Fabulously Fierce Friends, Leslie

CQ writes: To a certain degree, your friends define who you are.  You identify with them and admire them for their best traits and often take on the characteristics that you admire in them.  This series will profile some of the amazing people that I have met over my years in music and the food service industry.  I'd like to share with you how fantastic they are. Starting on the first Friday in February, I will publish a different Fabulously Fierce Friend's answers to a standardized list of questions along with a little of their backgrounds.  I think you will enjoy reading their responses as much as I have, and maybe even learn a little something along the way too.

Leslie writes: food lover to the core who loves sharing her knowledge with others.

CQ: 1. Who are your role models - food related or otherwise?

Leslie: Tony Bourdain, Julia Child and Alice Waters

CQ: 2. What is your drink of choice?

Leslie: Gin & Tonic

CQ: 3. What is your favorite cookbook or other food related book?

Leslie: Right now - Cooking for 1 by Judith Jones

CQ: 4. What was your most memorable meal and why?

Leslie: It’s a tie. . . Both were at No. 9 Park, graduation dinner and a friend’s goodbye dinner. Both times the food and drink was fantastic and combined with amazing company those are to unforgettable evenings.

CQ: 5. What is your favorite kitchen gadget or tool?

Leslie: A really sharp knife

CQ: 6. If you had to make dinner with ingredients at your home right now, what would you make?

Leslie: Tonight I had shrimp and grits if I had to make a new dinner I'd have pork belly and green beans. What can I say? I'm a southerner.

CQ: 7. What kind of music do you like to listen to while you cook?

Leslie: It really depends on the type of food I’m making, when I’m have tortillas and chili rellenos I have to have Latin music on, French food French music particularly Francoise Hardy, shrimp and grits country all the way.

CQ: 8. What is your philosophy on cooking and eating?

Leslie: Cooking and eating – Just try it the worst thing that could happen is that you don’t like it and you don’t cook or eat it again.

CQ: 9. Are there any foods you cannot stand to eat?

Leslie: I’ve never had hamburger helper or and meals in a box and I can’t see that I could ever really let myself make one when it’s really not hard to make good food.

CQ: 10. If you could use any super power in the kitchen, what would it be and why?

Leslie: If I could have a magic cleaning fairy that would be great or an instantly hot oven.