One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well
– Virginia Woolf
Hi! I’m Cheryl Malik, and I write 40 Aprons. I believe that food can mean many (often contradictory) things at once, and that that’s part of the beauty of it all. My husband, O, and I eat mostly paleo, avoiding refined sugars, dairy, and grains because we know it can be great for your health! Oh, and that baby weight? It absolutely flew off when we tried our first Whole30. But we also feel that abiding by a comprehensive dietary label (paleo, primal, vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free, just to name a few!) all the time is so restrictive. We eat well for great health most of the time.. but sometimes we eat poorly for great mental health!
To me, it’s all about balance. I know from years of dieting–just like most everyone else out there–that when you feel deprived, you’re more likely to “cheat”. So why not take out deprivation altogether?
So I wear a lot of hats–or aprons, if you will–both in the kitchen, in the office, in the living room–just like we all do. Sometimes, I spend my days up to my eyeballs in code; other times I don’t look away from Adobe Illustrator the entire day. Some days I spend hours hunched over a bowl of pho, taking just the right overhead shot for 40 Aprons or for a client. Other days I work on digital marketing and teaching people how to “get more likes.”
Oh, and my actual apron collection? it’s pretty ridiculous. I recently counted something like 28, from a handmade, monogrammed apron from my adoptive grandmother; an olive-patterned apron with an attached kitchen towel brought over by my mother from Ponsitano, Italy; a blue-and-pink swan patterned & ruffled convertible apron (yes… you can unbutton the top and bottom halves, making this the greatest apron ever); and a host of vintage seasonal half-aprons from my actual grandmother. It might just qualify as a problem.
I love working with brands and other organizations, so please get in touch if you’re interested! I also work as a food blog designer, business development consultant, food photographer, videographer, content creator, and digital marketing consultant. I know–I wear a lot of hats, right? Check out my portfolio site for more information or just get in touch! I’d love to hear from you.
