Posts filed under 'Five Questions'
Attention greater Portland cocktail lovers, it is time to mark your calenders for the 2nd Annual Cold River Bartenders Bash. It will be held at the gorgeous Gateway Complex on February 28th from 5 until 8:30PM.
Twenty of Maine’s best mixologists will be bringing their top sips to compete for prizes and bragging rights. There will also be a sampling of Maine potato-based noshes to accompany the drinks. Click here FMI and for tickets.
In an effort to whet your whistle, I thought tipple saavy flavoristas might enjoying learning a bit more about the team at Maine Distilleries. Bob Harkins volunteered for a Five Questions interview. He is the Managing Partner and Director of Sales & Marketing at Maine Distilleries, producers of Cold River Classic Vodka, Cold River Blueberry Vodka and Cold River Gin.
Bob is a former United States Ski Team Coach and a longtime Sunday River Ski Area executive. Bob lives in Paris, Maine with his wife, Sally. His favorite way to enjoy Cold River Vodka is in a frozen martini he sips while sitting around the fire with family and friends at his camp on Tripp Lake in Poland, Maine.
What was your latest project?
We just launched our super-premium, gluten-free
Cold River Gin in August of 2010. Gin was a natural direction for us to head, given that its base is a neutral spirit, which we already produce to make our Classic and Blueberry Vodkas.
Like our vodkas, our gin is also made with Maine potatoes from our own Green Thumb Farm in Fryeburg, Maine. The reception to our new Gin has been very positive; people seem to really embrace the flavor profile, its reasonable price point, and the fact that it’s the only gluten-free, all natural, "ground-to-glass" gin in the world.
What is the one food or beverage ingredient that you cannot live
without?
Maine potatoes!
Who is your mentor, professionally or personally?
I’ve been lucky enough to have had several mentors over the years, but I’d have to say my dad, Bob, is first and foremost in my mind. He was a great dad, a hard worker, an excellent athlete. I had a great childhood, and was lucky enough to have a man like my dad as such a fine role model.
On the skiing side of things, when skiing was my profession, I was lucky enough to be mentored by the likes of Tom Reynolds, program director at the University of Maine at Farmington; Tim LaVallee, a fellow coach of the U.S. Ski Team; and Bill Marolt, alpine director of the U.S. Ski Team.
What is your favorite food memory from childhood?
Beans and hot dogs on Saturday nights, how’s that for a true Mainer?
What would be your ultimate meal?
Oh boy. . . I love all kinds of food, but put me in jail and ask me what my last meal would be, and I’d say a steak – a medium-rare, perfectly seasoned, big ol’ ribeye or sirloin.
February 11th, 2011
For our 2nd day of celebrating tea, we would like to introduce you to
Lisë Stern,co-author of
Culinary Tea. The photo below is a close-up of tea seeds – pretty neat huh? So put on a pot of water, make a cup of tea and remember to check back tomorrow for recipes and a book giveaway.
A
Tea aficionado and author, Lisë Stern writes on topics ranging from software to health to travel, but her specialty is food, including recipe development, culinary customs and history, product reviews, and chef profiles. Her work has appeared in several publications. She is the food editor for Hannaford supermarket’s fresh magazine and the editor of Taste of the Seacoast magazine. She lives in Cambridge, MA.
Five Questions with Lise Stern
1) What was your latest project?
I have many “latest projects,” as I edit two magazines (Hannaford fresh and Taste of the Seacoast), so am always working on those. And I have a few book proposals in the works. Right now I’m excited about a new venture happening at the end of April, 2011: I’ll be directing the staged reading of a screenplay I wrote, “The Bakery,” inspired by a long-time bakery in Somerville, Mass. Theatre@First, a community theatre group also in Somerville, will be producing it.
2) What is the one food or beverage ingredient that you cannot live without?
