Not only can Nazarina whip up an ultimate meal, she creates handmade soaps, sews, and speaks African fluently. Using only the finest and natural ingredients in both her recipes and wonderful soaps, Nazarina will enlighten your day with her humorous, skilled dialogue posts!!
Curious to know more about this sensational multi talented young woman, here is my interview with my special friend Giddy Gastronome herself.
Where were you born and what is your ethnic background? How does your background tie in with your unique tasting recipes?
I am of Malaysian descent and born in South Africa. My parents emigrated to Miami and this is where I attended college and made the best friendships! My Grandmother owned a pastry shop in South Africa, so we were practically raised in the bakery, surrounded by all kinds of good confections and the best culinary dishes to boot! However, my mother broke away and decided to study fashion designing, but still had to put in her time at the bakery. She would always say that she felt extremely blessed to have been enriched by both the fashion and the culinary worlds. I shall always be grateful to both her and my Grandmother for engaging us in all of their endeavors. It is this “creative metamorphosis” if you will, that has given me the insight in all that I do! Their mantra was that almost anything can be accomplished by commitment, diligence and with a “big fat smile on your face.”
Where did you come up with the name Giddy Gastronome!
I have a truly jovial & vivid personality and can sometimes be very naïve …..thus “giddy”, ( people always say that I am the life of the party), but on the other hand very anal about my food source. I care very much where I buy my ingredients and particularly love all of it organic and locally grown. I would rather resist the temptation of buying a sixty dollar pair of shoes, only to splurge on the very best organic ingredients! I love for flavors to explode in a dish and I care very much about the presentation. What can I say, I love to cook and entertain! Beside my passionate love affair with the culinary realm and people, I have a soft spot for destitute animals, that is why I fell in love with your blog!” I think the world of you!!!”
Do you have a favorite recipe?
I do not have a favorite recipe except maybe for my handmade roasted garlic & fennel spicy kosher beef sausage which I make twice a year from scratch. It is very time-consuming! Someone in Miami wanted this recipe for their butcher shop but my sister advised me against the idea at that time and prompted me to include the recipe in my cook book.
Last but not least, I can’t wait for Nazarina’s book to come out!! Don’t forget to check out the wonderful and taste tempting recipes already featured on Giddy Gastronome too!! As one of Nazarina’s biggest fans, and I’ll be sure to feature her new cookbook here on Literally in the Moment the minute it’s off the press!! As always stay tuned to Literally In The Moment.
I heard there's a cook book in progress, what will you be featuring in your new book?
My cook book is still a work in progress and quite a labor of love. This is almost the hardest endeavor I have attempted! This book will include pictures , step by step instructions of food and desserts, my secret tips and tricks, personal stories, ( most of them…funny), and poetry. I want the reader to experience hospitality like they would if they were in my home! My Grandmother and Mother really never did something like this,( though people will never forget their creativity), so therefore I feel the need to do so. I have so many recipes from them written down in their handwriting , so the prudent thing to do is to document them in a cook book and in a way share their legacy with everyone!
How did you get into the art of making handmade soaps?
I started the soap-making endeavor about three years ago. I would make them and give them away as gifts until a friend in Miami ordered 70 bars for a bridal shower. Now people, I hardly even know, orders them from my blog and by referrals. I love making them for people! The pictures that I attached below are two of the more detailed ones I make!
Chocolate and raspberry cupcake soap.
Speed boat, polo fragrance.
Notice all the delicate details and time Nazarina puts into her art of her handmade soaps. I was the lucky winner of Nazarina’s Spa Basket giveaway for April. From experience I love her goats milk and honey soap. I use it on my face everyday, it never dries my skin and leaves it feeling soft and toned!!! I highly recommend her soap especially if you have drier skin! You’ll be amazed at the aroma of Nazarina’s lily of the valley soap, you simply must try them all!! You’ll find many different soap designs, and great soap fragrances featured on Giddy Gastronome! Don’t forget you can order these gorgeous soaps, to add a classic touch to any holiday or any special party occasion.
Lastly but not least, I can’t wait for Nazarina’s cookbook to come out!! Don’t forget to check out the wonderful and taste tempting recipes already featured on Giddy Gastronome too!! As one of Nazarina’s biggest fans, I’ll be sure to feature her new cookbook here on Literally in the Moment the minute it’s off the press!! As always stay tuned to Literally In The Moment.
