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Amateur Gourmet Adam Roberts Revealed as Semi-Pro in New Book
I've enjoyed your blog for a long time -- and introduced my blog-fearing mother to your site via Lolita's video clip ("A Message From Lolita") -- and it's been great following your progress from Atlanta law student to NY playwright-in-training to pretty much full-time Amateur Gourmet. I went to my local Barnes & Noble to buy your book the day it came out, thinking I'd like to make a local impact, rather than just being one of the throngs ordering from Amazon... as a new mom, I'm reading as much as I can while nursing the little one, and I find your book just delightful. I love how you weave your friends into all your stories -- they become major characters in your development as the Amateur Gourmet, and spice up each chapter with wit and humanity.
Kudos to you, and a skritch to Lolita!
Annoying food habits...
THE SWISH!
When someone takes a sip of water (or any other beverage) and SWISHES it as if they're at the dentist. (Thankfully, there's no spitting involved, just the swish through the teeth.) That's a family bad habit, and we've all been caught at it. It's almost unconscious, and fortunately we all try to call each other out if we see it happening.
Which wich?
Mmmmm.... banh mi!
But for home-assembled sammy-liciousness, I love a thick-sliced tomato, spicy grainy mustard and dill pickle sandwich on homemade multigrain bread.
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Recent Comments | Response to Comments
Weekend Madness: Win an Autographed Copy of 'United States of Arugula'
Wow, the first time I had arugula? Must've been at least ten years ago, when I was living in New Orleans, and occasionally the beneficiary of my parents' largesse. Back then (around 1995 or so), Emeril wasn't the big Food Network, Star Chef-with-his-own-knives-for-sale, Multi-City Corporate Big Deal he is now, and his flagship restaurant, Emeril's, was the go-to place for a decadent meal long before the tourists discovered it. Service was magnificent (hooray for Julio, Maurizio, and the rest of the original gang!) and Emeril was often in the house, and never failed to come to our table for a visit. ("Hi Doc," he'd say respectfully to my dad, a prominent local cardiologist. "What can I cook for you tonight?" He was always a low-key charmer, and I remember being surprised by his "BAM!" persona on TV.) Oh, how we loved our evenings at Emeril's, where we often had our tastebuds treated to lavish preparations...
But I digress... I believe it was at Emeril's where my young tastebuds were first introduced to arugula, now my hands-down favorite salad green. "If memory serves," it was an arugula salad with bosc pears, goat cheese cakes and creole tomatoes, and it knocked my socks off. I've always liked things spicy, and to find a salad green that was in itself spicy and peppery -- bliss!
I confess I still love Emeril, and I wish him well in all his endeavors! Though I prefer his more reserved, laid-back persona, I respect that he needs to make a living and his "BAM!" persona serves him well in that arena.
Amateur Gourmet Adam Roberts Revealed as Semi-Pro in New Book
I've enjoyed your blog for a long time -- and introduced my blog-fearing mother to your site via Lolita's video clip ("A Message From Lolita") -- and it's been great following your progress from Atlanta law student to NY playwright-in-training to pretty much full-time Amateur Gourmet. I went to my local Barnes & Noble to buy your book the day it came out, thinking I'd like to make a local impact, rather than just being one of the throngs ordering from Amazon... as a new mom, I'm reading as much as I can while nursing the little one, and I find your book just delightful. I love how you weave your friends into all your stories -- they become major characters in your development as the Amateur Gourmet, and spice up each chapter with wit and humanity.
Kudos to you, and a skritch to Lolita!
Annoying food habits...
THE SWISH!
When someone takes a sip of water (or any other beverage) and SWISHES it as if they're at the dentist. (Thankfully, there's no spitting involved, just the swish through the teeth.) That's a family bad habit, and we've all been caught at it. It's almost unconscious, and fortunately we all try to call each other out if we see it happening.
Which wich?
Mmmmm.... banh mi!
But for home-assembled sammy-liciousness, I love a thick-sliced tomato, spicy grainy mustard and dill pickle sandwich on homemade multigrain bread.
Annoying food habits...
My boyfriend drives me INSANE when he eats! He holds his silverware like a freakin shovel! I'm dying to say something to him about it, but don't want to his feelings. It's actually embarrising whe we go out to a nice resturant, all dressed up and here comes the shoveling...agggghhhh
Annoying food habits...
I really hate it when I've spent hours preparing a meal and my husband and other family members eat it so quickly that you have to wonder.....did they really even taste it?
I also hate it when people mix their food. Ok.....when I was a child I mixed my food, but it really is annoying when you have spent a lot of time preparing a meal with great flavor and someone mixes each bite! My suggestion.....make things easier for them and just put it in a blender before serving :)
Weekend Madness: Win an Autographed Copy of 'United States of Arugula'
Thanks to everyone for commenting, and congrats to our winners: linda,
Karen Resta, ngaloppo, artichokeheart, PattyCho, michellelikestoeat, Mandy, chrisfurniss, anado, intheyearofthepig.