I’m never very good at narrowing things down to just one option. But in choosing tea, I get to have both food and beverage. If I had to narrow that down further, I’d probably say black, because it’s good with and without milk (though I am very fond of pu-erh and oolong!). Tea is one item I’m either drinking or cooking with every single day.
3) Who is your mentor, professionally or personally?
My grandmother Leontina “Omi” Stern, I’d call my inspiration, maybe more than a mentor, though she was always very supportive of my endeavors. She was a great story teller, a survivor, a go-getter. She had a degree in dentistry from Germany, and she ran my grandfather’s medical practice in upstate New York, where they escaped to during World War II. She insisted, when my brother and I would visit summers when we were kids, that we cook a meal. That’s when I learned to cook Chicken Velvet. Her own cooking was a mixed bag, but I loved her salad dressing, and she always made us Rice Krispy Treats.
4) What is your favorite food memory from childhood?
Believe it or not, tea parties. Dessert is my favorite course, and I liked preparing the sweets to go with tea. I remember when we lived on Capitol Hill in DC, sitting in my room and pouring my mother weak tea from a miniature white plastic teapot decorated with flowers into the matching teacups. Cinnamon toast was, for some reason, the treat of choice I chose most often. I’d cut the sugary toast into crustless bite-sized pieces to fit on the little plates. I was probably 5 or 6 at the time. I think I was on a quest to perfect the recipe, and I experimented: buttering and sprinkling on the cinnamon sugar before toasting, after toasting, making a blend of the butter and cinnamon sugar and trying that both before and after toasting. The best was bread spread with softened butter, then sprinkled with cinnamon sugar, then toasted till it got all bubbly. I guess that was my earliest experimentation with recipe development!
A grown up tea party from Culinary Tea: White Port infused with black tea, lavender and rose petals. Photo by Julian Landa.
5) What would be your ultimate meal?
My ultimate meal would be a tasting menu, with small portions so I wouldn’t feel totally stuffed. Think sake cups or dainty teacups for soups, dessert plates for salads, salad plates for entrees, entrée plates for desserts… (yes, I love desserts!). Not surprisingly, since I’ve been so immersed in tea, recipes from our book figure in the menu! And naturally, steeped tea would accompany the courses.
* Chilled Moroccan Tomato Soup, like my boyfriend makes – there’s some elusive flavor from herbs and spices that makes me want more and more. In fact, I could actually make a meal of this and a good loaf of chewy walnut bread.
* A warm soup – right now, my current favorite is the Mexican Black Bean Soup from Culinary Tea, made with Lapsang Souchong (love the smoky flavor that tea imparts)
* Salad with Green Tea-Roasted Peaches and Blue Cheese, garnished with Tea-Spiced Pecans. Yes, all from the book. I love peaches in a salad, and blue cheese, and nuts.
* Halibut, pan seared, with melted leeks, mushroom ragout, and smoked fresh corn (had at the West Side Lounge in Cambridge five years ago; best halibut ever)
* Peach-Oolong Granita, to cleanse the palate!
* Classic Tea-Smoked Duck. I love duck, and it would be great to have someone make this for me!
* German Chocolate Cake, made by my Aunt Raya
* A plate of Tea “Petit Fours,” the plate of bite-sized sweets brought after dessert: Chai Chocolate Wafers, Earl Grey Truffles, White Peony Financiers, Tea Toffee with Tea-Smoked Salt
December 6th, 2010
Barr and I know what we are getting all of the tea lovers on our list this year: Culinary Tea by Cynthia Gold and Lise Stern. Over the next three days, we will introduce you to the book’s authors, offer up some excellent tea-based recipes and finish with a book giveway on Tuesday.
Cynthia Gold, Tea Sommelier at The Boston Park Plaza Hotel & Towers discovered her true passion for tea after taking enlightening excursions into the tea fields of China and Sri Lanka, where she uncovered the pure beauty of the tea industry. Although many cultures in the East have seen examples of cooking with tea, Cynthia is one of only a handful to have brought, what she calls, “a Culinary approach to Tea,” to the United States.
