【fearless】 gastronomist

Founded March 2017 • About The FG • – Fearless Reads – • Bucket List •

[thefearlessgastronomist]

Cookbooks I’m Excited to Dive into in 2019

Cravings: Recipes for All the Food You Want to Eat & Cravings: Hungry for More

BY CHRISSY TEIGEN

I used to be indifferent to Chrissy Teigen. She was that lady married to John Legend and a television personality (what exactly does she do on Lip Sync Battle anways?)... but that that was about it. I didn’t even know or remember her as a model.

Then her cookbooks came out. I don’t know what it is about her recipes, but I think everyone was just as surprised as me at the success of Chrissy’s cookbooks. And naturally, their popularity piqued my interest. While many ingredients and meal ideas are day-to-day staples (like pork chops or mac+cheese), the spicy twists and Thai turns on various foods truly are recipes for food you want to eat. Paging through both books, I’m fairly certain I said “Yum” or “I want to try that” for just about every recipe. Not to mention, her humor makes her so incredibly personable.

Pull Up a Chair: Recipes from My Family to Yours

BY TIFFANI THIESSEN 

I’ve mentioned Tiffani before, but let me do it again.

The first recipe of hers that I tried in my own kitchen was the Blackberry Jam portrayed on her show, and it became an instant hit (I even gave small jars away as parting gifts for a family get together; it is amazing on vanilla ice cream). As simple as making jam may be, I knew then that I wanted to try more of her recipes. I immediately ordered her cookbook when it was released. 

Some of her recipes I might consider slightly posh, but trust me when I say they still easily doable and sound absolutely delicious. Just remind me to try her Grilled Artichokes again, now that I actually know how to properly eat them. *facepalm* Also, her hostess flair comes through in the last section of the book called “Picture Perfect Parties” – which has menu, decor ideas, and other such notes for hosting various types of get-togethers (i.e. tailgates, brunches, family campouts, etc.)

The Home Cook: Recipes to Know by Heart

BY ALEX GUARNASCHELLI

Over the years watching Food Network and Cooking Channel, I’ve really become a fan of Alex Guarnaschelli. She’s a fellow Italian (Italians have an unspoken bond lol), the first female to win Iron Chef and the second overall female Iron Chef (after Cat Cora), but really... the lady just knows her stuff. When I heard that she was releasing a cookbook, I was super excited to get my hands on it. Yes, me being excited about books of any form is a recurring theme for me.

One thing I look forward to in Alex’s cookbook – as well as with Giada’s down below – is experiencing how a fellow Italian does Italian food (although that is merely a portion of The Home Chef). We all have our own interpretations of Italian dishes based on our individual backgrounds. But I suppose that could be true of many cultures and many dishes. 

Also mildly prevalent in Alex’s cookbook is the sort of... “upscale” demeanor that I might associate with professionally educated chefs. It’s not many cookbooks you find recipes for bouillabaisse, unless they trained went to culinary school or studied in France  – or in Alex’s case, the two combined (she attended La Varenne Cooking School in Burgundy, France). 

Magnolia Table: A Collection of Recipes for Gathering

BY JOANNA GAINES

I always try to resist the charm of Chip and Joanna Gaines... but guys, it’s really hard. And, not gonna lie, a lot of the merchandise from their line at Target is SO PRETTY and on my wishlist 😍 Damn you, Gaines’s. 

While I am not entirely into the modern farmhouse aesthetic showcased on Fixer Upper or loosely included in their Target line, I am really feeling the down-to-earth homey recipes that Joanna shares in Magnolia Table. Many have that “fresh from the farm” Southern feel (based on her childhood in Kansas), where a handful of others include her Korean and Lebanese heritage. 

Eat What You Watch: A Cookbook for Movie Lovers

BY ANDREW REA

I discovered this book at work and I absolutely LOVE the concept! In fact, I’ve been plotting a project for myself with a similar concept (more on this later). 

Eat What You Watch encompasses 40 recipes to help recreate the amazing food moments in film – butterbeer from Harry Potter, the apple strudel from Inglorious Basterds, the titular ratatouille from Ratatouille. Essentially, this cookbook is the PERFECT way to combine my two favorite things. And I’ll get to watch some new movies in the process 😋

Giada’s Italy: My Recipes for La Dolce Vita 

BY GIADA DE LAURENTIIS

I have an... interesting connection to Giada de Laurentiis. 

Noooo, no it’s not just because of our shared Italian heritage (she was born in Rome!), but rather a foodie experience I had a few years ago. 

In late 2016, I traveled to Las Vegas with my aunt for her birthday. As a special birthday meal, we dined at Giada’s namesake restaurant on Vegas Strip. Sparing you the details, I think this was actually the first fancy-ish and refined dining experience I’ve ever really had. I spared no expense and splurged as much as I could, from appetizer to dessert. I really don’t know how to explain it properly but Giada just holds a special place in my and my aunt’s hearts thanks to this experience we shared. Later on, I even planned and together we cooked an entire meal inspired by our experience, utilizing Giada’s own recipes from her website Giadzy. 

Unlike her other books, however, I felt that this one was more authentic. There are the people that want “everyday” and “weeknight” recipes for oversimplified meals, but Giada’s Italy to me just felt more... real. More Giada than her other titles. And, as I mentioned along with Alex Guarnaschelli’s book, I look forward to tasting Giada’s interpretation of Italian food, especially knowing that Giada’s recipes incorporate a Californian flare, spawning by her childhood in Los Angeles. 

Bread Illustrated  BY AMERICA'S TEST KITCHEN

This cookbook is part of my ever-evolving desire to cook more items from scratch. As an Italian (I know I know, I’ve already mentioned this too much in this post), there are two things we (or at least I) really love as eaters: pasta and bread. It seems only natural for me to be excited to utilize this book. And, of course, it makes the house smell amazing! There’s nothing like the aroma of baked goods. I am always so fascinated by how varying measurements of flour, yeast, and wet ingredients can create beautifully diverse loaves of bread.

Mediterranean Cookbook

EDITED BY MARIE-PIERRE MOINE

A final repetition of this concept – Mediterranean Cookbook is another way I want to discover Italian food interpretation. However, this title is also much, much more than that. The Greek, Spanish, Andalusian, etc. foods within Mediterranean Cookbook allow me to uncover the flavors of the entire region, flavors that go well beyond Italy. I just might have to get over my distaste for olives to tackle this one.

Equally as entertaining will be trying to understand and use the titles of dishes – most, if not all of them, are not in English. But, if anything, I consider it a way to immerse myself into the culture of each dish.

Regions include (listed in the index): Middle East, North Africa, Morocco, Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, Sicily, Greece, and Turkey.

HONORABLE MENTIONS: The Book of Greens: A Cook's Compendium by Jenn Louis with Kathleen Squires In a strange turn of events, I've taken an interest in *gasp* salads and vegetables and healthier foods 😝 And while I also purchased The Vegetable Butcher by Cara Mangini a couple years ago, I knew it couldn't hurt to get my hands on a book just about greens; how to select, break down, cook them AND what flavors pair well with them. Let's be real, I just love any book that is essentially an encyclopedia for chefs. Instant Pot Electric Pressure Cooker Cookbook by Sara Quessenberry & Kate Merker Now that I have two Instant Pots in my possession (a 3-quart and an 8-quart), it is now a matter of actually using them. My first meal from the Pot was butternut squash soup, and I have since experimented with hard boiled eggs, a pot roast, and chicken breast (both from frozen!) that all turned out wonderfully... but I would definitely love to add more to my Instant Pot reportoire. I may still enjoy cooking the old fashioned way, but you can't deny how well the Instant Pot works. The Kinfolk Table: Recipes for Small Gatherings by Nathan Williams I got this book as an absolute steal at a garage sale; I think I literally only paid 10 cents. I may not read Kinfolk Magazine, but I was immediately drawn to the beautiful composition and cultural aspects of it. Not only does the cookbook encompass recipes from around the world, but also the stories that inspired them from the people who shared them. Although The Kinfolk Table is divided into Brooklyn, Copenhagen, The English Countryside, Portland (Oregon), and "The Wandering Table," the book's contributors span the entire globe.

[thefearlessgastronomist]

I recently had a four-day Asian food binge, and I regret nothing.

Anyone who has gone out to eat with me more than once knows my love for Asian food. This almost-four-days-in-a-row venture is just further proof.

monday C H I N E S E    B U F F E T 

It all started with a long-belated dinner for my birthday with my family and my boyfriend at a Chinese buffet. A tradition of sorts (I always want to go to a Chinese place to celebrate), I introduced everyone to a new buffet different than our usual haunts – TOKYO 23 has a larger selection, hibachi grill, sushi bar, and a “build your own noodle dish” section. From nomming on tried-and-true classics and attempting to eat crawfish with my brother... to me eating foods that made every else squirm, perfect birthday my friends. Perfect birthday. 

wednesday A L L - Y O U - C A N - E A T   S U S H I

Two days later, a close friend/coworker and I had a craving for sushi and went to lunch after work for all you can eat at AKITA. When I find sushi friends, I hold on to them dearly. This was *gasp* my first all you can eat experience, and I will admit that my eyes were bigger than my stomach. I went as long as I could, and honestly didn’t feel full when we finally had to quit, but my body just wouldn’t let me have any more 😭 Definitely worth every penny spent (especially since we spent more to use the dinner menu, which had better options) and of course, worth the memories made.

