Behind the Scenes at Harmonious Belly

What is Harmonious Belly?

Harmonious Belly is a blog about, but not limited to, nourishing, natural food and healthful, delicious living. Harmonious Belly is basically shorthand for a life that is balanced, happy and healthy. Here, I’ll share with you what I know and learn about food: recipes, preparation techniques, and helpful cooking tips. I’ll also share my adventures in gardening and general observations on food and life.

Harmonious Belly has been featured on Punk Domestics and Hartke Is Online!

meg at green thumb farmAbout Meg

I am a freelance food writer, editor, and photographer living in Astoria, Queens. When I’m not working on this site, you’ll find me editing the Queens, NY-centric site QueensNYC, writing about Astoria, Queens on We Heart Astoria, helping to manage the Hellgate CSA, or organizing the next Queens Swap. I also wrote a book, Food Lovers’ Guide to Queens, published by Globe Pequot Press. You could say I am an expert on food in Queens.

I love to cook, and am completely self-taught in that regard (although, I have an advanced degree from elsewhere, extensively trained in something completely different).  I started cooking in my 20s when I was on my own, exploring strange (to me) new food worlds after adopting a vegetarian diet, and discovering that I loved things I’d not been exposed to in my youth, like falafel, salsa on my eggs, and polenta.

While in grad school, I would lovingly make elaborate spreads for my recital receptions.  Three days of preparation and cooking would be gone in 15 minutes!  Seeing people enjoy my food so much made me really happy.

On my 30th birthday, I started eating meat again, and now am a dedicated omnivore. In 2o09, in an effort to improve my health, I became interested in traditional foods, which include raw, grass-fed dairy; lacto-fermentated food and drink; soaked whole grains; traditional fats; and pastured eggs and meats. When I eat this way, I feel great! For me, this is an ideal way of eating, and when I eat this way, my body feels the most nourished.

I also love sweets, but don’t like how refined sugars make me feel after I eat them.  So, I am always on the lookout for a sweet treat made from natural, unrefined sweeteners, or sweetened with fruit.  I’ve found some great things over the years and will share them here.

meg with her new canon cameraCamera and Photos

Currently, I use a Canon Rebel XSi to take the photos on this site. I love this camera. I use the 18-55mm kit lens most of the time, and occasionally I will use a Diana wide angle “dreamy” lens – this is a plastic lens that gives the images a soft, dreamy glow. Finally, I also use the camera in the iPhone 4s, which is really fantastic. I like using Instagram, which supplies users with a series of filters with which to alter their photographs.

My photography can be viewed throughout this site and on my Flickr page.

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