Sweet or salty?

Mostly salty.

Chocolate or vanilla?

Vanilla.

Hot or mild?

Hot.

What won’t you eat?

Slimy stuff…okra, oysters, monkfish liver…yes I was with a friend once who ordered that and I tried it…it was a bit like liver flan…not my cup of tea.

Most memorable meal?

Probably I dinner I attended as a benefit for Chefs Collaborative. Alice Waters prepared the food. It was spring and everything was sourced from farms in the New York area. Everything about that night was sublime.

Favorite object in your kitchen?

My teak cutting board.

What are you scared of in the kitchen?

Butchering stuff.

Do you prefer to cook alone or with others?

I like to cook alone but for others.

What country would you move to for the food?

It would have to be France….but there are so many that could tempt me as well. Spain, Italy, Thailand…

If you were to come back as a fruit or vegetable, what would you be?

I think I’d like to be kale. It’s pretty yet hearty and it can handle a frost!

What’s for dinner?

Tonight was cornmeal crusted chicken with sweet potato mash and sauteed green beans…oh and I made some eggnog today too. ’tis the season.

Chocolate or vanilla?
vanilla, almost always.

Hot or mild?
hot

What won’t you eat?
shellfish, octopi, squid, weird parts of animals like tongues or brains, FENNEL

Most memorable meal?
a carne asada soft taco from this taqueria in campbell, california, called Jalisco. it’s tucked away in a little shopping mall and seems perpetually stuck in the 70s, with faded old corona ads on the wall and the Rocky movies always playing on the tv set. their carne asada is DIVINE; i can’t get enough of it. it’s the closest i’ve had to homemade, and their salsa is killer as well.

Favorite object in your kitchen?
the oven

What are you scared of in the kitchen?
cooking meat; i just recently went omnivore again after 5 years of vegetarianism.

Do you prefer to cook alone or with others?
with others, always!

What country would you move to for the food?
france, of course

If you were to come back as a fruit or vegetable, what would you be?
i think maybe a nectarine, or peas.

What’s for dinner?
a bbq at a friends that involved many foods, but i consumed: basil-garlic sausage, grilled bell pepper, chips and homemade guac, some sort of delicious dense cake with peaches and mascarpone icing, grilled peaches, and whiskey-mint lemonade

The Lottie + Doof Food Questionnaire

Sweet or salty?

I have a KILLER sweet tooth, but I won’t say no to salty when it comes around either!

Chocolate or vanilla?

Chocolate. Chocolate. Chocolate.

Hot or mild?

I enjoy hot as long as it is not the only flavor you can taste. When things are too hot I can find it hard to concentrate on anything but where the next glass of milk is coming from!

What won’t you eat?

Shrimp sushi. I have tried it twice now and it has been gushy and hideous each time. I also have yet to enjoy ocra.

Most memorable meal?

My favorite meal was at a small restaurant located in Puerto Vallerta. My Husband and I were there on our honeymoon and stumbled upon it while walking around. This was not a tourist place, in fact none of the staff spoke English, nor did they have an English menu. Luckily my boy speaks Spanish and I ordered a quesadilla that makes me drool just thinking about it. The tortillas were made to order, and the melted cheese was homemade. It was filled with chicken, and caught-that-morning shrimp, octopus, and fish. There was a dipping sauce, (I have NO idea what was in it, but YUM!) and fresh pico de gallo. The whole thing was about 12 inches across and 1 inch thick. All for 80 pesos.

Favorite object in your kitchen?

My Cuisinart mini food processor and panini pan

What are you scared of in the kitchen?

Complicated recipes with lots of tricky steps. I always gravitate toward the simple, with familiar ingredients.

Do you prefer to cook alone or with others?

I hate cooking for myself. I enjoy cooking for others. (I like to show off!)

What country would you move to for the food?

Greece.

If you were to come back as a fruit or vegetable, what would you be?

Probably a cherry tomato because they are not fussy and are a lot of flavor in a small package.

What’s for dinner?

Tonight I am trying out some feta turkey burgers with kalamata olives mixed in. Going to serve them on a toasted whole wheat bun with spinach salad and sweet potato fries.