WE HAD:  Tempura roll x2 salmon, avocado, crab, cream cheese, deep fried Kyoto roll x2 crab, cucumber, avocado, lettuce, wrapped in [pink] soy paper, with special sauce Crazy roll x2 shrimp tempura, cucumber, avocado, crab, with unagi sauce & topped with tobiko Spider roll crab meat, cucumber, soft-shell crab, avocado, topped with tobiko Sakura roll spicy crab, avocado, topped with red and white tuna Caterpillar roll unagi (eel), cucumber, avocado on top [all green!] Shrimp tempura roll Sweet Potato roll

Spring rolls Shrimp tempura Squid tempura

thursday V I E T N A M E S E - S T Y L E 

The next day, trying a local Vietnamese/Chinese place with my best friend. We’ve been past DUC’S so many times that we finally just decided to go for it. A quaint place that was packed for the lunch hour, I do finally understand the hype around this place. Not only was the food delicious, the service was fantastic! The gentleman who helped us (who I really feel was the owner himself) was so incredibly personable and we even had a conversation with him about the ingredients in the intriguing dipping sauce for the egg roll (spoiler: it has anchovy sauce in it!) I would definitely go back to try more items on their menu – especially the pho and other traditional Vietnamese dishes!

WE HAD: Sweet and Sour chicken Chicken Broccoli Cream cheese puffs

friday A U T H E N T I C   R A M E N

My final meal of my binge was a long-awaited visit to one of my favorite places in Minneapolis. I last went to moto-i ramen and sake house two years ago with some acquaintances – where a group of us just shared a plethora of appetizers. This time, I fortunately had the legit ramen experience. Double-dating with my boyfriend, his best friend, and her husband, I’m so glad to have made new memories at this place. We shared the rangoons (they were sold out last time I was there, and I completely understand why now), as well as the duck gyoza (Japanese dumplings). Each of us ended up getting the same “Classic Ramen” that has pork belly, smoked pork shoulder, scallions, chili oil, poached egg, and shoyu broth. But I also got my hands on some steamed buns. Having gotten the basic chicken or pork buns during my last visit, I decided to amp it up this time by ordering the "Benny Buns" — filled with a panko fried poached egg, candied miso bacon, scallion, chili powder, and miso bearnaise. Absolutely worth the mess. Another person at the table also ordered the bibimbap (Korean fried rice), but my taste buds were being particularly wimpy that day and it was too spicy for me. I wonder... would it still be considered bibimbap without the gochujang in it?

WE HAD: Rangoons Duck Gyoza Classic Ramen Benny Buns Bibimbap

[thefearlessgastronomist]

I JUST TRIED POKĒ FOR THE FIRST TIME, and HERE’S HOW IT WENT...

If you Google search Aloha Poke Co., you’ll find numerous articles from the past year about the Chicago-based restaurant’s trademarking controversies. Furthermore, searching for them on social media will likely result in various commentary telling you to boycott the place entirely because of said controversies. This stateside (even worse, Midwestern) brand has repeatedly sent cease-and-desist letters to other pokē companies, including native Hawaiian ones, telling them to no longer use “Aloha” and/or “Aloha Poke” in any sort of branding. That’s like telling a Midwesterner to not use the words “hot dish” or “casserole”; it’s kind of impossible. 

Although I do not agree with Aloha Pokē’ Co.’s proceedings as such (especially when itself does not have any native Hawaiians among its founders), and even briefly considered joining the boycott... I was too intrigued about trying pokē to stay away. Sorry, protestors, I crossed over to the dark side. And I’m probably staying there, because I have fallen in love with this dish.

I was already a dedicated fan of sushi before trying Aloha, and from what I’ve previously understood about pokē, it’s essentially deconstructed sushi in a bowl. I still consider that an accurate and best possible description for those who don’t know anything about this Hawaiian staple. Pronounced “poh-kay,” this dish is comprised of diced raw fish (Aloha Pokē Co. also has tofu or cooked chicken if you’re not a fan), fresh cut vegetables and other toppings, and flavor-packed sauces, all served over a bed of rice. The word pokē itself actually means “to slice” or to “cut crosswise into pieces” in Hawaiian, or also “chunk” depending on your source material. It is a dish that has been around for centuries, is very healthy for you, and major bonus: it is customizable to your tastes.

But let’s get to the good stuff... the experience of eating it! 

My favorite thing to do when trying a new “fast food” place like this (and I will repeat it over and over) is to ask the employees their recommendations; who better to suggest than those who work with the product every day! I especially wanted to ask during this particular visit because I have never tried pokē before. As is popular in quick food places these days, Aloha Pokē Co. is incredibly customizable to individual tastes. Customers choose a bowl size, their base (white or brown rice, or mixed greens), a protein that is either marinated or “naked,” then top with any amount of other ingredients as they see fit – anything from seaweed, edamame, and cucumber, scallions and sweet Maui onions, to avocado, pinneapple, jalapeños, and “crunch” fried onions. Even the sauces can be combined to form a unique (and dare I say perfect) blend of sweet, savory, and spicy that really does bring everything together. 

The small corner location I visited within a strip-mall-esque development was surprisingly vacant on a damp and chilly Friday night. But there’s no doubt since opening that it has piqued the interest of many residents here. In the time I spent enjoying my noms, a handful of people started their discussion with “We haven’t been here before.” Oh good, haha, it wasn’t just me that day. But the staff were more than understanding and very accommodating.

When I made my way to the counter and let it be known that I was a newb, the first thing she asked – which solidifies my sushi-in-a-bowl description – was “Do you like sushi?” When I responded yes, but that I hadn’t had pokē before, she says we’ll do this in baby steps. Very much like Chipotle and other buildable restaurants, you just make your way through the list. Size, base, protein, other ingredients, sauce. Easy peasy. She also asked questions in relation to sushi, to help make decisions about what to add. 

Once a size of bowl was determined, we discussed what sushi rolls I would typically go for.  In my case, I like salmon, tuna, and shrimp rolls – all of which are addable proteins to these pokē bowls – but on this particular day, I was in the mood for salmon and shrimp. These then come with the option of “naked” or marinated in sesame + shoyu (a darker soy sauce). The cashier neglected to ask, but gave me marinated. I say that is an excellent choice. Another layer of flavor is always welcome.

Although Aloha Pokē Co. does have bowls with predetermined ingredients and sauces (called “House Bowls”), many who eat here choose their own additions. For mine, we simply went through all the options and she asked if I liked them or not. Cucumber was a given; nix on the jalapeños. Because I prefer a sweeter taste, I went for the Maui onion (a native of Hawaii) over scallions. Naturally, I added avocado (yum!), but then got a bit more adventurous by adding seaweed (not the dried stuff typical of a sushi roll, but the actual wet version of it), pickled ginger like that which is typically served alongside sushi, and “crunch,” which is fried onions.

The sauces were mildly intimidating to choose from, since some are given names like “Volcano,” “Samurai,” and “Yuzu Ranch,” rather than true descriptors like “Spicy Aioli” and “Sesame Vinaigrette.” Thankfully, it is possibly to eliminate choices by determining whether you want spicy or not. Based on more recommendations by the helpful cashier, I went with Samurai (sweet + savory), with Spicy Aioli (tangy + spicy mayo) and Yuzu Ranch (Japanese citrus ranch) on the side that I could add as I pleased. As per her description, the spiciness of aioli (which was actually similar to the sriracha mayo I make at home) is offset by the sweetness of Samurai, while the Yuzu adds another level of creamy citrusy taste. I could have honestly went without the Ranch, and the Samurai sauce was delicious on it’s own, but the sweet and spicy combo of the aioli and Samurai was the epitome of umami with the other ingredients. 

Because I’m such a nerd, the icing on the cake of this experience was eating most of the pokē bowl using chopsticks; when it got down to mostly rice, I just gave up my struggles and used a fork. But my god, it was so delicious! I felt bad for stirring it all around, because the ingredients were so beautifully placed. I don’t know why, but it felt like I was eating a salad. And I would consider this the best “salad” I’ve ever had. The combination of ingredients is so fresh, and the fusion of Hawaiian-Japanese elements is brimming with flavors that, when eaten together, are just... for lack of a better word, perfect. Each bite is different enough, but each ingredient within each variation still works incredibly well. From the creaminess of the avocado and seafood, to the tang and crunch of the ginger, it is an adventure from start to finish.

Having played it safe for my first trip by getting the “Little” bowl, I will openly admit that I could have gone back to the counter for more upon finishing my meal. It was so good. And the little bowl was the perfect portion size for a taste. I have yet to decide if the larger bowls would be... too much after a while? or if I could have eaten more in one sitting? Only more trips will tell. 

