Let's see where this takes me...

For some reason, I think that this meme is a good way to get this blog started. It might be that I get to share a little information about my likes and dislikes, a few stories, and a picture, without a commitment to one specific topic. I'll work my way up to that. Baby steps...this is going to be fun!

WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE FOODS?

Cherries: Come on! This is obvious! I'm one of those people who is not so insane about fruit( I think that living in Berkeley may change that. More about this on Saturday), but come summertime, I stock up on cherries. For about 9 months out of the year, I long for June, when cherries are sweet(and cheap). While they are in season, they are typically in my fridge at all times. The best thing about moving to California? I have a cherry tree in my backyard. I go out on my patio and pluck them right off the tree and pop them in my mouth.

Cheese: Parmesan, Gruyere, Gouda, Feta, Goat....You name it, I will probably eat it. The Berkeley Bowl gets me every time with their samples near the cheese case. I would say that 9 out of 10 times, I end up buying the cheese I taste. That is quite some marketing.

Green Curry: Ooh, it's so flavorful and spicy. I love the depth of flavors, especially the kaffir lime and lemongrass. I might not get out much, but Lucky House on University Ave. is my Thai restaurant du jour. It's cheap, the staff is really friendly and almost everything that I've tried has been consistently good.

Tacos: Spicy meat, cheese, salsa, guacamole, random veggies on a tortilla? Heaven.

Pickles: My first word ever spoken was "mom". Second? Pickle. Enough said.

I could keep going....but I'll spare you.


WHAT FOODS DO YOU HATE?

Liver: Liverrrrrrr and onions! And old boyfriend used to say that in a sing song voice....Liverrrrr and onions. I don't think I will ever be able to think of liver and not want to sing that aloud. When I was a waitress at a mafia run 70's hot spot in North Palm Beach, FL, they occasionally had liver and onions on special (this is Florida, after all..where old people go to die). The chef was constantly trying to get me to try them, saying his were the best, and assuring me that I would love the liver. I tried them. I DID NOT LOVE THEM. UGHH! I think I may still be traumatized.

FOODS YOU LIKE BUT ARE EMBARRASSED TO ADMIT?

Velveeta: It's not cheese, I KNOW! It's just so creamy and oozy. That salsa dippy stuff is damn good. You know you love it.

Pickled Herring( from a jar): My grandma used to keep them in her fridge when I was little for my Polish grandpa. I used to sneak them out of the jar with my fingers. I'm sure my fishy digits were a dead giveaway of what I had been eating. My sister used to get SO grossed out at my choice of snack.


STRANGEST FOOD YOU’VE EATEN AND ENJOYED?

I don't think too many things are considered strange anymore. Due to the wide availability of foods from all over the world, people are being exposed to new things daily.Stuff that was weird 5 years ago could be on our plates on a daily basis now.

If I had to choose one thing, it might be these amazing grilled snails I had while I was in the South of Spain. They were quite large, had a weird "lid" over their little snaily hole, and you had to slowwwwwly pry them out of their shell. The meat near the hole was was chewy, like any other snail; pull out more and it was soft and luscious, almost like a pate'. I wish I could remember what they were called.

COOKING FAILURES THAT STILL RANKLE?

Oh, there are so many! One that stands out in my mind is the Meyer Lemon Tart that I found here.

When I found this recipe, I did not have access to meyer lemons. I was still living in Florida at the time and dreaming about when I would have the chance to make this tart with the proper citrus. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Florida has citrus...But not the greatest lemons EVER! So, I made the pate brisee and put it in my tart pan. Dumped my beloved lemon, cream, sugar mixture in my tart pan...and set it in the oven to bake. Well...I didn't blind bake the shell,. The melted crust leaked all over my oven, my pan, and the pan underneath it. The mess was impossible to clean up and my tart was a disaster.

Later, I tried the tart again and it came out beautifully! It tasted great, too.

INGREDIENTS YOU DON’T WANT TO CONSIDER LIVING WITHOUT?
Cherries, hot sauce, avocados, onions, dried wheat and flax pasta, and...ketchup.

CUISINE YOU’D LIKE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT?

I would love to learn more about French food. This may have been fueled by an entire weekend of gorging myself with archives of Orangette's blog, where I jumped up and made at least three of her recipes mid-post. I believe the yogurt cake with strawberries was the first one. Oh, wow, so amazing. The Scottish Scones were also a keeper.

That was quite a rant. Back on topic. France, yes, France. I plan on going there in March when I accumulate enough vacation time.

FOODS YOU HATED BUT HAVE GROWN TO LOVE?

I was not a picky eater when I was young. My grandma used to take me to Mr. G's when I was 7 years old to eat a salad with blue cheese dressing, prime rib, and a baked potato with sour cream and butter. No lie. It's a wonder that I haven't had a coronary at this point. Needless to say, I ate just about everything.

CURRENT KITCHEN CONUNDRUM?

Zero counter space, and a fridge with a sub-par vegetable drawer.

and this is the end of the beginning...I can't wait to write more, post some pictures and share my stories.