Five Questions with Cynthia Gold
What was your latest project?
I’m working on a book related to the last one, this time focused more on Tea Cocktails. It will go into the history and various approaches to the use of tea as it deserves to be treated, as a fine botanical that works beautifully behind the bar. It will also have a certain amount of food, in the form of small dishes and nibbles to pair with the cocktails, but the real star of the book will be the drinks. I’ve reached out to top bartenders around the world to contribute and am very excited and gratified by the response.
2) What is the one food or beverage ingredient that you cannot live without?
Need I say it? TEA. True tea, Camellia sinensis.
A tea estate in Havukal Estate, Nilgiri Blue Mountains, Southern India
3) Who is your mentor, professionally or personally?
My mentor was Helen Gustafson, a fascinating and charismatic woman who in my opinion was the first ever Tea Sommelier. She never bore the title, but she did a tremendous amount to lay down the foundation of the service of high quality loose leaf teas in this country. She unfortunately is no longer with us. In fact, "Culinary Tea" is dedicated to her memory.
4) What is your favorite food memory from childhood?
I have some wonderful warm memories of my sisters and I fighting over the crunchy corners in the pan of my mothers’ homemade macaroni and cheese. I was probably around 3 or 4, but to this day, macaroni and cheese remains my ultimate comfort food.
5) What would be your ultimate meal?
Wow, I don’t know. I can be very fickle depending on the season, the weather and my mood. It would certainly involve a perfectly paired beverage with each course. I expect that the beverages would be teas, and at least some of the food would involve tea as an ingredient, since I’m so obsessed with tea, but not necessarily. The use of tea should always be when it adds the proper compliment and I would never force it "just to use it."
December 5th, 2010
Terry and I slogged many hours together catering and cooking at Project Open Hand, where we met in San Francisco in the early 1990′s. She is a dear friend and like me has been in an out of the food industry over the years.
Currently she is back in and has started a baking company with her friend Cindy Schultz called Fresh Bite.
For you Bay Area readers you can try their wares at the Underground Market in Oakland, the Lafayette Farmers market and soon Market Hall in Rock Ridge (while you are there pick up some of their lima bean skordalia, it’s the best!). Additionally they will be at the Spice of Life Festival at the Gourmet Ghetto in Berkeley on October 17th. Make sure to check them out!
Five Questions:
What is your latest project?
We are working on a business plan to develop a commercial kitchen that will house Fresh Bite but will also allow for space to rent out to other food businesses. We are also working on a marketing campaign for the Bite Club through the Berkeley Schools.
What are the foods or ingredients you can’t live without?
CINDY: Greens!
TERRY: Refried beans with fresh tortillas and spicy salsa.
What beverage?
CINDY: Wine.
TERRY: Trippel Ale, a brew from your local brewery in Colorado,
New Blegium Brewery, it is a Belgian White Ale with coriander.
Who is your mentor?
CINDY: Personally it’s my mother and grandmother. The best room in my childhood homes was the kitchen. Both my mother and grandmother would prepare several dishes and a soup every night, made from the freshest vegetables at the market.
They were also extremely creative. Moving from Taiwan to Philly in the late sixties the grocery store was an alien place for my mother & grandmother-totally different produce. There was no tofu to be found. But whatever they cooked always tasted amazing. Professionally, I grew up watching Julia Child so I guess she was my inspiration and mentor, not really based on cooking but more her love of life.
TERRY: Personally, my food mentors were my parents. As kids, we travelled a lot. My mom worked for the airlines and my parents knew how to get us to Paris or Hawaii on a shoestring budget. They also knew how to find the best little back street eateries. My brother and sister and I stay connected now by sending each other pictures of whatever food we might be enjoying at the time.
