My long time friend Adam, whom I met while living in Washington, D.C. is a restaurant critic and food writer for New York magazine. I have shared some wonderful meals with Adam and he taught me how to order sushi. He also makes a killer Chinese sesame noodle dish (we’ll have to talk him out of the recipe). As a child, Adam lived in Taiwan and Japan which helped to shape his sophisticated palate.
1) What was your latest assignment?
" New York magazine sent me to northern Italy to write about the famous white truffle of Alba. White truffles are hard to find and only flourish for a few weeks every year. They cost between $2 and $3,000 per pound, and are among the most expensive food stuffs on earth.
The idea was to find a truffle on a truffle hunt, then follow it as it was sold in the market, through various middlemen, all the way back to a restaurant in New York. I found my truffle and ultimately ate it, at great cost to the magazine, at a restaurant in Manhattan called Gilt. Of course, now the white truffle market has collapsed and I don’t think we’ll be publishing the story."
2) What is the one food or beverage ingredient that you cannot live without?
"Pringles Chips, Salt, Bacon Fat."
3) Who is your mentor, professionally or personally?
"I never really had a mentor. I think I’m too grumpy for mentors. But there are plenty of writers that I admire. I like A.J. Liebling and Joseph Weschberg of the old New Yorker. Calvin Trillin and Nora Ephron write wonderfully about food. Among the grand food writers of today, Jeffery Steingarten and Alan Richman are great; so is the LA restaurant critic, Jonathan Gold."
4) What is your favorite food memory from childhood?
"My father worked in U.S. embassies around the world, so I lived overseas a lot as a kid. My brothers and I used to have dumpling eating contests in Taiwan, which during the Sixties, was full of great chefs who’d fled mainland China. We had a cook who made this great dish called “Bombs on Moscow”. You have this mountain of hot Rice Crispie style rice. It’s poured with this hot, sweet spicy red sauce, which makes the dish sizzle and steam in a dramatic, theatrical way. It was fabulous."
5) What would be your ultimate meal?
"The ultimate opulent meal for me is Peking Duck. There’s nothing like that first crunchy, sweet taste of duck fat. For dessert, I like anything made with lemons. For everyday dining, it’s a tossup between a well cooked cheeseburger, and a summertime BLT. "
October 28th, 2008
An ardent supporter of artisan and local foods, Marsha Cade is the first Flavorista to be highlighted in our "Five Questions" feature.
What is your latest project?
My business partner, Caragh Whalen, and I recently launched a new e-commerce site RegionalBest.com offering some of the best local foods from across the country: Crab cakes from Maryland, king salmon from Alaska, mustards and blueberry syrup from Maine, artisan cheeses from Utah, and grass-fed, all natural, lamb from Idaho. It’s very exciting to support local artisans, farmers, fishermen, ranchers, and beekeepers and to help bring their products to a wider audience through our internet site. Many of our artisans started at their own local farmers’ markets.
What is the one food or beverage ingredient that you cannot live without?
Salsa. It’s so versatile, as an ingredient, sauce, or dip. I generally keep three or four varieties in my refrigerator at all times. Some of my newest samplings: balsamic strawberry, cranberry cilantro, and raspberry lime.
Who is your mentor, professionally or personally?
As far as giving me an appreciation for great food, I would have to say my mother. She had a real love for food and a flair for cooking …anything from great desserts to enchiladas and fried chicken! She was an awesome gardener, too. During the summer, we had plenty of fresh vegetables from the garden. And we were able to enjoy those vegetables and fruits all year long thanks to her preservation know-how. She taught me how to grow, pick, and preserve great food. We made fabulous pickles, beautiful canned green beans and froze the best corn and fresh peaches in the world.
What is your favorite food memory from childhood?
I grew up on a farm in west Texas and on frequent Saturday evenings, we would make homemade, hand-cranked fresh peach ice cream. My two older sisters and I would take turns sitting on the freezer to weigh it down, while another one of us cranked the old green freezer. The harder it froze, the harder it was to crank. When it was frozen, my mother would open the freezer can and pull out the dash. And we would all dig in. My second favorite food memory was when we bought an electric ice cream freezer!
What would be your ultimate meal?
I’ve experienced some fabulous meals at fabulous restaurants around the country, but the “ultimate meal” is the holiday meal we enjoy in Texas each year with our family. The menu is simple and doesn’t vary much, but everything is seasoned, cooked and baked to perfection: roast turkey, dressing and the trimmings: mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, green beans, fresh cranberries, gravy and homemade dinner rolls. The dressing is made from fresh biscuits and cornbread and is baked in a separate pan, never stuffed into the turkey. Dessert is always pecan pie. Guests include 25-30 family members, joking and sharing stories, and enjoying the good company and good food. It lasts for hours.
Some offerings from RegionalBest.com:
October 19th, 2008
