A: I began my blog at the urging of friends and family who asked me to share my dining experiences.
Q: Do you always dine alone?
A: I dine with friends, family and have even gone with Meetup groups to try a restaurant. When I do dine with others I may state I dined with a 'pal' or 'colleague'.
Q: Do you consider yourself a 'foodie'?
A: I'm finally starting to feel comfortable using that term to describe myself with that term (I have a blog entry about me coming to terms with the word). In some communities it seems that word 'foodie' is becoming more synonymous with 'food snob', which I'm not. I really like flavorful, tasty food - period. Whether that food comes from a small family owned restaurant, food truck, chain restaurant or a Michelin rated restaurant is not important to me.
Q: Is there a cuisine that you don't like?
A: I can't think of one.
Q: What's your favorite vegetable?
A: It depends on the season. Asparagus, spinach, brussel sprouts, potatoes, mustard greens, to name a few.
Q: Which is your favorite fruit?
A: I'd say apples are at the top of my list, especially Granny Smith or Fuji. I discovered kiwi and quince (star fruit) as an adult and enjoy eating them. Fresh pineapple is delicious to me.
Q: Did you ever want to be a chef?
A: No, I've ever never thought about being a chef. I applaud those who do the work though. I know it can be demanding of one's time and energy.
Q: Did you ever have any culinary related job aspirations?
A: Years ago I wanted to start a catering business. At one time I was very interested in being a food critic.
Q: Isn't writing a blog the same as being a food critic?
A: I would say they are different. My blog is strictly about my dining experience and my experience with all things related to dining. I don't write on behalf of a magazine, or newspaper.
Q: Have you written about your dining experience elsewhere?
A: Yes, I often write for Open Table and Trip Advisor. I occasionally write something in Zagat.
Q: Can you cook?
A: Yes, I can cook. I sometimes tell people, 'my cooking must be okay, I haven't killed anyone yet from my cooking- including me.' Just kidding, just kidding. Friends and family have told me I'm a decent cook. I think there's always room for improvement and there's something for me to learn. I enjoy baking as well.
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| Learning to cook Middle Eastern cuisine at Sur la Table |
What are your thoughts on cooking classes - in particular online cooking classes? I see you have cooking class links posted above. Have you attended all of these? Do you have a favorite? Have you taken online classes?
ReplyDeleteSparky77, thanks for your question. I have not participated in an online cooking class yet, but plan to. I think online cooking courses offers flexibility and value. Depending on the guidelines established by the company offering the course you can stop and start the course as your needs dictate. However, one of the complaints I have read about the online course is that sometimes the camera is centered on the instructor in general and not specifically on the instructor's hands or moves to quickly so a technique can be practiced by the viewer.
ReplyDeleteAs for the links to the cooking classes, I have attended classes offered by Sur la Table and L'Academie de Cuisine. I can't say I have a favorite cooking class venue, but I do consider class topic, when and where the class is located and if it fits my budget. I will attend a class offered by the Institute of Culinary Education and a local restaurant very soon and would like to attend a DeGustibus class and a Culinary Institute of America class before of year, so please visit my blog again to read all the details!