Professionally my mentors have been cookbook writers
Deborah Madison,
Leslie Shere and
Julie Sanhi. I have cooked my way through almost every book these women have written to truely understand their approaches to food. I would also credit the many chefs I have worked under, particularly Chef John from the Italian Banquet Hall in Chicago.
What is your favorite food memory?
CINDY: We lived in LA and our family had a small beach house in Oxnard. My birthday is the 3rd of July and one year, none of my friends were around nor was my family (except for my mother). So my mom and I drove to our beach house in Oxnard. On the way we stopped by a strawberry farm, back then strawberry farms were most of Oxnard County, and bought a flat of strawberries. My mom and I ate them in the car, they were so incredibly sweet, we couldn’t stop. I think we ate the entire flat between the two of us.
TERRY: When I was 23, I met my father and sister in Lyon, France. I travelled there by train from the small ski resort where I was working in the Alps. The first night we went out to dinner and I had my first taste of duck breast. It was pan sauted, medium rare, and came with a cherry sauce. I can still taste it and feel the texture in my mouth.
What is your ultimate meal?
CINDY: The jury is still out.
TERRY: Mine would be a romantic meal in one of the small seaside towns south of Izmir on the western coast of Turkey with my husband, Albert. We would have a variety of Turkish mezze, fresh fish and raki as the sun set over the Aegean.
Fresh Bite Focaccia Recipe
2 1/4 tsp. yeast
1 1/3 cups water, tepid
1 tsp. salt
1/3 cup olive oil, plus additional for oiling bowl and pan
3 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1. Proof the yeast in the water in the bowl of a stand mixer for 5 minutes until foamy. The water should be a bit cooler than normally used to proof as the dough will be sitting in the fridge all night.
2. Add salt and olive and mix, using the paddle attachment.
3. Add all purpose flour and mix for 2 minutes, scraping down bowl a couple of times. The dough will be very wet and sticky.
4. Pour dough into a well oiled bowl, use olive oil. Invert dough so completely covered with olive oil. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 12 hours and up to 24.
5. When ready to bake, remove dough and put in proofing oven or warm place, ideally at least 90 degrees. Allow dough to come to room temperature.
6. Place dough on well oiled jelly roll pan or 12" round pan and spread out to fill pan. allow to proof another hour, until bubbles form.
7. Dimple dough with your finger tips and brush with more olive oil.
8. Bake at 400 degrees until crispy on bottom, about 25-30 minutes (you should double check the time, I use a whole different kind of oven).
Optional: Before baking, spread focaccia with dofferent toppings like pesto and top with 1 cup diced tomatoes or 3/4 cup carmelized onions and goat or bleu cheese.
October 14th, 2010
The first of my husband’s 50th celebrations was in California where we met and lived for 18 years. Being of that age we are on the roll of 50th birthdays and Lucy Aghadjian has catered quite a few for our Bay Area friends.
We feasted on locally grown produce - a passion for Lucy. She volunteers at her son’s school -Windrush Elementary in El Cerrito, by helping the kids sell Community Supported Agriculture boxes to the school families. Last year they raised $20,000! To read more about the program click here.
Lucy’s food is wonderful and soulful. We had a lovely outdoor family style dinner for 37 people on chilly Mill Valley night but our food kept us warm. The burrata with fresh heirlooms tomatoes (pictured in the first photo) was a divine appetizer alongside portobello mushroom fritters and mashed peas with mint (also in the photo). The Menorcan potatoes (above) were an accompaniment to grilled lamb skewers and chicken with olives and preserved lemons.
1. What are some of your up coming events?
"Bar mitzvahs, receptions for meetings with senators, wine and food pairing fund raising dinner and the possibilities of a few business affairs in SF".
2. What is the one food or beverage ingredient that you cannot live without?
"Olive oil, lemon, salt."