Weekend Madness: Win an Autographed Copy of 'United States of Arugula'
It was in a fancy sandwich at the Shangri-La Hotel in Manila. I was amazed at this strange, oddly garlicky, deliciously bitter, incredibly appetizing green stuff. I'm sure it also tasted 100000% better as we'd just finished our interview at the U.S. embassy in Manila, and my younger brother, sister and I were given our approval papers to come to the U.S. with my mom.
Weekend Madness: Win an Autographed Copy of 'United States of Arugula'
I was ten or so, and I ordered a pasta dish when I was out to dinner with my family in Boston. At the time I couldn't stand arugula, but now I love it - in pasta or anywhere else.
Weekend Madness: Win an Autographed Copy of 'United States of Arugula'
Like all Italians, I have eaten arugula (and all types of bitter greens) all my life.
Weekend Madness: Win an Autographed Copy of 'United States of Arugula'
The first time I had arugula was on my first visit to London, England, where I was enchanted that it was called 'rocket'. It was in one of those great sandwiches you can get at Tesco or Pret a Manger or the like. Probably with a shrimp mayonaise, I don't remember.
Weekend Madness: Win an Autographed Copy of 'United States of Arugula'
Although I probably had arugula years before this memory...but it was with pasta dish...fresh clams, arugula, tomatoes, and herbs...get during the summer
Weekend Madness: Win an Autographed Copy of 'United States of Arugula'
About 20 years ago, when I ordered veal milanese at a nice italian restaurant on valetine's day.
Weekend Madness: Win an Autographed Copy of 'United States of Arugula'
What a great question - I won't forget the first time I had it either! It grew like a weed in my dad's garden that he put in when I was in early high school. I had it with heirloom tomatoes and basil (from the garden too) and aged balsamic. I don't think I realized at the time how lucky I was.
Weekend Madness: Win an Autographed Copy of 'United States of Arugula'
11 years ago, on a first date at an italian restaurant...the arugula was the only memorable part.
Weekend Madness: Win an Autographed Copy of 'United States of Arugula'
The first time I had arugula was in Sydney, Australia in 1996 and it was called "rocket"!
Weekend Madness: Win an Autographed Copy of 'United States of Arugula'
I can't remember the first time I had arugula, but it was probably about 10 (or more) years ago when I was living with my parents... my mom always served a mixed green salad, every night after dinner, without fail. At some point they must have gotten sick of the same nightly melange, and switched to arugula. They haven't gone back since. I eat arugula-- and baby or wild arugula, when I can afford it-- as often as possible.
Weekend Madness: Win an Autographed Copy of 'United States of Arugula'
I was a novice cook, just one year out of college and, on a hunt for simple but tasty recipes, I stumbled across a recipe for farfalle with arugula pesto and cherry tomatoes. I was immediately taken with arugula's peppery, spicy flavor and haven't looked back since.
Weekend Madness: Win an Autographed Copy of 'United States of Arugula'
The first time I had arugula was in The Year Of (Our?) Lord 1977. A funny man who was both a boatbuilder and an Italian Guy who liked to laugh a lot and drink a lot of wine and eat many good things took me to this truly fabulous farm market somewhere near Darien, Connecticut. He chose some arugula for salad.
I later married him. Arugula was the least of it, but in some ways the best of it.
Weekend Madness: Win an Autographed Copy of 'United States of Arugula'
I first had arugula at a table outside a restaurant in Trastevere (Rome), on a lazy, warm summer evening. The arugula leaves formed a bed for the incredibly tasty beef tagliata that formed the secondo of my dinner.
Weekend Madness: Win an Autographed Copy of 'United States of Arugula'
the first time I had a arugula...I think it was mixed in with some other salad greens and I was shocked at how peppery and spicy something in my salad was. Then I figured out it was the arugula. Now I have it all the time in salads -- the baby leaves being my favorite. Something I use it to make pesto also.
Weekend Madness: Win an Autographed Copy of 'United States of Arugula'
The first time I had arugula was at Chez Panisse in Berkeley 10 or 12 years ago. I don't remember exactly what I ordered, but I do recall that I had to ask the server what "rocket" was. My job no longer takes me to the Bay Area, and I do miss eating at Chez Panisse.
Amateur Gourmet Adam Roberts Revealed as Semi-Pro in New Book
Not to be cantankerous, but I have to chuckle at the characterization of Barnes & Noble as a local bookstore and the thought that shopping there makes a local impact (aside from any sales tax that you might pay). In fact, Barnes & Noble (BKS) is the largest publicly traded traditional bookstore listed on the NYSE!
