Food Meme!
1. What's the last thing you ate? A slice of leftover fritatta I made with green and red bell peppers, poblano peppers, onion, and Swiss chard.
2. What's your favorite cheese? Baked brie
3. What's your favorite fish? Fresh walleye caught by John and pan-fried.
4. What's your favorite fruit? Strawberries. Strawberries dipped in crème fraiche is even better.
5. When, if ever, did you start liking olives? I don't really like olives; I tolerate them for the sake of a good dry martini.
6. When, if ever, did you start liking beer? REALLY liking beer? Oh, probably about 1998, when I went to graduate school (age: 24). I was still drinking Killian's Irish Red almost exclusively, though. I didn't really have my True Beer Awakening until maybe about 5 years ago. Now I'm such a beer snob I scoff at anything with a twist-off cap and the darker the better. Of course I also love IPAs (the hoppier the better).
7. When, if ever, did you start liking shellfish? I've been eating shrimp since I was an infant. So I've loved shellfish my entire life.
8. What was the best thing your parent/s used to make? My mom's cinnamon pull-apart coffee cake for Christmas morning breakfast.
9. What's the native specialty of your home town? Well, Cleveland has a large Eastern European/Polish ethnic population, so I guess maybe packzi. We also have a big maple sugar industry. And then there's fish out of Lake Erie.
10. What's your comfort food? Warm chocolate chip cookies. Or some homemade beef-barley soup.
11. What's your favorite type of chocolate? Dark.
12. How do you like your steak? Medium-rare.
13. How do you like your burger? The same. I also make a killer bulgur burger.
14. How do you like your eggs? Scrambled with some caramelized shallots, or made into an omelet or fritatta.
15. How do you like your potatoes? Roasted whole with some olive oil, salt and pepper, and some fresh rosemary.
16. How do you take your coffee? Strong and with a spalsh of half and half.
17. How do you take your tea? With sugar and milk.
18. What's your favorite mug? My one from Yosemite National Park that says "Go Climb a Rock." And my State Street Fruit Store mug from the store in Northampton.
19. What's your cookie of choice? I'm a sucker for Orange Milanos. Or if it's one I make, my molasses spice cookies.
20. What's your ideal breakfast? My regular every-day breakfast is plain yogurt with some fresh fruit and ground flax seed. Lately I've also been having kale-banana smoothies. But for special occasions (weekend brunches) I like making blueberry pancakes with sausage patties or some bacon.
21. What's your ideal sandwich? Whole wheat bread, turkey, lettuce, tomato, onion, and just a sprinkle of herbs and mayo. Kind of sounds like a Turkey Ridge from Grum's Sub Shoppe in Cleveland Heights, actually...
22. What's your ideal pizza (topping and base)? Our "usual" from Thompson's Pizza in Chelsea- thin crust with sausage, pepperoni, green peppers, and onions.
23. What's your ideal pie (sweet or savory)? Cherry.
24. What's your ideal salad? MIxed baby greens, dried cherries, candied walnuts, Gorgonzola cheese, and some grilled chicken.
25. What food do you always like to have in the fridge? Skim milk, plain yogurt, eggs, soy milk, sour cream, salad mix, a chunk of Parmesan cheese.
26. What food do you always like to have in the freezer? Ground beef and pork, whole chickens, shrimp, peas, vodka, gin.
27. What food do you always like to have in the cupboard? Whole wheat pastas, dried beans, bulgur, lentils, quinoa, barley, soba noodles, canned diced and whole tomatoes, my mother-in-law's tomato sauce, olive oil, coffee.
28. What spices can you not live without? Hot paprika, chili powder, black pepper, cumin, and anything from my herb garden (I know, technically not a "spice")
29. What sauces can you not live without? Tomato sauce. I made some from scratch and put it into the freezer in containers. Any time I need to make a quick meal, I put one chunk into a pot to warm and boil some whole wheat penne pasta. Presto, fast, healthy meal!
30. Where do you buy most of your food? This year we got most of our food from our CSA farm share (vegetables), a friend (beef), and another local farm (pork and chicken). But when I need things I can't find in my freezer or fridge I go to the local big grocery store.
31. How often do you go food shopping? Once a week or less. I usually "shop" inside my house!
32. What's the most you've spent on a single food item? Our quarter-side of beef and half hog were both over $300 (I can't remember exactly). But for one single item? I can't remember. I once bought some ridiculously expensive grass-fed organic filets mignon from Whole Paycheck...er...Foods...
33. What's the most expensive piece of kitchen equipment you own? Our Bosch dishwasher.
34. What's the last piece of equipment you bought for your kitchen? An enormous stainless steel pot (20 quarts) for making beer.
35. What piece of kitchen equipment could you not live without? My KitchenAid stand mixer. Followed closely by my kitchen scale. And our Bosch coffee maker.
36. How many times a week/month do you cook from raw ingredients? At least 6 if not 7. I make almost all of my meals from scratch using whole ingredients.