3. Who is your mentor, professionally or personally?
"Susana Macarron, simply the best cook I have ever met, barr none. Ethnically Spanish, but raised by maids from the basque country, she
is the mediterranean and has an extraordinary capacity to create flavor, depth and variety in her cooking. My dad also, an Armenian male who liked to cook."
4. What is your favorite food memory from childhood?
"Birthday dinners: corned beef, carrots, potatoes and cabbage. Weird but true. And my mom’s bolognaise."
5. What would be your ultimate meal, any and all details (place, menu, guests)?
"Susana cooks for my family and friends a feast with some hunted wild boar, northern Californian mushrooms, and 6-7 light vegetables to go with it. Lots of greens, tomatoes (even though I know mushrooms and tomatoes don’t really coexist time wise), freshly made
burrata mozzarella, at least two salads, no blue cheese anywhere.
There would be some interesting grain, but mixed in with lots of mushrooms. There might be a brothy soup to start, made from long stewed bones of a
Riverdog chicken, and only a few light vegetables floating in it. Or a pureed vegetable soup that’s not made with too much cream, so we might enjoy the boar.
The boar would be hunted by my thirteen year old son, in company with my buddy Tim who owns Riverdog Farm, and then perfectly butchered and cured by some old Italian meat type. My friend Jimbo would bbq pork pieces in some delicious form slightly sweet, maybe Asian flavors, and we would marvel at the tenderness.
Jim’s wife, my friend and exquisite baker, Nancy, would bring the perfect dessert made from summer fruit and whipped cream which would magically appear in mushroom season. We would eat this feast not before 8pm,on someone’s extremely warm terrace, while we enjoyed the hot night air, fragrant jasmine and orange blossom and of course, a lot of old red wine.
Michael Pollen would join us just for fun and because he smelled the grilled meat. And Tim and his family would tell us that of all the pork he’s eaten on his farm, that this was quite simply the most delicious."
These potatoes are easy to make and are good as a vegetarian dinner or as an accompaniment to roast chicken. We enjoyed it with corn on the cob and a salad. I loved making them in small individual
cazuelas.
6-7 russets, sliced into 1/4" rounds
1 yellow onion diced
4 large slicing tomatoes
1/4 cup breadcrumbs for topping
2 Tbsp. chopped parsley
1 clove minced garlic
Olive oil the base of a cazuela or glass baking dish. Saute diced onion until lightly golden and layer on bottom of the pan.
Overlapping by about 1 1/2" , add potatoes in layers, drizzling olive oil, salt and pepper on each layer. Continue until all potatoes slices are used (about 3 layers). Top with a single layer of sliced tomato and combine bread crumbs with olive oil, parsley, garlic and a dash of salt and top with the tomatoes.
Bake at 400 º until top is golden and potatoes are cooked through, 50 min-1 hr. If you are making small individual dishes, then cover them with foil for the first 20 minutes of baking. Uncover them and allow them to brown for another 10 minutes.
September 23rd, 2010
Michelle Pfennighaus is a health and wellness coach and yoga instructor. She was featured in Lemonade, an inspirational documentary about advertising professionals who lost their jobs and found their calling. Unlike most of the Lemonade stars, when Pfennighaus was laid off from a major Boston-based advertising agency, she was thrilled.
Inspired by the personal experience of conquering debilitating digestion and anxiety problems through yoga and changes in diet/lifestyle, she founded Find Your Balance Health & Wellness Coaching. Her unique perspective has been featured on NPR, The CBS Evening News with Katie Couric, ABC News, and World News with Diane Sawyer.
1) What was your latest project?
Most recently I’m working on my Reinvent Yourself: 21 Day Detox. It’s a spring cleaning for the body based on whole, real, clean food. It’s so funny – everyone thinks detoxing is about drinking juice with cayenne pepper or something like that. I’m all about creating a clean body by eating clean food. We are what we eat, right?
2) What is the one food or beverage ingredient that you cannot live without?
