Some of the most influential people in the food industry are those that are true to their ideals and pursue their passion with an admirable lust and energy. That’s exactly how one can categorize the infamous food blogger, ElaVegan.
An ideal role model in the vegan community, Ela (a.k.a. Michaela Vais) is an advocate for plant-based diets. She regularly shares delicious recipes on her social media pages and her website, ElaVegan.com. I can confidently say that Ela whips up not only the most innovative recipes, but the most aesthetically pleasing dishes, including appetizers, entrees, and desserts (while still, of course, being mindful of sugar and fat content).
I had the privilege of interviewing Ela via email to gain some insight into the ambitions she has for her blog, her inspiration to start ElaVegan.com, and her reaction to the newfound fame. After our conversation, even the most avid carnivores can begin to support her logic.
The Interview
Q: What was your inspiration for starting your blog? Was there a particular person that influenced you?
MV: I started Instagram in June 2015 because I loved taking photos of my food and sharing my recipes. After some months my followers asked me if I have a blog where they can see all recipes sorted by categories, etc. and in December 2016 my blog, https://elavegan.com finally went live.
Q: Can you recall the first time you decided to become vegan? What was your motivation?
MV: That was in September 2011. At that time I had horrible acne and read on different forums that the reason might be dairy. I was vegetarian almost my entire life (I stopped eating meat when I was 6 years old) and I always said: “I could never give up cheese”. At first, it was a challenge for me to go vegan, but after reading more and more about veganism, watching dozens of documentaries and learning about the dairy industry (and egg industry) it was actually pretty easy. Going vegan was the best decision in my life and I haven’t regretted it.
Q: If you could pull out your absolute favorite recipe you created from your website, what would it be and why?
MV: There are many recipes that I love. However, my most favorite recipe is my easy vegan cheese sauce. I was really a “cheese addict” in the past and therefore I had to create a recipe for vegan cheese which tastes great and is easy to make. My vegan cheese sauce is also the most popular recipe on my blog with hundreds of raving reviews. That recipe changed my life and the life of many other vegans (that’s what people tell me). You can find the recipe here: https://elavegan.com/easy-vegan-cheese-sauce-recipe/
Q: Where does the inspiration for your recipes come from?
MV: I must say that I love to experiment in the kitchen and I guess that I am an intuitive cook. Before becoming a food blogger, I was making homemade cosmetics and soaps. It was almost the same as cooking food because I was creating soap recipes with different ingredients, and mixing everything together in my kitchen. I was super creative and made soaps with ingredients like coffee, Indian herbs, avocado, clay, and many other things. Sometimes a recipe failed but most of them turned out amazing and many soaps were really beautiful. One day my friend (who also made soaps) sent me photos of her homemade bread and other dishes. I sent her photos of my food creations and I think that was the time when I started taking photos of my food.
Q: What is the main initiative of your blog, and how do you plan to inspire others in future endeavors?
MV: I want to spread the vegan message and inspire people from all around the world with my vegan recipes. Here is a quote which I wrote a few years ago:
“Eating plants is not a sacrifice, it’s a pleasure and a conscious choice to honor your body, mind and soul” – Michaela Vais, @elavegan
Whether you’re looking to become more health-conscious, lead a vegan lifestyle, or just recreate fun and delicious recipes, Ela’s blog has something for everyone. You certainly don’t want to be the last to check it out.