Ruxandra Niță, vegetarian food blogger and food photographer behind Gourmandelle

hi, I’m Ruxandra

About Ruxandra Niță

Vegetarian food blogger · Recipe developer · Food photographer

I’m the cook, food photographer and writer behind every recipe on Gourmandelle. I’ve been sharing vegetarian recipes here since 2011, in English and Romanian.

2011blogging since
1,000+tested recipes
EN + ROtwo languages
TVPro TV · Digi24

My story

I went vegetarian in 2011, the same year I started Gourmandelle. I was studying architecture in Bucharest, and the blog began as a notebook for the meals I was learning to cook without meat. I wrote it in English first, then added Romanian, and before long my parents had gone vegetarian too.

Architecture never became my job, but it taught me to care about how things are built and how they look. I taught myself food photography, designed the site myself and later moved into web design and online marketing. Today I also run ALT Digital, an online marketing agency, which is a big part of why Gourmandelle is built to be easy to use: clear steps, honest timings, metric and US measurements, and a recipe card you can print.

In 2016 I turned the blog into Gourmandelle Meal Plans, a web app that generated weekly vegetarian meal plans, used mostly by readers in the US. The project was covered by Ziarul Financiar and Business Magazin.

My own diet has changed over the years, and these days I eat a more “peasant-style” mix of foods. Gourmandelle stays vegetarian on purpose, though: I believe vegetables deserve to be the star of the plate, not a side dish. We grow a lot of what we cook in our garden, so the recipes here follow the seasons.

from our garden

Experience and background

Vegetarian recipe developer and food blogger since 2011, with more than 1,000 recipes published in English and Romanian.
Self-taught food photographer: I cook, style and photograph the recipes myself.
Studied at the “Ion Mincu” University of Architecture and Urbanism in Bucharest.
Courses in healthy eating and nutrition. I am not a dietitian, so the nutrition facts on the site are estimates, not medical advice.
Founder of Gourmandelle Meal Plans (2016) and author of the Veggie Family eBook (55 family recipes).
Online marketing specialist and founder of the ALT Digital agency.
Guest on the Digi24 cooking show “Sănătatea în bucate”, featured on Pro TV and Acasă TV.

How I develop and test recipes

Cooked at home, more than once.Every recipe starts as something I actually cook in my own kitchen, usually several times, until it turns out the same way each time.
Measured as I go.I write the quantities down while I cook, in grams and millilitres, and convert them to cups and spoons for US readers. For baking, the weights are what count.
Real timings.Cooking times and oven temperatures are the ones I use in my own oven, in both °C and °F.
Checked diet labels.Labels like vegan, gluten-free or dairy-free are checked against every ingredient in the recipe card.
My own photos.The photos show the dish I made for that recipe. No stock photos.
Updated when needed.When readers tell me something didn’t work, I retest it and update the post, and the “last updated” date changes with it.

Editorial standards and corrections

Independent. I choose what I cook and write about. Sponsored posts are clearly labeled, and no brand gets to approve my opinion.
Accurate. Health and nutrition statements are based on published research or official sources, linked in the article. I don’t make medical claims; for a health condition, please talk to your doctor or a registered dietitian.
Honest about products. I only say I use a product if I really do. Affiliate links are explained in my disclosure policy.
Real reviews. Ratings and comments come from readers. I remove spam and abuse, but I never write or edit reviews.
Corrections. Spotted a mistake? Tell me in the comments or through the contact page. I fix factual errors as soon as I can and update the post.

Ownership and funding

Gourmandelle is owned and run by me, Ruxandra Niță (formerly Micu), as a private individual based in Romania. The site is free to read and is funded by display ads (managed by Mediavine), affiliate commissions on some Romanian pages, and the sale of my eBooks and custom meal plans. All the details are in the disclosure policy.

In the press

Most of the older coverage uses my maiden name, Ruxandra Micu. Links marked “archived” open a saved copy, because the original page is no longer online.

Want to work together or ask me something? Get in touch.

Discover a World of Plant-Based Knowledge

We invite you to explore our Freebie Library, a treasure trove of resources designed to enrich your plant-based adventure. This exclusive collection, available at no cost, is packed with informative guides, how-to manuals, recipe collections, and much more, all crafted to support and inspire your vegetarian journey.

Introducing my new Book

Veggie Family

Laying the Foundations of Your Plant-Based Journey

This book is your go-to guide for making nutritious, family-friendly vegetarian meals that everyone will love. With 55 easy-to-follow recipes, it’s designed to help busy families enjoy delicious plant-based dishes without the fuss. From quick weeknight dinners to fun meals that kids will adore, Veggie Family offers a simple way to incorporate more vegetables into your diet while keeping everyone at the table happy.

Learn More