Veronica's Test Kitchen

7 Random Things about Me

I had been tagged by my twin sister Lisa, of the delicious blog, La Mia Cucina and my tart rampage co-conspirator T.W. of Culinary Types to reveal 7 random things about myself. Hmm… now what can I share to the blogosphere that I have not related yet in my previous postings. Well, here goes :

1.      You all have met Pashmi, my mischievous  kitty during our Croissant Challenge but there is another four-legged member of the household - Pooh Bear - my soon-to-be 9-year old bichon frise. Our furkids, as “Hungry” Hubby and I call them, are very much a part of our everyday lives – much like regular kids I guess J.

2.      After I read  Cheryl's  7 random things, I thought about my own dining room. I would hate to leave it if we were to move to a new house. I learned how to apply Italian Plaster (also called Venetian plaster) 2 years ago with the full intention of maybe turning it into a business. Well that never happened. I found my love for cooking and baking instead. But for three days during a Christmas break, the “Hungry” hubby and I finished the walls of our dining room with Italian plaster and we are so proud of that achievement. Next project, the powder room!

3.      When I was in my late teens, I accidentally set my room on fire. There was a power outage so I lit a candle on top of a plastic container that had paper in it (duh!) and went to sleep. When I woke up , I saw this flame burning on the walls, the electricity was already back on but I couldn’t see it because of the thick black smoke in my room. I took a blanket and put the flames out. I did get some minor burns when I stomped on some small embers with my bare feet, but I did not even feel any pain because of adrenalin, I guess. When I woke my brother up and told him what happened, he did not know whether to get mad or laugh. My face was covered in soot and I think I looked very comical. I have never left a candle unattended since then.

4.      When I was a child, I used to love Bruce Lee movies (actually I still do, but not as fanatic). My brothers and I would play kung-fu –- my mother always wondered if I was ever going to grow up like a lady. Anyway, one day when I was exhibiting my num-chuck skills in front of my parents, I accidentally hit my eye with them. That was the last time I played with them – or did kung-fu for that matter.

5.      I tend to get in and out of hobbies very quickly. Only cooking, it seemed, had staying power. Anyway, I had grown orchids and had been a member of an Orchid society – my remaining orchids are being cared for by the “Hungry” hubby. I had taken up sewing for a brief moment. I am also right now what you call a bluebirder, making sure bluebirds in my immediate vicinity have proper nestboxes and food. And yes, I am a member of the North American Bluebird Society.

6.      I once messed around with my dad’s electric razor. Took it apart and put it back together again. The next day I saw him with cuts all over his cheeks. I ‘fessed up. Apparently I put the blades back the wrong way

7.       I was a huge Star Wars fan growing up. Now my favorite trilogy of all time is Lord of the Rings which my hubby and I love to re-watch during the fall-winter time. I always loved movies about good vs. evil mixed in with some enchantment and romance. Those are the best! I also have a penchant for horror films which I end up not watching most of, because half of the time I have my eyes covered with my hand.

I don’t know who else to tag for seven random things since most bloggers I know have probably been tagged. Anyway, consider this a self-tagging meme and tell us 7 random things about yourself if you dare!

A thinking meme

I know I am tardy answering this meme because I was on a break but I have not forgotten that I have been nominated for the thinking blogger award by truly mind-compelling bloggers, T.W. Barritt of Culinary Types and Steven of Mad Chilli ! I am very flattered by this because I do admire their blog a lot and I do hope my adventures in the Test Kitchen continue to serve up the lessons I encounter about food and life.

So my turn to nominate the blogs that make me think :

1. Brandon of the eponymous Brandon Eats is a Richmond blogger who gives you the inside scoop on the local food scene. She, yes Brandon is a she, also has a great collection of recipes, links to the restaurant reviews she does for Style Weekly, and the occasional story of her children’s fondness for exotic food (like fish eyeballs.) I just adore her writing style and her words flow so seamlessly her posts are always fun to read.

2. Joycelyn of Kuidaore was the first food blog I have ever had the pleasure to read as I searched for the recipe for duck confit. And what an amazing blog it is. Beautiful pictures that make you wonder at the brilliance behind each dish, her prose is equally engaging and very well written. I get very good cookbook ideas just reading her blog :).

3. Joey of 80 Breakfasts constantly makes me crave dishes from home (the Philippines).  Her creations however, are not your ordinary Spanish-Filipino fare but they always have an elegant twist to them. She uses a lot of herbs and spices not typical in a Filipino household and I think that is what elevates her cooking style into the extraordinary.

4. Mae of Rice and Noodles. Oh that Mae, how lovely could her dishes be? Right from the moment I visit her blog I am visually enthralled by her thoughtful compositions. And then you read the components of each dish and how it is created or where the inspiration for it comes from, you get a rush again of what could be the beginnings of an overwhelming appetite.  I also remember that time I was drooling over her blog as she recounted her visit to Thailand  -- just makes you think of taking that same trip!

5. Michael Ruhlman of Ruhlman is the well known writer of books such as The Making of a Chef and a favorite Charcuterie. His blog gives you an insightful and sometimes tongue-in-cheek glimpse into the magnificent and sometimes cut-throat world of the professional food business. As such, his posts usually inpire a lively debate among die-hard foodies.

For the above mentioned bloggers, please write a post with your 5 thinking bloggers. If you’ve already been tagged, please accept my KUDOS to a blog well done!

5 Things you don't know about me

I have been tagged by the beautiful and brilliant Bea of La Tartine Gourmande to answer this meme.  I had fun recalling tidbits from my past and how they may have shaped the person that I am now.

1. I’m a Cantonese girl who grew up in the Philippines in a city called Baguio. Both parents were restaurateurs -- fabulous cooks really. Unfortunately, my interest all through my childhood and adolescent life was “What’s for dinner?” I moved to the United States before my thirtieth birthday and have been here close to a decade. In short, I’m turning 40 this year!

2. As much as I love good-quality food, when things I cook don’t turn out the way I want, I use ketchup and a healthy dose of knorr seasoning as a fix-it-all.

3. I have a degree in Electronics Engineering. When I was 19, I went away to Manila to study for the board exam. I was away from my family for the first time. One night, my roommates and I decided to make fried rice. I did not want to tell them that I did not know how to cook. I remember vividly that I offered to help by breaking some eggs for the dish. Having only seen it done in our bakeshop, I have never cracked eggs in my life before that. One can only guess what happened. The first egg I cracked ended up on the floor and the second one had too many eggshells in it. Thus, ended my first attempt to cook in the kitchen.

4. I did not willingly eat vegetables until I got married and my husband could have been a happy vegetarian before he met me. He got me to finally make my peace with vegetables and I got him over his aversion to lamb. A match made in heaven? You bet!

5. A lot of people ask me why I spend my weekends cooking up something for my blog. Well , aside from honing my culinary skills (or lack thereof), I get to interact with a big food blogging community that happens to be a lot of fun! I would want to eventually make a lucrative career out of this – maybe cater or teach. Like Julia Child, it only took me almost 40 years to discover my passion for cooking, but I know now that it’s never too late to pursue that dream!

                   I’m not sure if the following  food bloggers have been tagged yet but I would love to hear more about you!

                        Tanna of My Kitchen in Half Cups

                        Mary of AlpineBerry

                        T.W. Barritt of Culinary Types

                        Steven of Mad Chilli

                        Lydia of The Perfect Pantry