I think the way a person eats tells you a lot about them. If a person says to me, “I just don’t care about food that much,” I’m pretty sure we’re not going to be friends. (Sorry!) I think my husband and I probably have a mutual, unspoken understanding that if either one of us ever lost interest in food, we’d have to immediately enter marriage counseling. My brother owns a restaurant (If you live near San Francisco or ever visit—go. Deliciousness awaits.), and my sister is the most incredible sandwich-maker around, so I’m pretty sure my parents feel like we’ve all completely lost our minds when we get together for a delicious family meal, and all we can talk about is… the food we’re not eating and how amazing it was.
So, a post for the kids who love food and aren’t afraid to show it… My life through my eating:
Best meal: Tie between: Eating lentils at Der Palaro, a tiny restaurant on a cobbled side street in Rome. Sopping up the “juice” of the dish with fresh Italian bread is as close as I’ve ever gotten to pure bliss. I don’t know what they put in this, but you can be sure that the next time I visit Rome I am not leaving without the recipe.
AND Eating barbecue chicken from a picnic basket in an twinkling olive grove under the stars surrounded by everyone I love at my wedding… I would have that meal a hundred times over. (Context is everything when you’re eating!)
Best childhood food memory: Eating fresh, warm tortillas from my grandmother’s comal. Maybe with a bit of butter. And a sprinkling of cinnamon sugar. (I despair of ever tasting another tortilla this good.)
Worst food memory: Still thinking about this. Maybe the meal I had at the completely forgettable Italian restaurant where my boyfriend (before my husband)—whom I thought I was about to marry—told me that he wanted to see other people. I was probably eating ravioli. (Note: All my ravioli since then has been amazing. Especially the veal ravioli from Eataly in NYC.)
Food I just don’t “get”: Mochi. (Cold, sugary Styrofoam… wha?) Also, pork belly. I know it’s on the menu at every fancy restaurant. But I’m over it, sorry.
I’m happiest when I’m drinking: Water. (Okay, during the day. At work. I really do drink a lot of water. But, really, I love cocktails. Preferably with bourbon. Or wine. I like red wine a lot. Or a really awesome micro-brewed beer… No, I’m not an alcoholic. Wait, am I?)
I don’t really care about: Mashed potatoes. Or potato anything—potato chips, French fries. (Well, I do love a great baked potato now and again…)
Weirdest thing I’ve ever eaten: I don’t eat weird stuff. But I had beef cheek ravioli once at Mario Batali’s restaurant, and it was delicious.
Best meal I’ve ever participated in cooking: Aaaah. That’s gotta be it’s own post.
Other facts about my eating/drinking habits: I drink really fast. I can even drink when laying down, which really weirds my husband out.
Food, glorious food! I have been called a food snob, because if it’s crummy I don’t want to eat it. Go figure. Have you thought about being a food critic or writer for a food magazine. I just ate dinner, and you have me salivating. Yum!
I have thought about it. But that would seriously cut down on my time spent eating… ha ha! 🙂 Thanks for reading and the nice compliment!
I am also a lover of food…my friends get tired of my describing the recipes I make because, as a detail-oriented person, I include every detail. They do not, however, get tired of me making said food. 🙂
Your writing style is incredible! I am so engaged when I read your posts, and I feel like I’m listening to you talk rather than reading your writing. Your fragmented sentences only add to the effect. I wish I could be like you…you’re a rock star writer!
Oh, and if we met in “real life,” we’d totally be friends…;)
Wow! Thank you so much! I’d love to come to your house for dinner… What are you making? 😉
marika
Marika,
You’d have a really far commute! I’m always trying new things…no idea what’s on the menu tonight. 🙂
Jennifer
Have you heard of the book Mark Twain’s Feast – I think that’s the title. Apparently M. Twain was not a fan of European food and was always remarking about what tasty morsel from some part of the states that he craved. So an author went to all those places and looked up all those tasty things and wrote a book about it. Sounds like it’s up your alley.