Kale. I swear! I went to Miami a few weeks ago and stocked our condo’s fridge with kale so I could at least get my dark, leafy greens in the morning with some eggs. The rest of the day…who knows what I was going to find at restaurants!
Kale has major nutritional value and the keeps my digestive system running properly. One of my favorite ways to get people to enjoy kale is by making kale chips! They are awesome.
3) Who is your mentor, professionally or personally?
I’ve learned so, so much from my yoga teacher, David Vendetti. His teaching re-introduced me to my body and inspired me to change my diet and begin teaching yoga to others.
4) What is your favorite food memory from childhood?
Oh, I always cooked as a kid. My mom and grandma taught me everything about cooking from scratch. There were no Pillsbury biscuits or Kraft Mac-n-cheese in our house! My favorite memory is making Christmas cookies with my mom. One year we made 10 batches of Strufoli (Italian fried dough balls in honey)!
5) What would be your ultimate meal?
My ultimate meal would be from farm-fresh ingredients (including tons of fresh herbs!) prepared together in a kitchen with great sunlight, laughter and a glass of wine.
FMI on Michelle’s program Reinvent Yourself: 21 Day Detox, click here.
April 16th, 2010
Carleen Haylett is the founder of La Pentola di Rame a unique company bringing top Italian chefs to America to share the culture and traditions of their regional specialties. After spending almost two years working and studying as a chef in Italy, she became determined to bring her experiences with the food and the culture of Italy back to the US.
What is your latest project?
La Pentola di Rame which brings the Italian experience to American epicureans through our visiting chef programs. Participants have the opportunity to interact closely with Italy’s best chefs while experiencing the incredible culture and cuisine right here in America. La Pentola di Rame hosts culinary courses, supper club dinners and private events with chefs that hail from Michelin-Starred and 5-star properties.
What is the one food or beverage ingredient that you cannot live without?
Roma plum tomatoes. I eat them every day for breakfast with a bit of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.
Who is your mentor, professionally or personally?
Right now I would say it is Chef Giuseppe Mancino of the Michelin-Star restaurant Il Piccolo Principe in Viareggio, Italy. I had the honor of working for him while I was in Italy and learned so much. He is so young and so talented and has such a kind and gentle spirit which inspired me every day.
What is your favorite food memory from childhood?
My mother used to make up elaborate special Italian dinners for family celebrations complete with printed menus and historical background on each dish. It was always a big production that took days to prepare but they were so much fun and the food was always outstanding. My father swears there is Italian blood in our family tree but the reality is there isn’t.
What would be your ultimate meal?
I’m a simple creature. Anything that involves lots of laughter, good friends, good food and good wine makes me a happy girl. Oh and preferably Italy is in there somewhere too.
July 7th, 2009
Flavorista found Kathy Patalsky via Twitter and we couldn’t be more impressed. Kathy is the creator of The Lunchbox Bunch and the author of a vegan blog called Healthy. Happy. Life.
What is your latest project?
An amazing California-wellness themed cookbook. It will include vegan recipes, photos, stories and wellness tips. It’s based on my blog. I also continue to work on building awareness about my healthy kids brand, The Lunchbox Bunch. ‘Creating healthy kids’ is my mission. Vegan cooking and wellness is my passion.
What is the one food or beverage ingredient that you cannot live without?
Coconut water, fresh from a coconut. I’m a total addict. I have at least two servings a day. My favorite foods to cook with are sweet potatoes and avocados.
Who is your mentor, professionally or personally?
I adore Rebecca Woods, Marilu Henner and my favorite California-style chef, my mom.
What is your favorite food memory from childhood?
My special childhood birthday meal was fresh California-style guacamole followed by my mom’s amazing vegetarian lasagna. And a side of kale sautéed with olive oil and garlic. Yes it’s a strange menu, but I always requested it on my birthday.
What would be your ultimate meal?
