Friday Five, Can't Resist Top Chef Edition

I love Top Chef. I've watched all three seasons start to finish. (Sam from season 2 is my favorite, though Casey from season 3 is also fabulous).

So... I had to jump in and play the Top Chef Friday Five! Thanks, RevHrod!


1. If you were a food, what would you be?
Ice cream. Because I love it so much, I'm surprised I haven't turned into a pint of Ben & Jerry's yet!

2. What is one of the most memorable meals you ever had? And where?
We put a lot of thought into choosing the food for our wedding. We had some food outside at a kind of cocktail reception, then a platter of grilled vegetables on the table when people came to sit down. The vegetarian entree (which we both had ) was a filo purse with artichokes, tomatoes, zucchini, feta, maybe some other vegetables, with a tomato sauce. We used a local caterer who grows most of her own produce and emphasizes fresh local ingredients. The food was amazing, and having a fabulous dinner together was a wonderful way to start our marriage.

3. What is your favorite comfort food from childhood?
My friend Sandy & I loved to cook together, and whenever she spent the night we would make the same thing for ourselves: Hot Dog Macaroni Casserole. You cook elbow macaroni in a pot, drain it, and rinse with cold water. In the meantime, you cook sliced hot dogs, a can of tomato soup, chilli powder and maybe some onions? in a skillet. Then, add the macaroni. The recipe also called for a can of corn, but alwasy skipped that part. We loved it then, but I'm not so sure I'd still eat it.

4. When going to a church potluck, what one recipe from your kitchen is sure to be a hit?
Happily, I have a few of these. My easiest one is tropical fruit salad - canned pineapple chunks, canned mandarin orange segments, chunks of kiwi, and strawberries tossed in just enough lemon yogurt to coat them. I've also done couscous with nuts and dried fruit, where you cook the couscous in orange juice instead of water.

5. What’s the strangest thing you ever willingly ate?
I had this dried octopus snack once, from Japan. A friend in middle school gave it to me to try and wouldn't tell me what it was. I didn't like it much - it was really chewy, and I'm just not a fan of that texture.

Bonus question: What’s your favorite drink to order when looking forward to a great meal? Hmm... something light, so I have room and tastebuds left for the food - G&T is always a good choice!