Food Bloggers Challenge: Meet April

Next month Capital Cooking will be filming the Food Bloggers Challenge: Comfort Food.

Join Lauren and four other food bloggers as they compete in making the best Chicken Potpie. A panel of judges will determine the winner along with votes from readers and viewers.

Challengers
1. Lauren DeSantis: Host and Producer of Capital Cooking
2. April Fulton: Food Scribe
3. Stefanie Gans: Endless Simmer
4. Alison McConnell: Humble Gourmand
5. Johnna Rowe: Johnna Knows Good Food

Judges:
1. Kate Nerenberg: Washingtonian Magazine
2. Patrice Olivion: L'Academie de Cuisine
3. Nycci Nellis: The List
4. Readers and Viewers

Judging Categories

q Taste/Comfort Factor

q Originality

q Camera Ready

q Ability to stay within the time limit

• Plating/Presentation

You've met Johnna Rowe and Alison McConnell... Now it is time to meet April.

April Fulton is a recovering Capitol Hill reporter turned freelance food writer who decided to turn her longtime passion for cooking, eating and writing into a new career three years ago. Her food articles have appeared in the Washington Post, on National Public Radio, and in Capitol File Magazine, among others. In between cooking for family and friends, spending time with her son, and writing for paying gigs, she writes a regular blog about her culinary adventures as The Food Scribe, www.thefoodscribe.com.

How would you describe DC Cuisine? DC cuisine is a strange mix of southern and power food, with a little international flair thrown in, thanks to imports like Jose Andres. I hope the recent influx of celebrity chef outposts like the Source (Wolfgang Puck) and West End Bistro (Eric Ripert) will help spread the notion that this city is a dining destination.

How did you get into food blogging? I started blogging when I realized I had something to say and no other way to say it. At the time I was a full time Capitol Hill reporter with no experience in food other than the fact that I enjoyed cooking and eating. Three years ago I decided to start putting the passion into practice and quit my job to pursue freelancing full time. I have a lot more time and opportunity to post on my blog now, which is good exposure as well.

What is your favorite Food Network show? I really like Barefoot Contessa because Ina Garten is so down-to-earth about food and clearly enjoys eating it. I believe in the old adage that you should never trust a skinny chef, that's why people like Giada annoy me. I like her food, but seriously, is she purging between takes?

If we weren't making chicken potpie, what is your favorite comfort food recipe? Lasagna. There's something about tomatoes, cheese and pasta that makes everything OK. Plus its portable and there are endless varieties. I never make it the same way twice and I frequently make it to bring to friends and family in need of a little comfort.

Remember leading up to the competition, you will get a chance to meet all of the challengers to see who you want to be the Food Blogger Challenge Winner! The race is close and the stakes are high. If you'd like to attend the taping, email me at capitalcooking@gmail.com. Limited space available.