Stephanie Meyer is a true socialite when it comes to food and entertaining. She does writing and contributes her high quality photography to several food blogs, such as the Food & Wine blog with friend and Travel Channel star, Andrew Zimmern, to Minnesota Monthly magazine’s TC Taste blog, and to her very own food blog entitled, Fresh Tart.

In 2011 she took it upon herself to organize a group of bloggers called the MN Food Bloggers. They encourage, assist and support each other as well as spotlight local restaurants, cooking styles and various dietary focuses in eating and cooking. In Part 1 of her interview, Stephanie talks about her family, modeling and how she developed her photography skills. (Part 2 on WED and Part 3 on THU.)

In Part 2 of her interview, Stephanie shares what the focus of her blog is, how life as a person on a Gluten-Free diet has been for her and then she concludes by talking about her experience in organizing the MN Food Bloggers group.

In Part 3 of her interview, Stephanie shares what her favorite kinds of restaurants are, what inspires her blog postings, where she enjoys eating outside of her home state of Minnesota and then ends with talking about how Social Media has really changed her life.

Hello everybody! Stay warm and follow today’s #MNMOtv with #DaraCo blogger @FreshTartSteph. Lets roll!

Stephanie:    Ready @JoelECarlson ! We should talk about food or something, ha. Thanks for inviting me!

So @FreshTartSteph. Tell us, where did you grew up, attend school and what did you want to be when you grew up?

Stephanie:    I grew up in freezing cold Grand Forks, ND. College in freezing cold Madison, WI at UW. Now I live…yeah. I wanted to be a chef.

I think it’s called “Cold Country”. :) So when did you start food blogging and what was your intended focus?

Stephanie:    Indeed :) I started food blogging Jan 6, 2006. My birthday!

“I can hardly imagine that anyone would ever want to read what I think about things…” My first blogged sentence. Still true, ha.

My intended focus was moderation. A concept I, um, struggle with. My blog at the time was called Moderate Epicurean – dumb name.

I changed my blog’s name to Fresh Tart a couple of years ago, but really, there’s still an underlying theme of moderation, health…

…eating real, whole food. That’s what I honed in on over time. Eat Real Food. Simply prepared. Cook for your family.

Interesting. What would you say your focus is now and how has being a GF eater effected you and your blogging?

Stephanie:    Being a #glutenfree eater has changed my life and definitely Fresh Tart. The whole food focus hasn’t changed, but I post very few…

…recipes that contain gluten or any grains at all. Recipes focus on vegetables, meat, fish, eggs, nuts, little dairy. I’m NOT…

…a fan of packaged #glutenfree food anymore than I am about packaged food in general. I think it’s fair to say that you…

…wouldn’t know that I’m #glutenfree by reading Fresh Tart. It’s just about cooking real food.

Alright. So how and when did your relationship with @MNMOmag start? Do you post for any other Co.?

Stephanie:    I met @DearDara at a wine tasting without knowing who she was. Gave her my blog name. Almost fell over when I actually introduced…

…myself. BIG. FAN. GAH. Anyhow, she read my blog, told me about the #DaraCo idea, I said I’d love to contribute, we launched…

…spring of 2010, I believe. I love how all of our perspectives come together, I’m very proud to participate. I also contribute…

…@ShootTheKitch with @susanpowers. @andrewzimmern’s Kitchen Adventures @fandw. I intend many more recipes for @Stuffed_Pepper…

…which is specificially #glutenfree recipes, great blog. I have a few recipes coming out in cookbooks this year, food photos…

…in other publications, working on a cool book concept, working on a food blog conference idea. How insanely fun, right? Amazing.

Food-socialite! Besides being a food blogger, you’ve also grown as a photographer. When did that interest start?

Stephanie:    I’ve always loved taking pics, millions of pics, I just used to photograph my then-baby, Nathan. And my garden. And my party food…

…which my family thought was weird. I got interested in improving after I saw the horror of what I was first posting on my blog.

To me now, it’s all about the pics. As @susanpowers says, if people don’t want to eat the food in the photo, forget it. No one…

…come back to your blog. Not now. Not now that standards have changed, in the world of @foodgawker & @tastespotting.

How much would you say photographs add in value to a food blog?

Stephanie:    Photographs – GOOD photographs – are imperative. Instant bonding with a reader. Something to chat about. Drives a recipe…

…and its potential into someone’s brain, and stomach, in 1 second. Done.

It makes me sad for chefs/restos when people take bad phone pics & post them. All that hard work, made ugly. Don’t do that :(

So how has your #MNFoodBloggers group been doing, and what other food related projects do you have in the wings?

