Kristen offered to interview bloggers with five questions of her choice a few weeks ago in a post where she answered questions provided by another blogger. I volunteered and her questions for me arrived. After much mulling, here are my answers.
If you'd like me to interview you with five questions of my choosing, please leave me a comment or send me an email.
1. You've just won Top Chef! You now have the money and the means to start your own restaurant. What is the theme and cuisine?
I've given this question so much thought. Honestly, I don't know if I'd ever want to own a restaurant. I think my temperment is more suited to catering. But... if I ever decide to cook in a space of my own, I want it to be an intimate space. Guests will be invited to come in and sit at communal tables. The menu will be set by me and the food will be served family style. I prefer to cook hearty rustic food. Ethnic food excites me most but I pride myself on picking up classic French techniques along the way. The food will be locally and ethically raised wherever possible. The diners will have the opportunity to know where their meal came from as well as how it was prepared. I'll try to come out each night to say hello and talk about the food. I hope my enthusiasm for the ingredients will be shared when my guests sample the finished dishes. Making good food accessible to everyone is important to me. There won't be reservations and the tab won't be over priced.
If you'd like me to interview you with five questions of my choosing, please leave me a comment or send me an email.
1. You've just won Top Chef! You now have the money and the means to start your own restaurant. What is the theme and cuisine?
I've given this question so much thought. Honestly, I don't know if I'd ever want to own a restaurant. I think my temperment is more suited to catering. But... if I ever decide to cook in a space of my own, I want it to be an intimate space. Guests will be invited to come in and sit at communal tables. The menu will be set by me and the food will be served family style. I prefer to cook hearty rustic food. Ethnic food excites me most but I pride myself on picking up classic French techniques along the way. The food will be locally and ethically raised wherever possible. The diners will have the opportunity to know where their meal came from as well as how it was prepared. I'll try to come out each night to say hello and talk about the food. I hope my enthusiasm for the ingredients will be shared when my guests sample the finished dishes. Making good food accessible to everyone is important to me. There won't be reservations and the tab won't be over priced.
2. You and Sweets have just been given
one-way tickets around the world. You can go all around, but you can't
back-track. Where do you go and what do you see?
I've pulled out my trusty atlas and devised a very zig-zag-gy course around the globe.
Greenland- Penguins!
I've pulled out my trusty atlas and devised a very zig-zag-gy course around the globe.
Greenland- Penguins!
Iceland - I hear it looks like the moon.
Scotland- miles of green. sheep and men with that awesome accent and Charles Rennie Macintosh design.
United Kingdom- I want to get muddy at the Reading and Leeds Festivals, see the moors Emily Bronte loved and the white cliffs of Dover. Of course, stopping in London for museums and eating with Jamie Oliver and Nigella Lawson. Plus a visit with Leonie.
Next South to Spain for tapas and some Gaudi viewing in Barcelona.
Then a jog north east on to Provence and Paris. Baguettes, lavender, macarons and catacombs.
A quick stop in Bruges, Belgium to see all the fairytale stuff much talked about in the film, In Bruges. A quick snack of fritjes will hit the spot.
Next up to Scandanavia for cool design, long summer days and fjords.
Then down a bit to Germany where Sweets can practice his German. Downer, I know, but I'd like to visit Auschwitz to experience it for myself beyond what we see in the movies.
Rome to learn how to make gelato and throw coins in a fountain. Venice for a forgotten weekend.
Vienna for viewing of Gustav Klimt's work along with other art nouveau greatness.
Then on to Prague, the city, I once vowed to move to and start again.
Down to Greece to hunt for blue seas, grilled sardines, feta and antiquities. Maybe T-La's family will let us stay with them.
Then up to Russia to look for Dostoyevsky and Gogol.
India for yoga, cooking lessons, sari and jewel shopping and visiting with my friend, Dipti's family.
Then on to China, the country that captured my imagination as a child. I want to look for the idea of China that I still have. I hope it still exists.
Thailand to visit with my friends, Benjamin and Linda.
South Korea to see my friend, Mia's homeland and feast on their fine cuisine.
Japan for haiku writing next to koi filled ponds, electronic gadgets to bring home, sushi and cherry blossom festivals. Oh and those monkeys that hang out in hot springs.
New Zealand- We wanted to go for our honeymoon but were so busy planning the wedding, we couldn't take on one more big research extravaganza so the trip got ditched and we holed up in Philadelphia for a mini honeymoon instead. Both islands are full of amazing nature to explore.
On to Oz, or Australia for knocking about with Craftapalooza, The Shopping Sherpa and Muppinstuff, all of whom I would love to meet up with someday.
Then we'll head to the continent of Africa. I'd like to sleep under the stars on safari, see the pyramids along the Nile..., shop in a souk in Marakesh, learn some zulu dances, hear some amazing live music by groups like Femi Kuti, Orchestra Baobab and Ladysmith Black Mambazo.
In the home stretch, stops in South America for birdwatching in Costa Rica, tango lessons and steaks in Buenos Aires, tour of fair trade coffee plantations in Columbia, the secrets of mole and how to make tortillas in Mexico and then back to the U.S. for a stop at the Grand Canyon before bringing our very tired, rag tag butts back home to N.J.
Scotland- miles of green. sheep and men with that awesome accent and Charles Rennie Macintosh design.
United Kingdom- I want to get muddy at the Reading and Leeds Festivals, see the moors Emily Bronte loved and the white cliffs of Dover. Of course, stopping in London for museums and eating with Jamie Oliver and Nigella Lawson. Plus a visit with Leonie.
