Yummy Questionnaire: Teanna DiMicco

Teanna DiMicco realized her love for all things cooking in her 400 square foot 1 bedroom walk-up apartment in New York City a few years ago.  Although her space was limited Teanna secretly fell in love.  Teanna spreads her wings and her love and enthusiasm on her blog, Spork or Foon.com.  Watch and learn how she embarks on a new career in a more food-centric field.

* Sweet or Savory?

Sweet!

* Which ingredient(s) do you use the most?

Cinnamon is like salt to me. I put it on everything. And it doesn’t give me high blood pressure.

* What’s your favorite cooking smell?

The smell of freshly cut herbs. It’s a toss-up between the woodsy smell of rosemary or the lemony smell of parsley that arises as the knife cuts through the leaves.

* What is your most favorite cooking sound?

Again, back to the parsley.   I love the crisp sound the leaves make as they give way to the sharp edge of the knife.

* In the kitchen, what’s your most treasured possession?

My Kitchen-Aid stand mixer.   It’s gotten me through many a cookie recipe.  It recently started to have a mechanical issue and my heart sank to the floor as I thought I may have lost it forever.  Luckily, my boyfriend and a hammer solved the problem.  He’s my hero. J

* What do you look for inside a dish?

Creativity and complexity.  I love dishes that have a bevy of sensory experiences.  Dishes that are layered with flavors where I can have the enjoyment of uncovering each one as the flavors hit my tastebuds.

* What is a “faux pas” in your kitchen?

A faux pas in my kitchen is actually being in my kitchen.

I am convinced that, unless you are a food blogger, you won’t be able to help me with what I am doing, so please don’t ask me if I need help.  I do need help, but I’d rather suffer at my own hands. It’s horrible and yes, I am a bad person.  I love you.

* Is there a food you will not eat?

I used to live off of egg whites, chicken made on the George Forman grill (got me through college), and Power Bars (the gross ones that look like dog poop as a stick).  Then, my boyfriend introduced me to the wonders of mushrooms.  After that, there was nothing I would not try.

* What food is your guilty pleasure?

Where do I begin?  It all started in elementary school, where we used to eat bagel sandwiches with cream cheese and Doritos.  If we weren’t in the mood for that, we’d eat French fries on a roll with ketchup.  Needless to say, I was a fat child. Now that I’m healthy, I guess my food guilty pleasure would be that I can eat copious amounts of frozen yogurt.  The people at Tasti-D-Lite are my best friends.

* Have you ever changed how you feel towards a food?

My whole outlook towards food changed after the wonderful mushroom adventure.  And, no, not the kind of mushroom adventure you are thinking.

* If you could prepare a dinner for anyone, who would it be?

Anthony Bourdain. I’d like to have a few laughs, pick his brain about what he really thinks about vegans and Alice Waters (just because I think it’s funny), and then ask him if he needs a young, witty travel companion for his show.

* If you could choose a living or historical cook to prepare a meal for you, who would it be?

It would be a toss-up between Thomas Keller because he is a brilliant chef whose restaurant I could never get a reservation to, or Eric Ripert because he is a brilliant chef and is so dreamy.

* Which food website/ or blog would you die without?

It’s so hard to say. I love all of my bloggers and I would die without their sites. But there are too many to name. So on a larger scale, I’d cry for days if Eater.com was no more. I love me some Ben Leventhal.

* What is your favorite food related word?

It’s a toss-up between “deipnosophist” (a person who is adept at conversation at the table) or “geusioleptic”(having or characterized by pleasant flavor). I don’t know how to pronounce either of those words, though.

* What is your favorite food shopping experience?

I can’t walk into a supermarket without staying for an hour.  I go in with four things on my list, I walk out having spent over $100.  So I’m not the best food shopper.

* If you could move, which country would you move to for the food?

It’s funny, because I traveled so much in my lifetime, but that was before I appreciated, or even liked, food.  I’ve done a student exchange in Russia, studied abroad in London, lived in Rome for a summer, visited Ireland, Prague, Paris, Amsterdam, Brussels and Trinidad, and I was too close-minded about food to appreciate any of it.  I guess if I could do it all over again, I’d stay in France, the birthplace of culinary genius. I actually want to choose Italy, but the endless amounts of pasta and gelato wouldn’t mesh with my insanely slow metabolism.

* What’s the dress code in the kitchen when you cook?

Wear full shirts.  Sounds crazy, but I’ve burned myself in places a little too close for comfort because I insist on wearing tank tops in the kitchen. One scar lasted for months.  No more.

* What would you request on the menu if it was your last supper?

I’d unleash my inner fat kid and get a McDonalds cheeseburger, fries, pizza, and a pint of Hagen Daas. These are all of the things I do not allow myself on a regular basis.

* What food would you prepare to seduce someone?

Luckily, my boyfriend is seduced by my food on a daily basis. He’s my number one fan.

* What food are you craving right now?

The other night, I went to Momofuku Ssam Bar and had this dish that was sea urchin with nori in a tiger’s milk broth.  It’s not that the dish was particularly the best thing I’ve ever eaten, but it was so interesting that I can still taste it. I’d like to taste it some more.

* What is your comfort food?

Toast.  Don’t judge.

(Image by Wordle)