I got "tagged," as in you’re it, by this website Namespace Collision for a food-Meme. My brother had to tell me what that meant. Apparently it’s the blogging equivalent of interview chain mail. Apparently it’s either cool or not cool anymore. Whatever. As I am a former mathlete myself, I’ll play. Here’s mine:

What is you first memory of baking/cooking on your own?
  I was trying to recreate something from a magazine. Wiener Pie. I was 6. But I didn’t have the right ingredients so I improvised. I used uncooked knock-wurst instead of pre-cooked dogs. I used cottage cheese in stead of cheddar and cream cheese, I think. And I used pretzels instead of dough. I had the idea to at least make a crust out of them, like grandma did with her cheesecake. But I used mustard as a binder. And I piled it on nice and high. The smell…

What had the most influence on your cooking?
  I grew up in an area where everyone was in the minority. My school was like the U.N. I remember going over to Kauser’s house to study–and how amazing it always smelled. Definitely the genesis of my Cardamom and Coriander obsessions. Ooh, and garam masala. I remember wrapping fresh spring rolls with my friend Huong. I remember our neighbor Cookie’s collard greens and chicken in a pot. And fresh freakin tamales at various locations any time you wanted them. And strange, big buckets of lard in every home.

Do you have an old photo as "evidence" of an early exposure to the culinary world and would you like to share it?
  Yeah. And no.

Mageiricophobia — do you suffer from any cooking phobia, a dish that makes your palms sweat?
  It’s weird, but cooking shellfish at home gives me the willies. I love mussels. I know it’s simple. But I barf 1 out of every 10 times I eat mussels anyway, so I just don’t need the pressure. Did I share too much?

What would be your most valued or used kitchen gadgets and/or what was the biggest let down?
  My most valued items are my grandma’s cast iron skillet and my Kitchen-Aid. It’s all about the classics. And everything tastes better cooked in a cast iron skillet. I even have one just for sweet things like jams and tart tatin. The biggest letdown, the Cuisinart. They’re big and dumb.

Name some funny or weird food combinations/dishes you really like — and probably no one else!
  Gulab Jamun and Orval. God dammit this is good. Seriously, I’m not even kidding. Kinda cake-y dough-like balls in Cardamom and rose water scented syrup. Served still a little hot with a not so cold king of Belgian brew. This is the meal I want on death row. But I still put chips in my peanut butter and jelly sandwiches so what the hell do I know. (but now they’re Terra chips and fresh ground PB)

What are the three eatables or dishes you simply don’t want to live without?
  No big mysteries revealed here. Eggs–deviled, fried, souffles–I can always eat an egg salad sandwich–my all time comfort food. Which leads me to mustard. I could. not. live. without. mustard. And chocolate. I like my chocolate like I like my men–dark and bitter.

Your favorite ice cream …
  I’m a freak for the salty and sweet. Ben & Jerry’s Chubby Hubby, vanilla malt ice cream with chocolate and peanut butter swirls and chocolate-covered peanut butter-filled pretzels. I used to make a white trash version of this when I was a kid.

You will probably never eat …
 Fugu. I had my shot. It’s like sky diving, to me. I like to challenge myself, but at a certain point–I’m not afraid to puss out. I don’t need to do it.

Your own signature dish …
  Right now, it’s my pull apart pork from the crock pot (recipe HERE ). Because avocados are in season, we’re in the middle of Seattle’s 3 months of bitchinest weather, and I’m all about being out of the kitchen.

A common ingredient you just can’t bring yourself to stomach …
  Peaches. I know, I know, I’m a freak. I can’t stand them. So sickeningly sweet and flowery. Blech!  Nectarines are one of my top 5 fruits, though. Go figure.

Which one culture’s food would you most like to sample on its home turf?
  Japan. We went for our honeymoon. I loved it. Total super fun happy time food sensory overload. I want to go back and study kaiseki-ryori. Someday I want to pay someone to walk the markets with me while I ask, "what’s that? why’s that blue?  how do I eat that? do you smoke it? is it dead yet?"

The people I am tagging are:
  My non-blogging compadres at thinkwine.com in hope that they start one. And one of my new favorite winemakers, Mr. Scott Wright of Scott Paul winery in Oregon. He’s keeping a winemaker’s blog …so bookmark it for this year’s crop talk.