Fabulously Fierce Friends, Ray

Ray writes: Grew up on a farm in Eufaula, Al where my mother taught me the way around the kitchen. Held the position of head cook of the Creek Steak and Seafood restaurant form age 15-19. Put myself through college (University of Montevallo-BMP Trombone) by cooking and waiting tables. Moved to Boston to attend grad school at the Boston Conservatory (Master of Music Education second master’s in Trombone performance). Was a waiter at Abe & Louie's steak house, Biba, L’espalier and several other hot spots in Boston (twenty years total in the industry). Completed a third masters in orchestral conducting from the University of Nebraska Omaha. Toured Rome, Italy as a trombonist as well as freelanced in Boston. Conducting positions include assistant conductor, Metrowest Symphony; Symphonia conductor at Philips Exeter Academy; Conductor the Nashoba Youth Orchestra; and current position of assistant conductor of Waltham Philharmonic Orchestra as well as founder and artistic director of “3rd Sundays @ 3” concert lecture series. My website is www.dmdaniels.com. I’ve been married for almost seven years, and I have a 15 year old cocker spaniel.

Here are the questions:

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

My Mother and father: My mother is a great cook and with my dad, they rearded 12 kids together…simply amazing…and growing up, I thought it was normal.

2. What is your drink of choice?

Beer and a shot: (Makers Mark on the rox and a half of splash of sweet vermouth with a Newcastle or Amstel light to wash it down with.)

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

The Joy of Cooking

4. What was your most memorable meal and why?

As I stated before, I was brought up on a farm in Alabama. Growing up we had to pick peas and shuck corn and all sorts of things that broke modern day child labor laws. Well, the longest time I spent away from home was nearly three years. All that time, I was eating frozen or canned foods from local big chain supermarkets. Upon my return, I walked into the house and was greeted by my family like the prodigal son. I was immediately sat at the table for a meal, which is customary at my house regardless of the time of day. The sweet corn and fresh peas with country fried venison simply brought tears to my eyes. I have no words that would justly depict the moment.

5. What is your favorite kitchen gadget or tool?

My kitchen Aid

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

Simple roasted chicken with fresh rosemary and a side of Sriracha

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

Anything really, but my favorites is old school jazz like Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, Miles Davis and Coltrane. I also really like Steve Reich’s Music for 18 Musicians (It is the quintessential cooking/entertaining music.)

8. What is your philosophy on cooking and eating?

It’s the same as rehearsal and performance. What more can you ask for?

9. Are there any foods you can not stand to eat?

Believe it or not, it’s my mother’s squash casserole. It’s amazing that she’s the best cook in the world, and she can create something that is so detestable.

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

Well, if I had the power to brine, salt cure or smoke something by waving my hand over it that would be simply fantastic (maybe that’s three super powers). I love to do all of these things, but the brine and salt cure process does nothing for me except builds my anticipation which I think is absolutely necessary, but it takes up to much space in my fridge (no I do not have a walkin at home). The smoking process is also absolutely necessary in many meaningful ways, but I live in a condo (no backyard and my neighbors already hate me because of the fire alarm situation, also liquid smoke should be banned).

Fabulously Fierce Friends, Han

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

My grandmother who raised me to appreciate and not be fussy about what I eat, but at the same time to learn how to enjoy fine cuisine.

2. What is your drink of choice?

Americano (not the Starbucks coffee drink)

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

Kitchen Confidential

4. What was your most memorable meal and why?

Toss up between snake soup in Taiwan and dog stew in Korea. Most memorable because I can recall in precise detail the experiences. It also convinced me that exotic foods are still eaten for a reason - because it's actually good!

5. What is your favorite kitchen gadget or tool?

Chinese butcher knife - one knife to rule them all. Seriously, it fulfills almost every knife function around my kitchen.

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

Baby bokchoy with oden (fishcake) steamed in oyster sauce

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

Jazz

8. What is your philosophy on cooking and eating?

Eating: Never say 'no' to trying something at least once...unless it's diseased cow shit. Cooking: Be solid in your basics around the kitchen, but always look to experiment.

9. Are there any foods you can not stand to eat?

I'll eat the neighbors cat if I have to.

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

Mind control - so I can simultaneously cook and direct the amateur help around the kitchen.

Fabulously Fierce Friends, Andrew

I'm an Australian Ex-Pat violist, web and graphic designer/ real estate agent. I like orchids, knitting, embroidery, painting, cooking, hunting for dingy hole in the wall restaurants with great food. I have been called a renaissance man by some but really I feel like I'm simply an 18th Century English lady of leisure reincarnated into the body of a Chinese Australian man.


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

Jacques Pépin, Julia Child, Anthony Bourdain,

2. What is your drink of choice?

Amaretto Sour

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

Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child, Louisette Bertholle and Simone Beck

4. What was your most memorable meal and why?

Standing at a street vendor in the snowy dead of winter in the city of Urumqi, Xinjiang China at the age of 4 inhaling cumin/chili powder seasoned lamb skewers with my father. This is the earliest memory I have of thoroughly enjoying a meal to the point of wishing that my stomach would never get full so I could keep on eating.

