Hungry Yet?

1. How do you deal with stress?

It depends on how much stress there is around me. Usually it is handled well up to a point and then I snap, lose it, yell (or sometimes not, depending on the situation) and then end the whole thing crying.

2. Do you have a favorite "comfort food" and what is it?

Macaroni and Cheese, Toast with butter and strawberry Jam, and obviously, chocolate.

3. Do you have a "comfort activity" and what is it?

Reading a book or sleeping.

4. What days depress you and why?

Typically, I'm depressed but more because of exhaustion on Christmas Eve. I often find myself near (or in) tears on the 24th of December on the way home. Retail (and previous to that, working in a bakery) is exhaustingly busy work, with snarky, rude and frustrated people buying last minute objects/goods, and the typical feeling of running around like a maniac trying to get everything they need together for them, and then knowing that you have to run around to visit various family members on Christmas Day. I usually never end up staying at home on Christmas eve, I end up going to my parents, or, this year, going to Cliff's sister and brother-in-law's place. I'm almost worried because of how the last few years have been.

5. What days excite you and why?

Halloween, for sure. I love seeing kids excited and dressed up in cute costumes. Not so much for the adults because Halloween gives men the excuse to dress up like women, and women the excuse to dress like sluts. Christmas because I get to see the reactions of my loved ones and friends when they open the presents that I've thoughtfully purchased and wrapped all fancy-like.

6. Given a choice, and imagining that money and time were no object, would you rather cook dinner, eat out or order in?

There's something ultimately satisfying in cooking a luxury meal for yourself and company. I'd buy gourmet ingredients and spend a good hour and a half laughing and preparing the food with someone. There's also the joy of spoiling someone else.

7. What is the most elaborate meal you've ever prepared yourself or purchased at a restaurant?

I've made two meals that I'm very proud of, that stand out the most of all of my cooking, both of them for other people. and both were simple and fun to make. (As long as I did all the prep beforehand.)

The first was garlic butter sauteed tiger prawns, a wild baby greens salad with crumbled feta cheese and italian vinagrette dressing, 2 AAA centre cut steaks, sauteed onion and mushrooms, mixed corn and baby snap peas, red wine and then with homemade cheesecake drizzled with strawberry coulee and real whipping cream for dessert. Pure decadance.

The other meal was sweet ginger garlic stir fry, with cubed chicken breasts, sauteed in virgin olive oil and rosemary, with snap peas, carrots, corn, red, orange and green diced bell peppers, onion, 6 cloves of garlic, a generous amount of fresh ground pepper, and ground kosher salt. I served it on a bed of steamed white rice. Dessert was... Well... I won't get into that.

8. What food do you find yourself making and/or eating way too much?

Cliff has proven to me that when I thought I had an addiction to chocolate, it was nothing compared to him. I've never met someone where chocolate had to be eaten at least once every day. I think I'm madly; hopelessly in love.

9. What was your most disastrous cooking/eating out experience?

Would it be a cop out to say that I have never really had a bad cooking experience other than over cooking rice or noodles, or perhaps not cooking things for long enough? (usually cassaroles)

I can remember a time when one of my roommates decided to make hot wings and the smell of it cooking under the broiler was awful. It made my landlady gag, and she had no problem coming downstairs to tell us that it smelled like we were baking vomit in the oven. I think it was the orange juice mixed with cayenne pepper sauce that put it over the edge. Whoever the fuck wrote that recipe should be shot.

10. Would you rather cook for someone else or have them cook for you?

I love, Love, LOVE cooking for someone special.

11. What was the last thing that you ate?

Pizza. It was breakfast, at eight thirty am before I decided to crawl back into bed and die for another six hours. I'm not feeling well.

12. Who was the last person you shared a meal with?

Cliff. We camped out and ate pizza in the bedroom laughing and goofing around until we "played Yahtzee" and fell asleep exhausted. Yeah, that's it, Yahtzee.

13. What is your favorite all time dish (recipes welcome)?

My Auntie Marina made this dish, and I swear to god, it was all flavour. I think it was just Chicken breasts baked in mozzarella and spices. Oh god was it amazing. thinking about it is making my mouth water. I've never asked her for the recipe, I so should. I think it's just the fact that there was probably an entire huge block of mozza in there that made my taste buds freak out.

14. If you could eat one thing for an entire year, what would it be?

Cliff says "pussy". Uhm... I... Uh... Gotta go. See ya. *winks*