Friday Five: Top Chef

RevHRod at RevGalBlogPals writes:

This Fall my family has been energetically watching Top Chef on the Bravo channel. My teenage daughter watches with the dream of some day being a chef. My husband watches because he loves reality shows and I mean, really loves them. Plus the whole competition thing really works for him. Me, I love cooking and good food. Every so often I get an idea from this group of talented young chefs who are competing for big money and honors galore.

The winner for this season was Hung. Not the fan favorite, but he won fair and square. In his bio, he says if he were a food "I would be spicy chili - it takes a while to get used to, but once you eat it you always come back for more!" With that in mind, here is this week’s Friday Five.

• If you were a food, what would you be?

I would most likely be some crazy combination of flavors with a weird title. Something that sounds like a Ben and Jerry's flavor of ice cream. Something with unexpected bits of spunky flavor, with the occasional meltdown, and definitely something that tickled. I might be a flavor that takes some getting used to, but once you do, you enjoy it in a weird kind of way. Nothing bland, though. I would not be a casserole with cream of mushroom soup. But I also would not be so exotic that you'd never try to have me around again... (And if you can figure out what in the heck I am, let me know! Because I don't have a name for me other than 100% Deb!)

• What is one of the most memorable meals you ever had? And where?

It would have to be the little restaurant in Northern Virginia where we went for a friend's wedding reception. They had lobster bisque for one of the courses. Chicken Marsala that was fabulous. And there was some kind of kickin' chocolate dessert. The lobster bisque alone was so fabulous I wanted to lick the bowl! But it WAS someone's wedding reception. And I WAS trying to be a grown-up. (Even if they didn't have crayons to color at the tables... sigh...)

• What is your favorite comfort food from childhood?
My mom's fresh bread from the oven with country butter. White. Yeasty. Totally yum. And the smell of bread baking as I came in the door from school? (drool, drool....) Then add to that some of her homemade jelly or jam??? Oh my.


• When going to a church potluck, what one recipe from your kitchen is sure to be a hit?

Well not THIS one. (Scroll down... I just blogged about it...) Every summer I make a batch of peach salsa and the batch I took to the Labor Day picnic disappeared before anyone came back for seconds. It's only good when you make it with FRESH peaches. One of the highlights of our summer...


• What’s the strangest thing you ever willingly ate?
It would have to be fried chicken necks. Yes. Really. Deep fried. Supposedly you crack them open and slurp. I could not ever do it again. And darn! Part of mine fell on the ground and the dogs took it away.

Bonus question: What’s your favorite drink to order when looking forward to a great meal?
My absolute favorite is a good German wine. A pinot gris perhaps. And if you happened to serve it to me in a jacuzzi overlooking the German Alps, so much the better... sigh...

Bon Appetit!
Deb