I would absolutely recommend trying pokē bowls in general. Researching them more once I got home after my first trip to Aloha Pokē, I discovered that they are actually very good for you. Packed with Omega-3s and “good fats,” Rojak Daily’s informant certified nutritionist Emiza Merican claims that a bowl of pokē is less than 200 calories. Delicious AND healthy? Don’t gotta tell me twice! I’d gladly go back tomorrow! 

Obviously not everyone shares or will share my enthusiasm – including native Hawaiians, who claim that the “mainland pokē” in general is ruining the concept of real culturally influenced pokē of the islands – but those with adventurous palates like mine will at least have some sort of delectable experience by giving this place a try. And with those options for people who don’t like raw seafood, it can be tried without even having to go near raw fish. So that means bonus for me: I can bring some of my closest friends with me next time! 

Photos © The Fearless Gastronomist, October 2018

[thefearlessgastronomist]

FEARLESS READS

Book Discussion: My Life in France by Julia Child with Alex Prud’homme

Publisher: Knopf Pages: 333 Genres: Non-Fiction, Autobiography/Biography, Memoir, Food & Drink, Cultural

Related Reading: The French Chef in America by Alex Prud’homme As Always, Julia: The Letters of Julia Child and Avis de Voto, Edited by Joan Reardon Mastering the Art of French Cooking Volumes 1 and 2 by Julia Child, Louisette Bertholle, and Simone Beck From Julia Child’s Kitchen by Julia and Paul Child Julie & Julia: My Year of Cooking Dangerously by Julie Powell

I’ve talked about Julia Child multiple times before, but I promise it’s for good reason. Although I did not grow up in the time of her reign, it goes without saying (since I’ve said it everywhere else) that her story and career have effected me in some way, shape, or form. I’m not even entirely sure where to start with discussing it.

My Life in France was first published in 2006 by Knopf, the same publishing house that helped bring Julia’s magnum opus, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, into the world. Written in collaboration with her grand-nephew Alex Prud’homme (her husband Paul’s twin brother’s son), My Life in France describes in detail Julia’s years in the country, starting from her very first steps in La Havre, 1948. Alongside her adoring husband, Paul – whom Julia also describes this book as a “love letter” to – each new adventure, each new experience, each new dish consumed and cooked is documented ad nauseam from their 13 years in Europe thanks in part to saved letters written between family, journals, and so much more that have been revisited for this purpose. The book also does graciously include personal photographs (taken mostly by Paul) that give My Life in France and Julia’s story much more charm, as many have not been seen elsewhere.

Let me just start by saying this: I have very split reactions about this book.

On the downside... I discovered that, although she is a marvelous cook and charismatic television personality, Julia Child is incredibly intense. The way she approaches all that she sets her mind out to do (like writing a cookbook or two) are done so with extreme determination, voracious research, and to the utmost degree of completion. While these are, of course, qualities to be admired in others, when it is those aspects discussed in novel form... it is just too much. Too much to read over and over for three-hundred-plus pages. Although it is a different part of her life each time, you can only read so much about how a morsel of food tastes, the steps in development or preparation of a recipe, or other such culinary ventures that Julia took part in. I know as a chef (and as myself a chef of sorts) that all of this is very much a part of her life and her legacy. But at times I just had to put the book down and walk away for a while – which explains why it took me so long to read it. Her madness over the perfection and other such details when cooking, especially so when developing recipes with Simca and Louisette for Mastering the Art of French Cooking, combined with every single smidgen of every memory recalled while in France, it is really enough to drive a person crazy.

Positively, despite this, I will say that I gained a much greater appreciation for Julia Child as a culinary master and as a human being; I believe this to be the perfect book to spearhead my own culinary endeavors. Most importantly, I realized how much she and I are alike – primarily as chefs and in relation to food, but also a few instances as to who we are as people. We were both late bloomers upon entering the culinary world; we both marvel at delicious, well-crafted food and enjoy eating it equally as much; and we both are quite fond of learning new things in this life, especially as it relates to cooking. Funny enough, we both even suffer(ed) from stomach problems. As I made my way through My Life in France, I often smiled to myself when reading passages wherein I saw so much of myself in Julia Child, our shared sense of optimism and adventure especially. Knowing that I share something more personal with Julia gives the book just enough redemption to not only help me finish reading it (though I never leave a started book unfinished), but also enough to say I think I did enjoy reading it. Plus: she had a niece named Rachel and that sort of coincidence is always fun.

Being on both ends of the spectrum – loving a book while also kind of despising it – I’m not sure I want to read the follow up novel, The French Chef in America: Julia Child’s Second Act, which was written solely by her grand-nephew (published in 2016). I’ve definitely had enough Julia Child to last me for a while. For me, My Life in France was a more important read here, and not just because Julia herself had a hand in writing it. In my eyes, her years in France were what shaped who she was/is and created the inspirational woman we all recognize by name. The fact that it was, in part, a travelogue of France (and a few other parts of Europe) was merely an added bonus. My Life in France was about Julia and Paul, and who they are/were as a couple. It was about Julia’s thirst for something more in her life, and Paul’s undying support for every venture she undertook. The French Chef in America, while I’m sure equally as pertinent to her later life, it is more in regards to coping with her celebrity and her impact on others after reaching post-cookbook fame and in the prime of her television show. I’m sure it is a very good continuation of her story, as it does pick up right where My Life in France left off, but my interests in Julia’s story were much more so about a marvelous French-style chef and how she came to be, not so much her television persona. Through My Life in France, you uncover why people loved her, and why she had so many people she could and did work with. But that was achieved by simply describing her day to day excursions. In reading the beginnings of The French Chef in America online (through Google Books), Prud’homme has naturally changed the narrative to third person and, while he is family, to me it just becomes another biography – though a much more well-informed one – and it doesn’t feel the same. Not to mention, it sounds like it would be very similar to My Life in France in the sense that it would be a book about producing a television show. Different source material, but same problem as the first.

MY OFFICIAL RATING ★ ★ ★ ✩ ✩

This was the perfect book to have read at the beginning of my own culinary endeavors, but I am also so glad to be done with it. Every detail, every memory, the way she approaches life and her work is both inspiring and crazy. I realized that my affinity for Julia not only stems from our shared love of food and cooking, but also our vast similarities. I found it fascinating all the people Julia was acquainted with – like James Beard, Jacques Pepin – as well as the numerous people in every city she lived that she was able to connect with (at the markets, in restaurants, etc.), and you do realize that she was very much a force to be reckoned with. And an intense inspiration to many people.

In reality, though, this book is not so much about her life in France, but rather more related to how her first cookbook came to be. And unfortunately a book about publishing a book and all that it involves... is pretty damn boring. Take out much of that content and I think I could have enjoyed the book much more. But once writing the cookbook was all that she was doing, my interest waned, and I just wanted to be done with reading it.

ABOUT JULIA CHILD & ALEX PRUD’HOMME (from front of book)

Julia Child was born in Pasadena, California. She graduated from Smith College and worked for the OSS during World War II; afterward she lived in Paris, studied at the Cordon Bleu, and taught cooking with Simone (Simca) Beck and Louisette Bertholle, with whom she wrote the first volume of Mastering the Art of French Cooking (1961). In 1963, Boston’s WGBH launched The French Chef television series, which made Julia Child a national celebrity,earning her the Peabody Award in 1965 and an Emmy in 1966. Several public television shows and numerous cookbooks followed. She died in 2004.

Alex Prud’homme, Paul Child’s grandnephew, is a freelance writer whose work has appeared in The New York Times, The New Yorker, Vanity Fair, Time, and People. He is the author of The Cell Game and the co-author (with Michael Cherkasky) of Forewarned. He lives with his family in Brooklyn, New York.

[thefearlessgastronomist]

A FEARLESS 2018

Foodie-Fueled Resolutions for the New Year

First and foremost, continue using The Fearless Gastronomist to fuel my passion. Don’t be ashamed to use it as an excuse to try new things/doing things just for the sake of blogging about it.

And with that, really try to post regularly. As with both of my blogs, make time for them!

Make more things from scratch. Like sauces, ice cream, pasta, breads, and waffles for example. Maybe even my own cooking stock, if I’m feeling ambitious with the remnants of a leftover rotisserie chicken bones. I can do so many things now thanks to some incredible Christmas gifts!

Complete “Culinary School by Watching Netflix” based on the article by Food & Wine – a selection of shows/documentaries on Netflix that correlate with varying levels of courses at the Culinary Institute of America.

Some great resolutions from this Buzzfeed article:

• Buy/try one new food each time you visit the grocery store. • Give yourself unconditional permission to eat. • Give up on dieting, and the diet mentality of rules and restrictions. (Not   that I ever did this to begin with). • Learn to bake old family recipes.

Try more vegetarian dishes. Maybe do a “Meatless [Day of the Week]” for a month.

Try at least one food that “scares” me. Though, hello... I am fearless.

Experiment with different ways to brew coffee. Chemex, Moka pot, French press, Aeropress. And with it, learn to utilize my milk frother.

Make my own mozzarella cheese.

And bake my own donuts. Because yes, donuts need their own resolution.