I don't feel bad about ordering from Amazon -- I can take the money I saved there ($6 on this book compared to buying it at B&N) and spend it at my local coffee shop instead of Starbucks!
Annoying food habits...
Oh yeah:
1. I hate it when people put ketchup on everything, particularly eggs. This is extremely nasty.
2. people who refuse to try new things. Flat out refuse. Or refuse to re-visit foods they hated as a child. Taste buds change! I hated mushrooms, brussel sprouts and artichokes as a kid (who didn't?) but now I'll eat them gladly (although I'm slow in the mushroom department...can't get too exotic with them).
3. Most importantly: Get. Your fork. OFF. My plate! If I want you to try something I have, I'll offer it!
Annoying food habits...
Wost food habit is not coming to dinner when you're called. My mom used to have a fit about my brother and dad lollygagging now I know & understand her frustration. Its so irritating to spend hours making a really nice meal only to have it grow cold in front of you while for whoever to just finish up an e-mail or whatever that can so clearly wait.
I also ate breakfast with a guy once that cut everything up into bite sized species (two fried eggs, sausage, hash browns) mixed it all together with ketchup and hot sauce until it was a homogenized slop and then shoveled it all in. It was the grossest.
Annoying food habits...
What immediately comes to mind: ex-boyfriend put a truckload of salt on anything I cooked before tasting, even if it had salt in it. Now that's an insult and a half. Once I made a casserole and he asked for butter to put on it. I was like "whatttt???" and a shouting match ensued. Bad memories to put behind me immediately after this comment!
Annoying food habits...
I am so annoyed by people who are totally close-minded about food and refuse to even try anything new. I once dated a guy who refused to eat anything except fast food hamburgers (meat and bread only) and fries. He wouldn't even eat a homemade one. Oh yeah, he did eat one other thing- his mom's "famous" spaghetti which consisted of spaghetti, the fattiest and cheapest ground beef you could buy, cooked and un-drained, a can of mushrooms and a jar of cheez-whiz. Mixed all together and never served with salt or pepper, for that would make it too spicy. I can honestly admit that was the most revolting thing I have ever eaten. I love to cook and eat and experiment, so obviously this relationship didn't last very long. Thankfully I found a guy who shares my love for food and we are now happily married.
Annoying food habits...
I hate when:
people season before tasting
sliver food to death (up to two or three pieces worth) instead of taking a whole portion. By this I meand they will sliver cake off of a platter over a period of time till 2 or 3 servings are gone...even thought they have been politely asked to take a piece and they refuse.
and those people that can eat anywhere from ounces to pounds of food but can never eat the last bite of anything!
Annoying food habits...
Nothing irks me more than going to a new restaurant with people who have not eaten there before and regardless of my raving about the food and regardless of the fact that the people are not even close-to-penniless, they order the smallest cheapest thing on the menu from fear that they won't like anything.
When the tiny plate arrives before them, their fork oh-so-timidly approaches the miniscule portion of food as if the fork itself were frowning with trepidation, creakingly moving toward the food that is supposed to be a celebration (at least in my mind it is)(and I'm guessing that in the restaurant's mind it is too) to prod at it as if it were going to jump up and bite them with a loud scary noise like the boogeyman.
Live a little for god's sake.
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Wow, the first time I had arugula? Must've been at least ten years ago, when I was living in New Orleans, and occasionally the beneficiary of my parents' largesse. Back then (around 1995 or so), Emeril wasn't the big Food Network, Star Chef-with-his-own-knives-for-sale, Multi-City Corporate Big Deal he is now, and his flagship restaurant, Emeril's, was the go-to place for a decadent meal long before the tourists discovered it. Service was magnificent (hooray for Julio, Maurizio, and the rest of the original gang!) and Emeril was often in the house, and never failed to come to our table for a visit. ("Hi Doc," he'd say respectfully to my dad, a prominent local cardiologist. "What can I cook for you tonight?" He was always a low-key charmer, and I remember being surprised by his "BAM!" persona on TV.) Oh, how we loved our evenings at Emeril's, where we often had our tastebuds treated to lavish preparations...
But I digress... I believe it was at Emeril's where my young tastebuds were first introduced to arugula, now my hands-down favorite salad green. "If memory serves," it was an arugula salad with bosc pears, goat cheese cakes and creole tomatoes, and it knocked my socks off. I've always liked things spicy, and to find a salad green that was in itself spicy and peppery -- bliss!
I confess I still love Emeril, and I wish him well in all his endeavors! Though I prefer his more reserved, laid-back persona, I respect that he needs to make a living and his "BAM!" persona serves him well in that arena.