Miriam Garcia is Honest Cooking’s own queen of tapas. Read more about her food philosophy in our Meet the Team segment.
By Kalle Bergman
Miriam Garcia’s “School of Tapas” is one of Honest Cooking’s most popular columns. The woman behind it is Miriam Garcia, who guides us through the world of Spanish finger food and culinary traditions. Meet her here, and learn more about her. 
When and how did your passion for food start?
My passion for food began at my parents’ home, when I was little, helping my mom in the kitchen, and with my grandma, who was a good pastry maker. I still keep one of her recipe notebooks. Though I admit it didn’t start to fully develop until later, when I moved out to live on my own.
Do you think you have a specific cooking style or philosophy?
I really love traditional and honest Spanish cooking. For me, it is where it all begins in my kitchen. I like to give new twists to old recipes and I usually try to keep things simple, though I don’t always succeed. That doesn’t mean I don’t like a worldly sophisticated dish every now and then. But I believe Spain has an incredible culinary tradition within the Mediterranean diet. In my blog I only try to spread the word.
What’s your favorite restaurant, and why?
My home. Nothing can beat a meal prepared by myself for the ones I love. There, I said it.
What’s your favorite holiday from a food perspective?
I’d love to visit India once, as I love curries and also the amazing variety of dishes made with dairy products and pulses. But I must admit I’m quite Europe-centric regarding food, so I’d love to explore each and every region of it.
What do you think or hope will be the next big food trend?
I hope the next lingering trend is eating local. The planet so needs to avoid wasting resources and to keep it simple and humble.
What’s your best tip for anyone who wants to improve their cooking?
Practice as much as you can, there’s no other way around it. Always start simple, don’t be too ambitious, try to master simple dishes first, then move on. And don’t be afraid to fail!
Visit Miriam Garcia’s blog here.
Read more from Miriam Garcia here.
great to meet a fellow contributor! Lovely interview
Thanks a lot, Tamara, I enjoyed your interview too! As I do your articles ;)