Tagged.....you're it!!

I have been tagged for a cooking blog "meme," a questionnaire of sorts! Imagine my surprise when I checked my comments recently and found this out. I had just last week been saying to Ken that I wish I'd get tagged for one of these fun little things.

So thanks to Grommie at The Power of Cheese for tagging me. I have had so much fun preparing this. Hope all of you fellow food bloggers (and non-food-bloggers) enjoy this deeper insight into my culinary roots and habits.


What is your first memory of baking/cooking on your own?
Well, Mom informs me that I helped her in the kitchen at a very early age (as in 2). I don't have any memories of cooking until I was four, however. I remember cooking up a batch of alphabet sugar cookies from my Sesame Street Library book collection (with Mom's help, of course). I assisted Mom with lots of other food adventures, though....a gingerbread house, peanut brittle, egg nog, brownies, chocolate cakes (can you tell I have a sweet tooth?).
I really didn't get into cooking without anyone's help until I was in high school. One summer, I decided I'd cook dinner for my mom, dad, and sister all week long. I went to the library and got a book of student-geared recipes from all over the globe, the Multicultural Cookbook for Students. Each night was a different country of origin. I even brought in authentic musical backdrops for our meals. Some of these recipes were so delicious that I still use them in my cooking today. And Mom and Dad still talk about me doing this, ten-plus years later. From this point on, I was hooked.

Who had the most influence on your cooking?
I would have to say more than one person, actually. Of course, my mom. Her warm and cozy meals set the mood for fun and relaxation every night at the dinner table. Her hands were as tough as steel....I remember being in awe of how she could touch things which were so hot but it never seemed to burn her. I remember all of the special treats that she prepared for special days (Easter bunny cakes is just an example). I carry on this tradition of going all out for holidays now in my own home.
My grandma also taught me a lot (Mom's mom). She has always been a health-conscious cook, and a no-frills cook, as well. No pretentious snobbery food here....just wholesome, fresh, and Southern fare.
A family friend named Brian stretched my culinary wings a little more as I got into college. I was taken aback by his gourmet sense in the kitchen, and I solemnly intended to come home and recreate the various specialties he served at one time or another.....quiche, antipasto platters, chocolate desserts to die for.

Do you have an old photo as "evidence" of an early exposure to the culinary world and would you like to share it?





(Top left: Yes, that is me at 2 years old, and yes, that is me holding a mixer. And yes, that's chocolate on my face. It started early....the chocolate, I mean.)
(Top right: I received my own kitchen when I was three or so. I cooked up some mean dishes back then. Those were the good ol' days.)
(Bottom left: My third birthday party. Yes, chocolate AGAIN.)
(Bottom right: Me at my aunt Myra's wedding. Wedding cake in hand, also in mouth. I have always been a sucker for wedding cake....much like Grace on "Will and Grace." )

Mageiricophobia - do you suffer from any cooking phobia, a dish that makes your palms sweat?
I hate cooking red meat!! Hate it, hate it! I have tried roasts galore....beef tips....ribs....steaks....you name it. They all turn out bland and tasteless. Good thing I don't really eat red meat much, anyway. I'm sure if I did, I'd be better at cooking it (practice makes perfect). But I refuse to bring more of it into my house just to sharpen that culinary skill. I'll stick with the baking, thank you!
I've also never tried these other things: homemade croissants, roulade cakes (kudos to my mom...she made one this week for the first time....I'm in awe!), and fried chicken.

What would be your most valued or used kitchen gadgets and/or what was the biggest letdown?
My most valued appliance is my KitchenAid mixer....nuff said. I also adore my chef's knife. I also couldn't live without my digital thermometer.....I use it for accuracy in my yeast breads as well as testing chicken's doneness. I also own a Champion juicer, and though I don't use it as often as I should, I wouldn't trade it for the world.
One kitchen gadget I wholeheartedly lust over (but do not own): A Zyliss mandoline.
The biggest letdowns and/or tools which I think are pointless and a total waste of hard-earned money: Silpat, egg separators, strawberry hullers, pie weights, cookie stamps, and cookie presses.

Name some funny or weird food combinations/dishes you really like and probably no one else.
Well, at the risk of sounding culinarily ignorant, I do enjoy a splurge of french fries dipped in milkshakes (though it's been at least 3 years since I've had this treat). I also love peanut butter and mayonnaise sandwiches, and parmesan cheese on air-popped popcorn. I love anything self-described as "salty-sweet."
Other than that, I'm pretty straight-up normal. I am NOT a food quarantiner....i.e., I eat all foods together on my plate (they taste better together).

What are the three eatables or dishes you simply don't want to live without?
1. Chocolate. I mean, a world without chocolate would be a sad, sad world.
2. Bread. All kinds. Bread there? I'm there. I'm a bread purist. Sometimes I enjoy it with cheese, but I never use butter. Just straight up bread for me.
3. Chai tea. In my pursuit to find a healthier drink than coffee, this has become my new drink of choice. Iced, steamed, straight up-brewed. It's all good.

Favorite ice cream:
Mint chocolate chip.

You will probably never eat (again??):
Fresh figs. Calamari. Anything with anise flavoring (including licorice itself).

Signature dish:
My big, fat chocolate chip cookies. The recipe shall remain undisclosed.

AND, I followed my meme forebears here: Question added by Zarah: On average, how many times a week would you cook something to satisfy your sweet tooth? I would say that I only bake desserts when we have company coming. This way I can enjoy it without it sitting around the house and staring at me in the face for the next week. I do splurge when there's a special reason....i.e., we're celebrating something, we're snowed in, our anniversary.

Question added by Cathy: What do you usually eat for breakfast? Cereal. I am a cereal mixer. I am currently mixing these four: Cheerios, Cascadian Farms Raisin Granola, Kashi Heart to Heart, and Kashi GoLean. I top my bowls with fruit in season (blueberries and strawberries now, bananas in winter). I drink lots of water, and a cup of decaf coffee (locally roasted, of course). Occasionally on a Saturday I'll make something special....buckwheat waffles, oat-blueberry muffins, egg bagel sandwiches.

Question added by Alice: What are your stand-by dinner options when you don't have the time or the inclination to follow or create a new recipe? I try to keep easy meal ideas on stock at all times. I buy organic varities, made by Annie's, of the more common Hamburger Helper when times like this hit. We are also ones to grab a PB sandwich or veggie burger when we're tired or busy.

Question added by Karen: What would you like to cook someday that you haven't tried before? Croissants.

Question added by the chronicler: Sweet or savory? Sweet!!

Question added by Grommie: Do you have any food quirks you'd like to admit? I make a mess when I eat things with crumbs. It's so bad that I have restricted myself from eating in my car. I also hate overly greasy foods. I have been known to blot pizza and other such foods with napkins galore to get most of the oil off before consumption. Grease grosses me out! I am terrified of buffets (can you say e-coli waiting to happen?). I hate it when people talk with their mouths full.


And now, to debut the future bloggers who are tagged for this meme:

Snackish
Anne's Food
Brownie Points

Good luck, and have fun!