Q&A | Eleanor

Eleanor (as featured in my Rouge Tomate post and Giada de Laurentiis post a few weeks back), also a fellow bean counter, graciously agreed to participate in this week's Q&A! We've been great friends since sitting next to each other in an Intermediate Accounting class back during junior year of college. Ever since then, we've made some great meals together (she's the one who recommended America's Test Kitchen to me in the first place) as well as shared lots of laughs and great meals outside the kitchen. For our next haute adventure (that's what I like to call them!), we plan on revisiting Rouge Tomate (hopefully it'll be less of a disaster on my end this time around!) to try revamped menu--now tapas-style, as mentioned in this New York magazine here. Thanks again, Eleanor!


Eleanor and me at our respective family graduation dinners at Blue Grillhouse.

NAME
Eleanor

CURRENT CITY
New York, NY

FAVORITE ALL-TIME RESTAURANT
In Weehawken, NJ: Chart House Restaurant

MOST REGULARLY FREQUENTED SPOT(S)
lunch at John's on 44th Street; dinner at Tony's DiNapoli

DRINK OF CHOICE
at dinner, a large glass of smooth Merlot; at the bar, vodka neat with a glass of water

SOMETHING YOU SECRETLY INDULGE
I'm a carbavore at heart--that means rich doughnuts, cupcakes and zeppoles--and always making a little more pasta for dinner.

DISH YOU MOST ENJOY PREPARING
butternut squash soup

THE HOMEMADE DISH YOU ALWAYS LONG FOR
My boyfriend's father's handmade meatballs and his mother's apple sausage stuffing; also, my grandmother's chili, filled with tender chunks of beef in a sweet tomato sauce

GASTRONOMIC GETAWAY/ADVENTURE OF CHOICE
The Carolinas. Food & Wine's September issue is making me crave Charleston, South Carolina--Carolina pulled pork, Sugar Bakeshop, and places like Dixie Deli in North Carolina serving hot dogs with cheddar and baked apples on a pretzel bun. And for dessert, watermelon chunks with a splash of lime juice and rum!

CULINARY ICONS
Giada De Laurentiis, the cooks at America's Test Kitchen

MEAL YOU WISH YOU CAN REPEAT BUT SOMEHOW CANNOT
New Year's Eve at Asia de Cuba

ABSOLUTE "CAN'T-STANDS"
licorice, kale

FAVORITE DESSERT OF ALL TIME
carrot cake -- the kind with raisins, lots of carrot shavings, walnuts and cream cheese icing

FAVORITE COOKBOOK/COFFEE TABLE BOOK
Cupcakes by ACP Magazines

CULINARY WORDS THAT NEVER LOSE THEIR PANACHE
sommelier, dash, snip, tangy

FOOD BLOG(S) YOU JUST CAN'T GET ENOUGH OF
You're reading it :) as well as The Delivery Bag