Chocolate or vanilla?

Chocolate.

Hot or mild?

Hottish.

What won’t you eat?

Practically nothing. Except raisins in oatmeal cookies. I hate that.

Most memorable meal?

Eating at a restaurant called Jimbaran in Indonesia, out in the middle of these rice paddy fields with candlelight and fish grilled for you. You ate with your hands off of banana leaves with tons of spicy condiments and a big ol’ beer.

Favorite object in your kitchen?

My Kitchenaid mixer and my plastic scraper (think plastic dough scraper-SO useful!)

What are you scared of in the kitchen?

Deep frying things…and undercooking or overcooking meat.

Do you prefer to cook alone or with others?

I enjoy both, but it depends on the person I’m cooking with whether it’s helpful or just irritating ;). My dad’s a great sous chef, as is the boyfriend (lucky me, right?!?), as are select friends. But a big group cooking together is really fun.

What country would you move to for the food?

France (just got back from a 4 month stint entirely food-related), Italy.

If you were to come back as a fruit or vegetable, what would you be?

Strawberry. It’s my favorite, and they’re so versatile, going with everything from basil to vanilla beans. Plus they’re universally loved, and who doesn’t want that?

What’s for dinner?

Pesto, leafy green salad, fresh peaches for dessert. Yeah for the City Market and their gorgeous huge bunches of basil for only $2, and their beautiful peaches. I just wish my favorite lettuce guy wouldn’t ALWAYS run out before I get there.

I’m with you, alternating sweet and salty is my deal.

Chocolate or vanilla?

Chocolate.

Hot or mild?

Hot.

What won’t you eat?

Some fruits, I don’t like the texture

Most memorable meal?

Christmas at my house, my dad is an amazing cook and I bake about 10 pies. We have friends and family over… its great.

Favorite object in your kitchen?

I love my piping bags.

What are you scared of in the kitchen?

Nothing really, I love to try new things & experiment

Do you prefer to cook alone or with others?

I cook with my dad, we work well together… but anyone else is a no no.

What country would you move to for the food?

France, I agree. I love their macaroons!!

If you were to come back as a fruit or vegetable, what would you be?

passion fruit. i just love their flavor- I’m obsessed right now.

What’s for dinner?

Who knows, I’m on the hunt right now!

Chocolate or Vanilla
Vanilla

Hot or Mild
Mild. I love spicy food but not hot spicy. I really love wasabi because it’s not cumulative. It doesn’t hold a grudge, burning your lips and tongue til you can’t feel anything. whoa.
didn’t realize i had such strong feelings spicy-wise.

What won’t you eat?
turnip. oysters. yup. that’s it.

Most memorable meal?
Sushi at Kuni’s on Main in Evanston.

Favorite object in your kitchen?
Coffee pot.

What are you scared of in the kitchen?
I agree with all of you who said boiling oil. i’d just rather not.

Do you prefer to cook alone or with others?
Depends. In a way, I prefer being alone because I can’t talk (or drink, as i’ve found out to my
dismay) and cook. But, i love company whilst i cook so it’s a dilemma.

What country would you move to for the food?
Italy. Oh yeah.

If you were to come back as a fruit or vegetable, what would you be?
Tater-tot.
That’s not exactly what your asking but i kind of think of it as a veg because
it really is, in a way, only better.

What’s for dinner?
Black bean and sweet potato burritos and coleslaw and broccoli rabe.

I was never a candy-loving child. Often more interested in popcorn and pasta than chocolates and confections. Salty, though a mix of the two is just brilliant. TRAIL MIX!

Chocolate or vanilla?

Vanilla.

Hot or mild?

Mild. I love ethnic foods which call for ingredients that are inclined to be spicy. It has been interesting finding ways to subdue the inherent heat of Indian, African and Mexican cuisines.

What won’t you eat?

I am a vegetarian of 6 years, so I guess my answer is meat- though I do occasionally eat fish.

Most memorable meal?

The gravy from the first Thanksgiving I cooked completely by myself. I think my ex and I cried when it was finally gone.

Favorite object in your kitchen?