37. What's the last thing you cooked from raw ingredients? Monday for dinner I made a great squash soup using butternut squash, green bell peppers, poblano peppers, and onions from our CSA farm share. Last night I made sausage tortellini (OK, they were premade and frozen) with a couple of jars of my mother-in-law's homemade tomato sauce.
38. What's your favorite thing to make for yourself? Whole wheat pasta with peanut sauce and scallions. No one likes it but me.
39. What meats have you eaten besides cow, pig, chicken and turkey? Lamb, venison, buffalo, many different kinds of fish and shellfish. I might get to try bear if my co-worker ever brings some in.
40. What's the last time you ate something that had fallen on the floor? Recently, I'm sure.
41. What's the last time you ate something you'd picked in the wild? I picked blueberries in August. They were great.
42. Place the following cuisines in order of preference (greatest to least): Italian, Chinese, Thai, Japanese (for the sushi), Indian.
43. Place the following boozes in order of preference (greatest to least): Vodka, whiskey (well, only if it's single-malt Scotch), rum, brandy, tequila. What, no gin??? And I could never drink tequila again and be totally happy. But there's always a bottle of vodka in our freezer.
44. Place the following flavors in order of preference (greatest to least): Garlic, basil, ginger, lime, anise. I put garlic in almost everything.
45. Place the following fruits in order of preference (greatest to least): Oranges, bananas, cherries, watermelon.
46. Bread and spread: Whole grain with olive oil.
47. What's your fast food restaurant of choice, and what do you usually order? I hardly ever eat fast food but if I do it's a McDonald's McChicken sandwich (aka the nugget on a bun) and french fries.
48. What are three of the best dining-out experiences you've had?
Tribute in Farmington Hills, Michigan, where I went with my family shortly before I got married.
David Paul's Lahaina Grill in Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii, where we had our celebration dinner on our wedding day in 2004.
The "Big Night" dinner at the now-closed D'Amato's in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where for one time only the restaurant's owners recreated the feast from the movie "Big Night." It was absolutely incredible. I've never eaten so much in my entire life.
49. What's your choice of tipple at the end of a long day? Bourbon on the rocks, a dry martini made with Hendrick's gin, vodka tonic, Cosmopolitan, or sometimes just a cold beer.
50. Favorite cookbook/s? Cook's Illustrated The New Best Recipe, The Joy of Cooking, the Gourmet Cookbook, Weber's Big Book of Grilling, and my Weight Watchers cookbooks.
51. Got any favorite food blogs? Mine, of course: Una Buona Forchetta. Also, the Smitten Kitchen.
52. What's the next thing you'll eat? The cinnamon sugar donut that's sitting on my desk right now, a donut I snagged at a work event. Come for the food, leave before the speeches!
2. What's your favorite cheese? Baked brie
3. What's your favorite fish? Fresh walleye caught by John and pan-fried.
4. What's your favorite fruit? Strawberries. Strawberries dipped in crème fraiche is even better.
5. When, if ever, did you start liking olives? I don't really like olives; I tolerate them for the sake of a good dry martini.
6. When, if ever, did you start liking beer? REALLY liking beer? Oh, probably about 1998, when I went to graduate school (age: 24). I was still drinking Killian's Irish Red almost exclusively, though. I didn't really have my True Beer Awakening until maybe about 5 years ago. Now I'm such a beer snob I scoff at anything with a twist-off cap and the darker the better. Of course I also love IPAs (the hoppier the better).
7. When, if ever, did you start liking shellfish? I've been eating shrimp since I was an infant. So I've loved shellfish my entire life.
8. What was the best thing your parent/s used to make? My mom's cinnamon pull-apart coffee cake for Christmas morning breakfast.
9. What's the native specialty of your home town? Well, Cleveland has a large Eastern European/Polish ethnic population, so I guess maybe packzi. We also have a big maple sugar industry. And then there's fish out of Lake Erie.
10. What's your comfort food? Warm chocolate chip cookies. Or some homemade beef-barley soup.
11. What's your favorite type of chocolate? Dark.
12. How do you like your steak? Medium-rare.
13. How do you like your burger? The same. I also make a killer bulgur burger.
14. How do you like your eggs? Scrambled with some caramelized shallots, or made into an omelet or fritatta.
15. How do you like your potatoes? Roasted whole with some olive oil, salt and pepper, and some fresh rosemary.
16. How do you take your coffee? Strong and with a spalsh of half and half.
17. How do you take your tea? With sugar and milk.
18. What's your favorite mug? My one from Yosemite National Park that says "Go Climb a Rock." And my State Street Fruit Store mug from the store in Northampton.
19. What's your cookie of choice? I'm a sucker for Orange Milanos. Or if it's one I make, my molasses spice cookies.
20. What's your ideal breakfast? My regular every-day breakfast is plain yogurt with some fresh fruit and ground flax seed. Lately I've also been having kale-banana smoothies. But for special occasions (weekend brunches) I like making blueberry pancakes with sausage patties or some bacon.
21. What's your ideal sandwich? Whole wheat bread, turkey, lettuce, tomato, onion, and just a sprinkle of herbs and mayo. Kind of sounds like a Turkey Ridge from Grum's Sub Shoppe in Cleveland Heights, actually...