Eat leftovers. Because I notoriously don’t.  And/or don’t make such large amounts of food that only I end up eating, that results in an overabundance of leftovers that I get cranky about.

Rediscover breakfast foods. Not necessarily eating it during “morning” hours, but still.

ALSO . . . 

Set regular, achievable goals for writing and for projects. I’m not entirely sure what they are yet, but do so in regards to, i.e., cooking something new every certain day or posting every Monday, etc. But make them something much more realistically attainable.

Dedicate time daily/weekly to writing. No more months of neglect.

[thefearlessgastronomist]

THE FOUR FOOD-RELATED MOVIES THAT I AM DEEPLY, DEEPLY CONNECTED TO

As an entertainment buff, I love watching movies. Being a gal of many interests, it goes without saying that I have an innumerable amount of favorites for equally as many reasons.

These favorites are the films that just give me all the feels. And I mean ALL. THE. FEELS. The kind that you can’t stop thinking about and/or immediately want to start over and watch again. Because it has somehow struck a chord with you and has become more to you than you ever could have guessed.

On the road to becoming an avid foodie and home chef, it’s not surprising that I discovered a small contingent of culinary-related films that spoke to me on an a very personal level, and in many ways have shaped my views about cooking and eating food. These are my top films as they currently stand (though in no particular order).

JULIE & JULIA was my first introduction to Julia Child. Naturally, it was because of this film that I chose to read Julia’s memoir, My Life in France, the novel used as a reference for the film. Julie & Julia tells the cross-decade tale of Julia Child in 1950s France and that of 21st Century New Yorker Julie Powell, who challenged herself to cook her way through Julia’s cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, over the course of a year.

While I, and many others, aren’t particularly fond of Julie’s portions of the film or her book (though I haven’t read her book), I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t semi-intrigued by the concept of Julie’s story. Although Julia Child’s massive cookbook is a bit too ambitious for my tastes at the moment, cooking every recipe from a single cookbook, from start to finish, would be quite an interesting experience. Let me add that to my bucket list.

It his, however, Meryl Streep’s rendition of Julia Child that is perfect beyond words. When you compare Meryl and Stanley Tucci to the real Julia and Paul Child, dare I say it was perfectly cast. Without going too much into detail about my adoration for Julia Child and her life's work – let me save that for my review of her book – so much of Julia’s life and career gives hope to us that may not have conventionally found our calling in life. The way she got into cooking mirrors my own in many ways, as does her love for food and cooking. It’s really hard not to love Julia Child (and Meryl Streep) after watching this one.

EAT PRAY LOVE – also a book and film I’ve talked about before – is another that really shaped my views of food, as well as gave me extreme wanderlust. Fresh from a divorce, Elizabeth Gilbert (Julia Roberts) decides to take a year-long sabbatical to Italy, India, and Bali to rediscover herself and rekindle every sort of spark in her life. While I was just as moved by her spiritual time spent at an ashram in India, and her love for love and inner peace renewed in Bali, it was Liz’s time spent in Italy, restoring the pleasure found in eating food that hit closest to home. For more of my thoughts on Eat Pray Love, read here.

A list, no matter how small, would not be complete without an Disney/Pixar animation. RATATOUILLE, while of course a far-fetched fantasy of a rat with a love for food and penchant for cooking, who then employs a human named Linguini to help can cook incognito in a restaurant, is still one of absolute inspiration regardless. While the spirit of famed Chef Gusteau constantly reassures Remy (the rat) that “Anyone can cook!” (and the film further sprinkled throughout with many other similar statements of encouragement), Ratatouille is not only a favorite foodie film, but one of my top ten Disney cartoons. 

CHEF is my most recent discovery and probably the most important. And I was actual quite surprised at how much I was affected by it. Written by, directed by, and starring Jon Favreau in the title role, the film begins with head chef Carl Casper quitting his job at a restaurant in California in order to pursue more creative ventures and reclaim his artistic freedom. In efforts to also bring his estranged family back together and spend more time with his son Percy, Carl returns to his roots by traveling to Miami with his ex-wife and Percy, and ends up purchasing a food truck in the process. There, he also rediscovers his love for Cuban food. The majority of the film then consists of Carl, Percy, and Martin (a co-worker of Carl’s from the restaurant in California) driving the food truck back to Los Angeles. Through places like New Orleans and Austin, Texas, using local ingredients to create daily specials in whichever city they preside, Carl’s journey shows what great things can come from doing exactly what you love.

When I first saw Chef, I was struggling with my own pursuits in life. I was uninspired in my current employment – in fact, I was very much between jobs at the time – and I internally grappled with how I should move forward. I didn’t want to hate what I was doing anymore; I didn’t believe that a person’s life should be spent just going through the motions for the sake of a paycheck. After spending months at home, reacquainting myself with the kitchen and sparking an intense new love for food and cooking, it was upon watching Chef that I realized I wanted to explore this vocation further. And it is quite possibly one of the top decisions I have ever made. Not just because I get to work with food on a regular basis, and get to constantly learn new things from a variety of different people... But because my heart is truly in it and that zest for what I'm doing is very much there.

That's all anyone could ever ask for.

[thefearlessgastronomist]

Bibliophile (n): a person who has a great love of books

This word has described me since the day I learned to read. I took to books like a duck to water and have surrounded myself with them ever since, building a personal library that now spans hundreds of titles and a plethora of genres. 

While it is not technically a genre per se, my collection has recently begun including foodie novels – literature of both the fictional and non-fictional varieties, pertaining to adventures in food and cooking. Similar to my forays into magazine reading, my interests in culinary experiences has now shifted to novel-length materials as well... no matter how boring some people think it might be.

EAT PRAY LOVE . . . BUT MOSTLY EAT

A few years ago (checking my Goodreads activity, let me correct that to six years ago – yikes!), I read a little best-seller called Eat Pray Love, by Elizabeth Gilbert. I could definitely write a whole post about EPL (and I’m surprised I haven’t yet, so let me add it to my to-do list). Long story short: I absolutely loved it. Surprisingly enough, I also loved its movie. You could say that this is where my love for food (and by association, travel) writing began. EPL receives a lot of flack for its self-indulgent content and similar writing style, but I enjoyed it regardless and have the reading notes full of anecdotes to prove it. Especially so for her four months spent in Italy, where her main goal was to rediscover her passion about and pleasure in eating food. As she says, with “no carb left behind.” Sounds like my kind of trip.

Even if I didn’t know it at the time, I believe part of what takes place in the “Eat” portion of Eat Pray Love shaped my views of gastronomy. Like when Liz says she is “having a relationship” with her pizza in Naples (Napoli), and in response to gaining weight simply says that she will just buy bigger pants. While I’m not sure I recall it’s textual counterparts, you also can’t help but be jealous of the Julia Roberts version of Liz Gilbert eating a heaping plate of spaghetti all'Amatriciana, enjoying a glass of red wine, and translating her Italian newspaper while sitting street-side at a restaurant in Rome. Even the introduction and cooking of a “Thanksgiving feast” with her various friends in Italy could make Americans appreciate that particular holiday a little more. Maybe it’s because I myself am (quarter-)Italian, and I like myself a good dose of Italian culture in book and film form, but I also believe – in a world so full of diet and weight-obsessed culture – people could really take some notes from this particular reference. Please, people, for the love of parmigiana, learn to love food again! Or at least read this section of the book so you can start.

FEARLESS READS

Although there were quite a few years between Eat Pray Love and diving into my own adoration for food, I can confidently say that the book and the film still resonates with me on a gastronomic and spiritual level. Obviously enough to, ya know, talk about it here on The Fearless Gastronomist. Once I started collecting culinary-based literature this year (Half-Priced Books has done well for me in that aspect!), I knew I wanted to create a space on The Fearless Gastronomist for the sake of talking about them and any further experiences like the one I had with EPL. I love talking about books just as much as I love talking about food, just to forewarn you.

FEARLESS READS, while currently just a reading list, is also (in my mind at least) equal parts a section for book reviews, as well as an incredibly informal book club – for some bloggers, reviews and clubs have somehow become synonymous, calling it a club when really it’s just a review, but hey, we’ll just roll with it and see what becomes of it. When all else fails (read: no one else participates), a “Book Club for One” it shall be. Complete with wine (or maybe tea) and good personal discussion with myself here on my lovely blog. 

From this, you will see posts pertaining to what I’m currently reading – should you decide you want to read along – as well as book reviews, and maybe even a few discussion questions and my responses to them. Details (as of October 2017) remain a little fuzzy. But hey! That’s the beauty of solo book clubbing; I can make it up as I go. I can, however, say with conviction that I would like to tell you how I felt about the book and respond to questions spawned from the reading material, since that is really the aspect of book club I miss out on. 

For more information about FEARLESS READS, click here. 

[thefearlessgastronomist]

THE MAGIC OF CHARCUTERIE

My mother’s side of the family is a very interesting sort. 

Sorry, guys, but it’s true. I apologize if they’re reading this. 

When we have family meals with my mother’s side of the family, for holidays or birthday parties, we tend to time it so that once people arrive at the host’s house, we almost immediately eat. If we don’t, a few need be notified so they can have some sort of snack to hold them over until we do. 

