The first book in Louisa's Recipe for Love trilogy, entitled Can't Stand the Heat, debuted last fall to excellent reviews, and the second book (On the Steamy Side - my personal favorite so far) came out in March!
When she's not guest posting here or scribbling furiously away on her next novel, Louisa can be found over at her blog, her website, and her always-witty Twitter feed. (She sometimes posts pictures of Hunter and Oscar, said dogs, on Twitter, which is reason enough to follow her.)
Today, along with her interview, Louisa has a giveaway for you! Read her interview for the details, and follow her instructions to be entered to win a whole bunch of loot. (A signed, hardcover copy of On the Steamy Side, a Recipe for Love apron, and a set of spatulas!)
How and from whom did you learn to cook?
Both of my parents are fantastic, adventurous cooks so we grew up trying lots of different cuisines and ingredients in my house. I moved to NYC after college and got out of the habit of cooking for myself, what with all the fabulous restaurants around, and my kitchen being about the size of a bathtub, but once we moved to a small town in Ohio? If I want something fabulous to eat here, I have to make it myself. So I settled down to figure out how to do that, and realized I loved it!
Do you consider yourself a baker, a cook, or a hybrid? Why?
If you could prepare any meal in the world, what would the menu be, and who would you invite to join you?
Is there something you love to eat that you never make at home? Where do you get your fix?
Pick your poison.
Describe the best meal you've ever eaten. Where were you? Who prepared it? And what made it so special?
The other, slightly more dear to my heart because of the aforementioned cooking-together principle, was a night last summer when Meg and I tried our hands at banh mi for the first time. We'd made Julia's terrine of pork and veal a few days earlier, as well as some chicken liver pate that we tarted up with a shot of cinnamon. Those things went into the split loaves of crusty bread, along with an amazingly savory ground pork concoction with peanuts, fish sauce, and shallots.
Other condiments included chopped lemongrass, cilantro, and mint, grated fresh ginger, thinly sliced green onions, cucumber, and jalapenos, more fish sauce (because who can ever have enough of that stuff?) and sriracha. Oh em gee, they were divine! A harmonious symphony of French and Vietnamese flavors, hot sour salty sweet goodness! We ate them on the deck behind my house in the fading summer light, and I will never forget a moment of that meal.
What's for dinner tonight chez toi?
What about you? What's on your dinner table? Answer in the comments below (Don't forget to include your email address!) for a chance to win a signed special hardcover edition of my newest Recipe for Love novel, On the Steamy Side, a Recipe for Love apron, and a set of red rubber spatulas!
10 comments:
Tonight's dinner chez moi is uninteresting leftovers (grilled jalapeno chicken sausage & peppers). Desserts & appetizers are my favorite things to cook and later this week I'm going to attempt homemade Thin Mint ice cream!
I think I will be making roasted garlic, sauteed onion, goat's cheese and chorizo pizza for the adults, cheese (yes, how exciting) for the kids.I will also be making bread (just because we need some - I am also more of a cook than a baker) and if I have time I am going to make Nigella Lawson's chocolate pudding because I'm craving it http://www.nigella.com/recipe/recipe_detail.aspx?rid=161
I am more of a cook than a baker too, though I do love to bake bread. Tonight is chicken with caramelized shallots.
I am so hungry after reading your blog.
I am thinking about a last blast of winter food tonight. Vegetable soup sounds good.
Because of the current diet, nothing interesting on my table, but I've been itching to make ravioli with a gorganzola, walnut, ricotta filling in a sage and butter sauce.
And now, I must find a diet friendly snack or die.
Grilled asparagus and a bruschetta of roma tomatos, chopped garlic, and olive oil on toasted whole gran bread. And all of this on my diet plan. Hope I win! :)
Well, it's only me so I had leftover red beans and rice and I polished off my chocolate covered strawberries that my daughter brought me yesterday as a belated Mothers Day gift, she had to work that day. I like to cook, but I usually only cook big meals when my daughters come over with their families. I would love to win your book.
seriousreader at live dot com
i made bake chicken with brown rice and green beans.
Purple_lover_04 at msn dot com
Since today is my birthday, I got to pick dinner and hubs (who is an amazing cook) made it: authentic home-made tacos, black beans with mexican rice, and flan instead of birthday cake. Absolutely delish!
pspinney at cox dot net
Hey, folks!
The winner has been chosen! Head on over here to find out if it's you!
http://queenietakesmanhattan.blogspot.com/2010/05/and-winner-is.html
Post a Comment