I use the soup pot most often. I don’t know what I’d do without it.

What are you scared of in the kitchen?

Frying. I am terrified of a pot of boiling oil.

Do you prefer to cook alone or with others?

I cook alone most often, though I do enjoy cooking FOR others.

What country would you move to for the food?

India. I love Indian cuisine.

If you were to come back as a fruit or vegetable, what would you be?

Artichoke. I just find them to be beautiful. Tough exterior, delicate and delicious interior.

What’s for dinner?

Pasta salad. Cheddar, feta, chopped olives and artichoke hearts with a spiral short pasta.

#1 Sweet or salty?
Both! Together! I love salt with caramel, salt with chocolate, bacon with chocolate, etc…
but if you had to put a gun to my head, it’s hard to pass up perfect french fries…

#2 Chocolate or vanilla?
Chocolate

#3 Hot or mild?
MILD!!! I have zero tolerance for spice. Yankee tastebuds.

#4 What won’t you eat?
This is an interesting question because i’m pretty much open to eating anything – i’ve eaten organ meats, whole sardine, pigs feet – stuff i would never imagine i would eat as a child. However, I will NOT eat venison (deer) – sorry, all i see is Bambi – it would be like eating a dog. I grew up in River Forest, IL right by the forest and deer would always come in our back yard. Couldn’t do it. I probably wouldn’t eat cow’s brains (mad cow – seriously). That guy on Bizarre Foods eats a lot of things I probably wouldn’t. Things that come to mind that he’s eaten: Puffin (too cute!), [insert animal here] testicles, eyeballs, and any kind of intestine. Also I will not eat a chile straight up (see #3)

#5 Most memorable meal?
This is a hard one. Since I live in NYC, I’ve had amazing meals here: Daniel, Jean Georges, Blue Hill Stone Barns, Picholine, Ko, Cafe Gray (now closed – I’m so heartbroken) and Wallse (Blaue Gans, it’s sister restaurant, is my “go to” restaurant.) Of those, Ko was probably the best experience – it had JUST opened (i seriously can’t believe I got a reservation the first day the website opened – it was crazy), the food was spectacular and it was so cool to watch the chefs create every plate right infront of you – my boyfriend and i were even cracking jokes with David Chang (some very inappropriate ones i might add – very funny). BUT my ALL TIME favorite would have to be L’Atelier De Joel Robuchon in Paris. My boyfriend and I waited 1 hour outside the restaurant at the bar, then sat at the “real bar” in the restaurant, did the full tasting menu, stayed to the very close (because we ate so late – we saw a guy walk in with a freshly killed duck to show the kitchen – seriously the thing had feathers) and walked back to the Parker Meridian because the subway was on strike (shocking – apparently this happens a lot in France). But the walk back made the night perfect. Paris is unbeatable at night.

#6 Favorite object in your kitchen?
OMG – let me just say I am a kitchen appliance whore – it scares me to think how much i’ve spent since i only buy All-Clad and Le Creuset (i have All-Clad measuring cups and teaspoons for godsake). I have to the All-Clad slowcooker is my favorite – only because i am a sucker for braised dishes. Kitchen Aid mixer and food processor come in a close second. I also love my chocolate fountain (see #2)

#7 What are you scared of in the kitchen?
I’m also not a fan of deep frying things – i’ll do it every once in a while, but it’s such a pain a**. I killed a live lobster once to get over that fear ( the “humane” way – through the head) but i’ll have to work up the courage to do that again. I do love lobster though – not gonna lie.

#8 Do you prefer to cook alone or with others?
I like to cook for others.

#9 What country would you move to for the food?
France. Although the French are very easy to poke fun of at so many levels, the one thing they have nailed is food. I would like to tour the whole country – north to south.

#10 If you were to come back as a fruit or vegetable, what would you be?
a pumpkin – i would get all dolled up for Halloween :)

#11 What’s for dinner?
Tom Kaa Ghai soup from Cooks Illustrated “Soups and Stews” Magazine. The Whole Foods near me had lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves (which are omitted from the recipe – replaced with thai curry paste) and i’ve been waiting to make this soup. It’s so delicious – a really comforting one. I love soup. I think it’s a labor of love – i always use homemade stock. To me there is nothing more comforting than a good bowl of soup.