Stephanie:    The #MNFoodBloggers are on fire as a networking group. Who knew? Our FB page http://on.fb.me/qj8AqA has more than 320 members…

It’s an all-day conversation about food, recipes, photos, job opportunities, on and on. Follow @MNFoodBloggers + #MNFoodBloggers!

The coolest thing #MNFoodBloggers are doing is raising money for local food charities. We’ve only just begun, but more than $2000

…so far, with more ideas in the works. In fact, those are the other food-related projects I’m most excited about. Food + kids!

We have a website, rough, but in process www.mnfoodbloggers.com. So far @GourmetGlee is contributing blogger spotlights. My sis

…@staceymaude manages the rather lengthy blogroll. And @littlepod is publicizing local food events. MUCH to do, redesign, badge…

Recent or long-term FAVORITE: Restaurant, comfort food, cooking tool and seasoning or spice.

Stephanie:    Mmm dude, I am genetically programmed to not pick faves. Did you hear me on @weeklydish? I eat @128cafe @HeidisMpls @CTKitchentable

Also @VincentMpls (twice yesterday, yah), loved @Victory_44 last week. Heading @Solera_mn next week, can’t wait. Lots of cocktails..

…Marvel Bar, yum. Honestly, I don’t even eat out that much bc I cook so much. Comfort food…polenta, I think. W tons of butter.

Tool: Sharp knives. Die without them. Spice: Cardamom obsessed at the moment, it shifts. I’m fickle.

You’ve been on a few radio programs lately. Would you consider your own show or segment on radio or TV?

Stephanie:    Dude! Way to put me on the spot, evil. I…don’t know. Flying by the seat of my pants. I love doing all of it. I’ve had a few chats

…about radio, TV, who knows, could be a blast, could be nothing. Fun to see where it all goes. All signs point toward –> FOOD.

And shoes :) And fun. All signs point toward fun, yes!

Joel:    I’ve got to keep the Twitterview SPICY! (Food pun). Thanks Stephanie for your time and comments today. Great fun!

Stephanie:    Thanks so much @JoelECarlson! Blast!

Welcome to my 300th Twitterview with my special guest @andrewzimmern. Lets get started and have some fun!

Q – #1    Lets start by asking you first, what did you have for breakfast today?

Andrew:    let me repphrase #jectv , cold szecuahun peanut noodels and a cup fo coffee. . .

why do so many americans use the traditional food model for B-fast. nothing worse for you than the Perkins Grand Slam.

Q – #2    Lets move to your background. Where did you grow up, attend HS and then where did you attend college/culinary school?

Andrew:    i grew up in NYC, attended Dalton School, Vassar College and learned about food the right way, cooking in kicthens w great chefs

nothing against cooking schools, but 30 yrs back less relevant. i was lucky and was a stagiere in some great places and started there

i cooked summers as a teenager, and was always working in food biz, so by time i graduated college i was ready to work in real restos

Q – #3    Sure. Sometimes live experience is better than schooling. What influenced you to get into the cooking world?

Andrew:    my dad was my inflluence, i am a paler version of him. he took me around the world and showed me how to eat and live.

Q – #4     As host of @BizarreFoods, how did the concept of your show come to be? Did it take long to get picked up?

Andrew:    concept was easy, i been living it for years, travel+stories from fringe=education and entertainment. it took 4 years to get on air

Q – #5    So patience/persistence were important. With so much traveling, how do you fill that time? Reading? Music? Writing?

Andrew:    fill time? what time? i cant squeeze a burp into my schedule on most days. even in van in middle of nowhere i am on conf-calls! sucks

Q – #6    FAVORITE(S): Comfort food, vegetable, spice or herb, some chefs you admire/respect.

Andrew:    comfort food= any meal in a bowl from my wifes hot dish to braised beef borscht with dumplings

favorite ingredients= lemons, mustard, chiles, tarragon, ginger, game birds….and kudu, dont forget the kudu

chefs i admire= keller for being role model, achatz as creative genius, batali/flay/morimoto/nobu/collichio etc 4 sustaining quality

Cosentino, Ty Cole, White, Goin, Besh, Link, Franey, Hefter, Dufresne, Brock, Lata and about a hundred others are all amazing

i hate the chefs you admire question because i cant fit them all in tweets!!

Q – #7    Those rare moments that you’re home in MN, do you prefer to eat at home or eat out with your family?

Andrew:    when i am home in MN i stay home …i always want to be w wife and son more than go anywhere.

Q – #8    That’s great! What are 2-3 things that you’d like to see change to people’s eating habits currently?

