Because I never got the chance to publish this, here is my last interview:
1. Who/ what influenced your cooking?
-Of course my mother had a big hand in how I learned to cook. I at least learned the basics of flavor schemes, and core safety procedures as well. Mother was more into cooking casseroles because we had a house full of people and it is the easiest way to feed a lot of people. After I was out of school, I tried being a server in restaurants, I continued that path for a couple of years. But I would see the cooks in the back of the house (BOH) telling jokes and having a good time, and I decided that cooking seemed like it would be more up my alley. I loved it! I continued to cook and tried my hand as kitchen manager for 11 years. I eventually went back to school, and started my new career, but I still love to cook.
2. What is your favorite thing to cook? And why?
- Mostly I enjoy making pasta, specifically linguini in Alfredo made from scratch with fresh spinach and fresh sliced mushrooms. There is nothing that feels more wholesome to me than a good pasta. It reminds me of home.
3. Is it challenging to cook for two?
- Coming from a restaurant background, I do not have a problem making portions plate for plate. I do however have a problem with over portioning. A good restaurant knows that people want to leave feeling satisfied, and possibly leave with a to go box full of leftovers. Since I’ve grown accustomed to making ginormous portions, at home I am often told that I make the plates with too much food
4. Describe family get togethers, and dinners.
- If we are having dinner at my parents house, My mother does most of the cooking. She likes to have the majority of dinner cooked before the rest of the family starts to arrive. If there are any tasks still left to complete, of course I will pitch in a helping hand. But for the most part I’m stuck with making margaritas for the family. At my house I do most of the cooking. Timing is key to make sure all dishes are ready at the same time. It takes patience, and a knowledge of just how long a particular item takes to cook. You don’t want the side dishes done a half an hour to forty five minutes before the main course. The time you take on a meal shows. There are shortcuts, but you can always tell that you took them. Have patience when making a sauce. Cook it slow, and let it steep for a while so that all flavors blend well. Your friends and family will taste the love you put in your effort.
5. Does Lytia help cook?
- Yes Lytia does help when she can, we have different work schedules, and she works through the night most nights. But she always asks if she can do something. The kitchen however is a bit small for my taste, I like to be able to move freely from counter to counter. And I have been known to be somewhat of a kitchen diva, especially when I feel that there isn’t enough room to move about. For the most part, Lytia makes me breakfast, and a lunch for my break at work, and I handle the dinners.
I just recently finished "The Book Thief" by Markus Zusak. I had no idea what this novel was going to be about going into it; all I knew was that our 10th grade English class study it. Right off the bat I noticed that our narrator was not your average Joe. The narrator is death. When I realized this I said to myself, "Oh this is going to be good." The novel is all about the Holocaust and it is shown from a German point of view. Leisel Meminger's mother gives her away to a foster German family. On the trip to this new family, Leisel's brother dies. So right from the start death is there. I'm not going to give you a synopsis of it, because I think you should read it for yourself. Just know that a German family hides a Jew in their basement for a while, and death is around every corner. That last line of the novel really got me though..."I am haunted by humans."
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