In the time between arriving and eating, sure, we all exchange a few words with one another to catch up and see what’s going on in each other’s lives. But at some point, someone will get restless and antsy, and demand to know when food will be ready.

Finally, through all the years of family get togethers, I think I have finally found the cure to this situation.

This past year, having taken command over about half of our family parties that take place throughout the year, I have used those opportunities to... expand my family’s gastronomic horizons beyond our usual tricks. We may still have some of the usual entrées, but I always try to add a new twist in there somewhere. 

Who knew that something so simple as a cheese tray would have such an effect on the atmosphere? I definitely didn’t.

I’ve always been a fan of “appetizer-to-dessert” menus. Personally, it makes it feel so much more like an experience  rather than just eating. And despite the criticism about how we “don’t need all that food” for a multitude of reasons (calories or cost being the two biggest culprits), the response to my pre-entrée offerings proves otherwise. 

At our most recent family get-together, I concocted a lovely display of various cheeses, accompanied by a couple flavors of fruit preserves. While I make sure to include classic favorites like cheddar and goat cheese, I especially enjoy incorporating unfamiliar new flavors (like Cyprus Grove’s Purple Haze Goat Cheese that has fennel pollen and lavender in it). I enjoy the balance between new, and tried and true. I created makeshift flags out of toothpicks and white duct tape to identify each flavor and arranged them on my eclectic collection of mini cutting boards. For the first time, I also added two types of figs to my repertoire (Black Mission Figs and Turkish Sun-Dried Figs). When the first visitors started to arrive – my cousin and her husband – and I began placing out the cheeses, the excitement was quite tangible. Later on, as everyone else showed up and started enjoying these refreshments, that’s when I knew I would always try to have this as part of our family meals.

Because this was so much more than snacking before late lunch/dinner. This was everyone around the table together instead of spread throughout the house. This was more of us all talking with each other instead of constantly trying to talk over one another in our own separate conversations. This was us talking about our favorite flavors and the best cheese+jam combinations.

This made it feel more like a family gathering rather than just going through the motions. 

And that, I believe, is the magic of charcuterie.

(Also yes, I do know that charcuterie is technically the cold cooked meats that typically partner with cheeses, and I fully intend on elaborating my next tray with them 😇 )

[thefearlessgastronomist]

ENTERTAINMENT ⎟  I HART FOOD 

Based on the first episode, “Santa Fe Fiesta”

These are my real-time thoughts from watching I Hart Food, Episode 1: 

She reminds me of Kristen Bell – in looks and voice – but the food version.

I never watched her YouTube show, “My Drunk Kitchen,” but I feel like this is selling out a bit from what I know about her series. People love her for her drunk cooking… not for basically being the female version of every single guy on Food Network that goes around eating food in different cities.

So it’s part food eating, part history lesson about said foods (i.e. chiles in this first episode), part recipes and actual cooking, part hacks & facts. It’s kind of a lot jumbled into one. I do, however, like that the chefs are letting her do a lot of the cooking when they try recipes (she ain’t afraid to get her hands dirty!) and that one episode focuses on ONE location. 

I also do enjoy the fact that she is one of the few females to do a show like this AND she’s not afraid to truly eat. No hen-pecking or worrying about what’s in it. She eats it and enjoys it, just as I do.

The show does seem a little… cheesy and scripted, but it’s still conversational and fun. She has great humor, plus we have shared similarities when it comes to adventurous eating.

Overall, it’s a (for lack of a better word) cute show, and a lot of fun... but it’s not what she’s known for and I feel like Food Network may have missed an opportunity there. She went from doing something hilarious on YouTube, to doing exactly what every other person on Food Network does – just going to different places and eating the food. That’s not original. Even her puns get to be a little too much. 

Similar to Farmers’ Market Flip on Cooking Channel, I watched the first episode, but I didn’t mark my calendar or clear my schedule or anything for the next episode. If I happen to see another one, great. But it’s kind of forgettable. 

Love ya, Hannah Hart... but Food Network didn’t help you at all.

[thefearlessgastronomist]

First Time | Naf Naf Grill

(Photo © The Fearless Gastronomist)

WHAT I TRIED Naf Naf’s award-winning chicken shawarma in a pita, with hummus, baba ghanoush, purple cabbage, sumac onions, and tahini; Naf fries with garlic sauce; falafel (also dipped in the garlic sauce). 

THE EXPERIENCE I can’t decide if the Naf Naf that opened up near me is doing well or not because it was absolutely dead when I was there (then again, it was about 2:30/3pm on a Monday afternoon). But having the entire place to yourself makes stuffing your face with shawarma much easier. I asked the guy working there what I should try as a first timer, and thanks to his generosity, I was able to try a few things (mostly the hummus and baba ghanoush, plus a falafel or two) before adding it to my pita. And I received very knowledgable information about the company and its food in the process. 

HOW WAS IT? I actually really liked the food! Especially, surprisingly, the falafel and the hummus. It’s difficult to explain just what Middle Eastern flavors taste like, and I definitely feel that it’s something you have to try for yourself to decide if you like it. I personally enjoyed it. I would absolutely go back to try more, especially to try new variations of what they have. Even if I end up going by myself again.

[thefearlessgastronomist]

23 FACTS ABOUT YOURS TRULY

1. The Basics: My name is Rachel, 27 years young [when this was posted in 2017], posting from my parent’s home in the suburbs of Minneapolis/St. Paul, brown hair (though it’s usually dyed a different color), blue eyes, sassy as hell 😏  Also, for reference, I’m of Italian, Irish, German, and Swedish heritage. My last name is super Italian and I eat a lot of pasta. 

2. I did not go to culinary school. I did go to college for five and a half years, but not for anything remotely related to culinary arts. My entire thing is: Graphic Communications Management with an emphasis in Layout/Design and minors in Photography and Journalism. At least the writing and photography parts makes sense, right? They’re useful.

3. I would, however, love to go to culinary school. Since late 2016, I have thought really hard about this. We’ll see how that pans out. I have taught myself a lot of things in the kitchen, but I would really like to have that base knowledge that all chefs have – like knife skills, certain techniques, basic food staples, etc. 

4. The food I could eat every day for the rest of my life? Lasagna. How stereotypical Italian of me to say this, but I really love lasagna. Not the homemade kind that involves ricotta, but *gasp* the store bought frozen kind.  I do have a lot of favorite foods, mind you. But I could eat a whole pan of Stouffer’s Lasagna with Meat Sauce by myself if given the opportunity. I’ll admit that I ate a lot of the smaller personal-sized ones in college.

5. I watch a lot – and I mean A LOT – of Food Network and Cooking Channel. My usual program of choice is ‘Diners, Drive Ins, and Dives’ (FN/CC), but I also love ‘Dinner at Tiffani’s’ (CC), ‘Chopped’ (FN), ‘Beat Bobby Flay’ (FN/CC), ‘Burgers Brew and ‘Que’’ (CC), ‘Cooks vs. Cons,’ and ‘Bakers vs. Fakers’ (FN). I would love to try the restaurants that Guy Fieri has visited here in Minnesota on Triple D. And I get a lot of hosting ideas from Tiffani. 

6. Speaking of Guy Fieri and Food Network, I got to eat at both Guy’s and Giada de Laurentiis’s restaurants when I was in Las Vegas (in September 2016). And I loved every minute of it. I’m bummed I didn’t have a chance to go to any other celebrity chef’s restaurants while I was there. So here’s a short wishlist for next time: Buddy V’s Ristorante (though I did get a dessert from his Carlo’s bakery across the way from the restaurant); Bobby Flay’s Mesa Grill and/or Bobby’s Burger Palace; Nobu (I must figure out what the Kardashian’s love about it so much); Emeril Lagasse's New Orleans Fish House; Mario Batali’s OTTO Pizzeria; and Wahlburgers. 

7. I love White Castle! Whenever I am close to one, I typically demand whoever I am with to stop there. It’s a sickness really, but I love the sliders so much. And the onion chips. 

8. I have an obsession with seafood. Including sushi. I’m not exactly sure where this stemmed from – possibly from eating calamari on a boardwalk in Florida during a family vacation years ago – but given the option, I will often opt for seafood in dishes (i.e. shrimp fettuccine alfredo).

9. I am the person that eats strange foods for the sake of trying them. And I usually end up liking it. I am the Andrew Zimmern in my family 😆  I’ll try bizarre foods that make people squirm. 

10. I enjoy the smell of garlic and onion. 

11. I prefer a more globally-influenced dinner time. Americans notoriously eat dinner early compared to the rest of the world (around 5 or 6pm); other countries are more around 8-to-10pm. I tend to side with those people. Probably because I’m such a night owl. 

12.  Starbucks is my coffee place of choice. My go-to drink depends on my mood, but I’m currently loving the Sweet Cream Cold Brew ☕️   and the Berry Sangria herbal tea. 

