Why I started a YouTube channel

Hello everyone, my name is Ioana Negulescu – oh wait, am I already developing YouTube habits of trying to interact with the audience? – yes, that’s right: I started a YouTube channel. After five years of blogging on Berries and Spice, exploring food in all shapes and forms, falling in love with the gastronomy industry, I have decided to go back to what I did when this blog came to life: cooking and recipes. But, with some five years of constant learning, experimenting and tasting.

A YouTube channel, you say? Why in the world, there are so many food channels out there?

I know what you’re thinking – ‘ok, Ioana, just share that damned YouTube channel already and let us be’. Yes, just a moment, ’cause I need to tell you the why’s and the how’s. If you’re curious, of course. If you’re not, here’s the channel.

And indeed, as a recently converted YouTuber, there are millions and millions of YouTube channels out there. I spend most of my free time binging on food related videos. But, in a multitude of videos showing you how to make comfort food, elements (like, for example kimchi) or high-end fine dining dishes, there was something missing: the kind of inspiration I quite often look for. So, what’s that, you may ask?

Well, I just couldn’t find content that contained the creative process of making a dish, from conceptualising it, to cooking and plating it. As an ex-designer and all-round creative, that process is something that I find fascinating. Plus, when I make a new dish, I spend hours, if not days doing research, looking through cookbooks and watching videos for inspiration. I also couldn’t find recipes that sit somewhere between homestyle cooking and high-end fine dining recipes. And, that middle ground is exactly my style of cooking.

Over the years, I’ve learnt a couple of important things when it comes to cooking more ‘refined’ food at home:

• If you’re organised and know what you have to do, nothing is too complicated.
• Experimentation is fun, but we’re all afraid of it. So most of the time, we would rather let others experiment and learn from them.
• We learn through failures, but rarely actually admit them.

So, what will you find on my channel?

Well, since I love listicles so much, here is what you’ll find if you subscribe to my channel:

• The whole process of creating, cooking and plating dishes with a fine dining twist. At home. This includes everything: I’ll tell you the story behind every dish, how I came up with the idea and what inspired me. I’ll share the recipe, with all the steps. And you’ll be able to see me do the plating too.
• Recipes that you can actually make at home. Without professional equipment or day-long processes. And I will do my best to keep it this way, although there may be some exceptions every now and then.
• Resources, such as books, websites and magazines where you can find gourmet inspiration.
• Dishes that bring together interesting, seasonal and at times unusual ingredients, with a focus on sustainability and a plant-forward approach. This means that I will do my best to reduce the need for meat, and bring vegetables and fruits to the forefront. I will use, as much as I can, local produce that I purchase at farmers’ markets rather than supermarkets.
• Success, failure, pride, disappointment, joy and more. Honest, human emotions. Sometimes things fail. You’ll see that. Sometimes I’ll make mistakes. You’ll see those. Other times I’ll surprise myself. It’s an experiment, after all. I’ll show you all of it.

And… why should you subscribe to my channel?

I’ll continue with another listicle:

• Because you love good food and would like to get better at cooking.
• Because you’re curious to try out new flavours, but worry that they may not go well together.
• Because you like to spoil yourself, or those dear to you with gastronomic experiences. And because, every now and again, you like to impress those around you with dishes that will lead to a ‘wow!’.
• Because you love buying all the fresh and amazing produce farmers have at the market and need ideas on how to prepare them.

Ioana, link, please.

So far, I’ve enjoyed the process thoroughly. I’m constantly learning new things and I’m incredibly excited to share all of this with you. So, join me in the process and let’s learn to make fine dining at home, together!

Thank you!

Your Ioana