While as a woman myself , I love to capture inspiring women for food stories but this one young man is definitely in his own words ‘is all about breaking norms’. While he gives credit of his journey so far to the two beautiful women in his life , we got an opportunity to know more about his story. A story which would storm your thoughts and while we thought its women who multitask, I bring you a man who loves changing hats..a doctor, food stylist,photographer and a food blogger..meet Alok Verma in his own words.
1.Who is Alok and how did you start your journey of food blogging?
I am a doctor, currently studying to land a post-graduation course in Mumbai. Growing up as a guy whose mom was an airliner turned home baker turned food critic, I was fortunate to grace my palate with cuisines inspired by cultures from nooks and corners of the world, and in turn, be a part of ample restaurant reviewing which served a strong motivation for me to start writing about food. To be able to do so, on my own internet abode was always the plan and that’s how food blogging came into picture.
2. A doctor turned into a food blogger, a singer who loves to bake… How have you been doing all this? And how easy/difficult has it been to pursue your passion with an equally demanding professional domain?
I’ve never been able to answer that question, really. It hasn’t been easy at all, to be very honest. Prior to joining medical school, I had a choice between med school and pastry school. One thing took precedence over the other at the time and that’s how I decided to acquire a degree in medicine. Food blogging in India came into focus only in recent years and the time couldn’t be more right for me to pursue it, as a passion, and in turn share my experiences with food and my recipes with readers. It also is the best de-stresser a doctor can ask for. Prioritising is the key to maintaining a balance between your profession and your passion. As a food blogger, you need to maintain a certain regularity in order to keep your followers hooked and not let your blog wither and die. But at the same time, your profession has its own place. I choose to never let the two worlds collide.
3.How did your family and friends react to your choice of becoming a food blogger despite pursuing the most challenging professional course?
My mum was a food critic for a long time and has always been aware of my passion for writing and cooking. She was incredibly supportive. So was my sister. There have been people (family friends and colleagues) who questioned my choice, in the past but I’m all about breaking the norms. I think it’s highly respectable for someone to set their own path and pursue their passion as enthusiastically as their profession. The same people who questioned my choices brag about me to their friends now. I’d call that progress.
4.You are a millennial in true sense. How, in your opinion, has food blogging given a new shape to the food scene in our country?
Food bloggers are called influencers, for a reason. They have the power to let a restaurant’s ratings soar like an eagle as well as to let a restaurant close its doors forever. But there’s a certain responsibility attached to the same. You cannot let money or fake PR cloud your judgment of right and wrong. Be honest in your reviews because food lovers all across the country trust your judgment. On the other hand, food bloggers acquaint everyone with the latest food trends through the power of social media. I’d say they’re highly responsible for shaping the structure of food in our country.
5.You recently won an IFBA (Indian Food Blogger Awards 2016) for Best Instagram Food Profile in India, which is a fairly new platform compared to Facebook or Twitter. How important has Instagram been a part of your blogging journey?
Instagram has been more than imperative to my blogging journey. When I started my blog/Instagram profile close to two years ago, I was nowhere close to being anything above average and wouldn’t have hoped in a million years of getting nominated for an IFBA two years later. But the past two years have been a learning experience for me. My phone photography transformed to high quality DSLR photography when my sister realised how essential a DSLR would be to capture my recipe posts for the blog.I never took up any photography course but religiously followed videos by food stylists and photographers on YouTube. My biggest inspiration has been a myriad of Russian, Ukrainian and Swedish food stylists that I’ve been following on Instagram. I tried to emulate a lot from their work and put that into effect in my photos by utilizing the correct props, MDF backdrops and photo editing software. With the same, I noticed a certain growth in my styling and photography. There’s so much more to learn but the recent IFBA win has only boosted me to get better.
6.Where do you think Indian food bloggers, in particular, food stylists, stand on the global map?
India has a serious shortage of food stylists. Close to 80% Indian food bloggers focus on restaurant reviews and photographing the same. If you can opine about someone else’s food, you should also make an effort to cook. It’s not really that difficult to bake and you don’t need to be a LCB graduate to create good cakes. And once you’re able to create your own recipes, focus on styling your food. A thirst for knowledge and inspiration are two key components of being a thriving food blogger. If you lose your focus on either of the two, you don’t stand a chance of being different from your counterparts. The world is flourishing with regards to food styling. It’s high time we focus on the same.
7.Your 2-cents to our audience about managing and growing their social media presence on Instagram/FB and Twitter?
Be genuine. Be original. Never resort to plagiarism. Be regular. More importantly, be yourself. Let your posts be representative of who you are and what you like.
8.In coming times what more can we see coming from you?
I’m currently working on my first e-cookbook which should be out prior to Christmas. I’m also collaborating with some renowned brands and developing recipes for them. Some of my recipes will also be featured in a few food magazines in the near future. And you can expect a lot more out-of-the-box recipes and food styling on my blog and Instagram.
Now Monday can’t be better for sure and you can follow him on his social media handles and keep getting more inspired every day.
blog: allaboutthatpalate.
Instagram: allaboutthatpalate
awesome