The Cook Next Door, a meme

I have always been a fan of making a "wave" in a sports arena, so it makes sense that I love playing tag and kick the can and having water fights in the summer. I am sorry to say that difficult family circumstances have made my writing a little flat, but here's my go at a meme that has been travelling around the food blogosphere for some time now. One of the funniest series of answers can be found on the scent of green bananas, my secret blog crush. I was tagged this morning by Will of Cooking Fire, a very informative and thoughtfully written blog about the foods and cookery of Mexico.

What is the first memory of baking or cooking on your own?

does making candles count? I made a lot of scrambled eggs in grade school.

Who had the most influence on your cooking?

cliche as it sounds, my mother. as an adult, Laurie Colwin and Jane Grigson.

Do you have a photo of your early foray into the culinary arena?

nope, not that I know of.

Mageiricophobia - do you suffer from any cooking phobia, a dish that makes your palms sweat?

I am frightened of puff pastry, wedding cakes and huge pieces of meat.

What would be your most valued or used kitchen gadgets and/or what was the biggest letdown?

love: red Kitchen-Aid, sharp peelers, my wide orange bowl scraper, and I have a heavy antique small to mid-sized cake pan that is my baby. letdown: nouveau whisks.

Name some funny or weird food combinations/dishes you really like - and probably no one else would.

rare roastbeast on cinnamon raisin bread with mayo and mustard. toast with miracle whip and heirloom tomatoes with salt and pepper.

What are the three eatables or dishes you simply don’t want to live without?

Three?!  shellfish, chocolate, stonefruit (runners up: foie gras, toast, stonefruit)

Your favorite ice-cream?

the ones I make, freshly churned. malt, verbena, butterscotch, chocolate mint.

You will probably never eat?

bugs, worms, eyes, chittlins, (most offal.)

Your own signature dishes?

roast chicken, roasted veggies, hot fudge sauce, egg babies, pot de creme.

Any signs that this passion is going slightly over the edge and may need intervention?

underpaid, overworked, sciatica, spider veins that beat my grandmother's legs, dreaming about desserts, almost unable to read about anything but food.

Any embarrassing eating habits?

you tell me.

Three people to pass it on to:

I think I'm the last one to get it.

Comments

[Kudzu]

Really liked reading your answers in this list of very personal questions. Think it's pretty symbolic that you ("eggbeater") cooked eggs from an early age, as I did. My grandmother kept a few bantam chickens in her chicken yard and she would save their eggs for me to scramble in a little cast iron skillet in her kitchen, my earliest memory of cooking.

You already know I love Colwin (which prompted my first comment), but I also love peelers -- esp. the one that now actually really peels tomatoes and peaches for us.

Glad we both swear off offal. I can deal with foie gras but not liver; an occasional gizzard but not kidney. My granddaddy would savor chitlins in the fall (pig-kllling time) and I avoided the house at all costs.

Has anyone ever made an ice cream with the scent of daphne?

[Will T]

Cool - this is rad - thanks for doing it. I felt all geeky asking.

Egg Babies? All I'm getting on a google search is: 1) In vitro fertilization 2) Chinese mass-produced plush toys 3) high school childbearing-awareness exercises.

[Farmgirl]

Hi Shuna,
Uh oh. I just logged on to tag you for a meme and you've just finished one! BUT, I think this one just hit the food blogosphere, so you can rejoice in the fact that everyone hasn't read a million answers to it yet. With that in mind, I hope you'll participate. Sure looking forward to reading your responses.

http://foodiefarmgirl.blogspot.com/2005/07/childhood-food-memories.html

Love your cook next door answers. I, too, am wondering about the egg babies. ??

P.S. Thanks so much for the happy birthday wishes you left on my blog.

[Farmgirl]

Hi, just me again. Went to The Scent Of Green Bananas. You're right--the answers were hysterical. Thanks for linking to it!

[shuna]

Will, you are really funny. (btw: geeky is good.)

An Egg Baby is basically a souffle pancake-- aka Dutch Babies. It's really easy to make, impresses people with it's puffy top, and rarely fails to be yummy. Traditionally it is eaten with lemon juice and powdered sugar but I also like it with jam and marmalade. Thanks guys, you just gave me something else to post about one day.

Farmgirl, thank you so much for tagging me, I may be a little late in getting to it--- I have to think!

Kudzu, there is Nothing (and thank goodness for it!!) like the smell of chitlins being prepared in a house. Goddamn.

[McAuliflower]

Thanks- I know what I'm having for brunch today (I swear I could eat a whole baking dish of EggBabies!).

You know I could see you hosting an ice cream themed SHF event...

daydreaming about malt ice cream... and mint chip... and...

[Oliver]

Thanks for taking the time and playing along shuna. Great answers! 'Glad the Egg Baby subject has gotten sorted out, I had this sad image of an egg shaped baby, with big startled eyes... ;))