I am taking this quiz after trying to make your (or molly w.’s) cinnamon rolls. Here goes!

The Lottie + Doof Food Questionnaire

Sweet or salty?

Ideally both. but probably sweet.

Chocolate or vanilla?

same as time – vanilla. (but I’m only convinced after the busy day cake – WOW!)

Hot or mild?

Definitely spicy. serrano serenade please!

What won’t you eat?

I have never had a good scallop. the whole issue with people saturating them with water so you pay more per pound, plus all the chemicals that people sometimes add, really freak me out. finally, the texture of rubber. yuck!

Most memorable meal?

Honestly, probably my graduation dinner at Bodard Restaurant in houston, Texas. We ordered the 5 course meal for 7 people and there were so many little, flavorful dishes with bright colors and flavors. All my favorite people and just so many delicious things I’d never tried before.

Favorite object in your kitchen?

My food processor, even though I hate to clean it.

What are you scared of in the kitchen?

Spending a lot of time on something that doesn’t taste as good as what I could’ve bought in the store, like bread or biscuits (kneading! agh, what?), artichokes (how do you clean these?), and making eggplant taste good. can’t seem to do it.

Do you prefer to cook alone or with others?

Like you, Tim, I like to cook for others too. Just so much better that way! But I do prefer to make everything myself…so it can be just so. Most of the time, not always.

What country would you move to for the food?

To be honest – maybe India. I love mangoes, but the sheer variety – I am sure I would never taste all the dishes if I spent the rest of my life traveling there.

If you were to come back as a fruit or vegetable, what would you be?

Mangoes? I would have a good, solid core :)

What’s for dinner?

Maybe broccoli salad? I love the one with onions, sunflower seeds, bacon, broccoli, raisins, and mayonnaise in Amanda Hesser’s book Cooking for Mr. Latte. But it’s going to rain in ny today so it might end up being something super simple, like grilled cheese with heirloom tomato and Orangette’s tomato soup with cilantro.

PS I went to milk & honey cafe when I was in chicago for a wedding, and it was so so wonderful. My boyfriend thought I was crazy for getting off of the El early simply to go that cafe but he retracted and thought it was awesome it worked out so well. If I ever opened a restaurant, I hope it would have the same sensibility as that place. Your taste is awesome, Tim!!!

*Chocolate or vanilla?
Both. Though for me, chocolate must have at least 70% cocoa.

*Hot or mild?
Both!

*What won’t you eat?
Anything that comes out of the sea (except tuna and sea salt) and unluckily – because I’m fructose intolerant – honey, apples, pears and stone fruit.

*Most memorable meal?
Bilbao – I had a chuletón, that is beef fillet grilled vertically and I ate the whole 600gr of it! I was the best steak ever.

*Favorite object in your kitchen?
My Kitchenaid mixer, the ESGE immersion blender and my super sharp knives.

*What are you scared of in the kitchen?
Caramel. I once tried to make cream toffees, but it resulted in a burnt and rock hard fiasko.

*Do you prefer to cook alone or with others?
I like both, but when cooking with others, I must be in command :-)

*What country would you move to for the food?
France! Not just for the food but for the status it has. And that it is perfectly normal to spend 5 hours dining.

*If you were to come back as a fruit or vegetable, what would you be?
Ginger: beautiful plant, very versatile in the kitchen, not ordinary, complex.

*What’s for dinner?
Spaghetti with homemade pesto.

mostly salty

Chocolate or vanilla?

mostly chocolate (but only since I have been an “adult”)

Hot or mild?

medium (I know)

What won’t you eat?

pigeon

Most memorable meal?

Oliveto, all the time.

Favorite object in your kitchen?

gravity sensing tongs–up they close, down they open–see williams sonoma

What are you scared of in the kitchen?

not much

Do you prefer to cook alone or with others?

alone for others, or with one or other, but very selectively

What country would you move to for the food?