100% vegan, with raw foods interlaced. I’d love to see a ten course tasting menu at Candle 79 or Blossom restaurants here in NYC. Lots of tempeh, seitan and tofu. Lots of fresh organic farmer’s market fare. And of course an amazing bottle of biodynamic red wine to go with it.
To check out Lunchbox Bunch, click here or on the logo below:
To visit Kathy’s gorgeous and inspiring blog, click here or on the photo below:
March 8th, 2009
I had the pleasure of interviewing Ana Patuleia Ortins, author of Portuguese Homestyle Cooking, when I was researching an article on Portuguese cooking. She is a first generation descendant of Portuguese immigrants from the Alto Alentejo region. Ana grew up with culinary traditions attached to the food of her ancestors and graduated from culinary school, fine tuning her skills.
What is your latest project?
Teaching cooking, testing recipes and writing for hopefully another book.
What is the one food or beverage ingredient that you cannot live without?
Just one? This is difficult because it is the combination of flavorful ingredients that really bring a dish together. I’ll pick wine, garlic and fresh cilantro. I know that this is three but individually and together they are great as a marinade and as simple flavor enhancer.
Who is your mentor?
My father was the most passionate cook and the most influential person to me. He gave me the appreciation for the traditional flavors of Portuguese cooking.
What is your favorite food memory from childhood?
Again, so many! First, anytime I was cooking with my father and making red pepper paste . My favorite memory was eating the Acorda de Bacalau with my father. Even after I married, he would call me on a Saturday morning and ask in his broken English “you get the smell?” I would immediately tell him I will be right there. I knew just what he was making. Just the scent of fresh cilantro can bring that memory up.
What would be your ultimate meal?
I love so many things! We would start with a glass of vinho verde (green wine) like Joao Pires. Good Portuguese olives and fresh crusty paposecos rolls to accompany shrimp rissois (small shrimp turnovers) and codfish cakes (bolinhos de bacalhau) with fresh cheese with a zippy sauce.
A serving of the traditional version of Caldo Verde (green broth soup). One of my favorite main dishes, Pork with Clams Alentejo Style seasoned with massa de pimentão (red pepper paste), and served with potatoes and julienne green beans Esparregado (green vegetables sautéed briefly in garlic infused olive oil, seasoned and splashed with apple cider vinegar). Some good Portuguese red wine from the Alentejo, like Montevelho would match well with this dish.
For dessert my all time favorite is Farofias: Egg white meringue poached in sweetened milk and drizzled with custard sauce. Lenchinhos, a genoise type cake cut into squares and stuffed with a sweetened egg filling, runs a close second as do a few others.
Click here for Ana’s website.
PS: Reading through and cooking from Ana’s book delivers like a trip to Portugal minus the airfare and jet lag. The photography is stunning.
March 1st, 2009
As identical twins, Mary and Sara are flavoristas on steroids. I met them a few years back at the IACP annual conference in Dallas and was in awe of their energy and how they exude glamour, fun and food knowledge.
Accomplished cookbook authors, they have 7 published books and 2 more on the way. They are also restaurant consultants. One of their more beautiful books is the Bride & Groom First and Forever cookbook, which makes a wonderful wedding present. With 5 kids between them and a passion for food and passing along cooking tips, Mary and Sara have already accomplished a lot. I have no doubt that they will continue to amaze me.
What is your latest assignment?
Super Charged Smoothies, due out Spring of 2010. Growing Family Cookbook is also in the works.
What is the one food ingredient you can’t live without?
Lemons
Who are your mentors?
Julia Child, Ina Garten and Matthew Kenney
What is your favorite food memory?
Too many to count, but an awe-inspiring dessert that we had recently was a slice of RAW pumpkin pie, at Cafe Gratitude. It was better than traditional pumpkin pie which we also adore.
What is your ultimate meal?
Thai Food in Thailand with locals to help with the menu choices and the language barrier.
Recent article with holiday appetizers from the twins.
February 6th, 2009
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