Next South to Spain for tapas and some Gaudi viewing in Barcelona.
Then a jog north east on to Provence and Paris. Baguettes, lavender, macarons and catacombs.
A quick stop in Bruges, Belgium to see all the fairytale stuff much talked about in the film, In Bruges. A quick snack of fritjes will hit the spot.
Next up to Scandanavia for cool design, long summer days and fjords.
Then down a bit to Germany where Sweets can practice his German. Downer, I know, but I'd like to visit Auschwitz to experience it for myself beyond what we see in the movies.
Rome to learn how to make gelato and throw coins in a fountain. Venice for a forgotten weekend.
Vienna for viewing of Gustav Klimt's work along with other art nouveau greatness.
Then on to Prague, the city, I once vowed to move to and start again.
Down to Greece to hunt for blue seas, grilled sardines, feta and antiquities. Maybe T-La's family will let us stay with them.
Then up to Russia to look for Dostoyevsky and Gogol.
India for yoga, cooking lessons, sari and jewel shopping and visiting with my friend, Dipti's family.
Then on to China, the country that captured my imagination as a child. I want to look for the idea of China that I still have. I hope it still exists.
Thailand to visit with my friends, Benjamin and Linda.
South Korea to see my friend, Mia's homeland and feast on their fine cuisine.
Japan for haiku writing next to koi filled ponds, electronic gadgets to bring home, sushi and cherry blossom festivals. Oh and those monkeys that hang out in hot springs.
New Zealand- We wanted to go for our honeymoon but were so busy planning the wedding, we couldn't take on one more big research extravaganza so the trip got ditched and we holed up in Philadelphia for a mini honeymoon instead. Both islands are full of amazing nature to explore.
On to Oz, or Australia for knocking about with Craftapalooza, The Shopping Sherpa and Muppinstuff, all of whom I would love to meet up with someday.
Then we'll head to the continent of Africa. I'd like to sleep under the stars on safari, see the pyramids along the Nile..., shop in a souk in Marakesh, learn some zulu dances, hear some amazing live music by groups like Femi Kuti, Orchestra Baobab and Ladysmith Black Mambazo.
In the home stretch, stops in South America for birdwatching in Costa Rica, tango lessons and steaks in Buenos Aires, tour of fair trade coffee plantations in Columbia, the secrets of mole and how to make tortillas in Mexico and then back to the U.S. for a stop at the Grand Canyon before bringing our very tired, rag tag butts back home to N.J.
3. What flower are you?
Really tough question. Let's start with being a perennial because I may die back or go into dormant periods but I always return with a flush of new ideas and growth. If you ask me this question tomorrow, my answer may be different but today, I'll say a groundcover rose. We have some in our front garden and they are just the most boisterous, tenacious little buggers. Actually, they aren't little. They can make a total mess, sprawling out, throwning canes of cascading blooms into their neighbors faces. But they mean well. And they smell nice. They also provide food and shelter for little birds in the winter.
Really tough question. Let's start with being a perennial because I may die back or go into dormant periods but I always return with a flush of new ideas and growth. If you ask me this question tomorrow, my answer may be different but today, I'll say a groundcover rose. We have some in our front garden and they are just the most boisterous, tenacious little buggers. Actually, they aren't little. They can make a total mess, sprawling out, throwning canes of cascading blooms into their neighbors faces. But they mean well. And they smell nice. They also provide food and shelter for little birds in the winter.
4. What five things would you buy right now, if money were no object?
I'm not much of a shopper, or one that lusts over material objects. The first thing that sprang to mind was to buy out the balance on the mortgages for our home, and those of my parents, Sweets parents and my sister. Being able to say the house is paid off would be a big load off- especially for my sister trying to raise four boys on her own and our parents who are cruising toward retirement.
Beyond that, I think I would be happy to acquire:
a cozy, tufted sofa with dog proof upholstery
a new big fridge with an ice machine
a queen sized bed and an assortment of new linens
an oven outdoors like Jamie Oliver uses on his show, Jamie at Home
I'm not much of a shopper, or one that lusts over material objects. The first thing that sprang to mind was to buy out the balance on the mortgages for our home, and those of my parents, Sweets parents and my sister. Being able to say the house is paid off would be a big load off- especially for my sister trying to raise four boys on her own and our parents who are cruising toward retirement.
Beyond that, I think I would be happy to acquire:
a cozy, tufted sofa with dog proof upholstery
a new big fridge with an ice machine
a queen sized bed and an assortment of new linens
an oven outdoors like Jamie Oliver uses on his show, Jamie at Home
5. You have the opportunity to learn something new. What do you study and why?
I'm pretty dairy obsessed so I'd like to learn how to make cheeses, ice creams and gelatos from some top notch pros. I really find it fascinating you can take a liquid (milk) and turn it into all of these products with different textures, tastes and smells. Milk is the total super food.
I'm pretty dairy obsessed so I'd like to learn how to make cheeses, ice creams and gelatos from some top notch pros. I really find it fascinating you can take a liquid (milk) and turn it into all of these products with different textures, tastes and smells. Milk is the total super food.
Hell, let's kill two birds with one stone and I'll take you on a culinary tour of New Zealand :-)
Posted by: The Shopping Sherpa | Thursday, June 25, 2009 at 07:13 AM
I would love to show you Melbourne, and we have gelato here too! Often very good and made in the shop... When I get my new kitchen and have some space, I think I'll get an icecream maker and try making it myself too!
Posted by: janet | Sunday, June 28, 2009 at 02:52 AM