13. I’m on a mission . . . a BEER mission. As a Minnesotan, beer drinking is almost a necessity, to go along with our fishing and our bonfires lol. The truth is that I like the idea of beer drinking, but hate the hoppy taste (meaning IPA’s aren’t my favorite). So I’ve set myself on a quest to find brews I actually enjoy drinking; this so far has included Negra Modelo (the one that started this whole thing), some pale ales, lagers, and plenty of hard ciders. Take a look at those I’ve tried HERE. I also like to actively try new wines and cheeses. 

14. The key to my heart? Chinese food. More accurately, Chinese buffets. But seriously, even Panda Express or Little Chopstix. Feast on Chinese food with me and I’ll probably love you forever. 

15. I am one of those people that pays just as close attention to plate and table presentation as I do cooking the meal itself. It doesn’t always get the appreciation it deserves, but I like to do it anyways. I also like to do the little extra things that make a meal an experience – such as sending someone a mailed invitation, setting up a “design your own name tag” station for drinking glass name tags, or parting gifts (I sent my family home with blackberry jam once). Just to list a few. I like to get crafty and creative.

16. I kind of have food sensitivities. I’m incredibly stubborn, so I refuse to stop eating things, but that’s also because my reactions to certain foods changes daily. Some days it effects me, some days it doesn’t. I just eat the food, deal with it, and move on. 

17. While I love all forms of cooking, I especially enjoy grilling. Charred parts and grill lines on foods 🙌  SO GOOD. I may or may not have ruined our glass stovetop with my double-burner-sized grill pan. 

18. I hardly ever go (because I can be such a late sleeper), but I love farmer’s markets. I really would love to go to more of them this summer, straw tote bag and all (after I find a good one I like). I’m totally getting into fresh produce and herbs lately, so now more than ever I would like to go. 

19. Speaking of farmer’s markets, the last time I was there was to get a bushel of cucumbers – to make my own sweet pickles. It’s something my mom used to do, but a year or two ago, I decided i wanted to give it a try myself. It’s a 14-day soaking and boiling process that makes the house reek of cider vinegar and pickling spices. But they are pretty much the only pickles I like to eat. 

20. I refuse to diet. I don’t understand how anyone could ever consciously decide to not eat what they like (especially with all the amazing foods out there!), nor have I ever understood the obsession over being skinny (my only thought about about being skinny is that it’s easier to find clothes to fit you). And funny enough, other than being overweight per the BMI (which I also believe is a crock of shit), my cholesterol and all my numbers are fine. So 😝  .

21. I possibly want to open up my own food establishment someday. But I think I would have the hardest time deciding what kind of place it would be (restaurant, cafe, food truck), what to name it, and what type of foods to serve. Like, it would probably be the most random conglomeration of foods ever. 

22. There is a list of foods I use to determine how much I like a restaurant and/or if I would go back. Obviously it depends on the type of restaurant and it’s not the only determining factor, but I always have to try the following if they have it on their menu – fettuccine alfredo, nachos, and club sandwiches. If they have a good version of these, I’d probably eat there again. 

23. I recently became a kitchen assistant for a cooking school! It’s a retail store technically, but some of its locations have a space for cooking classes. And sure, it’s a lot of washing dishes, but you also get to do the mise en place (a.k.a. recipe prep, like measuring out or cutting ingredients), as well as assisting the chef and the class participants in the kitchen. Probably one of the best moves I’ve made professionally. And part of the reason why I started this blog!

SIX FOOD THINGS I AM CURRENTLY OBSESSED WITH

Cilantro

Making my own sauces rather than using store bought (i.e. barbecue sauce)

Taco-ing foods 

Baking, especially breads and soft pretzels

Mexican Street Style Corn on the Cob / Elote (corn brushed with mayonnaise, then sprinkled with chili/cayenne powder and cotija cheese)

Caramelized or sauteed onions

RAPID FIRE ROUND

The hardest dish/meal I’ve ever made was . . .   Chicken Tikka Masala; it was so involved. There’s marinading the chicken, caramelizing onions, then simmering the sauce, grilling the meat, then putting it all together and letting it simmer some more. 

When I’m not cooking, you’ll find me . . . Eating 😂  But also reading, watching television/Netflix, spending time with my friends (which almost always involves going out to eat), writing and blogging. 

My ultimate destination getaway is . . .   Italy! I would love to spend an extended period of time (think like Eat Pray Love-style) in Italy so I could travel to all of the great cities – Rome, Florence, Milan, Venice, Naples, Capri; areas like Sicily, Tuscany, the Amalfi Coast. 😚👌 

My favorite dessert is . . .   Strawberry bananas they have at buffets! I also do my own version of it at home, with strawberry sauce and sliced bananas on top of ice cream. Furthermore, I’ve discovered a fabulous strawberry-rhubarb pie from Sam’s Club. 

My favorite ice cream flavor . . . Chocolate chip cookie dough. Preferably as a blizzard from Dairy Queen 😉  

Cake or pie? . . . Such a blasphemous question since they’re both so good, but I think I’m leaning more towards pie. 

My LEAST favorite thing about cooking is . . . Deciding what recipe to pursue with certain limited ingredients I might not always have access to; when I’m cooking for people who have picky palates and don’t like when I put “grass” (spices) on things; when I’m missing one ingredient/one utensil to make a recipe work. 

My favorite celebrity chef is . . . Alex Guarnaschelli, Guy Fieri, Michael Symon, Andrew Zimmern, Geoffrey Zakarian (for his ability to cook with wine in hand or the way he takes random espresso breaks mid-cooking), Scott Conant (he’s just reaaaaally nice to look at), Mario Batali (for his ability to wear Crocs and yet be a serious chef), and Gordon Ramsey (’cause he swears like a sailor, just like me). Also, if we’re including celebrities who happen to cook, Tiffani Thiessen. 

If I were stranded on a desert island and only had 3 kitchen appliances with me, they would be . . . A fridge/freezer combo? That magically need not require battery nor electricity to function (as with all these items, I suppose). I probably wouldn’t mind be stranded on an island, I’d just want a way to keep my food items (like all the fish I’m sure I’ll catch haha) from spoiling. And it’ll have a fresh water thing built into the door so I don’t die of dehydration. Maybe a blender? I’m thinking island fruit smoothies with my ice from my freezer, and this particular island would have a potential Pirates of the Caribbean-esque hidden underground rum-running loot so I can mix boozy drinks 😉 Plus my island has edible plants, so blender would be useful to make like a pesto. Aaaaand... hmmm... I probably wouldn’t mind a stand mixer with all the attachments. Just in case. I’m sure I’d want it at some point or another.  

My favorite Minnesota State Fair food is . . . Not that I could ever really choose, but TOP FIVE THAT I ATE LAST YEAR (2016): Corn dogs (plural), cheese curds, deep fried fruit on a stick with chocolate sauce, deep fried alligator bites, and Luigi fries (cheesy breadsticks). 

Last year, I also had some new items worth noting: french toast bites with a berry sauce/whipped cream/Pop Rocks, Grain Belt BLU (Blueberry Lager), lefse with bacon and brown sugar filling, ostrich meatballs with three different sauces (orange, soy, and teriyaki), and Schell’s Beer Red Sangria Lager.

The best restaurant I’ve ever eaten at was . . . is impossible to choose! 

However, My top 5 restaurants are . . . Great Moon Buffet, Tucci Bennuch, Piada Italian Street Food, Green Mill (only the ones that still have the Alamo Nachos), and Pizza Hut. 

My favorite family recipe is . . . Maybe “mock chow mein.” It’s really more of a beef+pork meat and rice casserole with green pepper, onion, celery, mushroom pieces, and water chestnuts cooked in, alongside some condensed soups and other ingredients for flavor. Not really “chow mein” in the traditional Chinese food sense, but it’s delicious. A 9x13″ pan doesn’t last long at our house. 

Also, my maternal grandmother’s potato salad. Unlike so many of the store bought deli ones, her’s isn’t mustard-heavy. And the texture of it is just so much better. I’m not sure how to best explain it, but I have since taken on making it myself. 

Funny enough, I really disliked both these dishes when I was younger. Which probably means I need to go back through the family recipes and try some things again with my more advanced palate. 

My choice pizza topping is . . . Probably Hawaiian. That’s right, I’m a pineapple-on-pizza believer! I also like plain sausage pizza. But really I just love pizza in general, especially now that I’ve started doing my own homemade dough and gourmet-style toppings (i.e. BBQ chicken with my own homemade barbecue sauce and cilantro; a chicken alfredo with the addition of either sauteed mushrooms or black beans with basil or parsley; a chicken-bacon-ranch rendition I made for my brother). As with so many other foods, my topping choice simply depends on my mood.

My favorite breakfast . . . Either a ham-and-cheese omelette from some “greasy spoon” diner, or french toast. I’ve also started making this sort of “spicy Eggs Benedict” thing on my breakfast sandwich maker that I could (and do) honestly eat all the time for a quick meal. It’s half an English muffin, slice of Canadian bacon, slice of provolone cheese, an egg cooked to a poached consistency (I’ve fallen in love with creamy runny yolks), and topped with sriracha mayo. 