5. What is your favorite kitchen gadget or tool?

My All-Clad 7.5 inch non stick French Skillet

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

Bacon wrapped filet mignon with sautéed asparagus and mushroom tarragon sauce and rosemary mashed potatoes. You caught me on a good day :-)

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

80’s power ballads, NPR news, anything from the 60’s and anything by Burt Bacharach… :-)

8. What is your philosophy on cooking and eating?

Never cut corners, Never do anything half-assed and eat like a ravenous orphan.

9. Are there any foods you can not stand to eat?

Sea Squirt, although I’m going to keep on trying to develop a taste for them. Oh and TEX-MEX…cheap ingredients a pound of bad melted cheese, grease and a bowl of fried nachos…BARF.

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

I wish I could do that trick Albus Dumbledore does with his wand where he can put everything back in it’s place with just a campy flick of his wrist. Failing that the ability to summon a Sous Chef out of thin air to clean up after me.

Fabulously Fierce Friends, Alison

CQ writes: Alison is a assistant department chair and teacher of film-scoring at Berklee College of Music in Boston.  I first met Alison 5 or so years ago with Dan when we met for dim sum at Boston's China Pearl.  She attended University of Chicago which is where she met Dan.  Her family is from France and Germany.  She loves cooking and is a new mommy.  Her beautiful son's name is Roland.

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

My mom is my #1 role model for food, I get my cooking style from her. My husband is another role model (reluctant though I may be) in terms of doing more prep/mis-en-place (I tend to just throw things together). My maternal grandparents Micheline & Al Sakharoff were also very influential as they introduced me to fine dining in France.

2. What is your drink of choice?

Single malt scotch, the peatier the better, a preference I share with my dad.

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

I love "Tender at the Bone" and "Comfort Me With Apples," the memoirs of foodie Ruth Reichl. I also love "Kitchen Science" which explains the "whys" of culinary techniques.

4. What was your most memorable meal and why?

Toque in Montreal with Doug back before we were married. It was a fantastic meal but it was also my first fine dining experience as an "adult," going on my own and not being taken to dinner by older relatives. It was also Doug's first really fancy meal so experiencing that vicariously through him was a treat. Close second though was an amazing lunch at L'Amphytrion, a restaurant in Brittany which had just gotten its second star. I went with my grandparents, brother, and my brother's friend who likewise was new to really fine food.

5. What is your favorite kitchen gadget or tool?

Right now the Beaba Babycook :-). For adults, though, I'd say the immersion blender, which is actually kind of a similar gadget now that I think of it.

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

Tangerine pork stirfry (since I got the ingredients for that on the weekend... does that not count? :-)

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

Jazz, celtic, classical, electronic... pretty much the range I like to listen to generally. I'd love to have a better way to play music in the kitchen, recently we've just been bringing in our laptops.

8. What is your philosophy on cooking and eating?

Enjoy fresh, whole, local foods, drawing from different culinary traditions.

9. Are there any foods you can not stand to eat?

Nothing I won't eat categorically, though I'm not a big fan of organ meats most of the time.

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

The power of instant cleanup!

Fabulously Fierce Friends, Aaron

Aaron Hilbun grew up in a gastronomically-challenged household and is now making up for lost time. His overriding philosophy on life is "go local," meaning eat and do what the locals do. In an increasing age of global homogenity, his goal is to experience what makes a place unique the world. He typically avoids chain restaurants (unless its uniquely local) and mass-produced varieties of his favorite beverage, beer. His favorite place to eat and drink domestically right now is probably Brattleboro, Vermont, because it offers to many opportunities to experience local color, even outside food and drink. Internationally, he enjoys London establishments that reflect the unique character of the city's vibrant neighborhoods, and the City of Trujillo, Peru (where he has performed many times) because there is not a single American chain to be seen. Professionally, Dr. Hilbun was trained as an oboist and a music theorist, and is currently on the music theory faculty of the University of Central Florida. He'll still dust off his oboe and play if someone calls him for a gig.

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

Anyone who can make the near-impossible seem effortless.

2. What is your drink of choice?

A good draft beer

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

Culinary Harmony by David Rezits, a compilation of favorite recipes by famous classical musicians. Full of tasty and practical recipes for the musician on the go. David is a cellist in the Fort Wayne Philharmonic, and the book will soon be out of print, so get your copy today.

4. What was your most memorable meal and why?

Too many to count, but my most recent was at TJ Buckley’s in Brattleboro, Vermont. You can’t beat the intimate atmosphere. It feels like a dining car on a train and all the food prep is going on less than 10 feet away from you - when you first walk in, the smoke stings your eyes! But all this would be incidental if the food wasn’t superb.

5. What is your favorite kitchen gadget or tool?

Probably the coffee mill. No fumbling around with the grinder on those early, hung-over mornings.

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

What I made just now, pork tenderloin rubbed with garlic and Provencal herbs, with garlic mashed potatoes and steamed carrots.

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

I don’t. I’m too easily distracted.

8. What is your philosophy on cooking and eating?

Unfortunately (for someone who once fancied himself a composer), I’m not terribly creative. Therefore, I follow formulas (and therefore, recipes) best. That said, I live to eat. Food is one of my preferred ways of experiencing the world.

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

I know this is going to send shock waves among my foodies, but anything that comes from sheep or goats. This includes such foodie staples as lamb and goat cheese.

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

Kill all the remaining germs in any piece of meat, poultry or seafood without overcooking it. I loathe overcooked meat, but at the same time, I don't want anyone getting sick from one of my parties.