My name is Caroline and I started Pickled Plum in 2011 out of a small kitchen in New York City, after deciding to focus on one of my biggest passions – cooking food. I started sharing recipes on Blogger where my dishes attracted new readers on a monthly basis, and eventually online publications. This kept me going month after month until a couple of years later, when I was able to make blogging my full time career.

Fun fact: I have lived in Tokyo, Singapore, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Taipei, Malaysia, Toronto, New York, and Los Angeles. Even though I am only 5’6″, I was a professional model for almost 25 years. I work for brands such as Marks and Spencer, Mercedes Benz, Facebook, Boots No.7, Kanebo, and Lancome. I left the industry a few years ago to focus on making food and growing my blog.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is the blog named Pickled Plum?

It’s called Pickled Plum because of my love for umeboshi, which are Japanese pickled plums. Umeboshi will always represent summers in Japan during my childhood because my grandmother made them from scratch – and they were so delicious. She always made jars of various types of pickled plums so I would never run out of them.

What is your background?

I was born in Quebec, Canada to a Japanese mother and a French Canadian father. I have a brother who currently lives in Japan.

Did you go to culinary school?

No I didn’t. I did have a short career as a sous-chef in a catering kitchen, which ended up being one of my favorite jobs of all time. Other than that I learned cooking by watching my mother in the kitchen and eventually on my own, surrounded by piles of cookbooks. I was also addicted to the Food Network for a very long time!

Why do you choose not to share recipes using red meat?

As you can see, some of my old recipes contain red meat but Ben and I made the decision to remove it from our diet about 7 years ago. Partly because it didn’t make us feel good and partly for ethical reasons. I was never a big meat eater anyway since my mother always prefered seafood, tofu, and vegetables. So my diet was already mostly pescatarian/vegetarian.

What foods do you like to eat?

I love anything that’s packed with colorful veggies such as a hearty Tuscan soup, a vegetable potage, or a spicy Panang curry. I can also eat a bowl of soba or udon noodle soup for lunch every day, or something nice and refreshing like a tuna tartare or hamachi crudo.

Do you have a cookbook?

I do have a cookbook – which is available here – but it’s currently only available in electronic format. I’ve been meaning to publish a physical cookbook but it’s been challenging because of my busy schedule. I’m hoping that in the near future there will be time to publish the cookbook I always wanted to create. Stay tuned!

Aside from cooking I love reading books, taking care of animals, doing sports like dancing, yoga, and playing tennis, and going to concerts. I also like to lounge in front of the television in my pyjamas, drinking wine, and snacking on a cheese board.