I take my coffee . . . With as much stuff to make it not taste so strongly like coffee. If not a specialty drink, then definitely with lots of cream and sugar. Usually some sort of flavoring (like caramel). Typically I go with a latte because that’s the one that’s more frothy milk than coffee. I also really like those “Steamers” from Kwik Trip that probably aren’t even coffee at all.

Soup or salad? . . . Ugh, this should be soup AND salad. All the food! But I’ve gone both ways with this, so it really just depends. I will say I almost always do soup at Olive Garden.

Favorite food movie . . . Eat Pray Love, Ratatouille, Chef, Julie & Julia. I want to talk about these some more, so I’ve a whole post dedicated to this coming up.

Favorite cocktails . . . Mojitos, Captain & Coke, Mimosas, I usually lean towards those fruity mixed drinks at restaurants (I had a really good Mai Tai in Downtown Las Vegas); also recently discovered Moscow Mules and now have a need for copper drinkware. 

Favorite sandwich . . .  Club sandwiches! But also, I crave “Sherri’s Chicken Sandwich” (a fried coconut chicken sandwich with honey mustard and avocado) from Craft Beer & Kitchen all the time. As well as my own homemade version of the Grilled Chicken Club I had at Pinstripes once – it’s grilled chicken, with bacon strips, a slice of provolone, avocado, and then instead of shallot mayo I make a cranberry mayo, and I use a ciabatta bun that I toast.

Cooking at home or going out for dinner? . . . It’s all about balance! And, once again, my choice really just depends on my mood. I love cooking things myself, but sometimes you just can’t beat getting a meal somewhere else. Especially when you’re looking for that more authentic experience or atmosphere. 

Food bucket list . . . This is a fantastic concept. I’m going to use a whole separate post to answer it. Keep your eyes peeled! 

Something I’m really proud of . . . Honestly? My ambitions, adventurousness, and fearlessness in the kitchen. And with that, the meals I’ve planned and executed with more effort than normal – so far a St. Patrick’s Day Dinner, Cooking a la Giada, Easter Brunch, Cinco de Mayo Tacos 3 Ways, Mother’s Day Build Your Own Pizza Party. Also, my courage to make a career change in my life by starting a culinary-based job.

One food you could never bring yourself to eat? Funny enough, olives. I don’t mind black olives on a supreme pizza because there are so many other things you don’t even notice them, but plain black or green olives... Just not my thing. I can’t even remember if I’ve officially tried any type of olive on its own or not.

The one food I’ve always wanted to try but haven’t yet is . . .   My namesake sandwich. The Rachel (or even the Reuben). I just haven’t had the nerve to try it at a restaurant yet. 

[thefearlessgastronomist]

¡ FELIZ CINCO DE MAYO !

Wednesday May 3rd, I decided I wanted to put together a meal for Cinco de Mayo. 

Yes, my new favorite thing is to cook dinners for those days/holidays I previously ignored. Saint Patrick’s Day, Cinco de Mayo, even some of those silly miscellaneous days (like National Burger Day, which is on May 28th). Any chance I can get to try new foods and cuisines, or to appreciate another culture, I’m totally game to do so. 

The trick for this particular Cinco de Mayo-inspired meal was planning and executing it in a day and a half. Not super hard, but it took some brain power, and thankfully some very accommodating family members who picked up some groceries for me. 

The bonus for me is that I have a friend of Mexican heritage, so I did what any resourceful person would – I asked her for ideas of what I should make for Cinco de Mayo. Her response was tostadas and margaritas, because she knows I love tostadas... but I wanted to take this opportunity to branch out this time; I want to do something I haven’t done before. So we came up with some form of steak tacos that would also put my red onions to use, and Mexican rice. 

But do you really think I’m one to end there? Nuh uh. Absolutely not. 

Let me tell you, the internet is a very helpful place. And sometimes a little too helpful. My browser’s bookmarks (and I’ll admit I use multiple browsers) are packed with recipes I’ve saved for some purpose or another. Sometimes I question why I bother with cookbooks... but then I remember that I’m also a sucker for pretty printed materials. 

For this particular occasion, I first took the time to do a bit of research about the day itself. Because really, like most people I’m sure, I didn’t know much about Cinco de Mayo other than its part in Mexican history. Similar to Saint Patrick’s Day, it would seem the typical American uses the fifth of May as an excuse for excessive drinking. Even more so this year because Cinco de Mayo falls on a Friday. Ohhh, lordy. But I, for one, knew that it was more than just a day for Corona and tequila. Not to be confused with Mexico’s Independence Day (which is September 16th), Cinco de Mayo is the celebration of the unexpected defeat over the French Army at the Battle of Puebla in 1862. (x) Funny enough, it is really only a minor holiday in Mexico; it is much more popular here in the United States. 

Read all about it here ➛ (x)

MENÚ DE COMIDA

Tacos 3 Ways –     Carne Asada/Steak with pico de gallo     Shrimp with mango slaw     and Chicken with chipotle lime crema (and pico from the steak)

Elote (Mexican Grilled Corn covered in mayo, chili/cayenne powder, and cotija cheese)

Mexican Rice

CHOOSING THE MENU

Once I started actually searching for recipes, it turns out I want to cook a lot of Mexican food. It’s part of the reason I’m doing tacos three ways; because I didn’t have it in me to choose just one. I’m a big fan of having options, since my family doesn’t always agree with my unorthodox cooking habits; they also have vastly different taste buds (i.e. my mother liked the sweeter taco; my brother preferred the spicier). The fact that it may or may not give us leftovers to feast on for a few days doesn’t hurt either. 

I adore seafood, so when I found a recipe for a shrimp taco (and fish too, but I’ll save that for a later date), I absolutely wanted to include it. Even better when it involved mango slaw. You (or at least I) expect Mexican food to be relatively spicy, so the use of a fresh, non-spicy element as a topping is most interesting to me. ONE RECIPE COLLECTED, moving along.

I know that seafood isn’t doesn’t always fly for everyone, especially when it comes to tacos, so I also went for the classics: chicken and steak. I’m starting to realize that I have underappreciated steak as a Mexican food ingredient and I now want to actively fix that, starting with this Cinco de Mayo dish. I naturally didn’t want just plain a steak taco filling (how boring), so I found a recipe for carne asada – which is steak that is marinated and grilled. The typical marinade for asada is called “mojo,” a combination of cilantro, jalapeño, garlic, lime juice, orange juice, vinegar, and olive oil, sometimes even a few other spices. I am fascinated by marinades (and smoking meats), so I was definitely excited to give this a try. 

As far as chicken, I have done it a few times before to make it easily this time around. But I came across a recipe online that included a mixture for crema, a flavored Mexican sour cream. This particular chipotle lime crema included sauce from chipotles in adobo, but because I decided to include/use this chicken recipe at the last minute, I didn’t have the opportunity to go to the grocery store again to get said adobo. A lot of my work in the kitchen involves improvising, so it doesn’t surprise me that I’m improvising this time. I substituted tabasco sauce.

Within the last year, I have also developed a great appreciation for corn. More specifically grilled corn with those streaks of char *swoooons* So delicious. As such, I have had my eye on trying elote – grilled corn, Mexican street food style. Grilled in or out of the husk, brushed with mayonnaise, sprinkled with a chili powder and cayenne powder mix, and then sprinkled or rolled in cotija (very similar to grated parmesan)... Anything that takes a regular ol’ corn on the cob above and beyond is on my list of must-tries. 

And Mexican rice, an excellent final addition as per my friend’s suggestion, is a very intriguing concoction. The rice gets toasted in olive oil with garlic and  jalapeño; a large can of tomatoes gets pureed with onions; the two get combined along with some other ingredients in a symphony of boiling bubbles that will also make you fear for the safety of your hands. But it’s worth it, so worth it. It’s one of those things that, once you make it yourself, you have a greater appreciation when you eat it somewhere else.

So, some firsts for me:

Jalapeños and Serranos. Anybody else intimidated by these little peppers? Because I sure as hell am. It’s kind of like spiders; the smaller they are, the more deadly 😆  But I am the person crazy enough to take a small piece of each as I was mincing them and try them, separately, and straight up. I literally said out loud to myself, “I regret this decision” because my mouth was immediately on fire. But hey, just another day of fearlessness in the kitchen. 

Mortar and pestle. Fun fact: I’ve had a mortar and pestle for a while. Mostly, like so many things in my life (*cries*), I have them but they generally go unused until I rediscover them by some divine intervention – like when cooking food for Cinco de Mayo. When I was making the mojo for carne asada (don’t worry, even my Mexican friend didn’t know what mojo was) and it called for a mortar and pestle to mash ingredients into a paste, I was like OKAY I’M DOING IT, I’M CHANGING THE PURPOSE IN WHICH I OWN THIS MORTAR AND PESTLE AND IT IS NOW FOR CULINARY USE. And strangely enough, I think I’m actually excited to use it more in the kitchen. Though I’m also the person that, in the back of my mind, I’m thinking to myself that I’d like a bigger one than the one I have. Anywho... someone please send me recipes or things to make using a mortar, please and thanks. 