Andrew:    quest 4 efficiencies & cheap meals killed food system, we need to eat variety of wholesome foods to rebalance a broken food world.

eating well in america is a class issue, that has to change. anything that furthers that cause will right a half century of wrongs

let your kids choose meals, coach them, read them about failed food system, cook w them, eat w them and u will see amazing difference

parenting = hardest job on earth, and there is no manual. there are no lazy parents, but we need to save our kids health, chng food

Q – #9    Do you have a garden at home, and if so, what do you grow?

Andrew:    we have a small garden. herbs/tomatoes. i am never home, so we go to farm market 3 times a week in summer

Q – #10    What food(s) have you really enjoyed that you can’t currently get anywhere in the states?

Andrew:     wish i could get puffin, kudu, chinese donkey, achacharu, baby birds, sea squirts, etc…love them all

Q – #11    Final question: If you could choose anyone dead/alive to have a meal with, who would you pick and why?

Andrew:    teddy roosevelt is my hero. explorer, cop, soldier, social change advocate, dad, leader, adventurer, parks founder, visionary, eater

thanks everyone, please spread word about our kids. we need real social change and that starts with education.

@JoelECarlson:    @andrewzimmern I know that your always tight on time, but thanks for sharing some of yours on #jectv. Nice job at the @CharlieAwardsTC too!

@JoelECarlson: Hello everyone, and welcome to my Food-Friday Twitterview with @zoebakes. Set your timers to 1hr and lets get started!

Q – #1    Our video showed that you’ve lived in a LOT of different places. How did you end up in MN and how long have you been here?

Zoe: I was actually moving to San Fran and stopped to visit my dad, who was the publisher of the Utne Reader at the time.

That was 17 (or 18) years ago, we got seduced by the quality of life here in the Midwest!

Q – #2    I see. At that time, had you been involved in baking yet? How did you become a pastry chef?

Zoe: No, I was in marketing when we moved here. Baked at home ALL the time, didn’t even know “pastry chef” was a real job!

I HATED my job and was making my husband crazy, so he suggested I go to culinary school! SMART MAN!

Q – #3    So where did you go to school? What parts did you like the most? When and where was your first job using your training?

Zoe: I went to the CIA in NY. I loved the food science, which taught me why my muffins blew up in the oven! It was also the..

time I was surrounded by people who were as obsessed and in love with food as I was! I found my peeps!

While I was at the CIA I had an interview w/ @andrewzimmern over the phone and he hired me as a pastry asst. Crazy!

Q – #4    Fabulous! So what were some of the places that you worked at, and then how did you become a co-author of baking books?

Zoe: I worked w/Steven Brown (@Tiliampls) after that until I had kids. Then working in rest. kitchens seemed MORE insane!

While I was home w/the boys I taught baking classes and met my co-author @artisanbreadin5 in a music class w/our kids.

He tried to get me to try this crazy bread he had develped. When I finally gave in and baked it, I was hysterical!

I knew people were intimidated by baking bread and this would get them excited to try it!

I convinced @artisanbreadin5 to write a cookbook, and he convinced me to do it w/him. I thought it would be fun! ;)

We also thought our moms would get a kick out of having a copy!

Q – #5    So what’s the big fear that most people have with baking bread? Is it the yeast?

Zoe: People tend to fear yeast! In my classes they’d sooner create a wedding cake than deal w/yeast. We want to change that!

In our Bread in 5 recipes we just dump in the yeast, flour, water and salt – stir and you have bread dough! NO FEAR!

Q – #6    So how many books do you have right now published and are they selling well?

Zoe: There are a 1/2 million copies in print and luckily it isn’t just my mom baking all that bread! ;)

Q – #7    How fulfilling! Now learn more about you! FAVORITE(S): Restaurant, co-op or market, comfort food, bread and ingredient.

Zoe: Fav Restaurant in mpls is @Tiliampls, because I think Steven Brown is a crazy genius & I can walk there from my house!

Linden Hills Co-op is w/in walking distance. I love to shop at the Asian markets on Nicollet Ave after lunch at Quang

There are fab bakeries for the days you don’t bake at home: @thesaltytart, @Patisserie46 , @rustica, @sunshinebakery.

My favorite ingredient right now is rhubarb, because it is the only thing growing in my garden! Extra credit for that!

Q – #8    Do you travel to get ideas for baking, and if so, where have you been to?

Zoe: I travel any chance I can get. For the Pizza in 5 book I went to Istanbul, Greece and Italy to do “research!”

I hope to travel the world w/my kids! They’re fab travelers and eat everything. Thanks in part to @andrewzimmern! LOL!

@JoelECarlson:    Sounds like fun! Well it has been a pleasure to meet you and learn about your life on #jectv. Enjoy the long weekend!

Zoe: Thanks @JoelECarlson, it was such a pleasure! Have a great weekend!