My name is Veerle and I’m a doctor, so you can call me Doc V 🙂
Born in 1962 in a family with four kids and our grandparents as neighbours, eating was never merely a primary need. My mother and grandmother were good cooks (my mother still is) in a traditional Belgian style.
My love for cooking sparked when I was approximately 14. My first cookbook ‘Barbie’s Cookbook’ 🙂
(published in 1958) I bought in a second hand bookshop. Sadly enough I did’nt keep that book, but since then I am a passionate cookbook reader.
My studies in medicine didn’t stop that passion. I got an additional tasting audience, since in exchange for a tasty meal I got perfect notes from fellow students :-).
My style of cooking and my vision on food has changed since then , although four important goals have always remained:
- Eat HEALTHY, and if you eat something unhealty then it must be really worth it. This rule is related to my other passion, being a doctor, which gives me the opportunity to follow the guidelines of a balanced diet. It is so liberating not to exclude, so no strict diet! Of course I will always consider my guests and also try to avoid that they will be served similar meals on several occasions(in a little book I wrote down all my special meals since 2003).
- VARIATION in ingredients, in style , and very importantly in colour. Where now almost every supermarket offers products from around the world, I remember how back in the 80’s, we still could surprise with edible souvenirs like Greek feta, Italian mozzarella, and balsamico. Now we travel during our holidays, but daily we can fuse the whole world on our plate. We don’t have to stick to a dull weekmenu, the variations are endless.
- NO WASTE. This has been part of my upbringing and it remains extremely important to me today. A few dishes are specificaly designed to empty your fridge.
- A tasty meal doesn’t have to be expensive, and if an ingredient is expensive and not replaceable, it has to be worth it. BUDGET also means preferably working with seasonal ingredients, although certain products will be available year-round.
In September 2016 I moved from Belgium to Italy, and so living in a country where food is the protagonist in daily life, I decided to start a blog. My daily routine of reading cookbooks and cooking magazines, my weekly preparation of our menu and shoppinglist get even more of my attention now I’m currently not working as a doctor. My reading offers me a lot of inspiration, so I rarely follow a recipe strictly yet often play with the amount and choice of ingredients, which might not always be very handy for those who prefer to follow a detailed prescription.
What I really hope is that people reading my blog get contaminated with my passion for food, for cooking and eating because a shared meal is an ideal way to enjoy companionship, yet even if you cook and eat by yourself it can be a mindful moment.
Happy reading!
Veerle
Doc V's Healthy Kitchen 