Making rice on the stovetop. We have a Pampered Chef microwave rice maker that we typically use when we eat rice. That’s all I’ve ever used to make it in my life. Let it be known that on May 5th, I made my first official rice dish on the stove top. And the way Mexican rice is cooked, I definitely thought I was going to hurt myself (i.e. pouring a boiling hot tomato-onion puree into the Dutch oven pot that held the rice. Ayyye-aye-aye; the way that boiled was crazy!) The rice was a hit though. 👍  I just suggest adding extra chicken stock or broth to moisten it up a bit. 

The Experience

Here’s the truth: This meal took me about... 4 to 4.5 hours to make. In my defense, I will say that when I’m making something for the first time, I’m always a little slower because I’m trying to get my bearings. Not to mention I was doing this by myself (by choice, of course), doing each dish one at a time rather than multiples at the once, and also trying to clean up as I went along. 

The thing is, despite how long it took and the eons of dishes I used (I’m pretty sure I used every major gadget I own in order to make this), the amount of time didn’t bother me. Not a single bit. People will often say to me “See? That’s why I don’t do that, it’s too much work” ... or “Just cut corners and use store bought stuff because it’s faster.” BUT I LOVE DOING IT THIS WAY. No matter the fact that it takes 4 hours to cook and only 5 minutes to eat, it is infinitely more satisfying – at least for me – when it’s done from scratch and/or from fresh. Okay sure, I used a few things from the frozen section of the grocery store (i.e. the ears of corn) or items from a bag/can (bagged coleslaw and canned diced mango) to cut a few corners here and there, but it was still amazingly delicious and didn’t taint the flavors and freshness of the meal one bit. 

While all of it was AMAZING (seriously, my mom said so!), my favorite parts by far were the mango slaw and elote. Coleslaw and corn will never be the same for me. I dare say forget butter, always put mayo on your corn on the cob; the Mexicans know what they’re doing.   

And my gawwwwd, the love I have for cilantro has deepened so much thanks to these dishes. It’s such a fantastic compliment to the mango and the coleslaw; I could eat it – the slaw and cilantro – forever. 

I gave some to my friend, to get it authenticated by someone who knows this type of food well. I had to know if I did right by the Mexicans! 😂 

And I did! It wasn’t spicy to her standards (us white people have more sensitive taste buds obviously haha), but she told me that it was the best (or some of the best) Mexican-American cooking she’s had. 🙌  Thanks, lady! 

Turns out that I need to make tacos like this more often. Everyone seems to love them! I'm stoked for the next time I make Mexican, and can use all those other recipes I found 

[thefearlessgastronomist]

Recently, after going out for dinner with a friend – ya know, that time I also made her swing by two stores afterwards so I could pick up kitchen gadgets I probably didn’t need – she said something incredibly profound to me that I have not stopped thinking about since: 

“I don’t think I am as passionate about anything as you are about cooking.”

How amazing is that statement? 

When someone says that to you, about you, and in regards to something you love doing, I think that’s when you know you should absolutely do that thing more in your life. 

So I want to say this to anyone and everyone reading this post: I believe this is exactly how you should live your life. You should live in such a way that people notice and tell you how passionate you are about the things you love. Life is too short not to do so... But it is also never too late to make changes if you want to. 

#ShamelessOptimismAndEncouragement

[thefearlessgastronomist]

What’s in a name?

Coming up with a name for a blog is harder than it seems. So much harder. There are a lot of things to consider, but mostly it’s trying to come up with something original while attempting to properly define what exactly it is you’re doing with your Internet space. The latter being such a hassle in itself. 

Here’s what I knew about my little portion of the blogisphere: I love eat, I love cooking, and I love trying new things. I knew my placeholder name – “Rachel in the Kitchen” – regardless of how accurate it may have been at the time, wasn’t gonna cut it in the long run. Plus, as someone told me, it’s not as awesome to put your name in blog titles, it was too close to another blog I’d discovered (“Jessica in the Kitchen,” that I stumbled upon after I had already named mine), and well... it just wasn’t interesting, catchy, or memorable like some of the other monikers out there. I didn’t hate it, but I didn’t love it either.

So I went back to the drawing board.

I did the easiest part first, by deciding what exactly it was I intended to write about.

My initial idea when creating this particular food-based blog was that I would use it to simply discuss my personal experiences in the kitchen – what I was cooking, any cooking-related subject matter, etc. However, similarly on this blog’s sister site, The Rachel Perspective, I was also haphazardly writing reviews for restaurants and random foods I had tried, but they always seemed a little... out of place. Plus, most of those posts are still sitting in the drafts. Feeling as though this new blog will better suit those long lost drafts, while also providing me with more content to write about here, I concocted an idea to... maintain both sites. 

TL;DR – Foodie makes a food blog to write about her own handiwork in the kitchen, as well as reviews and discussions about restaurants, new foods tasted, and various other food-related experiences. 

So now to answer: what words capture that?

Obviously foodie comes to mind – and it really does define this all perfectly, as “a person with a special interest in food.” I would say I definitely have a special interest in food. But in this day and age of the internet, foodie is one overly used term (and sometimes, depending on who you’re talking to, it doesn’t always come with the best connotations). So I took to the thesaurus, in which gourmet, epicure, gastronome, connoisseur, and gourmand are all included. Bon vivant was also an interesting new phrase I learned and now would like to use often, just not in this context. 

But finding another way to phrase my penchants for food takes no time at all. More important was determining exactly what kind of foodie I am. Adjectives, my friends. We need adjectives. 

Over the past two years, I’ve spent more and more time in the kitchen – learning new skills, trying new foods, utilizing new cooking methods. All very experimental, very open minded, very willing to try anything (including many things other people would never touch). Whether it’s in my own kitchen or out to eat, I always have those same convictions when approaching foods. But again, as much as I agree with the words “experimental,” “open-minded,” and “willing to try,” they don’t roll off the tongue as well and make for quite a wordy name. 

See? Naming things is hard. 

Thankfully, inspiration struck in the form of a t-shirt. I have been collecting graphic tees lately, with phrases such as “Black is my happy color” and “I can’t adult today” written on them (both incredibly true, so I couldn’t pass them up). But the one that helped me the most? The shirt with the word... 

Fearless. 

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not entirely without fear in life. I am only human, after all. But in the kitchen, oohhhh, the kitchen is a different story. My curiosity knows no bounds – I’ll cook things just to try it (like chicken tikka marsala that tried to kill me); I’ll order more food than I should at restaurants just so I can taste new things; I’ll get oil splattered on my hands when working on the stovetop and I’ll smoke up the main floor of the house by accidentally burning parchment paper in the oven (and be entirely thankful we don’t have a sprinkler system or smoke alarms on that level), and I’ll cook things people in my family have either never heard of or wouldn’t bother with because it’s too much work... I’d say that sounds pretty fearless, doesn’t it? Not that I’m bragging lol. 

When I first started writing about food on The Rachel Perspective, I insisted on creating dorky little names for the different sections on my website. Probably just so I could design logos for them and not have them feel like they’re so ordinary... The foodie section was called: “The Gastronome Affair” ... *cringes* yuck. There’s a reason I stopped using it. HOWEVER, I’ve always liked the idea of using the word gastronome. It’s a step above foodie but doesn’t take me all the way to connoisseur or another word that sounds like some snooty food expert. I’m simply in the middle, wherein I take food seriously, but not too seriously. And, using it in the form of an -ist makes it rhyme with Fearless, which rolls off the tongue quite well, and I get a strange satisfaction from that. 

Followed quickly by a Google search and a Facebook search to determine if someone was using the name – to which there were none – it was decided. 

THE FEARLESS GASTRONOMIST became mine... and I then proceeded to snatch it up on all the social media I could and would use with it (i.e. FB, Twitter, Instagram). 

My only dilemma now lies in deciding how much I want to invest in this venture... Enough to purchase a domain and make it official? 

I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.

[thefearlessgastronomist]

I can just hear it now... 

You’re wondering why I would add another blog related to cooking to the overall blogisphere. Trust me, I know this is going to get lost in the hoards, but here’s the thing: I don’t care if it gets lost. I don’t care if no one reads it (but for the love of Bobby Flay, please do); I don’t care if this ends up being the biggest mess in the history of my messes. 

What I care about is that I care about cooking. In all its beautiful forms. Baking, grilling, broiling, sauteeing, frying, all of it. 

What I care about it that of the 38 posts I’ve made on my personal Instagram here in 2017 (as of mid-March), twenty of them are images of food that I have personally cooked myself. And thanks to Instagram’s new multi-photo post feature, that's technically not even an accurate count. 

What I care about is that I spend more time watching The Food Network and Cooking Channel than anyone else I know. 

What I care about is my love for foodie adventures and trying new things, both in the kitchen and out at food establishments. 

What I care about is that I can’t even keep track of the recipes I’ve saved on my computer anymore because they are everywhere. 

Food has become my life – so much so that I’m highly considering making it a professional career. And until then, it necessitates having it’s own space in my little blogging world. 

Even if I end up just sharing recipes I love, the recipes I’ve tried, or my multitude of experiences with food, you’re gonna get it all baby. 

And it’s gonna taste good.