22. What's your ideal pizza (topping and base)? Our "usual" from Thompson's Pizza in Chelsea- thin crust with sausage, pepperoni, green peppers, and onions.
23. What's your ideal pie (sweet or savory)? Cherry.
24. What's your ideal salad? MIxed baby greens, dried cherries, candied walnuts, Gorgonzola cheese, and some grilled chicken.
25. What food do you always like to have in the fridge? Skim milk, plain yogurt, eggs, soy milk, sour cream, salad mix, a chunk of Parmesan cheese.
26. What food do you always like to have in the freezer? Ground beef and pork, whole chickens, shrimp, peas, vodka, gin.
27. What food do you always like to have in the cupboard? Whole wheat pastas, dried beans, bulgur, lentils, quinoa, barley, soba noodles, canned diced and whole tomatoes, my mother-in-law's tomato sauce, olive oil, coffee.
28. What spices can you not live without? Hot paprika, chili powder, black pepper, cumin, and anything from my herb garden (I know, technically not a "spice")
29. What sauces can you not live without? Tomato sauce. I made some from scratch and put it into the freezer in containers. Any time I need to make a quick meal, I put one chunk into a pot to warm and boil some whole wheat penne pasta. Presto, fast, healthy meal!
30. Where do you buy most of your food? This year we got most of our food from our CSA farm share (vegetables), a friend (beef), and another local farm (pork and chicken). But when I need things I can't find in my freezer or fridge I go to the local big grocery store.
31. How often do you go food shopping? Once a week or less. I usually "shop" inside my house!
32. What's the most you've spent on a single food item? Our quarter-side of beef and half hog were both over $300 (I can't remember exactly). But for one single item? I can't remember. I once bought some ridiculously expensive grass-fed organic filets mignon from Whole Paycheck...er...Foods...
33. What's the most expensive piece of kitchen equipment you own? Our Bosch dishwasher.
34. What's the last piece of equipment you bought for your kitchen? An enormous stainless steel pot (20 quarts) for making beer.
35. What piece of kitchen equipment could you not live without? My KitchenAid stand mixer. Followed closely by my kitchen scale. And our Bosch coffee maker.
36. How many times a week/month do you cook from raw ingredients? At least 6 if not 7. I make almost all of my meals from scratch using whole ingredients.
37. What's the last thing you cooked from raw ingredients? Monday for dinner I made a great squash soup using butternut squash, green bell peppers, poblano peppers, and onions from our CSA farm share. Last night I made sausage tortellini (OK, they were premade and frozen) with a couple of jars of my mother-in-law's homemade tomato sauce.
38. What's your favorite thing to make for yourself? Whole wheat pasta with peanut sauce and scallions. No one likes it but me.
39. What meats have you eaten besides cow, pig, chicken and turkey? Lamb, venison, buffalo, many different kinds of fish and shellfish. I might get to try bear if my co-worker ever brings some in.
40. What's the last time you ate something that had fallen on the floor? Recently, I'm sure.
41. What's the last time you ate something you'd picked in the wild? I picked blueberries in August. They were great.
42. Place the following cuisines in order of preference (greatest to least): Italian, Chinese, Thai, Japanese (for the sushi), Indian.
43. Place the following boozes in order of preference (greatest to least): Vodka, whiskey (well, only if it's single-malt Scotch), rum, brandy, tequila. What, no gin??? And I could never drink tequila again and be totally happy. But there's always a bottle of vodka in our freezer.
44. Place the following flavors in order of preference (greatest to least): Garlic, basil, ginger, lime, anise. I put garlic in almost everything.
45. Place the following fruits in order of preference (greatest to least): Oranges, bananas, cherries, watermelon.
46. Bread and spread: Whole grain with olive oil.
47. What's your fast food restaurant of choice, and what do you usually order? I hardly ever eat fast food but if I do it's a McDonald's McChicken sandwich (aka the nugget on a bun) and french fries.
48. What are three of the best dining-out experiences you've had?
Tribute in Farmington Hills, Michigan, where I went with my family shortly before I got married.
David Paul's Lahaina Grill in Lahaina, Maui, Hawaii, where we had our celebration dinner on our wedding day in 2004.
The "Big Night" dinner at the now-closed D'Amato's in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where for one time only the restaurant's owners recreated the feast from the movie "Big Night." It was absolutely incredible. I've never eaten so much in my entire life.
49. What's your choice of tipple at the end of a long day? Bourbon on the rocks, a dry martini made with Hendrick's gin, vodka tonic, Cosmopolitan, or sometimes just a cold beer.
50. Favorite cookbook/s? Cook's Illustrated The New Best Recipe, The Joy of Cooking, the Gourmet Cookbook, Weber's Big Book of Grilling, and my Weight Watchers cookbooks.
51. Got any favorite food blogs? Mine, of course: Una Buona Forchetta. Also, the Smitten Kitchen.
52. What's the next thing you'll eat? The cinnamon sugar donut that's sitting on my desk right now, a donut I snagged at a work event. Come for the food, leave before the speeches!