the night. In addition, he is sometimes invited to various restaurants where he has the chance to try diverse meals and “celebrates” his visit by leaving a positive review on his blog.
When asked about his negative experiences in restaurants, Luiz brushes the question off, declaring that he wants his “blog to be a place where people can come for a happy and interesting, good read”.
If we had more than half an hour together, I am convinced that Luiz’s rants about tasteful dishes would be unstoppable, hence his creation of the blog. When asked about the top five countries one must visit when taking a gastronomical tour, Luiz’s face lighted into one of the brightest smiles he’s ever shared with me that morning. In the midst of his mind travelling through all the cities he has ever been to, the amicable food blogger could not help but share a fact with me: “Peru is the home of potatoes where they were discovered, and they have more than 7,000 species… It’s a fascinating country for food.”
Having his personality radiate through his words Luiz is a man, anyone would want to befriend. From his colourful words about food and cooking to his empowering speech about not being afraid of change, Luiz struck me as a very strong-minded person: “[The blog] is like a door to a whole new world of possibilities… you need to have a go at it, you need to try, otherwise you never know.”
FUN FACT:
The London Foodie was listed among the 50 best food websites by The Independent in 2013. Find the link here