France

If you were to come back as a fruit or vegetable, what would you be?

mulberry

What’s for dinner?

roast chicken

Sweet

Chocolate or vanilla?

Chocolate

Hot or mild?

Hot

What won’t you eat?

Olives taste nasty, yet I try one whenever it is offered. I never learn.

Most memorable meal?

Definitely my dad’s Lebanese food. It’s a favorite hands down.

Favorite object in your kitchen?

A good ol’ wooden spoon. I don’t use mixers that much. I prefer to become part of the cooking process, rather than letting a machine do it for me.

What are you scared of in the kitchen?

Doing something new incorrectly. I love trying new things, but I’m terrified that something catastrophic will happen in the process or the food will taste horrible

Do you prefer to cook alone or with others?

I like to cook for others. I’m with you on this one

What country would you move to for the food?

Lebanon! I could eat Lebanese food until the day I die…and some more after that!

If you were to come back as a fruit or vegetable, what would you be?

I’d probably be a pineapple because pineapples just make people happy. They are sweet with a little bit of tang to them. Yum

What’s for dinner?

Mom’s cooking tonight, so steak, mashed potatoes, and macaroni and cheese. Last time I cooked, we had apple/onion stuffed pork chops in a pineapple sause with sauteed veggies.

Sweet or salty?
why choose?

Chocolate or vanilla?
vanilla

Hot or mild?
hot

What won’t you eat?
bell peppers and most donuts

Most memorable meal?
Moose Cafe in Mendicino, Ca. New Years Eve 1998. pistachio encrusted sea bass and meyer lemon sorbet. amazing

Favorite object in your kitchen?
i have some nice knives i enjoy very much

What are you scared of in the kitchen?
hm. salmonella. never had food poisoning, and really don’t want to.

Do you prefer to cook alone or with others?
i enjoy both a bunch, but wish my kitchen was larger to accommodate others easily.

What country would you move to for the food?
i imagine Portugal’s food wold be magical.

If you were to come back as a fruit or vegetable, what would you be?
i like the complexity of shallots. peeps don’t know what to do with them, unless then know….and then they do amazing things.

What’s for dinner?
haven’t gotten that far yet! stay tuned.

*Sweet or salty?
Typically salty, once in a while sweet

*Chocolate or vanilla?
Vanilla all the way

*Hot or mild?
Mild

*What won’t you eat?
Anchovies, liver

*Most memorable meal?
I believe that I’ve had many memorable meals from my mom’s table to Alinea. However one that stands out recently was a trip to Graham Elliots. It was outstanding, I will definitely be back!

*Favorite object in your kitchen?
My kitchen aid and my coffee pot!

*What are you scared of in the kitchen?
I also am yet to master the art of frying but I will continue to push through and one day I WILL get it!

*Do you prefer to cook alone or with others?
I truly enjoy a kitchen filled with family and friends, they can be helping chop or just sitting and chatting with a glass of wine. I’ll take either!

*What country would you move to for the food?
Probably Italy, the thought of fresh pasta, seafood galore and amazing wine and pizzas…well enough said!

*If you were to come back as a fruit or vegetable, what would you be?
A pomegranate, tough on the outside sweet on the inside. A perfect combination!

*What’s for dinner?
Roasted chicken, mashed sweet potatoes and a salad with home made dressing

Alternating, like Sr. Doof.

Chocolate or vanilla?

Swirl, but of course.

Hot or mild?

Depends. I like spice, but not so much that it burns the taste buds and dulls the other flavors.

What won’t you eat?

Other people.

Most memorable meal?
My mom used to make birthday cakes for me with funky frosted squiggly designs in bright colors like fuchsia, teal and yellow.

Favorite object in your kitchen?
Hanging pot rack.

What are you scared of in the kitchen?

Hanging pot rack- I’m short, the ceiling is high, and some of the pots are heavy!

Do you prefer to cook alone or with others?

With one other.

What country would you move to for the food?

Thailand.

If you were to come back as a fruit or vegetable, what would you be?

A banana. Call me if your knees are weak or your eye is twitching.

What’s for dinner?

Spaghetti and meatballs… and I helped!