What was the food culture in your house growing up?
I grew up in Connecticut and Rhode Island, but I have Southern roots, so a lot of the favorites at home came from that tradition: things like grits, Brunswick stew, fried okra, pulled pork barbecue. Are chili dogs southern? They might as well be if they aren’t. In Rhode Island I picked up an irrational obsession with clam cakes (I think they’re basically hush puppies with clams in the batter) and an unreal beverage called Del’s Frozen Lemonade.
One food you won’t you eat?
I find chicken livers hard to stomach. Otherwise, I’ll pretty much try anything once.
Favorite vegetable?
Can I say olives here? I want to say tomatoes also, but I guess they’re technically a fruit. How about broccoli rabe - that’s good. I’ll go with broccoli rabe for now.
Favorite food experience?
I love New York street food. The basics are my favorite right now - summer in the city makes you want to simplify things, like having a perfect pizza slice, or a hot dog with the red onion sauce, from the cart guy. Something about walking and eating is very New York. It’s anathema in most other cultures - eating standing up? Walking? Ridiculous, but somehow it works in New York, and it’s great, and I love it. I try to do it at least once a week - a slice or a hot dog. Walking through Washington Square Park in June with a hot dog covered in those cart onions - that’s my idea of a good time.
Favorite appliance?
The toaster oven sees a lot of action at our place. We’ve buried three or four since we’ve been married, so I guess I’m a serial killer of toaster ovens. Without the refrigerator we’d be drinking hot beer, so maybe I’ll say the fridge is my favorite.
Most disastrous kitchen or garden experiment:
The several batches of home-brewed beer that yielded five gallons each of perfectly undrinkable fluid. Very discouraging.
What’s the best lunch option near you?
I work at home often, and when left to my own devices I’ll spend lunchtime standing in the kitchen eating leftovers… but the leftovers at our place are usually pretty good. I also love Defonte’s sandwich shop, one short block away from our place, and I also love Fort Defiance, because it’s brilliant.
What inspires you?
In the kitchen, improvisation, mostly. Improvisation in cooking comes from what I think of as an actively cultivated background knowledge, an understanding of the basic natures of the different ingredients you have available at any given time. I’m always interested to know about basic, vernacular ways of food preparation, because the understanding the basics makes everything else possible. My most enjoyable times in the kitchen are when walk in there at 6 p.m. with out the slightest clue what I’m about to make for dinner, or even what ingredients might be on hand. For me the enjoyment of cooking is the solution of those challenges, not following recipes to the letter. I have to experiment, observe, and try crazy things, or I’m not happy.
Your opinion: Does talking to plants help them grow?
No, not in itself. But a side effect of talking to plants is that you’re near them for a longer time. If you’re near them, you’re likely to observe more about their condition, and thus more likely to see what they need - more sun, less water, etc. It’s the same as it is with people: paying attention to them lets you know what’s going on.
Do you sing to them?
No, but they’ve witnessed several heavy metal dance parties with M. and me.
Best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
“Try again.” It’s something I tell M. every day. Encouragement is so important. I think a lot of the fears and obstacles that we face as adults connect with a fear of judgement or a fear of failure. Failure and trying again is the way we learn real lessons, and if you look at it that way, the best thing you can do is to fail early and often!
