HELLO

Hello, I'm Eriko. Welcome to Beautiful Eating Mess, my online baking diary with recipes, food photography, and musings from my kitchen in Tokyo, Japan.

Life is a funny thing. Sometimes you find happiness in the most unexpected places.
Growing up, I was never a "foodie" — I was much more interested in books and fashion. My idea of heaven was roaming the aisles of a bookstore or admiring sweaters in a boutique . . . until two books changed my thoughts on food forever. I picked up "Lunch in Paris: A Love Story, with Recipes" by Elizabeth Bard at an Anthropologie in NYC. The story, of course, was wonderful but what was really interesting for me were the recipes, especially the ones for dessert. The fact that there were no photographs or pictures (after all, this is a novel) was a blessing, growing a craving in my heart to taste and visualise these sweets. The craving led me to bake chocolate molten cakes from the book and for the first time in my life, food became my happiness.
Around the same time, I stumbled across the legendary food blog "What Katie Ate", fell in love with it, and discovered "food photography". The blog led me to buy her cookbook "What Katie Ate: Recipes and Other Bits & Pieces" and the beautiful photographs led me to buy my first DSLR which I still use today.

When I look back and think about it, it all seems to connect. My grandmother is an amazing cook and I remember how we used to make bavarois and cakes together when I was a little girl. I loved decorating those desserts with cream and fruit, and although I was never much of a cook (or baker for that matter) growing up, I enjoyed standing in the kitchen in my own way, happily helping out with canapés or putting the finishing touches on other dishes whenever we had dinner guests or a party. I was, and still am, a person that enjoys paying attention to the details, and that part of me comes from my grandfather who was a creative and artistic man. He had an eye for design and one of his greatest hobbies was photography. Admittedly, he has probably never in his life taken photographs of food, but I am proud that I have taken over his beloved hobby in someway or another.
I also have a brief history of creating jewelry and hair accessories, and although the materials I used differ greatly from the ones I use now for cooking and baking, the process of creating something from scratch using my own hands feels somewhat similar. Who knew that I was preparing myself for a food blog while sequining hairbands?

I am by no means a trained baker or cook — just someone who found happiness in the kitchen. With that in mind, I hope you enjoy the recipes and stories written here, and maybe even try one out. It would make me even happier!

10 RANDOM THINGS ABOUT ME

* One of the reasons I became hooked with baking is that it's a great way to escape all anxious thoughts (I'm a worrier) and focus on the present.

* I am a (semi-)perfectionist.

* I usually get my best ideas right before falling asleep.

* I am addicted to books and read myself to sleep every single night.

* Summer is my favourite season.

* I love reading about fashion week on various blogs and seeing the collections online.

* I walk. A lot. I love wandering around the streets of Tokyo when I have time.

* I love going to my grandmother's house, which is only a 5 minute walk from my place, and cooking dinner with her. She is amazing.

* I am fascinated by classic french baking, but also have a weakness for cupcakes and ice cream (although I'm not sure making ice cream qualifies as baking).

* Speaking of French, I wish I could speak the language.

. . . BONUS . . .
* My great-grandmother spoke French fluently and traveled around Europe (particularly Paris) by herself, which was rare for a Japanese woman to do in her days.

{ all photographs from my INSTAGRAM @tokyoette }